We learned back in March that UK distributor Anime Limited had theatrical plans for Kenji Kamiyama’s Hirunehime -Shiranai Watashi no Monogatari-, which is being localized as Napping Princess -The Story of Unknown Me. With the film set for an August 16th, 2017 for fans where it’ll be presented in its original Japanese with English subtitles, we now have information the dub that will be coming alongside it that recently started being listed at certain screenings in the UK. Recorded at NYAV Post, the film is being directed by Stephanie Sheh and Michael Sinterniklaas. The cast has been revealed with:
- Kokone/Ancien – being voiced by Brina Palencia (Rei Ayanami in the Rebuild of Evangelion films, Juvia Loxar in Fairy Tail, Touka in Tokyo Ghoul, Tony Tony Chopper in One Piece)
- Momotaro/Peach – being voiced by Doug Erholtz (Jean Pierre Polnareff in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Asuma Sarutobi in Naruto, Daigo Nishijima in Digimon Tri movies, Akihiro Altland in Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans, Inspector Koichi Zenigata in Lupin the Third Part 4)
- Watanabe/Bewan – being voiced by Lex Woutas (Berserk, Giant Robo, Samurai Deeper Kyo)
- Morio – being voiced by Chris Niosi (Arataka Reigen in Mob Psycho 100, Garma Zabi in Gundam The Origin OVAs, Dezel in Tales of Zestiria the X)
- Joy – being voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Sora Takenouchi in Digimon Tri movies, Ino in Naruto, Tachikoma in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG)
The film has Kamiyama working as the director and writing the screenplay for it while Satoko Morikawa is on board as the character designer with Atsuko Sasaki serving as the animation director. It’s being produced by Signal-MD and obviously being distributed by Warner Bros. Japan.
The Japanese cast includes Mitsuki Takahata as Kokone Morikawa, Shinnosuke Mitsushima as Morio, Arata Furuta as Watanabe, Tomoya Maeno as Kijita, Hideki Takahashi as Isshin Shijima, Rie Kogimiya as Joy and Yosuke Eguchi as Momotarō.
Kamiyama was previously quoted previously as saying about the project, “I had asked myself what an anime film should do in this age when we must face heavy reality. One day, I was told by someone, “Why don’t you make a film that you want to show to your daughter?” Then a story about a simple and innocent girl and her father came up to my mind. But it has been a very difficult work, I have had to work so hard everyday, thinking about how I can show it to my daughter. This is a story about ‘a father and his daughter’ that attaches to the minimum thought of an individual person.”
Plot Concept: The story of the film is set in the Kojima area of Okayama Prefecture in 2020, just before the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games begin. It focuses on the relationship between the protagonist girl Kokone Morikawa and her father. The film also features a robot called “Hearts” that can transform from a sidecar.
