A stage greeting to commemorate the release of the animated feature film "Kusunoki no Bannin," based on a novel by Higashino Keigo, was held on February 4th at Shinjuku Wald 9 (Shinjuku, Tokyo). Up until now, Higashino's works have been adapted into live-action films and TV dramas, but this is the first time they have been made into an anime. February 4th was Higashino's birthday, and he commented:
Higashino praised the anime, saying, "When writing a novel, it's difficult to put the images that come to mind into words, and I always feel frustrated, but I was overwhelmed by the power of animation, which can fully depict images that are expanded without any restrictions. I was also impressed by the voice acting by Takahashi and Amami (Yuki). I hope that many people will see it."
Actor Fumiya Takahashi, who voiced the main character, Reito Naoi, expressed his joy, saying, "I'm happy that we were able to work together on this project," and in response to the huge response to the film, said, "I've received such grateful feedback and feel the power of this work."
Also appearing on stage to greet the audience were Asuka Saito, who plays Yumi Saji, who investigates her father's secret, and director Tomohiko Ito.
"Kamson Tree Keeper" tells the story of a young man, Naoi Reito, who loses his job due to unjust dismissal and becomes the mysterious "Kamson Tree Keeper," where he meets people with all sorts of problems. Released on January 30th, the film recorded a box office revenue of approximately 125 million yen in three days. It got off to a good start, ranking third in the movie attendance rankings from January 30th to February 1st (according to the Box Office Information Company).
