It has been announced that a project will be launched to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the original anime "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress," directed by Tetsuro Araki, who also directed "Attack on Titan," which will be broadcast this April. The project will be themed around "The Ten-Year Journey of the Iron Fortress," and will apparently involve retracing the series' 10-year history. A 10th-anniversary visual featuring Ikoma and Mumei has been released. To commemorate the launch of the project, the 2019 anime film "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato" will be broadcast on Fuji TV (Kanto local) at 12:45 a.m. on March 6th. This will be the first time the series will be broadcast on terrestrial television.
Comments have been made by Hatanaka Yu, who voiced the main character Ikoma, Senbongi Ayaka, who played Mumei, and director Araki regarding the start of the project. Hatanaka said, "It was a truly rich and long time, and I feel like we've spent a lot of time together. If possible, I'd like to meet Ikoma and Mumei again!", and Senbongi said, "Since the end of the broadcast, so many people have brought up Kabaneri, and it makes me feel proud every time. The experiences I had on set back then have become the foundation of who I am and have supported me for the past 10 years."
Director Araki said, "I first launched this project from my small desk, praying that it would be well received. I remember searching to see if the word 'Kabaneri' existed in the world, and pumping my fist in excitement when not a single result came up."
Starting April 4th, the "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress" TV Broadcast 10th Anniversary Campaign will be held at the Noitamina Shop & Cafe Theater in Aqua City Odaiba (Minato Ward, Tokyo). A special exhibition will be held in the store, new merchandise featuring newly drawn illustrations commemorating the 10th anniversary will be sold, and limited collaboration menus will be offered. There are also plans to hold a reprint screening of a TV anime episode selected by vote.
The official radio program "Kabaneri Tours," which was broadcast during the 2016 TV anime broadcast, will also be making a limited comeback. Starting in the second half of the campaign period, it will be broadcast exclusively inside the Noitamina Shop & Cafe Theater.
"Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress" aired on Fuji TV's anime block "Noitamina" from April to June 2016. Set in Hinomoto, an island nation in the far east where steam engines are highly developed, the series depicts the fight for survival of a group of boys and girls who board an armored steam locomotive called the Kotetsujo against immortal monsters known as Kabane, who suddenly appear and multiply explosively. After the TV anime ended, two compilation films were released in theaters in December 2016 and January 2017, respectively, and a sequel, "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato," was released in 2019.
Below are the full comments from Hatanaka, Senbongi, and Director Araki.
◇Comment from Yu Hatanaka
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress." Kabaneri is truly an irreplaceable work that has shaped my life. It's so intense that it's hard to believe that the anime, excluding the movie, was only one season; it feels like we've spent such a long time together. If possible, I would like to meet Ikoma and Mumei again! I truly hope that one day I will be able to play Ikoma again. Ten years have passed, and many things may have changed for us, but I hope that we will never forget our feelings and will face Kabaneri again someday. I hope that everyone will continue to support Kabaneri!!!
◇Comment from Ayaka Senbongi
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress"!! I can remember the audition like it was yesterday, but it's been 10 years since the TV anime aired in the blink of an eye... I'm amazed at how quickly time flies...! Since the end of the broadcast, many people have brought up Kabaneri, and every time that happens, I feel proud. The experiences I had on set back then have become the foundation for me and have supported me for the past 10 years. I truly hope that this is a work that everyone will enjoy. And I hope that it will continue to be a work that allows me to meet many different people in the future. I love Kabaneri!
◇Comment from Director Tetsuro Araki
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the broadcast of "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress," but since I'm proud to say that I "created" this work, I'd like to say, even though it may be presumptuous, "Thank you!" Of course, it was a work created together with many people, but it was originally a project I launched from my small desk, praying that it would be understood. I remember doing a search to see if the word "Kabaneri" existed in the world, and pumping my fist when not a single result came up. Thankfully, we were blessed with many friends, and then with fans, and then with gaming machines, and it has been possible for it to remain in active use as content for 10 years. It's an unexpected joy! Thank you so much!
But what made this film the most precious thing to me was that the main character, Ikoma, and the two unknown cast members actually got married. What made me so happy? It felt like proof that I wasn't wrong. I tuned the characters while watching the two of them during filming, and this film certainly contains something authentic. Not everything went smoothly in this film, but a certain truth is burned into it. If that's the case, then this is a treasure. And so I intend to continue to cherish this treasure.
