It was revealed on March 3rd that actress Mao Daichi will be voicing the queen of insects, the leader of all insects, in the Japanese version of Disney & Pixar's latest animated film, "Hoppers" (directed by Daniel Chung, to be released on March 13th).
The Japanese voice actors for the members of the "Great Council of Animals," a meeting of the kings of the animal kingdom, have now been announced. The council is convened when the protagonist, Mabel, who has infiltrated the animal world as a beaver, complains about the threat of highway construction destroying the forest, a place of precious memories and the habitat of the animals.
In addition to Daichi as the Queen of Insects, the Prince of Insects will be voiced by voice actress Ikue Otani, the Queen of Fish will be played by Megumi Ogata, the King of Birds will be played by Takuya Eguchi, the Queens of Reptiles will be played by NICO from the female YouTube duo "Heisei Flamingo", and the King of Amphibians will be played by Tomokazu Sugita.
Daichi, who is participating in a Disney and Pixar production for the first time, expressed her joy by saying, "I was honestly happy. I think there are many (Pixar) works that are loved by many people, so I was happy and excited to be able to be a part of it."
Regarding her role, she said, "It's very impactful," and added, "From a human perspective, she seems like a bad character, but as a queen, she has a sense of justice and tries to protect the insect world, and I think she's a character with a strong personality." When asked if she could be in the animal world, she answered, "I've always loved cats, and I currently have four, but I wish I could talk to them more. I'd like to have deep conversations with them (laughs)."
A special video introducing the members of the "Grand Council of Animals" was also released. Daichi, who plays the Queen of Insects, dressed in a gorgeous dress, announces, "The Grand Council of Animals has been convened," and the Japanese voice actors who play the kings of the animals, who are members of the council, appear one after another, dressed in costumes inspired by their respective characters.
The video ends with Daichi shouting, "Let's get started!", hinting at the council members' outrageous "plot" against the humans who are trying to destroy nature. The video is narrated by Sugita, who plays the King of Amphibians. He concludes, "By the way, I, Tomokazu Sugita, also appear as the King of Amphibians." What means will the "Grand Council of Animals" use to oppose the humans who are pushing ahead with the highway construction? What decision will Mabel make when she learns of the plan...?
"When I Became a Beaver" tells the story of Mabel, an animal-loving college student who learns that the forest she holds dear will be destroyed by a highway project. In order to protect this precious place, she uses secret technology to transform into the appearance of a beaver and devises a plan to protect the animals and the forest.
In the Japanese version, actress Kyoko Yoshine will play Mabel, Kote Shinya will play the king of the beavers, King George, while Miyata Toshiya from the popular group Kis-My-Ft2 will voice Loaf, a soothing beaver who is so laid back he often gets eaten. Actor Atsuro Watabe will voice Mayor Jerry, a human who threatens the beaver forest.
