A stage greeting event celebrating the release of "Mononoke: The Movie Chapter 3 - Serpent God," the third and final chapter of the "Mononoke: The Movie" trilogy based on the popular TV anime "Mononoke ," was held on May 30th at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo). Ryoko Sakakibara, who played Suikoin, the mother of the emperor who stands at the top of the Ooku (women's quarters of the Edo Castle), made an appearance. Sakakibara said, "It was a role that I couldn't do without giving it my all," and revealed, "After recording, I was bedridden the next day."
Sakakibara said, "Every time, I get to play a variety of amazing roles. In this case, it was the first time in a while that I played a human woman, so I researched and deepened my understanding of the role and practiced, and it was a role that I absolutely had to give it my all to do. I was bedridden for two or three days, so I was able to relax a little, which was good."
Director Kenji Nakamura began by saying, "I think this is the first time I've said this," before confessing that he is a huge fan of Sakakibara. "I had been suppressing that feeling while working. Sakakibara was constantly thinking on set, and after he would say a line, there would be a session where he would say, 'Is this what it means, or is it not this?' We were all very focused, but honestly, we were thinking, 'Wow, Sakakibara is here!' It was a set where amateurs and professionals like us were clashing," he revealed.
Director Nakamura said that he had decided in his heart to "definitely get an autograph" from Sakakibara at the recording studio, and after the recording, Director Nakamura and other staff members lined up to get Sakakibara's autograph, and an "autograph session" was held. Sakakibara smiled shyly when Director Nakamura told her the story.
The event featured appearances by Hiroshi Kamiya, who voices the main character, the Medicine Seller; Daisuke Hosomi, who voices Sakashita; Aina the End, who performed the theme songs for all three chapters; and director Tomoaki Koshida.
"Mononoke: The Movie" is set in the Ooku (women's quarters of Edo Castle), a place swirling with the passions of women, and follows a medicine seller as he tries to uncover the true identity of the "Mononoke." The first chapter, "Karakasa," was released in July 2024, and the second chapter, "Hinezumi," was released in March 2025. The third chapter, "Hebigami," was released on May 29th.
"Mononoke" is an anime produced by the same staff who worked on the popular episode "Bakeneko" from "Ayakashi," which aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina anime block in 2006. It aired on Noitamina in 2007. The story depicts a supernatural tale in which the medicine seller who appeared in "Bakeneko" confronts a Mononoke.
