Based on Tsutomu Nihei’s mecha manga series “Knights of Sidonia,” the anime film “Knights of Sidonia: Ai Tsumugu Hoshi” (シドニアの騎士 あいつむぐほし) is confirmed to open in Japan’s theatres on 14th May 2021. The official trailer and four new cast members are also revealed.
The new film will take a different path from the manga, and will feature a brand new story supervised by Nihei.
▍Official Trailer
▍New Cast
■ Tōtarō Yamano (山野稲汰郎) – CV: Yūma Uchida (内山雄馬)
■ Kairi Hamagata (浜形浬) – CV: Yūto Uemura (上村祐翔)
■ Iroha Hashine (端根色葉) – CV: Inori Minase (水瀬いのり)
■ Itsuki Hanma (半間乙希) – CV: Miho Okasaki (岡咲美保)
▍Synopsis
The story is set in the year 3394, a thousand years after mankind flees from Earth after it was destroyed by a race of shapeshifting aliens – the Gauna, aboard hundreds of colossal spacecraft created from the remains of the planet.
One such ship is the Sidonia, which has developed its own human culture closely based on that of Japan where human cloning, asexual reproduction, and human genetic engineering, such as granting humans photosynthesis, are commonplace. With a population of over 500,000 people, Sidonia is possibly the last human settlement remaining as the fates of the other ships are unknown.
Sidonia is defended by large mechanized weapons called Gardes,whose weaponry and mobility is powered by “Higgs particles,”armed with a high-output cannon for long range assaults and a special spear known as “Kabizashi” for close combat. The tip of the kabizashi is made of a rare and little-understood material which has the unique property of being able to destroy a Gauna’s core.
Most people in the surviving human population are screened and drafted as Guardian pilots at a young age, if they are shown to be capable of piloting them. The story follows the adventures of Nagate Tanikaze, who is selected as a Guardian pilot, and the crisis faced by Sidonia.
▍Staff and Production
Original Work: Tsutomu Nihei (弐瓶 勉)
Chief Director: Hiroyuki Seshita (瀬下寛之)
Director: Tadahiro Yoshihira (吉平 “Tady” 直弘)
Script: Sadayuki Murai (村井さだゆき) & Tetsuya Yamada (山田哲弥)
Production Designer: Naoya Tanaka (田中直哉)
Art Director: Mitsunori Kataama(片塰満則)
CG Supervisor: Takuma Ishibashi (石橋拓馬) & Masayuki Uemoto (上本雅之)
Animation Director: Reiji Nagazono (永園玲仁)
Background Art Director: Mitsuo Yoshino (芳野満雄)
Color Designer: Hironori Nochi (野地弘納)
Sound Director: Yoshikazu Iwanami (岩浪美和)
Music: Shūji Katayama (片山修志)
Music Production: King Record
Animation: Polygon Pictures
Distribution: KlockWorx
▍Cast
■ Nagate Tanikaze (谷風 長道) – CV: Ryōta Ōsaka (逢坂 良太)
■ Tsumugi Shiraui (白羽衣 つむぎ) – CV: Aya Suzaki (洲崎綾)
■ Izana Shinatose (科戸瀬 イザナ) – CV: Aki Toyosaki (豊崎 愛生)
■ Yuhata Midorikawa (緑川 纈) – CV: Hisako Kanemoto (金元 寿子)
■ Norio Kunato (岐神 海苔夫)- CV:Takahiro Sakurai (櫻井 孝宏)
■ Mozuku Kunato (岐神 海蘊) – CV: Ayane Sakura (佐倉 綾音)
■ The Sisters of Honoka – CV: Eri Kitamura (喜多村 英梨)
■ Captain Kobayashi – CV: Sayaka Ohara (大原 さやか)
■ Ichirō Seii (勢威 一郎) – CV: Tomohiro Tsuboi (坪井 智浩)
■ Ochiai (落合) – CV: Takehito Koyasu (子安 武人)
■ Lala Hiyama (ヒ山 ララァ) – CV: Satomi Arai (新井 里美)
■ Ittan Samari (サマリ・イッタン) – CV: Atsuko Satō (佐藤 敦子)
■ Sasaki (佐々木) – CV: Takako Honda (本田 貴子)
■ Kōichi Tsuruuchi (弦打 攻市) – CV: Kohsuke Toriumi (鳥海 浩輔)
■ Shinsuke Tanba (丹波 新輔) – CV: Osamu Saka (阪 脩)
■ Numi Tahiro (田寛 ヌミ) – CV: Rina Satō (佐藤 利奈)
■ Yure Shinatose (科戸瀬 ユレ) – CV: Mamiko Noto (能登 麻美子)
■ Tōtarō Yamano (山野稲汰郎) – CV: Yūma Uchida (内山雄馬)
■ Kairi Hamagata (浜形浬) – CV: Yūto Uemura (上村祐翔)
■ Iroha Hashine (端根色葉) – CV: Inori Minase (水瀬いのり)
■ Itsuki Hanma (半間乙希) – CV: Miho Okasaki (岡咲美保)