“Chi.” / Uotoyo’s Origin Work ‘hyakuem.’: Uchiyama Kouki & Tsuda Kenjirou Join Cast! World Premiere Held at Annecy

“Hyakuemu.” Anime Film Unveils Powerful New Cast, Sets North American Release Via GKIDS!

The feature-length anime film “Hyakuemu.” is set to open nationwide in Japan on September 19, 2025. Exciting new cast members have just been announced: Uchiyama Kouki and Tsuda Kenjirou will join the production, playing crucial characters who significantly impact the sprinting lives of the main protagonists, Togashi and Komiya. Furthermore, the film held its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025 on June 12, local time. It has also been decided that GKIDS, the distributor who helped guide “Kimi-tachi wa Dou Ikiruka” to an Academy Award win, will release the film in North America in October 2025.

“Hyakuemu.” is a feature-length anime film based on the debut serialization work by the acclaimed author Uoto, who received the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize’s Manga Award at the youngest age in history for his work “Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite,” which also received an anime adaptation.

The story plunges into the world of track and field, depicting the madness and passion of those captivated by the fleeting, less than 10-second glory of the “100m” race. It resonated deeply with readers, drawing comments like, “My heart is burning hot,” and “I’ve never felt this way about a sports manga before.” Even after its conclusion, it continues to hold fervent popularity.

Bringing the Speed to Life: Director and Main Cast

Directing this intense drama is the talented creator Iwaizawa Kenji, whose first feature film, “Ongaku,” garnered high praise both domestically and internationally, including a nomination for a prestigious Annie Award, often called the “Academy Awards of Animation.” The film features a stellar voice cast, with Matsuzaka Toori playing Togashi, a naturally gifted sprinter with innate speed, and Someya Shouta as Komiya, who becomes engrossed in the 100m race after meeting Togashi. Both actors are highly regarded for their voice acting prowess.

Powerful Additions to the Cast

Now, two more leading voice actors have been announced to join this highly anticipated film. Uchiyama Kouki will voice Zaitsu, a dominant force in the track and field world who significantly influences both Togashi and Komiya, while Tsuda Kenjirou will play Kaidou, a formidable runner consistently challenged by Zaitsu for the top spot.

Uchiyama Kouki Joins as Zaitsu

Uchiyama Kouki, who takes on the role of Zaitsu, the absolute champion leading the track and field scene, has captivated fans in numerous works, including providing the voice for Shigaraki Tomura in “Boku no Hero Academia” and Tsukishima Kei in “Haikyuu!!”. Regarding the role of Zaitsu, a character immensely popular among manga fans, Uchiyama-san shared his challenges in portraying him, stating, “His lines have many unique ways of speaking, so I struggled with how to express them.” He also expressed his excitement for the finished film, adding, “I’m personally very much looking forward to seeing how ‘Hyakuemu.’ is visualized, including the unique depiction of running that only animation can offer.”

Tsuda Kenjirou as Kaidou

Tsuda Kenjirou, who plays Kaidou, the runner constantly vying with Zaitsu for the top position, is widely supported for his versatile work in both voice acting and live-action roles. This is his second time participating in a Uoto work, following his role as Novak in “Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite.” Tsuda-san commented on the film, saying, “Perhaps a new realm of sports anime has been born? It’s a sports underdog story, but it’s also a more philosophical, deep, and fascinating work. It was an honor to play such a strong-willed character in the world drawn by Uoto-sensei.” He added, “I tried to act as carefully as possible while not losing the sense of dynamism. Please look forward to a sports anime like you’ve never seen before. Be sure to see it in theaters!” The overwhelming presence of these two top runners, brought to life by Uchiyama-san and Tsuda-san, is definitely something you’ll want to experience on the big screen.

World Premiere at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025

Furthermore, the film held its official screening at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025, the world’s largest animation film festival currently underway in France, on June 12 at 4:30 PM local time. Director Iwaizawa Kenji took the stage at the packed theater, filled with an enthusiastic audience of approximately 420 people, to share his thoughts on the film. This marks Iwaizawa-sensei’s third time participating in the festival, following his film “Ongaku,” which won the Jury Distinction for a Feature Film in 2020, and “Hyakuemu.”‘s selection in the “Work in Progress” section last year.

Director Iwaizawa stated, “My previous work, ‘Ongaku,’ was made by a small team, but it was seen by many people, and that led to this ‘Hyakuemu.'” He continued, “I couldn’t come to Annecy during the COVID-19 pandemic for ‘Ongaku,’ so I’m really excited to finally stand before you all in Annecy today after five years. The 100m sprint is a simple sport of just running straight, which made it difficult to depict, but I thought very carefully and worked hard to make it enjoyable.”

Fans who eagerly came to be among the first to witness the passionate story of protagonists dedicating everything to the 100m sprint shared their excitement, with comments like, “I felt the infinite power of animation once again,” and “It’s amazing how they managed to express the emotions of a 10-second race in animation.” Great anticipation is building for the film’s wider release around the world.

GKIDS Secures North American Rights

Furthermore, GKIDS, a distributor specializing in international animation films in North America, has acquired co-funding and distribution rights for the film, announcing a North American release in October 2025. GKIDS is well-known for playing a significant role in the global spread and recognition of Japanese anime films, including works by Shinkai Makoto, Hosoda Mamoru, and Yuasa Masaaki. In 2024, they notably guided Studio Ghibli’s “Kimi-tachi wa Dou Ikiruka” to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.

In recent years, GKIDS has shown increasing interest not just in distribution but also in production investment. They have now taken on the role of co-funding and North American distribution for this latest Japanese anime production. GKIDS President David Jesteadt appealed to the world, stating, “We are incredibly honored to partner on ‘Hyakuemu.’ and bring this stunning film to North America. We look forward to bringing this exciting new sports film to audiences soon.” With this news, the anticipation for the film’s growing excitement in North America and globally is certainly rising.

Mark Your Calendars!

The feature-length anime film “Hyakuemu.” is scheduled for nationwide release in Japan on September 19, 2025. We eagerly await further updates on this exciting project!

Voice Actor Comments

Uchiyama Kouki

Hello, this is Uchiyama Kouki, who voiced Zaitsu. His lines had many unique ways of speaking, so I struggled with how to express them, but with careful direction from Director Iwaizawa, I was able to run through to the end of the story. I’m personally very much looking forward to seeing how “Hyakuemu.” is visualized, including the unique depiction of running that only animation can offer. Please be sure to see it in theaters!

Tsuda Kenjirou

Perhaps a new realm of sports anime has been born? It’s a sports underdog story, but it’s also a more philosophical, deep, and fascinating work. It was an honor to play such a strong-willed character in the world drawn by Uoto-sensei. I tried to act as carefully as possible while not losing the sense of dynamism. Please look forward to a sports anime like you’ve never seen before. Be sure to see it in theaters!

Credits

Written by Nakase Koutarou