“After it finished, I was in a daze,” “I became doubly confused” – Kobayashi Kaoru, Totsuka Junki and others reflect on their “voice acting performances” [HOUSENKA Premiere Screening Report]

The highly anticipated original anime film Houka Sen, brought to life by the acclaimed duo Kinoshita Baku and Kimoto Kazuya—the creative minds behind the popular TV anime Odd Taxi—in collaboration with Studio CLAP, has finally reached completion! To celebrate this milestone, a special completion preview stage greeting was held on September 4, 2025, at Shinjuku Wald 9. The event saw the attendance of the film’s stellar cast, including Kobayashi Kaoru and Totsuka Junki, who brilliantly portray the protagonist Akutsu in his present and past respectively, alongside Mitsushima Hikari and Miyazaki Yoshiko, lending their voices to Akutsu’s partner Nana. Also present were Pierre Taki, the voice of the talking Houka Sen, and director Kinoshita Baku himself. (The title Houka Sen can be translated as “Balsam” or “Impatiens”.)

During the stage greeting, held before a packed house, Kobayashi Kaoru, who embodies the current-day Akutsu, expressed his deep satisfaction with the film. “This work truly makes you realize how incredibly important and blissful the little things in life are. I myself left after watching the film feeling wonderful,” he shared, hinting at the movie’s profound impact. He also mused on the unique challenges of voice acting compared to his usual live-action performances. “There’s a strange sensation, almost a lack of ‘realness’ in playing a role when you’re standing in front of a microphone, looking at a screen, and only using your voice. It requires an intense focus to deliver solely through voice, and I found myself utterly drained, returning home in a daze after the recording sessions.” Pierre Taki also walked home after his recording, but Kobayashi-san’s initial assumption that Pierre Taki shared his dazed state led to a humorous misunderstanding. Kobayashi-san chuckled, “I thought he must have felt the same exhaustion and walked home in a daze, but it turns out Pierre-san just habitually walks home.” Pierre Taki playfully added, “No, I just enjoy walking as a hobby… Kobayashi-san simply got the wrong idea,” eliciting laughter from the audience.

Pierre Taki, who lends his distinctive voice to the talking Houka Sen, humorously recalled offering voice acting tips to Kobayashi Kaoru during recording, as he hadn’t associated Kobayashi-san with animation roles. “Then I later realized, ‘Oh, this is the person who’s worked on Ghibli films…!’ I became so embarrassed for giving advice to such an esteemed individual,” he confessed with a sheepish grin. Reflecting on their collaboration, Pierre Taki shared, “We spent two intensive days recording together, and it was a truly invaluable experience to engage in such concentrated acting.”

For Totsuka Junki, who portrays Akutsu’s younger self, Houka Sen marked his very first venture into voice acting. He reminisced about the recording sessions from two years prior: “It was a completely different approach compared to my usual acting. Since Kobayashi Kaoru-san’s voice was recorded first, I had to listen to his performance before playing the past version of Akutsu, which initially left me feeling doubly confused. However, Kaoru-san’s portrayal of Akutsu also served as a crucial hint, guiding me to approach my role with the feeling of connecting to his performance.”

Mitsushima Hikari, voicing the younger Nana, Akutsu’s partner, shared her deep passion for anime, recalling her experience voicing in ONE PIECE FILM GOLD. “At that time, I was completely overwhelmed by the animation production environment, realizing that incredible Japanese creators were right there. I was captivated by the staff of the anime world, and from then on, I resolved to learn more about anime. For about eight years now, I’ve been watching some form of anime almost every day, and the world of anime production continues to deeply move me.” She wholeheartedly endorsed Houka Sen, stating, “I’m genuinely thrilled to have been part of a film that carries such beautiful resonance, much like Japanese films from the golden era. I absolutely adore the completed work.” Mitsushima-san also offered a unique take on her first co-star Totsuka Junki: “About ten years ago, when I saw him in a certain work, I arbitrarily thought he was an actor from the past who had time-traveled to the present, like a young man from the black-and-white film era. In this film, (Totsuka-san’s portrayal of the younger Akutsu) had several moments where his voice sounded ’empty’ in a wonderful way, and I found that endearing. That ’empty voice’ felt as if he wasn’t self-consciously replaying information, which was truly charming. I felt a sense of salvation in Akutsu’s ’emptiness.'”

Miyazaki Yoshiko, who voices the present-day Nana, openly admitted, “I’m more nervous right now than I would be appearing in a live-action film.” She also recounted the humorous difficulties of getting accustomed to voice acting: “During recording, in scenes where I was supposed to speak to someone next to me, I instinctively turned my head. Even though the character on screen was speaking, I shouldn’t have moved away from the microphone… These were just small things, but voice acting certainly presented its amusing moments of fluster.”

Adding to the joyous occasion, September 4th also marked Kobayashi Kaoru’s 74th birthday! Director Kinoshita Baku presented him with a specially drawn portrait illustration, while Totsuka Junki gifted him a beautiful bouquet. Visibly delighted by the surprise celebration, Kobayashi-san beamed, “There’s nothing that could make me happier than this. I will treasure this illustration as a family heirloom.”

Finally, director Kinoshita Baku pitched the film, promising, “It has become a quiet, powerful, and beautiful film. Please enjoy it to the very end.” Totsuka Junki urged the audience, “I hope the deep emotions I felt participating in this film and watching the completed work will reach everyone. I wholeheartedly believe in Houka Sen and wish for its circle to spread widely.” Kobayashi Kaoru also expressed his hopes, stating, “Each of the cast members has their own feelings about this work, but I would be truly happy if everyone who watches it could return home feeling just a little bit happier.”

The original anime film Houka Sen, from the acclaimed Kinoshita Baku and Kimoto Kazuya of Odd Taxi fame and Studio CLAP, is set for its nationwide release on October 10th. To commemorate the premiere, another stage greeting featuring the lavish cast will be held on October 11th, so be sure to check it out!

Houka Sen Completion Preview Stage Greeting Outline

• Date: September 4, 2025 (Thursday)
• Venue: Shinjuku Wald 9
• Attendees: Kobayashi Kaoru, Totsuka Junki, Mitsushima Hikari, Miyazaki Yoshiko, Pierre Taki, Kinoshita Baku (Director)

Houka Sen Release Commemoration Stage Greeting

1st Session

• Date: October 11, 2025 (Saturday)
• Time: After the 16:00 screening (expected 17:40–18:10)
• Venue: Shinjuku Wald 9
• Attendees: Kobayashi Kaoru, Totsuka Junki, Mitsushima Hikari, Miyazaki Yoshiko, Pierre Taki, Kinoshita Baku (Director)
• *Please note that attending guests may change without prior notice.

2nd Session

• Date: October 11, 2025 (Saturday)
• Time: Before the 18:45 screening (expected 18:45–19:15)
• Venue: Shinjuku Wald 9
• Attendees: Kobayashi Kaoru, Totsuka Junki, Mitsushima Hikari, Miyazaki Yoshiko, Pierre Taki, Kinoshita Baku (Director)
• *Please note that attending guests may change without prior notice.

Ticket Information

• Price/Seating: All reserved seats: 2,500 yen (tax included)

Sales Schedule

E-plus Pre-order (Lottery)

*Online applications require prior (free) membership registration with the playguide.

• Application Period: September 4 (Thursday) 19:30 – September 15 (Monday/Holiday) 23:59
• Limit: Up to 2 tickets per person per application
• Lottery Result Announcement Method: Email / Web (Lottery Result Confirmation Screen)
• Lottery Result Announcement: From September 19 (Friday) 18:00 onwards
• Payment Period: September 19 (Friday) 18:00 – September 23 (Tuesday/Holiday) 21:00
• *Please note that if payment is not confirmed within the specified period, your application will be considered unsuccessful.
• *If seats remain after the pre-order, general sales are planned.

About Houka Sen

Nationwide roadshow from October 10 (Friday) at Shinjuku Wald 9 and other theaters.

Staff & Cast

《Nakase Koutarou》