■After 10 years, the new “Josie” has reunited with new members!
After 10 years, it has been decided that a new “Josie” will be joining the cast in “Saint Young Men THE MOVIE: Holy Men vs. the Devil Army”, the first live-action film based on the “Saint Young Men” series, which will be released nationwide on December 20th.
The five unique warriors appeared in the legendary special effects comedy film “Josie’s” (2014) directed by Fukuda. After 10 years, when the five selected girls gather together, the strongest team will be born…or so you would think, but it’s not going to happen. To save them from this crisis, the new Josie’s, made up of modern girls living in the rough seas of the Reiwa era, descends into the world of “Saint Young Men”. Will the Josie’s, representatives of humanity, who descend to stop the battle between the Holy Men (Jesus and Buddha) and the demon army, be able to protect peace on Earth?
Now, the five actors who will play the new “Josie” in the film have been revealed all at once.
Haruna Kawaguchi, who has been showing remarkable success in recent years as one of Japan’s leading actors, took first place in the recently announced “Ranking of TV-CM companies in the first half of 2024,” and there is hardly a day that goes by without seeing her on TV. This will be Kawaguchi’s first time working with Fukuda since the drama “Tenma-san ga Yuku” (TBS) which aired in 2013.
In 2016, Sakura Yoshiyanagi won the 41st Horipro Talent Scout Caravan as the youngest grand prize winner ever, which led to her entry into the entertainment industry. In 2017, she played the role of the 10th Peter Pan in the musical “Peter Pan” at the age of 13, tying the record for the youngest actor ever to do so. In 2019, she voiced the main characters in Makoto Shinkai’s “Weathering with You.” In 2024, she will appear in the NHK morning drama “Boogie Woogie.” She is currently attracting a lot of attention as an actor and artist.
Tanaka Miku, a former member of HKT48 who will graduate from the group in 2023, is expected to have a bright future as an actress, having appeared as a regular in the popular drama “The Best Teacher: One Year Later, I Was Killed by My Student” (Nippon TV) in the same year.
Hinami Mori, who was selected for the role of “Blue” after passing the “Toho Entertainment 50th Anniversary Audition” in 2014, made her debut as an actress in 2016 and was thrust into the limelight in the Sentai series “Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger” (2021). Since then, she has not only been active as an actress, but has also demonstrated her versatility in a variety of fields, including variety shows, modeling, gardening programs, and martial arts reporting.
Wearing navy blue, Anzai Seika attracted attention in 2021 on the Nippon Television variety show “Chou Muteki Class,” and despite being only 20 years old, her mature and outstanding looks have seen her expand her horizons into modeling, acting, and variety shows, making her an iconic figure of Gen Z.
The Reiwa-era “New Joshi-se” are just as busy as the original Joshi-se, but they have come together to protect the peace of the Earth. The five members, Kawaguchi, Yoshiyanagi, Tanaka, Mori, and Anzai, play the roles in a cuter and more relaxed manner.
Along with the release of the five cast members, group visuals and individual visuals of each member were also released. The team is the same as the original Joshi-zu, with red, green, yellow, blue, and navy, and we can’t help but expect the “blue vs. navy color overlap problem” to occur again in this film. At first glance, the visuals released this time have the composition of a Sentai hero, but there is also a certain looseness to them. As representatives of humanity, will these five be able to stop the battle between the Holy Men (Jesus and Buddha) and the demon army? The performance of the new Joshi-zu will also be one of the highlights of this film.
In addition, a behind-the-scenes video of the Reiwa-era Joshi-zu was released, which begins reminiscent of a certain sci-fi blockbuster. While the new Joshi-zu that appeared in “Saint Young Men THE MOVIE” strike cute poses, it has been pointed out that there is a “color overlap” again this time. Will the Reiwa-era Joshi-zu be able to save the world?
The next “Big Brother Project,” which releases new information on “Big Brother Day,” the 23rd of every month, will be on August 23rd.
■Comment from Haruna Kawaguchi
My name is Kawaguchi Haruna and I played the role of Joshi Rush Red.
I had the opportunity to work with Director Fukuda about 10 years ago, and I was happy to be invited back to the set again after such a long time.
I transformed while savoring how luxurious it is to be able to fool around and act stupid to the fullest.
Maybe? I hope you’ll enjoy my first and last Sentai style! lol
Come and laugh your head off at the theater!■ Comment from Sakura Yoshiyanagi
My name is Sakura Yoshiyanagi, and I played the role of Green.
I wanted to try out a Sentai series! I wanted to appear in a film directed by Yuichi Fukuda! I never thought I’d get to appear in this film, so I was really happy!
The filming on the cliff was very realistic and got me really excited. I fought with all my might. I hope you’ll watch it in the theater. Thank you!■ Comment from Miku Tanaka
She appears as Yellow, a member of the Joshi-Z squadron led by Haruna Kawaguchi.
This role was played by Mitsuki Takahata, so I studied her and did my best, even adding some ad-libs.
I was happy that the staff on site were laughing and the atmosphere was very lively!
I am so surprised to be able to appear in a film directed by Fukuda Yuichi, which has been my dream and my longing for the role.
“Saint Young Men” is being made into a movie. I hope it will bring a smile to many people’s faces!■ Comment from Hinami Mori
My name is Mori Hinami, and I played the role of Joshi’s Blue in the movie “Saint Young Men.”
It had been my long-cherished dream to finally be able to enter the world of Fukuda-gumi; I felt joyful, nervous, and it was a truly luxurious and happy time.
I never thought I would be able to play the roles of the “Josie” girls I had seen on film, and I became more and more captivated by the grand, humorous story as I read through the script.
The special hero costumes and practicing how to say the hero’s name were always exciting on set. Please come to the theater to see this amazing entertainment!! Look forward to it!■ Comment from Seira Anzai
I played the role of Navy in the girls’ group.
My first time working with Fukuda was a very fresh and stimulating experience. During the dry run, I was able to challenge myself to do things that weren’t in the script, as the mic picked up on my complaints after I’d finished my lines and asked me to try them out in real life.
Also, I never thought I’d be able to act in a Sentai uniform, so I was very happy to be able to do it as a member of the Joshiezu with Fukuda’s group.
There were many parts in the script that made me chuckle, and just like everyone else, I’m looking forward to seeing it at the theater. Please be sure to check it out on the big screen.
Movie Information
“Saint Young Men THE MOVIE: Holy Men vs. the Devil Army”
Released nationwide at Toho cinemas on Friday, December 20th
Original story: Hikaru Nakamura’s “Saint Young Men” (serialized in Kodansha’s “Morning Two”)
Screenplay/Director: Yuichi Fukuda
Cast: Kenichi Matsuyama, Shota Sometani, Kento Kaku, Takanori Iwata, Mai Shiraishi, Ryo Katsuji,
Mizuki Yamamoto, Hinako Sakurai, Haruna Kawaguchi, Aoi Nakata, Sakura Yoshiyanagi, Miku Tanaka, Hinami Mori, Seira Anzai,
Jiro Sato, Masataka Kubota
Distributor: Toho
(c) Nakamura Hikaru/Kodansha (c) 2024 “Saint Young Men” Film Production Committee
■ Story
Earth is a shining star of life, one of many in the vast universe. Jesus, the son of God, who survived the end of the century, and Buddha, who attained enlightenment, enjoy playing lotteries and forming the comedy duo “Punch and Long Hair” while feeling the changing seasons of Japan. One day, while the two are living a relaxed daily life, an uninvited guest visits them and tells them a shocking truth. Eventually, it leads to an unpredictable “holy war” in which God x Buddha x Angel x Devil are all mixed up, and the fate of the world will be decided. When the final judgment is made on this world of impermanence, the peace of the earth is once again entrusted to Jesus and Buddha!
Work site
http://saint023movie.jp/
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