Main Cast Takes the Stage, Sharing Memories of Auditions! Official Report from the Anime "mono" Advanced Screening Event

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, the "Watching mono - TV Anime 'mono' Advanced Screening in Tokyo" event was held, and an official report has arrived.

"mono" is a popular 4-panel manga currently serialized in "Manga Time Kirara Carat" (Houbunsha) by Afro, known for "Laid-Back Camp". It depicts the daily lives of high school girls belonging to the "Cinephoto Club," a combination of the photography and film research clubs, along with the scenery of Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, where the story is set.

The "Watching mono - TV Anime 'mono' Advanced Screening in Tokyo" event was held at Shinjuku Wald 9. After the preview of the first episode, the main cast took the stage: Mikawa Haruna as Amamiya Satsuki, Koga Aoi as Kiriyama An, Tono Hikaru as Shikishima Sakurako, Ueda Reina as Akiyama Haruno, and Kawase Maki as Komada Hanako. The five engaged in friendly conversation.

"Sweet Cast" Delivers a "mono"-logue of "Things I Want to Try! Places I Want to Go!"

When Mikawa asked, "Did you enjoy the first episode?", the audience responded with big applause, indicating their satisfaction with the anime. There was even a call and response of "mono~!", surprising the cast with the high enthusiasm of fans even before the broadcast. Kawase, observing the greetings of the four others, commented, "Everyone here is so sweet (laughs)," her composed demeanor somewhat reminiscent of Hanako, quickly conveying the atmosphere of the five.

When asked about their impressions of the first episode, Mikawa expressed her excitement, saying, "Everyone's moving~!" She felt that both the good points of the original comic and the anime were packed in, and despite being a part of it, she honestly expressed, "It's such a wonderful, lovely work!" Koga, agreeing with this sentiment, pointed out scenes that showed the anime's attention to detail, such as the impressive natural landscapes at the beginning and scenes carefully depicting An's subtle movements.

Tono mentioned that the scenery seen in photos and videos differs from what you see in person, and the anime adds yet another interesting aspect. With the promise of more unique characters appearing from the second episode onward, including Sakurako, she expressed her excitement, saying, "Wasn't it a first episode that raised expectations?"

Ueda and Kawase highlighted the unique qualities of the anime. Ueda was particularly impressed by the direction of the scene where Satsuki and others use a 360-degree camera for the first time. Touching on the charm unique to this work, which features real places and objects, she expressed that watching the anime made her think, "I want to try it, I want to go there!" even more strongly.

Ueda also focused on the interactions between the characters. While there's already a friendly and comical, very cute atmosphere in the first episode, from the perspective of the cast who have finished recording all episodes, this feeling is bound to increase even more... ? Hinting at this, she said with a broad smile, "I want everyone to see it soon~!", putting both the cast and audience at ease.

Kawase also noted that she felt the love of the creators in the background music, which seemed to fit the work so perfectly that she thought it might have been in the original. Describing the BGM playing in the venue as "makes you want to skip," she added, "I wonder how many years it's been since I did that... (laughs) Even for someone like me, the poppiness that makes you want to jump is nice," highlighting the charm of the music aspect.

No Confidence in the Auditions!? But "With These Five, I Might Be Able to Do My Best!"