Koichi Domoto Breaks New Ground as Villain Zodon! Hinata Saka46's Nao Kosaka Passionately Declares Her Love for Rimuru - 'That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie' Completion Screening Report

The completion screening for "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea," the second theatrical film in the "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime" (hereafter "TenSura") series, was held on January 21st at Iino Hall in Tokyo.

"That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime" is a work of the same name by Taiki Kawakami, Fuse, and Mitz Vah, with the series' cumulative circulation surpassing 56 million copies worldwide. The anime has accumulated over 3 billion views, and has recorded 1 billion page views on "Shosetsuka ni Narou," maintaining high popularity over many years.

This film, following the first theatrical release, features a completely original story with the original creator Fuse handling the original concept and complete supervision. The director is Yasuhito Kikuchi, who worked on "Macross F" and "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond." Set against the backdrop of the "sea," a first for the series, the story depicts Rimuru and companions becoming embroiled in new adventures and conspiracies.

Prior to the February 27th release, a stage greeting was held featuring a luxurious voice actor lineup including Miho Okasaki as the protagonist Rimuru Tempest, Koichi Domoto as the theatrical original character Zodon, Saori Ōnishi as Yura, Nao Kosaka (Hinatazaka46) as Mio, Kaho Fujishima (Hinatazaka46) as Yori, and Asuna Tomari as Gobta.

Regarding their feelings now that the film is finally complete, Okasaki shared, "Even though I knew the content from the recording sessions, the completed version was amazing! I'm looking forward to delivering it to everyone as soon as possible!" Tomari stated, "Seeing it on the big screen, I didn't expect such incredible visuals to come at me, so while recalling the excitement I felt during recording, the visuals had multiplied many times over, making me so excited that I truly want to watch it again."

Domoto, participating in the world of "TenSura" for the first time, expressed his joy: "Today too, there's such an incredible number of press interviews... (lol) I really feel what a popular work this is. I'm truly honored to participate in such a project, and I was surprised when I received the offer. I know there are many people who have loved this work for a long time, so while feeling the pressure not to be disrespectful, I was truly honored." Okasaki shared the moment when she learned of Domoto's participation: "I was shocked (when I heard Domoto would be participating)! Team 'TenSura' was in an uproar! It was kept top secret for a long time, and we had a guessing game about who it might be, but when we found out it was Koichi-san, everyone was overjoyed."

Kosaka, making her voice acting debut, couldn't hide her joy: "I've been a huge fan of 'TenSura' since long ago, and when I received this offer, I was so happy I thought it was a lie. It was my first voice acting challenge, so the recording was done amid nervousness, but one of my dreams of voice acting work came true, and it was such a happy time." When the MC asked about her favorite character, Domoto quickly interjected, "Zodon!?" drawing laughter from the venue. Kosaka revealed, "Zodon is a good character too, but actually Rimuru-sama is my favorite." Okasaki responded in Rimuru's voice, "Me? Thank you," and Kosaka showed a joyful expression saying, "I'm so happy!"

Fujishima beamed with a broad smile: "This is the first time I've received an individual acting job, and my first time being a voice acting role, so while I was nervous, being able to perform together with my senior Kosaka-san, and when it was decided, having fans and members congratulate me really warmed my heart, and today too, being able to meet everyone, I'm filled with happiness." When asked about Fujishima's voice acting, Kosaka revealed, "I love Fujishima's voice, and she's good at adding inflection, so we were able to record while encouraging each other, which was a precious experience." Fujishima responded, "I'm so happy. While I was very nervous, Kosaka-san encouraged me, so I really feel the power of my senior is great."

Ōnishi, who plays Yura, an original character and important figure in this film, said, "I can't say much in depth since it's before the screening, but she's one of the key persons in this work, so I hope you'll watch this film and feel what kind of girl Yura is, and at the same time, the fact that Gobta is on this stage is also a point of interest, I think. Also, this lineup too?!" When she hinted at the relationship between Gobta, played by Tomari standing next to her, and Yura, Domoto interjected with "Aren't you saying too much?" causing a flustered expression. Kosaka, who played Mio, Yura's handmaiden, said, "She has a very soft atmosphere and is a character with a core as a handmaiden." Fujishima, who played Yori, spoke about the character she portrayed: "She has an energetic and lively image, so I tried to play her like a younger sister." Domoto said, "I've been told not to say too much but... as you might imagine, she's a heel. It was a character I haven't played much before."

Tomari hinted at Gobta's activities in this film: "Gobta is usually a real joker, but in the theatrical version, perhaps... (lol)" Okasaki appealed to new aspects in this film: "This time, I think you'll be able to see both the silly Rimuru and the cool Rimuru."