Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic Premiere with Cast Ono Daisuke, Sakamoto Maaya, Suwabe Junichi

Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic Premiere with Cast Ono Daisuke, Sakamoto Maaya, Suwabe Junichi

Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic opened in cinemas across Japan on Jan. 21, and some of its cast and crew were on hand to celebrate. Ono Daisuke (Sebastian Michaelis), Sakamoto Maaya, (Ciel Phantomhive), and Suwabe Junichi (Undertaker) all made an appearance at the premiere event.

Book of the Atlantic is the big screen continuation of the anime adaptation which began with the broadcast of the first Black Butler series in 2008, followed by Black Butler II, Book of Circus and Book of Murder in 2014. The movie adapts the fan-favourite Luxury Liner story arc, and in the midst of all the excitement, members of the cast made a special on stage appearance to mark the release.

The premiere event took place in Screen 9 of the Shinjuku Wald cinema on Jan. 21. The room was packed with fans excited to see this longed-for theatrical animation of the much-loved Black Butler series. In front of the sold-out crowd, the MC called out the cast members Ono Daisuke, Sakamoto Maaya, and Suwabe Junichi who then made an appearance on stage.

In the midst of thunderous applause, Ono Daisuke who plays Sebastian Michaelis, Sakamoto Maaya who plays Ciel, and Suwabe Junichi who plays the Undertaker who finally makes a real impact in the movie, took to the stage. Greeted with a huge welcome from the crowd, Suwabe Junichi struck an undead pose sending the audience into fits of laughter. The cast members then offered a few comments within the bright and cheerful atmosphere.

The series has been going for almost a decade following the original TV anime in 2008, and the actors have continued in their roles throughout. When asked about the series’ appeal, Ono replied that the series’ gothic and lolita aesthetic along with its balance of action and comedy as well as the horror elements as seen in the movie make it a total entertainment experience. Sakamoto added that the characters’ conviction in carrying out their mission was also a factor, whereas Suwabe felt that the beauty and extreme nature of the characters goes beyond simply looking good and has a kind spiritual quality.

Ono Daisuke

Ono also talked about the way Sebastian has helped him grow as an actor, tackling the role stoically during the first season in which Sebastian didn’t really talk. Precisely because it was the kind of role where he was so wrapped up in his own work and couldn’t really see what else was going on, it really opened up for him that this is a collaborative business. Just like a butler only exists with a master, you can’t create something just on your own. It’s been a long time coming from the first season through the second, third and now this movie, but Ono is happy to have been involved in the franchise all along.

Sakamoto Maaya

On the other hand, Sakamoto recalled that she felt a lot of pressure in the beginning as she didn’t have a lot of experience playing young boys, and Ciel and the Black Butler franchise are so popular with fans. However, she wanted to add that Ono was very considerate of her and made it a very comfortable space to work in. During the second season she came to understand the relationship between Ciel and Sebastian a little more and was able to rely on Ono. The opening of this long-awaited theatrical movie has given Sakamoto the opportunity to look back over her own growth as a result of being involved with the franchise.

Suwabe Junichi

Suwabe was not particularly worried about playing the Undertaker. From the early stages, he’d been in discussion with Toboso Yana, the author of the original manga, about the Undertaker’s backbone which he wanted to go on playing as far as he could, always thinking about the most effective way of doing it. The Undertaker’s most important role in the ongoing story is in the Luxury Liner arc which is adapted in this movie, so Suwabe was very happy to be standing on the stage introducing it. Showing off the Undertaker’s laugh, Suwabe got the whole room laughing with him, bringing the Undertaker back to life on stage.

The three then talked about their experiences working on the franchise over the last 10 years. Asked by the MC how she felt now the long-awaited movie is finally out, Sakamoto again recounted her struggles with the character during the first season but was happy to have been able to play Ciel again with the depth of understanding she now has having lived with him so long. However, before they got the official green light, she also remembers talking with Ono and thinking “Really, a movie?” - she couldn't quite believe it. Ono sheepishly confessed he wanted to talk to Sakamoto about the movie right away and was also thinking “Really?”. Suwabe got everyone laughing by immediately following up with, “Cold, guys,” to which Ono added, “Sort of Ciel-like,” to which Sakamoto agreed. Suwabe replied to this back and forth between the other two by adding, “Forget cold, you guys are hot,” which had the entire room exploding in laughter again.

Asked for a final comment, Suwabe made use of the theatrical audio system to appeal to everyone to enjoy the movie. Sakamoto added that the cinema atmosphere felt kind of like being on a boat and that she hoped everyone would enjoy the exciting story more than ever. Finally, Ono said that he felt confident about this film as the culmination of the Black Butler franchise as the series’ appeal continues to grow.

Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the original Black Butler manga, so inevitably thoughts turned to the next 10 years - with thoughts about if the fans will still love them, what they will do if they make something the fans don’t enjoy, and more. The event came to a close with Sebastian’s familiar catchphrase as the guests left the stage to thunderous applause.

Source: Spice

Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic Premiere with Cast Ono Daisuke, Sakamoto Maaya, Suwabe Junichi 1
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