Happy Elements announced a new animated movie for fans of New Ensemble Stars!!
Debuting on YouTube on April 6, New Ensemble Stars!! Tsuioku (Remembrance) Selection ‘Element’ will feature new music based on the “Element” storyline from the popular game. The film will mark the franchise’s second animated film.
Produced by Happy Elements Kakaria Studio, the anime will star Toshiki Masuda as Rei Sakuma, Takuya Eguchi as Wataru Hibiki, Kotaro Nishiyama as Kanata Shinkai, Hiroki Takahashi as Shu Itsuki, Kenji Nojima as Natsume Sakasaki, Kaito Ishikawa as Tsumugi Aoba, Hikaru Midorikawa as Eichi Tenshoin, Junichi Suwabe as Ran Nagisa, and Natsuki Hanae as Hiyori Tomoe. The film is animated by Osamu Yamasaki from Dandelion Animation Studio, and its music is produced by Kenji Kawai, the renowned composer behind Ip Man and Ghost in the Shell. The music he composed for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence earned him an award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
The Ensemble Stars!! music game app allows people to practice playing music with a storyline, and forces players to react fast if they want to keep up with the beat of the music. The story takes places at a private boys school, with one lone female. The popularity of the game helped the franchise launch a manga, novels, CDs, an anime, and even stage musicals.
Where to stream New Ensemble Stars!! Tsuioku (Remembrance) Selection ‘Element’
Following the success of the handheld game, an anime series —which is available to stream on Crunchyroll — premiered in 2019. The first film — Ensemble Stars!! Road to Show — premiered a few years later, in 2022. The first film is set in New York City, and follows the cast as they participate in an Idol Film Festival in the Big Apple.
The new film is written by Japanese screenwriter Akira, and is directed by Osamu Yamasaki with musical composition from Kenji Kawai. Based on the “Element” storyline from the game, earned through the Reminiscence Gathering of the Three Magicians game event, the storyline focuses on a collection quest and live performances, and — upon release — will be streamable on the New Ensemble Stars!! official YouTube channel.
When does Element release?
Happy Elements will hold a pre-screening of the New Ensemble Stars!! Tsuioku (Remembrance) Selection ‘Element’ at the Tokyo Garden Theater on April 2, and interested viewers can catch the stars of the film during a scheduled pre-screening appearance. Updates on the film can be found on its official website.
