Shingo Natsume's Ghost Film Reveals Lead Cast in New Teaser
The project reunites several key staff from ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept., including Natsume, Ono, Kugai, and composer Ohzora Kimijima, suggesting a continuity of creative approach for Natsume's first original theatrical feature.
Key Facts
- ghost - end of night opens in Japan on February 11, 2027.
- Mayu Hotta voices Neekei, a 15-year-old girl selected in a society that judges people at age 18.
- Issei Takahashi voices Masu, a man who wanders with tattoos after losing his family.
- Shingo Natsume directs and writes the script at Madhouse, his first original anime film.
- A manga adaptation by artist himiko launched in Kadokawa's Young Ace magazine on August 4.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime News Network, Anime Corner.
The official website for ghost - end of night, the new theatrical anime project from director Shingo Natsume and studio Madhouse, unveiled a teaser trailer on Friday that introduces the film's two lead cast members. Mayu Hotta plays Neekei, a 15-year-old girl who has already been selected in a society where people are judged at age 18 on whether the world needs them. Issei Takahashi voices Masu, a man burdened by the loss of his family who wanders while covering his body with tattoos before crossing paths with Neekei. The teaser includes the pair's first voiced scenes and features the insert song "Sugar" by alternative rock band hitsujibungaku, who also perform the film's theme song. The film is set in a near future where labor is no longer necessary, and follows Neekei as she seeks what is real while resisting the order of a content society. Natsume directs and writes the script, marking his first time directing an original anime film. Natsume Ono provides original character designs, Norifumi Kugai handles animation character designs, and Bandai Namco Filmworks distributes. The film opens in Japan on February 11, 2027.
The teaser arrives alongside a manga adaptation by artist himiko, which launched in Kadokawa's Young Ace magazine on August 4, giving readers a preview of the story before the film's February 11, 2027 release date.
Natsume described his aim for the project as "a work that could be called fictional but is in tune with our current time and seeks realism." The director previously worked on One-Punch Man, Sonny Boy, Space Dandy, and ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept., but this is his first original feature-length anime film.
The cast announcement pairs Hotta, whose character Neekei struggles with isolation despite receiving privileged status early in the selection process, with Takahashi as Masu, a wandering man marked by tattoos and family loss. Bandai Namco Filmworks describes the setting as a near future where labor is no longer necessary and society determines each person's value through a selection process.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.