On Wednesday, Crunchyroll revealed plans for one-day showings of two anime films in North America. Fans can catch The Concierge on September 11 and Trapezium on September 18.
The Concierge: A Unique Tale of Animal Customers
According to Crunchyroll, The Concierge follows Akino, a trainee concierge at the Hokkyoku Department Store, a unique place catering exclusively to animals. Guided by the floor manager and experienced concierges, Akino strives to meet the diverse needs of her unusual clientele, aiming to become a skilled concierge herself.
Akino is a trainee concierge at the Hokkyoku Department Store, an unusual department store that caters exclusively to animals. Under the watchful eyes of the floor manager and senior concierges, Akino runs around to fulfill the wishes of customers with a myriad of needs and problems in her pursuit to become a full-fledged concierge.
The film premiered in Japan in October 2022. Directed by Yoshimi Itazu, known for his work on “Pigtails” and “Welcome to the Ballroom,” this is his first feature film. Satomi Ooshima, who has worked on “Hataraki Man” and “Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko,” wrote the script. Aniplex handled distribution, with electronic music producer tofubeats composing the soundtrack. Chiyo Morita served as the character designer and chief animation director, and Production I.G produced the film. The theme song “Gift” is performed by singer-songwriter Myuk.
The original manga by Nishimura, which started in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Zōkan magazine in November 2016 and concluded in 2020, received the Excellence Award at the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in 2022.
Trapezium: The Road to Idol Stardom
Crunchyroll also brings Trapezium to the big screen. This film tells the story of Yu Azuma, a driven first-year student at Joshu East High School with dreams of becoming an idol. She sets out to form an idol group, enlisting one girl from each of the region’s four high schools.
Driven by an unwavering passion for becoming an idol, Yu Azuma, a young, ambitious first-year student at Joshu East High School, embarks on a journey to form an idol group. To make her dream a reality, she recruits one girl from each of her region’s four high schools (located to the north, east, south, and west) and soon finds her fellow group members.
Joining Yu are Ranko Kashima from Holy Teneritas Southern Girls’ Academy, Kurumi Taiga from West Tech Vocational High School, and Mika Kamei from Joshu North High School. With the support of her confidante Shinji Kudo, Yu and her new friends navigate the challenges of their journey toward stardom.
The film, based on Kazumi Takayama’s novel, debuted in Japan on May 10. The voice cast includes Asaki Yuikawa as Yu Higashi, Hina Yomiya as Kurumi Taiga, Reina Ueda as Ranko Katori, and Haruka Aikawa as Mika Kamei. JO1 member Shōya Kimata voices Shinji Kudo, and comedian Teruyoshi Uchimura voices Shūichi Itami.
Masahiro Shinohara directed the film at CloverWorks, with Koji Masunari supervising. Yuuko Kakihara wrote the script, and Rio designed the characters. The music, composed by Masaru Yokoyama, enhances the emotional depth of the film. Aniplex distributed the film.
