Feature-length anime Wareware wa Uchuujin (We Are Aliens) opened in Japanese cinemas on 25 September, and the occasion was marked by an opening-day stage greeting at TOHOシネマズ Hibiya in Tokyo. Director Monwaki Kohei appeared alongside voice cast members Bando Ryuta, Okayama Amane, Yamazaki Sora (Sakurazaka46), and Matsui Kemuri (Reiwa Roman), as well as the child actors who voiced the characters in their younger years.
A Feature Debut from a 29-Year-Old Director
Wareware wa Uchuujin is the first feature-length animation from director Monwaki Kohei, 29, who previously helmed the music video for YOASOBI’s “Yasashii Suisei.” The film follows a friendship spanning more than 30 years between Tsubasa, a shy boy who worries about being ordinary, and Kyotaro, the popular kid in class — a bond that begins in elementary school. The film earned an official selection at the Directors’ Fortnight of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival and was chosen for the Feature Competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026.
Cast Surprised by Depth of Audience Reactions
Bando Ryuta, who voices Tsubasa, said the response from acquaintances who attended advance screenings was unlike anything he had experienced before. “I think this is the most messages I’ve ever received for any project,” he said. “Every single one was a long message — it really surprised me.” Okayama Amane, who voices Kyotaro, echoed the sentiment: “Even the LINE messages I got were incredibly dense — every person wrote in such detail.” Matsui Kemuri drew laughs by noting, “People were saying ‘I’m definitely watching it again!’ — you don’t really hear that in the comedy world, so it felt fresh and made me really happy.”
Director Monwaki reflected on the journey to opening day: “I attended every single one of the more than ten advance screenings, and every time people told me it ‘hit them hard.’ Those words gave me the courage to stand here today.”
Scenes to Watch — and Listen — For
When asked about standout scenes, Okayama highlighted a childhood moment where Kyotaro and Konatsu make eye contact underwater in a swimming pool. “The film is filled with little devices that bring back tiny moments from childhood you’d completely forgotten,” he said, praising its authentic portrayal of everyday life for children of the Heisei era.
Bando attempted to name his favourite scene but, after whispering to the director, discovered it was off-limits for spoiler reasons — so he pivoted to praising the film’s sound design instead. Yamazaki Sora gushed over the child actress voicing young Konatsu: “Her voice is so adorable that everyone is going to fall in love with her — it goes straight to your heart.” Matsui urged audiences to see the film on the big screen: “There are scenes where the art style shifts along with the drawing medium, and the beauty of that really needs a large screen to be fully appreciated.”
Director Monwaki summed up his vision for the viewing experience: “I made this to be the richest possible cinematic experience, so I want people to take in every corner of the screen and really bathe in the information. If you also listen carefully to the sound, you might catch a frog quietly croaking, or the faint sound of an insect flying past. Picking up on those tiny details makes it even more enjoyable.”
Child Actors Join the Stage — and a Birthday Surprise
The latter half of the event saw the child actors take the stage: Makiki Yuto (young Tsubasa), Nakagomi Yuku (young Kyotaro), and Suzuki Saki (young Konatsu). Because the three recorded their lines first, Bando, Okayama, and Yamazaki all agreed that the children’s voices served as a guiding compass for their own performances. Bando thanked them directly: “I went into the recording session unsure how to approach Tsubasa’s voice, but the moment I heard it I thought, ‘That’s it’ — and I used that voice as my anchor for the very first line.”
Matsui, the only cast member who recorded before his child counterpart — Suenaga Hina, who plays young Batahara — smiled and said, “She had to match herself to me, but the voice she came up with sounded so much like me as a child that I was genuinely moved.”
The event closed on a warm note with a surprise birthday cake for Yamazaki Sora, who is about to turn 21, along with a hand-drawn portrait gifted by director Monwaki. Bando then grabbed a camera to shoot a social-media video with the whole group, wrapping up the stage greeting in a lively, cheerful atmosphere.
Film Details
Staff
- Planning / Screenplay / Director: Monwaki Kohei
- Music: Yaffle
- Planning / Production: NOTHING NEW
- Cooperation: MIYU PRODUCTIONS
- Distribution: TOHO NEXT / NOTHING NEW
Cast
- Tsubasa: Bando Ryuta
- Kyotaro: Okayama Amane
- Konatsu: Yamazaki Sora (Sakurazaka46)
- Batahara: Matsui Kemuri (Reiwa Roman)
- Toda Seiya: Sano Gaku
- Toda Seiya (child): Ozeki Reika
- Matsushita Erumo: Sasaki Arisa
- Calligraphy Teacher: Ed Harumi
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