A special post-screening stage greeting for the anime film Rakuen Tsuiho: Kokoro no Resonance was held on November 14 at Shinjuku Wald 9 in Tokyo. Taking the stage were director Mizushima Seiji, screenwriter Urobuchi Gen, and voice cast members Sakura Ayane (Gabriel), Hayami Saori (Alma), Aoyama Yoshino (Danel), Amagi Sally (Raguel), and Moroboshi Sumire (Penem). In keeping with their characters’ angelic names, all cast members dressed entirely in white.

Urobuchi: “Clearing the First Film’s Bar Took Time”

Asked how it felt to finally release the film twelve years after the original, director Mizushima recalled that “when the first film ended, making a new one wasn’t a realistic prospect at all.” Urobuchi revealed that it took him six years to develop the concept, followed by another six years of actual production before the project reached completion.

While apologizing to fans for the six-year wait, Urobuchi noted that making the original Rakuen Tsuiho -Expelled from Paradise- had itself been a bold challenge at the time, and that surpassing it proved to be a formidable hurdle. On the technical side, Mizushima said the team hadn’t pursued any revolutionary breakthroughs, but felt they had “managed to bring together the steady evolution of cel-look animation into a definitive form.” He also shared a behind-the-scenes anecdote: the high-quality 3D models generated such enormous data volumes that transferring files between departments was fastest done physically — via hard drives or SSDs carried by hand. “In the end, the analog method was the quickest,” he laughed.

Cast Share Memories and Favorite Scenes

Sakura Ayane, who saw the original at the same theater twelve years ago, said she was deeply moved to be part of the sequel. “Some people may have waited a full twelve-year cycle for this, and others may be discovering the series for the first time — I hope it reaches as many people as possible,” she said.

Hayami Saori reflected on being involved with the project for over a year, starting from a temporary recording session, and noted that lines from the first film “hit differently now that time has passed.”

Aoyama Yoshino drew laughs by pointing out that the original had very limited screenings in her home region of Kyushu, whereas the new film is playing at two venues there. “Thinking about how much love and expectation surrounds this film makes me all the more grateful to be part of it,” she said.

Amagi Sally, for whom Japanese is a second language, described studying the jargon-heavy script like a vocabulary book and spending a full year building her character. She also shared a charming story: her grandmother had mixed up the film’s title with her character’s name and was calling it “Raguen Tsuiho.” “It made me realize this is a film people of all ages are looking forward to,” she smiled.

Moroboshi Sumire said she was moved to tears when she first watched the completed film, praising the visuals and music, and expressed joy at seeing so many audience members come out to watch.

Battle Scenes, Storyboards, and a Certain Camera Angle

Director Mizushima revealed that the mid-film battle sequence required extensive trial and error with the team to nail the spatial presentation. Urobuchi praised storyboard artist Kyoda Tomoki — a veteran of the first film — whose ideas for the climax proved to be a lifesaver for the production.

Toward the end of the event, the MC brought up the meticulous attention paid to certain costume angles in the film. Urobuchi laughed it off, saying “that’s just how otaku from the ’90s are,” and expressed delight that the staff had rendered those angles with such dedication.

Mizushima also suggested that viewers try watching the film multiple times, following each of the five girls’ perspectives beyond just Gabriel’s.

Kagami-Biraki Ceremony and a Second Stage Greeting on Nov. 28

In her closing remarks on behalf of the cast, Sakura Ayane noted that over the past twelve years, questions of humanity and AI have become very real topics in the world, and expressed excitement about the impact the new Rakuen Tsuiho story and characters might have on audiences. She encouraged everyone to see the film in theaters. Director Mizushima thanked the staff for never giving up, and asked fans to enjoy the film again and again.

The event closed with a kagami-biraki sake-barrel ceremony to celebrate the film’s release. Sakura called out “Rakuen!” and the audience responded with “Tsuiho!” before the guests on stage performed the ceremonial opening together.

An additional stage greeting event has been announced for November 28 at Shinjuku Wald 9. Advance lottery tickets are available through Ticket Pia until November 23.

Rakuen Tsuiho: Kokoro no Resonance opened in Japanese theaters on November 13. The film tells “a new story beyond the original,” continuing from the 2014 film Rakuen Tsuiho -Expelled from Paradise- by Urobuchi and Mizushima. Set in a world where humanity lives in a cyber realm, Gabriel and her companions must uncover the truth behind a threat known as the “Fallen.”