Twin Engine revealed in a promotional video on Sunday that a new project in the Mononoke franchise is underway, introducing the third Medicine Seller character, “Ken no Tsurugi.” The announcement did not specify whether the new project will be an anime film or television series.
New Character and Voice Cast
Stage actor Hirofumi Araki, who played the Medicine Seller in the recent Mononoke stage productions, will voice Ken no Tsurugi in the new project. The character was designed by Kitsuneko Nagata, the character designer for the Mononoke film trilogy.
Film trilogy director Kenji Nakamura describes Ken no Tsurugi as a character with a dual personality — easygoing and talkative under normal circumstances, but undergoing a sharp, sudden transformation the moment an evil spirit appears.
New Novels from Kadokawa
Twin Engine also announced that Kadokawa will publish a new series of novels, each featuring one of three Medicine Sellers — “Ri,” “Kon,” and “Ken” — as the protagonist. Further details are to be announced at a later date.
Background: The Trilogy’s Casting Controversy
In February 2023, Twin Engine announced a delay to the first film and revealed that Takahiro Sakurai, who had originally been cast as the Medicine Seller, would no longer reprise the role. Hiroshi Kamiya replaced Sakurai for the trilogy. It should be noted that the Medicine Seller in the film trilogy is a distinct character from the one who appeared in the original television series.
The recasting followed a report in the Weekly Bunshun tabloid in October 2022 alleging that Sakurai had been engaged in an extramarital affair for at least a decade with a writer on his P.S. Genki Desu. Takahiro radio program. Sakurai’s agency, Intention, issued a statement the following day acknowledging the report and apologizing to the woman involved, Sakurai’s fans, and all parties concerned.
In explaining the recasting decision, Twin Engine stated that the animated film MONONOKE is set in the Ōoku — historically the women’s quarters of Edo Castle — and aims to depict the suffering and healing of women, and that the cast change was made from the standpoint of the story.
Controversy Surrounding Chapter III
When Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III – The Curse of the Serpent (Gekijōban Mononoke Dai-San-Shō: Hebigami) opened in Japan on May 29, theatergoers discovered that Sakurai had appeared in a cameo as the original Medicine Seller from the TV series — with no prior announcement from the staff. The surprise appearance sparked debate among fans, with some supporting the decision and others opposing it. Oricon subsequently confirmed that Sakurai had indeed appeared in the film in a cameo role.
Planning producer Kōji Yamamoto posted an apology on his X (formerly Twitter) account on June 5 and announced his retirement from producing. Yamamoto confirmed that the staff had recast Sakurai — who had previously been replaced — and apologized for the way the information had been handled.
Stage Plays
The Mononoke franchise has also inspired two stage plays in 2023 and 2024, as well as a prequel stage play with an original story that ran from May 14–17. All three productions were directed by Jun Yoriko and starred Hirofumi Araki.
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