The official X/Twitter account for Shōji Kawamori’s new and original animated film, Labyrinth (Meikyū no Shiori), has announced four key cast members for the upcoming movie, which is set to premiere in January 2026. This marks Kawamori’s first feature-length animated film not based on an existing franchise.
Leading the Voice Cast
The film features a mix of established talent and promising newcomers. Suzuka, a member of the pop group Atarashii Gakkō!, will make her voice acting debut in the dual role of protagonist Shiori Maezawa and her “other self,” Shiori@Revolution. Suzuka expressed that her first voice acting experience was a “new stimulus” in her creative career, and she found the process of finding the voices for both Shiori and SHIORI to be “very interesting.” Director Kawamori praised Suzuka’s “provocative and powerful performance” for the other SHIORI, noting how she immersed herself in the role despite it being her first time playing two characters.
Supporting Characters and Their Voices
Joining Suzuka are:
- Taizō Harada as Komori, a rabbit stamp character. Harada, a member of the comedy trio Neptune, portrays Komori as both comical and crazy, but also with a hidden pathos and emotional depth.
- Aoi Itō as Kirara Kurashina (also referred to as Kurashina Nozomi), Shiori’s schoolmate and a high school influencer. This marks Ito’s first voice acting role in an animated feature film.
- Jun Saitō as Kento Yamada, another of Shiori’s classmates. Saitō is also making his voice acting debut with this role, described as a clumsy but hardworking and endearing character.
The Intriguing Premise of Labyrinth
Labyrinth centers on Shiori Maezawa, an ordinary high school girl whose life takes an unexpected turn when her smartphone suddenly breaks. She finds herself in a deserted parallel world of Yokohama. Adding to the mystery, Shiori discovers photos of herself on her social media accounts that she doesn’t remember posting, indicating an “other self” that is acting independently. The core of the story involves Shiori’s attempt to escape from this strange “smartphone’s labyrinth” to stop her other self from spiraling out of control.
Director Shoji Kawamori, renowned for his work on the Macross and Aquarion series, described the film’s concept as stemming from the idea of smartphones serving as an “another self” that accumulates personal data and information. He aims to deliver an “emotional, pop entertainment piece that combines song and horror,” exploring themes of identity, digital technology, and personal data. The film is described as a “pop, slightly horror, otherworldly escape drama.”
Creative Team and Production
Kawamori is directing the anime at SANZIGEN. The original story concept is credited to Slow Curve, Vector Vision, GAGA, and Fuji Television, with Slow Curve also handling planning and production. Risa Ebata, known for her work on Macross Frontier and AKB0048, is responsible for character design. The screenplay was written by Taichi Hashimoto, who has previously worked on titles such as Listeners and Gate Keepers 21.
Labyrinth is slated to open in January 2026.
