The official website for the anime film adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s novel, The Camphorwood Custodian (Kusunoki no Bannin), has revealed new cast members, additional staff details, and confirmed its theatrical debut for January 30. This highly anticipated adaptation is set to bring Higashino’s acclaimed mystery-drama to the animated screen.
New Cast Members Join the Adaptation
The film’s production team has announced two prominent additions to its voice cast. Fumiya Takahashi and Yūki Amami have been confirmed to lend their talents to the movie. Their roles within the narrative are expected to be detailed further as the film approaches its release.
Creative Team and Animation Studio
The anime film is being directed by Tomohiko Itō, known for his work on popular series such as Sword Art Online and ERASED. Animation studio A-1 Pictures, recognized for titles like Solo Leveling and Lycoris Recoil, is handling the production, promising a high-quality visual experience.
Further bolstering the creative team, Taku Kishimoto, celebrated for his scripts in Haikyu!! and 91 Days, is penning the film’s screenplay. Character designs are a collaborative effort between Blue Period manga creator Tsubasa Yamaguchi and Akiko Itagaki, who previously contributed as an assistant character designer for Lonely Castle in the Mirror.
The Story of The Camphorwood Custodian
Based on Keigo Higashino’s novel, which first began publication in March 2020, The Camphorwood Custodian has sold over one million copies. The story centers on Reito Naoi, a young man unjustly fired from his job and subsequently arrested after a desperate act. Faced with uncertainty, Reito receives an unexpected offer from a mysterious lawyer: his release in exchange for complying with a client’s wishes.
This client turns out to be Chifune Yanagisawa, Reito’s aunt and a significant figure in the Yanagisawa Group. She assigns Reito a peculiar task: to become the “custodian” of a mystical camphor tree located on the grounds of Tsukisato Shrine. This ancient tree is said to possess a mysterious legend, rumored to grant wishes, pulling Reito into a world where reality and the supernatural intertwine. Higashino himself noted that the novel’s frequent supernatural elements made it particularly suited for an animated adaptation over live-action.
