Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva: A thorough review of the appeal of solving mysteries and the depth of the story

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva: The Charm of Puzzle Solving and the Adventure of Seeking Eternal Life

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

December 19, 2009 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho

■ Eirin Number

118566

■Frequencies

99 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Level-5

■ Director

Masakazu Hashimoto

■ Production

Animation production: PAWORKS, OLM Team Kamei
Produced by Team Layton (LEVEL-5, TBS Television, Shogakukan, Toho, OLM, JR East Planning, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Shogakukan Shueisha Productions, Pony Canyon, d-rights, Amuse Soft Entertainment, P.A. Works)

■Works

©LEVEL-5／Team Layton 2009

■ Story

Whoever solves this riddle will be granted eternal life.

One day, Layton receives a letter with an opera ticket enclosed... The sender is an opera singer, Genis, who was once Layton's student. A friend who was supposed to have died a year ago has appeared as a 7-year-old girl, saying that she has obtained eternal life... In order to solve this mysterious event, Layton and his assistant Remi head to the Crown Petone Theater, where the opera is being performed, to investigate. There, a new opera composed by pianist Whistler based on the legend of the "Ancient Kingdom of Ambrosia," an immortal kingdom that Layton's teacher, Dr. Schroeder, was researching, was being performed. However, the true purpose of the audience who gathered there was to obtain "eternal life." A masked man, Descole, appears on stage and swears an oath to start a puzzle game in which they will risk their lives to obtain "eternal life." And so, the living game begins...

■Explanation

The world's No. 1 adventure game series, "Professor Layton," is finally being made into an animated film!

The hit series "Professor Layton" is finally coming to the big screen as a theatrical animation. The game progresses as Layton and Luke solve puzzles as they tackle difficult cases. The images interspersed between the scenes are also one of the highlights of the "Professor Layton" game series. The film "Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva" takes the fascinating puzzle-solving x drama of the game to a new stage. "Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva" takes place immediately after the fourth film in the series, "Professor Layton and the Genie's Flute," which was released on November 26th. In "Professor Layton and the Genie's Flute," Layton and Luke have a fateful encounter. The film depicts the first adventure the two embark on. The big incident that leads to the two forming a deep bond is depicted in a powerful way that only a film can, along with the fun of solving puzzles. In other words, people who come to the theater can experience an epic puzzle-solving journey with Layton and Luke.

The voice cast is the same as in the game, with Yo Oizumi, who has been active in TV dramas and commercials, playing Layton, and popular actress Maki Horikita playing his partner Luke. In addition, Nana Mizuki will play the singer Genis, Atsuro Watabe will play Descole, Layton's nemesis and mysterious man, and Saki Aibu will play his assistant Remi, illuminating the big screen. This grand mystery-solving entertainment will be fully enjoyed not only by those who enjoy the game, but also those who are experiencing the world of Professor Layton for the first time through the movie, and will finally be released this winter.

*Quoted from Toho Co., Ltd. official website

■Cast

・Eljar Layton/Yo Oizumi・Luke/Maki Horikita・Jenice Quatreine/Nana Mizuki・Jean Descole/Atsuo Watanabe・Remi Altawa/Saki Aibu・Richman/Tetsuro Degawa・Annie/LiLiCo
Starbuck / Koichi Yamadera / Ozro Whistler / Ieyuki Iemasa / Dr. Schroeder (Andrew Schroeder) / Rokuro Naya / Ordonell / Shozo Iizuka / Inspector Grosky (Crump Grosky) / Yoshitada Otsuka / Berglund / Joji Nakata / Laidley / Kikuko Inoue / Mileena Whistler / Fumiko Orikasa / Amurri / Megumi Toyoguchi / Bullock / Kenta Miyake / Nina / Sumire Morohoshi / Don Paul / Minoru Inaba / Chelmie / Shiro Saito / Aroma / Mamiko Noto / Burton / Hiroomi Sugino

■ Main staff

・Original work/LEVEL-5
・Planning, producing, original story idea: Akihiro Hino・Nazo production cooperation: Akira Tako・Director: Masakazu Hashimoto・Executive producers: Kazuya Hamana, Masakazu Kubo・Co. Executive producers: Shuji Abe, Naoya Fujimaki・Producers: Teruhiro Usuki, Arimasa Okada, Akihiro Yamauchi, Kenji Horikawa, Toshiaki Okuno, Makoto Omura, Ichiro Takase・Screenplay: Aya Matsui・Storyboards: Masakazu Hashimoto, Soichi Masui, Junji Nishimura, Joji Shimura, Hiroyuki Imaishi・Direction: Kusa Toyama, Naohito Takahashi, Joji Shimura, Chizuru Miyawaki, Hideyo Yamamoto, Mitsuru Hongo, Masakazu Hashimoto ・Character design original plan, ending illustration / Takuzo Nagano ・Design works / Kayoko Nabeta, Wataro Maeda, Hiroyuki Horiuchi ・Character design, chief animation director / Mitsuto Sugi ・Animation director / Sayuri Isishi, Norihiro Matsubara, Kosuke Kawamo, Hideki Takahashi, Kayoko Nabeta, Shinichi Yoshino, Hiroyuki Horiuchi, Mitsuto Sugi ・Art director / Yusuke Takeda, Riko Shinohara ・Editing / Toshio Henmi ・Sound effects / Shizuo Kurahashi, Akiko Muto, Takuya Hasegawa, Tomokazu Mitsui, Yasuyasu Ogata, Sachiko Nishi, Naoto Yamatani (sound box)
・Sound Director: Masafumi Mima ・Music Producer: Masaki Ishida, Takashi Takagi ・Music: Tomohito Nishiura ・Theme Music: Tsuneyoshi Saito ・Animation Production: PAWORKS, OLM Team Kamei
Produced by Team Layton (LEVEL-5, TBS Television, Shogakukan, Toho, OLM, JR East Planning, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Shogakukan Shueisha Productions, Pony Canyon, d-rights, Amuse Soft Entertainment, P.A. Works)
Distributor: Toho

■ Related works

・Layton Mystery Detective Agency: Katri's Mystery Files

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・Eternal Diva ・Lyrics by Akihiro Hino ・Music by Tsuneyoshi Saito ・Arrangement by Tsuneyoshi Saito ・Vocals by Janice Quatreine (Nana Mizuki)

The appeal and evaluation of "Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva"

"Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva" is a theatrical animation based on the popular adventure game series "Professor Layton" by Level-5. It was released on December 19, 2009 and was loved by many fans. This work maximizes the appeal of the game series while adding new stories and characters to provide entertainment that can only be found in a movie.

The appeal of the story

The story revolves around a quest for eternal life. Together with Professor Layton, his assistant Luke and a new character, Remi, they head to the Crown Petone Theatre to solve the mysterious case of the mysterious opera singer Genis, who appears as a seven-year-old girl. There, they face a new opera based on the legend of the ancient kingdom of Ambrosia and a puzzle-solving game to obtain eternal life. The game is a life-threatening one, and the audience is also a part of it.

The story skillfully blends the mystery solving and drama that are characteristic of the game series. Various elements such as the bond between Professor Layton and Luke, the mystery of Genis, and the confrontation with a new enemy called Descole are intertwined, creating a story that draws the audience in. In addition, the legend of the ancient kingdom of Ambrosia and the setting of an opera give the story depth and grandeur.

Character Appeal

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva features many new characters as well as characters from the game series. In particular, the work is enriched by a cast of gorgeous voice actors, including Nana Mizuki as Janice Quatreine, Atsuro Watanabe as Jean Descole, and Saki Aibu as Remi Altawas.

Yo Oizumi, who plays Eljar Layton, plays the character in the same calm tone as in the game, while Maki Horikita, who plays Luke, expresses the purity and courage of a boy. Nana Mizuki, who plays Genis, leaves a strong impression on the audience with her beautiful singing voice as a diva and the cuteness of a seven-year-old girl. Atsuro Watabe, who plays Descole, plays a cold-hearted enemy, clearly contrasting him with Professor Layton.

The appeal of video and music

PAWORKS and OLM Team Kamei, the animation team, faithfully reproduced the visuals of the game series while achieving the dynamic visual expression that only a movie can provide. In particular, the opera scene beautifully depicts the splendor and tension of the stage. In addition, visual clues are cleverly placed in the mystery-solving scenes, providing the audience with the fun of solving the mystery together.

The music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of the work. The music by Tomohito Nishiura continues the atmosphere of the game series while emphasizing the drama of the film. In particular, the theme song "Eternal Diva" is a beautiful song that symbolizes the character of Genis and the theme of the story, and Nana Mizuki's singing voice gives the work a deep emotional impact.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva" is a work that can be enjoyed not only by fans of the game series, but also by those who are experiencing the world of Professor Layton for the first time. The fun of solving mysteries, the charm of the characters, and the epic story have the power to draw the audience in. In addition, the gorgeous voice actors, beautiful visuals, and music also enhance the appeal of the work.

This movie is perfect for enjoying with family and friends. It is especially recommended for people who like solving mysteries and fans of adventure games. Also, by watching it at the cinema, you can experience the power of the screen and the sound, and enjoy the movie more deeply. Furthermore, you can enjoy rediscovering the small mysteries and expressions of the characters that you missed by watching it over and over again on DVD or Blu-ray.

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva is a heartwarming and entertaining story that depicts the charm of solving mysteries and the adventure of seeking eternal life. Experience this wonderful story at the theater or in the comfort of your own home.