Reassessing the moving impact of the DEEMO theatrical release - The deep aftertaste of "The sounds you played still resonate to this day"

A thorough analysis of the appeal and emotion of the movie "DEEMO Sakura no Oto -The Sounds You Played Still Echo-"

The movie version of "DEEMO Sakura no Oto - The Sounds You Played Resonate Even Now -", which was released on February 25, 2022, is based on the popular music rhythm game "DEEMO" developed by Taiwanese game company Rayark Inc. This work depicts the beautiful melodies of the piano and a fantastical world view, bringing out the best in the game that has exceeded 28 million downloads worldwide. Here, we will introduce in detail the story of the movie, the production background, the cast and staff, and its appeal.

■ Story

In a music school filled with the sound of the piano, a dark girl named Alice plays a beautiful melody. She is a solitary girl who refuses to mingle with others, but her encounters with the curious Sania and the kind Rosalia gradually bring about a change.

The story begins with a scene in which a young girl who has lost her memory after falling from the sky remembers her name, "Alice," guided by the piano melody of the black gentleman Deemo. Surrounding her are Mirai, a stuffed animal, a nutcracker, and a floating sachet. Alice and her friends think that if the tree that grows with the sound of the piano reaches the skylight, they will be able to return to their original world, so they go on an adventure to collect sheet music hidden in the castle. During the adventure, Alice meets a masked girl who hides her expression and is told, "I hate you." Gradually, the mystery of her relationship with her, her adventure to collect sheet music with her friends, the heart of the masked girl, and the existence of Deemo are revealed. Along with the memory of the cherry blossom trees that crosses Alice's mind, the sound that spreads great ripples to the past, present, and future opens the door to her memories.

■Explanation

A new type of music movie has been born, where you can enjoy popular songs with superb technique that fans all over the world have been crazy about, such as "ANiMA", "Nine Point Eight", and "Leviathan", with powerful sound that can only be experienced in a movie theater. The super popular music rhythm game "DEEMO", which has exceeded 28 million cumulative downloads worldwide, tells the story of a mysterious piano-playing creature Deemo, in which one day a girl falls from the sky in front of him. Deemo tries to return the girl to her original world by growing a tree that grows with the sound of the piano. This game was a huge hit mainly in Asia due to the high quality of the original music that is not limited to any genre, from beautiful classical melodies to rock and jazz, and the overwhelming feeling of performance that comes from the meticulously calculated rhythms and melodies. And now, with the best sound environment of 7.1ch, it has finally been released in movie theaters.

The general director is Junichi Fujisaki, who wrote the script for "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" and directed, composed, directed and wrote the script for "BLOOD+", and the director is the up-and-coming director Shuhei Matsushita. Animation is handled by SIGNAL.MD and Production IG, and character design is handled by Mebachi, an illustrator of "Mitsuboshi Colors" and "Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight". In addition, the theme song and image song are handled by Yuki Kajiura, who has worked on popular works such as "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba", "Sword Art Online" series, "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", and "Fate/Zero". Ayana Taketatsu is cast as the main character Alice, and the supporting cast includes a luxurious cast of voice actors such as Akari Kito, Ayane Sakura, Akari Nibu (Hinatazaka46), Gaku Hamada, Naomi Watanabe, Issey Ogata, Kohei Matsushita and Koichi Yamadera. The theme song was sung by Hinano, who won the grand prize in the film's diva audition.

The original game "DEEMO" was released by Taiwan's RAYARK in 2013 as a smartphone game app. The mysterious story with piano melodies and a fantastical world view received overwhelming support, and it quickly exceeded 28 million downloads worldwide, mainly in Asia. It is a rhythm game in which you touch the screen to music of various genres such as electronica, jazz, and rock, and you can choose from three levels of difficulty for each song. Players can feel as if they are actually playing the piano phrases in the songs on an instrument, and many fans aim to get a full combo on all songs. The high quality of the music game was highly praised, and it ranked first in the paid music game app rankings in 69 countries. It has since been ported to popular game consoles such as PlayStation4 and Nintendo Switch, and "DEEMO II" is scheduled to launch in 2022.

■Cast

• Alice/Ayana Taketatsu
• Future / Gaku Hamada
• Nutcracker / Issey Ogata
• Scented Sachets / Naomi Watanabe
• Masked Girl / Akari Nibu (Hinatazaka46)
• Sania/Kitou Akari
• Rosania/Sakura Ayane
• Hans/Kouhei Matsushita
• Valensky/Yamadera Koichi

■ Main staff

• Original author/Rayark Inc. CEO: Yu Ming-Yang
• General Director, Screenwriter: Junichi Fujisaki
• Theme song produced by Yuki Kajiura
• Director: Shuhei Matsushita
• Screenplay by Fumio Fujisawa and Junichi Fujisaki
• Character design: Mebachi
• Image board / Yoshitsugi Yoshida
• Art by Hiromasa Ogura
• Art setting: Yoshida Hiroshi
• Color setting: Yumiko Katayama
• CG Director: Naofumi Sankai
• CGI/Rails
• Director of photography: Ezura Hisashi
• Grading: Akira Saito
• Edited by Yoshinori Murakami
• Sound Director: Aketagawa Jin
• Sound Production/Magic Capsule
• Assistant Director: Yoshihiro Hiramine
• Production/SIGNAL.MD, Production IG
• Produced by Pony Canyon

■ Main Characters

• Girl Alice
  A mysterious girl falls from a high window in Deemo's mysterious castle. She has lost her memory. As Deemo plays the piano and she collects sheet music with her fun friends, her memories start to come back to her and her hidden memories become clear.
• Deemo
  A mysterious resident who lives in a strange castle. He is dressed in all black, with only his eyes glowing pale. The sound of Deemo's piano brings about changes in the castle. He is very kind to Alice.
• Mirai A stuffed cat that lived in a mysterious castle. He is a playful guy and always full of energy. He is also the leader of the three cats. He hates getting wet. He is very interested in Alice, but it is unclear why.
• The Nutcracker A nutcracker in a mysterious castle. He has an old man-like vibe and often bores people around him with his silly jokes. He always does things at his own pace. He can also cry easily. He claims to be good at rapping, but people around him don't acknowledge it.
• Sachet Sachet was in the mysterious castle. A real sachet would be placed on the pillow of a bed, but this one floats softly in the air, is stylish, and is the most calm of the three.
• The Masked Girl is one of the residents living in the mysterious castle. Her actions are full of mystery, and she is said to be searching for and collecting sheet music hidden in the castle. When Alice appears, she is cold towards her and tries to interfere with her efforts to collect the sheet music.
• Sania A lively high school girl in the class next to Alice. She is captivated by Alice's piano performance during a joint class and approaches her in an attempt to become friends with her. She keeps a sachet doll as a talisman. She helps Alice find the next part of the song.
• Rosalia A high school girl in the class next to Alice. She has a gentle demeanor and is Sania's best friend. Although she acts as Sania's guardian, Rosalia is also interested in the song that Alice is searching for the sequel to.
• Hans is a genius pianist. He lost his parents and lives with his little sister under the care of his aunt. However, he lost a lot of things due to his parents' debts, and was even about to give up the piano, but with the support of his friends and Valensky, he continues to play the piano for his sister.
• Valensky is a piano teacher at the music school. He is a very authoritative figure who once led a talented student at the music school to a competition. He is also the guardian of the orphaned Alice, who has looked after her since she was a child.

■ Theme songs and music

• TM1
• nocturne
• Lyrics by Yuki Kajiura
• Composer: Yuki Kajiura
• Arrangement: Yuki Kajiura
• Vocals: Hinano

■ Evaluation and impressions

The movie "DEEMO Sakura no Oto - The Sounds You Played Still Echo -" is a work that will leave a strong impression not only on fans of the original game, but also on those experiencing this world for the first time. The beautiful melodies of the piano and the fantastical worldview are beautifully combined, allowing you to enjoy it both visually and aurally. In particular, the sound of the piano experienced in a 7.1ch sound environment offers a sense of realism that can only be experienced in a movie theater.

The story carefully depicts Alice's process of regaining her memories, her bond with her friends, and the mystery of Deemo's existence, and continues to unfold in a moving manner. In particular, the relationship between Alice and the masked girl and the memories of the cherry blossom trees add depth to the story. The performances of the star-studded cast are also superb, and Ayana Taketatsu's performance as Alice is particularly sensitive to the subtleties of emotion, deeply moving the audience's hearts.

The production team is also impressive, with some of Japan's leading creators gathered together, including general director Junichi Fujisaki, character designer Mebachi, and theme song singer Yuki Kajiura. As a result, the film has succeeded in bringing out the best in the original game while also creating a new sensation.

■ Recommendation points

Here are some reasons why I recommend this movie:

• Beautiful piano melodies : The piano tones experienced in a 7.1ch sound environment give you the sense of realism that only a movie theater can provide.
• A moving story : The process of Alice regaining her memories, her bonds with her friends, and the mystery of Deemo's existence are carefully depicted.
• Fantastic cast and staff : The series brings together a stellar cast of voice actors including Ayana Taketatsu, as well as creators such as Junichi Fujisaku, Yabachi, and Yuki Kajiura.
• A must-see for fans of the original game : It brings out the worldview of the original game to the fullest while creating new excitement.
• Recommended for first-time players : The story and visual beauty make it enjoyable even if you're not familiar with the original game.

■ Summary

The movie "DEEMO Sakura no Oto - The Sounds You Played Resonate to This Day" is a moving work that combines beautiful piano melodies with a fantastical worldview. It will leave a strong impression not only on fans of the original game, but also on those who are experiencing this world for the first time. A luxurious cast and staff have come together to bring out the charm of the original to the fullest. Be sure to experience the excitement at the movie theater.