A new trailer for The Last Blossom (known as Housenka in Japan) has revealed additional cast members, key staff, and the film’s opening theme song. The original anime feature film is set to premiere in Japan on October 10, 2025.
Expanded Cast and Voice Talent
The newly announced cast members further expand the ensemble bringing the film’s characters to life. Joining the previously revealed voice actors are Hideaki Murata, Hiroki Yasumoto, Sōma Saitō, and Kōta Nakayama.
The main cast includes:
- Kaoru Kobayashi as the present-day Akutsu, the protagonist.
- Junki Tozuka as the past Akutsu.
- Hikari Mitsushima as the past Nana Nagata, Akutsu’s partner.
- Yoshiko Miyazaki as the present Nana Nagata.
- Pierre Taki voices the talking Housenka flower.
The latest additions to the cast and their roles are:
- Hideaki Murata (from comedy duo Toro Salmon) as Hayashida, Akutsu’s henchman.
- Hiroki Yasumoto as Tsutsumi, Akutsu’s “big brother” in the yakuza group.
- Sōma Saitō as Wakamatsu, Akutsu’s junior.
- Kōta Nakayama as Konishi, another of Akutsu’s henchmen.
Production Team Details
The film is directed by Baku Kinoshita, who also handled character design, and the screenplay is written by Kazuya Konomoto. Both Kinoshita and Konomoto previously collaborated on the critically acclaimed anime series ODDTAXI.
Animation production is handled by CLAP, a studio known for its work on Pompo: The Cinéphile and The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes. Michinoku-toge is credited with the concept art for the film.
Further staff revealed in the latest announcements include:
- Production: Baku Kinoshita, Nana Harada
- Layout Animation Director: Eiji Tera
- Animation Directors: Yuji Hosogoe, Kazuya Miyoshi, Shuichi Shimamura
- Color Design: Haruko Nobori
- Art Director: Honoka Satō
- Compositing Directors of Photography: Kou Hoshina, Takahiro Hondai
- Editing: Yoshiki Ushiroda
- Sound Director: Kōji Kasamatsu
- Recording Director: Yōji Shimizu
- Production Producers: Kinue Itou, Ryoichiro Matsuo
- Publicity: Miracle Voice
- Distribution: Pony Canyon
Opening Theme Song
The new trailer also revealed and previewed the opening theme song for The Last Blossom. The track, titled “Moving Still Life,” is performed by the Japanese pop-rock band cero. cero is also responsible for composing the film’s overall soundtrack music.
Film’s Narrative and Festival Recognition
The Last Blossom tells the story of Akutsu, an elderly inmate serving a life sentence, who is on the verge of a lonely death. His reflections on his past life are prompted by conversations with a talking Housenka (balsam) flower. The narrative spans two time periods: Autumn 2023, where Akutsu is in prison, and Summer 1986, where he lives with his partner Nana and her son Kensuke in an apartment with a garden full of Housenka flowers. The story is described as “the tale of a one-night victorious comeback by a dying yakuza, and his family’s story told by a flower that blooms in prison.”
The film has garnered international attention, having been officially selected for the Feature Film Competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025. A preview of the film was also part of the “Work in Progress” lineup at the 2024 Annecy Film Festival.
