Shoji Kawamori’s highly anticipated original feature-length anime film, Labyrinth (Meikyū no Shiori), has revealed its main cast members, further building excitement for its January 2026 debut in Japan. The announcement provides new details about the voices behind the film’s central characters, including a prominent pop star making her voice acting debut.
New Cast Members Join the Labyrinth Journey
The latest cast reveal introduces a mix of established talent and fresh faces to bring Labyrinth‘s unique world to life. Headlining the new additions is Suzuka from the popular pop group Atarashii Gakko!, who will take on the dual role of protagonist Shiori Maezawa and her mysterious alternate self, Shiori@Revolution. This marks Suzuka’s debut in voice acting.
Joining her are:
- Taizō Harada as Komori, a peculiar rabbit stamp character.
- Aoi Itō as Kirara Kurashina, Shiori’s childhood friend and a high school influencer.
- Jun Saitō as Kento Yamada, another of Shiori’s classmates.
These actors will lend their voices to the characters navigating the “pop, slightly horror, otherworldly escape drama” envisioned by Kawamori.
January 2026 Release and Previously Released Teaser
The film is officially slated to premiere in Japan in January 2026. This confirms earlier announcements regarding the release window for Kawamori’s first original full-length animated film not based on an existing franchise.
Accompanying the initial announcement and story details in July, a teaser video and visual were released, offering a glimpse into the film’s distinctive aesthetic and premise. The visual depicted Shiori with the tagline, “When my smartphone cracked, I found myself in another world,” hinting at the central conflict. The teaser trailer itself showed Shiori’s ordinary life abruptly changing as she gets trapped within her smartphone, encountering mysterious elements like a pink rabbit and flying characters.
The Intriguing Premise of Labyrinth
Labyrinth centers on Shiori Maezawa, an ordinary high school girl whose life takes a bizarre turn when her smartphone suddenly breaks. She subsequently finds herself in a deserted, parallel version of Yokohama. The mystery deepens when she discovers unfamiliar photos of herself on her social media accounts—photos she doesn’t remember taking.
This leads to the realization that an “other self” is running wild in the real world, prompting Shiori to attempt an escape from the strange smartphone labyrinth she is trapped within. Director Kawamori has commented that the film’s concept was born from viewing smartphones as an “another self” that accumulates personal data, suggesting a deeper exploration of identity and modern technology.
Creative Team and Production Details
Shoji Kawamori, renowned for his work on iconic series such as Macross and Aquarion, is directing Labyrinth at the animation studio SANZIGEN. This project marks a significant milestone as Kawamori’s first original feature-length animated film independent of an existing franchise.
The creative team further includes Risa Ebata, known for her contributions to Macross Frontier, handling character designs. The screenplay is penned by Taichi Hashimoto, who has worked on titles like Revisions. The original story concept is credited to a collaborative effort involving Slow Curve, Vector Vision, GAGA, and Fuji Television, with Slow Curve also overseeing planning and production. Kawamori aims for the film to be an “emotional, pop entertainment piece that combines song and horror,” incorporating his signature elements of “song,” “sci-fi,” and “love triangles.”
