{"rewrite":{"id":"r_9c24f4bc5c389c0d4f1acd03","clusterId":"c_9a83448602fd42e3e6567523","slug":"we-are-aliens-film-adds-four-new-cast-members","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"We Are Aliens Film Adds Four New Cast Members","summary":"The We Are Aliens anime film announced four new cast members on Thursday. Gaku Sano plays Seiya Toda, Reika Ōzeki plays young Seiya, Arisa Sasaki plays Elmo Matsushita, and Edo Harumi plays a calligraphy teacher. The film opens in Japan on September 25.","whyItMatters":"The new additions fill out the supporting cast around the two leads, including a younger version of Seiya, ahead of the film's September 25 release in Japan.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe official website for Kōhei Kadowaki and NOTHING NEW\u0026#39;s We Are Aliens film announced four new cast members on Thursday. Gaku Sano joins as Seiya Toda, a friend of protagonist Tsubasa, with Reika Ōzeki voicing a younger Seiya. Arisa Sasaki plays Toda\u0026#39;s friend Elmo Matsushita, and Edo Harumi voices a calligraphy teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe film follows Tsubasa and Gyōtarō, childhood friends driven apart by jealousy and misunderstanding, who reunite as adults when past memories resurface. Ryōta Bandō and Amane Okayama voice the adult leads, with child actors Yūto Maki and Tasuku Nakagome playing their younger selves.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKadowaki wrote, directed, and edited the film, with music by Yaffle. French studio Miyu Productions collaborated on production. The film opens in Japan on September 25.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"We Are Aliens double-casts Seiya with Gaku Sano and Reika Ōzeki, pairing adult and child versions. The film opens September 25 in Japan.","twitterPost":"We Are Aliens casts Gaku Sano and Reika Ōzeki as Seiya at different ages, plus Arisa Sasaki and Edo Harumi. Opens September 25 in Japan.","threadsPost":"We Are Aliens adds four cast members, including Gaku Sano as Seiya Toda and Reika Ōzeki as young Seiya. The dual casting suggests the film spans Seiya's childhood and adulthood, a narrative choice that shapes the story's scope. The film opens in Japan on September 25.","newsletterBlurb":"The We Are Aliens anime film has added four new cast members, including Gaku Sano as Seiya Toda and Reika Ōzeki as his younger self. The film, directed by Kōhei Kadowaki, opens in Japan on September 25.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-19/we-are-aliens-film-unveils-more-cast/.240734\",\"title\":\"We Are Aliens Film Unveils More Cast\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4697,"outputTokens":607,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787195903,"createdAt":"2026-08-20T03:12:42.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-20T03:16:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-20T03:12:42.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_9a83448602fd42e3e6567523","canonicalTitle":"News\nWe Are Aliens Film Unveils More Cast","representativeArticleId":"a_35d43ab5ecdaaf47efb4ca6a","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"We Are Aliens\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Gaku Sano\",\"Reika Ōzeki\",\"Arisa Sasaki\",\"Edo Harumi\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-20T01:57:18.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-20T01:57:18.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-20T03:16:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-19/we-are-aliens-film-unveils-more-cast/.240734","title":"News\nWe Are Aliens Film Unveils More Cast"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["We Are Aliens"],"studios":[],"people":["Gaku Sano","Reika Ōzeki","Arisa Sasaki","Edo Harumi"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}