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ISLAND TV Anime Recasts Sara After Script Changes Dispute

The official website for the television anime adaptation of Frontwing and Prototype's ISLAND visual novel announced on Monday that the anime will change the voice actress for character Sara Garandō (pictured below) to Hibiku Yamamura. Rie Murakawa voiced the character in the game.

The show's production committee said that they decided on the change after a script dispute. Murakawa's agency Haikyō had requested that the staff change a section of the script of the anime in late December 2017 when voice recordings for the anime had begun. The staff originally supported Haikyō's request, but Haikyō also decided to request an alteration of a scene in the anime. According to the production committee, the requested script and scene changes would affect the nature of some characters, the animation, and the general quality of the anime, and the production committee thus offered to negotiate with Haikyō. Haikyō replied that if all of its requested changes were not implemented, then it would be difficult to have Murakawa reprise her role from the game, and requested that the production committee reconsider their decision.

The production committee, anime production staff, Frontwing, and Prototype all met and considered options and possibilities. However, considering that the anime had already been preparing for production for a year, the production committee had already signed off on the script, and animation work had already finished on the scene that Haikyō wanted to revise, the production committee said it was faced with no choice but to communicate to Haikyō that it would be difficult to abide by its desired revisions. Haikyō replied by saying that Murakawa could not play the role under such circumstances.

The production committee replied to Haikyō and said that fans of the game would be disappointed if Murakawa would not reprise her role, and that fans of Murakawa would also feel betrayed, since her casting for the anime had already been announced. The committee further noted that it foresaw that a change in casting would have a big effect on the anime. But Haikyō did not reconsider its decision, and instead offered the production committee a list of suggested replacements for the role.

The production staff and committee apologized to fans for the sudden announcement, and assured fans that production on the anime is currently ongoing.

The cast members other two lead female characters are returning from the game.

Yukari Tamura as Rinne Ohara

Kana Asumi as Karen Kurutsu

Frontwing and Prototype have not yet revealed the voice actor for the male protagonist Setsuna Sanzenkai (pictured below).

The anime will premiere this year.

The game shipped for PC in Japan in April 2016 and for PlayStation Vita in February 2017. An English localization is slated for 2018 to coordinate with the anime. Naoya Yao launched a manga adaptation of the game on Simsum Media Co., Ltd.'s Cosplay Channel magazine in April 2016.

Frontwing describes the game as follows:

Urashima, an island far from the mainland. The people who live there lead carefree lives. But five years ago, the island's three great families suffered a series of misfortunes, and succumbed to suspicion. The people of the island cut off all contact with the mainland, and began a slow decline. The key to saving the island lies in three girls who belong to the three families. But they are bound by old traditions, and are conflicted. On that island, a lone man washes ashore. The man claims to be from the future, and he begins a solitary struggle to change the island's fate.

In the game's world, the island is closed off to outside contact due to a local disease known as "Baimonbyō" (Soot Crest Sickness) that was transmitted from the mainland. On the island, there is a legend of a tragic love between a boy named Setsuna, and a girl named Rinne. With the appearance of two individuals bearing the same name, the islanders ponder the legend's significance.

Ryuichiro Yamakawa produced the game. Yōsai Kūchū drew the original images and designed the characters. G.O. wrote the scenario.

[Via Yaraon!]