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Komada - A Whisky Family Anime Film Opens in Hong Kong on March 14
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Hong Kong anime film distributor Neofilms began streaming a Chinese- and English-subtitled trailer for P.A. Works' original feature-length anime film project Komada - A Whisky Family (Komada Jōryūsho e Yōkoso, literally "Welcome to the Komada Distillery) on Thursday. The trailer reveals that Neofilms will open the film in Hong Kong on March 14.
The film screened at last year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2023 as part of the Contrechamp category. It also screened in the Animation section of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) from October 23 to November 1 last year.
The film centers on Rui Komada, the young head of her ailing family whisky distillery. She took over the distillery after the death of her father. Facing financial difficulty, a divided family, and the aftermath of natural disaster, Rui takes it upon herself to reforge her family's bonds by reviving the family's signature Japanese whisky.
Masayuki Yoshihara (The Eccentric Family, Mai no Mahō to Katei no Hi) directed the film at P.A. Works. Yukito Kizawa and Munemasa Nakamoto, who both worked extensively on scripts for the Monogatari series and Sword Art Online franchise, penned the screenplay. Tomomi Takada, a veteran P.A. Works key animator and inbetweener, drew the original character design concepts, while Kousuke Kawazura (The Eccentric Family) designed those characters for animation, while also serving as chief animation director. Tatsuya Katō composed the music. DMM is credited as producer. GAGA Corporation is distributing.
The film is the fifth installment of P.A. Works' "workplace" series about people and their jobs, after Hana-Saku Iroha, Shirobako, Sakura Quest, and The aquatope on white sand.
P.A. Works' "workplace" series began with Hana-Saku Iroha in 2010, which focused on a hot spring inn. Shirobako followed in 2014, with its focus on the anime industry. Shirobako also spawned a sequel film in 2020. Sakura Quest debuted in 2017, and centered on girls involved in small-town tourism. The aquatope on white sand debuted in 2021, and focused on the aquarium business.
