On Thursday, the main trailer video of the Starwing Paradox game prequel anime film was made available on the official website of As One, which is a collaboration between Square Enix and Sunrise.
Image via As One film's X/Twitter account The film opens in theaters on August 22.
The movie is based on a unique narrative that takes place two decades prior to the events in the video game. Yō is the main character in this film; he is a high school student with dreams of becoming a musician but faces opposition from his parents. Additionally, he is losing touch with his bandmates. One day, while listening to music in his headphones, he hears a voice calling out for help and is enveloped in a bright light. Meanwhile, in Meguriboshi, two warring nations come to a temporary peace as they search for new sources of energy. Rako, a robot mechanic, collapses while working on space debris that is heading towards the planet, and while unconscious, makes contact with Yō.
Ruki Shiroiwa, who is part of the boy group JO1, is making his voice acting debut as Yō in the film. Aside from his role in JO1, he is also known as RUKI and sings the film's theme song "Meguriboshi" (Wandering Star).
In Meguriboshi, Rako is played by Haruka Shiraishi and is a robot mechanic. Vigo, portrayed by Shunsuke Takeuchi, is a Pullguard Unit member that Rako treats like family. Kizana, played by Yōko Hikasa, is a researcher who holds vital information for the story. Ryūhei Maruyama voices Rurowa, Rako's father.
In Japan, the game was introduced in November 2018 and stopped functioning in October 2021. It allowed up to 16 players to compete against each other in two teams of eight players each. The design of the cabinet was meant to mimic a cockpit, giving players a sense of immersion as they experienced movement that matched the game from within the cabinet.
The narrative of the game unfolds on the distant planet of Meguriboshi, located far beyond Earth. This world is divided into two kingdoms - "Kō Country A Slegga" and "Va Led Sei Kingdom." The source of their perpetual conflict is "Hoshinochi," a unique form of living energy produced by Meguriboshi. This energy powers the "Ae Rial," massive weapons created by Kizana, which are used in battle.
The Ae Rial have a system known as "Rearide," which enables them to send personalized data across planets. When an "AZ-One" knight is paired with an alien skilled in flying, their combined abilities can be fully harnessed. Additionally, Earth has been discovered as a planet inhabited by beings who possess exceptional abilities in a particular area.
Sources: As One film's website ( link ) , Comic Natalie ( link )