Japan Premiere Event Report | World Premiere Library | SPECIAL | Sparks of Tomorrow

Staff and Cast Pour Their Hearts into the Series'
"Stunning Visuals" and "Human Drama"

TV anime Sparks of Tomorrow, which begins broadcasting on ABC TV, TOKYO MX, TV Aichi, and BS11 on July 5 and will stream exclusively worldwide on Netflix, held its Japan Premiere event on June 14 at Shinjuku Piccadilly in Tokyo. At the event, a special theatrical edition combining Episodes 1 through 3 was screened. Following the screening, a stage greeting was held featuring Yuma Uchida, who voices Kihachi Sakamoto, Sora Amamiya, who voices Inako Momokawa, and Director Minoru Ota. Here is a report from the first session.

*Spoiler warning: The following contains spoilers for Episodes 1–3.

Sparks of Tomorrow is set in a fictional era where steam technology has flourished. Kihachi Sakamoto, a boy who dreams of ushering in an "Age of Electricity," records his ideas for electrical inventions in the 20th Century Electrical Catalog alongside his older brother, Seiroku. However, Seiroku leaves for war carrying the catalog and never returns. Years later, Inako Momokawa, the daughter of a sake-brewing family, appears before Kihachi and, for reasons unknown, entrusts the 20th Century Electrical Catalog to him. Also seeking the catalog is Yosuke Mizoe, the heir to a powerful conglomerate who is pursuing a political marriage with Inako. As the catalog draws them together, the dreams of boys and girls begin to move once more.

Following the screening, Uchida, Amamiya, and Director Ota took the stage to enthusiastic applause from the audience. Director Ota had recently attended the World Premiere in London and shared some of the reactions he received there. "Everyone told me they really enjoyed the physical comedy." Uchida nodded in agreement and added, "Once you watch it, you'll understand. The characters are constantly moving around and filling every corner of the screen." Meanwhile, Uchida had attended the World Premiere in Thailand himself. He reported on the enthusiastic response from audiences. "People actually react out loud while they're watching. The biggest reaction came at the end of Episode 1, when Yosuke says, 'My Wife.'"

The discussion then turned to a looking back on Episodes 1 through 3. Reflecting on Inako's first appearance in Episode 1, in which she recites a prayer at a shrine, Uchida remarked, "Sora's prayer recital was incredible." Amamiya reflected on the scene, saying, "I had barely started speaking as Inako when suddenly I was faced with this prayer. I was really nervous, but I felt that the way she recites it—as if she's completely accustomed to it—reveals both her personality and her deep faith. I wanted it to sound like something she says in everyday life, so I put a lot of effort into it." Uchida went on to praise her performance once again, commenting, "She appears quiet and refined, but you can tell from the prayer that she actually has a surprising amount of passion."

The conversation also touched on Kihachi's status as a self-proclaimed "machine otaku," with Uchida highlighting the character's comical facial expressions. Director Ota explained, "They're not fooling around—they're living their lives seriously. Those expressions are simply the result of that." He then revealed that many of those moments had actually been created spontaneously while storyboarding, saying, "Many of the ideas came from the momentum of the moment while I was drawing the storyboards," which prompted laughter from Uchida. Speaking about his performance, Uchida noted, "It was important not to be overly influenced by the exaggerated expressions," adding that "we approached the acting with the goal of not making it overly caricatured."

The person targeting the 20th Century Electrical Catalog is Yosuke Mizoe, the heir to a powerful steam-industry conglomerate. A character who leaves a strong impression from the very beginning, Yosuke became another topic of discussion. Director Ota commented, "I never intended for him to be quite this memorable. I wanted him to be a relatable character who's simply in a bad mood because he can't get what he wants. Before I knew it, he naturally became a character that people could empathize with." His remark drew a huge laugh from the audience. For those who have yet to watch the series, it may be worth seeing for yourselves whether Yosuke is truly as "relatable" as Ota suggests.

Episode 2 centers on Kihachi and Inako's desperate attempt to escape before Yosuke can seize the catalog. Discussing the episode's direction, Ota explained, "We needed to introduce each character, showcase the action, and explain the catalog, but I wanted to do all of that in a way that never became dull and always kept the characters engaging." Amamiya singled out the scene in which Kihachi and Inako launch themselves from the storehouse using a kite. "Normally, when two characters speak over each other, we record them separately," she said. "But because the two of them were literally in the same boat, we recorded the scene together. If we made a mistake, we'd simply start over together. I think that's what created that atmosphere and sense of tension." Uchida agreed, reflecting, "It felt like we were truly living in that moment, and it allowed me to immerse myself completely in the scene."

In Episode 3, Kihachi's dream of bringing to life the inventions he once imagined with his brother is shaken after Yosuke dismisses both his talent and the value of the 20th Century Electrical Catalog. The person who helps him regain his footing is Inako, who tells him, "Kihachi, you're the one who will bring about the future—the Age of Electricity!" Reflecting on the scene, Amamiya explained, "Inako doesn't really have any concrete evidence. She says it purely from the heart. And I think that's what gave Kihachi the push he needed." Uchida added, "That kind of strength is something Sora herself shares. It's the power to keep moving forward toward something you truly believe in," prompting an embarrassed smile from Amamiya.

The conversation then turned to the climactic "Electric Full Moon" sequence in Episode 3. Director Ota revealed some of the challenges behind its creation, saying, "The biggest question was how to make an ordinary light bulb look captivating. It took a long time before we found the right approach." He went on to explain, "Because the backgrounds are painted with a very painterly style, they don't naturally work well with digital effects. When it came to depicting the light, we approached it in a painterly way as well, creating the impression that it was glowing."

It was also noted that the version screened at the premiere was a special theatrical edit. The broadcast and streaming will include scenes and cuts not present in the theatrical version, giving viewers another reason to look forward to the broadcast and compare the differences.

In the latter half of the talk, the casts and Director participated in a variety segment inspired by the series titled "Presenting the Electrical Inventions We Think Will Definitely Become Popular in the Future!". They were asked to draw a "future invention" that might appear in the 20th Century Electrical Catalog and present it to the audience.

Uchida unveiled his idea: a personal AI interface called the "Electrical Administrator". Describing it as "A head-mounted device that could translate foreign languages, provide daily fortunes, and report highway traffic conditions." However, Amamiya quickly pointed out that "Alexa can probably do most of that already," sending the audience into laughter. Uchida could only agree, joking, "Looks like my dream has already come true."

Amamiya followed with her invention, the "Fully Automated Health Manager". Displaying a drawing of a house entrance, she explained, "The moment you walk through the doorway, it instantly measures your physical condition and stress levels. It adjusts the room temperature accordingly, prepares meals, and even runs your bath while you're lying down. Once I get home from work, I don't want to do anything at all!" Her passionate presentation earned enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Director Ota's invention was a needle-like device called the "Electrical Communication Needle", worn like an antenna on the back of the head to give people the courage to communicate. Describing himself as extremely shy, Director Ota remarked, "At the beginning of Episode 1, Kihachi and Inako meet for the first time. If I were Kihachi, I probably wouldn't even have shown my face." The comment drew laughter from the audience. Since that would make it impossible for the story to begin, he explained, the device would help people find the courage to move their own stories forward. Both Uchida and Amamiya immediately responded that they wanted one themselves, while the audience showed their approval with applause.

The event also featured a wealth of new information about the series. Newly announced cast members included Hiroshi Yanaka as Jinemon Momokawa, Mayumi Asano as Naeko Momokawa, Daichi Endo as Bunshichi Yagura, and Ayahi Takagaki as both Tome and Inari. Music-related announcements were also made. It was revealed that the opening theme song, "Eureka Evrika" performed by Runa Goami, would be released digitally on July 6. In addition, the ending theme song performed by California born artist Ginger Root was officially announced as "Soarin'" and would be released on July 13 after the broadcast of Episode 2.

New event information, a new key visual, and promotional video Vol.3 were also unveiled, along with the launch of a giveaway campaign. Fans were encouraged to check the Official X account for full details.

To close the event, each guest shared a final message with the audience.

Amamiya commented, "I imagine Episodes 1 through 3 flew by in a blur of 'Wow, wow!' moments. What comes next is a human drama that I personally love, and I think all of you will come to love it too. I hope you'll look forward to it."

Uchida added, "This series has incredible energy. Even while recording, we constantly found ourselves wondering what would happen next. I hope you'll enjoy both the stunning visuals and the human drama, and come to know Kihachi and the others even better."

Finally, Director Ota concluded, "Thank you all so much for coming today. I hope this series becomes part of your memories of this summer. And when Halloween comes around, I hope you'll all cosplay as characters from Sparks of Tomorrow."