The film "Specials," directed by Eiji Uchida and starring Daisuke Sakuma, has been released nationwide, featuring a vibrant cast and dance scenes.

The film "Specials," a heartfelt completely original movie with the original story and screenplay by director Eiji Uchida of the movie "Midnight Swan," has finally been released nationwide! Daisuke Sakuma (Snow Man), who made his solo film debut, along with fellow dance team 'Specials' members Kippei Shiina, Yuta Nakamoto (NCT), Sho Aoyagi, and Hitoshi Ozawa, as well as Urara, who made her acting debut as the dance girl Asuka teaching the five members of 'Specials,' attended the event. Dressed in the film's colorful suits and wearing sunglasses, the 'Specials' cast made a cool entrance, striking a perfect pose at Sakuma's cue. Receiving loud cheers from the audience, Sakuma smiled broadly, saying, "I feel a lot of love from everyone!" As this was Sakuma's first solo film lead, he expressed his emotions, saying, "I was thinking about how the audience would enjoy the completed film, and when we reached the premiere today, I felt a bit teary, thinking, 'Finally, everyone can see it!' I hope you will come to the theater as many times as you want to enjoy it." This day's stage greeting was broadcast live to over 200 theaters nationwide, and he actively called out, "Let's get excited together!" When asked about Sakuma's leadership, Shiina said, "He always lifted the mood on set, and it was fun," while Nakamoto expressed gratitude, saying, "Sakuma-kun was the one who led the team while always looking around. It was such a great atmosphere that I thought it might be the most fun set in Japan!" Aoyagi added, "When Sakkun (Sakuma's nickname) is around, I want to go to the set. It was seriously fun filming!" Sakuma, feeling the storm of praise from his co-stars, reflected, "Everyone on set was in good spirits and joined in. I felt blessed." The cast reminisced about memorable scenes, especially the many dance scenes! Particularly, on the first day of filming, when they were forced to showcase their dance at a disco, Ozawa revealed, "Everyone was watching each other, thinking, 'How will they dance...?' and Kippei was really into it. 'Sentimental Journey,' right?" In response, Shiina humbly said, "I've never danced in front of people, and I was given dance choreography..." but was praised by Sakuma, receiving applause from the audience, prompting Shiina to express gratitude to the director. Sakuma also revealed that Ozawa kept saying, "This is my highlight... My bon odori..." while Nakamoto shared that Aoyagi was so nervous he felt like he might throw up. Aoyagi admitted, "My heart was completely broken," smiling shyly. Reflecting on the fun times, director Uchida joked, "The extras were professional dancers, so everyone was nervous. I was surprised that even veterans were as nervous as amateurs." The film has been submitted to various international film festivals, including the Fantasporto in Portugal, the APUC Asian Pop-Up Film Festival in Chicago, and the Helsinki Cine Asia Film Festival, with announcements of upcoming screenings in Korea and Taiwan. Ozawa humorously exclaimed, "What!? Is this being live-streamed worldwide right now!?" causing laughter in the venue. Director Uchida, who recently returned from attending the Fantasporto, reported, "During the screening, there was laughter every three minutes, and it was wonderful! I was surrounded by super excited audiences. It was my first experience at a film festival like that." Sakuma expressed joy that the sense of camaraderie in "Specials" transcends language and can be conveyed to audiences worldwide. He also mentioned that he and Nakamoto plan to participate in a stage greeting in Korea, with Nakamoto expressing happiness about delivering the work created with wonderful members to audiences around the world, encouraging them to look forward to it. A dance video featuring the 'Specials' cast posted on the film's official TikTok has gone viral with an impressive 40 million views! Urara, who played the dance girl Asuka, also took the stage, and at Sakuma's cue, they performed a live dance to the theme song "Odorouze!" by Snow Man, with the audience clapping along, uniting the venue. After finishing the dance, Urara joyfully said, "I was nervous during filming, so I was happy to finally get my revenge here." Sakuma added, "It was fun to have the audience dance along with us; it felt like a special version!" Nakamoto smiled, saying, "I really thought Snow Man's song was great!" Finally, Sakuma stated, "For me, this film is my first and last 'first' solo lead. I'm really glad that my first is a work by director Uchida, with wonderful cast and the best staff. The more you watch this film, the more you find its charm, and it never gets boring. I hope this charm reaches not just Japan but the whole world. The future may depend on the audience. Please lend us your support and spreading power. Let's make 'Specials' the best together!" He prayed for a big hit and optimistically mentioned the possibility of a sequel, to which director Uchida responded, "Of course, if the film is a hit!" Sakuma expressed his eagerness, saying, "There are various conditions for a hit, and I want to reach a big milestone!"