Nako Yabuki sings the Japanese version of "Your Letter" for the anime film "En no Tegami," marking her voice acting debut.
August/18/2026 08:00Related Groups & Members
"Your Name." "Suzume's Locking Up" and other works by director Makoto Shinkai have been released by the animation production company Comics Wave Films, which is handling the distribution of its first overseas theatrical animation film "En no Tegami" (original title: 연의편지). It has been decided that Nako Yabuki, who plays the protagonist Sori in her voice acting debut, will perform the theme song "Your Letter – Japanese Ver." and provide the Japanese lyrics for this work. Recording footage from South Korea and a comment video from Nako Yabuki have been released. This work will be released nationwide on September 25 (Friday) at Shinjuku Wald 9 and other locations. Additionally, a completion screening event will be held on September 4 (Friday) ahead of the release. "En no Tegami," the pinnacle of Korean animation taking the world by storm, will showcase the fresh voices of Nako Yabuki and Kensho Ono, presenting a bittersweet and beloved youth story on screen this autumn. In this special project, Nako Yabuki will sing the original Korean theme song "Your Letter" while maintaining the original melody, and she will also write the Japanese lyrics for the dubbed version. The long-awaited recording since her graduation from HKT48 took place in Korea, which holds special memories for her. This recording in Korea is her first in five years since her activities with IZ*ONE. It was an unprecedented attempt as it was her first challenge in translating lyrics for other artists, but she fully demonstrated her rich expressiveness and language sense cultivated through global activities in both Japan and Korea. While respecting the original song, she delivered delicate and emotional Japanese lyrics that only she could weave, along with her polished singing voice. A special video of Nako Yabuki's recording in Korea has been released, along with her comment video. When asked about the recording experience, Nako Yabuki revealed, "Listening to the Korean direction while simultaneously singing in Japanese was possible because I understand Korean," highlighting how her career has become a strength. The recording lasted for five hours, but she did not feel tired. When asked about her sense of accomplishment, she smiled and said, "I expect a perfect score of 100!" During her time in Korea, she shared an episode of reuniting with her fellow IZ*ONE members, which inspired her. Reflecting on how they encouraged each other helped her relax during the recording. The reunion of IZ*ONE members due to Nako Yabuki's trip to Korea became a hot topic on social media. In her first attempt at writing lyrics, she confessed that she struggled to maintain the message of the work while being conscious of the sound. "It was challenging to pack words tightly while reconstructing the sound, but it turned out to convey the world of the work just by listening to the song," she spoke with a sense of achievement. Regarding the work, she expressed, "I feel a strong connection just being able to be in charge of the Japanese dubbed version. There are many parts of Sori's feelings and life that resonate with me, and I hope that viewers can think of their important people while watching this work." Furthermore, the music video for the Japanese dubbed version theme song "Your Letter – Japanese Ver." will be released on August 19 (Wednesday) at 20:00. This special video combines the original animation scenes from "En no Tegami," including scenes that are being shown for the first time, with the lyrics written by Nako Yabuki and her refreshing singing voice, allowing viewers to fully enjoy the world of the work. The music video starts with an impressive scene from the main story where Sori, voiced by Nako Yabuki, finds a mysterious letter in her desk. It depicts Sori, who is anxious about transferring schools, being guided by the letter and meeting her classmate Dongsun and new friends. Additionally, dramatic scenes appear one after another, including a fire that scorches the night sky, Dongsun pulling a bowstring with a serious expression, and Sori showing a determined expression. The video is crafted to further heighten expectations for the film's release. Ahead of the release on September 25 (Friday), a completion screening event will be held on September 4 (Friday) at Grand Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro in Tokyo. On that day, Nako Yabuki, who plays Sori, Kensho Ono, who plays Dongsun, and additional cast member Shuichiro Umeda, who voices the mysterious boy Hoyoung, will appear. The three luxurious cast members will enhance the excitement for the film's release in Japan. The screening of the Japanese subtitled version of the original Korean version of "En no Tegami" has also been decided. In the original version, the popular Korean duo AKMU's Lee Suhyun plays the lead role, allowing viewers to enjoy her fresh performance as Sori. The original version's theme song sung by Lee Suhyun has received explosive responses in Korea and has been praised as a "new masterpiece in the Korean animation world" with numerous covers by celebrities. ■ Release Information "En no Tegami" will be released nationwide on September 25, 2026 (Friday), at Shinjuku Wald 9 and other locations. <Muvik Ticket Online Sales> Muvik ticket online sales will start from July 17 (Friday)! 1,600 yen (tax included) Director: Kim Yong-hwan Original work: Cho Hyona "En no Tegami" (LINE Manga) Voice cast: Sori / Nako Yabuki, Dongsun / Kensho Ono Production: STUDIO LICO, STUDIO N Distribution: Comics Wave Films Distribution cooperation: KeyHolder Pictures Cooperation: CWF CINEMAS 2025 | Korea | 97 minutes | Vista | Color | 5.1ch (C) 2025 LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT & STUDIO LICO & STUDIO N All Rights Reserved. <Story> A girl named Sori becomes a target of bullying for protecting a friend and is forced to transfer to a rural school. Unable to adapt to her new environment and closing her heart, one day she finds a mysterious letter hidden in her desk. It contains hints for spending time at her new school and a mysterious message saying, "Try to find the continuation." Guided by those words, she meets her blunt classmate Dongsun, who claims to know the sender, and as they search for the continuation of the letter, the "true message" contained in the letter becomes clear... ■ Related Site "En no Tegami" Official Site ■ Release Information "En no Tegami" will be released nationwide on September 25, 2026 (Friday), at Shinjuku Wald 9 and other locations. <Muvik Ticket Online Sales> Muvik ticket online sales will start from July 17 (Friday)! 1,600 yen (tax included) Director: Kim Yong-hwan Original work: Cho Hyona "En no Tegami" (LINE Manga) Voice cast: Sori / Nako Yabuki, Dongsun / Kensho Ono Production: STUDIO LICO, STUDIO N Distribution: Comics Wave Films Distribution cooperation: KeyHolder Pictures Cooperation: CWF CINEMAS 2025 | Korea | 97 minutes | Vista | Color | 5.1ch (C) 2025 LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT & STUDIO LICO & STUDIO N All Rights Reserved. <Story> A girl named Sori becomes a target of bullying for protecting a friend and is forced to transfer to a rural school. Unable to adapt to her new environment and closing her heart, one day she finds a mysterious letter hidden in her desk. It contains hints for spending time at her new school and a mysterious message saying, "Try to find the continuation." Guided by those words, she meets her blunt classmate Dongsun, who claims to know the sender, and as they search for the continuation of the letter, the "true message" contained in the letter becomes clear... ■ Related Site "En no Tegami" Official Site
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