Expelled from Paradise Returns to 16 TV Stations With the Sequel's First 60 Seconds

I have a soft spot for Expelled from Paradise, so this batch of news made my Halloween. On October 31 the team behind the sequel, Rakuen Tsuiho: Kokoro no Resonance, posted three announcements at once, and the smartest one is about the first film, not the new one.

The original film is coming back to TV

The plan is called Rakuen Tsuihousou, a play on the Japanese word for broadcast. Starting November 6, the 2014 film airs again on 16 Japanese TV stations, and every broadcast ends with the first 60 seconds of Kokoro no Resonance. That clip has not been shown anywhere before. UX Niigata TV21, HTB Hokkaido and TV Setouchi go first on the night of November 6. TOKYO MX, Sun TV, KBS Kyoto and Tochigi TV follow on November 8 at 7:00 pm, and BS11 closes the run on November 11.

There are streams too. Niconico runs a marathon on November 6, ABEMA's anime live channel has two showings on November 7 and 8, and the Toei Animation Museum channel on YouTube streams it on November 10. The official announcement says this grew out of the monthly Rakuen WEEK rewatch streams that started in May.

Bigger screens and stage greetings

The sequel also gets 4DX and Dolby Cinema screenings from opening day, November 13. Opening-weekend stage greetings follow on November 14 at Shinjuku Wald 9 and T-Joy Yokohama, and on November 15 at T-Joy Umeda and Osaka Station City Cinema.

On November 14, director Seiji Mizushima and writer Gen Urobuchi of Nitroplus are scheduled to appear with Ayane Sakura, Saori Hayami, Yoshino Aoyama, Sally Amaki and Sumire Morohoshi. The Osaka day keeps Mizushima, Sakura, Hayami, Aoyama and Amaki.

Why I like this move

Twelve years is a long gap. Putting the first film back on free TV, two weeks before the sequel, is the easiest way to bring new viewers in. Toei Animation is animating again and NARASAKI is back on music. If you have never met Angela Balzac, this is your chance.