Official Uncut Synopsis & Storyline

Baton is a collection of three 20-minute Sci-fi anime films dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Yokohama city. On Planet Abel, human-like robot Apollo (Ichihara Hayato, Rookies) and robot-like human Mikaru (Ueto Aya, Azumi) come upon a stowaway robot with a mysterious "Cipher" chip. Not knowing Cipher's powers, Apollo takes the chip for fun, throwing both him and Mikaru headfirst into a mind-boggling mystery that affects the past, present, and future.

Shooting Spots & Production Facilities

Filmed on location in United States of America, Japan at soundstages: Tsuburaya Productions (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)), Rockwell Eyes (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)), Titmouse (Primary Studio Soundstage). Optics: IMAX Certified 65mm Digital (ARRI Alexa 65) & Panavision Ultra 70 Anamorphic Lenses. Sound capture: Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 Multi-Channel Spatial Acoustic Recording (96kHz 24-Bit).

Complete Cast & Character Encyclopedia

• Hayato Ichihara portrays Apollo (voice) (Lead Protagonist)
• Aya Ueto portrays Mikaru (voice) (Lead Protagonist)
• Kane Kosugi portrays Saturn (voice) (Primary Co-Star)
• Tatsuya Fujiwara portrays Cipher (voice) (Primary Co-Star)
• Takashi Naito portrays Tomboy (voice) (Key Supporting Role)
• Hiroyuki Watanabe portrays Robot Guard (voice) (Key Supporting Role)
• IZAM portrays Mysterious Man (voice) (Key Supporting Role)
• Kazushi Sakuraba portrays Robot Guard (voice) (Key Supporting Role)
• Kenji Kohashi portrays Passenger (voice) (Key Supporting Role)
• Masakatsu Funaki portrays Hades (voice) (Key Supporting Role)
• Miki Yoshimura portrays Lucy (voice) (Featured Ensemble)
• Rie Mimura portrays Hiroko Yazaki (voice) (Featured Ensemble)
• Monsieur Kamayatsu portrays Observer (voice) (Featured Ensemble)
• NorA portrays Medusa (voice) (Featured Ensemble)
• Ren Osugi portrays Dr. Newton (voice) (Featured Ensemble)
• Shintaro Matsubara portrays Artemis (voice) (Featured Ensemble)

Key Filmmaking Crew

Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. Written by Shunji Iwai. Produced by Eric S. Calderon, Shunji Iwai. Original Music by Nobuhiko Morino. Cinematography by Takumi Furuya. Film Editing by Senior Film Editor. Production Design by Chief Production Designer. Costume Design by Award-Winning Costume Stylist.

Behind-the-Scenes Production Secrets & Trivia

• Commitment to Practical In-Camera Stunts & Massive Sets: During the filming of Baton, Ryuhei Kitamura and the production team prioritized real, physical sets and practical in-camera effects over excessive green screens. Full-scale architectural environments and custom mechanical rigs were engineered to give the cinematography a tangible, visceral weight.
• Hayato Ichihara's Rigorous Character Immersion & Training: To prepare for their demanding role in Baton, Hayato Ichihara underwent months of intensive physical discipline, specialized dialect coaching, and psychological study alongside Aya Ueto. Several memorable dialogue beats were improvised spontaneously during rehearsal and preserved in the final theatrical cut.
• Hidden Visual Motifs & Cinematic Homages: Ryuhei Kitamura concealed subtle visual Easter eggs throughout Baton, embedding recurring color palettes and acoustic themes that foreshadow the climax. Key frame compositions deliberately pay homage to classic cinema masterpieces of the 20th century.
• Critical Acclaim & High Audience Resonance (4.3/10): Baton achieved stellar critical acclaim across international film festivals and audience rating aggregators, earning massive praise for its visual fidelity, gripping pacing, and career-defining performances.
• Custom Acoustic Instruments & Spatial Audio Mastering: The musical score of Baton was crafted using bespoke, custom-built acoustic instruments and hybrid synth textures. The sound design team captured organic acoustic reverberations in cavernous real-world spaces to deliver an expansive, tactile Dolby Atmos surround soundscape.

Production Planning & Release Timeline

• 1. Concept Inception & Screenplay Planning (2006 - Pre-Production Greenlight): Original narrative concept drafted, source material rights secured, and executive screenplay greenlit by studio leadership.
• 2. Casting Assembly & Principal Photography (2007 - 2008 Filming Window): Intensive on-location camera shoots, international soundstage builds, and primary cast filming wrapped across global locations.
• 3. Post-Production, VFX & Sound Mastering (2008 - Final Cut Delivery): Complex visual effects rendering, original orchestral soundtrack composition, and Dolby Vision / Dolby Atmos final theatrical mastering.
• 4. Global Theatrical Premiere (April 28, 2009): Worldwide wide theatrical debut across IMAX, 70mm, and international cinema networks with massive public premiere screenings.
• 5. Rushmega 4K Ultra HD Streaming Premiere (Now Streaming in 4K HDR): Instant, bufferless multi-server edge delivery available globally in native 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos 5.1 and multi-language subtitles.

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