New York Int’l Children’s Film Fest screens international premiere
Crunchyroll announced on Friday that it has acquired the North American theatrical rights for the anime film of Nowaki Fukamidori’s Whoever Steals This Book (Kono Hon o Nusumu Mono wa) fantasy novel. The company will screen the film in Japanese with English subtitles. In addition, this year’s New York International Children’s Film Festival will screen the international premiere as an official selection. Crunchyroll streamed a trailer:
This year’s New York International Children’s Film Festival will take place from February 28-March 15.
Image via Whoever Steals This Book film’s official website
© 2025 深緑野分／KADOKAWA／「この本を盗む者は」製作委員会
The film opened in Japan on December 26.
The film stars:
Daisei Fukuoka (Radiant series director, Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School: Despair Arc and Future Arc, Phantom of the Idol) directed the film at Kagome Company (Kagokan). Yasuhiro Nakanishi (Kaguya-sama: Love is War, No Longer Allowed In Another World, Shy) wrote the script, Keiko Kurosawa (Astra Lost in Space, Asobi Asobase -workshop of fun-) designed the characters and was the film’s animation director, and Michiru Ōshima (Fullmetal Alchemist, Little Witch Academia) composed the music. Kagokan founder Yūji Higa (Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School: Despair Arc, Asobi Asobase -workshop of fun-, Radiant) was the animation producer, and Kadokawa Animation is distributing the film.
Other staff members include:
Vocalist YUKI (formerly of Judy and Mary) performs the theme song “Share.”
Yen On licensed and released the novel in February 2025. Yen On describes the story:
Mifuyu is a high school student living with a large collection of books left by her great-grandfather―the vast library known as Mikura Hall. Although her father is the current caretaker, Mifuyu herself doesn’t share her family’s passion for literature. But when several books are stolen from the library, triggering an ancient curse, the town is transformed according to the various stories―and the only way to put things right is for Mifuyu to catch the thief. With the help of a mysterious girl named Mashiro, Mifuyu sets out on an adventure through the different story worlds!
Kadokawa first published the novel in 2020. A manga adaptation of the novel by Kakeru Sora was serialized in Kadokawa’s Young Ace magazine from December 2021 to March 2023. Yen Press released the manga’s three compiled book volumes in English.
Kadokawa published Fukamidori’s spinoff novel titled Kūsō no Umi (Fantasy Sea) in May 2023.
Source: Press release
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.
