NON attended the Tokyo premiere and barrier-free screening of the movie *Parallel and Vertical*, in which she co-stars with Shota Yasuda.

A barrier-free preview screening of the film *Parallel and Vertical*, which opens nationwide on Friday, August 28, was held on Sunday, July 19, at Shinjuku Wald 9. NON, who co-stars in the film, took the stage alongside Shota Yasuda and director Shotarou Kobayashi.

The screening featured audio description and Japanese subtitles, and the stage greeting included a sign language interpreter.

This heartwarming drama centers on Daiki (Shota Yasuda), a brother on the autism spectrum, and his younger sister Nozomi (NON), who has supported him since childhood. Triggered by Nozomi’s upcoming marriage, the two begin to confront their shared past and their future.

When asked about her decision to take on the role, NON reflected, “I heard that Mr. Yasuda had launched this project together with Umi Yamano (original story and screenplay) and had nurtured it with great care, so I felt I couldn’t approach it half-heartedly. That’s why I mustered my courage and made the decision.”

The conversation also turned to his seamless chemistry with Yasuda.
Mentioning that they had hardly any prior rehearsals, he revealed, “When I arrived on set, my first scene was with Yasuda-san, and Daiki was already right there—it just clicked,” describing how their relationship developed naturally on set.

NON, who said this was his first time acting in the Kansai dialect, also smiled as he mentioned that his favorite line—one unique to Osaka—was the word “Rapid.”

Finally, NON shared her thoughts on the film, saying, “I hope the themes, warmth, and hope conveyed by this movie reach all of you.
It’s a truly wonderful film. I hope you’ll be able to feel something from it.” Amid warm applause, the stage greeting came to a close.

The film *Parallel and Vertical* opens nationwide on Friday, August 28. We hope you’ll all go see it in theaters!

■ Trailer for the film *Parallel and Vertical*

<Story>
Daiki, who has autism spectrum disorder, and his younger sister Nozomi, who has supported her brother since they were children. The siblings lost their mother at a young age and, keeping their distance from their father—who tended to neglect them—have been doing their best to get by on their own.

Daiki hardly speaks and his facial expressions rarely change. Having moved out of a group home to live on his own with the goal of becoming independent, Daiki follows his own set of rules. He is so meticulous and particular that he arranges everything in parallel and perpendicular lines, carefully aligning even the tableware on his desk. His weekly dinner with Nozomi is always at 7:00 p.m. sharp. If it’s even one minute late, he becomes restless.

Nozomi, who works as a counselor, has received a marriage proposal from her boyfriend. Though she harbors a hint of anxiety, she decides to travel to Tokyo with her brother to meet her fiancé’s parents...

<Cast & Crew>
Shota Yasuda, NON
Kuu Ishima, Tomohiro Takayama, Mizuki Tanimura, Tenkyu Fukuda, Makoto Ashikawa, Saori, Maki Kubota
Sora Kawano, Koki Takada, Nagi Muto, Hideyo Hayashi / Misuzu Kamino, Daikichi Sugawara

Director: Shotaro Kobayashi; Original Story & Screenplay: Umi Yamano; Music: Harumi Tomiki; Theme Song: Uki featuring Shota Yasuda “Let’s Talk”

Planning: Shota Yasuda; Planning & Production: Gen Sato

Producers: Hideaki Kashizaki, Shingo Takeshita; Director of Photography: Ryo Otsuka; Lighting: Isamu Fujii; Art Director: Fumiaki Suzaka; Sound Recording: Kosuke Saijo; Script Supervisor: Emi Kawano

Editor: Ryuji Miyajima; Stylist: Shinobu Yamazaki; Hair and Makeup: Yu Yamai; Assistant Director: Manabu Kigawa; Production Manager: Morihiro Tsuchida; Casting: Naoya Ito

Publicity Producer: Kyoko Maruyama; ASD Consultants: Masatsugu Tsujii, Yoko Iba, Akinori Ukai

Produced by: “Parallel and Vertical” Production Committee
(Toei Video, Asmik Ace, Media Pulpo, Chukyo TV, TV Osaka, Storm Labels, Lawson, Toei CM)

Special Cooperation: Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture; Research Cooperation: Sakuranbo Classroom, NPO Aspe-Elde no Kai, NPO PDD Support Center Green Forest

Supported by: Japan Developmental Disabilities Network, Japan Autism Society; Production Company: Central Arts; Production Manager & Distributor: Toei Video