The new We Are Aliens trailer just dropped — and this time it's not about the two boys at the center of the story. It's all about Konatsu. Director Kōhei Kadowaki and studio NOTHING NEW specifically unveiled a brand-new September 2026 trailer spotlighting her as the film's heroine, and fans are understandably asking: who exactly is she? If you've been following buzz around this Cannes-selected indie anime film and wondering where Konatsu fits into the story — and who voices her — you're in exactly the right place. Here's the full breakdown.
⚡ Quick Answer
Konatsu is the heroine of We Are Aliens (2026). She is Tsubasa's closest neighbor and childhood friend who eventually becomes his wife. She is voiced by Ten Yamasaki, a 20-year-old Sakurazaka46 idol and vice-captain, making her anime debut in this role.
Who Is Konatsu in We Are Aliens?
Konatsu is introduced as Tsubasa's closest classmate — literally the neighbor who lives nearest to him. In a story primarily about two boys and the complicated wreckage of their friendship, she functions as the anchor to Tsubasa's world. She's the person who stays.
According to the official cast announcement via Anime News Network, Konatsu is described as "the classmate who lives closest to Tsubasa." That proximity — physical and emotional — defines her role. While Tsubasa and Gyōtarō's friendship is the emotional engine of the film, Konatsu is what Tsubasa builds his adult life around. A Cannes screening review on Cineuropa confirmed that Tsubasa eventually marries Konatsu after years of taking different paths in life.
This makes her both supporting character and emotional anchor — the steady presence against which Tsubasa measures his choices. The fact that Kadowaki chose to release an entire dedicated Konatsu trailer just 11 days before the film's September 25 premiere tells you her role is bigger than a simple footnote.
Who Voices Konatsu? Meet Ten Yamasaki
Konatsu is voiced by Ten Yamasaki (山﨑天), a 20-year-old singer, dancer, model, and actress from Osaka, Japan. She is a second-generation member and vice-captain of the idol group Sakurazaka46 — one of Japan's biggest idol franchises under the Sony Music / Nogi-series umbrella.
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📊 Key Stat: Ten Yamasaki became the youngest Sakamichi Series member ever to receive an exclusive modeling contract with a major magazine — ViVi — at just 15 years old. (Wikipedia)
She joined what was then Keyakizaka46 back in 2018 after passing the Sakamichi Joint Auditions, transferred to Sakurazaka46 in 2020 when the group rebranded, and was officially appointed vice-captain in April 2026 — the same year she's debuting in anime voice work. The girl's having quite a year.
Her anime voice debut as Konatsu in We Are Aliens marks a significant career step for Ten. She's done modeling, music, TV commercials, and short film work, but this is her first feature-length animation role. Given that the film premiered at Cannes and is getting international distribution deals across Asia, it's not a bad place to start.
"NOTHING NEW is a film label established with the aim of creating a world where talent is not crushed."
That philosophy — about not crushing talent — feels weirdly fitting for an idol who took a breakthrough acting role while simultaneously becoming her group's vice-captain. Ten Yamasaki is not exactly being crushed right now.
Watch the Official We Are Aliens Trailer
Before going further, here's the main official announcement trailer from the NOTHING NEW YouTube channel, which first revealed the project and its animation style:
We Are Aliens: What's the Film Actually About?
To understand Konatsu's place in the story, here's the film in brief — spoiler-light edition.
We Are Aliens (Japanese: 我々は宇宙人, Hepburn: Wareware wa Uchūjin) is a 2026 Japanese animated feature written and directed by Kōhei Kadowaki — the animator behind the BEASTARS Season 2 ending sequence and music videos for YOASOBI. It's produced by NOTHING NEW with production cooperation from the French studio Miyu Productions (known for Ghost Cat Anzu).
The story follows Tsubasa and Gyōtarō, two boys who become best friends in elementary school during Japan's Heisei era — only for jealousy and a single incident to permanently fracture that bond. The film spans more than 30 years, watching both men navigate the long shadow of that childhood falling-out.
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📊 Key Stat: We Are Aliens raised approximately ¥9.6 million (~$60,467 USD) through a Motion Gallery crowdfunding campaign, exceeding its ¥8 million goal — signaling real audience demand before a single frame screened publicly. (Outlook Respawn)
Konatsu sits in Tsubasa's orbit across this entire span — she's there in childhood, she's there in adulthood. She represents the life he does build, even as he's haunted by the friendship he lost.
Full Cast at a Glance
| Character | Voice Actor | Role in Story |
|---|---|---|
| Tsubasa (adult) | Ryōta Bandō | One of the two leads; quiet, withdrawn protagonist |
| Gyōtarō (adult) | Amane Okayama | The other lead; eccentric, lively, ostracised |
| Tsubasa (child) | Yūto Maki | Young Tsubasa (selected by audition) |
| Gyōtarō (child) | Tasuku Nakagome | Young Gyōtarō (selected by audition) |
| Konatsu | Ten Yamasaki (Sakurazaka46) | Heroine; Tsubasa's nearest neighbor and wife |
| Batahara | Kemuri Matsui (comedian) | Friend of protagonist Akitaro |
Why Konatsu Is Getting Her Own Trailer (And Why That's Interesting)
Here's something I noticed when I first saw the Konatsu trailer drop: for a film that is, at its core, a two-man story about boyhood friendship and adult regret, it's a pretty bold move to dedicate a full promotional trailer to a female supporting character. That tells me Kadowaki has given her real weight in the story — she's not decorative, she's structural.
When I look at films like Your Name or A Silent Voice — films that also used the "who is this character" moment as a marketing hook — the heroine reveal always signals the same thing: this character is how the audience enters the emotional truth the male leads can't access themselves. Konatsu being Tsubasa's childhood neighbor and eventual wife suggests she watched the Gyōtarō situation unfold. She may understand the damage better than Tsubasa does. That's a fascinating position to write from, and I can't wait to see how Kadowaki handles it.
💡 Pro Tip: If you're planning to watch We Are Aliens, the Cannes screening description from Screen Daily mentions the animation style blends something close to Studio Ghibli's hand-drawn warmth with more expressive anime-esque character faces. Think The Boy and the Heron energy but with a sharper comedic edge. Adjust expectations accordingly.
When and Where Can You Watch We Are Aliens?
We Are Aliens opens in Japanese theaters on September 25, 2026. International distribution is being handled by CHARADES, which has already sold the film to several Asian markets: Hooray Films in Taiwan, Shaw Organisation in Singapore, Intercontinental Film Distributors in Hong Kong, and Sahamongkol Film in Thailand. The crowdfunding page mentioned a planned international release in 2027, though no streaming platform has been confirmed as of this writing.
If you missed the festival screenings — Cannes Directors' Fortnight (May 2026), Annecy Animation Festival (June 2026), Ottawa International Film Festival (September 2026) — theatrical is currently your only path. Keep an eye on NOTHING NEW's official channels for streaming news.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who voices Konatsu in We Are Aliens?
Konatsu is voiced by Ten Yamasaki (山﨑天), a 20-year-old singer and idol who is the vice-captain of Sakurazaka46. Born in Osaka on September 28, 2005, she joined the Sakamichi group system in 2018 and is also an exclusive model for ViVi magazine. We Are Aliens marks her feature anime debut.
What is Konatsu's role in We Are Aliens?
Konatsu is the film's heroine and Tsubasa's closest neighbor and childhood classmate. According to a Cannes screening review, she eventually becomes Tsubasa's wife in the adult timeline of the story. She serves as the emotional anchor in Tsubasa's life, contrasted against his complicated and unresolved feelings about his former best friend Gyōtarō.
When does We Are Aliens come out?
We Are Aliens opens in Japanese theaters on September 25, 2026. International distribution is being handled by CHARADES, with confirmed releases in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand. International streaming availability is expected in 2027, though no platform has been confirmed yet.
Who is the director of We Are Aliens?
The film is written, directed, storyboarded, and edited by Kōhei Kadowaki — best known for creating the BEASTARS Season 2 ending sequence and music videos for YOASOBI. We Are Aliens is his feature debut. Music is composed by Yaffle, who has produced for Fujii Kaze and Kenshi Yonezu.
Is We Are Aliens available outside Japan?
As of September 2026, international theatrical distribution has been confirmed in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand. The film is targeting a 2027 international release more broadly. No English-language streaming platform deal has been announced yet. Watch NOTHING NEW's official channels for updates.
Bottom Line: Konatsu Is More Than a Love Interest
The short version? Konatsu is Tsubasa's childhood neighbor, his eventual wife, and the heroine of We Are Aliens — brought to life by Sakurazaka46's Ten Yamasaki in her anime feature debut. In a film about the long, slow grief of a broken boyhood friendship, Konatsu is the person who represents everything that did stay intact. That's not a small role. That's the whole counterweight.
With the film hitting Japanese theaters September 25, 2026 and festival buzz already built from Cannes and Annecy, this is one of the indie anime films worth watching closely. For international fans, the 2027 release window is your best bet — and honestly, good things are worth waiting for.
📚 Sources & References
- We Are Aliens Film's New Trailer Highlights Heroine Konatsu — Anime News Network, September 14, 2026
- We Are Aliens Anime Film's Trailer Reveals 2 Cast Members, Theme Song — Anime News Network, July 27, 2026
- We Are Aliens Review — Cineuropa (Cannes screening review)
- We Are Aliens Anime Film Reveals Full Trailer and New Visual — Outlook Respawn, July 28, 2026
- Ten Yamasaki — Wikipedia
- We Are Aliens (film) — Wikipedia
