Monthly Archives: July 2024

Shoushimin Series #1 #2 – Direction Notes

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It’s 2014, I’m a middle-school student and on my journey getting into anime I stumble across KyoAni‘s adaptation of Hyouka. Aside from its contents, which I’m still deeply attached to to this day, it’s exactly this show that years later (that is, a few years ago) got me interested in the production of Japanese animation as a whole, or to put it into the right, narrower context, in the “technical” aspects of it, such as storyboarding or direction. Hyouka being a masterclass example of both these things certainly helped, but who I really need to thank for getting me into this world of carefully designed visual exposition, is one of the creators whose content has taught me the most and has changed the way I engage with anime altogether: Replay Value. Specifically, with his Hyouka breakdown series, A Rose-Colored Dissection (which, of course, I encourage everyone who still hasn’t to check out).

Given how influential of a work it’s been for me, I’ve been thinking of writing a series of posts about Hyouka ever since before getting started with this blog, but for now it’s gonna remain an idea, as I think it would end up being just a (probably worse in exposition) repetition of what Replay Value has already done on his hand.
Instead, what I’ll be doing today, trying to retain a semblance of consistency with the format I’ve already used with Kusuriya no Hitorigoto a few seasons back, is a commentary of the new anime series produced by studio Lapin Track, directed by Mamoru Kanbe, Shoushimin Series (localized as “SHOSHIMIN: How to Become Ordinary“).

Why the preamble on Hyouka then? Well, aside from my desire to address the biggest inspirations that led me to do what I’m doing, Shoushimin too is an adaptation of a novel by the pen of Honobu Yonezawa, and although I initially didn’t want to compare it to Hyouka, afraid that making such a connection would feel somewhat forced due to my (heavily) biased attachment to the latter, one episode was enough to hit me with a wave of nostalgia thanks to the intrinsic qualities unavoidably inscribed in its writing, that I couldn’t help but bringing it up anyways. What I was not expecting to see though, were the same idiosyncratic visual quirks (albeit in a different capacity) that made me fall in love with Hyouka (and by extension, animation) years ago.
To be clear, I’m not implying nor meaning to say that the direction of Shoushimin Series has been influenced by Hyouka‘s, nor that they’re trying to replicate it in any way (in fact, I’d argue the two approaches don’t really have all that much in common). Instead, what I meant to say is that Shoushimin too is filled with expedients of visual storytelling, be it via clever framing or a descriptive use of light, that make for a perfect subject for my blogposts.

Well then, here I am, ready to bother you, dear reader, with my inconsistent ramblings about what I can already tell will be one of my favorite media experiences of the year, the Shoushimin Series anime adaptation.

Episode 1 – 羊の着ぐるみ: Sheep Costume

Right off the bat, I’d like to address some general “visual qualities” and features I noticed, like how, with good and refined drawings, the (purposefully) rather simple and malleable character designs by Atsushi Saito were delivered in a very expressive way, well capable of conveying the broad range of emotions exhibited in this premiere. (Literally) on top of that, the compositing also did a fairly good job at integrating the digital “cels” with the realistic backgrounds, making at times use of additional effects to render the scenes in a more true-to-life fashion (like blurring out the objects that are closer to the camera), or more deliberately, to convey a sense of “isolation” or “separation”, like with the fully blurred background in this shot. The color design in general, opting for a properly muted palette, also helped in setting the tone of this story, suggesting on his hand too the overall focus on the mundane.

Another visual feature, albeit not descriptive of the contents of the show, that’s pretty much impossible not to notice since the very beginning of the episode (including the visuals for the opening!) is the 21:9 aspect ratio, as opposed to the nowadays standard 16:9. It’s by no means an “unprecedented feature” in anime or anything on that level, though, it’s still pretty nice to see a TV show almost fully (as the ending visuals will go back to the now-traditional 16:9) committing to it.

Another aspect worth of mention, this time not related to the visuals, is the sound design. With the focus mainly set on reproducing accurate background and ambient noises, the degree of immersion this episode was able to achieve was rather high. This is to say, the well-designed sound effects and the softness (or in some instances, lack) of the soundtrack really helped making the depiction of the world, and the interactions the characters have with it, feel more concrete and grounded in reality.

Frame 1
Frame 2
Frame 3

The main highlights for me were of course the many instances of visual storytelling present throughout the episode, which, by extension, I’d say suggest a broader approach to the direction of this show as a whole.

A lot can be inferred solely from a visual standpoint on the relationship between the two main characters, Osanai and Kobato. The way they’re often laid out, being parallel to each other in a frame whose space is equally divided by some element in the background or foreground (like in frames 1 and 2), implies some sort of contrast between the two, but not in a dichotomic way, rather, in a symmetrical one. As the episode makes clear in its later phases, the two of them are bond together by their mutually shared dream of “becoming ordinary”, which manifests in different but cohesive ways; they strive for the same goal, but they do have their own preferences and identity (for instance, Kobato not being fond of sweet food contrary to the gluttonous Osanai, a characteristic noticeably showcased by the striking difference in their orders in frame 1), which ultimately result in a different approach towards their objective. In other words, their symmetry implies complementarity, not contrast, to one another.

It’s when such visual equality is missing (like in frame 3) that the implications change, and the meaning shifts to another layer, like depicting the difference between being “in the light” or “in the dark” about the solution to a certain hazy case.

Frame 4
Frame 5

Another type of clever framing and layout at play in this episode, certainly is one that implies actual “disconnection” or “distinction” (as in the case of frames 4 and 5). Uneven spacing and positioning in the frame, in addition to a feeling of unease and tension, convey a clear sense of distance that serves to delineate the sharp separation between the two parties, as well as the cohesion of one of them (namely, Kobato and Osanai).

What to me captured the eccentricity of this show’s direction the most, was undoubtedly this whole sequence (which the video above shows just the last portion of), basically, the “unraveling the mystery” sequence. While Kobato is explaining his theory for what had actually happened to Osanai, as the two walk home after having reached a conclusion with the interested party (the “thief”, Takada), we’re shown a visualization of Kobato‘s thought process with him “physically” retracing the culprit’s movements and actions. The sequence then ends with the portion attached above, that is, a compilation of disconnected cuts showcasing the two main characters talking, ultimately stating their will and promise to live as “ordinary people”, and making a little detour to the river on their way home. This a-spatial and a-chronological visual presentation effectively succeeds in feeling immersive and compelling, and in a sense prompts the viewer to actively engage with the scene, rather than experiencing it passively.

I’m calling it a “distinct trait of the direction” because as we’ll see in a moment, the very same peculiar approach is present in the second episode as well, and moreover, this way of presenting the story and the characters’ interactions is totally original to the anime (as one could probably correctly guess), and no trace of this “disconnected” exposition is present in the source novel (which, by the way, I couldn’t help but start reading).

Before jumping into episode 2, I’d like to mention how clever and, more importantly, well-realized of an idea the ending visuals are. Basically, what we’re looking at is a series of live-action photos (albeit with some touch-ups) which the hand-drawn characters move in and interact with, as to once again convey how grounded in reality this whole setting is. On top of looking very nice, I believe it’s neat how every (visual and not) aspect of this show serves a purpose in realizing the well-defined vision behind this adaptation.

Episode 2 – おいしいココアの作り方: How to Make Delicious Hot Cocoa

Starting off in the strongest possible way to maintain the sense of realism established in the first episode, episode 2’s introduction takes place in a beautifully crowded shopping gallery, where the incredible lighting and (again) the very well-designed background sounds really make the already immersive setting feel as grounded in reality as it can possibly be. So grounded that in fact, following the steps of the previous episode, the locations where the events unfold are actually real places.

Some other of the aforementioned visual qualities have also naturally been brought over to this episode too, like the super pretty drawings once again putting to good use the ductile character designs, and the wide spectrum of emotions properly portrayed on the characters’ faces (and notably, the narrower aspect ratio is of course still here as well!).

Frame 1
Frame 2
Frame 3

What I’m most happy to see again though, is obviously the same approach to express and convey in a visual way. In contrast to the first episode, it’s not background elements that draw lines between the characters, rather, this time, the background as a whole and its layout become means to define the boundaries between them.

It’s especially clear that Osanai kind of feels out of place visiting Kengo‘s, Kobato‘s friend, home. Frames 1 and 2 intelligibly hint at that, “encapsulating” the characters inside pre-defined portions of the background, and while Kobato and Kengo fit in the same space, Osanai is the only one that’s not entirely enclosed within the same physical limits. She’s also almost forcibly brought into that same space by Kobato, abruptly so (as the quick shift from the more far away to the really close-up view strongly suggest) with him taking the box with the cakes straight from her hands and offering it to Kengo.

As the two friends begin to talk, it’s quite noticeable how in frame 2, compared to frame 1, Osanai is growing more and more distant from the two; whereas in frame 1, just a small portion of her figure didn’t fit in the same area as Kobato and Kengo, now it’s only that very small portion that’s able to fit in, while the almost entirety of her body finds itself to be out of that boundary. Moreover, not only she’s practically in a different space than the two, she’s also nearly fully covered by the sliding door, as to indicate she’s more of a background presence than a foreground one in the scene.

The frame that does the best job at conveying the character’s “affiliations” with one another, and by extension their division, is definitely frame 3. Not only Kobato and Kengo are again the only ones to fit into the same space together (in this case, the reflection on the mirror) with Osanai being the one that’s now totally left out of it, purposefully placed in the farthest right corner of the frame, but the layout also suggests a broader outline on how the characters are grouped together. Dividing the frame in two sections, the inside the mirror and the outside of it, Kobato is able to fit in both at the same time, with his upper half in one and with his lower half in the other, designing him as the “common ground” between the characters; the mirror reflection contains Kengo but not Osanai, and the outer portion of the room contains Osanai but not Kengo, and Kobato is part of both.

The visual themes of “separation” and “division” are again extensively present throughout the episode, although in a formally different flavor, one that’s nonetheless still able to retain the same level of expressiveness and clarity.

As expected (and not only because I’ve hinted at it earlier), when the characters are putting their efforts into solving the (extremely mundane and unimportant) mystery, the presentation heavily relies on spatial and chronological dislocation, once again also exhibiting their thought processes and theories as a visualization of them actually acting as the culprit.

There’s something so beautifully dissonant in the sudden changes in location and time, especially as they happen without interrupting the flow of the dialogue, almost as if the “outside” is sort of a private, ethereal space, solely dedicated to the more introspective moments inside one’s mind. As they delve deeper into their abstractions and thoughts, they’re transported in another dimension altogether. The characters being in the same headspace is no more just a figurative image, instead, it manifests almost as a physical phenomenon.
I certainly can’t say I’ve experienced other visual presentations of the same concept as eccentric and compelling as this one.

Another aspect of this episode I cannot possibly fail to mention, is the overall focus on body language and mannerism, depicted with such an utterly great accuracy that it truly feels real and heartfelt. The cut above is of course not the sole instance of that, many more examples, including Kengo‘s nervousness to introduce the uneasy topic of the conversation he wants to hold, and Kobato intimately sliding his finger on the border of his cup, are featured here and there all through the episode. Yet another quirk to make this world and characters feel vivid and real.

Lastly, a noteworthy element is the incredibly solid attention to detail when it comes to physical interactions with objects. It’s not every anime’s feat to make you feel the density of every single layer of a piece of cake as a character’s tries to cut through it. And not only that, incredibly accurate fluid animation seems to also be a given throughout this episode.
It all makes perfect sense though, since the main topic of episode 2, as the title doesn’t try to hide in the slightest, is the not-so-secret preparation of a delicious cup of hot cocoa.

Hopefully, I was able to convey in this post even just a tiny bit of all my enthusiasm towards this new series, in addition to providing some maybe-interesting insights about its presentation. I was really anticipating Shoushimin since the day it was announced, but I would have never guessed it would hook me to this extent. It truly encapsulates everything I love about animation as a medium, and having a place (that is, this blog) to extensively talk about it really feels like a blessing to me.

Needless to say, I can’t wait for the next episodes to come out, and I’m sure they too will be filled with cool and neat stuff, well worthy of being written about.

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Tatsuya Ishihara – Interview on Hibike! Euphonium Season 3 – “Final Movement”

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Original interview from Febri, published in two parts, Part 1 on July 4th 2022 and Part 2 on July 6th 2024 titled: “「The Final Movement」that carefully depicted Kumiko’s story『Hibike! Euphonium 3』Director Tatsuya Ishihara Interview”, original interviewer: Daisuke Okamoto; genga from Hibike! Euphonium Season 1.

Part ①

The third season of the youth orchestra anime series “Hibike! Euphonium” (hereafter, just “Eupho”) has reached its final episode. This season focused on the struggles of Kitauji High School Concert Band club president Omae Kumiko, pursuing the long cherished dream of winning the gold prize at the nationals. Mixing in the many characters’ own stories, the series’ final movement ties up Kumiko’s three years of high school. Now that the show has finished airing, Febri had the pleasure to welcome in series director Tatsuya Ishihara, to speak at length, in two parts, about the thoughts and feelings he poured into the final movement. This first part covers the structure, direction and animation of all the 13 episodes.

~ Kumiko has “lost the battle but won the war”. ~

— At the time of this interview, the final episode hasn’t aired yet. What are your feelings at this point?

Actually, I’m still assiduously working on it and to be honest it’s taking quite long (laughs). Anyways, over the past 10 years of production, I’ve been going back and forth between the real world and Eupho’s world, so in a sense I have a feeling that the latter is about to end and disappear, which makes me feel both really moved and deeply desolate. 

— I’d like to look back at all of the 13 episodes of season 3 and talk about them. As for the overall structure, the first half depicts Kumiko’s struggles as the club president, and the second half delves into Kumiko’s inner mind. 

Focusing the second half on Kumiko’s story was an idea of scriptwriter (Jukki) Hanada-san. The overall flow in the anime has been adjusted a bit, such as moving the episode on (Tsukinaga) Motomu’s family problems, which in the original work happens a little later, in the first half. After all, it’s the “Final Movement”, so I too felt the same way about wanting to properly focus on Kumiko’s story at the end.

— In this season, the presence of the new character Mayu Kuroe has also become a topic of discussion. What kind of person did you think Mayu was? 

Even if she’s Kumiko’s rival, their personalities are not completely opposite, so for Kumiko, she’s like a mirror image of herself. In an analogy to a role-playing video game, I think Kumiko has steadily leveled up and, by working hard has acquired a lot of good equipment. And when it was finally time for the last boss battle, who appeared was a boss with the exact same equipment as hers, but also slightly stronger (laughs). That’s the impression I got from Mayu’s character. 

— Mayu was also the one who determined Kumiko’s future and career path.

That’s right. In the original work, Kumiko isn’t able to win over Mayu until the very end, but in the anime, we altered the final development of the original work so that their relationship evolves in such a way they ultimately respect and acknowledge each other.

— You mean the result of the final audition in episode 12, right?

Yes. To the fans who have read the original work, it might have been quite a surprise. However, for Kumiko, although she lost the battle called audition, in return she gained the powerful weapon known as Mayu, so to me she “lost the battle but won the war”. Since the moment she became the club president, rather than Kumiko growing as a player herself, I believe her leadership of the club was the aspect that grew stronger, so we made the ending even easier to understand. 

— When portraying this kind of relationship between Kumiko and Mayu, was there anything you particularly focused on?

To Tomatsu Haruka-san, who played Mayu, I asked to act “giving off a gentle motherly feel”. There indeed is the aspect of her being Kumiko’s rival, and she does have a bit of a dark side to her too, but fundamentally she’s a caring and kind girl. I wanted the viewers to like Mayu, and I tried not to make her appear as an unpleasant girl. 

~ I want to believe that Kumiko and Reina are still connected even after graduating. ~

— On the other had, how do you feel about the relationship between Kumiko and Reina that was portrayed throughout the series, director Ishihara?

I think the viewers should interpret it as they wish, but I personally believe they are complementary to each other. They’re two people with family backgrounds, talents, personalities and tastes that are completely different, so even if their connection through music were to be severed, I don’t think it will matter that much. Moreover, Kumiko became the Concert Band club advisor, so she and Reina still share the fact that they both have jobs related to music. I imagine their relationship is still ongoing even now, and I want to believe so.

— I see. This “future path” aspect was also an important theme of this season.

It’s something every high school student worries about. I personally decided early to get into the anime industry, so I don’t remember worrying about my future that much. Therefore, I can’t quite sympathize with Kumiko’s worries on this… I’m sorry (laughs). 

— That being said, I believe there are many people who are able to sympathize with Kumiko. 

I think you’re right. But even someone with so little sense of self-direction like Kumiko was able to grow into a proper adult, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m sure Hazuki too was able to become a wonderful preschool teacher, so you’ll find your own path eventually.   

— Well then, by episode 12, one part of Kumiko’s story has come to a conclusion. What scene was the most impactful to you so far?

The last scene of episode 12 was really impactful. That’s the climax of Kumiko’s drama, and I wanted to portray it with more care than usual. Also, personally, I really like the scene (in episode 7) where Kumiko and Hazuki attend the university information session, and then have a talk at a cafe drinking melon soda or something. Between the many serious scenes and episodes in this whole season, at least that moment felt a little more relaxed. Of course, Kumiko and the others were worrying about their post-graduation paths and there was some seriousness about it too, but I feel like by going outside of school and meeting with her seniors, she was able to set aside her role as the “club president” and felt like the old Kumiko. It’s also rare for her to go out with just Hazuki, so I really like that. 

— In regards to the visuals, since Kumiko and the others are now third-year, they are all drawn to look more grown up. Was that done on purpose?

In terms of character design, since it was renewed in the movie “Hibike! Euphonium ~ Chikai no Finale ~” [劇場版 響け！ユーフォニアム～誓いのフィナーレ～ (Sound! Euphonium: The Movie – Our Promise: A Brand New Day), 2019], there haven’t been many changes. I haven’t asked the animators to make them look “more adult” either, but indeed when you look at their expressions and mannerisms, it feels like they’ve grown up a bit. I think that’s probably because their words, behavior and manners have become more mature. Especially the three managers have had more responsibilities, and also Hazuki and Midori (Sapphire) have had more interactions with their juniors. They often say “the environment changes people”, and I think that was the case here. 

— Thank you. In the second part, I’m going to ask about the final episode in more detail.

Thank you.

Part ②

The second part delves deeper into the final episode, also touching on the secrets behind the storyboards director Ishihara has drawn himself. 

~ Listening to “Disco Kid”, the storyboard kept flowing. ~

— The final episode was one of the best, well worthy of being the culmination of the series. Having held back with the musical performances up until now, in this episode you showed it all in the best possible fashion.

To put it bluntly, the cost of animating a musical performance scene is on another level entirely, so it’s not that easy to include one, especially in a TV series. You might argue we already did it in episode 5 of season 2, but that one used materials from the first season and the movie, so it wasn’t all animated from scratch. In that respect, this episode’s musical performance scene was all made up of newly animated cuts. Rather than having the performances distributed between the Sunrise Festival and the regional qualifications, it was decided from the scriptwriting stage to have just a bigger one in the final episode. 

— It was clear from the early stages that “Hitotose no Uta” would have been performed, but the final episode was the first time it was played in its entirety.

I thought it would be difficult to empathize with a song if you’re listened to it for the first time, so I had the first movement play in episode 2, in the scene where Kumiko and Reina listen to the song sharing earphones, and then included in the eye-catches of each episode a short performance from every instrumental department, in order to make the song as familiar to the ear as possible.

— “Hitotose no Uta” is divided in four sections: spring, summer, autumn and winter, and it was staged in such a way that for each season, the memories of Kumiko and the others would flash back.

In the original work too, in this scene Kumiko is described to be remembering various things, and visually I felt that it would have been tedious to just show a musical performance for 6 minute straight. So, I had already decided from relatively early stages to portray it like that. 

— Director Ishihara, you drew the storyboard for the last episode. Did you have a hard time choosing which scenes from the past to reuse? 

I don’t remember having that hard of a time with it. I chose the scenes that I think are impactful and memorable not just for me but for the viewers as well. Also, like including sad and painful ones in the “Autumn” part, I chose scenes that matched the flow and mood of the song. 

— Did you have any difficulties with the storyboard for the last episode?

The main problem were the length and number of cuts. In the “Hitotose no Uta” musical performance scene, of course I couldn’t leave out the scene where Kumiko and Reina play “Ai wo Mitsuketa Basho” [“The Place Where We Found Love”] on Mt. Daikichi, and I also wanted “Disco Kid” to play in the epilogue, so I started drawing from there. Then, I went on trying to figure out what to prioritize in the time that I had left, but it was a rather unconventional approach, so you might say I had some troubles with that. 

— What’s the reason you wanted to play “Disco Kid” in the epilogue?

Sometime when I still hadn’t visualized the last scene of the final episode, I happened to listen to “Disco Kid”, and in that instant the image of the epilogue popped into my head. From that point on, the storyboard started to flow into my mind all the once, and I felt that that was the song I had to use. 

— That song was also played at the beginning of episode 1, right?

That’s right, but the order was actually reversed. After having decided to play the song in the epilogue, we decided to use it in the prologue of the first episode as well. The prologue and the epilogue link together different moments in the timeline, so it was a natural choice.  

— “Disco Kid” is a famous wind instrument piece, but that was the first time it was featured in the Eupho series.

That’s true. It was suggested by the producers, but I couldn’t quite find the right opportunity to use it. It’s not like I was saving it for the last chapter, but I think I was ultimately able to use it in the best way possible. In the scene of the epilogue where Kumiko walks, I made some minor adjustments like matching the rhythm of “Disco Kid” to her steps, so it’s very pleasant to watch. I like this epilogue so much I end up watching it over and over again. 

~ I wanted to make the world of Eupho a continuation of reality. ~

— That aside, what other aspects of the epilogue did you focus on?

I already said this in the first part, but since it’s a work I’d been working on for ten years, I felt a strong sense of desolation, as if one of my own worlds had disappeared. Therefore, I thought that it would have been nice if I could create some sort of continuity between the work and reality, even a small one, so the epilogues brings us to the Uji of the present day.

— What do you mean?

Kumiko’s third year of high school is set in 2017, but the epilogue of the anime depicts present day (2024) Uji. By doing so, I hoped it would make it feel like Kumiko and the others are living in this same world we live in. This work already featured a truthful depiction of Uji, but we scouted each location again and reflected the changes in the scenery of the epilogue. Kumiko’s favorite bench has been renewed, the JR railways have been double-tacked, the factory chimney visible from the Uji Bridge is now just one, the torii gates at Uji Shrine have been replaced with metal ones… many minor things have changed. And also Tuba-kun is extremely worn out (laughs). I don’t know how much of it was noticed, but a lot of thought was put into it. 

— Sounds like there are many things to discover rewatching the episode. One more thing, what was the difficulty related to the number of cuts you mentioned earlier?

The final episode has 500 cuts, and even excluding the so-called bank (reused scenes), it easily exceeds 300. I don’t think it’s a particularly high number compared to current anime standards, but it’s still a lot more than what it used to be, so it’s a source of troubles nonetheless. This isn’t just limited to the final episode, but I feel like drawing the storyboards was always a battle between the length and the number of cuts. 

— Once again, thank you so much for your hard work over the past 10 years. What kind of work has Eupho been for you, director Ishihara? 

Before I started working on Eupho, I knew nothing about wind instruments and concert bands, so I was basically studying everyday. In that sense, it’s a work I struggled with a lot, but depicting a real human drama set in a real, existing place was something I wanted to do, so I’m glad it allowed me to have this wonderful experience. Thanks to it, I’ve come to like wind instrument music, and I think that from now on I’ll keep listening to it as a hobby, outside of anime production.  

— Aren’t you going to play yourself?

I’ve tried before, but I was discouraged that I couldn’t get any sound out of the instrument mouthpiece (laughs). For the time being, I’ll just enjoy listening to it. 

— Well then, lastly, a message to the fans. 

Thank you very much for your support throughout this many years. Eupho as a work encapsulates a society that interweaves characters in many different positions, like seniors and juniors, and teachers. Therefore, I believe depending on your age and position, the way you feel about it will change. I’d be happy if you came back to it from time to time. I hope you’ll keep supporting us for many years to come! 

Shuko Murase – Interview on Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash [Febri]

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Original interview from Febri, published in two parts, Part 1 on June 18th 2021 and Part 2 on June 21ts 2021, original interviewer: Itsuki Mori; genga by Shuko Murase.

Part ①

The director of “Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash”, who also worked on the anime movie adaptation of “Genocidal Organ” [虐殺器官 “Gyakusatsu Kikan”, 2017] and participated in “Mobile Suit Gundam Wing” [1995] and “Mobile Suit Gundam UC” [2010], is Shuko Murase. What was his approach in adapting Yoshiyuki Tomino’s novel into a movie? This interview will be presented in two parts. 

~ Tomino-san told me not to ask him anything about the contents. ~

— Please, tell me the details of how you were appointed as the director.

It was a request from Sunrise animation producer Naohiro Ogata. 

— “Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash” (hereafter, “Hathaway’s Flash”), is a novel written by Yoshiyuki Tomino. What were your impressions when you heard this novel was going to be adapted into a movie?

Tomino-san wrote the Hathaway’s Flash novel without the intent of it being adapted into a movie by Sunrise. Then, times changed, and I think Sunrise spontaneously took the initiative to turn it into a movie. 

— What was the concept behind this movie adaptation?

First, I went to greet Tomino-san since I was appointed as the director of the movie adaptation. At that time, he told me not to ask him anything about the contents (laughs), and from that moment on, I haven’t really asked him a single thing. However, when I met with him, he showed me two movies, saying “I want it to be like these”. They were live-action movies produced in Asia; the first one had two male and only one female leads, just like Hathaway’s Flash. At first, I earnestly tried to adjust the movie around that same nuance and style, but the setting and genre were so different it really didn’t fit well. So, I discussed with screenwriter (Yasuyuki) Muto-san and together we decided to change it back and make it align better with the contents of the novel. 

~ The characters are reinterpreted in a Gundam-like style. ~

— This time, in addition to the design work by Pablo Uchida, color keys depicting important scenes from the storyboard were created. It’s a methodology that was never used in Gundam works before.

Regarding the color keys, I think Sunrise just didn’t actively make them. Even if we were to put together the ideas each section envisioned separately, the overall spatial lightning wouldn’t be unified, so we needed a single consolidated vision. Moreover, this time we had a genius designer by the name of Uchida-kun working with us, so we couldn’t not make use of his visual sense. However, there were still some difficulties in implementing this method on set, so I realized from now on we need to put in place a proper structure to accommodate for it. 

— Uchida-san, Naoyuki Onda-san and Shigeki Kuhara-san were involved in the character design, and like Kenneth for example, the characters were substantially redesigned. 

As for the characters, there’s a certain design style that’s typical of Gundam works, isn’t there? Haruhiko Mikimoto-san too, who designed the characters for the novel, had changed the taste between the novel and the game, so to some extent we reinterpreted the characters in a Gundam-like style. Hathaway’s about the same, whereas Kenneth was redesigned to fit the new visuals, and for Gigi, she’s in her teens in the novel but I found it difficult to portray her like that, so I raised her age a bit. I had Uchida-kun drawing the actual redesigns, I told him “you can bring out your own colors”. Including Onda-san’s animation design, I believe we’ve created well-balanced and realistic characters. 

~ The base for the mechs is in CG, and only the necessary parts are hand-drawn. ~

— The mechs are made using CG, right?

We decided to use GC because of some physics-related issues. I’m an animator too, so I understood that, compared to the Unicorn Gundam, it would have been impossible to freely move around the Ξ (Xi) Gundam and the Penelope, both of which have over than double the amount of lines. Thus we decide to use CG as the base. We then proceeded by touching up solely where strictly necessary, and only hand-drawing over the parts we really wanted to. Towards the end of the production, there were also storyboards that were developed using CG, so in that sense it was a new way of making anime. 

— It must have taken time to figure out how to make the CG models move.

Some of the designs for the CG models were delayed until almost the very last minute, so I regret that there wasn’t enough time to thoroughly finish the animations. 

— That being said, the production was handled by Studio 1, the same one that worked on “Mobile Suit Gundam UC” and “Mobile Suit Gundam NT”, including first rate mechanical designers and animators by the likes of Hajime Katoki-san, Seiichi Nakatani-san and Nobuhiko Genma-san.

That’s right. But on the contrary, because so many people were involved, it took quite some time to adjust the boundaries of what ‘shouldn’t be done when it comes to the Gundam’ [Murase is likely talking about the Gundams’ design, which apparently raised some discussions among the staff]. There was a proposal to change the design from the novel, but Katoki-san put forward the idea to create a design that combined the one from the novel and the one from the games, so we decided to proceed in that direction.

— The three main cast members performed the recordings together, and I’ve heard they were given a thorough explanation of the story beforehand.

Until now, I had never done such things as explaining the story before the recordings. When working on adaptations, I usually just make slight adjustments to the image [of the character] the voice actors have already envisioned themselves. However, in the case of Hathaway’s Flash, its prequel “Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack” has different, parallel storylines between the movie and the novel versions, so when making this movie adaptation we had to make several choices and rearrangements. Therefore, I told Kensho Ono-san how I imagined Hathaway’s character to be in the movie. Initially, we were supposed to talk for just about 5 to 10 minutes, but before we knew it we had been talking for about an hour and a half (laughs). Gigi is also a character that’s hard to grasp, so I explained to Ueda Reina-san the direction I wanted for her character to take in the movie, and I did the same with Suwabe Junichi-san, who plays the role of Kenneth. I explained to each one of them the plan of action of their characters by going backwards, starting from future developments. 

~ The contents can be enjoyed even by someone who’s watching Gundam for the first time. ~

— Having overcome such complex adjustments, you were able to complete the first episode of Hathaway’s Flash. What are your thought now that it’s finished?

Including the CG part and the hand-drawn part, there were delays in digitalizing the drawings, and there were many difficulties and problems on set. The compositing and editing processes have transitioned to digital, so I think it would all flow more smoothly if the environment could be unified a little more. As for the story, the first episode is nothing but the beginning of it all, so it’s still unknown how the relationships between the characters and the story will develop. Also, the most difficult part of adapting a novel into a movie is that I was constantly thinking about how the people who haven’t read the novel will perceive it. I wondered how to make it enjoyable also to the people who have never watched Gundam, or more importantly Char’s Counterattack, before. The original request was for the content to “appeal to both Gundam fans and those who have never experienced Gundam before”, so we aimed to appeal to both audiences. 

— So, to make it enjoyable to those who have never watched any Gundam work before. 

Therefore, I structured Hathaway’s Flash in way that those who first met Hathaway Noa in this movie would still be able to follow the story. Now I’m really interested to see how people like that will perceive this work. 

Part ②

“Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash” has finally been released [the movie was first released in Japanese theaters on June 11th 2021]. Differing from the previous iterations, this new Gundam is characterized by a more true-to-life look. In this second part of the interview with director Shuko Murase, we delve into the use of lighting and 3D for the visuals, as well as the support for Dolby Atmos for the audio and music. 

~ Adapting the carefully detailed depictions that only novels can provide. ~

— What really impressed me upon watching the movie was the true-to-life and realistic use of light. The direction really emphasizes the ‘darkness’. 

Rather than consciously deploying it for Gundam, many of the works I’ve been involved in before make use of dark scene compositions, so it’s more of a continuation of that. However, this time I thought it might have been bad to emphasize it too much, but following the opinion of mechanical designer (Nobuhiko) Genma-san, we made it darker. I was worried it was a bit too dark, but when I checked it out at the theater, contrary to what I thought I didn’t find it that hard to see, so I was relieved. This may have in part been due to the fact that it was produced to Dolby Cinema™ standards. 

— And it also looked clearer in some scenes. 

The darker parts are a bit brighter, or rather the range is wider. But I think we could still have improved the accuracy a bit.

— The three-dimensional visual direction of the battle scenes is a benefit of using 3DCG? 

Although CG was used, the actual visible elements in the footage were made with analog methods. I believe the parts that look three-dimensional largely look so due to the camerawork that we tried to keep as dynamic as possible, as opposed to fixed and static angles. This doesn’t mean the camera is just rotating around in CG though. We did of course make use of CG models in the process, and we used 3D guides for the background, so I believe there is definitely some synergy in terms of the sense of speed and the perception of depth. 

— The characters are also staged in a very subtle and careful way. Perhaps this is also part of the typical pace of “adapting a novel into a movie” you talked about earlier. 

For me, it’s easier this way. I had in mind the very different pace at which TV shows are produced; the speed at with Tomino-san usually creates animation is so fast that it just flies by.

— It really is quick.

Instead, we adapted the carefully detailed depictions that only novels can provide.

~ This version of Gigi was created by Ueda-san’s performance. ~

— The very expressive Gigi Andalucia performance by Ueda Reina-san was also one of a kind.

Gigi is a girl that’s quite hard to understand even when reading the novel. Anyways, I really didn’t want to depict her as an unpleasant one. I wanted her to be that kind of girl that says unpleasant things but since she’s cute you end up forgiving her (laughs). So, if her design too wasn’t incredibly beautiful, it wouldn’t have worked. I’m really glad Pablo Uchida-kun was the one working on that. He’s also designed many costumes for her, and I believe that’s something beyond the scope of what a usual animator could create with just their own sense and intuition.

— I see. 

Still, if I’m being honest, there were parts [of Gigi’s character] that I didn’t figure out until I heard Ueda-san’s voice. Actually, the type of voice I had in mind for Gigi was completely different to begin with. 

— Is that so?

I thought her voice would sound slightly more cool, but during the auditions, Ueda-san’s acting was different from everyone else’s, and something inside me clicked. That’s when the image for Gigi’s character came into view. Her [= Ueda’s] sense of rhythm when acting created a version of Gigi that’s in some ways different from the novel’s.

~ The visuals are retro, but the sound was made in quite a modern way. ~

— With the introduction of Dolby Atmos audio, the sound department has also been renewed this time. The sound director is (Koji) Kasamatsu-san, right?

Kasamatsu-san was in charge of the sound effects for “∀ Gundam” and also had connection with this movie’s producer (Naohiro) Ogata, so he was appointed as the sound director.

— Including the sound of the beams, several changes were made this time.

I discussed with Kasamatsu-san on how there wasn’t really a necessity to remake every single sound effect. There already is a sound that’s typical of Gundam, and swapping it out for something completely different would be wrong. As a result, he was able to create new sounds while still respecting the identity of the past Gundam series, which I’m truly grateful for.

— How was it decided to implement the support for Dolby Atmos audio?

It was decided during production, and Kasamatsu-san too definitely wanted to do it if possible. Up until now I’ve been making things with support for standards like 5.1 surround, so I too am particular about the spatiality of sounds, the sense of ambience and things like that. Kasamatsu-san handled that aspect perfectly this time. In theaters that support Dolby Atmos audio, the sound can also come directly from above, so after watching the premiere, I had a talk with Watanabe Shinichiro-san, who helped with the storyboard, about how we’d like to use this effect again when directing for future productions. 

— The soundtrack is composed by Sawano Hiroyuki-san. Was there anything you particularly asked for in regard to the soundtrack? 

Sawano-san’s melodies are quite impactful, aren’t they? However, for this work my request was to slightly hold back in that regard. I consulted with Kasamatsu-san about how and where in the story to use the soundtrack that was submitted. There were actually more tracks with vocals other than the two that were used in the final product, but considering the overall balance, we asked for some adjustments such as removing the vocals. 

— What are your impressions of Sawano-san’s soundtrack?

Watching through the movie, it’s noticeable how some common phrases are cleverly used throughout multiple tracks, and I think the overall balance is really good. 

— I heard that Sawano-san himself wanted to create a soundtrack in line with the current trends.

That’s right. The things we did for the visuals of Hathaway’s Flash are retro, or rather, analog, but the sound, including sound effects and the soundtrack, was made in quite a modern way.

— Having now completed Episode 1, do you have a clear direction for Episodes 2 and 3?

I believe there still are some improvements in terms of production organization that we must address. Apparently, producer Ogata-san has also something to say, and it seems that Tomino-san got to know about it too. 

— I see.

I’ve heard several different reactions (laughs)… but I think the overall structure as it stands now will be fine.