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Akiyuki Shinbo & Naoyuki Tatsuwa – Interview on Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru (And Yet the Town Moves)

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Original interview from Akiyuki Shinbo x SHAFT Chronicle (2019).

Check out this interview with better editing and pictures on the SoreMachi fansite too, who I wholeheartedly thank for the opportunity!

— Ishiguro Masakazu-san’s manga And Yet the Town Moves [Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru, hereafter referred to as “SoreMachi”] is a slice-of-life story set in a traditional downtown shopping district. However, it also incorporates elements from science fiction and mystery, making it a work with a slightly mysterious feel to it – akin to Fujiko F. Fujio-san’s unique concept of “a little wonder”. 

Shinbo: You’re right, I indeed believe Ishiguro-san’s SoreMachi does have a taste of Fujiko Fujio-san’s charm to it. And it’s not just about the chapters with aliens, it’s about the fragrance of the whole work. It has a classic, traditional feel to it and I’m relieved that works like this still exist to this day. 

— Tatsuwa-san, I hear you were already a fan of the original manga. 

Tatsuwa: I’d been reading SoreMachi since the start of its serialization. I believe SoreMachi is a work such that if a hundred people read it, they’ll all end up with a different take on it, so at first I thought I would have been very difficult to adapt it into an anime. 

Shinbo: For this project we intentionally used old-fashioned camera angles. Anime nowadays don’t use shots with characters reflecting onto objects or fish-eye angles anymore, but they’re all techniques that were frequently used in tokusatsu and the like back then. When I first became a director, I used to use them pretty often but at some point I thought “maybe it’s enough” and stopped. That’s the approach I adopted for SoreMachi. Also making the wall glass-paneled and shooting through it was one of the techniques.

— Some floors and desks were also made of glass, weren’t they? The shots where you could see the characters through the transparent glass were really unique and striking. 

Tatsuwa: You’re finally unveiling the directing techniques you kept secret until now.

Shinbo: Yeah. With fish-eyes and reflections I wanted to convey a sense of mystery and strangeness. In the original, both chapters about everyday life and chapters with aliens in them unfold seamlessly in the same world. So, even in chapters where nothing out of the ordinary happens, I wanted to maintain the atmosphere where it wouldn’t feel strange if something weird suddenly occurred. If the bright and refreshing slice-of-life atmosphere and the one where mysterious things might happen were depicted in different ways, it wouldn’t feel as one cohesive world. One of the two sides would feel forced and out of place. However, I think that showing things through their reflections on other objects conveys that slightly mysterious vibe. In the original work, the sci-fi elements feel like are just on the edge, barely maintaining an everyday-life mood, right? In order to balance both, I realized it was necessary to consistently establish that kind of atmosphere.

— Oh, is that so. The scenes at the Maid Café Seaside or in the classrooms, set in the evening or with slightly dim lighting, also gave off a mysterious atmosphere. 

Tatsuwa: I personally have a gloomy image of classrooms, so I tend to make them look darker. When I was a student, in the morning I used to get to school earlier than anyone else to study by myself, and I’d get really annoyed when the lights were turned on, so I guess that’s why I have a dark image of classrooms. I used to stay in the classroom with the lights off even after everyone else had already left. Also, I watch a lot of horror movies so maybe that’s also why I end up making things gloomier. Though, I do wonder if it’s a problem since the characters’ faces end up in the dark…

— In the first episode there was a scene where you suddenly hear something pass above the school and a shadow falls across the classroom, right? I remember wondering what that was.

Shinbo: Using just the sound, I wanted to leave a feeling of mystery surrounding what had just passed by. It could have been an helicopter, as well as a UFO. I wanted to try making a classroom scene using just sound and light for a while. I did something like that in another work already, but that time I was only in charge of the storyboard and ultimately it didn’t work at all. So that was a revenge aspect to it too. I’m glad it gave off a slightly mysterious vibe. 

— The camera angles too switched perspectives in many ways, right? I feel like there were a lot of shots from below…

Shinbo: In the original, Hotori’s “slightly bottom-heavy” appearance is emphasized, so I wanted to highlight that as well. Especially in the scene where Hotori is wearing jeans, I could really sense Ishiguro-san’s attention to detail in the way he drew it. Though, there aren’t many scenes where she wears jeans, are they. If her legs are more exposed it gives off an ordinary image, so if she’s not wearing jeans it’s hard do convey that impression. When creating a work, I like to incorporate some fetishistic-like aspects in a way.

— So in this work, you’ve intentionally emphasized the fluffiness of Hotori’s thighs, right?

Shinbo: I hope that aspect comes through. In my previous work, Natsu no Arashi! [2009] it was the belly button instead.

Tatsuwa: …is that so?! I’ve never heard that one before (laughs).

Shinbo: I didn’t want to show it too blatantly, I meant to just subtly hint at it. But it appears it didn’t work well.

Tatsuwa: You should have brought that up when discussing the direction too… (with tears).

— (Laughs). Tatsuwa-san, you were in charge of the storyboards for episodes 1 and 2, did you consult with Director Shinbo about it?

Shinbo: We talked about reducing the number of cuts.

Tatsuwa: Up until now I used to pile up cuts to quickly show the characters’ faces from many angles, but this time I drew the storyboards keeping in mind a limit of 360 cuts [the average number of cuts in anime is around 300]. However, being too conscious of that limit I ended up submitting storyboards that felt awkward and lacking in flow… The Director did many additions and I learned a lot from it. But in the end, the number of cuts ended up being higher than usual (laughs).

Shinbo: But episodes 3 and 4 have a pretty low cut count, no?

Tatsuwa: Episode 3’s isn’t that low at all. It’s got at least about 380 cuts…

Shinbo: At first it had like 280 or so, right?

Tatsuwa: And then you added yours… 

Shinbo: I added 100 cuts?!

Tatsuwa: …you added 100 cuts (laughs).

Shinbo: Oh (laughs). 

— What kind of parts did you feel like adding cuts to, Director Shinbo?

Shinbo: Where I thought the initial cuts were too few to bring the scene across. However, the reality is that other anime are made with fewer cuts, and from the perspective of viewers who are used to that, it might come across as excessive direction. The number of cuts in Shaft’s works has suddenly risen. The other day, I found the storyboard for the first episode of Tsukuyomi [Tsukuyomi: MOON PHASE, 2006] that I drew myself, and by briefly looking at it I noticed there were only 308 cuts. I was really surprised. 

— What is the average number of cuts now?

Shinbo: It’s about 400 I’d say.

Tatsuwa: I wonder since when it started to increase.

Shinbo: Back when we did Negima!? [Negima!? Magister Negi Magi, 2006] there was one episode we made with over 500 cuts, with the intention of it being a one-time thing.

— By using many cuts are you able to achieve a more refined and sophisticated presentation?

Shinbo: Using a lot of cuts can also help compensate in directing, when the key animation alone isn’t quite able to convey everything. One time in the past, I wanted to create an action scene with nothing but static drawings, but I wasn’t able to put it into practice. When I asked the production team “It’s fine even if they’re all just still shots, so let me make 300 cuts for the action scene”, they told me that would be a problem in itself. By packing that many cuts into such short sequences, I think you can still convey a lot just through the visuals, even without much movement. It’s the same with live-action, even if the actors don’t actually act in the action scenes, by stringing together many short cuts it can appear as if there is movement. Also, it’s slow.

— I see. A major appeal of Shaft’s works is the use of short cuts to create visually persistent footage, but the scene in episode one of SoreMachi where Hotori does the ‘maid greeting’ at the dry cleaners was also striking in terms of its cut composition. Hotori’s close-up, then a high-angle shot, then a low-angle shot, then a shot from directly below… it keeps changing rapidly.

Tatsuwa: That part was one where the director made his additions to. That scene is an highlight of the episode, isn’t it. 

Shinbo: I tried to avoid letting it flow too smoothly. If it had felt too familiar, it might have made the viewer think “Yeah, there probably was a scene like that…” and it could have slipped by unnoticed. Instead, by cramming an absurd amount of cuts into the scene, I made sure it left a lasting impression on the viewer.

— The shots come in at various different tempos too. I felt like slow cuts were used quite often in SoreMachi, was incorporating slow-motion also a key point in creating the flow of the scenes?

Shinbo: That’s right. Slow and quick cuts create a sense of rhythm. When drawing key frames you have to be conscious of the rhythm as well, right? Animators too consciously incorporate that into the structure of their scenes.

Tatsuwa: You’re right. Figuring that out is the fun part. Things like, “I want this pose to stick with the viewer, so I’ll make it slow-motion”.

Shinbo: Yeah, also like when you want the viewer to focus on the character’s expression so you make it slow-motion. 

— I see. In the ‘maid greeting’ scene, there was also a cut of a glass floating in the air in slow-motion. That glass wasn’t there in the original work, was it?

Shinbo: I wanted something, like an object or sound, to create a sense of impact. I had it written in the script too to avoid forgetting about it. 

Tatsuwa: At first it was supposed to be a sugar pot, but it seemed there were non in the café… (laughs). So, I initially drew a milk pot instead but that too felt unnatural so it ultimately became a glass. 

Shinbo: When thinking about a café, for some reason I always think of a glass of water with ice. 

— I find it very impactful that even the more ordinary and everyday scenes in SoreMachi are shown through interesting moments and cameo angles. For example, in the scene where Hotori and Tattsun are talking at the café table, there’s strangely a lot of movement in their upper bodies. Slice of life works don’t have obvious action scenes, so I guess a lot of creativity is needed to figure out the flow and presentation of the movements. 

Tatsuwa: That’s right. For the second episode, I made a conscious effort to ensure that, within the everyday scenes, nothing felt too static. I wanted to make sure that none of the scenes appeared static. Episode 2 is one of my favorites because it’s the first one where the people from the shopping district appears and also features a separate story centered around them. This episode was the first one we made for the event, and I wanted to showcase the atmosphere of the shopping district since all those characters make their first appearance. (Shigeru) Chiba-san [the voice actor for police officer Shunsaku Matsuda] really helped a lot. 

— Chiba-san’s appearance was incredibly impactful. It was a stellar cast, wasn’t it?

Shinbo: It was Ishiguro-san who wanted Chiba-san as the voice actor, and his recommendation went through. It’s amazing, isn’t it?

Tatsuwa: In the dialogue scene with Chiba-san, I really like the line by (Chiaki) Omigawa-san [the voice actress for Hotori] “my mom’s going to yell at me!” too. So much so that I want to set it as my ringtone and carry it around with me (laughs). In episode two, (Katsuhiko) Takayama-san [the scriptwriter] added in the script Tattsun’s line “can you write the kanji for ‘coffee shop’?” and  I felt like it would be a waste if it just passed by without emphasis, so I included a shot of Hotori’s memo where she wrote the kanji wrong.

— It’s such a subtle detail that expanded on the original work, it was really interesting. There are some scenes here and there where a few lines were added. For example, in the scene where Hotori says the line from AKIRA, “Let’s go, Tetsuo!” [“いくぞテツオ”, AKIRA 00:06:49], in the anime she also adds “It’s too wild. You couldn’t handle it” [“ピーキーすぎてお前には無理だよ”, AKIRA 00:03:26] (laughs). 

Tatsuwa: That’s right. But as a line to say in that scene, it’s definitely wrong (laughs).

Shinbo: That too was an addition by scriptwriter Takayama-san, the AKIRA reference I mean.

— I’d also like to touch on the opening. Yasuomi Umetsu-san, who has a charismatic popularity among anime fans, was in charge of the storyboard, direction and animation direction, how did it come about that he was asked to take on these roles?

Shinbo: We’ve asked Umetsu-san to take part in other works as well whenever possible, but particularly this time we knew Ishiguro-san was a fan of his so we absolutely wanted him to work on it. It just so happened that Umezu-san’s schedule worked out, so we were finally able to get the opportunity. It was a fateful event given Ishiguro-san’s admiration, so I’m glad it worked out.

— What requests did you have for Umetsu-san for the opening visuals, Shinbo-san?

Shinbo: I asked for musical-style elements and for the subtitles to be integrated with the visuals. However, the text differs between the broadcast version and the home video version, with the home video version being the proper one. There are quite a few changes compared to the broadcast version. 

— In the opening, you can quite see the panties, right?

Shinbo: Yeah, with the light coming in… that’s the kind of mysterious light you often see these days. Many anime are using it. The home video version is the one where you can see them. Also, Kon-senpai’s dance was also changed. It’s good in the broadcast version too, though. 

— Everyone’s dance and poses are cute and fun, and the drawings are really gorgeous. You can really feel Umetsu-san’s touch. What were your thoughts when you saw the opening for the first time?

Shinbo: I thought, “Aah, it’s amazing…”. 

Tatsuwa: Same here…!!!

Shinbo: But Umetsu-san doesn’t like it when someone says “It’s definitely made by Umetsu-san”. Because he tailors his work to fit the project. He said that he made it so that the fans would love it. As for us, we really like the unique touch of Umetsu-san that comes through from that, so I’m glad it turned out that way.

— That’s right. As for the ending, Tatsuwa-san was in charge of it, right?

Tatsuwa: Since the song and group is titled “Maids”, I wanted it to give it a band-like vibe. But making Kon appear in a maid dress before the episode she’s introduced might have been a mistake…… In the original work, the bass in Kon’s room is different from the one she plays at the school festival. In the ending, she plays the one in her room. It’s a budget version of a StingRay bass, which is a detail Ishiguro-sensei insisted on, since “she’s just a high-schooler, there’s no way she could afford the real thing”. However, for the ending, since it’s supposed to be a live music event, I decided to have her play an actual StingRay. Kon is a character I really like. 

— Tattsun’s energetic movements as she plays the violin felt really peculiar and eccentric. 

Tatsuwa: Thank you very much. I was unsure whether Tattsun’s movements should match the melody or be more lively. But since Hotori and Tattsun’s instruments are like an air violin and an air accordion, I figured that movement would work just fine. On the other hand, Kon’s finger movements match the song precisely. 

— Those finger movements are extremely precise. So they really matched the song after all…!!

Tastuwa: Hotori and Tattsun’s movements too are pretty airy (laughs).

Shinbo: I think the ending was really well done too. As a character-focused ending, I think it’s the best. Together with the opening, it’s very straightforward and I like it. As for the song, the energy of the ending feels like it could have perfectly worked as the opening as well, and just a while back, the opening track’s style would have been more fitting as an ending theme, wouldn’t it?

Tatsuwa: You’re right. I really like Maids’ song, it’s such a memorable piece, one that sticks with you, isn’t it? Apparently, the rhythm tends to be more memorable when the lyrics follow a “5-7-5” pattern.

— The songs used in Shaft’s works often have a tune that just makes you want to hum along. This ending in particular was composed by the Pearl Brothers [パール兄弟, a Japanese rock band formed in 1983] right?

Tatsuwa: Every time, the director is very particular about selecting the song. This time, since Ishiguro-sensei apparently already really liked Metrofarce [メトロファルス, a Japanese band formed in 2004], the music producers had the song composed by Metrofarce’s Bakabon Suzuki-san and the lyrics written by Saeki Kenzo-san, who has connections with the Pearl Brothers. The music that Ishiguro-san loves ended up fitting perfectly.

— So Ishiguro-san had a few requests as well. I’m changing the topic a bit, but I was really surprised to learn that the voice of the chief maid, Uki, was a male voice actor…!

Tatsu wa: It was the director’s decision. Apparently, from the beginning, both the director and Ishiguro-san intended to have a male voice actor for the role.

Shinbo: I think having a man play the role of an old lady follows the flow of Granny Mischief [Ijiwaru Baasan, 1970]. I believe my generation has a strong impression of Aoshima Yukio playing in Granny Mischief. If elderly characters become too realistic, they can sometimes come across as painful to watch when something happens to them. It would be fine it’s a cool and stylish old lady character, but if not, I think it’s better to take a slightly different approach. Also, both Hotori’s and Tattsun’s voice actors are pretty young, so I believe it’s good for the balance as well. (Takahiro) Sakurai-san [the voice actor for Uki] was really great, don’t you think? I thought “Woah, he’s really something”. It’s also amazing that he was able to pull off playing an elderly character in such a different direction.

— That’s right. I heard that Hotori’s voice actress, Omigawa-san too was selected by Director Shinbo and Ishiguro-san, was she close to the image you had of the character?

Shinbo: She felt extremely annoying (laughs). As for Ishiguro-san, he said she was more in line with the “cute” part of the “annoyingly cute” concept. Her voice pitch changes and the moments before them really aligned with Ishiguro-san’s image of the character. 

Tatsuwa: I think Hotori’s voice was great too. I believe there was no other choice. 

—  The slightly unstable and unique quality of her voice when she does the pitch changes is really charming. Well then, to wrap up, I’d like to ask something about the upcoming second half of the show.

Tatsuwa: Half of episode 8 will be original content. We had Ishiguro-sensei write the scenario for it. Episode 9 is scheduled to air two days after the release of that chapter in Young King OURs [the magazine where SoreMachi was serialized]. 

— That’s amazing! Having the original work and the anime adaptation release the same chapter at the same time was something that Director Shinbo’s had been talking about wanting to do for a while, right?

Shinbo: Yes, that’s right. I read the manga and made it in one day (laughs).

Tatsuwa: You finally made it huh (laughs). Right now, we’re putting our all into the final episode. I can’t reveal too much, but the final episode is “SoreMachi”…!

Shinbo: I’d like people to see the opening from the home video version on the BD or DVD, since it’s different from the broadcast version.

Tatsuwa: I’d be happy if people buy it in anticipation for the second season… (laughs).

Masakazu Ishiguro & Akiyuki Shinbo – Interview on Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru (And Yet the Town Moves)

Original interview from Shinbogatari (2012), check it out on the SoreMachi fansite too!

This translation is pretty outdated and may contain some inconsistencies or inaccuracies! It might get a revision sometime in the future…

~ While I was watching the anime, I was reminded of the feelings I had during the original serialization ~

— First of all, congratulations for concluding the anime series “Soredemo Machi ha Mawatte Iru”.

Ishiguro: I watched the anime every week, not by recording of the episodes, but in real time right when they were airing. Though, the airing time for SoreMachi got changed and it broadcasted too late in my opinion (laughs). Due to sports programs, it slowly got delayed further and further and at times it even aired after 3 AM… It was tough…

Everyone laughs.

— I’ve already asked this before, but what’s the most dear thing to Director Shinbo about SoreMachi? 

Shinbo: Getting involved with it. This time I did a lot of unusual things, I wanted to create a film filled with the ideas and feelings of the whole staff, one that would have made everyone delighted once it was completed. That’s the basic idea behind SoreMachi.

Ishiguro: Watching the SoreMachi anime, I was reminded of what I thought I wanted to do in the beginning. In fact, as the series goes on, different elements like school-life and SF are presented, and the story explores various directions. But, the anime mainly focuses on the initial chapters, so while I was watching it, I was reminded of my feelings at the beginning of the manga. At first, in SoreMachi I drew a lot of the Made Cafè in the Shopping District. At the very beginning, before the serialization even started, I planned of having Hotori not wearing maid clothes that often, I wanted her to wear them only in the most critical moments. Like the Battle Protector in Future Police Urashiman. The Battle Protector gets used only once in the 10th episode, right? (laughs). That’s about what I felt I wanted to do. But well, due to the editor’s demands, that ended up not being the case.  

Shinbo: I heard that Naoyuki Tatsuwa-san, the series director, worked so excessively hard that he almost got some bald spots in his hair.

Ishiguro: Tatsuwa-san also put on some weight, didn’t he. He was so thin when I first met him. As far as I know, his whole body got bigger. 

Shinbo: Also, Yasutoshi Iwasaki-kun, the chief animation director, did his absolute best. He actively participated and made great efforts with the parts we struggled to picture. For example, he helped out with dubbing synchronization and other small and fine details. He was like an all-rounder. I’m really grateful. 

Ishiguro: The animators’ drawings thrilled me a lot. They animated characters walking around while wearing a purse, or singing while playing the bass, I think it’s impressive how they were able to pull that off. I too, when I was still in school studying under Toshiyuki Sato-san, have drawn some animation, but I couldn’t really make such sakuga. 

Shinbo: Ishiguro-san, are you still interested in working as an animator?

Ishiguro: It’s not like I’m not interested, but I’m a mangaka, so… I think it’s better to leave anime to the people who are competent in the field. Hotori and the others are more cute in the anime (laughs). I think my contribution would be superfluous. 

Shinbo: Which parts do you think were cuter?

Ishiguro: I thought “oh, I lost” in Part A of the first episode, when Tattsun turns this way while puffing out her nose. It was so cute I hurried up and took a screen capture and saved it.

Shinbo: Up until now, I used to make products that relied on the right tempo and ratio between cuts to create animation, without actually using movement. But with SoreMachi, I tried a different approach focusing on the character acting, with more dynamic facial expressions and gestures. Also, I thought it would be a good thing to convey a somewhat detective-like ambience so, in order to convey a slightly mysterious feeling, I used reflections on door knobs or glass and lower camera angles. For the DVD/BD version, I wanted to redo the photography all over again, and applied new filters to the compositing. Back in the days, there was an actual gap between the cels and the lens of photography machine, so the ambience was naturally put into it. But now, unless you put on filter during compositing, you can’t quite convey the right atmosphere.  

Ishiguro: Since when anime became digital, drawings are made with clicks and some aspects of it have lost their appeal, haven’t they. Personally I like anime from the hand-made cel times better. 

Shinbo: Now it’s more difficult to understand how good the film sensitivity is. Now, watching TV programs, I too am unfortunately getting used to see digital drawings, to the extent some times I even do want to watch those made-with-clicks drawings. It’s really sad. 

~ It might have become the most mysterious story of SoreMachi ~

— Well, then. Today I would like to hear about the point of contact between the anime SoreMachi and the original manga. One example is the 9th episode in the anime and manga chapter 71. 

Shinbo: The “Bechiko Yaki” from episode 9, right? 

Ishiguro: That was an idea that Director Shinbo told me about a long ago. Eventually, other people were about to use that same idea, so I wanted to do it first. 

Shinbo: It was about having the manga version by Ishiguro-san being published in the Young King OURs magazine, and the anime version broadcasting immediately the next day. I’ve always sat on the idea of releasing the anime and manga in the same season while working on an anime adaptation. But I didn’t think there would have been a busy mangaka down to help me realize it. It was a really difficult thing, but Ishiguro-san said he definitely wanted to do it. I believe people who were up to date with the Young King OURs manga magazine and then watched the anime version right after were surprised. Because we wanted to see those astonished expressions (laughs) we both worked hard. 

Ishiguro: I came up with the “Bechiko Yaki” story after this whole thing was planned. I wrote it already knowing it was going to be adapted into anime, so it took me quite some time to finish writing the draft. I dragged it for so long it was almost too late when I presented the work to the anime staff. 

Shinbo: Based off the draft Ishiguro-san gave us, Takayama Katsukiho-san (the series’ scriptwriter) wrote the actual script and from that we completed the storyboards. It was an original episode, so later while Ishiguro-san was checking the manuscript, adjusting things to make it more coherent and consistent.

Ishiguro: Half a year before I finished with the draft, then I wrote the manga manuscript in October 2010. I wanted to make a self-contained story completely detached from everything else. And I also wanted the characters not to have a proper introduction. That’s why I chose Kameidou, who has very few appearances, as the main character. 

Shinbo: This episode was an original, so new characters models were necessary. The character design drafts Ishiguro-san gave us were already colored in anime-style. 

Ishiguro: I thought it would have had a certain appeal to the anime industry (laughs), I put lots of effort drawing them.

Shinbo: That story might have become the most mysterious story of SoreMachi.

Ishiguro: You’re right. It might also have surpassed “Hole” (episode 10 Part A) (laughs).

Shinbo: The anime staff was bewildered, wondering what Bechiko Yaki were (laughs). 

Ishiguro: They’re mythical sweets (laughs).

Shinbo: During production, we were lost about what color they actually were, physically speaking.

Ishiguro: After completing the draft, I worked at the manga as usual but… I thought of them with the assumption that they would be colored, so Bechiko Yaki’s real color was truly a big trouble (laughs). After all, manga is in the black and white world. 

Shinbo: I would definitely like to compare the manga and anime versions. 

Ishiguro: Personally I’m curious about the anime staff’s reactions. Takayama-san’s reaction was merely just “It’s white, it’s white”, I want to know about other people’s reactions as well. 

— Anyways, the subtitles for the SoreMachi anime are a bit odd, aren’t they? Like “The Most Popular Sexual Harassment Trial” or “The Cat Boy”.

Ishiguro: Those are Director Shinbo’s conspiracies (laughs). For the anime subtitles, there was a rule that the original subtitle for Part A and the original subtitle for Part B must be combined into one.

Shinbo: When I was thinking about what to do with the subtitles, accidentally I realized how good combining the two subtitles “Hole” and “Grandpa Tsukkomi” into “Grandpa Tsukkomi Hole” sounded.

Ishiguro: And so, to follow the scheme of this “Grandpa Tsukkomi Hole” subtitle, Director Shinbo stick with the rule of combining the two of them into one (laughs). For example, episode 7 “Lovers Night Escape” comes from “Romantic Runaway” and “Night Walker”, and episode 8 “Automatic Orchestra” is the combination of “Automatic World” and “Labyrinth Orchestra”. The audience too began to realize the patter, but for episode 9 they couldn’t put it together (laughs). 

Shinbo: Episode 9 “Duel! Adults Buying Plan” was the latest chapter in the manga that wasn’t yet included in the tankobon (laughs). 

Ishiguro: Episode 11 “Kon’s Summer Crying” come from “Summer of Josephine” and “Kon-Senpai’s Silent Rage” but at first the original subtitle idea was “Josephine’s Summer Crying”. That one was pretty fun.

Shinbo: The last episode’s subtitle “SoreMachi” was nicely put together as well! Ideas like this always come while eating dinner together after reading a book.  

~ I believe Omigawa-san’s voice was a stroke of luck ~

— Speaking of dinners, Ishiguro-san and Director Shinbo, I heard you meet often and had dinner together.

Shinbo: We do meet a lot. We used to met with the excuse of gathering material, and after that we went out for dinner. 

Ishiguro: Even when Director Shinbo was collecting materials on his own, I rushed over (laughs). When we meet, we discuss our impressions upon watching the SoreMachi anime and chat a lot. At times I want to send him emails, but then I think Director Shinbo is a very busy man and end up not sending it. 

Shinbo: It’s fine at anytime. Please, send me emails. 

Ishiguro: Well then, I’ll send very brief, concise and simple mails.

Shinbo: No no, long texts are fine too (laughs). Recently though, when me and Ishiguro-san go out to eat together, the rest of the staff won’t come with us. However, it’s not like just anyone is fine, after all it’s better to be with someone who can praise you (laughs). If you don’t get to be praised, then it’s fine even if no one comes at all (laughs). 

Everyone: Uh?? (laughs)

Shinbo: When I was young, when someone praised me I used to think it might have been a lie, but lately I grown to accept compliments more honestly (laughs).

Ishiguro: I too am concerned about the reception of my work. At first, I looked up for opinions on the internet and read them. But my master Shinji Ohara-san says that if you worry about your recognition too much, the gap between what your fans want you to draw and what you want to draw gets bigger, and you end up not being able to draw manga anymore. So I haven’t looked for opinions on the web for 5 years now. But since the anime adaptation., I’m reading a lot of impressions and comments about it online (laughs).

Shinbo: Why is that?

Ishiguro: Well, when it comes to anime, a lot more people are involved and your personal responsibility is lower; I think that’s the reason. Probably, because of that I feel more at ease (laughs).

Shinbo: I read opinions on the internet from time to time, but not so many about SoreMachi. I stealthily look for them too some times, but it’s not really a good thing for your mental health. 

Ishiguro: SoreMachi’s reception is pretty good. I believe its reputation got better with time. From the second half of the show, the appreciation for the voice actors got incredibly high. 

Shinbo: I personally agree with the characters and characters being popular. 

Ishiguro: Speaking of voice actors, I recently listened to the character song album from “Natsu no Arashi!” the Director gave me. A song I thought was super cute was sung by Chiaki Omigawa-san (Hatori’s VA). Then I listened to another song and I found that one super cute as well, and it too was by Chiaki Omigawa-san… Perhaps I really like Chiaki Omigawa-san’s voice (laughs). 

—  In Ishiguro-san’s mind, Hatori’s voice was a strong one, right?

Ishiguro: That’s right. Years ago, when I was watching Variety Bangumi at midnight, I noticed the narrator had the perfect voice for Hotori. So, I hurriedly made a recording and said to the editor in charge at the time that was about my idea for Hatori’s voice. Then, when I was attending the voice actors auditions for this anime adaptation, there was a person whose voce was identical to the one I heard. That person was Chiaki Omigawa-san. I believe it was a stroke of luck.

Shinbo: I think Chiaki Omigawa-san fits Hotori perfectly. Speaking of V.A. from the “Natsu no Arashi!”’s character song album, Ryoko Shiraishi-san was a good fit too. 

— In SoreMachi, Ryoko Shiraishi-san has voiced Harue Haribara, right? 

Ishiguro: My wife got mad at me because of that, she said “What role are you making Ryoko Shiraishi-san play?!”.

Shinbo: Harue Haribara has a great personality, you know. 

Ishoguro: At the first recording session, Shiraishi-san played Harue’s role being aware of her bucktooth (laughs). Like, she talked al the time exposing her teeth. 

Shinbo: She didn’t need to be that worried about the teeth (laughs).

Ishiguro: To you, Harue Haribara is just a normal high-school girl, so you said there was no need to act her role in a different way, didn’t you. I went to attend every recording session I could, Tattsun’s voice actress Aoi Yuki-san’s butt was really impressive. 

Shinbo: Her butt?

Ishiguro: At the recording session, we were in the booth with the sound mixing console, separate from the recording room. From there, you could see the voice actresses only from behind, or am I wrong? Yuki-san’s stature is pretty small, so when she stood tall facing the mike, she looked like she sticked her butt out in front of us, that’s why. 

Shinbo: Voice actors for the characters in the shopping district were good too. The one for the guy at the laundry had the same eyes as the character (laughs).

Ishiguro: At the recording sessions, Tatsuka-san told me that the guy from the laundry was there in the studio, and he really was, the voice actor I mean (laughs). 

Shinbo: There aren’t many products that can use such harsh male voices, so it sounds really fresh. Nowadays, voice actors  like that are almost only used to dub foreign movies. 

Ishiguro: Yeah, you’re probably right.

Shinbo: Uki’s voice actor, Takahiro Sakurai-san was great too. So much so that from now on I would like to think that old ladies should always be played by men. Yukio Aoshima-san played a role in “Ijiwaru Baasan” didn’t he? Ken Shimura-san played a lot of old lady roles too. Instead of having actual women playing that kind of role, I think male actors can play it in a more “vigorous” way. However, Sakurai-san’s got so hooked and absorbed acting towards Uki’s husband Zenji it became a strange situation. I totally couldn’t tell Sakurai-san was acting in that moment.

Ishiguro: It wasn’t Sakurai-san, I got the impression it was Uki herself. 

Shinbo: Sakura-san’s physique looks like Uki’s. That may be the reason why. 

Ishiguro: His hair was gray as well, and his boy is thin too. Their body shape is really identical.

Shinbo: After all, the voice comes out of one’s body and skull, right? That’s why if the physique is similar, the voice is as well. It was a satisfying discovery. 

Ishiguro: For people like me who always look at voice actors from behind and aren’t really knowledgeable about them, it was pretty confusing. When I attended the auditions, a lot of famous voice actors were present there, but ultimately I didn’t understand at all who played which role. Why at the recording studio you can watch only from behind? 

Shinbo: There are so studios where you can look from the side too. But I don’t think there’s one where you can see the voice actors from the front. After all, if the actors and the studio staff look at each other in the eyes, it may be an awkward situation. Also, voice actors must look at the images while they’re performing. At times, narrators happen to look forward. 

Ishiguro: When I was in the recording studio, I was there basically just to watch. When DoA Toshiki Kameyama spotted someone misreading a kanji he boastfully reported the mistake (laughs).

Shinbo: Members of the cast said that Ishiguro-san in person is different from the photo in the tankobons.

Ishiguro: That’s Jeremy Brett, not me! My face doesn’t look like that! 

~ There still are episodes I want to adapt into anime ~

Shinbo: After the recordings, we used to go to launch or inner meetings a lot. After the recordings for the last episode, many members of the cast and staff joined as well. Productions like this one that brought so many people together are rare nowadays. This too must have been because we were working on SoreMachi. 

Ishiguro: Thank you so much. 

Shinbo: I would love to make a second season for SoreMachi. The more into the second half I were, the more I wanted a season two. 

Ishiguro: That’s true (laughs). Lately, I already start to feel lonely. It’s more desolate everyday. Now that the script meeting are over, I won’t see Takayama-san and the other scriptwriters anymore… The recording sessions are over too and I won’t see the voice actors and Director Toshiki Kameyama either… There a lot of people I won’t meet anymore. Normally, when I work on manga, I’m alone, and getting used to work with so many people around makes me feel even lonelier. Well, that’s why I still meet with Director Shinbo so often (laughs). 

Shinbo: Working on the same project like this certainly builds up a sense of solidarity. Like a particular atmosphere that creates only in that occasion.  Especially with SoreMachi the atmosphere was great, the mood with the whole staff was good. I would love to have fun for some more time. 

Ishiguro: Precisely, I feel the same way. 

Shinbo: When I was still a student, the professor’s house was a temple, and one year during summer break I stayed there overnight with classmates. The next day, when everyone had to go back home, it was so sad I still remember it to this day. When I finish working on a project, I always feel somewhat the same way as that day. 

Ishiguro: That feeling, I totally understand it. I get reminded of my third year of high school. Since the instant I became a third year student at high school, I felt sad and lonely (laughs). I kept feeling lonely day after day and everyone was taken aback by it. But after we graduated, I received calls from friends telling me they finally understood how I felt, and that they wanted to meet up. 

Shinbo: I too want to have more fun. There still are episodes from SoreMachi I want to adapt into anime, and there are things left undone in these 12 episodes too. I definitely would like to complete it. I surely hope there will be a second season.

Ishiguro: Thank you!