The TV anime "2.5-Dimensional Temptation (Lirisa)" is based on a romantic comedy manga by Yu Hashimoto, which is currently being serialized in Shueisha's manga app "Shonen Jump + (Plus)". The original is a "hot-blooded youth cosplay" manga with cosplay as its theme, and the cuteness of the female characters has been a hot topic, but their "hot-bloodedness" is a major point, and the anime also expresses both "cuteness" and "hot-bloodedness". The original carefully depicts cosplay as a culture, but how are they trying to express it in the anime? We asked Director Hideki Okamoto, who is in charge of the anime.
◇Even the camera shutter sound was carefully crafted!
"2.5-Dimensional Temptation" depicts the story of Masamune Okumura, the head of the Manga Research Club, who has no interest in real women and loves the 2D character Liliel, who meets Amano Lilisa, a 3D girl who wants to become Liliel, and overcomes hardships and grows as he comes into contact with the passion and feelings of cosplayers. The series began serialization in "Shonen Jump +" in 2019.
Producer Sanematsu Teruaki of ADK Emotions, who planned the anime adaptation, said, "It's a passionate manga. It's not just cute. The artist is very talented, so it takes guts to turn it into an anime. The story is a classic Jump story, but the main character is an otaku, so it's difficult to convey that otaku feeling." He thought it wouldn't be easy. That's when they chose Director Okamoto.
Producer Sanematsu said of Director Okamoto, "He's someone who is so particular about things that you'd think, even down to that level!" Director Okamoto is known for working on "D.C.II - Da Capo II", "Konohana Kitan", "Manaria Friends", and more. Did Director Okamoto read the original work in that way?
"Matsukura (producer Matsukura Yuji of J.C.STAFF, which produces the anime) told me, 'It's about cosplay, but...' and I started reading the original work. Matsukura and I are almost the same age and have known each other for a long time, so he was like, 'You'll understand!' and didn't explain much to me (laughs). When I started reading it, I didn't know at first how to incorporate it into the anime. However, when we got to the episode where they go to a cosplay event, I could see the passion and started thinking about making passion the main focus. I myself was in the anime club in high school and have participated in Comiket, so I thought I understood the passion of the scene. I tried to get people to empathize with that and get them interested in the unique passion. I understood from reading that the teacher had also experienced Comiket and other events, and I thought that if I could convey that well, people who have been to the scene would empathize, and people who don't know about it would be interested in it, thinking, 'Wow, there's such a hot place!'"
Director Okamoto himself is a military maniac and a camera lover, so he could empathize with the story as an otaku. Being able to understand the "particularities" of otaku, he tried to express those "particularities" in the anime as well.
"Even if the genre is different, the interests should be the same. It's important to express what is realistic. If enthusiasts feel that "this isn't right" when they watch it, they will lose interest. Of course, it's an anime, so there are lies, but if you portray the realistic parts well, viewers won't lose interest and should be able to empathize. If they can empathize, I think it will be a big opportunity for them to fall in love with the work."
To express the realism of cosplay, Director Okamoto visited numerous cosplay events and conducted numerous interviews.
"The atmosphere of the cosplay event, the etiquette, the surrounding environment, what equipment the photographers use, and how they interact with the cosplayers? How do the participants other than the cosplayers and photographers look at them? I thought that if I could portray these things clearly, I would be able to express reality. I also recorded the shutter sounds of the camera while photographing the cosplayers. Camera shutter sounds vary depending on the manufacturer and model, and some people will recognize them. For example, if a Canon camera is depicted but the shutter sound of a Sony is being made, people who know it will be confused for a moment. Those who know will understand. That would ruin the reality. I didn't explain it, but I tried to create points that people could empathize with."
In order to express a deep world, I paid attention to the details.
"People who don't know about it might think that it's just a matter of putting on a costume and makeup, but that's not the case. For example, how do you keep your hair from falling apart even when the wind blows? How do you make it three-dimensional without ruining the atmosphere of the anime? Cosplayers and photographers will also be watching the anime, so we don't want to disappoint them. Cosplay and photography are both deep worlds. The original work doesn't escape that, so we can't escape it either. We wanted to make it easy for people who don't know about the world of cosplay to dive deep into the swamp, and for people who are already into it, it would feel like a comfortable hot spring."
◇How do you express cute characters?
The cuteness and beauty of the characters are also a big part of the appeal of the original work.
"I think fans probably have one image of Lilisa or Mikari. It would be bad if they couldn't empathize with that, but that doesn't mean I should faithfully trace the characters from the latest episode. What is the part that makes up Lilisa's identity? How should I show her to make her look sparkly? I tried to find that out, and left it all up to the character designer (laughs)."
I was particular about the expression of light.
"I focused on how the light enters. I used the color illustrations from the original as a reference, and for Lilisa, I brightened the outline of her face, her bangs, and her sideburns. However, it's not enough to just add highlights. The characters have a lot of hair and a lot of lines, but the more lines there are, the darker it looks. I asked them to find a technique to alleviate that, and they made some parts a little brighter and reduced the amount of light in the highlights to balance it out. I specified this in the animation and adjusted it during filming. Recently, I've been adding gradations to hair, and I'm using that technique. It wasn't possible in the cell era."
Eyes are also an important element. By adding movements unique to anime, I tried to express the delicate emotions of the characters.
"Basically, I tried to draw the eyes faithfully to the original. I tried to find a way to make them look beautiful and still hold up when they move. The way I draw Lilisa's eyes is different before and after she cosplays. After she cosplays, I used special colors to make the difference clearer. Eye movement and eye guidance are also important. When a face is shown up close, the viewer looks at the eyes first. This is where we can infer emotions and expressions, so the power of the eyes is important. I pay attention to the acting, such as shaking a little, shaking a lot, swimming, lowering the eyelids a little, opening wide, and closing the pupils tight. And the fingers. I often make the fingertips and hands act. Even if you can't see the face, I'm particular about how I create the acting, such as expressing tension with the movement of the fingertips."
In "2.5-Dimensional Temptation," the characters, including Lilisa, sparkle.
"I tried to replicate the images and backgrounds from the original as much as possible. How can we make it look more dazzling when it's animated? I consulted with the cinematographer and art director, and tried making subtle movements to let in light, or conversely, keeping the characters still. The weight and magnitude of the emotions differs from cut to cut, so I adjusted the subtle movements accordingly."
Many characters with outstanding style also appear.
"It's like the original, but the style and overall balance are really good. In fact, even in photos of cosplayers, even if they are very revealing, they don't look lewd, but can look cool and pretty. Of course it's sexy, but it also looks like a beautiful painting. I tried to make that important. There is a timing for changing poses and expressions, and I tried to create a sense of rhythm for the photographer to hold the camera and take the picture with the best expression and pose. Cosplay and photography are all expressions. I wanted to make that important. From Okumura's perspective, he has a deep knowledge of manga and anime, but at first he didn't really understand cosplay. It was all a first experience for him about what it means to take a good photo. I wanted the audience to empathize with Okumura's devotion to cosplay and photography."
The anime is in its second season, and Lilisa and the others will be participating in Comiket for the first time. Comiket is one of the major highlights of the work.
"There are many things that can't be expressed in a work that requires two seasons. The first half delves deeply into the characters, and the pace picks up from episode 10 onwards. From practice matches to regional tournaments, to the national tournament... I'm trying to portray Comiket as a summer Comiket, as it gets bigger and bigger, just like moving forward with the pieces. Of course, the main focus is on human drama, but I want to express the reality that will be the foundation that supports the story. I'm trying to make it so that people who have attended Comiket before can relive their first time, and people who have never been can feel that there is such a hot place!"
As producer Sanematsu said, "he is someone who is particular about things," Director Okamoto is particular about even the smallest details and is animating "2.5-dimensional temptation." The hot and steamy Comiket will surely be depicted carefully in the anime as well.
