The sequel to the anime series Black Butler Black Butler : Public School Arc, Black Butler : The Emerald Witch Arc, based on Yana Toboso 's manga, will be broadcast from April 5th. Black Butler is a manga that has been serialized in the monthly G Fantasy (Square Enix) since September 2006. It depicts the exploits of Sebastian Michaelis, the perfect butler who serves Ciel Phantomhive, the master of the prestigious British aristocrat Phantomhive. The Public School Arc, which aired from April to June 2024, was also a hot topic as it was the first new TV anime series in about 10 years since Black Butler Book of Circus, which aired in 2014. It is said that the Public School Arc was produced with a different approach than previous series. We spoke to Ono Daisuke, the voice actor for Sebastian Michaelis, Daisuke Ono , the director of " Public School Arc" and "Emerald Witch Arc ," and Ito Yasuto, producer at CloverWorks, the animation company, about what went behind the scenes in the production.
◇Is it possible to keep the original information intact and make it work?
--The " Public School Arc" is the first TV series in about 10 years.
Ono-san, I was genuinely happy to be able to play "Black Butler" again in the TV series. The "Public School Arc" is a brighter episode than the "Black Butler" series, and has a different atmosphere from previous episodes. It depicts the subtle emotions and passionate side of Ciel as a life-sized boy, there are laughs, and beautiful boys like P4 appear. I think it's a series with a lot of variety. On the other hand, the "Emerald Witch Arc" is a dark fantasy that can be said to be the royal road of "Black Butler". It is also heavy, and it introduces a part that approaches the heart of "Black Butler".
Director Okada's "Public School Arc" is a bit special, and the "Emerald Witch Arc" may be closer to the previous "Black Butler" series. Since Ciel doesn't go to school, it may be that he is regaining something that should have been there in the "Public School Arc".
Ono: In that sense, it's important. It's a completely different genre, but it's great that the same production team is making it.
Ito: I participated in the production of the first season of "Black Butler". Although it is the same series, I have had many discussions with the director about recreating "Black Butler" as an anime in the Reiwa era. Although it is based on dark fantasy, the "Public School Arc" and "Emerald Witch Arc" have completely opposite elements in terms of the images, so a completely different approach was required, which was the biggest problem.
Director Okada and Ito have known each other for a long time, but this was the first time we teamed up in earnest. When I heard about the project, I had a lot of worries. First of all, the work is strong and the world view is amazing. When I read the original work again, I empathized with the well-crafted story and felt the potential of the work purely. I really understood why it is loved by so many fans. This time, I was thinking of a different approach than before, wondering if I could reproduce the original work more by making it with a new team. When making a manga into an anime, it is often necessary to strip away the depictions from the original work and incorporate them into the anime methodology, otherwise it will not move as a video. However, I thought that this work could somehow move the original work as it was.
Ito-san, you mentioned that you want to create images that increase the density of the screen information along with the characters by making the tableware and small items 3D, as well as the density of the background. Normally, animation requires work to reduce the amount of radiation in order to move, and for works like "Black Butler" that are drawn in detail, this method is relatively used.
Director Okada : That's right. Especially in anime, many large objects such as cars are made 3D. Are you really going to do it? There was an atmosphere on the set that said, "Are you really going to do it?" That's because problems are likely to occur when combining hand-drawn and 3D. The workflow is different, so the movements don't match. Small objects are difficult because they are held in the hand and brought close to the mouth. There was a lot of trial and error.
Ito: Normally when making a video you have to prioritize different things, but we decided to just do it all without doing that.
I think the amount of information in the details of the costumes worn by Director Okada's characters and small items such as teacups is amazing. For example, since the story is set in 19th century England, we actually went to England to scout locations and tried to incorporate what we saw there into the film, in order to include small decorations and small items that were omitted in the original work. We also had Rico Murakami, who is researching the period of the original work, participate in the project, and we received materials from her and made detailed inquiries about things like what the soles of the shoes look like and what the embroidery on the back of the hat is.
Mr. Ito: For detailed patterns, we use a method called pasting in, where we create the materials for the patterns alone and then composite them together during the filming process, but this requires an enormous amount of material.
In Director Okada's "Public School Arc," there are four prefects in a boarding school dormitory called P4, and they wear special clothes. In the manga, they are expressed with screen tones of various patterns, but rather than omitting them, we have them pasted in during filming in order to express them without losing details. It's very difficult because we have to match the movements of the characters. I'm sorry, but could you please do it?
Ito: There are a lot of different patterns, such as the houndstooth pattern and the pattern on the innerwear in P4. When making it into an anime, I often consult with the original author to see if I can make it plain or omit it.
Director Okada and the original author also told me, "You don't have to go that far."
Ono-san is amazing!
Mr. Ito: This is something that can only be done by gathering highly skilled and motivated staff.
Director Okada would be happy if you would also pay attention to the background, accessories, tableware, sweets, etc.
◇Complete trust in Daisuke Ono
-What were your particular concerns when recording?
I felt the love of Mr. Ono and the staff for the original work and their attention to detail everywhere. I trusted them and basically left the acting up to them. I felt the respect from the directors.
Director Okada: The main cast members have a lot of experience up to now. I told them at the beginning that it would be okay for Sebastian to show a little more emotion. Other than that, I completely trusted them and left it up to them.
When I saw the first episode of Ono-san's "Public School Arc," I felt his strong desire to reproduce the original work exactly as it was. I felt that from the first time I met the director, but when I saw the finished video, it resonated with me even more strongly. Animation is a comprehensive art form, and it is completed when each section does their best work and it comes together. I once again made it my goal to do the best in my own section.
To be continued in interview (2).
