The anime "Takopi's Original Sin," based on the manga by Taizan5 that was serialized on Shueisha's manga app "Shonen Jump +," will begin streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ABEMA, and other video streaming services at midnight on June 28. The original manga was serialized on "Shonen Jump +" from December 2021 to March 2022, and despite being a short series, it recorded the highest number of views among works serialized at the same time. Although it is a popular work, there are some scenes that are quite provocative, and some fans have wondered if it will be difficult to make into an anime. The anime is produced by TBS Television, but it is also unusual that the anime will be distributed as a streamer rather than broadcast on television. We spoke to TBS Television producer Kotaro Sudo about the behind-the-scenes of the anime adaptation of "Takopi's Original Sin."
◇Making the most of the original work
The story is about Tacopee, a Happy Alien who came to Earth and meets Shizuka Kuze, a girl who never smiles, and uses the magical Happy Gadgets to bring back Shizuka's smile... The story has also been a hot topic for depicting the cruel reality of elementary school students, including problems at school and at home, and although the comic is only two volumes long, it has been popular, with a total circulation of over 1.45 million copies.
Producer Sudo joined King Records in 2008. He brought popular works such as "Pop Team Epic" to the world, and in 2022 he moved to TBS Television, where he planned and produced the animated film "Tabekko Dobutsu: The Movie," which was released in May.
"When I make an anime, I always try to challenge myself with the difficult question of how to turn it into an anime. But when I read the original work of ' Takopi's Original Sin', I didn't think of it at all at first. It's a very complete manga, and it contains some sensitive expressions. It's both interesting and dangerous, and when it was serialized, the number of reviews increased each time, and I felt that it was dangerous that the provocative aspects of it were spreading on social media like a meme. However, I thought that maybe that's not what the original author ultimately wanted to convey. It's a 'story of friendship and dialogue,' and I thought that he deliberately used provocative expressions to convey that. When I joined TBS Television in 2022, the first projects I launched were ' Takopi's Original Sin' and ' Tabekko Dobutsu THE MOVIE.' Although they are polar opposites, both were works that made me feel positive and moved towards happiness."
Because the work contains some sensitive expressions, Sudo worried, "What should I do if I were to turn this into an anime?"
"There was some discussion within TBS Television that it couldn't be done. But I thought it would be wrong to cut out or hide sensitive scenes when filming, and I also thought it would be wrong to force it into the one-season, 12-episode TV anime format. Rather than stretching the length of a great original work to fit the format, I thought about how to make the most of the greatness of the original work, and proposed making it a streaming service from the start. I tried to aim for a production method that would bring out the best in the work, without deciding on the length of each episode. Even ano's opening and Tele's ending are outside the format that is considered to be TV-sized. Everything is aimed at being "the best for the work." The right answer is for the creators to make what is best, so I tried to value that."
It will not be an exclusive distribution service, but will be distributed in all directions via various video distribution services. This is not uncommon when distributing TV anime, but it is extremely unusual for a work that is only available through streaming.
"It's almost unheard of. Of course, exclusive distribution works better from a business perspective. You won't know where you'll fit in until you try it, and I want as many people as possible to watch the work. As a result, it becomes a hot topic, and the business catches up, I imagine. I like doing new things, so I tried to take on that challenge. I just hate the word precedent."
There are movies and theatrical anime produced by TV stations. However, anime that is only available for streaming is rare. As streaming has become more common, the ways of enjoying anime have diversified, but...
"Broadcasting is not everything, and I don't really care about that. If broadcasting would be a disadvantage to the work, I think it's fine to look for another way. There is a broadcasting slot, and creating a program for that is important as a broadcasting station and it is my mission, but there is something else that TBS Television values just as much, and that is to deliver content to the world, have people feel something, and make their lives richer. A long time ago, if it was made by TBS Television, it was assumed that it would be broadcast, but times have changed, and now it is based on being a group that creates content. It could be a movie instead of a program, or a stage play or event instead of a video. In that context, it should be fine to take on the initiative of streaming "Takopi's Original Sin". In that context, I don't think it's unusual to choose not to broadcast despite being a broadcasting station. I think it's important to make the most of the good points of the original work while streaming it so that everyone can see it, and Shueisha and the original author thought the same way. Of course, business is important, but at the root of it is the feeling that it is important for many people to see this work properly and feel it."
◇Stories of mutual understanding and dialogue are absolutely necessary in this day and age
Some people wondered, "Can it really be made into an anime?" There is a danger that only the provocative parts will take on a life of their own. However, by working with a clear theme, they are trying to express the essence of the work in the anime.
"When we get lost, both on the production site and in advertising, we try to go back to how the fans who read the original work feel. It's a popular work, and I don't think it's right to cut out a part and broadcast it to the masses. We are sincerely trying to reproduce the world view and texture of the original work so that readers of the original work will think, 'This is the kind of anime I was looking for!' It's a physical matter, but I understand that one way to go about it is to not have a theme in mind, but to just try things out and find the optimal solution. However, that means there's nothing to fall back on when you get lost along the way, so it's the most painful time when you get stuck and wonder why you're doing it. We are facing this work because we want to convey this theme, and we try not to lose sight of our strong will to broadcast it to the world. Without that, we might have given up halfway through. The feeling that stories of mutual understanding and dialogue are absolutely necessary in this day and age is a common understanding among everyone involved in this project."
Enishiya, the company in charge of producing the anime "Takopi's Original Sin," is a relatively new animation production company founded in 2018. Although they have experience producing music videos for artists such as Eve and Mafumafu, as well as commercials and promotional videos, this is their first time as the prime contractor for an anime series.
"In the first place, I started the project together with Enishiya, and made a presentation to Shueisha together with Enishiya. Three years ago, I had a discussion with Enishiya, and we talked about working together. It's true that Enishiya doesn't have a track record with series anime. However, everyone has no track record at first, and I don't really care about that sort of thing, so I value the "strong desire" to work together to get the project done. I want to make the anime so that the "desire" of the director and staff doesn't waver. I think that releasing "Takopi's Original Sin" to the world with the highest quality will lead to the next step."
It may be difficult to adapt a work into an anime. That's why it's important to stay true to yourself. By sharing the same "feelings" among the staff, we aimed for the highest quality.
"For example, even if we brought in a very talented animator, it would be meaningless if they didn't understand the theme and why we are spending so much time on this work. The members who gathered were filled with a strong desire to make this work a great one and to convey the appeal of the work, so I really wanted to work with Enishiya. As long as that desire exists, I think we will be able to run through to the end."
When I asked, "There must be a lot of difficulties?"...
"Actually, not that much. Of course, there are difficult things such as making adjustments, but I had a thorough discussion with the original author at the beginning about the direction, and the difficult things are essential to making a work, so I try not to think of them as difficult. I can't do the practical aspects of production, so instead I focus on how to help the people on site see things through to the end. I think that's the true nature of a producer."
There seem to have been many challenges in the animation of "Takopi's Original Sin". Although it may be noted for its shocking aspects, it is packed with more than just that. I hope you will receive those "feelings".
