The first animated film based on the popular smartphone game "Project SEKAI Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku (ProSeka)" is "Project SEKAI The Movie: Broken World and Miku Who Can't Sing". The film has a completely original story that is not depicted in the game, depicting a "new Hatsune Miku" meeting the characters of "ProSeka" and growing up. We spoke to director Hiroyuki Hata and screenwriter Yoko Yonayama about the behind-the-scenes production.
◇ Cherish each and every character
--Please tell us your thoughts on "Project Sekai" and Hatsune Miku.
Director Hata: I think that the appeal of "ProSeka" is that, while there are many characters, each unit does not have a common understanding. Since each unit does not know that each world exists, I think it is interesting that unique interactions between units are born. Miku is healing for me, and when I talk, I can't stop...
I think Yoneyama-san would be great if he could talk nonstop (laughs).
I've been listening to their music almost every day since the early days of Director Hata's work , and I've also participated in various events such as live shows and Vocaloid Masters. When I'm feeling down or in a difficult situation, I always listen to their music to cheer me up.
I found out when I accepted the role that Yoneyama-san's son was playing "Project Sekai" and the song he was playing in the car was from the game. I'm the same age as Director Hata, and while I knew of Hatsune Miku, I only knew one or two of her songs. Director Hata's passion and knowledge helped me a lot while I was working on the scenario. I can't write unless I like her and have a lot of passion, so I played the game, listened to Miku's songs, and started working on the script after I'd already fallen in love with her.
--Hatsune Miku from "The World of Closed Window" will appear in the animated movie.
Yoneyama: The idea for Miku from the world of the closed window was there from the planning stage, so when I joined, we expanded the story from there. How will five units appear and interact with Miku without being aware of each other's worlds? However, it's not like the units don't have any interactions with each other, so it was difficult to find the right balance, and we made it delicately. It's not that I've never worked on a work with many characters, and when it comes to what to value in a work with many characters, it's the characters after all. I thought that how much we could value each individual character would be very important when making a movie.
Director Hata: You decided what kind of character Miku would be in The World of Closed Window.
Yoneyama-san: This character is at the core of the story, and if this character changes, the story itself will change. I created the characters and the story in parallel. I wanted to create a story that would show the individuality of each unit, based on Miku-san's reaction. I also tried not to do things that the character would not do. I had the original creator Colorful Palette supervise me, and I made sure the characters did not waver.
--It's also a work with a large number of characters.
I was sometimes confused about who was speaking and who wasn't, so I asked for his help while I was writing. I also tried to make it seem like each character was saying an equally important line.
◇ Meaningful dialogue
--Were there any difficulties in making the anime?
Director Hata: Because the virtual singers' lines are voiced by Vocaloid, we tried to avoid long lines.
Yoneyama-san: Yes, there was. With that in mind, I tried to make the lines easy to understand when I heard them. I was careful not only about Miku-san, but also about all the virtual singers.
Director Hata thought it would be difficult to deliver lines that contain such intense emotional fluctuations, so he made some parts a bit more subdued.
Yoneuchiyama: In the game, there are Mikus from various worlds, and different people have different images of Miku, so I thought it was important not to make the character too rigid. In the movie version, I wrote Miku with the emphasis on acting according to her motivations.
Director Hata: People who like Miku must know that there are many different versions of Miku.
--What were you able to express because it was an anime?
Director Hata: The movement and facial expressions of the characters. You can express yourself with your whole body, so the range of what you can show is expanded. You can also express the atmosphere with sound effects.
Yoneyama: The characters and relationships emerge through the dialogue. There are a lot of characters, and each one is a classmate at school, or works part-time at the same place, and they all have their own sense of distance from each other as they go about their daily lives. I tried my best to write meaningful exchanges that were heartwarming and spicy, while sorting out that sense of distance.
When it comes to dialogue with Director Hata, the mood-maker character is important.
Yoneyama-san: There are characters who are naturally funny, characters who are impulsive, and characters who play the straight man role, and I tried to write the characters while taking into consideration their positions within the unit.
Director Hata : Basically, there are many different ways to direct, so even if there are mistakes, there isn't one right answer. For the theatrical version, I was conscious of creating ups and downs differently from the series. Personally, I would like to have more long shots, but considering that it's a project called Project Sekai, I also included more close-ups.
--The live scenes are also a highlight.
Director Hata: It was decided that the finale would be a medley, so we tried to build it up towards that. The differences between each unit are also a highlight. We brought out each unit's characteristics, so I hope you enjoy watching it.
I am very impressed with what Yoneuchiyama-san has created. I want to say loudly, "Please look forward to it!"
◇Hatsune Miku is the key to opening the door to a new world
--Listening to you two talk, I can sense that you have good chemistry.
I'm glad for you, Yonayama-san . We talked every night.
Director Hata 25:00 Discord, night after night on the channel... There were so many things that had to be done for this project, but I'm grateful that you were able to put it all together so well.
Director Yoneyama and Director Hata were fully committed from the script stage, and if there was anything they wanted to talk about, they would meet with us even in the middle of the night, which was very helpful. Director Hata is a very calm person, and he has his own particularities, so he gave us a lot of ideas. I felt relieved. It was very difficult, but I'm grateful that we were able to hold strategy meetings together, including with producer Yamamoto, and it was one of the big reasons why I was able to work hard. I'm really glad that we were able to work together.
Director Hata : It must have been really hard for Yonaiyama to put all of this together...
Yoneyama: I think Director Hata had it harder. It's a film with strong characters, and it would have been difficult if we hadn't had a solid common understanding. He really helped me out. It turned out to be a really wonderful film, so I thought Director Hata was amazing!
It's all thanks to Director Hata and the rest of the staff who persevered and worked hard until the very end. When I was alone, I would mutter to myself, "It's hard, it's hard, I can't do this anymore..." (laughs).
Yoneuchiyama: It may sound strange for me to say this, but I think it was a team effort.
--Has your understanding of Hatsune Miku changed through working on this work?
Director Hata: It's the same as always in that we have a new Miku, but perhaps because I was heavily involved in creating her, this Miku feels important and special.
Yoneyama: I feel like I've become closer to it. I've always known it existed, but I didn't realize it was so prevalent in the world and that so many people were involved. For me, it's like a key that opens the door to a new world.
