A new TV anime series, "Shin Samurai Den YAIBA" (Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV, Saturday 5:30 pm) is based on the swordplay action manga "YAIBA" by Gosho Aoyama , known for " Detective Conan " and other works. The original author Aoyama fully supervised the scenario, and the masterpiece has been revived in the Reiwa era about 30 years after its completion. WIT STUDIO, known for " Attack on Titan" and "SPY×FAMILY", produced the anime, and the powerful action scenes have been a hot topic. In the 6th episode, "Suddenly Bat Guy", which aired on May 10th, main animator Takeshi Maenami worked on the key animation alone, and was also in charge of animation direction and character design for Bat Guy, which has also been a hot topic. We asked him about the behind-the-scenes of this unusual "one-man key animation" and the commitment to production.
◇ "YAIBA" is full of elements from boys' manga to excite children
--What is your impression of the original "YAIBA"? What do you find appealing about it?
I thought it was a straightforward, classic manga. He encounters a legendary sword, fights the Eight Demons, and travels in search of a power-up ball. He joins forces with his rival to fight an unknown enemy, and the story gets more and more exciting. I thought it was a great work that is packed with all the exciting elements of a shounen manga, such as romance, attractively designed characters, sword gimmicks, and techniques.
--What was your honest reaction when you found out that a TV anime version of "YAIBA" was being produced?
When I was little, I enjoyed watching the anime "Yaiba: The Legend of Swordsman," so I knew the series and was excited to be able to participate as a staff member.
--How did you end up participating in "Shin Samurai Den YAIBA" as a main animator?
I got a LINE message from character designer/chief animation director Kameda (Yoshitomo) saying, "Together, how about YAIBA?" I was so happy. I was jumping for joy at Cygames Pictures, where I had my seat in front of me.
--What is your main focus and what do you value in the production of "Shin Samurai Den YAIBA"?
This is just my opinion, but I try to make sure that viewers, especially children, get excited about the soft, fun feeling and coolness of Yaiba.
-Which scene that you worked on in episodes 1 to 5 left the biggest impression on you?
These are long battle scenes, such as the gorilla who is the lord of the jungle in episode 1, the big fight with Onimaru in the city in episode 2, and my own scene in the opening. In the storyboard, it ends with one or two frames, and is mostly left to the animator, but it was difficult to make it longer than 10 seconds. Since I was given such scenes one after another, I was really worried about how to structure them so that the content did not overlap. Also, the faces of the characters drawn by Aoyama-sensei are unique, so it took me some time to get used to drawing them. There were many difficulties, such as the large number of main characters, the animal characters, and how to position the camera due to the height difference.
◇I have always longed to be a "solo artist" - to achieve both quality and quantity
--Episode 6 was done by one person, unlike the previous episodes. What was the background to this "solo animation"?
Originally, ever since I decided to become an animator, I loved the episodes where Tetsuya Takeuchi drew the original animation for "Honey and Clover" and I admired that, so I wanted to try drawing the original animation myself. Then, when I heard about "YAIBA," I thought that it was the only chance I had, including the time I could take, the atmosphere of the work, and my position, so I decided to take the job.
--Episode 6 depicts the battle with Batguy in Nagoya, and the powerful aerial combat was also impressive. What did you pay particular attention to when drawing the original illustrations?
This is just my opinion, but I think that one person doing the key animation is something special, so I made it my goal before I started to not just do a lot of key animation. I wanted to balance quality and quantity in my own way. Also, I wanted to complete the key animation, so I was also careful about my speed so that I wouldn't be pulled out halfway. I kept the cycle of doing the layout from the beginning, calculating the calories for each cut, creating rough movements for the heavy cuts first, maturing the image, doing lighter cuts, and then returning to the heavy cuts to complete them. When I was working on the key animation, the production team, Takahashi (Saki), was also considerate of that, so it was easy to work. I was also interested in directing, so I didn't just leave it all to the storyboard/director Tokuno Yuji who worked with me, but also thought about how to put together the lines and so on in my own way.
--What were the difficulties and hardest parts?
The most difficult part was communicating with people in various positions. I was able to attend various meetings with Tokuno-san, but each person in each position had their own ideas, so it was difficult to understand them.
--Are there any behind-the-scenes stories that you can tell now that episode 6 has aired?
Speaking of behind the scenes, my motivation for working on Episode 6 was quite negative. I'm a person with a strong pessimistic side, so I was working while thinking, "I wish I could collapse while working and forget all the bad things in my life" (laughs).
--Please tell us what you value as an animator.
I think it's important to have a good balance between input and output. If you lean too much towards one side, especially output, you'll lose your mental balance and it will be difficult to do your job. I especially felt this way because I started working as an animator after I turned 30 and I rushed ahead. Another thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is that it's important to cherish not just anime, but your own life as well. I think a stable foundation is important to build up something high. It's important to work hard and increase your own value, but I hope you'll continue to work hard without pushing yourself too hard and relying on those around you. That's how Yaiba is growing too.
◇ Character design by Yoshitomo Kameda Pay attention to the "play" of all the staff
--Please tell us what the unique appeal of "Shin Samurai Den YAIBA" is.
I think that you can enjoy Kameda's character designs in every aspect. Watching the work of someone whose presence or absence can make a big difference is like watching a super player play up close in sports. Another highlight is the play of the skilled players who are fascinated by the play and gather around. The work of the animators, of course, but also the color, art, and photography people is wonderful, so please pay attention to those aspects as well. Another highlight is the good tempo, which is tightly condensed. Thirty years have passed since the completion of the original work, and the setting has been adapted to the present day, so please compare it with the original to see how it has changed.
-What can we look forward to in the future?
As the story gets more exciting, more and more animators will join in, so please look forward to seeing their flashy play.
