"Eternal Yugure," an original TV anime produced by PAWORKS, the animation production company behind "true tears" and "SHIROBAKO," is currently airing on MBS/TBS's late-night anime slot, "Super Animeism TURBO." It's a full-scale love story set in a future world where AI technology has advanced. Protagonist Akira Himegami, who has pledged his love to his beloved lover, Towasa Oh, awakens from years of cold sleep to find a city devastated by war. An android named Yugure, who bears a striking resemblance to Towasa, appears before Akira, and they embark on a journey together, believing they will reunite with Towasa, who is believed to be alive somewhere in the world. We spoke to art designers Mayumi Miyaoka and Shuhei Tada about the behind-the-scenes story of the production.
◇ Communicating that "This is the future"
Mayumi Miyaoka
-What were you responsible for in this work?
I was in charge of part of the art setting. In this work, the main characters do not stay in one place, so many different locations appear, so I shared the work with several people, including myself.
-What is your impression of the work?
I thought it was a work that would make you think about the diversity of modern values. What also impressed me most was that the original illustrations were stylish, which is rare for our company.
-What orders did the director give you?
I think you said you wanted to show that something had happened in the world and it had become distorted. During the meeting, there was a suggestion that "trees were growing that had become deformed due to chemical pollution," but I'm a little disappointed that we weren't able to use that idea at the time.
--The story takes place in the not-too-distant future (a devastated world). What did you pay attention to when expressing each of these worlds?
Rather than being set a little ways into the future, I wanted to make it clear that the main character's family is wealthy and a celebrity, but also that they are a "well-informed family." I always kept in mind that a certain amount of time has passed since the future (a ruined world) was once destroyed.
-How did you try to express your unique world through art?
After the decline, the speed of civilization's progress differs depending on the location, which is expressed by changing the country used as a design model, so the first half may have a particularly nostalgic feel. Also, the director has a deep knowledge of gadgets, so we explored whether the images would convey to the viewer that "this is the future" by showing such things, but how did the results turn out?
-What challenges are unique to this work?
I tried to think of a way to express the sadness of man-made structures that have fallen into disrepair and are overgrown with plants through line drawings. This piece also requires a stylish sense of futuristic design, but to be honest it was difficult as I don't really have that kind of sense.
-Finally, please give us a message.
I think the main themes of this work are views on love (marriage) and action. I hope you'll watch to see how these two extreme elements intertwine and the story progresses.
◇To create a sense of life and atmosphere
Shuhei Tada
-What were you responsible for in this work?
I was in charge of a role known in the anime industry as "art design" or "art setting." It's literally a job creating designs related to background art. In "Eternal Yugure," I was able to draw a variety of things, such as the panoramic view of the town the main characters visit, the exteriors and interiors of the buildings there, and even the forest.
-What is your impression of the work?
When I first heard about the project, I remember thinking, "This is a challenging theme in the Reiwa era, when diversity in the nature of marriage is beginning to be questioned."
-What orders did the director give you?
It wasn't an order, but they gave us detailed information about the world setting that couldn't be explained in the scenario. I think that's why we were able to incorporate some ideas.
--The story takes place in the not-too-distant future (a devastated world). What did you pay attention to when expressing each of these worlds?
I was mainly in charge of the art settings for the locations after the world had been devastated. The towns that appear are fictional, but I tried to create a sense of life and atmosphere by paying attention to the fact that "the towns have a history in their formation" and "they are people living their daily lives."
-How did you try to express your unique world through art?
I tried to express the conflict between the people who are being managed and the people who are managing OWELS in the buildings. The buildings used by the townspeople are lively and lively, while OWELS' buildings are cold and intimidating. This is especially evident in the town in the latter half of the story.
--What are the challenges unique to this work?
It's quite unusual to retain real modern buildings, incorporate fictional buildings from the future, and even incorporate buildings from overseas... I think it was a challenge unique to this work to bring together all three elements without creating a mismatched impression.
--What is the appeal of PAWORKS' videos?
Personally, I love PA's work and watch it often, and I think one of its charms is that "the subtle emotions of the characters are conveyed through images rather than relying solely on dialogue."
-Finally, please give us a message.
It goes without saying that the story is great, but I think it's an interesting piece with a variety of different background locations. I hope that you can immerse yourself in the world of "Eternal Yugure" through the backgrounds.
