"Eternal Yugure," an original TV anime produced by PAWORKS, the animation production company behind "true tears" and "SHIROBAKO," is currently airing on the late-night anime slot "Super Animeism TURBO" on MBS and TBS. It is a full-fledged love story set in a future world where AI technology has advanced. The protagonist, Himegami Akira, who has pledged his love to his beloved, Ou Maki Towasa, wakes up 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 that they will be reunited with Towasa, who is believed to be alive somewhere in the world. We spoke to color designer Sasaki Azusa about the behind-the-scenes production.
◇A very beautiful dystopia
-What were you responsible for in this work?
I was in charge of color design, creating the basic colors for the main characters, as well as colors that may or may not suit the time of day and location, such as morning, dusk, or night.
-What is your impression of the work?
When I first heard a rough outline of the film from Director Tsuda (Naokatsu) and saw the image board, I remember thinking, "What a beautiful dystopia."
--The story is set in a slightly future, close to the present, and a devastated world. How did you try to express each world through color?
For the slightly future, I used relatively natural colors. I wanted Akira and Towasa to look cute. The devastated world of the future is one in which we have to be cheerful and live beautifully, so I created the colors with that thought in mind. On the other hand, when there's depression or tension, I use more muted colors and aim to tighten up the story.
-What kind of instructions did the director give you?
The director said that although the film is set in a dystopia, he wanted to show the beauty of light and color rather than a murky or gloomy world.
◇To make sure that the work is not inferior to the previous PAs' works
--The beautiful visuals that are unique to PAWORKS are also an attraction.
That's absolutely true, I think the images PAs create are beautiful and gentle. I've been so lucky to be able to work with PAs, and I feel humbled every day. However, it's precisely because of their wonderful charm that I find my motivation to just enjoy it to the fullest so that it doesn't fall short of the work of previous PAs!
-Finally, please give us a message.
Before I came across this work, I had seen movies and games about androids and jokingly thought that it might be possible to fall in love with an android and start a family with them, but I never thought I would be involved in an anime adaptation of it. I'm starting to seriously think that the Elsie system is a prophetic anime that will actually happen in the not-too-distant future (laughs). I'm really curious to know which character viewers would like to marry and which Elsie they would like to have, so I hope you'll watch it and let me know what you think.
