"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-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 they will be reunited with Towasa, who is believed to be alive somewhere in the world. We spoke to cinematographer Kodama Junya about the behind-the-scenes production.
◇Make the highlights memorable
-What were you responsible for in this work?
I handle everything from filming meetings, deciding on processing, managing the work, and the actual filming. I think of filming as a job that is like applying makeup to make the material look its best.
-What is your impression of the work?
First of all, I was impressed by how beautiful and cute the characters were. It's set in the future, in a dystopia, and there's action, so I felt it would be challenging but rewarding and fun.
-What orders did the director give you?
If there were any requests, they wanted the highlights to be more impressive, so they wanted it to look good. I'm still not sure if I was able to meet those requests, but I hope that they were conveyed to the viewers.
◇To somehow surpass my past self
--What was important to you when expressing this unique world?
There's nothing in particular, but the worldview changes throughout the story, so I worked on it hoping to bring out the differences in the worldview. That said, I think we'll have to wait and see how the viewers respond to see if I was able to actually express that.
-What challenges are unique to this work?
There are always new challenges in every project, but I've always wanted to try my hand at a science fiction project, so it was full of challenges. I was fighting against my own technical ability, against time, and trying to somehow surpass my past self. I apologize for not being able to give any specifics.
-Finally, please give us a message.
I would like you to see how the characters live their lives against a variety of backdrops, including romance, action, amazing science, and a devastated world.
