The TV anime series "Ikoku Nikki," based on the popular manga by Tomoko Yamashita, will begin airing on ABC TV, TOKYO MX, and other networks from January 4, 2026. The story follows the life of a shy novelist, Takashiro Makio, and his niece, Tagumi Asa, who lost both her parents in an accident. We spoke to Oshiro Miyuki, who will be directing the series for the first time, about the behind-the-scenes production.
◇It's so realistic that it really hits home
Director Oshiro has participated in numerous works up until now, including "Natsume's Book of Friends" and "Durarara!! x2." He says he has been directing for about 10 years, but surprisingly, this is his first time as a director.
"I had a vague idea that I wanted to work as an artist, but when I tried it, I found that I was quite suited to it. Animators don't do the same thing every day. No two shots are the same. Even if there are similar cuts, if the characters are different, the acting will be different. That's what makes it fresh and fun. There wasn't any particular work that inspired me to become an animator, but when I was entering the anime industry, I saw 'Noein: To Another You' and thought it would be great to work in an interesting work. While working as an animator, I saw directing work on set and thought it looked interesting, so I started directing as well. It's just a vague idea. I enjoy everything. This is my first time as a director, so I don't know what to do and it's tough, but I'm having fun."
Regarding "Ikoku Nikki," he said, "I love this work so much that I voiced my desire to have it made into an anime."
"I was approached about directing something with Shuka, and they asked me if there was anything I'd like to do. I said, 'Actually, I have this manga...' and when I suggested it, Pony Canyon producer Ueda Tomoki really liked it, and he quickly put together an enthusiastic proposal, and we got started. I first read the original manga around the time the second volume of the manga came out, and it was a collaboration with Yamashita-sensei's 'Sankaku Mado no Sotogawa wa Yoru', so I was intrigued and read it, and I found it really interesting. I think it was around the time the seventh volume came out when we started talking about the anime."
Takashiro Makio impulsively takes in his niece, Tagumi Asa, who lost both her parents at his sister's funeral. The two, who have completely different personalities and values - Makio prefers solitude, while Asa is friendly and straightforward - begin an awkward life together.
"I think it's an interesting work with a message, but I found the story itself to be the most interesting part of it. In Yamashita's work, the portrayal of characters is realistic. You feel like you know people like that, and it really hits home. That's why I think there are people who think that this is their story. It's connected to reality."
A live-action film of the same work was released in June 2024. After reading the original work, some people may feel that it is a work that is suited to a live-action version.
"From the planning stage, I was told, 'It's perfect for live action, isn't it?' and 'What's the point of making it into an anime?' That's certainly true, but since it's a manga to begin with, it has a high affinity with anime. The original work contains psychological depictions that evoke images of deserts and oases. I thought from the beginning that this could only be expressed in anime. By making it into an anime, I was able to express the images of the original work exactly as they were, and I thought I could express them in a way that is unique to anime. With the teacher's supervision, we also created original images for the psychological depictions. In anime, we can express them exactly as they are, including the comical faces. I tried to animate it faithfully to the original."
◇The dialogue and unique tempo are expressed through animation
The characters are also realistic and seem to be "connected to reality," but this may be difficult to express in anime.
"It's a struggle on the production side, but they're really good at drawing. I keep staring at the original work and making corrections, but it's still difficult. The difficult part is that the design doesn't look like an anime character, so I guess it's about finding the right balance. I've left it up to (character designer and chief animation director) Hayama Kenji to help me. Hayama created the settings so that they could be animated, so I'm trying to express them as faithfully as possible."
There are no scandalous incidents, and of course there are no battle scenes. Small events pile up, creating a unique sense of tempo.
"People who love the original work, including myself, love Yamashita-sensei's way of delivering lines and his unique tempo, and it's difficult to know how much of it I can express within the set time frame of a TV anime. I'm a big fan of the original work myself, so I want to include all the lines, but that would leave it half-baked. I really hate it when important lines get cut off. I'm sorry, but I try to make adjustments and make sure to leave enough time for the important lines to be expressed."
By creating a strong hook, the story is structured in a way that makes you want to know what happens next.
"That's thanks to (series composer) Kiyasu Kohei. Because it's a one-season TV series, there are inevitably some parts that have to be cut. But even so, I tried to make sure that the feeling after reading it is the same as in the original. Kiyasu connected the episodes together and structured them so that they would come together nicely. That's Kiyasu's strength."
By carefully depicting the small everyday moments, the characters' delicate emotions and psychology are revealed. The cooking scenes also add spice to the story. The realism of the cooking makes the characters' lives feel more vivid.
"The original work also has strong descriptions of food, and it looks delicious. I tried to express that as much as possible. I asked prop designer Kano Miyako to be the food animation supervisor, and the food looks really delicious. I also had help from special effects artist Hasegawa Toshio, who used airbrushes and applied gradations. For example, he made the flour crumbs and burnt look of the pizza look delicious, and the result was wonderful. It's a shame because it only appears for a moment, but I'm glad that people can notice it."
◇Newcomer Mori Fuko is amazing!
Director Oshiro said, "I never thought it would be so difficult to depict everyday life."
"I'm trying to create images that are close to live-action, but it's quite difficult. I think the reason it's close to live-action is the way the camera is placed. In animation, you can place the camera wherever you want, but I don't use a lot of overhead shots or low shots. I also asked the actors from the beginning to speak in a way that sounds like they're talking to people in real life."
The cast includes Miyuki Sawashiro as Makio and Fuko Mori as Asa. Mori is a newcomer who will be playing her first regular role in a TV anime, but her acting skills are hard to believe for a newcomer, and are sure to become a hot topic.
"It was amazing. Mori-san was good from the very first take, and she's also a good singer. I had vaguely asked her to sing someone who was good at singing, but when she sang for the first time, I thought, 'This is definitely it!' She had a morning voice even during the audition. Sawashiro-san is also amazing. I don't think there are many women who can express the weight of that voice. The dialogue between them is also wonderful."
◇The story centers around the growth of the morning...
There were many difficulties in producing the anime, including the difficulties inherent in a delicate work.
"It's a difficult project... I realized some things by working on it. It's something you can't really know until you try it. People who read the original work can have different interpretations. It's difficult to say whether my interpretation is correct, but as the director I am making adjustments. After the PV was released, I saw everyone's reaction that it was 'just like the original,' and I felt a little relieved that my interpretation was correct."
It's certainly a work that may have different interpretations depending on who reads or watches it. What does Director Oshiro think the central theme of the work is?
"At the time of planning, the original story hadn't been completed, but even then I felt that it was a story about Asa's growth. Asa begins living with Makio, he also grows. It's a story with two main characters. While focusing on Asa's growth story, I also wanted to show Makio's growth and show how the two of them change."
Takahiro Omori, known as the director of "Natsume's Book of Friends" and other works, is participating as sound director. Director Oshiro and Omori have worked together on projects such as "Natsume's Book of Friends" in the past. Is Omori like a mentor to him?
"My first time directing was with Director Omori, and I have learned a lot from his guidance. In that sense, I guess he is like a mentor? People around me also ask me, 'You're my mentor, aren't you?' Director Omori is very particular about sound, which has been a great help to me. When I was going through trial and error with the storyboard for the singing scene, I would consult him and rely on him a lot. I understand to some extent what points Mr. Omori is concerned about, and I think he also understands what I am concerned about, so I have absolute confidence in him. It is reassuring."
"Ikoku Nikki," which is the result of the meticulous attention to detail of Director Oshiro and the rest of the staff, is an anime that will slowly sink into your heart. It will surely leave you with a warm feeling and slowly awaken deep empathy. Please take your time to enjoy it. (Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB)
