The animated feature film "The Camphor Keeper," based on Higashino Keigo's novel, which has sold over one million copies, will be released on January 30th. Many of Higashino's works have been adapted into live-action films and TV dramas, but this is the first time they have been made into an anime. The film has also been a hot topic due to the impressive staff, including director Ito Tomohiko, known for anime such as "Sword Art Online," "Erased," and "HELLO WORLD," and character design by Yamaguchi Tsubasa, known for manga such as "Blue Period." We spoke to Yamaguchi about the character design.
◇ Depicting Reito as a "life-sized boy"
-What is your impression of the work?
I felt that the large camphor tree symbolized human history and the connections between people in this work. It was a familiar yet grand story that made me think, "It's okay to cherish the feelings that cannot be woven by humans alone, and the memories that fade with time."
--Akiko Itagaki is also credited as a character designer. How was the role divided?
Basically, I was the original creator and was given free rein to design the main characters. Itagaki-san was in charge of designing the secondary characters and the character designs (final drafts and settings) for animation.
-Have you ever tried to portray the main character, Naoi Reito, as an anime character?
I worked closely with the director, discussing the direction we wanted to go in, and we made the decision. I remember aiming for a design that seamlessly blended reality and fantasy. As for Reito, he has a delicate side due to his complicated upbringing, but I was conscious of basically portraying him as a "life-sized boy."
--Reito's late mother's half-sister, Yanagisawa Chishu, exudes dignity. What kind of woman were you trying to portray her as?
This is also a character that I discussed extensively with the director. There are several "cool grandmas" in the history of anime, and I designed this with the hope that she would be one to join that lineage.
-- University student Saji Yumi looks like a modern girl. How did you try to portray her charm?
We carefully expressed her strong will and intelligence, as well as the image of a "life-sized girl of her age" who can deal with Reito on an equal footing.
◇The reality that "they could actually be somewhere"
-Since it's an anime, what were your thoughts on the differences in expression compared to the manga?
To be honest, I didn't really notice the difference, but it was refreshing and fun to be able to express the characters' personalities through "color," which is different from manga.
--What were your impressions when you saw the characters moving in the animated version?
No matter how many times I see my drawings moving, it's always exciting. Especially since this is an animated film, I felt that there were a lot of detailed character gestures and depictions. I was so happy to see the lively movements of the characters, which I hadn't noticed while drawing them, and I thought, "Oh, they make these expressions!" Some parts may differ from the image that each reader of the original work has, but I hope you will enjoy it as one interpretation of Higashino Keigo's work.
--What do you pay attention to when drawing characters in "Blue Period" as well as "The Camphor Keeper Tree"?
I value two things: whether it excites me as a form of entertainment, and whether it gives the feeling of reality that "the character could actually be somewhere."
--What was the biggest challenge for you in this production?
This was my first job as a character designer, so I realized how difficult it is to simply draw multiple characters in full color, from various angles and with various expressions.
Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB
