The 20th episode of the second season of the third season of the TV anime "Fire Force," based on the manga by Atsushi Ohkubo serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" (Kodansha), "Fire Force Season 3," titled "Where Hope Lies," aired late at night on February 27th on MBS, TBS, and other late-night anime channels. "Sugita Sumire" is a mysterious character who appeared in the original manga, published in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" on February 17th, 2021. The sudden appearance of a live-action middle-aged woman in the manga left a strong sense of incongruity and impact. In the anime, a different woman from the original appears in live-action, with actor Yukiyo Motoki playing "Sugita Sumire." Director Tatsuma Minamikawa, producer Reo Honjoya, and Motoki, who plays "Sugita Sumire" in the anime, spoke about the behind-the-scenes production and filming.
◇Interview with Director Tatsuma Minamikawa and Producer Reo Honjoya
-What was your impression when you first saw the original character, Sugita Sumire?
Director Minamikawa: It was around the time we were working on Season 2. It had been a hot topic at the time, so I was prepared. I remember thinking a lot about how to express 3D in the anime, whether to incorporate live-action footage like this time, or to use a different form of meta expression.
Honjoya: When we started production on Chapter 3, the first thing we thought about was what kind of format we should use for this number of episodes. It was a number that had been talked about a lot, so the director and I talked about why we should take on the challenge head-on. I knew some people I know who work on live-action films, so we talked to them about it.
-What is the production process?
Honjoya: The staff who produce live-action films agreed to take on the project, so we first completed the script for the number of episodes and measured the scale. After that, we spoke with the directors and had them draw storyboards. Then they made a video storyboard, and we started filming.
Director Minamikawa: They were really enthusiastic about making it, and gradually the image started to form in my mind. We wanted to get as close to the original as possible, so we went to Kodansha to scout locations, where they had filmed when the comic was published, and we steadily made preparations.
Honjoya: Then we started talking about what to do with the important actors, and we reached out to the actors who appeared in the original work, but at the time there was an unexpected response, so they asked us to decline this time. So we decided to hold auditions for new roles.
--How do you select people for auditions?
Honjoya: We received over 100 applications, and the first step was to review their documents. Once we had narrowed it down to a certain extent, we had them come in for the second round of auditions, where they actually acted out the relevant scenes and performed a dance. We then narrowed it down to a few people, and after discussing it with the original authors, we made our decision.
Director Minamigawa: The most important thing for me in the selection process was whether or not the aura of the character "Sister Tanrei" could be conveyed. However, I was happy to see that the people who actually auditioned were very motivated. Because the work is a major hit, and it is rare for a live-action version of an anime medium to be adapted, everyone gave great performances, so it was difficult to choose.
Honjoya: After a second selection process, we narrowed it down to a few people, and after discussing it with the original authors, we decided on Yukiyo Motoki for the role. It took about a year, including preparation, so we've finally begun filming.
-Were there any difficulties in combining it with anime?
Director Minamigawa: After filming, we had it edited, and then we worked out the details to match it with the anime. We also got cooperation from Ohashi (Ryo), who is in charge of VFX for the anime, and since just streaming the live-action footage would have made it into separate parts, animation → live-action → animation, we adjusted it so that it would just be one part of the animation. For example, the highlights on the eyes. In the live-action footage, the lighting matches the eyes, so when it came to adjusting it with the anime, there was more information than we expected. We asked for help with how to reduce the amount of information and match it with the anime.
Honjoya: The live-action team responded to a lot of our requests. Also, live-action footage is shot at 30 or 60 frames per second, but anime is shot at 24 frames per second. The live-action team suggested shooting at 24 frames, and we received suggestions on how to blend the filming with the anime, and they gave a lot of thought to how to make it similar to the anime.
-What did you think when you saw the finished video?
Director Minamigawa: Honestly, the work of everyone on the live-action team was amazing. I was left with my arms crossed and a smile on my face, and all I could say was, "Yes." I think the footage combines animation and live-action, but it has an impact and a sense of incongruity. It's a rare challenge, so I was a bit worried, but I'm grateful that they've produced footage that exceeds my expectations. Thank you to everyone involved.
Honjoya: Even though we didn't say much from the animation side, the live-action team worked on the intentions. They made various suggestions and, drawing on their experience shooting live-action footage, they incorporated the unique attention to detail that only live-action can provide, and incorporated it into animation techniques. It wasn't just a mix of animation and live-action, but they also created an exquisite piece that walked the fine line between the two, and I'm really glad I was able to ask them to do it.
◇An interview with Motoki Yukiyo, the actor who played Sugita Sumire
-What were your thoughts when you first saw the scene where Sugita Sumire appears?
The sudden transition from a two-dimensional world to a live-action scene had quite an impact. I found this seemingly absurd production very original and interesting, and at the same time, I wondered how I could embody this shock as an actor when it was transformed into an animated film. I wanted to perform in a way that would allow viewers to use their imagination, while retaining the eerie mystery, or the margin of freedom, that the original has.
-How did it feel to actually perform the role?
When I act in dramas or movies, I often bring my own image of the role to the role, but this time I had a wealth of information from the original work from the beginning. I received a lot of materials from the staff, such as storyboards and video storyboards, so I was very grateful to be able to know the director's image in advance. I felt like I created the unique character of Sugita Sumire by approaching her with both realistic acting and acting as a "type."
--What did you keep in mind when acting? What direction did the director give you?
I was conscious of the fact that I was only playing a part in the anime. I studied my own face in the mirror to see if my muscles could move freely like rubber. Conversely, I tried to see what emotions I could convey in a blank expression. Since my own voice will not be recorded in the film, I wanted to be sensitive in my use of different facial expressions. On the other hand, since this is a scene where I speak lines on a very large scale that are central to the story, I took the time to think about the meaning of each word so that I wouldn't just skim over them. I think there was a lot of technical direction on set.
"Fire Force" is a manga serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" from 2015 to 2022. It depicts the exploits of the Special Fire Force as they confront the terror and mystery of flames amid a phenomenon known as spontaneous human combustion, in which people suddenly burst into flames and transform into fiery monsters. Over 20 million copies have been published worldwide. The first season of the TV anime aired from July to December 2019, the second from July to December 2020, and the first cour of the third season aired from April to June.
