"Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!" is a TV anime based on Harunori's classic BL comedy manga. The original manga is a popular work that depicts the fantasies and reckless behavior surrounding the unrequited love of high school boy Nakamura Otoko for his classmate Hirose Aiki, in a somewhat nostalgic 1980s-90s style, and is published as a comic by Heroes. The TV anime started airing in April, and has attracted attention for its pop visuals that feel both nostalgic and fresh, as well as its fast-paced gag scenes. How did they attempt to adapt the original work, which has its own unique charm, into an anime? We asked Aniplex producer Kataoka Yuki.
◇Nakamura's universal emotions: The appeal of his works that transcend genres.
"Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!" was developed as an anime series as part of a joint production project between Crunchyroll, a major US anime streaming service, and Aniplex.
"'Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!' was on the list of titles that Crunchyroll wanted to adapt into anime. I was a little surprised that it was one of the works Crunchyroll wanted to animate. However, after actually reading it, I found that the characters drawn by Harunori-san are very cute, nostalgic, and warm. I also felt that the design was very sophisticated. The content itself is not confined to any particular genre and I felt that it is a work that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people, so I thought it should be adapted into an anime."
"Go for it, Nakamura-kun!!" depicts Nakamura, who is bad at communicating with people and has no friends, falling in love at first sight with Hirose at his high school entrance ceremony and struggling to become friends with her. Producer Kataoka believes that the feelings Nakamura has are "fundamental emotions that transcend gender."
"At the beginning of the story, Nakamura is a boy who keeps his emotions bottled up inside, and in the early stages, he's not even friends with Hirose. But there's a classmate or club member that he's interested in, and he has that feeling of 'I'm interested in them. I want to be friends with them,' which is something I've experienced myself, so I can really relate to it."
He said that the main characters, Nakamura and Hirose, are "nothing special," but added, "However, Hirose is special to Nakamura. Also, when you focus on the other characters, they all have their own unique characteristics and personalities. I was really impressed by how sincerely and lovingly Harunori-san created these characters."
◇Creating visuals with meticulous attention to detail to foster a sense of familiarity.
When creating the anime adaptation, the most important thing was "to make it as relatable as possible." To achieve that, we focused on portraying Hirose and Nakamura in an appealing way.
"In order for viewers to immediately understand the charm of Hirose-kun, who is especially special to Nakamura-kun, Hirose-kun has to be charming in every aspect. Hirose-kun is still a first-year high school student, so he has childishness and cuteness, but on the other hand, there are moments when he shows a cool side and the melancholy typical of a teenage boy. I thought that if we could successfully translate the charming character of Hirose-kun, as depicted in Harunori-san's original work, into the animation, it would become a convincing piece of work. On the other hand, I wanted Nakamura-kun to be endearing, but also to show the complicated side of adolescence."
The director chosen for this project is Aoi Umeki, who has worked on projects such as the "The Quintessential Quintuplets" series and "My Dress-up Darling." The production will be handled by Drive, known for their work on seasons 2 and 3 of "To Your Eternity" and "Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister."
"Ms. Umeki was originally a big fan of Harunori-sensei's original work, and at the suggestion of Drive's producer, Toru Miyakoshi, we initially consulted with her about character design. However, given her deep understanding of the work and her interpretation of the characters, we decided that it would be best for the project to be created with Ms. Umeki at the helm, and so we asked her to direct and even write the script."
The animation captures Harunori's 1980s-90s art style, evoking both nostalgia and a sense of freshness. The coexistence of these two elements creates a strange and wonderful feeling for the viewer.
"When Mr. Umeki took on the role of director, he was very particular about even the smallest details, such as the art direction, the character designs, and the way the camera work was processed, and he controlled the visual creation, which is reflected in the final video. Producer Miyakoshi of Drive, and producer Yoshikawa Takaya also worked hard, including making some tough adjustments, to meet Mr. Umeki's vision. There is a real attention to detail in every aspect of the video, and honestly, the fact that we were able to broadcast it on schedule is thanks to all the staff members, down to the smallest section, who love 'Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!' and took pride in their work until the very end."
◇The much-talked-about opening theme featuring Yasuyuki Okamura and Kento Nakajima, and the behind-the-scenes story of the weekly changing ending theme.
The anime "Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!" has garnered attention for its opening theme (OP) "Shunpatsu-teki ni Koi Shiyou," a collaboration between singer-songwriter Yasuyuki Okamura and Kento Nakajima, and for its weekly changing ending themes (ED), which feature nostalgic songs from the Showa and Heisei eras. The ending themes are chosen to reflect the content of each episode and Nakamura's feelings, with the first episode featuring Kozo Murashita's "Hatsukoi," the second episode "WON'T BE LONG" by Bubblegum Brothers, the third episode "Konya wa Boogie Back smooth rap" by Schadaraparr featuring Kenji Ozawa, and the fourth episode "Makeru Monka" by Barbie Boys, showcasing the excellent selection of music. Producer Kataoka and the production team wanted viewers to feel a connection to the work through the music.
"From the beginning, I wanted to change the ending theme every week. 'Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!' is set in a high school, and when I was in high school, I used to listen to music on my MD player or iPod on the way home, and nowadays, young people listen to music on their iPhones on their way to school—that's a cultural thing, isn't it? When you're troubled with love or friendships, everyone has been encouraged by music they happen to hear, and sometimes you think, 'Is this song about me?' It's like listening to music on the way home from club activities in school, and feeling like it's your own background music, as if you're walking with your shoulders hunched over. With 'Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!', combined with the animation style, I thought we could deliver that kind of youthful atmosphere, where music is always there, to the audience."
Regarding the selection of the ending theme, we decided to choose songs from the late 1980s and 1990s, taking into account their compatibility with the style of the work.
"This time, we collaborated with Sony Music, and from a list of songs that would suit the work, the animation production team and I decided on the songs that fit each episode. Throughout the entire collection, there are no age barriers, and I think it would be interesting if students and people overseas who discover the music through this work delve deeper into it."
The opening theme, composed by Okamura and Nakajima, was also chosen to be linked to the ending theme.
"First of all, we wanted to use a song by Yasuyuki Okamura for the ending. I've always liked Okamura's music, and in the cover illustrations for his essays and the CD jacket illustration for 'Ai wa Oshare Janai' (Love Isn't Stylish), which he sang with Yusuke Koide of 'Base Ball Bear,' he's wearing a school uniform. I felt that the style of Okamura's illustrations, and the slightly complicated, hazy feeling of adolescence, in a good way, were a perfect fit for 'Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!'. Also, Okamura has been active since the 80s and is still going strong, and he has written many wonderful songs for anime tie-ins. Taking all of that into consideration, we decided to ask Okamura to do not only the ending theme but also the opening theme."
In terms of sound, the excellent performances of the voice actors, including Chiaki Kobayashi who plays Nakamura and Yuki Sakakibara who plays Hirose, also shine.
"Voice acting is an important point for creating a sense of familiarity with the work and for people to empathize with the characters, thinking, 'I was like that when I was a student too.' We are grateful that Kobayashi-san's acting is comical but also raw in places, and Sakakibara-san's voice can express boyishness and cuteness, so that the two of them are playing the main characters. Sound director Iwanami Miwa has also done a great job of entrusting the actors with their acting while also drawing out their challenges, and creating sound that brings out the maximum charm of the characters."
The anime "Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!" was produced with meticulous attention to detail. Producer Kataoka says he feels he was able to create it without compromising on quality.
"There wasn't a single instance where we thought, 'This is good enough.' We went through a lot of discussions on the visuals, the script, and the storyboards. In anime production, which is a collaborative effort involving many people, there are honestly times when things get decided rather abruptly, but with 'Nakamura-kun!!', we felt we could do more. It wasn't just me; the entire team, including Harunori-sensei and Director Umeki, were able to maintain that level of enthusiasm, which was a huge factor."
Producer Kataoka described "Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!" as a work with the potential to transcend genre boundaries, and expressed his hopes, saying, "For example, I hope this work becomes something familiar, like something that high school classmates might watch. I hope it becomes a work that many people can enjoy and love."
Regardless of age or gender, "Go for it, Nakamura-kun!!" will make you want to cheer him on and say, "Go for it!" You can feel the passion of the staff and cast through the video. (Shiroinu/MANTANWEB)
