The theatrical film adaptation of the popular light novel series "The Irregular at Magic High School," published by Dengeki Bunko (KADOKAWA), titled "The Irregular at Magic High School: Yotsuba Succession Arc," will be released on May 8th. At a gathering where Yotsuba Maya, the head of the Yotsuba family, and the heads of the branch families meet, the next head of the Yotsuba family will be nominated, and the shocking truth hidden within the "strongest" siblings will be revealed. Jimmy Stone, who has been involved with "The Irregular at Magic High School" since the first season of the TV anime and directed the third season, will continue to direct the theatrical film. We spoke with director Jimmy Stone and Aniplex producer Hitomi Kuroi about the production process.
◇Things that could only be done in a theatrical film
--What did you consider to be the core of the story when adapting the "Yotsuba Succession Arc" into an anime?
This is a popular episode from the novel directed by Jimmy Stone . I felt it was especially important to emphasize the dark and serious aspects. Although Tatsuya is the main character, Miyuki plays a significant role this time, and I made it as if she were the main character. She is very much like a perfect young lady, and although we have shown her hidden feelings for her brother in various places, these hidden feelings are the main focus this time.
Producer Kuroi wanted to show a conclusion to the relationship between Tatsuya and Miyuki, so he conceived of the third season and the "Yotsuba Succession Arc" as a set and asked Jimmy to direct it. The "Yotsuba Succession Arc" is depicted in a single volume in the original work, and we thought it would be better for people to watch it all at once as a theatrical film rather than delivering it weekly on TV.
There's a battle with director Jimmy Stone , and some beautiful scenes of deep snow...
Producer Kuroi and Jimmy's wonderful direction also made me think, "I want to see the beautiful side of Miyuki!"
Director Jimmy Stone: At first, the pressure was immense. It was my first time directing a TV series for the third season, and also my first time directing a movie. I've always loved movies, but since it would be about an hour and a half long, I wondered what I should do! I consulted with character designer and chief animation director Kana Ishida, the producer, and everyone else. Specifically, the setting of the Yotsuba family home becomes a highlight. I can incorporate various ideas, and although there is pressure and it is difficult, I've started to enjoy it.
--How did you intend to portray the Yotsuba family?
As a director, Jimmy Stone wanted to show that the Yotsuba family was no ordinary family. We envisioned a wealthy family's home from the bubble era, and together with Ishida, we came up with ideas like stairs and aquariums. The rooms are dark, lit by candles, and there are koi swimming around...we packed in a lot of ideas. Instead of using backgrounds, we created the rooms using 3DCG, which was something we could only do because it's a theatrical film. We tried to make each room have a different atmosphere to match the tone of each scene, and that was also something we considered as part of the direction.
Producer Kuroi: When I saw the finished footage, it was flashy, but it didn't interfere with the characters' conversations, and it functioned well as a stage setting. I think it was a brilliant idea from Jimmy. The scene I found myself watching over and over again was the flashback scene explaining the origins of the Yotsuba family. When I saw the storyboards, I thought it was going to be amazing, but when it was made into a video, the visual impact was incredible, and the content still came through clearly. In the latter half, there are several important conversation scenes, but you can watch them without getting bored.
The scene design has also been changed from the TV series directed by Jimmy Stone . The shading in the animation is changed depending on the scene, and the colors are also changed significantly. Ishida is also an illustrator, and he drew the illustrations for the original novel, so he studies visual expression. There are trendy color schemes in other illustration works, and Ishida has absorbed them and incorporated them into his expression. For example, in the fight scene with Katsunari, it is approaching evening, so we have added what we call rim lighting to the edges of the characters. It is a trend in illustrations and has been imported back into the anime. The "Magic High School" anime started 10 years ago, so the trends in illustration and visual expression have changed, and we have incorporated new expressions.
◇How director Jimmy Stone got into the animation industry
--From a producer's perspective, what is the appeal of director Jimmy Stone?
Producer Kuroi: What I feel is "very Jimmy-like" is the well-defined fight scenes. The exaggerated movements in the cute scenes also have a distinctive "essence" to them, and I think he'll capture that well. In terms of production, he's someone who listens carefully to everyone's opinions, so he's a reliable presence.
--The director has been involved since the first season of the TV anime. What was your career like before that?
Jimmy Stone did not direct the first season, but was in charge of mecha design and drawing the action scenes. Before that, he worked as animation director on shows such as "Oreimo" and "Aquarion EVOL".
--Is Mr. Ishida a senior colleague of the director?
Director Jimmy Stone : Yes, he's a reliable senior colleague. We first worked together on "Code Geass R2." Earlier, Mr. Kuroi mentioned "listening to other people's opinions," and Mr. Ishida is exactly like that. I learned a lot from watching him. Mr. Ishida is a wonderful person, and I respect him for that. Anime is something that everyone involved creates together; it can't be made by one person. It's a collaborative effort, so I try to value the opinions of everyone in every department. I think the fun part of being a director is receiving various ideas and bringing out the best in each one while creating the final product.
--What led you to enter the anime industry? I heard you were born and raised in Japan.
Director Jimmy Stone : That's right. Generationally, I'm really into anime from the 1990s. When I was in middle or high school, I started thinking about my future, and around that time, "Evangelion" was booming, and that's when I seriously started thinking about wanting to work in anime. I was attending high school in Kodaira, and Tatsunoko Production was nearby, so my family told me, "Why don't you go and check it out?" After graduating from high school, I knocked on Tatsunoko's door.
--You didn't go to a specialized school for animation?
Director Jimmy Stone : That's right. I've been drawing since I was a child, in my own style. I had accumulated a lot of doodles, and my family told me, "Why don't you take them to Tatsunoko?" At first, I was embarrassed and didn't want to, but I ended up taking them. I went to Tatsunoko wearing my high school uniform, but I was so nervous I couldn't go in. Then Hiroshi Sasagawa from Tatsunoko Production got out of his car and asked, "What are you doing here?" I told him, "I'm a high school student, and I want to become an animator after graduation," and he looked at my drawings. At the time, he said, "They're pretty good. You should become an illustrator. It might be better than being an animator. Think about it more," but I took them in again. And that's how I got into Tatsunoko's training school.
--You've been in charge of mechanical design and mechanical animation direction for "The Irregular at Magic High School," so were you already good at mecha back then?
Director Jimmy Stone: In the 1990s, I watched shows like "Gundam" and the "Brave Series," and I love mecha, so I always wanted to work on "Gundam" someday. Around the time I was asked if I wanted to try working as a second key animator at Tatsunoko, the opportunity to work on the key animation for "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY" came to Tatsunoko, and I was able to participate. Since then, I've been drawing "Gundam" all the time. After that, I participated in "Code Geass R2," and my work mainly involved robots, with occasional opportunities to draw characters. I met Mr. Ishida on the set of "Code Geass R2," and we became good friends.
--Did your encounter with Ishida-san lead to "The Irregular at Magic High School"?
Director Jimmy Stone: That's right. "Code Geass" had a really star-studded cast, and Ishida-san was young at the time. After that, he also worked on "Mobile Suit Gundam UC," but after a few years, he had more time to take on other work, and Ishida-san asked me, "Would you like to try some other work?" So I helped out with the theatrical version of "Macross Frontier" and we also worked together on "Oreimo." The original novel for "The Irregular at Magic High School" was going to be published by Dengeki Bunko, and Ishida-san was in charge of the illustrations, but the editor, Kazuma Miki, asked, "What about the mechs?" and I replied, "Jimmy-san will draw them" (laughs). That's how it all started.
--So you've been involved with "The Irregular at Magic High School" since the original story?
Director Jimmy Stone, that's right. I'm a little embarrassed to talk about this, though (laughs).
What kind of ending awaits in the "Yotsuba Succession Arc," which delves into the core of the bond between the "strongest" siblings? We hope you will witness with your own eyes the moment when Miyuki's hidden feelings are unleashed. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
