The latest anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's new manga, "Yomi no Tsugai," known for works such as "Fullmetal Alchemist," began airing in April on TOKYO MX, BS11, and other channels. The manga has been serialized in Monthly Shonen Gangan (Square Enix) since the January 2022 issue and is a popular work with over 6 million copies of the comic series sold. The anime adaptation was brought to life by a powerful team including Square Enix, Aniplex, and Bones, just like the "Fullmetal Alchemist" anime, and expectations among anime fans were high even before it aired. We spoke to Yoshihiro Oyabu, Chief Producer, and Junji Takemoto, Producer, of Bones Films, the studio producing the anime, about the behind-the-scenes story of the adaptation.
◇Hiromu Arakawa's "masterful composition"
--How did you come up with such a powerful lineup of Square Enix, Aniplex, and Bones?
Mr. Ooyabu: When we heard that Ms. Arakawa would be returning to Monthly Shonen Gangan after a long absence, we at Bones wanted to be involved. The serialization began, the first volume was released, and it's such an interesting work that we spontaneously thought, "If it's going to be animated, we should be the ones to do it!" We heard that it would probably be a long-running series, so we at Bones wanted to work with them on the anime over a long period of time. We didn't plan it, but Aniplex and Bones naturally found ourselves in step with each other, and we went to Square Enix to ask for their cooperation.
--Was that around the time the first volume was released?
Mr. Ooyabu was even faster. When the first chapter was published, we approached Square Enix saying, "It was interesting!" and "We're reading it!" I said this during the competition as well, but Arakawa-sensei really suits the cover of "Gangan."
-- Was there a desire to recapture the excitement of "Fullmetal Alchemist"?
Mr. Ooyabu , we're happy that people who have seen the video feel that way, but we don't want to say "again." Bones has produced many different works, but "Fullmetal Alchemist" helped us grow. I think it's a very important work for Aniplex as well. What kind of video can be created if Bones and Aniplex, who are different now, team up 20 years later? We have a strong desire to take on that challenge. I think the bar will be high, but we are working together to reach even greater heights.
--What impressed you about Arakawa-san's work in "Yomi no Tsugai"?
Ooyabu-san is overwhelming. It goes without saying, but his work is incredibly interesting. There are many things that make it interesting, such as the captivating characters, but what really makes it so compelling is how it "draws you in."
Mr. Takemoto , I'm 36 years old now, and I belong to the generation that grew up reading the original "Fullmetal Alchemist" manga and watching the anime. I've always felt, even while working on the anime, that Ms. Arakawa's works have a remarkable knack for structure. She doesn't reveal the whole picture of the story right away, but gradually the world of the work and the personal aspects of the characters become apparent. The story structure itself is complex, but the flow is very easy to understand and easy for readers to grasp. There are also many fascinating characters, which makes it difficult to portray them in anime form.
-- Are the characters that Arakawa draws difficult to portray in animation?
Mr. Takemoto, it's difficult. When adapting a manga into an anime, you basically have to add movements that weren't in the original. That's why you have to reduce the number of lines and the amount of information in the character designs. Ms. Arakawa's drawings originally have few lines, and she expresses a sense of three-dimensionality and dynamism within that simple design. Character designer Nobuhiro Arai struggled with this for a long time when he was trying to adapt the designs for the anime.
--If there are fewer lines, is it easier for the balance to be disrupted?
There are few clues for Mr. Oyabu . If there are lots of lines, there are more clues. To put it very simply, there are few easily recognizable elements that make him the character. So if the artist gets careless and draws based on habit, it will suddenly stop looking like him.
Mr. Takemoto said it's difficult for the original artist to draw the same picture, and also difficult to animate that picture.
--Did Arakawa-san have any specific requests regarding the anime adaptation?
Mr. Takemoto said that Ms. Arakawa draws her characters with a solid understanding of human anatomy, and that she wanted that to be accurately represented in the animation. Also, Ms. Arakawa is very knowledgeable about folklore, and there are folkloric elements involved in the origins of the pair, so we consulted with her in detail each time. And then there's Higashimura. In addition to being an ancient Japanese village, it also incorporates elements from the Tibetan region, creating a unique atmosphere. Ms. Arakawa has a firm image of Higashimura in her mind, so we proceeded with the work while confirming even the smallest details.
◇ Clearly show the characters
--There was talk about the "brilliance of the composition." How did you structure it as an anime?
Takagi Noboru, the series' scriptwriter, has done an excellent job of capturing the key moments in Takemoto's story and structuring it accordingly. While the stance from the beginning was to be faithful to the original work, we did rearrange the timeline slightly.
--In the first episode, there was a scene in Gab-chan's battle where blood was depicted.
Mr. Takemoto , Director Masahiro Ando was very particular about that scene. He wanted to clearly express the shock of Yuru's everyday life suddenly collapsing, and the story became about not running away from the situation.
--Including the first episode, the battle scenes are appealing because of the dynamic movements that are unique to animation.
Mr. Takemoto , this time, we have young creators participating and challenging themselves with action. For the first episode, Yoshiyuki Ito, who did the character design for "Fullmetal Alchemist," participated as the animation director, so we were able to create a work where the younger generation challenged themselves and Mr. Ito provided support. However, the original work is not just about battles and action, but also places emphasis on the relationships between the characters. We have made sure to capture the action scattered throughout, but as a whole, we are not approaching the production as an action work, but rather we are making it with the intention of making the characters appealing and well-developed.
-- Are there young people who watched "Fullmetal Alchemist" participating, and are there instances where techniques are being passed down?
Mr. Takemoto, that's right. There are quite a few people who used to watch "Fullmetal Alchemist" as viewers and say, "I'm overwhelmed with emotion to be able to be involved with Arakawa-sensei's work."
Mr. Oyabu: "Yomi no Tsugai" is being made at Bones Film's D Studio, and the staff composition is different from back then, but we are being guided by veterans who supported "Fullmetal Alchemist."
Mr. Takemoto, as I mentioned earlier, Mr. Yoshiyuki Ito and Mr. Hiroki Sugano, who did the character design for "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood," are also participating.
◇It has an incredibly high affinity with anime.
-- Are there any difficulties unique to "Yomi no Tsugai"?
Mr. Takemoto , while there are serious scenes and action sequences, Arakawa-sensei's unique gags are interspersed throughout, but translating them into animation presents challenges in terms of timing and pacing. Director Ando provides some guidance during the storyboard stage, and each episode's staff then brings that to life visually. I think the balance between comedy and seriousness is just right, based on the original work.
--There are still many mysteries surrounding this work. It also seems like the serialization will continue for quite some time.
Mr. Takemoto has left many plot points unresolved, which only deepens the mystery. However, in "Fullmetal Alchemist," Ms. Arakawa skillfully resolved the plot points she laid out in the first half of the work, so we can proceed with the anime production faithfully to the original manga with confidence.
--It has been announced that the anime will run for two consecutive seasons, but are you building a system to continue production beyond that?
I think this is true for any production company, but we are entrusted with a project, so we want to create it with respect. By continuing to create projects, our skills will improve, the studio will be strengthened, and that will be reflected in the work. I hope that's what we can aim for.
--Bones has a reputation for carefully producing long-running series, as seen with "Fullmetal Alchemist" and "My Hero Academia."
I think Mr. Oyabu is fortunate to have partners who are willing to work with him on projects. "Yomi no Tsugai" was also launched with the aim of creating a continuous production environment.
As Mr. Takemoto and Mr. Oyabu mentioned, the level of expertise on the production site is gradually improving, so we hope to slowly move towards a stage where we can produce content stably. In the future, there will be more action scenes and scenes that express the characters' emotions vividly, so we hope to challenge ourselves to create visuals that will capture the hearts of our viewers. Please look forward to it.
Mr. Ooyabu , this might be difficult to say and could be misunderstood, but when I watched the first two episodes, they were one or two levels more interesting than I had imagined. Director Ando mentioned that "the compatibility between Arakawa-sensei's work and animation is incredibly high." He also said, "The material was so good...it made me nervous." I believe that the amazing staff gave 120% of their effort. The original work gets more and more interesting, to the point of being frightening, but I intend to continue to engage with it properly.
Rather than playing defensively, they're going on the offensive. Watching the anime "Yomi no Tsugai," you can feel the staff's determination. As the story builds up, the anime is expected to evolve as well. It seems that Bones Films' challenge is far from over. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
