Akiko Nogi, the screenwriter known for dramas such as "Unnatural" and "MIU404," and the film "Last Mile," is in charge of the original concept and script for a new original TV anime series, "LONA," which will begin airing in the spring of 2027. Nogi previously wrote the script for the 2022 animated film "Inu-Oh" (based on a story by Hideo Furukawa), but this will be her first time working on the original concept and script for a TV anime. Takashi Katagiri, who directed the animated film "SPY×FAMILY CODE: White," will direct the series, and WIT STUDIO, known for "Attack on Titan" and "SPY×FAMILY," will produce the animation. As it is an original work, there are still many mysteries, but what kind of anime will it be? We interviewed Nogi and Director Katagiri.
◇If it can be done in live-action, then it should be done in live-action.
"LONA" is a project where WIT STUDIO is in charge of both planning and animation production as the executive member of the production committee. Top creators have gathered, including manga artist Posuka Demizu, known for "The Promised Neverland," who is providing the original character designs, and Hiroko Sebu, who has worked on the music for numerous films, who is in charge of the music. The project started about six years ago, in 2020. It all began with an email from Takeshi Wada, the CEO of WIT STUDIO.
Nogi-san , in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I received an email from Wada-san through someone else asking, "Are you interested in anime?" I was exhausted from being so busy after writing "MIU404," but then I thought, "WIT STUDIO!?" I had been watching Season 3 of the anime "Attack on Titan" with shivers down my spine, so I decided to have a remote conversation with her just to tell her, "Attack on Titan on Titan is so interesting!"
I remember Wada-san telling me, who happened to be sitting next to me, that Director Katagiri had received a reply from Nogi-san. I thought that an amazing anime was about to begin. At that time, I was a newcomer who had just become a director, so I never imagined that I would become the director myself. I became involved a little later, when the project was just starting to move forward in earnest.
Ms. Nogi and Ms. Wada introduced me to Mr. Katagiri, saying, "Actually, there's a very talented young person we'd like to have direct." Since Mr. Katagiri has watched a lot of live-action films and dramas as well as anime, it was very easy to communicate with him.
The theme is "neuroscience." In a slightly futuristic, broken world, people face a new incident: they are attacked by people who should be dead. The government asks the Neuro-Optical Analysis Laboratory (LONA) to deal with this situation. Researcher Ao and apprentice Sango get closer to solving the mystery by analyzing the brains of the deceased. LONA is modeled after SPring-8, the RIKEN Institute located in Harima Science Park City, Hyogo Prefecture.
Ms. Nogi had always been fascinated by SPring-8, and she went there alone on the facility's open day in 2018. She had always wanted to make a movie or drama set at SPring-8 someday. However, she thought that filming would be difficult and that she probably wouldn't have the opportunity. When Ms. Wada asked her, "What are you interested in?", she started talking and suddenly realized that now was the time for SPring-8. What she looks for in animation is "expression that can only be done in animation." If it can be done in live-action, then it should be done in live-action, so if she were to be involved, she wanted to see an animation that could only be done in animation. SPring-8 is difficult to portray in live-action, but it might be possible in animation. After that, as they discussed what to do at SPring-8, the conversation turned to the "brain."
SPring-8 is a large synchrotron radiation facility capable of producing the world's highest-performance synchrotron radiation. It is used for a wide range of research, from nanotechnology and biotechnology to industrial applications.
Long before Ms. Nogi became a screenwriter, she was invited by a friend who loved science to tour the RIKEN Institute in Wako several times. There, she learned about synchrotron radiation facilities and was fascinated by the idea of seeing the microscopic world in such a massive facility. For a while, we had meetings remotely, but no matter how much I said, "SPring-8 is amazing!", no one had been there and they didn't really get it. It was hard to get through to them, so we all decided to go together, and that's when I met Director Katagiri in person for the first time. Because of the pandemic, we had been doing everything remotely until then.
Director Katagiri : This was around 2021. The project wasn't finalized yet, but when I actually saw SPring-8, I was overwhelmed by its sheer size. I was able to experience firsthand what Ms. Nogi had been talking about, and we were able to share a common understanding. That night, we talked at an izakaya (Japanese pub), and things started to move from there. That's where it all began.
◇Director Katagiri, whose talent is overflowing.
When the anime was announced, Nogi commented, "We wanted to create something that only animation can express! So, we're taking on the brain and the world, set in a large synchrotron radiation facility that I've always admired."
Ms. Nogi says that everything she does is only possible in animation. If it were done in live-action, it would require Hollywood-level full CGI, art sets, and background compositing, costing tens of billions of yen, but it's only possible because it's animation. She makes it saying, "Animation is great!" It must be tough for the staff because there are so many settings.
Director Katagiri's SPring-8 setting is based on reality, but the main focus is on the brains of the dead and past memories, and I think that creating a sense of realism while visualizing it is something that can only be done through animation.
Nogi-san's anime world is truly terrifying. For example, a drama might take a year at most, or six months for a short one, but this one has already taken six years. If the script isn't interesting after all that, the responsibility is immense, and it's very frightening. It might not be cost-effective (laughs). But that just shows how passionate the staff are. Even though Wada-san must be very busy, he still makes sure to come to meetings.
Director Katagiri and the rest of the staff say they have been greatly inspired by working with Nogi on the anime.
I've always loved the works that Director Katagiri and Ms. Nogi have worked on, and I don't know if something like this will ever happen again in my life. I'm truly happy. To put it simply, the script is just so interesting. When I first read the script, I was shocked. It's a work that is unique to this era, but it also has universal appeal. There are still many things I can't talk about, but things that seemed unrelated suddenly become plot points, and the deep knowledge of science is reflected in the story, and the script became even more interesting as it progressed.
Nogi commented that director Katagiri is "overflowing with talent." Director Katagiri worked on "SPY×FAMILY CODE: White: The Movie" and has now been selected to direct the TV anime series "LONA."
Nogi-san and Director Katagiri are extraordinary. All I can say is, just go and see it (laughs). I myself am really glad that this team is working on my first original TV anime series. When I see the storyboards and character designs that come in, they far exceed my expectations, so I look forward to it every time.
Director Katagiri's production method is a little unusual. Ms. Nogi writes the script, I draw something like image boards, and then we finalize the script. It's a different way of making anime than other anime, but production is progressing smoothly.
Nogi, who is taking on the challenge of creating the original story and script for a TV anime for the first time, has gathered a group of passionate and up-and-coming top creators. How will the "expressions that can only be achieved through animation," which have been carefully woven step by step over many years, come to fruition in the form of visuals? Expectations are soaring for the broadcast in Spring 2027. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
