At last year’s Anime NYC, we got to see a lot of cosplay, some very good anime premieres, and a couple of cool industry events as well. For instance, we were fortunate to see an industry panel given by Wit Studio with a subsequent interview to promote their season of The Great Pretender: Razbliuto.
Eugene Harng – host
Hitoshi Ito – producer
George Wada – Studio Wit president/producer
Hiro Kaburagi – director and co-writer of Great Pretender
Panel
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*Why is Dorothy the focus of the show?
She was seen at the end of the first show so we wanted to delve more into her background.
*We wanted to show uncool side of fat con man from first series
*New characters designs are shown
*What is Makoto Edamura role in the new animation?
He’s on a break after 1st series. Now on quest to find world’s greatest coffee bean
*In Japan it will premiere on DMM TV, and AProd Africa, coming to theaters in North America
*How long does it take to get a show from concept to finished production?
For Wit – 3 years
*Wada says go to Wit Studio social media
*What part of the creative process do you find most rewarding?
Seeing characters alive and moving.
*The new series will be shown in theaters. How is this working?
That is a great question have to keep under wraps for now.
Interview
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1. How many locations did you visit to prepare background drawings for Great Pretender?
*So as you know because of Corona, it was very difficult to travel to Taiwan, so we weren’t able to fly to Taiwan to do location hunting, but we were able to go to the locations in Japan: Kyoto and Osaka when we were creating the anime.
2. What kind of background research did you do and did you actually meet any grifters / con artists? Also, how did you create the characters’ techniques?
*So we have not met any real con artists in order to create the production. So speaking for the first two seasons, it was really the work of the scriptwriter (Ryota) Kosawa (Also the manga writer). He used all his brainpower to come up with the different plot twists and the ways of the con artists and we ran with it. This time he worked on all the con artist tricks. So Kosawa was helping as an advisor for that installation. The person who was acting as the scriptwriter for this installation was Kaburaki-san
3. It was sad to see what happened to Dorothy. Any chance we’ll see her return to form in the show? Also is there anything more that can be said about the new season without spoiling too much?
*The simple answer is yes. That’s what kind of started this project was putting her in the front. Dorothy isn’t leading the plot so much as following things that are happening around her that are caused by her presence. So that’s kind of a hint as to what it’s going to be.
4. Did you try In-N-Out burgers in L.A. and what did you think of them?
* Yes I had a cheeseburger, the Double Double and it was delicious. Also heard about the secret menu. (I told them about ‘animal-style’.)
5. What is the biggest takeaway you want for viewers of Great Pretender?
*Without getting too too serious, the fact that it’s a lively story.
6. What inspired you to create Great Pretender?
*So Wada-san approached Kaburaki-san and asked him if he wanted to do this job and Kaburaki noted it was not an easy-to-understand story. It’s difficult and for an older audience and there’s not many shows like that in Japan. When Wada-san approached him with offer Kaburagi took it on. So sometimes when think about Japanese anime they think Shonen Jump or stuff that’s more geared toward adolescents and more action oriented things. But when we think of animation we thunk of many different genres. So that aspect was in line with our desires. So Wit Studios wants to create productions that adults can enjoy and say that they’re glad they got the chance to see them. So as a studio that’s what they want to do going forward.
7. Great Pretender is like Rolling Girl a very stylized show with very bright colored backgrounds. Rolling Girls is from 2015. Great Pretender is from 2019. Did you find bright stylized aesthetic works better for this genre?
*It’s not necessarily that they planned it that way. But just that they initially received from the idea boards. It happened that they had a very similar strong style each. And then from there the rest of the team took it and ran with it. Both had a very young staff attached to each.
8. Do you think having the younger staff influenced how the show came out?
*The people involved with the first and second shows aren’t young anymore. (laughter) So that’s a hard question. So that’s where they polished their skills in the first and second seasons.
9. Is this a more fun project? Younger people like that because it’s more experimental. Is this more fun to work with? This is a more diverse art style.
*Even though the story is brighter for Great Pretender, it’s still the same hell the animators have been dealing with. For those who have been lightly working on the show, the show is probably still more fun. If the characters are interesting then it’s fun working on both whether the story is light or dark.
10. I was also at Anime Expo and I caught your panel about Suicide Squad Isekai and it blew my mind. Are there any other DC projects you’d like to do someday?
*… Yes.”
Ok. That’s cool. I don’t want to get you in trouble. (laughter). Thank you very much for your time today.
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We also got to check out the Studio Bones panel promoting their series Metallic Rouge. Moderated by Kyle Cardine of Crunchyroll, the panelists included Studio Bones President Masahiko Minami, Series producer and story composer Yutaka Izubuchi and the show’s music composer Taisei Iwasaki.
Izubuchi noted normally he would do mech designs on a show like he has on Patlabor and Gundam. For Metallic Rouge he’s overseeing the entire show. Minami added it’s “really amazing to collaborate.” It had been 25 years since Minami and Izubuchi worked together on Rahxephon. “We woked together when Bones was founded. Izubuchi-san and I have been talking about this project 6-7 years. We’re really happy to talk about it here and really want to create a new world.”
Cardine asked how was Metallic Rouge chosen for animation. Minami said it’s something to produce entire series instead of adapt and the perfect time to partner with Izubuchi, who himself noted “Minami has an for eye talent. Brings right experts in. Our history isn’t just big projects. We’ve worked on others.”
What did you want to communicate in first episodes?
“We wanted to show the relationship neans and humans. It’s a vast world there’ll be 9 neans you can’t tell from humans visually. Izubuchi Bref mentios of visitors. Aliens provided tech to humans to create neans. Second set of aliens hmans and neans fought aliens. Is now postwar world. In addition neans can’t live without nectar and are second class citizens. Sorry if we gave too many spoilers. Really want you to live and experience.”
The Gladiators look like tokusatsu. What inspired design and concept of gladiators?
Izubuchi – “I’ve worked on tokusatsu villains for 30 years. Designed different creatures. I got involved and called a friend ar Toei friend who brought more live action and animation designs. Cross pollinated both worlds for the show. Lots of designer greats here. One from Kamen Rider, one from Rangers others.”
Iwasaki-san any specific genre wanted to focus on when making music for Metallic Rouge?
“One thing I feel really is there are original leaders in series. How do I support them. It’s really a team project. There are members of music team using its process of original thought. This part goes with this scene, etc.” He was impressed with music in fight scene, inspired by Spaghetti Western. “Rouge’s journey is connected with the music theme. 10 gauge takes the concept and runs with it do amazing work. He also did Bungo Stray Dogs, My Hero Academia movie and Mob Psycho 100.” He also showed a music clip called Crimson Lightning, found here:
Noting the character design is by Toshihiro Kawamoto, Minami closed the panel and promoted the Cowboy Bebop 25th anniversary events. “You’ll be introduced to many characters and live the world with us. In Japan staff is paying attention to every detail and working hard.”
