Shunji Iwai, a well-known director who has released a variety of works such as "Love Letters", "The Legend of the Mermaid", and "One Qiē About Lily Zhou", recently brought his first feature-length animated film "The Killing of Flowers and Alice". This work is a prequel to 2004's "Flowers and Alice", which he worked on as the original, script, and director, and tells the story of the encounter between flowers and Alice.

After the live-action version was so well received, why choose animation as a new format? Recently, some Japanese media conducted an exclusive interview with him, the full text of which is as follows:

■I wanted to make an anime that I wanted to see, so I had this work

Q: I'd like you to tell us a little bit about the production of "The Murder of Flowers and Alice"? This time, the form of animation was adopted, and the image tracing technique was used to create the work. So what made you decide to do this?

Iwai: When I talked to Tomohiko Ishii about the idea of the work, he said, "Let's make this work together!" "So we started restarting the series. The reason why I use video tracing and 3DCG to create zuò is also a reflection on the "development of 3DCG" for Mr. Ishii, and I am very curious about the possibilities of video depiction, so I use these two techniques in my work. I'm a director who shoots live-action works myself, so I guess it's a reason to animate the actions performed by the actors, and that's probably a reason for me to make them.

Q: In which parts do you use image tracing, and which parts do you use 3DCG technology?

Iwai: At first, we planned to use 3DCG to create the main characters, and for the supporting characters around us, we wanted to find some actors to participate in the shooting, and then we used image tracing to process them. However, the last part of the main character plot also uses image tracing technology, and there are cases where the two techniques are used entirely or mixed in the course of the story. Because image tracing is an authentic reproduction of a live-action performance, it is more suitable for full-body and small-scale performances than facial close-ups, but 3DCG is used for facial close-ups. We encountered a variety of problems in the process of making zuò, with advantages and disadvantages, so we used a variety of techniques throughout the entire 826 storyboards.

Q: The background gives me the impression of a light-toned watercolor painting, which seems to be a continuation of the previous "Flowers and Alice".

Iwai: Many of the backgrounds are complete paintings, which were drawn by art director Hiru Taguchi and the background team. We decided we wanted to use the watercolor style, and then we had to think about how to adjust the lighting to recreate the look of the previous live-action version. Mr. Takiguchi also served as an art director in Makoto Shinkai's "The Garden of Words", but we didn't need to do that this time, we simply adjusted the shadows and tones.

Specifically, since all the characters are performed in the shade, it was decided that they would make the picture in the shade. On the whole, the actors are often in places where there is no direct sunlight, and there is almost no plot of the "direct sunlight face" that is very characteristic of the anime. To do this, we need to adjust the skin tone.

Q: Normally animations add shadows to the faces of the characters, but this time there was no such thing at all.

Iwai: For example, if it's director Mamoru Hosoda, I think he deliberately uses a non-shadow approach to the face where the sun hits his face, but I do the opposite, and I don't use the effect of direct sunlight, but only the skin tone to show the light and shadow. In this way, it is very similar to the feeling of shooting under the lights in the live-action version. In addition, I used my original technology and color collection, and then adjusted it.

Q: For the staff who have been working on animation before, will there be a sense of disobedience to this approach?

Iwai: That's right. At first, everyone was disgusted. I told them: I want the skin to be the same color, and not to have any light gradation and halos. But after reading the number jù I gave, I added shadows to the whole chapter. Because they said to me, "If you don't need shadows in these places, please remove them." "So all I got were works that superimposed shadows. They may feel that their work is meaningless without a shadow.

Q: It can be said that this is the collision of ideas between each other, and it is a war without gunpowder.

Iwai: Since there is no light progression, just monochrome is used, so the process of removing shadows needs to be specified by a computer, and it can be processed instantly. And since it's monochrome, it's also fun to work with, and of course such a discovery is unexpected. Because it's so obsessed with monochrome processing, and it's not a live-action version, but a picture that needs to increase skin tones, so if you step up to the table above, there will be a sense of disobedience. Incrementing is also a matter of post-processing with a computer, so it's not a hand-drawn effect. I don't think it would look strange if it weren't for the kind of technique that can be drawn by hand.

Q: It's been a while since the last work, and Ms. Anko Suzuki and Ms. Yu Aoi have reunited with "Flowers and Alice" for the first time in a long time.

Iwai: In their minds, the images of "Hana" and "Alice" are actually mature, so I don't think there will be any problems. And this work completely subverts the way of speaking and rules of "Flowers and Alice", and it is a work that is very in line with the nature of a prequel.

I think that after reading the work, you should have the idea that it is because of these things that the plot of "Flowers and Alics" can be continued. In this sense, if you look at the work and then watch the previous work, you should be able to find some differences.

Q: Speaking of the relationship between these two people, at first glance Alice is a person who is prone to causing turmoil around her, but in fact, Hana is a character who does not play cards according to common sense.

Iwai:That's how it has been since the previous game.,Hana is a really good guy (laughs).。 "Flowers and Alice" started with a short film, and those who watched the short film may think that "Flowers is a good boy". But that's a big mistake, as long as you watch the whole movie, you will feel that your mind has been turned upside down (laughs). Hana has the trait of a stalker, and her behavior of expressing her thoughts is also very intense, and she is actually a super troublemaker.

Alice, on the other hand, is a small troublemaker, and her daily life is spent in a rhythm of tossing and turning family and friends, all kinds of people. But she's just making trouble, and she's not trying to get any benefits for herself. And our conclusion this time is that when Alice came to her senses, she had already got the flower as a friend. Alice is like the swallow in Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince and Other Stories.

Q: However, in the process, I don't care, and her attitude also gives the work a relaxed and refreshing feeling.

Iwai: What I put my hopes on her is a way of life, which means that you don't think about the pros and cons when you act, so that you can have a different experience. Modern people always overcalculate the risks and benefits before taking action. I think experience is the most valuable asset, and this child seems to put everything aside in order to experience all kinds of experiences and yarns.

It's just, is Alice a child who is unstoppable in everything? This is not the case. Sometimes although we want to do something, we will eventually be influenced by the general environment...... This part of the truth will also be reflected in her body. It is precisely because it is impossible for adults to maintain a gentle attitude towards them all, so these teenage girls can be polished to be more radiant. Perhaps they also convey the hope that we adults would not turn their glorious stage into a barren land.

Q: Finally, would you like to have a few words with you?

Iwai: If you're used to watching anime, you might be surprised by this work made by someone who has never done animation before. How to put it?,It's my favorite anime image in my mind.,And when I usually watch anime.,There's always a feeling of dissatisfaction.。 That's why I wanted to make an anime that I wanted to watch, so I came up with the work "The Murder of Flowers and Alice".

In terms of artistic effects, this work may be different from the anime you usually watch, but it is also a kind of animation, so I hope you can enjoy it in the cinema.

Q: Thank you for your time today!