"Weekly Shonen Jump" serialized work "Hell Teacher", which once sparked a boom in the ghost theme with original manga and TV animation in the 90s of the last century, has recently had a new development. Not only did the original manga open the sequel, but the live-action TV series also attracted attention. The cast of the drama features Takahei Maruyama (30), and the production is held every Saturday at 9 p.m.

However, after the work was broadcast, many fans of the original work raised their own doubts. For example, the original work was set in an elementary school, but the drama was changed to a high school. At the same time, the incomparably stylish demon fox in the comics is more like a "Inuyasha" in the TV series. In the face of these doubts, recently, the producer of the TV series, Toda Ichi, also accepted an interview with the Japanese media. He confidently said that although he knew that he would encounter these criticisms, he still wanted to carry on this style.

■ "I don't think that faithfully restoring the original is a kind of justice"

Q: After the first episode of the work aired, many viewers expressed their approval, but at the same time, some people expressed doubtful opinions. In the face of such mixed reviews, what was the atmosphere like on the shooting site?

A: In the face of opinions from the community, we will give them recognition with a sincere attitude. However, for our production staff and actors, everyone still has a sense of conceit that "this is a great TV series". Therefore, the shooting environment is still very positive.

Q: Because it's based on a popular original work, it's normal for criticism to occur. This can be said to be a kind of fate.

A: It's natural. After all, it's such a famous original. Fans are supporting the original with their own unique ideas. For this reason, when they see a TV series that has changed, they are sure to generate a variety of opinions. There is absolutely no way to avoid this. We understood what you were trying to say, and we were ready to accept criticism from the very beginning.

It's just that if you want to turn a manga that was once serialized in a weekly magazine into a one-hour TV series, it is obviously impossible to achieve it without enriching the plot and incorporating more elements. In addition, "Hell Teacher" has been serialized for 6 years, so it can be called a "treasure trove of popular characters", so we want to be able to transfer these characters to the TV series as much as possible. Due to the number of episodes, we're sprinting and want the audience to experience the same joy...... For this reason, there are times when the plot has to be changed.

In addition, since it is a live-action version, it will face some insurmountable places, and many problems of the times have to be taken into account. So we thought that if we made some changes, we could make the work more interesting. I don't think it's just an act of justice to restore the original without reservation.

Q: It's true that this time the stage was changed from elementary school to high school in the original work.

A: I think the characters who appeared in the original work are elementary school students, but their mental age is closer to that of adults. Whether it's speech, behavior, or appearance, he looks like a high school student. So, if you want to put the vibrant and dynamic expression of the original game in the live-action version, then you have to let the character appear as a high school student. Compared to the past, today's young people are actually becoming younger in terms of mental age. For example, it is clear that junior high school students in the past and junior high school students in the present cannot be confused. So considering the factors of the times, it makes sense for us to make such a change, right?

Q: I can see that you have also carefully understood some of the changes when making zuò. So did you also encounter the part where the original author (original work Sho Makura / manga Tsuyoshi Okano) expressed "I hope not to change"?

A: Basically, both of them gave us a refreshing look at the new challenges we took on in the story or story. Then he said: "I hope that the character's personality will not change too much." "It's unlikely that we can replicate the image of the various characters as they are, but the inner essence of the characters · spirituality" is still well carried out.

■ Through guò immature characters, I hope that parents and children will think together

Q: The protagonist Narusuke Tsukino · Ah Ming's expression in the TV series made many viewers say they didn't understand. He recklessly dealt with students when he was clearly not commissioned, which also caused a lot of conflicts.

A: There was a scene like this in the first episode. The student complained about Ah Ming and said: "It's rare to make a debut, so shouldn't you say something beautiful at this time?" This is like the content that 'School TV series' should have.。 To which Ah Ming replied, "I don't understand what this means. "For today's adults, it's often difficult for them to articulate what they want to say. However, this also reflects the charm of Ah Ming as the protagonist. He will not hide his immaturity and imperfections from his students, which will make the characters appear more flesh and blood.

Q: In the TV series, the overlord who lives in Ah Ming's hands and coexists with him will always use his unique poisonous tongue skills to promote "sexual evil"; At the same time, Ming's mentor, Minako, emphasized the "theory of sexual goodness". And in each episode, when Ah Ming is in trouble, he will be taken to the different space where there are bully ghosts and Minako sensei. Then he fell into embarrassment in the face of the two "mentors" talking to each other...... For such a scene, many viewers also feel that there should be some meaning in it.

A: We hope that the existence of the ghost is not just an "enemy", but a "comrade" who moves forward with Ming. The TV series version of Ah Ming, in the final analysis, is a hero with countless troubles. When Minako supports his actions with sexual kindness, the overlord will reprimand and encourage him with a strong gesture. The reason why we portrayed Ah Ming in the live-action version who was confused by the mouth cannons of 2 people was to implement a challenge that could only be implemented in a TV series. And this is also the biggest challenge of this work.

In the original "Hell Teacher", Ah Ming is also a dull, unproductive, moneyless, and heterosexual character. But despite his weaknesses, they are fascinating. Although he is not perfect from the perspective of being a person, as long as there is a crisis, Ah Ming will stand up to protect the students. And in the TV series, we combine Ah Ming, who is in trouble, with the overlord & Minako who spur and encourage to make zuò, which is also a new invention.

In "Alternate Space Story", each episode will have a scene that explains the theme. This theme will be combined with Ah Ming's troubles, and at the same time, it also embodies the "thousands of troubles" that are common to equality, society, and human beings. And that's the core of the TV series. However, we don't need to give a definite answer here, and when we finish watching the TV series, if we can start a conversation between our main audience groups (parents and children), then it will be enough. It's not a matter of distinguishing between right and wrong. Although it is a campus TV series, the theme is not only limited to the school, but also has some troubles that resonate with men, women, and children, and the whole society. So I think it will appeal to a wider audience, right?

Q: Could you tell us more about the purpose of making the drama "Hell Teacher" in this day and age?

A: Actually, the ghost genre also had a good foundation before, such as "Monster King" (2010), "Monster Human" (2011), "Little Nightmare" (2012) and so on are all good examples. The dramas that Nippon TV arrange to air at 9 p.m. on Saturdays tend to be entertainment based on special effects. And the worldview of these works can only be released on Saturday at 9 o'clock. This is also a unique highlight of our show, so I felt that the original work of "Hell Teacher" was very much in line with the requirements of the program, so we wanted to make a school TV series that could be watched happily by audiences who were looking forward to the work.

In fact, the current evaluation on the Internet is still different from the views of parents and children who do not contact the Internet and just watch the works. As long as we seriously give back to those parents and children who are looking forward to "9 o'clock on Saturday", that will be enough. Rather than the topicality of the original work, we are more confident that this work is also a perfect fit for the brand at 9 o'clock on Saturday.

I'd expect a backlash on the internet, but I'm glad that fans of the original work "embody the style of a Saturday 9 o'clock work."

■ Introduction to "Hell Teacher".

"Hell Teacher" is a work originally created by Sho Makura and illustrated by Tsuyoshi Okano. It was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" in 1993~1999. In the story, Narusuke Sashino, a young teacher who goes to teach at Tong Shou Elementary School, is able to fight evil spirits with the power of the strongest "ghost hand" in his left hand. In the life of Shen Mei, he encountered various crises almost all the time. The work was released in 1996 as a TV anime, and the protagonist Kamimei was voiced by Ryutaro Shiki.