In the new episode in July,"School Island" has undoubtedly won a lot of eyeballs。 And such a performance not only surprised the audience, but also aroused the attention of people in the industry. Recently, four people in the industry who are engaged in the work of animation magazines had a discussion and commented on the charm of the works.

■ The impactful opening attracts the audience

Q: Regarding the work "School Island",First of all, please talk about your impressions before the work was broadcast?

Maeda Hisa: When the anime was announced, I hadn't seen the original work, but when the original work started to be in the MangaTime KiraraForward chain, a friend said to me, "That's the Nitro+ that looks like it's going to be on Kirara this time." So for the news of animation, I don't have the feeling of "Oh, another anime that heals the soul has begun~".

Ryota Fujitsu: First of all, I read the original manga and was surprised to find that it was actually a work with this composition, but I guess it was not easy to adapt such a work into an anime. Of course, I'm looking forward to how the anime will be set in terms of "the level of storytelling".

Miyashotaro: When I heard about the animation, I honestly didn't know what it would be like. As Mr. Fujizu said, after all, it's a manga animation, so you have to take into account a lot of things that are difficult to express. I think this is a very big test of the strength of the performers.

Naoshi Suzuto: It's because I know the original work that I don't dare to watch the anime. I don't get surprised by the plot, but I always feel uneasy (laughs).

Maeda: Understood. Anyway, I was looking for that dangerous aura in the picture from the beginning (laughs).

Q: How did you feel after watching the first episode?

Fujitsu: Compared to the original work, the timeline of the anime has changed a lot, and the narrator of the work has been changed to make the structure more flexible, so even if you know the plot of the original work, you can still be interested. I think it's funny.

Q: The reversal at the end of the first episode caused a lot of repercussions at the time.

Shutu: The technique of "reversal" itself is not uncommon. The representative of TV animation should be "Sea Prince", and the same is true of "Planet of the Apes" in science fiction movies. However, in the past, it was reversed at the time of the finale, but now there are many examples of reversals at the beginning. Since the consumption of animation works has become faster, the producer also needs to capture the hearts of the audience as soon as they come up.

Fujizu: Especially in recent years, once a work has been unfolded, it has become easy to generate group discussions.

Maeda: Actually, it is.

Maeda: "Soul Eater-Zero-" and "Madoka Magi☆Magica" are surprising in terms of plot development. But "School Island" is a surprise from the "narrative technique",Although this is just a difference in details,But it's still different after all.。 It's very rare in anime to set a trap in the narrative.

Fujizu: Definitely. Although it sometimes appears in live-action movies, it is rare in animation.

Shuto: I think these trap works have become easier to make lately. Compared to the past, the time interval between the broadcast of works on different TV stations has been shortened.

Maeda: There are some works that make you want to read a quarter's worth of content in one sitting, but this one is something you can look forward to every week. Even for those who have seen the original work, after all, the animation has a unique composition, so they will care about when some key points will be revealed.

Q: I feel that although there is an original work, there are still many people who feel that "I have been fooled!" ”

Gong: I went to the preview of the first episode, and at that time, I felt that everyone had a tacit view: "watch the work, talk less". And after the first episode aired, I looked at the Twitter feed and found out that it was the same (laughs).

Fujizu: Because you want other viewers to enjoy the same impact as you.

Gong: That's right. "Because I was taken aback, I want to surprise others next time." For those who have already seen the original, there is actually such an atmosphere. Another point is that the influence of the original comics is also just right. It is precisely because it is not the kind of work that everyone knows that can achieve such an effect.

■ An alternative look for "everyday works".

Fujizu: When I looked at the animated work again, I felt that it was a work that has been passed down from generation to generation. Since the 80s, the romantic theme of "living with friends in a ruined world" has appeared, and on the other hand, this work has incorporated the elements of "everyday animation" that are very familiar to anime fans now, plus the narrative and character elements are also included, which makes people feel a lot of emotion. Well, I remembered that people always wanted to say something about miniskirts (laughs). Sure enough, this is a work that everyone will want to review.

Shuto: In terms of composition, it's the same as "Madoka Magical Girl ☆ Magic". It is important to refer to the past and open up the future with the "Honkatori" method. Madoka is quoting the "magical girl theme" to innovate.,And "School Island" is to use the content of the "daily department".

Maeda: But it's too early to become a type. There have been works such as "Azi Manga King" before, and the daily works of "MangaTime Kirara" have only been frequently animated since "Sketch of the Sun" in 2007, and it has only been 8 years ago.

Fujizu: Well, after all, there are a lot of works nowadays, and I'm afraid that just this kind of consumption will soon form a genre.

Q: Do you feel the breath of Nitro+ in this work?

Maeda: Well, most of the creators who work at Nitro+ are "homebodies", so they rarely have the idea of starting from scratch when they are creating. They delve into previous works of the same genre and create their own original creations from them. It's kind of one of their styles.

Miya: That being said, "things with style" are not very special existences. Because any work tends to borrow from previous works, to be honest, no one can make an original creation from scratch. And in this regard, Nitro+'s work is to adopt its own attitude and methodology, and personally, I feel that their work has a strong emphasis on "story".

Shuto: Indeed, from the point of view of the plot, everyone should be able to reach a consensus.

Miya: When it comes to "otaku", they give the impression of "people who enjoy details", but in fact, they also trust the plot. At least that's what I think. In this sense, the work of Nitro+ is indeed "home"...... Heck, I don't believe in the plot that much.

Fujizu: Speaking of the plot, then "School Island" embodies "human nature". First of all, the protagonists are surrounded by "those guys" who are no longer human. And the members of the school life department who live in a difficult environment need to fight in order to survive.,But at the same time, "I'm also worried that my humanity is being lost.。

In this case, Yuki, who cannot accurately grasp reality, becomes a representative of human nature, and she barely maintains the humanity of everyone around her through her smile. That's how this work is structured.

Therefore, the most important thing in that world is "humanity", and no matter what situation they find themselves in in the future, this theme will not change.

Miya: Yuki, who usually seems a little out of line, has become a representative of human nature, which is quite interesting. Maybe it's the same as Lara in the original Gundam...... Of course it might just be a joke.

■This is not a "never-ending routine"

Fujizu: The original manga also portrayed the elements of "everyday life" very well, but the anime is even more obvious. And the character design also invited Ms. Haruko Iizuka from "Jade Ring" to be in charge, which is even more exaggerated (laughs).

Miya: Ms. Haruko Iizuka's character design skills are very good. For example, the details of the gestures, and the slender waist.

Fujizu: I think it's very meaningful to have the best everyday style with the storyline.

Q: In recent years, the "daily life" department has become more popular, so why do we pursue the daily life?

Maeda: Well...... From a general point of view, both students and society have a very hard life now, so they feel that "at least they feel utopia in the virtual world". This is true even for us (laughs).

From this point of view,"School Island" also integrates this setting into the world of the work。 As long as we watch "School Island", we will know very clearly: "Why do we pursue 'everyday'? Because the smooth daily life is far away from us! ”

Fujizu: That's where I got the answer (laughs).

Miya: Nowadays, there are many works called "everyday series", and as Mr. Maeda explains, today's "everyday series" follows the form of works such as "Azi Manga King" and "Sketch of the Sun". However, the premise of "repeating time in the unchanging everyday" did not start there, in fact, it appeared in the soap operas of the 70s, or the kind of sitcom. And when this genre is presented in the form of a cute beautiful girl, I personally think that the concept of "daily department" was born.

To add a little more, the "everyday" that is different from our real life is reflected in the virtual works. And that kind of "everyday" may actually make us feel comfortable.

Shuto: Oh, isn't "Miss Conch" also a "daily life" (laughs).

Gong: The reason why "School Island" is interesting is that while continuing the style of the daily department, it also fully portrays the plot. How to say it, in fact, the plot of the work begins at the moment when the "everyday" ends. To put it another way, the focus of this work may be on "how to break through the stagnation of daily life", right? Heck, in fact, since "Lucky Star Kid", everyone has been trying to break through.

Therefore, the work is not about the "never-ending daily life", but gradually promotes the development of the plot while weaving the daily atmosphere.

Q: What do you think about the roles?

Gong: I think Mi-kun is a great character. Of course, the other characters are also very charismatic......

Fujizu: As far as my explanation is concerned, Mi-kun in the anime is the real protagonist. She is in the same position as Nobita in "Doraemon". The Doraemon in "Doraemon" is a symbol of the worldview, but it is Nobita who drives the development of the plot. In "School Island", the character of Yuki symbolizes the "world view", and the relative Mijun is like Nobita, in a position that causes entanglements.

Maeda: That's why the timeline was changed in the anime, so that Mi-kun appeared in the first episode.

Gong: Let's take a look at the thong she wears. The moment I saw that, I was sure she must be the protagonist (laughs).

Together: (laughs).

Maeda: Also, I'm very concerned about the response to this work abroad.

Fujizu: I don't know if foreign audiences will be able to accept it.

Shuto: Mm-hmm, no doubt yes.

Maeda: I think it's acceptable. It's just that our senses are actually paralyzed. Japan has also had "such a cute character, how can you encounter such a thing in this setting!" But as far as people from abroad are concerned, using such a style of painting to describe such a setting, they may feel that it is difficult to form a unified world view in terms of setting and plot development.

If the foreign makers adopted the setting of "girls living in a collapsed world and surrounded by zombies", then it should be shown in a more realistic way and painting style, right? AND CHIBA SADORU-SENSEI'S STYLE OF PAINTING IS REMINISCENT OF THE CUTE WORKS OF ORDINARY "EVERYDAY WORK". Then people abroad may think that the work is full of mysteries in terms of concept.

Fujizu: In other words, how can things that are not logical be accepted by people abroad?

Shutu: After all, this is also a matter of inheritance. What kind of influence do the works of the "Everyday Series" have overseas? While veteran anime fans should be able to understand, others are ......

Gong: I'm a little bit of a hiccup, but a few days ago, I went to interview director Akiyuki Shinbo because of a certain magazine. At that time, I asked him, "How did you grasp the works of beautiful girls?" To this, the director of the new house replied: "In the past, the best thing we did as animators was beautiful girls and machine qì people. But after that, unconsciously, the "machine qì people" were gone, and only the "beautiful girl" remained. Since then, commercial animation in Japan has been in such a state, and now before making any work, the first thing that comes to mind is "Bishoujo". The director said, "What we think about is what to combine with the beautiful girl to make the work interesting." ”

It's true that for overseas audiences, "School Island" may feel unusual to them, but from the perspective of the Japanese people, it's actually quite natural.

Maeda: Oh, I deliberately stirred up this topic just now, but to be honest, I didn't feel any disobedience when I watched it (laughs).

■I hope to be able to look forward to "roles" in the future.

Q: Let's go back to the original topic, can you tell us more about this work?

Maeda: It's a breakthrough at the creative stage, so I think it's an interesting style from a critic's point of view. In addition, it is interesting enough from a work about human nature. And it also emphasizes the elements of "everyday cute girls". In that sense, it's a work of diversity. And when I said this, I once again sighed: there is really a very detailed calculation in the work.

Fujizu: Oh, Mr. Maeda's comments are very good (laughs). But in this way, it should be a "very smart animation".

Maeda: Yes, but it's not good to be too calculating.

Fujizu: I hope that there will be breakthroughs in other places.

Miya: Eventually, it will become a live-action version.

Together: Hey~!

Fujizu: That's still a calculation!

Miya: So you ended the work with a special show starring a voice actor? In this case, this work will really be a model of unique style (laughs).

Fujizu: Oh, it's not good to just emphasize style (laughs). That's not what we want! For example, how about making a zizuò anime that doesn't have "those guys" appearing?

Gong: It's like "EVA Hilarious School".

Fujizu: Yes. The relaxing animations are also good, and once you enter the realm where the charm of the characters alone determines the winner, it may open the door to a new world. If you just make the audience feel like they're being calculated, that's not going to work.

Shuto: Indeed, I would like to see the character list further.

Miya: Personally, if there were any breakthroughs in the characters, it would be very interesting. In this sense, the key to mastering the work should be the role of Sister Li. She's the head of the "School Life Department".,So there's also a situation where the spirit is pushed to a desperate situation.。

Maeda: And ...... How about wearing a "chest belt" for Yuki-chan?

Miya: You're all voice actors' NETAs, aren't they!? (Hestia and Yuki are both voiced by Kei Mizuse)

Maeda: Isn't it okay to put the voice actor's thing NETA in? …… Okay, I just think today's topic is too strict, so let's lighten the mood (laughs).

Miya: Then let's look forward to Yuki's chest strap!

Broadcast to Tencent**