On November 15, 2014, the theatrical version of "ExpelledfromParadise-" was officially released. This is also Toei Animation's long-lost theatrical original work. In addition, the production of zuò this time uses full CG zuò, which also caused a lot of discussion some time ago.

The project for this work started five years ago, and the lineup was led by industry celebrities Seiji Mizushima (Fullmetal Alchemist, Mobile Suit Gundam 00) and Gen Hibuchi (Madoka Maguadoka ☆ Magic, Psychometrician). However, it is very interesting that the two have achieved their first collaboration on this work, so how will they pursue "novelty" in the face of this original theatrical version of the animation? Recently, some Japanese media conducted an exclusive interview with the two, let's see what kind of secret will be revealed!

■"Paradise Chase" is a work of novelty, and the beginning of this project is......

Q: I have already seen the work in advance due to the need for an interview. However, this work is still quite different from what I expected.

Abyss: If you can think so, then it's an honor.

Q: The plot is very full. What was the reason for this project?

Abyss: That was almost five years ago. At that time, Koichi Noguchi of Toei Animation wanted to make a full 3D version of his work, so he asked us about the technical aspects.

Then we made a proposal. But when it came time to actually start writing the script, it was necessary to work with the director. So I put my work down for a while and thought, "I'll move on when the director is chosen." "Later, I asked Mr. Mizushima to be the director. When did that come about?

Mizushima: I was working on "UN-GO" at the time, so it was about 3 or 4 years ago, right? When the first consultations were held, it was probably that period.

Q: This project was announced for the first time at the 2012 Tokyo International Anime Carnival. At that time, we were really surprised to see such a poster posted in the venue of Toei Animation. Was the project going smoothly at that time?

Mizushima: No, not at all.

Abyss: That's a poster with only words, right?

Mizushima: Well, we made this poster. When it was decided that I would be the director...... I was thinking about how to move the plot forward. So at that time, I met with Mr. Xuyuan. Since Mr. Noguchi said that we could inform everyone in the media about the process and progress of the work, which might make the audience look forward to it even more, we chose the time to announce it as early as possible.

At that time, the development of the character had not even begun, so when it came to making a poster, I was sure to be faced with the question "What the hell are you drawing?" ". So I thought, "Let's make the most of the paper materials and use words to make zuò." ”

Q: Mr. Kirbuchi is from Nitroplus, and this time the anime is produced by Toei and the director Mizushima joins. This is definitely a big surprise for the animation audience. So is Director Mizushima also proud to be a participant?

Mizushima: When I heard that I was going to collaborate with Mr. Hibuchi and that Toei was going to make the zuò anime, I was shocked. Then I felt very clearly, "Ah, this must be a project that needs to be born out of innovation." At first, I thought, "In other words, we need to have Toei's style, but we can't stick to Toei's animation." That's a lot of fun.

Mr. Xuyuan and I also had some personal friends before. And he can create works with a lot of story, so I thought for a long time that if I had the chance, I would definitely work with him.

Abuchi: This is a smooth sailing cooperation.

Mizushima: We both had the feeling that we would be able to work together so soon.

Q: Did Director Mizushima have any premonitions that he would want to work with Mr. Hibuchi in the future?

Mizushima: We haven't been friends for many years, and we haven't had a long-term relationship. It was only in the second half of "Mobile Suit Gundam 00" that I was introduced to Guò by a friend. But at that time, I already knew that Mr. Xuyuan had started anime. And the later "Magical Girl Madoka ☆ Magic" has attracted so much attention, and I can only sigh at this: Amazing! It was during the period when we were preparing for this work that Mr. Kubuchi became a big man.

Q: So what kind of existence is Toei Animation for Mr. Hibuchi?

Abyss: Well, I didn't think about it at all. Rather, in a new pattern, starting from technology research and development to create works little by little, the impact on me is greater.

Q: On the contrary, although this time we are pursuing new ideas, how do you think we should express this new ideas?

Xuyuan: This time, we're pursuing innovation in video technology, so the plot is a royal work. I don't think we can go off the rails on this issue.

Q: Is it locked to the character? It can be seen that this work has carried out in-depth excavation of the characters. What is the purpose of this?

Kirbuchi: After all, it's a two-hour theatrical project, so I think it's better to have as few characters as possible.

Q: What do you think about the director? If there are more characters on the stage, the scene will certainly be more gorgeous. But if there are fewer characters, it may be easier to express xiàn, right?

Mizushima: It's true that I've done a lot of group dramas before. However, in the period from the draft to the first draft, I initially planned to make an animation of about 70 minutes. Because of this, I thought it would be better to have fewer characters at the time.

Lines are very important and must fully reflect the power of lines. So instead of desperately trying to catch up with the plot, it is better to let everyone see the tempered lines.

Some of the scenes are portrayed in the usual way of a road movie, but from a technical point of view, the soy sauce characters are not so easy to make. We also encountered a lot of difficulties on the spot.

Q: You mentioned the road movie just now, in fact, this work not only has the style of a road movie, but also reflects the color of western cowboys, and there are also some SF elements. It feels like reassembling the precious legacy of past works in this era. Do you really think so?

Abyss: No, I didn't think of that many things, but it just seemed like that.

Mizushima: When we were negotiating, there were a lot of discussions about MADMAX. And when we consider the question of "how to represent the world of the characters on the earth that has been ruined by nanomachines", I am afraid that the answer will naturally come to us.

■What is the meaning of the title "Paradise Chase"?

Q: Let me ask some core questions: In this episode, there are people who abandon their bodies and those who contrast with them. Does this also involve Mr. Xuyuan's thoughts on today's society?

Abyss: That's a variety of topics. I often think that I wish I could be a person who is tolerant of diversity. And if you want to convey this kind of message directly to everyone, you need to use guòSF means. Therefore, when faced with the question of "what does a person have to become a human being", I hope to tell everyone that you must know how to be tolerant.

Q: Does this also include your criticism of society?

Abyss: I didn't think about criticizing such a lofty thing. However, with the spread of the Internet, do people become tolerant of diversity? Or is it that everyone's equipment is getting smaller and smaller? Now I have a bad feeling every day.

Technology is linked to the needs of people all over the world, so many people dream that "in this way, the earth will become one". But at the same time, our self-consciousness is very narrow, and under this awareness, our generation ushered in the Internet age. Isn't such a flaw the opposite that leads to a sad opposite? In fact, as long as you have similar interests, do you need to care what the other person is? Whether it's humans or those monsters, as long as they can communicate well, then they can become friends? I think this kind of love may be touched on in this work.

Q: The title of a theatrical version is proposed by you, and we as the audience just need to accept it. But at the end of the day, the title "Paradise Chase" is very meaningful. How did this come about, and what does it mean?

Abyss: I was originally going to use it as a subtitle. And I started to think that the title must be changed, and they told me to "just use this". At that time, I was like, "Huh!? "The earth has cried out.

Mizushima: Angela is in the society of Diva. There are some inherent safeguards in this society, so in a sense, as a world, it is very appropriate. So how to represent a world like Xiàn has become a problem that we need to consider.

At this time, someone asked: So in the title of "Paradise Chase", it should imply the meaning of paradise = Diva, right? If we continue to use the title proposed by Mr. Xuyuan, it should give people the power of reflection. So I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice to chase after the park?" "Of course, I'm not very sure that Diwa is really a paradise, so at the end of the day, is Diwa a paradise or is it a paradise on earth? I feel very much nostalgic. I also discussed this with Mr. Xuyuan. When we flexibly chose the script and considered the meaning of the title, we suddenly realized that "Paradise Chase" was a great title, so we said to him, "Mr. Xuyuan, what do you think of the title?" I think 'Paradise Chase' is great. ”

Although the title says "Paradise", why is Diva a paradise? If you can think about our intention to incorporate the title into the title, then it will also be a great blessing for us.

Q: When it comes to SF, people tend to think of machine qì people; When it comes to beautiful girls, people will consider incorporating a lot of elements of late-night animation. However, this work does not seem to deliberately emphasize these customary elements, how do you think about the balance of the work?

Mizushima: When the script was decided, we thought it was a straightforward story. So how do you attract the attention of the audience? In this regard, I emphasized from the very beginning: it is better to make girls look cute. Although Angela is set at the age of 25~30 years old from the perspective of the plot, she has the amount of knowledge that only people in their 30s and 40s have. However, when we consider using the body of a 16-year-old to represent her, it means that the ideal age for her is actually 16 years old.

To show this, we drew a version of the sexiest possible. In this regard, Mr. Xuyuan also said, "The slit on the costume is higher. ”

Since the person who wrote the script thought so, we also proposed to "make her breasts bigger" and "make her look more cheerful". As for Dinger's setting, in the creative process, he also showed a tendency to "can't be a perfect handsome guy". From the very beginning, we reached a consensus on the balance between the story and the picture, and then we completed the production along the way.

Xuyuan: In this sense, there is a lot of unity of opinion on the scene.

Mizushima: This is because from the very beginning, everyone was very frank in expressing their opinions.

Xuyuan: Actually, when I first read the script, some people complained, "I didn't expect Mr. Xuyuan to be such a troublesome person." Then I said, "I think I'm in trouble."

Mizushima: I was surprised that Mr. Kirbuchi was able to make people feel troublesome (laughs).

Q: The scene was a bit of a joy, but did Mr. Kirbuchi feel a lot of pain in the previous stage, when he was writing the script?

Abyss: In terms of length, at the beginning, it was said that I wanted to make a 70-minute plot, but in the end it became about 2 hours long. So we discussed: should we divide it into two parts to make zuò? However, many of the highlights of this work are concentrated in the second half, so there is a situation where "if it is a two-part series, then the first part may not be very powerful". This annoys me.

Mizushima: From the beginning, I visually estimated that this plot would be more than 2 hours long. The dialogue of the characters is very individual, which makes it difficult to divide it into two parts. So I said, "I want to make it all at once." "But at that time, the construction of the two-part series really became a topic. However, for this topic, "if it is divided into two parts, it will definitely need to remove some plots, so there is a possibility that the theme will be deviated." In that case, it might as well be shorter. "This would have to be overhauled. So the two of us discussed the issue of modifying the plot structure, and finally came to the current conclusion.

Abyss: And then we just discussed "what kind of ending should the work have?" "And then it all went on smoothly.

■How to create a work with full CG animation

Q: Director Mizushima has used CG technology a lot in his previous works, including Mobile Suit Gundam 00, but this time he presented it in full CG format. So where are the difficulties, and where are the advantages?

Mizushima: Actually, the workflow this time is completely different from before. Ever since we drew the storyboard, we haven't made even one hand-drawn drawing.

Q: Is the same for layout drawings?

Mizushima: When it comes to the layout, we prepare a template that is similar to the background of the work on the 3D space or computer screen, and then put in the characters on top of that, and then we do it all with the guò camera. What was supposed to be done by animators was done by 3D artists from the very beginning. What we need to do during this period is not to communicate on paper, but to express our thoughts through verbal conversations. How do you express what you want to create to the artists? In such a situation, if you don't have good communication skills, then the on-site production will become very strict.

When we communicate, we have to find out what we have in common, look at various images, and then discuss and concretely express "Placing this camera like this actually has such and such a meaning", so as to tell others how to make it. That's how it works in most cases. On the contrary, what we need to do before is to make everything we want to do clear, which is a work that must be reasonable. So, although there are a lot of difficulties in this work, it is also very interesting.

Q: Is this also done one shot at a time?

Mizushima: That's right. But at first we just decided how to make the zuò layout. On the flip side, it was because of this that we were able to determine from the very beginning how much camera movement the artist needed, how to capture the story from a better angle, and realize that the plot was shorter than we thought. In this way, the process changes. Each shot is inspected in a state that takes the essentials of dynamic scripting to apply the elements of force and the required camera position, angle, and size of the object to be shot. That's exciting.

Mizushima: In my own words, we need to think deeply about how we can change our work efficiency in the future. and the need to think about how to tell the artist about his intentions. Every artist has a different ability to understand, so I had to try to practice it first, thinking that "if I talk to this person, I should use this kind of expression." 2D animators, on the other hand, need to think about how to develop their ability to understand the artist's intentions. This can only be done after a long period of cultivation, and it is also very great.

■The voice actor lineup has been decided from a very early stage

Q: Next I would like to ask you about the voice actors, this time did you record and then make zuò?

Mizushima: Normally, movies and other works are dubbed once just after the storyboard. After trying to dub, the length of the entire movie will be adjusted according to this, and it will be verified that there will be any problems with the plot structure. This time, the voice actor lineup was decided very early, so Mr. Miken, who was the sound director, said, "If you have time, you can start recording right away, right?" ”

Then we got the consent of Mr. Shinichiro Miki and Ms. Rie Nailiya, and we started recording the lines from the storyboard stage.

Mizushima: Based on the recorded sound, we continued to develop the visuals, and then used the finished images for the official recordings. So we recorded it a total of 2 times. Therefore, these two people first used their acting skills to flesh out the role, and then continued to play their acting skills on this basis. I discussed this issue with Mr. Miken a lot, but in the end I decided to do it all over again.

I think it's a very hard thing to do. And it is precisely because we have such a grateful work site that there will be people who are willing to pay such hard work.

Q: I think the characters in this work are very close to the images of Miss Nail Palace and Mr. Miki. The two overlapped.

Abyss: We must have been thinking about the character's voice since before we created the first draft, right?

Mizushima: That's right. At first, I was building the framework and developing the visuals, and then I thought to myself, if I had to let this voice actor perform like this, then the role would definitely be acceptable. So at a very early stage, he told Mr. Xuyuan, "I hope that Miss Nailiya will play Angela", to which Mr. Xuyuan also said, "This is really good." ”

Mizushima: In this way, every line of the character allows us to imagine what kind of emotions the voice actor should pronounce, so naturally, my performance plan was established. Because we have a clear purpose. So in a sense, there is a feeling of copying. I think I'm afraid that at the moment when it was decided to let Miss Nailiya play, Mr. Xuyuan also had his own plan in his heart.

Mr. Miki was the same, and I discussed it with Mr. Xubuchi, "In terms of the balance of the characters, Mr. Miki should be a good fit." I'd be relieved if I chose him, and he's also a trustworthy actor, right? Mr. Xuyuan agreed, "Ah, this does fit." ”

As for the Frontier Setter, we discussed it with each other: "It's a slightly chilly sound, but it's often stirring. Then after trying to dub, we had a discussion of "I want Mr. Hiroshi Kamiya to play it". Therefore, only Mr. Kamiya did not participate in the trial voice acting, but appeared in the official voice acting.

Q: Is Angela the protagonist this time? Or does it include Dinger?

Mizushima: It's both.

Xuyuan: It's a road movie, after all.

Q: What kind of character does each character belong to?

Abyss: In one sentence, bureaucrats and outlaws. However, from the perspective of partners, this is also a pair that can be called an iron plate. And this combination is even more extreme in the story of SF.

Q: Under such a premise, how should the director draw the characters?

Mizushima: What's interesting about Angela is that her actual physical age is different from her original age. And she is actually a kind of number jù, so her real age is very vague. Angela, on the other hand, is a character who packs a number of jù into a physical container, so there are some things that are not very real.

On the contrary, due to the NanoHazard crisis, if you can't survive vigorously on the ground, then you certainly can't survive. And Dinger is such a man, so how should he be portrayed with extreme survival experience? I think very carefully about this balance. Dinger is more experienced than we say, so he is a mature adult mentally. However, when facing Angela, in terms of real age, Angela may be older than Dinger.

■From the very beginning, I wanted to create a story that would not die

Q: Can you tell us about some of the things in this work that would be more interesting if you noticed?

Xuyuan: I guess this is the first time I've ever shown you an entertainment work in a straightforward way. I'm just here to show you that this is the entertainment I imagined. And this work exemplifies this very well. I didn't think too much about the complexities, I worked intuitively, and I got the finished product.

Q: Is it because when you accept a job, the other party asks you to "make a very straightforward and uncomplicated work"?

Abyss: No. They said, "You can do whatever you want," and I tried it and created this.

Q: This kind of work gives the impression of an American SF, or a 90s OVA.

Xuyuan: Haven't I shown everything related to that aspect directly this time?

Q: May I ask a gimmicky question? Is Mr. Void's script black this time? Or is it white?

Abyss: Isn't it pure white?

Q: What does the director want to say?

Mizushima: When I was creating the story, I used to say, "I want to make a story that doesn't kill people." "A lot of people have a preconceived understanding of us, but if we make something that is unique to us, it will be surprising and interesting. And when we pursue a very straightforward and straightforward work, we can embody such a purpose. Also, it's rare for the two of us to work together, so I'm always thinking: how to use Mr. Xuyuan's script? I think I can use my own understanding to make the work very straightforward. So I hope you can enjoy it to your heart's content.

Also, we've put a lot of effort into making Angela look very cute, so I care if that makes people buy it. And this time, the power of the animators has also created something amazing. Everyone worked so hard and it's really great.

Q: Thank you both for your time today.

This work, which was officially released on November 15, has started with very good results. According to official statistics, 17,274 people attended the movie during the first weekend, and the box office revenue reached 29,194,600 yen. In particular, Shinjuku Theater 9 is crowded. From the 15th, the performances from morning to night were all full, and this momentum continued until the 16th. So as to be able to witness everyone's attention to Cheng dù.

Since this work was only released in almost 10 theaters, such a result can definitely be called "popular". The initial box office of this work also surpassed the previous "Ghost in the Shell S.A.CSSS3D" (22.66 million yen). In the face of such a good momentum, many people in the industry are also optimistically estimating that the final box office performance of the work may exceed 100 million.

Another topic worth paying attention to is that the theatrical limited Blu-ray products were also sold out in two days. It seems that the combination of Old Void X Water Island does bring powerful energy.

In "Paradise Chase", the earth is in shambles due to the loss of control of nanomachines, and most of the humans have to leave the ground in order to survive, and then migrate to the computer world "Diva". However, in the year 2400 AD, Diva underwent a mutation: hackers from the surface world, led by Frontia Seta, invaded the area. In order to investigate the person, Angela, the investigator of "Diva", enters the physical body and travels to the surface world to meet with Dinger, the investigator on the surface. But what awaits her on the ground is a raging swarm of giant insects in the sand. Angela activates the motorized exoskeleton to take on these monsters. Meanwhile, in this desolate land, Frontia Seta is hiding herself. So Angela and Dinger join hands and embark on a journey to unravel the mysteries of the world......