Drawing up to the end of the original work! TV anime "WORKING! Interview with Director Yumi Kamakura

WORKING!", a four-panel work manga set in Wagnaria, a family restaurant that exists in Hokkaido, Japan. . Sota Kotoyu loves tiny and cute things, Popura Taneshima has a complex about her short stature, and Mahiru Iha has a phobia of men and beats up any man who comes near her. The turbulent daily lives of these overly unique store clerks became popular, and in 2010, the long-awaited TV anime began, followed by a second season in 2011, "WORKING'! in 2011, and the third season, "WORKING!!!" began airing in July 2015. began broadcasting in July 2015. Since the original work has already been completed, this work has been attracting attention as to how far it will go in the anime. This time, we conducted a direct interview with the director of the third season, Yumi Kamakura. We asked him about various topics, including his commentary on the first episode, for which he served as storyboard and director, the local stories he incorporated because he is from Hokkaido, and the future storyline, which we are anxious to see.

Aiming to be a well-balanced director

--First of all, please tell us how you got the offer.

Kamakura: I participated in the first season as a storyboard artist and director for episode 6, and that episode was well received. Since this was my first time directing a TV series, I thought that I would be able to direct a more in-depth production of "WORKING! I decided to accept the offer because I thought I would be able to direct a more in-depth production for "WORKING!

--You have worked on a wide range of anime genres, from evening programs for children to late-night programs for anime fans.

--Do you have any works that marked a turning point in your career as a director?

Kamakura: When I was a newcomer, I was just rushing around trying to make as many films as I could, and it was after four or five years that I faced a wall. It was around that time that I got involved in "Inazuma Eleven" as an assistant director, and that was a chance for me to overcome the obstacles. Inazuma Eleven" has a lot of human drama, just like "WORKING! I felt that my experience with this work expanded the range of my ability to express myself. I was also able to get a feel for what it takes to work on a variety of works through my work on "Kannagi" and "So La, No, Wo To" at A-1 Pictures.

--Are there any senior members who have had an influence on you?

Kamakura: Mitsuru Hongo was the director of my first production. I hope to bring out the charm of the work in the third season.

--What is the appeal of "WORKING! What is the charm of "WORKING!

Also, when I was storyboarding the original story, I often found that the dialogue and the expressions of the characters were often different, and I was reminded of the fact that the characters were making such faces when they were saying those lines. I was often reminded of the world view of Ms. Carino Takatsu. The worldview of Mr. Kalino Takatsu is a little different from the usual nuances, and the subtle shifts and unique pauses lead to an interesting, non-template-like quality. I would like to express that subtlety.

From Popura's point of view, "WORKING! world from Poppura's point of view

--Since the first season of "WORKING! You have participated in "WORKING!" since the first season, and this is your first TV series as a director, so you must have been under a lot of pressure.

Kamakura: No, I am not really aware of being nervous. I think I am even enjoying it. is a work that has been cultivated over the course of the series and has a sense of security. I hoped that I could add my experience from the first season to it and put my own direction on it.

--What do you mean by "your direction"?

Kamakura: That's right. For me, "WORKING! I heard that in the second season, each episode of the original four-panel story was used as an episode. This time, I told the series director, Mr. Takao Yoshioka, that I wanted to include eye catches and break up the episodes into separate episodes. I thought it would be better for the tempo and balance if I used eye-catching scenes for the other episodes.

However, we made sure that there is a key scene in each episode. It is absolutely necessary to have a "core" that can be expressed in a single word that describes what kind of episode this is. After watching the episodes, we pick up the characters in each episode so that the viewer will be aware of things like "This time it was a 'Taka x Ina' episode or a 'Minegishi' episode," and we try to maintain a balance throughout the entire third season. I try to keep a balance in the entire third season.


--The director himself was in charge of storyboarding and directing the first episode, "Wagnaria Senzensen no Ibasho" (No Change in the Wagnaria Front).

Kamakura: I have the image that the director is supposed to do the storyboarding and directing for the first episode. It is the first time I can show what I want to do with the series, and it also allows the other directors and animators to understand that this is the direction I want to take with the series. I believe that it also makes the production team aware of the axis of the series. Many of the directors I have worked under in the past were in charge of the first episode by themselves, and I had never thought of entrusting it to someone else.

--I was surprised to see that the first-person perspective of the avant-title scene, which is before the main story, is from the perspective of Tanejima.

Kamakura: In the second season, Popura's whole body was not in the frame, but only her face popped out from the bottom of the screen to express her petite figure, and in the third season, we wanted to pay homage to that but with a different introduction. If we used images of Kotoyu or Iba, they would be viewed from a normal height and would not have the same impact. We thought it would make sense to show the world of Wagnaria from Popura's height.

I thought it would make sense to show the world of Wagnaria from Popura's height, and to introduce the characters by taking them on a tour of the entire store. Coincidentally, the sixth episode of the first season, which I was in charge of, also began with a subjective viewpoint, which I didn't realize until someone pointed it out to me. Episode 6 was a situation where Kotori Yu's father was filming, and the content was to show the Kotori Yu family from his point of view.

--I remember that when Yamada's brother climbs down from the tree, the camera follows the whole sequence of his movements without cutting to the scene.

Kamakura: I thought that by showing the whole body from a camera angle and then showing the landing with exaggerated movements all at once, I could bring out the stupidity of the Yamada brothers. I could have cut the scene to improve the tempo, but I chose not to do so in order to express the personality of the character. Since this was the first time the film was being made, we consciously included scenes that would have been difficult to depict.

We were able to create such a screen because of the presence of Shingo Adachi, the character designer and chief animation director. No matter how difficult the angle, I trust that Mr. Adachi would be able to draw it. It may sound arrogant to say "he will draw it for me," but I am very grateful. So I leave a lot of the drawing to him. Mr. Adachi has been involved in the entire series of "WORKING! During that time, he also worked on "GALLIREIDONNA" and "SWORD ART ONLINE" and other works in between, so his style of drawing changed.

He also gave us various ideas to change our approach. For example, we changed some details, such as making the eyes of the characters a little shinier.

Mr. Adachi also added a playful touch that was not included in the storyboards. For example, in the scene where Kotoyu is fussing with the girl, he made it look like she is swinging around, or when Yachiyo and Soma are talking, the girl is glancing at him. ...... These parts were fun and very helpful.

The supervisors of each episode are also very talented. They include Gou Suzuki, Katsuhiko Kitada, Masatetsu Takiyama, Tomoya Nishiguchi, and Mayuko Nakano, who worked with us on "Inazuma Eleven". Once I get used to these members, I even wonder what I should do in the future (laughs). You all know other "WORKING! and many of them said they would love to participate. I was able to reaffirm the popularity of the work from such a point of view.