A Human Drama Under the Skin of Suspense - Interview with Tomohiko Ito, Director of Noitamina's Latest "Boku dake ga inai machi" (The Town That Only I Am Not)

The TV anime "Boku wa Dake ga Nonai Machi" (Only I Am Not There), which started on January 7, is a time-reversal suspense series that tells an unpredictable story in a nostalgic setting. 29-year-old Satoru Fujinuma, who was accused of murdering his mother in 2006, returns to 1988 through a special phenomenon called "revival" (re-screening) and pursues the truth about the case to change the future, He pursues the truth of the case in order to change the future. The original comic was ranked in the "This Manga is Amazing! and "Manga Grand Prize".
The director of "Boku Machi" is Tomohiko Ito, who directed the "Sword Art Online" series. Ito says, "This work is a human drama," and we found the key to unlocking the story from the second episode onward.

Adding an element of suspense to the story, Satoru steps into his own life.

───The original comics were ranked in the "This Manga is Amazing! and "Manga Grand Prize," what was your impression when you read it yourself?

Ito: The first time I read the original comic was when only two volumes had been published, so I would like to emphasize that it was probably before it was ranked (laughs). The production staff recommended it to me, and I was so interested in the rest of the story that I told them I would love to see it made into an anime.

───What specific aspects of the story did you want to visualize?

Ito: I was moved by the nostalgic scenes when they went back in time and the moving episodes at key points. Also, I think there are not many suspense anime, so I wanted to try it.

─ Then, what did you find difficult about it?

ITOH: It is an animation, so if it is too light-hearted, it will be too plain. I thought that was the most important point to keep in mind. Even after we started production, we were conscious of the cut layout to add an element of suspense so that the pictures would look good as an anime.

─ ─ The scene at the end of the first episode where Satoru and his mother's murderer cross paths conveys a sense of urgency.

Ito: I couldn't go back to the past like in the original story, but I thought I could see the culpability of the murderer rather than making various changes. I wanted to show this scene in a memorable way, so I added the flicker of a light bulb that was about to go out.

─ ─ The last scene where Satoru returns to 1988 in a "revival" was also impressive.

Ito: Actually, from the time we were discussing the scenario, I thought it would be okay to use a single cut for the last minute or so of the episode. I wanted to recreate the impact of opening the pages of the original story.

─ ─ From the second episode onward, there is a complex flow in which the 10-year-old Satoru acts with the spirit of a 29-year-old.

Ito: It 's a bit like "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," or rather, the story of the past is surprisingly long. I thought that the audience might forget about the present-day Satoru while we were talking about the past, so the monologue was given by the 29-year-old Satoru throughout the story. That way, Satoru has a sense of presence as the main character, and it feels as if he is always nearby. However, I did not show his appearance at all. If he appeared, it would seem as if he could return to his original state at any time, or go back and forth in time at will. Revival" is different from the ability to conveniently go back in time, isn't it?

─ ─ What do you consider as the theme of the entire work?

ITOH: There are several heroines in this work, but I think it is basically Satoru's story. As the manga editor said to me at the beginning of the first episode, "I can't see your face." "Has Satoru Fujinuma stepped into your life and lived it?" That is one question, isn't it? The theme is to create a story in which he steps into it, and I intend to make it as easy to understand as possible in the second and subsequent episodes. I believe that through the accumulation of these steps, we will be able to see his "face" at the end of the story.

─ What is your impression of the character Satoru?

ITOH: I think he is rather similar to me, so I feel I can relate to him. I often complain a lot, and I feel sympathy for him, saying, "I know how you feel when you can't talk to girls! I feel sympathy for you (laughs). I was in the fifth grade in 1988, so we are of the same generation. I feel a little emotional when I think, "We lived in the same era.


On the next page, we will talk about the cast!