Script meeting where 20 people share their opinions. Creating a New "Monstar" with a Wide Audience - Interview with Takayuki Hamana, Director of "Monstar Anime

MonSt Anime" finally began distribution on April 1, 2017. In this second season, the length of each episode on YouTube has been expanded from approximately 7 minutes to 10 minutes, and new characters have been introduced to show dynamic monster battles in a mixture of 2D and 3DCG animation. This interview with director Takayuki Hamana, who is at the helm of the project, provides a glimpse into the unique production process of "MonSt," which takes advantage of YouTube's unique characteristics.

The unique "range of play" of "MonSt" that cannot be realized in TV animation

───Please tell us how you came to direct "MonSt Animation".

Hamana: The impetus came from an invitation from Hiroma Ohgami, a producer at Yokohama Animation Lab, which is co-producing the film. He used to work for Production I.G and we had worked together before. We had talked at that time about doing something together again, and I think that's why he asked me to work with him this time. It had been about 10 years since we had worked together, but I trusted his character so much that I accepted the job.

─ ─ What was your impression of the "Monster Strike" content?

Hamana: I knew the name, but I had never played the game until I joined the production, and there had been the first season of the anime and the movie before that, so at first I wondered how I would get involved. But since I was invited to participate in the production, Mr. Ohkami must have thought that I would be a good fit for the job, so I went into the production thinking that I would live up to his expectations in my own way.


─ ─ What is director Hamana's typical style of filmmaking in this film?

Hamana: I myself like comedic and hot-blooded battles, and anime that can be watched by the whole family, so for this second season, I would not say that the episodes are complete, but I would like to make it a wide-open anime that is easy for the audience to get into. I would like to make it a work that is easy for viewers to understand and establish themselves. However, I want to make sure that the format does not become rigid. I think the interesting thing about this work is that there is a "range of play" that can be added as long as it is an element that can be enjoyed.

─ ─ What do you mean by the "range of play" that is unique to this work?

Hamana: Perhaps it is the same with the "MonSt" project itself, but the footwork is very light. In a normal TV animation, the director and series director play a central role in deciding the story, and the staff moves along that path. In the case of "MonSt," however, there are a wide range of possibilities for the director, as if various paths are prepared for him. There is an atmosphere in which it is OK to go off on a slight tangent. So we can see the real reactions of viewers and make changes that would not normally be possible. In that sense, I think YouTube is a great match for us.

───The ability to reflect the viewer's voice in the work is a rarity in recent anime.

Hamana: For example, let's say there was a gag that suddenly became a hot topic this week. We can incorporate it into the next week's anime at the drawing level. Of course, it's hard work for those of us who produce it (laughs). But if the audience enjoys the work, then all the hard work is worth it, and I think "MonSt" allows us to share a live experience with our viewers.