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.
