Chinese animation is hot right now!　Commemorating the completion of the first season of "Silver Grave Guardians," Animation Studio E Joy ・Interview with the Producer

In recent years, the number of Chinese animation productions has been increasing.

One of the best examples is "Guardian of the Silver Grave," which began broadcasting in April and features a story in which the main characters battle it out in an online game world.

And so it should be. In addition to the main staff, including Masahiko Okura as director and Hidefumi Kimura as series composition, a number of popular creators participated, including Toshifumi Kawase for the screenplay and Shigeyasu Yamauchi and Toshiyuki Kubooka for storyboards. The cast also includes big names such as Jun Fukuyama, Ami Koshimizu, Nana Mizuki, Daisuke Hirakawa, Daisuke Namikawa, Satomi Akezaka, Ouko Goto, and Takayuki Sugo!

The first season of this work recently completed its broadcast. The second season has already been announced.

We spoke with producer Tang Yunkang of Emon, the studio that produces the series, about the story behind the production of "Silver Grave Guardians" and the differences between Chinese and Japanese animation.

Producing and broadcasting in Japan" is the strength of the animation brand.

--Tencent's webcomic "Silver Tomb Guard" is a novel attempt to produce an anime based on the original story by Japanese staff.

Tang: At first, we planned to produce the animation in China, but in order to achieve a higher quality, we first approached Korean staff. After that, we decided to produce the film in Japan because Japan has the most amazing technology for animation expression. I had always wanted to produce animation in Japan if I had the chance.

--I heard that animation production has been flourishing in China recently, but 3DCG is currently the mainstream, and the accumulation of hand-drawn 2D animation technology is not yet complete. Is that the reason why "Silver Grave Guard" was made into a 2D animation?

Tang Yes, that's right. Compared to Japan, 2D animation in China is still in its infancy, and I think it is wonderful that Japan already has decades of experience.

--I think it is wonderful that Japan already has decades of experience in this field. What was your strategic intention there?

Tang Among the animations we handle, some are developed in China first and then brought to Japan, while others are developed simultaneously in Japan and China. The aim of simultaneous development in Japan and China is to promote the program, and the fact that "this anime is also broadcast in Japan" will motivate fans in China to watch it. Eventually, we aim to make it possible for everyone in the world to watch Chinese original anime at the same time via Japan.

--Tang: Is it your judgment that "being broadcast in Japan" and "being produced by Japanese staff" have brand power?

Tang: Yes. When selling animation from China to foreign countries, it is easier to expand internationally if it is produced and broadcast in Japan.

--As for Tencent's original web comic, "Lingjianzan" was also produced by the Japanese animation studio Studio Deen, and was simultaneously developed in Japan and China. So "Silver Grave Guard" is also part of this larger strategy.

Tang That's right. Although we are directly in charge of the production this time, I believe that we will continue to invest in animation and develop it in an even bigger way in the future.