An industry first! How is "Nocturne Boogie," a completely remote-produced animation created under the influence of the new coronavirus - interview with Morita and Junpei (original writer, scriptwriter and director)!

Have you heard of the web anime "Nocturne Boogie" currently being distributed weekly on YouTube and GYAO!

This is the latest work by directors Morita and Junpei, who worked on "Lost Song" (director, series composition, sound director, and script) and "Occultic;Nine" (series composition, in collaboration with MAGES.). (series composition, in collaboration with MAGES.), and is the latest work by Morita and Junpei.

Moreover, it was produced completely remotely as a new production style in the midst of the spread of the new type of coronavirus.

The story is an everyday drama that comically depicts an ordinary day in the life of a shared house inhabited by monsters who hide their true identities and humans who are dark hunters with a hatred for non-humans.

How did this film come to be made in a situation where there was absolutely no prospect for the future, and how did it continue to pave the way for the road less traveled? And what did Morita and director Junpei think through this work? ......

In keeping with the completely remote production of the film, we dared to conduct the interview remotely. We hope you can get a sense of this new style of animation production from the interview.

Production started with a sense of crisis over the sense of stagnation caused by the new coronavirus

Please tell us about the impetus behind the production of "Nocturne Boogie.

Morita and Junpei (hereafter referred to as "Morita and") I had always wanted to do something like a situation comedy. However, in the beginning, we thought that we would be working in the form of a so-called normal anime production, raising funds and organizing a committee (......), so we were taking our time while working on it. However, this year, the new coronavirus prevented many people from going to live shows and seeing the works they wanted to see, and we decided that this trend was not good and that we should make a new work anyway.

Normally, it takes time to make a new work, but we decided that we couldn't afford to say that anymore, so we just made a new one.

─ Morita and the director were involved in "Lost Song," which was broadcast and distributed in 2018, but did you have a project in mind at that time?

Morita and I always had some interesting ideas, even if they were dim, and we would make a kind of proposal, but "Nocturne Boogie" was one of them.

─ ─ Perhaps it is because you have always been in the live-action field, but this work has a different feel from the daily life type of late-night anime. I got the impression of an old TV show like "I Love Cats, After All," which had a script but emphasized improvisation by the actors.

Morita and I were influenced by such programs because I originally came from a live-action background, and I have wanted to do something like "The Big Bang Theory," an American comedy-drama show, for years. So I don't think it has the feel of a daily life anime.

─ ─ Why did you dare to do that in an anime?

Morita: One reason is the sense of humor. I always think about reality, but this time I wanted to create monsters and tell a story about the world of monsters, so there are a lot of restrictions if I tried to do this in live-action. On the other hand, with animation and CG characters, I thought I would be able to create whatever I wanted because I could control the amount of information.

─ ─ I thought it was interesting that this work was more like a manga with voice than a fast-moving animation, with a series of stop-motion drawings.

Morita and I ourselves don't really call it an animated film, but more like a rich picture-story show.

─ ─ This time, Morita and the director are doing all the main work, such as directing and writing the script, and there are a few outside staff members who are involved in the form of computer graphics cooperation and music production. Specifically, to what extent was the director involved in the production?

Morita: This may come as a surprise to you, but without a doubt, I worked completely on my own. I started with the modeling of the characters and wrote the textures and faces. I also take care of everything else, from layout to lighting to camera work. The part of the CG that I had help with was the costumes. To be honest, I couldn't handle the shape and weight adjustment of the costumes, how much they are affected by gravity, and how they move in relation to the character's body, so I asked a friend of mine who is a creator to help me with that.

─ You credit "Great Creators" for the CG cooperation.

Morita: This is a CG creator who is an acquaintance of mine. I am crediting them as such because they are all participating in the project undercover.

─ Is this an indoor play because as long as you have a situation and a script, you can create the rest by yourself?

Morita: That's exactly right. As long as I have time and a computer, I can create something up to this point.

─ - So how much time did you spend on the production of this work in particular?

Morita: To be honest, we didn't actually start production until after the coronavirus epidemic broke out, and that's when we started talking to the voice actors. We couldn't make the film without the cooperation of the voice actors. But everyone said it sounded interesting, so we agreed to do it, and that was around May. The first episode was released on July 10.

─ That's a very fast pace, isn't it?

Morita and I started out spending about two weeks per episode, and now we are making an episode in about one week.

─ By the way, is there something like a series structure?

Morita and I only have a vague idea. When I write a script, I think it would be interesting if something like this happened in my daily life. This guy has this kind of complex, so I can create this kind of story. Then I let the characters speak in my brain, write a rough script in a flash, and finish it by preparing it again.

───What was in your mind when you started working on it? Did you have a sense of mission, that if you didn't do it now, the industry would go crazy?

Morita and I usually receive work to make artwork, but due to the voluntary restraints caused by the new coronavirus, that work was completely lost or postponed, and I realized how easy it would be for the manufacturing industry to disappear.

Another thing is that I sometimes hold off-line meetings with my followers, and I could sense that these people were stressed because they could no longer go to the gigs they wanted to go to or see the movies they wanted to see.

I felt that this kind of trend is really not good, and I thought that it would be no good for everyone and for me if I did not continue to send out entertainment to the world, even if it is just one more picture. I think this was the biggest trigger for me.

───At a time when we are losing the opportunity to have many friends gather in one space for lively conversation, I thought that the situations depicted in "Nocturne Boogie" were paradoxically very valuable.

Morita and I really think that. Originally, I was thinking of linking it more realistically to the real world. I wanted to make it seem as if we were really living in the same time as the users by having the share house really exist somewhere, with strange people living there, and having each character have a Twitter account or something so that they can tweet and get into current events. But this time, with the outbreak of the new coronavirus, we couldn't do that anymore. And in these times, it's strange from the standpoint of the situation that we are gathering closely together. But as you said, I wanted to show that kind of appearance in a world where people cannot gather together, so I decided to make the world of "Nocturne Boogie" a world without the new coronavirus, and I wanted to show the kind of fun life we had lived until then.

─ How did you come up with the idea that the characters are all monsters, each with their own complexes?

Morita: I'm a bit of a setting maniac, so I like to create the world and the characters in any way I can. I like to create the world and the characters regardless of whether they are actually depicted or not, and as an extension of that, I think that the more they have something on their shoulders or something that is out of sync with the world, the better the drama will be. I didn't have that much in mind. I didn't consciously set out to make this film, but I thought that when people who have such complexes see it, they might laugh it off and feel positive about it.

The voice actors were recorded remotely at home at ......

─ ─ According to what you said earlier, this actual production started with an offer to the voice actors, didn't it?

Morita: Yes. After all, the characters will not move unless they are performed by voice actors.

───Did you start from the premise that you would work remotely this time?

Moritato: Yes. I like actors very much, so we have been working as a team, and I think the more actors there are, the more people will want to play the roles, so I explained my thoughts honestly first. I also told them that the way we would do it was completely remote, but that we could do it remotely because we are voice actors. It would be difficult for normal actors to do this, but in anime, we usually record without the actors, and the viewers do not feel any discomfort. When I told them that I think this would be a great chance to show off my amazing skills in creating something that you can only imagine is being acted, they all said that it would be fun.

The voice actors were also in the frustrating situation of not being able to perform, although they had the desire to do so, due to the lack of productions and postrecordings caused by the new coronavirus, so we decided to give it a try.

─ ─ The recording environment depends on the environment of each voice actor, doesn't it?

Morita: That's right. They are all different. Each of us has a completely different way of doing things. However, we would talk to each other and say, "This is the way to do it," or we would consult with each other and discuss, "This is how we are recording it. So we are very close to each other, and there is a great sense of working together to create something.

───Seiichiro Yamashita said that when he recorded several patterns and submitted them in a live broadcast program just before the broadcast, he used a version of the sound that he had not expected. Some voice actors sent in their own voices! Some voice actors just send us a single sound, while others take multiple patterns and ask us to use whichever one we like best.

Morita and Yamashita-kun sometimes send us multiple patterns, and other times they just give us a single "this" pattern. I am sure that there are others who practice many times and then send us their best edited version. I feel that everyone is paying close attention to the nuances of the pattern, and they are always willing to correct them, or to suggest new ways of doing things.

─ Personally, I was impressed that they did a good job in booking Hitomi Yoshida and Saori Hayami from blue drops. How did you decide on the cast?

Morita and I originally had a plan or a storyline in mind, so I thought about who would fit in with that, and I also thought that I could only ask people I have worked with in the past for this project. Because this is an unprecedented remote recording method, it would be difficult for both parties to work together unless there is a sense of trust. I chose someone whose acting I could trust and who would also fit the character.

─ Did the voice actors' performances enhance the already established characters?

Morita: Yes, very much so. When we actually receive voice data, as I mentioned earlier, we sometimes receive different patterns, and the actor's performance can expand the character's potential, such as "This one is more interesting," or "If we do it this way, this one has the potential to be this kind of character.

─ ─ That kind of fine-tuning is a part of being an individual producer, isn't it? Because you do everything on your own, even a single retake in cel animation would be very tedious, but with your own hands, you are able to make fine adjustments.

Moritato: That's right. For example, Yamashita plays Kiriya Kyukyu, a vampire who likes boys, and when he reacts to Kiyoshi Ourai, played by Hiroto Suzuki, I wrote a strong "Boys! I had written in the script, "Boys! But Yamashita-kun came in with a slightly sparkling "Danshi~♪" performance. At first, I had a picture of Kiriya approaching the audience, but I thought it was more interesting, so I replaced it with a comical picture of him jumping up and down. We sometimes change the picture with the performance.

─ What did the voice actors who actually recorded the remote say about it?

Morita: Everyone said it was fun, and I think it was very helpful. However, they also said that there was a certain amount of pain involved in recording at home, and that it was difficult to switch over to work mode on your own. I am sorry about that, but it's fun to exchange impressions of the performance, such as, "This is what I did here," and they send me feedback after watching the video.

We read the script on Zoom, and everyone laughs and giggles as we read the script, and we all say, "This is fun!

─ It seems like the distance between the director and the voice actors is much closer than in other productions.

Morita: That's right. I myself like the actors, and anyway, I also like discussions. It was the same with "Lost Song," but I always have my own talk corner at the beginning of postrecording, and we all get into a lively discussion about how the script was written and what we think of the story. I like that kind of thing. Thankfully, even after the production is over, we all go out to eat together and become good friends. In that sense, it is like I am surrounded by people who know each other well and share the same earnestness for making things.

Advantages and disadvantages of working almost exclusively on your own

─ ─ There is a sense of being a tripod with the actors. This time, the director writes the script, directs, and draws the pictures, which must be a lot different from previous animation productions.

Morita: If there is one advantage, it is that everything is done by me, so I can move very quickly. If we had worked as a team, I don't think we would have been able to do it at the pace we do every week. I think that even a video like that, which looks like a picture-story show, is only possible because I am the only one who makes it happen. I am the one who makes the judgments, and I am also the one who makes the moves after the judgments. In that sense, it is easier for me to do because I don't have the time to check and send retakes to the animators as a director, as is usually the case with animation.

On the other hand, I don't have the advantages that only a team can have. There is no "I've drawn this kind of picture! I don't get that kind of chemical reaction from people saying, "This guy is really interesting. I am the only one who is communicating.

─ Are Morita and the director the type of creators who completely create the world they have in mind? Or are you the type of creator who wants to combine and finish the unpredictable results of your team's work?

Morita: I think I'm more of the type that wants to create my own world. I may not give off that kind of aura to the outside world (laughs).

─ ─ In that sense, this project was a rare experience for you as a creator, wasn't it?

Morita: Yes, it is. That's why it was so much fun.

───This may sound a bit dirty, but how are you financing the production?

Moritato: This time, it is out of my own pocket.

───No matter how large the scale of the project, it still costs a lot, and this decision must have taken a lot of courage.

Morita: Yes, it was. That's why I think to myself that I made a good decision.

───How many episodes are you planning?

Moritato: I haven't set a goal, but I would like to do as many episodes as I can. I don't think I'll be able to finish it in 12 episodes or so. I feel that this project may have been the beginning of my life's work.

───This is a production full of live performance. One of the interesting features of this film is that Fanbeats allows users to inquire about advertisements and place them in the film. How is the response to this?

Morita: The awareness of the work is still low, but the core audience found it very interesting, and the first-come, first-served slots sold out quickly. The first-come, first-served slots sold out quickly, and the slots are slowly selling out.

─ Have you already reflected the results in the film?

Morita: Yes, they are. We used all the pictures that were sent to us. In addition, the characters are making fun of them.

───Is it OK for both individuals and companies to apply?

Morita: Yes, both are acceptable. Right now, we have many individuals who send us fan art, but we also accept submissions from companies. For example, we can make the sofa in the share house into an IKEA sofa, and have the characters sit on it and say, "It's so fluffy! If you put in an advertisement for a soft drink, the characters will drink it.

─ ─ Wow, hahaha!

Morita and I will make sure to incorporate it into the story as well!

─ ─ I think this kind of experimentation is something that was not possible in conventional animation.

Moritato: That's right. This time, the entire responsibility falls on me alone, so there is nothing to be afraid of. If something happens, all I have to do is collapse (laughs).

─ ─ What percentage of your life is currently devoted to "Nocturne Boogie"?

Morita: I am devoting all of my time to "Nocturne Boogie," but I also have other jobs, so after those are finished, I sometimes work until I fall asleep in the middle of the night.

Morita──That's amazing. It is just like you are running with your initial impulse. But I think there are times when a person who creates a work is in such a "can't help but create something" state of mind.

Morita: Yes, that's right. So when I was working on "Nocturne Boogie," I think I was quite high.

─ By the way, what is the current state of animation production as a whole?

Morita: Well, when the state of emergency was declared, the work was halted and we were only able to proceed with what we could while we were unable to work. For example, the animators were working on what they could do at home. However, with the development of online tools, we were able to keep in touch with each other.

There was a period of time when I completely stopped working on live-action films, and I was not sure when I would be able to resume work, so I had to abandon the whole project. But now, both animation and live-action are back to normal.

However, the postrecording process is still very difficult. The studio is very crowded, so we have to limit the number of people in the studio at a time and record one person at a time. We had to record without the other people, even though everyone's schedule was flexible. This meant that the sound staff had to work extremely long hours, and what used to take only a few hours to record became a full day's work. We were doing what we could do in the midst of all this.

─ In the midst of all this, do you think you can apply the know-how you gained from "Nocturne Boogie" to your future productions?

Morita and Oh~....... For one thing, I am currently creating images using a game engine called Unity, and my knowledge of it is growing by leaps and bounds. Various animation productions are already using Unity to create images in real time, and I think it has improved my own skills to be able to touch that part of the work.

The other thing is the connection with the actors. I think that's what makes a work possible. I think I gained a lot of know-how through the experience of working together to create the work itself, rather than just asking them to make things as I have done in the past.

─ For example, as you learn more about how to use Unity, will "Nocturne Boogie" start moving smoothly?

Morita: Yes, that's right. I actually have Unity skills, so I could do that if I wanted to, but it really depends on time and money.

However, for "Nocturne Boogie," I don't think it's necessary to go too far in the direction of animation. There are some wonderful animation production companies and works in the world, and there are also CG animations, and those works are strong. I don't see how I can compete with them, and I would rather make a richer picture story show than what we have now. I would like to make more interesting conversations, more interesting compositions, and use Fanbeats to expand my work, and I would like to take it in a direction that has never been taken before.

─ ─ Then, please give a final message to our readers.

Morita: I think we need your support and encouragement to continue the project as long as we can, not just one or two cool episodes like a regular anime, but as long as we can. I am going to continue to set up projects on Fanbeats. Until the other day, we did a crowdfunding project where we asked Yusuke Shirato, the music producer, to make a rap song that Yamashita came up with, but I would like to go further into the story and work with everyone on the production itself. I would like to create a system in which we create what everyone wants to see, like pre-ordering content, and I hope that this will expand the scope of our work.

[Film information
Nocturne Boogie

Available on GYAO! and YouTube.

Staff: Original Story, Screenplay, Director ... Morita and Junpei / Music: Yusuke Shirato

Cast: Mari Yumenaka ... Masami Seto / Kiriya Kuyu ... Seiichiro Yamashita / Rui Oubagi ... Hitomi Yoshida / Kiyoshi Sakurarai ... Yuto Suzuki / Tamako Idoyanagi ... Saori Hayami / Kariu Kageyama ...Takeshi Koyama / Narrator ...Tetsuya Tashiro

Nocturne Boogie's original song decided to be produced by crowdfunding

Lyrics: Seiichiro Yamashita, music: Yusuke Shirato

Boogie Rap Tonight

Scheduled to be distributed in the latter half of October!

(C)Story Effect Co,Ltd.