Interview with WORDS in STEREO, scriptwriter of the spring anime "Yajukame-chan kansatsu nikki 4sasame" (story spun by a tripod with the original author)── Interview with WORDS in STEREO, scriptwriter of the spring anime "Yajukame-chan kansatsu nikki 4sasame".

The TV anime "Yajukame-chan Kansatsu Nikki 4same" ("4same"), set in the Tokai region centering on Nagoya, has been airing since April 2022.

It is a slapstick comedy in which the heroine, Yajukame Saichu, who is overflowing with love for her hometown Nagoya, unfolds with unique characters.
For this interview, we spoke with WORDSin STEREO, who has worked on the script since the first season and is responsible for the basis of the story of the TV anime "Yajukame-Chan Kansatsu Nikki".

─ What are some of your policies in creating the screenplay that are unique to this work?

WORDS in STEREO: "Without losing the atmosphere of the original story, and considering the scale and budget, we have to "make it as big as possible" only in Nagoya", I think this is the key.

─ Did you consult with Masamoto Ando, the author of the original work, in the production process? What, if anything, was decided after that?

WORDS in STEREO We always consult with Mr. Ando and receive his advice. In that sense, I think I can say that the script was created entirely with him.
First, let me explain the workflow. First, there is the "series composition," which is the process of deciding what episodes to pick up from the first to the last episode of the original story and in what form. I will first draft all of the episodes.
First, I submit a proposal for all the episodes, and then I consult with Mr. Ando before making a decision. Especially for the final episode, I always tell Mr. Ando, "Let's make every series memorable. For the series I was in charge of, that would be "Burning Dragons" in the first series (the first season) and "Rap Battle" in the third series (the third season). Please check ...... to see what will happen in the final episode of the "4th season" on air!

Next, the first draft of each episode will be supervised by Mr. Ando. He also gives us advice on lines and panels that were dropped from the original work, such as, "That line got a lot of attention, so let's keep it," or "This panel was very popular, so please keep it. I was working on the final draft. So I feel as if I am working with him in a tripod. I am sorry to say that he is very busy, but I would like to thank him for his time. ......

─ ─ Every time you make a story, there are a lot of local stories that are not familiar to fans who live in Nagoya.

WORDS in STEREO There are "strong" and "weak" local stories in the original works, but I try to pick out the strongest ones I can. If it is a Nagoya story, only people in Nagoya will get it. For Gifu, Mie, Shizuoka, Osaka, Kyoto, etc., we always hope to choose stories that only the locals can understand. I hope that the viewers will enjoy the fact that they don't understand the stories.

─ How did you decide which episodes to animate? Is there any episode that you "must include" in the anime?

WORDS in STEREO First of all, we will consider the episodes to be animated based on the original story. We also take into consideration the characters that appear in the series. In this process, we basically pick up the original story with a focus on Nagoya and Tokai stories, but as for me, I want to include as many niche stories as possible.
At the same time, there will be new characters, so how and in what form will they appear in which episodes? I choose episodes with this in mind.
As for the episode that I "must include," I had an idea that "Baka-ja-nya-ah," episode 22 in the fourth volume of the original work, would be interesting if it were made into a movie. So I was happy to be able to visualize it as the "third" episode.

─ What do you think are the highlights of the "fourth" episode?

WORDS in STEREO The three members of the student council are as unique as the previous characters, so that is a point of interest. With the addition of these girls, the local stories have spread beyond the Tokai and Kansai regions to the Kanto region (excluding Tokyo), so those in the Kanto region can look forward to them as well!

─ ─ Compared to the previous "3rd series," there are many more characters in this work.

WORDS in STEREO Since there are so many characters in the show, it is inevitable that some characters will appear more or less frequently than others. Also, each season, there are characters who appear in more or fewer episodes within the scope of the original work chosen. We don't pay so much attention to characters who appear in many episodes, but for those who appear for the first time, we try to make them appear in more episodes and leave a lasting impression from the time they first appear. I also try to make the dialogue more distinctive.
We were a bit tricky with characters who were not involved in the main storyline, but since the C part (the part after the main story) was formatted, we were able to extract the best parts of these characters and make them appear in the story in a rich and intense way.

─ Do you have any comments for the viewers and fans?

WORDS in STEREO We have finally reached the fourth episode. As a series writer and scriptwriter, I often do not know how the film will turn out until the final film is made. I look forward to future broadcasts with the same feelings as the viewers!

© Masamoto Ando, Ichijinsha / Aichi Tachikane High School