Highlighted in bold are those lines that provide, confirm or underline some fact about Made in Abyss’s lore. Unbolded lines are general commentary about anime/movie/manga.

Asking author of Manga Kingdom Tottori award winning “Made in Abyss”, Tsukushi Akihito, about him leaving Konami and changing jobs to mangaka ※Beware spoilers of latest volume (volume 11)

2023-4-26

https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/456599?display=1

In the 52nd Japan Cartoonists Association Awards that took place in April (2023), a certain manga received the Manga Kingdom Tottori award, r

“Made in Abyss”. After having an exclusive interview with the author Tsukushi Akihito, we come to know of his inspiration from a manga with connections to Tottori.

“Made in Abyss”, authored by Tsukushi Akihito from Kanagawa prefecture, serialized in Web Comic Gamma with tankobon release up to volume 11. (as of April 2023)

The setting is the Abyss, the gigantic vertical hole shrouded in mystery, said to be the last region to be explored by humans.

While a multitude of delvers continue to explore deeper in search of their dreams towards the unknown, Riko, whose mother once disappeared into the depths of the Abyss, and Reg, a mechanical doll (robot) with amnesia, go on a life-risking adventure. That’s the premise of this dark fantasy.

This “Made in Abyss” was ultimately chosen as the recipient of the award in collaboration with Tottori prefecture “Manga Kingdom Tottori award”, which is awarded to authors and their works of which its development show much promise.

It’s an adventure fantasy that distinguishes itself from other existing manga. Held as an overwhelming world that brings about a balance between its dark developments and its soft and cute artstyle.

“The pictures are quite cute but in this piece of work, I would certainly prefer to properly sit down in seiza instead of trying to lie down in the deep parts or what you might call the netherworld.” -Chief Cabinet Secretary, Okayama Yoshifumi from Tottori prefecture Manga Kingdom Govt. Secretariat

And this time we were able to have an exclusive interview with the author Tsukushi Akihito.

-What do you think now that you’ve been awarded?

I thought from the bottom of my heart that this manga would be untouched by awards so I was instead thinking “is it really okay?”, I was incredibly happy.

-To those who might not have seen it, what type of story is “Made in Abyss”?

It might be best if I explain with the attention-grabbing parts.

In a world where most of the unexplored regions have been trampled, there remains only a giant, mysterious pit. You can’t see its bottom. It’s a fantasy where children challenge the giant pit with no bottom in sight. However, if you end up delving too deep into the giant pit you won’t be able to return again. If you delve deep and try to come back, you’ll vomit blood and die, so you physically won’t be able to come back.

The story is ultimately about having exciting adventures in the giant pit and things turning out for the worst.

-I wish to ask about what you might’ve taken inspiration when thinking up the story of “Made in Abyss”

I’m not just saying this because I was chosen for the Manga Kingdom Tottori award but there’s this manga called “Summit of the Gods”, drawn by Jirō Taniguchi (who’s from Tottori prefecture), and it is exceedingly touching so I started out wanting to make a story like that.

-From your point of view, what type of story is “Summit of the Gods”?

In all frankness, it’s about people who can’t do anything but climb mountains. It really is nothing else but that. It’s about a cameraman following after people who attempt the unprecedented. It’s staggering.

At first there was an element of the story where the deeper one delved the more time would be out of sync

-About the world of Made in Abyss, the giant pit that is the Abyss sits in a round planet like Earth?

That’s about right. If there was a hole on some planet, naturally, the deeper you dive into it the crazier things should become like terrestrial heat and high pressure. Perhaps it will gradually become more apparent what the hell is going on with that.

-The Abyss is surrounded by the sea?

That’s right, it’s an island.

-Surrounding the Abyss, are there any other islands?

Of course. There’s this town in the island that contains the Abyss, it itself is what you could call a national park of a fairly big country. I did make a map in advance, but I won’t put it out there (Laugh) because I want you to focus on the hole.

-I think in the story delvers appear from other countries, those people came from other islands to delve?

That’s right. They came from other countries. Most of the people who call themselves Delver officially have a license for it; the whistles are the license.

-The curse of the Abyss (strains of ascension) that appears when you come out of the hole to the surface, how did you come up with it?

It was what I had to put into the setting for something I wanted to do.

This is a little meta but, in short, I just didn’t want people to get out of the hole. When I was first thinking that I didn’t want them to leave, I simply made it so the deeper one delved the more time would be out of sync. Similar to Umashima Tarō’s story, after delving in and passing even a little bit of time anyone who’d remember you would already be dead so the thinking was that there’s no point in coming back.

However, the editor at that time told me “that’s a little weak” and asked whether I could make it something easier to understand and much more of a physical limitation, so then I said why not make it so that you die when you delve in and I updated it.

The strength of Bondrewd’s character is strong

-Among the various characters, I think the one that gets all the attention is the lord of dawn, Bondrewd. As the author, do you know how he came to be so popular among readers despite being that inhumane.

That’s also quite simple, the strength of his character is strong.

This is a lesson from my teaching counselor: if the established character is strong it will make you want to follow whatever they end up doing. So once you bring them up to that point, there’s basically no need to think about the drama as people will read the rest of the story.

That way when you make characters with high strength face each other that in itself will become your drama. That teacher has put that into practice in some of their characters so their teachings were trustworthy.

-When Reg and the others are fighting against Bondrewd, was it as if the characters were moving on their own in your mind?

That’s right, it’s something they had to do, there are rules, you know? So by giving them a certain situation they begin to do what they want, which makes it feel like after neatly editing all that you cut off the interesting parts.

-Each character’s speech mannerism has its charm. Sorry for only bringing up Bondrewd but his “Oya oya” and “Adorable, aren’t you?”, was it something you thought this character would say while you were drawing?

There’s also a lesson from my biggest counselor and it’s “Every person has their eccentricities”(lit. “with none there come 7 habits”). Meaning, no matter how much someone appears as though they don’t have a habit, if you take a closer look you’ll find they have some 7 habits.

I made it from the idea that If you apply that to characters and make that stand out, it comes out just naturally.

Also, at the moment I feel like this guy would say this, I vocalize it myself, many times. Then, the ones that feel good and I end up saying suddenly, I put into practice because it can become one of their speech mannerisms.

At the age of 30 I left Konami in an impulse

-I want to ask about your career history, you were a videogame designer before?

More specifically, I was a videogame graphic designer

-Was there something that motivated you to change jobs to mangaka?

The story is a little embarrassing but I left Konami at the age of 30.

Once I turned 30 I suddenly started feeling a certain anxiety. I was driven by an indescribable feeling of uneasiness to leave Konami on an impulse.

-In an impulse? Konami?

Yes. Sorry for the way I’m gonna say this but, I suddenly thought that I was around the half-way point before I would be unable to move about healthily.

And on top of that, in the next 30 years, time will feel much faster than the previous 30 years. As I thought about that it also came to me that it would all end without me creating what I wanted to create, maybe that’s what made me anxious.

And at the time I didn’t even think about drawing manga, at all.

-and so after resigning impulsively, what circumstances led you to choose to become a mangaka?

Nothing really, I was wondering whether it would be a good idea to turn a doujinshi I somehow made into a manga. Then that manga I drew caught the attention of an editor of Takeshobo, then they told me “why not try it”, since it’s a web manga it doesn’t matter if it gets axed at some point, and so Made in Abyss started.

Because of that I want to say to the people who plan on reading after this “the beginning of the first volume is really difficult to read so prepare yourselves” (Laughs)

I personally don’t want to see a story where someone could return after taking their Last Dive

※ Caution! Volume 11 spoilers ahead.

-Is the story closing in on the end?

I’m not even sure myself (Laughs). The end has already been thought out but it’s like, where does this even go?

-Will Riko ultimately meet up with her mother? Will they be able to head back to the surface?

I don’t know if she will meet her mother or not. And Riko and the others won’t be able to go back to the surface together. If I were to ignore this I would be breaking a promise to the readers.

So everyone’s expecting that this is a story where they’ll be able to come back, despite it being called the Last Dive, huh?

Well, I personally don’t want to see that.

-I personally think that Lyza is like a cool mom, but is that right?

I wonder about that. There’s nothing described about her state of mind when she dived in the first place, so I can’t really say anything. Honestly, Lyza went there while neglecting childcare so I’m kinda wondering what that’s about

-So is Lyza’s desire to thoroughly investigate the truth about the Abyss very strong?

Hard to say, huh? I haven’t met Lyza to ask her so I don’t really know.

-When she went to the 4th layer with Ozen, we got to see how Riko was more important to her than the relic. So I do think what’s important to Lyza is Riko, but what about that?

If there’s no lies behind those words, that’s right.

-What about Ozen’s personality? She doesn’t lie, or does she actually lie?

Ozen is like that, right? She’s covering what wouldn’t be interesting anymore if she just told you, so I think she’s hiding what to her is the real thrill of adventure.

This is not a manga I can say I wish everyone would read

-I want to ask about Prushka, when I was reading I thought “ Prushka died!” but actually…

Aaah, yeah, does that count as dying?

-About that, how is it? By becoming a white whistle, did she die? Is she still alive?

Weeeeell~ Maybe it’s safe to say she’s dead in a biological sense, because she’s in a state far removed from living beings in terms of biological principles like eating things and such… However, it also feels like it’s not quite appropriate to say she died.

-In the latest volume while Riko’s asleep, it’s not clear whether it’s her memories or what but in that space they’re having a conversation so, do you think that’s open to speculation?

Yeah, that too, won’t whatever the hell is going on with that get shown at some point? (Laughs)

-It feels as though Made in Abyss is getting noticed more and more inside Tottori prefecture. Finally, will you send a message to everyone in the San’in region?

Yes! This is not a manga I can say I wish everyone would read. I fully understand that it’s a manga that chooses its people. If you think reading the manga is draining, I think you’ll more or less be able to understand which one is for you after watching the first season of the animation. So please give it a try.

Made in Abyss, Manga Kingdom Tottori award winner, overflows with a charm that makes readers unable to break from a deep obsession. You won’t be able to take your eyes off the story.

Made in Abyss: Golden City of the Scorching Sun Special Event ~Cave Raider Guild Great Balancing Meeting~ Matinee Report

2023-2-18

https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1676623513

https://web.archive.org/web/20230221035323/https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1676623513

What are the scenes that each of the cast members, Tomita Miyu, Kuno Misaki, Hirata Hiroaki and others, find "Value" in?

The anime 'Made in Abyss' adapted from the manga by Tsukushi Akihito, after the release of the first season, recapitulation films and a movie, has broadcasted a 2nd Season 'Made in Abyss: Golden City of the Scorching Sun' from July to October of 2022.

And on this occasion, the special event of Made in Abyss: Golden City of the Scorching Sun ~Cave Raider Guild Great Balancing Meeting~ took place on the 15 of January 2023 in the Japan Culture Hall in Hitotsubashi.

The 7 members of the cast, Tomita Miyu (Riko’s VA) , Ise Mariya (Reg’s VA), Isawa Shiori (Nanachi’s VA), Kuno Misaki (Faputa’s VA), Terasaki Yuka (Vueko’s VA), Hirata Hiroaki (Wazukyan’s VA) and Saiga Mitsuki (Belaf’s VA), took the podium and presented the scenes that left an impression on them as well as performing a recitation of a newly written script.

This article reports on the matinee portion of the event!

The cast members present scenes which they thought had ‘Value’

Unlike the ‘Rally’ event that took place online, this event was held in person. The cast members had a brimming expression of joy as they saw the large crowd of spectators.

Given that the event is set in the scenario of the second season, the Village of the Narehate, Tomita announced that “If we’re unable to provide the Value corresponding to the price of the entrance ticket, we’ll be balanced at the end of the event, we’ll do our best!” provoking laughter from the audience.

After introductions, each member presented the scenes of the second season each of them thought had ‘Value,’ marking the first segment of the program.

Saiga being the first up chose the scene where the story of the Ganja squad starts, at the beginning of episode 1. Saiga talked about her reason being that she thought the audience might be taken aback by starting with the introduction of new characters and a new situation.

Isawa asked “were you all present for the dubbing of this scene?” and Terasaki replied firmly “we were!”. On the other hand, Hirata asked in a little bit of a daze “we were, right?” making the audience laugh.

Terasaki brought up that time when Ise, during the recording of episode 1, entered the studio before her own turn and praised the cast of the ganja squad after having heard their voices.

And the scene which Ise chose was the one where Reg and Faputa reunite in episode 4, reminiscing that “it was a scene with a striking encounter, filled with the painfulness of not remembering about Faputa.”

Being a scene they recorded together, Kuno praised Ise’s performance “It really was heart-throbbing. Standing beside me was not Ise, but it was entirely Reg so I was very immersed.”

Next, the scene Tomita chose was the one from episode 5 when Moogie teaches Riko the Narehate language. Tomita clarifies the reason she chose this scene is that you get to see Riko use what she learned later on so it makes you feel like she’s taking action for Nanachi and Reg.

Ise continued by saying she was happy recording with all the residents of the Narehate village since they used to record only between the three members of Riko’s Team a whole bunch in season 1.

Hirata chose the scene where Wazukyan says “Those who can choose are the challengers alone.” and turns to everyone around “ Doesn’t it seem like he’s saying something very significant?” to which Ise agreed saying “The path will only open to those who challenge, right? It’s a very Wazukyan line.”

While everyone talked about how he’s a character with lots of lines that can be interpreted in many ways, Hirata comments at the end “I was thinking how he’s an interesting person if you look at some parts of the story but when looking back at the whole thing he’s just someone who eats nothing but bugs” cracking a joke and making everyone laugh.

What Isawa chose was the scene from episode 10 where Nanachi and Mitty part ways, then Belaf says “All that you gather is your value.” She spoke of the cool aspect of Belaf’s lines she felt during recording and his state as a Narehate making her think “must be pretty difficult to capture the middleground between the human parts and non-human parts.”

On the other hand, Saiga also returned the compliment with “I wish everyone could listen to the rehearsal (of Isawa). The emotions felt through.” She also revealed that she was told by the director to “please change from Narehate form into Belaf himself.”

Before Terasaki and Kuno presented the scene they chose from episode 12, to show the audience what the atmosphere was like for the cast during recording, a very valuable video of the rehearsal was presented.

Right after the extremely relaxing and peaceful atmosphere was shown, “how embarrassing!” was expressed by each and everyone.

Terasaki looked back at her memories of the dubbing and her impression of the locale “I got the impression that Yamada-san (Sound director) was also working out on the scenes as we tried to understand them together. And what we didn’t get, we’d ask sensei (Original author Tsukushi Akihito) together.”

Back to presenting scenes, the one Kuno chose was the scene where Faputa and Gaburoon meet for the first time. She related that “Gaburoon’s VA Takeuchi’s performance was amazing every time. The inhuman manner of speech, the tone of the voice and the tempo I thought were all expressed incredibly well, as I stood aside with goosebumps on my skin.” She went on to reveal that the scene left an impression in particular “Given that Gaburoon is an incredibly precious person, precisely because of this scene I was able to put more emotion into their farewell scene.”

Isawa emphasized Kuno’s greatness saying “That Shaaa of an animal being menacing” is pretty difficult!” Kuno replied with “My throat almost burns” and Isawa agreed with a nod. There’s plenty of roles for creatures “so I get it” she said, getting fired up.

The scene Terasaki chose was that last conversation between Vueko and Faputa from episode 12. She talked enthusiastically about the ‘Value’ of that scene from last episode along her memories of recording, prefacing that after the previous episodes there was a little bit of free time so it didn’t appear like she was gonna be able to record with other cast members and she grew worried just before recording “The instant I heard Faputa’s soft voice everything up to that point came back in a flash. It made me think that she went to rest in peace without regrets after being able to express to Irumyuui what she was looking for in the first episode.”

That scene also appeared to make a lasting impression on Kuno as she reminisced about it “I finally understood the reason behind playing both Faputa and Irumyuui.”

Ise also gave praises “The second season started with Vueko’s narration and ended with Vueko’s line so in a way I think she was another main character. I think there was a lot of pressure there but with the delicate performance, the emotions really felt through.”

Tomita handed it down to the audience with “Everyone got to feel the value, right?”, closing the segment with a loud applause.

Isawa, Kuno and Hirata, If you were to become a Narehate… ?

Continuing to the next segment “Let’s become residents of the Narehate Village!”

The segment was about what the cast would think they’d become if they turned into a Narehate.

By noon, Isawa, Kuno and Hirata started drawing the representation of what their desires would take form as Narehate on a sketchbook.

In the time the three were drawing, examples were presented of what a desire taking form as a Narehate look like, coming from Tsukushi’s explanations. First, Belaf who comes from “Eat me, please (80%), Faded gaze (20%), He became part of the spine of the village, being placed close to Irumyuui’s instincts,” which made Saiga, who acted for Belaf, very curious about the setting the first time she heard it.

Mepopohon’s desire comes from “I’m already fed up, I’m very sleepy (That’s how they arrived at the village). A body for being able to dream at all times.” Maa’s having nothing written but “Maaaaa” made the cast casually laugh it off. And so, the time for drawing ended. They moved to presenting.

Isawa’s illustration was in the shape of a thousand-armed Guanyin with eyes. In reality, it resulted into a shape combining both her desires as she seems to like thousand-armed Guanyin and on top of that she “would like to do many things simultaneously.”

Next comes Kuno. Her drawing was “Kotatsu-kun” in the shape of a kotatsu, the idea coming from the desire of “wanting to be inside a Kotatsu forever” meaning “It would be better to become a kotatsu myself.”

Lastly, Hirata, with a drawing in the shape of a script with limbs, it was impossible to get what desire it represented at a glance. Hirata has been wanting to play a silent character for a while, looking carefully at the illustration a line with a single word can be read “Me (B) ‘Sosu.’.” It appears that there is a pet peeve behind (B) and that is that “ (Because the character is looking back) there is no need to try and do lip syncing.” Hirata jokingly replied with “I’d like to work without troubles,” inviting laughter and finishing this segment.

Reciting of a play of each of Ganja Squad’s and Riko’s Squad’s perspectives connected over hot pot.

Next, a segment about a play based on a script written by script writer and series composer Kurata, backed by Tsukushi-sensei’s supervision.

The story being based on the key visual for the event, which depicts the two perspectives one after another of Riko’s squad, who depart from the Narehate village, and Ganja’s squad, who had just arrived at the sixth layer.

Irumyuui picks up a pot, Ganja looks for ingredients and begin making the “Ganja stew.” Since Irumyuui knows which are inedible mushrooms and which ones are edible mushrooms, they were able to make a splendid and delicious “Ganja stew.” After that, the recipe improved over time and the “Ganja stew” was passed down to the residents of the Narehate village.

As generations went by, we follow Riko’s squad. Faputa picks up a pot and Riko proposes to make the “Ganja stew” she heard about from the Narehate village. Riko, while struggling to differentiate between edible and inedible mushrooms, heard a voice coming from the pot, who taught her about the different kinds of mushrooms. After safely enjoying the delicious meal, Riko wondered whether the curious pot was a relic or not and named it “The Rationing Pot, Talking Lag Pot”.

The curtains came down with Vueko and Riko’s words “The longing and homesickness won’t stop” and the crowd went wild. Tomita expressed her joy “Since we recorded separately, it’s the first time we’re all gathered for acting.”

An expression of relief appeared on Kuno, who had to swap roles between Irumyuui and Faputa in an instant “I didn’t have to speak in both roles during recording so I was so nervous.” Ise praised the play and Kuno turned to Terasaki with an expression of joy. Similar to Irumyuui and Vueko, they had a pleasant exchange of a parent and child and softened the mood of the hall.

The audience thinks of valuable things, what’s the number one thing that could convince the cast?

The next segment consisted of asking a questionnaire about “Your Value” to the audience for things which they held with high value. A poster signed by all the cast members will be rewarded to the 3 highest values.

The first person presented “Tsukushi Akihito-sensei.” It’s clear that all about this work is valuable for him but Isawa came back with a sharp response: “It’s a competition with everyone’s own value, so that’s unfair!”

The second person answered “To attract delicious stuff.” For rewarding oneself once in a while and as motivation for working. The cast sympathized with that line of thinking.

After that they continued with some wonderful value of “ To wake up when I want to wake up” and “To get to know wonderful friends,” which was difficult to choose which one’s better.

Next value was “hair.” With the reasoning that “I thought hair was unlimited but I feel like you slowly end up paying the price with experience in life” and with the unanimous, quick answer from the cast it won first place! Splendidly leaping into first place.

The last one to be presented was “having the number plate of my bike match an important PIN by chance.” After looking at the poster trophy, it placed in 3rd with the idea that’ll make you think “I’ll have to change my PIN!”

The final ranking ended up being “Hair” in first place, “ To wake up when I want to wake up” in second place and “Bike’s number plate” in third place.

Big excitement at the surprise announcement for sequel production confirmation

After the commemorative photo shoot was done, it looked as though things were wrapping up. The cast was about to do their send off… or so they thought, suddenly the theater went dark and a video started playing, looking back at Riko’s team adventure up until now.

At the end of the video, as the text “Animated series sequel production confirmation” appeared, the biggest applause of the whole evening roared from the audience.

The announcement was a secret even to the cast on stage, a total surprise. They were brought to much joy like the audience were.

They also presented messages from Tsukushi-sensei and director Kojima, who received the announcement. Tsukushi-sensei stated that he’ll be drawing with all his might, while revealing the dread of drawing as the author himself has to discover how the story develops and also while deciding how the story will conclude. Director Kojima talked about his excitement and desire to watch the continuation while thanking the cheering from the fans.

The cast members composed themselves and did the last send off. Every one of them thanked the audience who gathered at the event and their response to the news of the confirmation for the sequel. Lastly, Tomita commented with enthusiasm “I would like to put my soul into performing for the sequel!”

The audience was asked “Were we able to offer the corresponding ‘value’ for the ticket today?” to which they responded with a relentless applause.

The event ended in success, with the exaltation and anticipation for what’s to come.

Comic Fiesta 2022 Art Demo Panel

Translation provided by edelweiss

2022-12-17

https://vk.com/wall-154094046_165894

OP’s note: “As we wrote earlier, Akihito Tsukushi attended the Comic Fiesta 2022 festival this weekend, where he held a live session with sketches and answered questions from fans. Not much information was obtained from this event. We are waiting for the full recording or a transcript. For now, there are only a few photos, as well as a couple of questions and answers that were asked to Tsukushi-sensei.”

• Q: Who's your favorite character?

A: Nanachi! Because, when the manga first started coming out, its sales weren't very good. But, after Nanachi came out, the manga became a hit.

• Q: Will Tsukushi continue the manga until the moment Riko and Reg get married?

A: ...A lot can happen until that moment. They could just… say goodbye to each other.

• Q: Is the end of Made in Abyss coming soon?

A: Yes. And it might not be a "happy end".

Crowd: WHAAAAT?

Tsukushi: Do you like good or bad endings?

Crowd (chorus): Good ones!

Tsukushi: Well, until the end of the manga, it'll be mostly good moments. *big grin*

• Q: Will there be a season 3 of the anime?

A: I still have a lot of drawing to do before that happens, so please support me!

• Q: How does a mangaka deal with deadlines?

A: I always have to submit the required material within the designated time frame. But, to tell you the truth, I always go over the deadline. Even now, I'm still working on the manga while traveling here in Malaysia.

• Q: What's your favorite layer?

A: The Fourth Layer.

Part 1 interview with Masayuki Kojima, director of Made in Abyss: "We didn't explicitly intend for episodes 7 and 8 to be sensational"

by Fumihiro Kawachi

2022-08-27

https://futabanet.jp/seiyuumen/articles/-/85917?page=1

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is on the air now to critical acclaim. The first season aired in 2017, with the second half of the "highlights" version of the film in 2019, and this was followed by the completely new film "Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul" in 2020. Now, the second season of the anime is finally on the air.

The original manga features Riko, a girl brimming with curiosity and energy, and Reg, a robot who has lost his memory. They "delve" into the Abyss, a vast and mysterious sinkhole*. The entirety of the series has been directed by industry veteran Masayuki Kojima. We sat down with him to hear more about his approach to the original manga and what he emphasizes in his work.

*Translator Note: I decided that the term “sinkhole” is the best encapsulation of the concept of a large vertical hole, since sinkholes exist as natural phenomena in places like Russia, New York, and Japan.

“Our basic policy is to be faithful to the original work"

A chance encounter between Belaf, resembling a white dragon, and Riko and her group.

– After the first season, the first and second "highlights" movies came out,

followed by the new film, and now the second season of the anime is on the airwaves. What was your first reaction when you learned about this project?

Well, airing for a second season means that people liked what we did the first time, so we are ecstatic about that. The plan was finalized around the time the prior film finished up, and we began working on the show about two years ago. So the "Golden City" portion of the story still had a lot of unfinished details in the manga. While Akihito Tsukushi had a final idea in mind for some aspects, some of them were still undecided by him. So we were sort of planning the structure of the show while consulting with him as he developed the manga.

– What sort of things did you discuss with Mr. Tsukushi about the original work?

There had been a lot of goings-on in the original up through volume 8, so we had to have a series of meetings about how those different threads in the story would be closed. By this I mean, it was my first time making an anime without having the original content all the way through the end of the second season. Ultimately, we felt a bit bad towards Mr. Tsukushi about the anime getting underway without the original work finished. I'm sure it put a lot of strain on not only him, but also the screenwriter, Mr. [Hideyuki] Kurata.

– That being said, you got the original team together from the first season on board, including Mr. Kurata.

Something I find with this sort of workflow--and not just with Made in Abyss--is that if you are

missing even one person from a particular part, the work will just turn into something totally different. So being able to have the same team as we did in the first season really gave this second project momentum.

– Were there any challenges during production?

There weren't as many characters in the first season, and it was a more simple narrative. As the story progresses, you start to see more characters and more action, though. (Laughs) So in that sense, the second season has double or more complexity than the original. We kept in mind how to distribute all of that content across the episodes*, so our main challenge was implementing that. There was also the question of how faithful to the original we should be, which is something we put all of our energy into.

*Translator Note: The director used a vague Japanese metaphor about how many “calories” the work has, essentially trying to describe how much “meat” (content) they put into it. This metaphor doesn't simply doesn’t sound correct in English, so I chose the more straightforward “how to distribute all of that content across the episodes”

– What are some areas you paid particular attention to when depicting the fantasy aspects of the Abyss?

Well, I don't see the manga as a fantasy work. The story of the Abyss and the world depicted there aren’t just pure fabrication. So our approach was that what we depicted had to be realistic and faithful to that "reality." We'd create the imagery and plan our work based on how to keep that realism in place.*

*Translator Note: The director’s wording is a bit vague here, essentially saying that “the Abyss is real,” but this doesn’t sound correct in English, so I  tightened this section to better convey the idea he wants to express, which is that it has a “sense of realism.”

"Without the backbone to the story, the tragedies of episodes 7 and 8 wouldn't make sense"

Riko finds herself working with the Narehate Village, where she had only just arrived.

– In the first season, you were personally responsible for storyboarding over half of the episodes.

This time around, I did storyboards for ten episodes out of a total twelve. I like to do as many of the storyboards as possible when I work on a project. With Abyss, that meant being able to convey that "this is how I want all of the scenes to look and feel." For example, deciding ahead of time how the light should hit the characters' faces or how the background should look makes the process of drawing them later more efficient. The team all get a chance to see these storyboards, so it puts us on the same page about the aesthetic we are going for and aligns our trajectories.

– So it's a more logical approach to moving the work forward. What points in particular did you focus on when depicting the three protagonists (Riko, Reg, and Nanachi)?

In the second season, the characters all go about their own activities. We tried to emphasize how they would each react to the events when they reached the Narehate Village. I think here is where you start to see their traits as different characters come out more than in the first season. Riko goes about doing the sorts of things you would expect of her in the Narehate Village, while Reg, for his part, has some of his past come up. As for Nanachi, we see just how important Mitty is to her. With the three of them together, it naturally becomes an ensemble cast, but this time around, they are mostly going alone on their own adventures, so I think it lets the viewer glimpse deeper into their respective states of mind.

– How did you try to depict Riko's growth?

Riko does seem to grow and mature in her own way. However, she's still a child whose inner self fundamentally remains unchanged. If anything, what we want to depict here is how her energy and dynamism* is a constant in her. Of course, that energy was on display in Season 1, but our interpretation was that it's sort of updated and stands out more in Season 2.

*Translator Note: The original uses a term that loosely means “ability to take action,” “stick-to-itiveness,” “decision-making ability,” “enthusiasm,” or “dynamism.” This term is traditionally difficult to capture in English, so I went with  “energy and dynamism” as a reasonable encapsulation of the concept, i.e., that Riko has a certain bravado.

--That really came across in that scene where Riko tears off the tentacles around Vueko while talking. (Laughs) This latest season features, in addition to Riko's story, the story of Vueko and the Ganja corps, who entered the Abyss in order to reach the Golden City.

Episodes 7 and 8 are set in the past and describe how the Narehate Village came to be. The original manga features three protagonists, but from the standpoint of Season 2, I feel that Vueko of the Ganja corps and Faputa, the "Narehate Princess," are protagonists in their own right. Vueko's early life came up in Season 1, but we felt that without going into detail about Vueko’s attitude towards Irumyuui or the backbone to that story, the tragedies of episodes 7 and 8 wouldn't make sense.

– In that sense, Wazukyan is another intriguing character, wouldn't you say?

To be honest, I don't even fully understand what makes Wazukyan tick. (Laughs) It seems almost like he's carrying some vast, unknowable past.

“The Narehate Village is vast, but narrow: a closed, insular world"

“The Narehate Village is vast, but narrow: a closed, insular world"

– What image did you have in mind when depicting the Narehate Village, which is the main location in Season 2?

The Abyss sort of comes across as being a vast and endless hole, right? Yet the Narehate Village, despite seeming like this vast tower, is a very closed and narrow world. I think that idea of a "closed world" fits quite closely with the overarching themes of this season. That's why we really thought about how to depict that space. We paid particular attention to the backgrounds in the village. We create a kind of wall that's always present in the background, which conveys a sense that this place is expansive, yet also small. It's not stifling, but the layout still makes it feel like a closed society.

– So you really went the extra mile in getting the finer details down.

For instance, when creating angled shots where a character appears in the foreground*, you have to adjust the depth of the space, the distance between objects, and so on. I had a lot of discussions with Mr. [Yoshinori] Hishinuma, who worked on the art direction, about things like adding distant objects into those scenes and elaborating other small details.

*Translator Note: The Japanese animation industry uses a lot of obscure vocabulary to describe animation styles. In this case, the term “nameru ga” has no analogue in English, and is only used by people in the animation field, so I decided that describing it verbatim as “an angled shot where a character appears in the foreground” would be the best way for the readers to understand what is meant.

The team apparently created over 190 Narehate.

– The designs of the unusual Narehate who live in the village are outstanding. Some are cute,while some are creepy.

We created over 190 Narehate characters. We had to design a lot of this from scratch, but I never expected it to grow to such a number. (Laughs) Designing here means everything including the coloring and the way the characters move, in a way that makes sense for their body type.

"The characters have to move in a careful and deliberate way"

Irumyuui, in a transformed state, embraces a newborn creature.

– In the latter half, the secrets of the Narehate Village are laid bare. Was there a particular episode that you feel strongly about?

I'd say it has to be around episode 7 or 8. While the content is shocking, more so than that was our emphasis on the flow of time. We wanted to show the natural flow of time and changes that occurred to the Ganja corps in the past. Depicting that in the form of an animated work turned out to be unusually difficult. Episodes 7 and 8 are structured to be almost from the first person perspective of Vueko, so there was the risk that if we didn't convey that rhythm correctly, people would be lost as to who's perspective we were even showing.

– It was shocking scene after shocking scene...just what exactly were you cautious about?

Episodes 7 and 8 don't contain "action" scenes as such, so the characters have to move in a careful and deliberate way to get the idea across. It's important to keep those subtle details there so that the viewer can get absorbed in the plot. Otherwise, they won't feel any connection to it. That careful work by the animators is what I think contributes to those shocking scenes coming across as even more impactful. These details may seem to be very minute in the grand scheme of things, but they're very important.

Wazukyan, a character even the director said he doesn't fully understand yet.

– That scene where Vueko looks on and trembles at the knife Wazukyan is holding was particularly gruesome. I found myself sinking down in my seat and shrinking just like Vueko.

Wazukyan's behavior, and the sound effects, too, made it quite an extreme scene, for sure. (Laughs) We hope the viewers will visualize whatever their imagination allows when seeing the knife. That being said, we did not specifically intend to convey anything sensational over the course of these episodes.

The acts themselves may be miserable, but Season 2 made us keenly aware of where to set that line and thinking about what your goal is for showing certain scenes. If you don't, the work just won't go to plan at all. If you wanted to make things gruesome, there's no limit to what you can do. But shaping it into a specific work or story with a message requires you as a creator to have that clear line in your mind and adhere to it, sort of as the internal code of ethics of that particular work of art.

The second installment will be published tomorrow. Stay tuned for more!

Part 2 interview with Masayuki Kojima, director of Made in Abyss: "The appeal of the voice actors Miyu Tomita, Yuka Terasaki, Misaki Kuno, et al"

Fumihiro Kawachi

2022-08-28

https://futabanet.jp/seiyuumen/articles/-/85918?page=1

Now in its second season, Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is drawing major attention from anime fans. Featuring careful and subtle directorial work by Masayuki Kojima, it conveys complex, impactful emotions while keeping the power of the original work by Tsukushi Akihito intact. This is the next part in our interview with Masayuki Kojima, director of Season 1 of the anime (2017), the two-part "highlights" film version (2019), the film Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul (2020), and ongoing with the rest of the series today. We sat down with him to learn more about the appeal of the girl Riko, robot Reg, and Nanachi from the Narehate Village, as well as Vueko and Faputa, new

characters appearing in Season 2. He also talked with us about anime that particularly inspired him, as well as lots of details about how he goes about his work.

“The Narehate Village is styled like a sort of Middle Eastern bazaar or a sort of traditional street arcade like in Ueno, Tokyo"

Vueko and Irumyuui. Just what will this water ultimately do...?

– The opening scene to Season 2 was outstanding, as expected. It feels that as you watch the story develop, the opening scene starts to reveal different things based on what we know so far.

The opening scene was handled by Takushi Koide, who is one of the junior directors. I think he got just the right balance down. I'm very satisfied with the final product. As you work your way through the original manga, there are a lot of "a-ha!" moments in the opening scene, and even if you haven't read the manga and are just jumping into the show, the opening is designed to grab your attention.

– The background music produced by Kevin Penkin is also drawing attention.

We basically just give Kevin creative freedom when it comes to the music at this point. That's because he himself is an ardent fan of Made in Abyss (Laughs). At first, we felt we would use some of the tracks from Season 1 and have fewer new tracks in this season. However, Kevin has a really deep understanding of the original works, so he went ahead and created a wide range of tracks for us. When it comes to a setting like the Abyss, you could easily make an endless amount of eerie and hair-raising music. But we wanted to shift the focus here to music that really conveys the energy in the Narehate Village. For instance, in the scene where the Narehate fight against the Fuzosheppu, the interpretation we took was that this is almost like a "festival" for the Narehate Village, so we had Kevin just play it straight with a festive kind of tune. (Laughs)

Nanachi and Majikaja. Majikaja guides them through the Narehate Village.

– (Laughs) The way you depicted the habits of the characters in the Abyss, from the way they eat, to biological processes like passing waste, to the movement of their eyes and reaction to smells...it's all fantastic. What is your general feeling about this "physicality" in the show, and how did you approach it in particular?

The original manga is very detailed about bodily and physical acts, after all. Take the act of eating food. If you don't depict each piece of food realistically, it starts to drift away from the intent of the original. Our feeling was that even parts not directly related to the main plot thread have to be realistic, otherwise we would lose that unique Made in Abyss feeling. That's why even things like smells and bodily acts had to be done correctly, which imparts that reality.

– The scenes where Riko gets an upset stomach and eats at Moogie’s restaurant are humorous, but they also feel concrete and realistic. The strange energy of the market scene was also really impressive.

Thank you. For the Narehate Village, we took inspiration from things like Turkish bazaars and the backstreets of the "Ameyoko" arcade* in old Ueno, Tokyo. We really wanted the viewer to come away with that unique feeling of a market.

*Translator Note: See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameya-Yokoch%C5%8D for context.

"Voice actors with unique and impactful voices bring persuasive power and onscreen presence"

Faputa and Reg. Faputa and Irumyuui are voiced by Misaki Kuno.

– The voice work for Riko, Reg, and Nanachi by Miyu Tomita, Mariya Ise, and Shiori Izawa is outstanding. What was your overall reaction to their work in the studio?

They've really mastered the roles, to the point that I don't need to tell them anything. The work goes really smoothly. Miyu Tomita, who plays Riko, always goes above and beyond. You ask her for one thing, and she gives you that tenfold. She was still in high school during Season 1, but I've always felt she had an outstanding sense of intuition. Some time has passed since Season 1, so I was a bit concerned before the recording session if she'd be able to master the role again, but when we did a test cut, I soon learned that was a groundless worry on my part. (Laughs) Similarly, Ms. Ise and Ms. Izawa deftly captured the parts of Reg and Nanachi.

Riko and Vueko. The way the voice acting comes alive for them is part of the appeal.

– Anything you'd like to add about some of the appeal of characters new to Season 2?

Well, I'm really glad we got Yuka Terasaki in the role of Vueko. She has a lot of experience as a voice actress. She quickly picks up exactly what I'm looking for and puts it into practice. Season 2 has some narration by Vueko, and I felt we needed to get the screen presence just right for this season as a whole to work. I think she did a bang-up job of giving the character that presence and impact. For Faputa, we decided on Misaki Kuno during the audition. At the time, I somewhat thought she might take the Faputa character in a different direction. But it was largely unknown at the time. That's because Faputa as a character is multi-faceted, and I personally wanted the same voice talent doing Irumyuui and Faputa. There was something intriguing about Ms. Kuno's voice, and ultimately Mr. Tsukushi and I both gave her our vote. I'm sure it was challenging for her, but she really brought depth and complexity

to the character.

– So, stepping back, what are the essential factors you feel make a voice attractive?

Well, in a word, it's about uniqueness. Taking that to the extreme, even if you don't have acting talent, if your voice brings something surprising, that can be very intriguing. Of course, the voice has to match the work in question, but that's not necessarily the most important factor. If the voice is appealing, it naturally makes the character more convincing. So I tend to find voice actors with that sort of tone to be more appealing.

“Considering how to get the viewer more absorbed in the story”

Nanachi and her friend Mitty. Being such good friends, their story is painful to watch.

– You have been directing anime since the 1980s. What led you down that path?

Hmm...that's a tough one. I always liked anime, as well as film. I think it comes down to that. In my time, movies by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata* were big, and seeing those in theaters may have made an impact on me. Since anime are, after all, drawings, as a child, I somehow thought they couldn't compare to the impact of live movies. But when I saw films by Miyazaki and Takahata, I realized that animation has its own vernacular way of creating realism. I also felt that animation has something that just can't be conveyed with live action. I discovered that when I was in high school, and thought to myself that I wanted to be professionally involved in that.

*Translator Note: Miyazaki and the late Takahata are associated with Studio Ghibli.

– That's amazing! So you took an interest in video production early on.

I'm not sure I was able to fully articulate the idea at the time. But I do think I've carried that same  feeling with me since then. With anime and manga, you can abstract certain elements like the characters and background in order to control how much information appears in a frame. I would think about what sort of cuts would look more attractive, or what angles would get the viewer more into the action. I found it very interesting to think about, and it started occupying more of my time.

– So the works of Miyazaki and Takahata continued to have a big impact on you.

That's right. Takahata's work really taught me a lot. Takahata was not an illustrator as such. Yet all of his work somehow has his signature style. As for how he was able to do that, I believe it's because he as a creator had a clear idea in mind of what the characters had to be, and that comes across in the work. That really taught me the basis of directing anime, and I gradually came to understand better.

– Are there any new challenges you would like to personally explore going forward?

Frankly, there is nothing specific I have in mind. However, whenever I work on something, I always ask myself, "Well, I wonder if we could have done things this other way..." In that sense, all of my work has been about repeating that process of reflection. What I wasn't able to convey in Season 1, I chose to incorporate in the film. And what I couldn't incorporate in the film, I chose to fit into Season 2. So if Made in Abyss continues as a show and there is a Season 3, I'd like to bring what was left on the cutting room floor of Season 2.

The fate that awaits Vueko is a particularly high note of this season.

– Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is nearing the end of the story. What should viewers pay particular attention to?

When I work on an anime that has an original manga, I feel like I'm essentially translating it. With Made in Abyss, we really focused on translating the charms of the original manga into a moving image. I hope people will see it for what it is, which is a work that doesn't necessarily have all the answers, but rewards careful observation.

– Lastly, where do you think this series fits into your career?

I really feel lucky to have gotten a chance to work on it, as it lets me leverage all of my skills in one place. It lets me bring my expertise 100% to bear on the final product, so I hope I'll continue having a chance to depict the world of the Abyss and its charms in the future.

Director bio:

Masayuki Kojima

Born in 1961 in Yamanashi Prefecture. Animation producer and director. Made his directorial debut in 1982 with the Azuki-chan anime. Major directorial works include MASTER KEATON (1998), Hanada Shounen Shi (2002), MONSTER (04), Taiyou no Mokushiroku (2006), the film Forest of Piano (2007), the film The Tibetan Dog (2012), and Black Bullet (2014). Has been responsible for all installments in the Made in Abyss series ongoing since 2017, including the films.

Work details:

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun

Broadcast starting July 7, 2022

Broadcast details

AT-X: airing Wednesdays at 10:30 PM

Repeat broadcasts: Fridays at 10:30 AM and Tuesdays at 4:30 PM

TOKYO MX: airing Wednesdays at 1:05 AM

BS11: airing Wednesdays at 1:00 AM

Sun TV: airing Wednesdays at 1:05 AM

KBS Kyoto: airing Wednesdays at 1:05 AM

TV Aichi: airing Thursdays at 2:35 AM

Saga Television: airing Sundays at 1:25 AM

Amazon Prime Video: streaming Wednesdays at 1:00 AM

Introduction:

The Abyss is a vast sinkhole, the last remaining unexplored area in a world where every corner has been mapped. The vast, vertical hole is of depths unknown and is inhabited by strange and bizarre creatures. Therein rest valuable relics that cannot be made by humans anymore. The mysterious nature of the Abyss enchanted people and drove them to adventure. As these adventurers repeatedly braved the depths of the Abyss, they eventually came to be called Delvers. Riko, an orphan who lives in Orth, a town built on the edge of the Abyss, dreamed of someday becoming a great Delver like her mother and unraveling the mysteries of the Abyss. One day, a White Whistle belonging to Riko's mother, Liza, is found, and this leads Riko to delve into the depths of the Abyss. Reg, an amnesiac robot picked up by Riko on her journey, decides to join her in search of his memory. Riko suffers from the sting of the Orb Piercer's poison in the 4th layer. Nanachi, a Narehate, comes to

her aid. Nanachi joins the group, and the three continue their adventure towards the deep 5th layer, where Bondrewd awaits. There they meet a girl named Prushka, a sheltered girl raised by Bondrewd who has never left the Abyss. She becomes absorbed in Riko's tales of adventure and wishes to join the group, but is tragically used by Bondrewd in an experiment.

However, Prushka changes form and becomes Riko's White Whistle, and they all advance to the Capital of the Unreturned in the Sixth Layer. That's where they find the Narehate Village, a place where Narehate live with a unique set of values.

Credits

Original work: Akihito Tsukushi (Takeshobo Web Comic Gamma)

Director: Masayuki Kojima

Deputy director: Hitoshi Haga

Series composition/screenplay: Hideyuki Kurata

Character design: Kazuchika Kise (Production I.G), Yuka Kuroda

Volume 44 of Febri magazine

Interview 1 (Kojima Masayuki)

October 2017

https://febri.jp/topics/madeinabyss_interview1/

Made in Abyss is a unique fantasy story where young Delvers venture into a super intense world. What has the anime version achieved, with its countless uncompromising depictions that caused so much buzz? Where are the roots of this work? The one who adapted the material with one or two peculiarities, veteran director Kojima. We asked thoroughly about the behind the scenes of this production.

Made in Abyss portrays the realities of adventures without backing down.

-This interview takes place just after the broadcast of the episode where Riko and Reg were attacked by the Orb Piercer. That was a heavy installment, wasn’t it?

Kojima: I felt nervous about whether we’d receive a complaint. Still, maybe there’s a lot of people who’d find it difficult to watch. Fortunately, I think they received it well (Laugh).

-Hahaha. I thought that today I would ask about what your thought-process may be during production. First, tell us about how you ended up taking on the job as director.

Kojima: Muneki Ogasawara of Kinema Citrus got in touch and said “There’s this project lined up, what do you think?” and then he lent me the first volume of the material. I just looked at the cover and the first colored page and thought “I’ll do it”.

-It was an immediate decision it seems.

Kojima: The reason being that I thought for sure it would be interesting. Including the drawings, the worldbuilding is properly done. I didn’t understand the contents of the story at the time, but I did have a hunch that it should be something fascinating. Then it was just better than what I could imagine when I had begun reading. It’s not like I’ve read many in the Isekai or Adventure genres, but “Made in Abyss” (abbreviated  as “Abyss” hereinafter) was particularly realistic. In a sense, it had a modern feel. Like it captured, in drawing, fearlessly, what would actually happen if a boy and a girl would go on an adventure in this sort of world. What showed that “fearlessness” portrayal was precisely episode 10, which was on air the other day. In the manga, that set of circumstances was quite harsh, but we were conscious of depicting that properly in the anime as well.

Yoshinari’s scenes were his, up to the animation.

-I want to ask about the staff, character designer Kazuhika Kise, monster designer Yoshinari Kou and head designer Takakura Takeshi. The staff is full of very competent faces. How did this happen?

Kojima: About Kise, of course I knew about him but this was the first time we had worked together. My first impression of him was that he wouldn’t be someone who’d work on something like this (laugh), but when I saw the designs for the characters he presented, I thought he was amazing, after all. Particularly when I had him as the animation director for episode 1, that was truly the right choice. Kise himself is someone who’s also been involved in direction, so his understanding of the storyboard is on-point. He would see the key frames presented to him, and if there were inconsistencies between the storyboard and the timing for the movements, he would adjust it when he moved on to the animation direction stage. When I looked at those corrections, I would think “yeah, yeah, that’s what I wanted to do” (laugh). I once again felt Kise’s real strength.

-In a way, he would step into the realm of directing as he took a look at the drawings.

Kojima: Of course, I think mine and Kise’s style for direction and storyboarding is different. But even if that’s the case, he has the tolerance to match my own. I think that’s truly wonderful.

-And Yoshinari was not only in charge of the creatures’ design but also worked on the key frames, right?

Kojima: That’s right, the scenes where the monsters appear—It’s not the case with all of them, but I think he did work on them as much as possible.

-In the scenes in which Yoshinari was in charge, the monsters that appear have no solid lines.

Kojima: That’s something that’s pretty difficult for anyone other than Yoshinari. Because Yoshinari’s drawings have movement, they’re created without a solid line. At the storyboard stage, I would draw it thinking ahead that “from here to here I wish for Yoshinari to work on it” (laugh).

-So whether he could or couldn’t actually depended on the situation at the time (laugh).

Kojima: Yeah, I was able to have him draw quite a few of those scenes. Needless to say, from the key frames— or rather up to the animation, it was all drawn digitally by Yoshinari alone, so it took quite a lot of time. Normally you would have the in-betweens, the pictures that come between key frames stitched together in the animation, but in Yoshinari’s case those in-between pictures would also flabbily move. That’s exactly why the movement turns out that way, and so if he wasn’t the one to draw everything himself on his own then I think his superbness wouldn’t shine. I thought I would ask him whenever I figured I could have Yoshinari lend a hand.

-And specifically what sort of thing would Takakura do?

Kojima: To begin with, he would work in prop design but more precisely— however strange it may sound, he actually worked on a lot of different things. From the first meeting with the author Tsukushi Akihito, he would continue researching more and more about the setting of the “Abyss”. For example, “what does Orth cultivate?”, “what do its residents eat?”, that sort of thing.

-That’s how it was, huh?

Kojima: which is why I wonder whether Takakura is, in truth, the one who understands the world of the “Abyss” the most (laugh). In the first episode, though only for an instant, a gondola used for going down to the Abyss appears but the structure of the gondola itself is not shown that much in the manga. And so, after having firmly set foot in the world of the original work, I had him build on the designs. I would also, for example, when looking at the end product of the key frames and thinking “hmm there’s not enough detail”, I would ask him to enhance the detail during the animation director’s correction phase, and have him draw the pictures of the title cards. He really worked in many different positions.

The people of the Abyss have a completely different mental state from that of Japanese people of today, which makes it interesting.

-This was the first time collaborating with series composer Kurata (Hideyuki), but how did you go about shaping up the composition of the story?

Kojima: First of all, the big thing was to determine what we would do about Nanachi’s arc, as well as what we would do about the prologue section of the adventure, if we were to portray up to volumes 3 or 4 from the original material. You’d understand after reading the manga that until Riko begins her adventure, there’s a fair amount of material. I myself was thinking of containing it all in just 3 episodes, but in there we would have to explain the setting of the Abyss itself too, which makes it troublesome.

-So there was a lot of information to depict.

Kojima: I think it was Kise who suggested it, to have it start when Riko meets Reg for the first time. I thought that was a great idea, but we’d have to present the world as we progressed on the story. Lastly, Kurata successfully dispersed that as it went along and it came up as something beautifully put together.

-I see. And then the one who carries the big role in the middle portion of the story is, of course, Ozen. I feel like she’s a character with many peculiarities

Kojima: When I first read the manga, I didn’t fully grasp Ozen’s character. She had an easygoing appearance. However, in the anime, in order to portray Ozen’s human side, we moved the scenes in which her memories with Lyza take place. That was all Kurata’s work. Ozen’s conversation with Lyza in the anime was moved later, to the end of episode 8, compared to the manga. The contents are the same, but, due to the restructuring, Ozen’s character becomes easier to understand.

-I can understand her aim, or rather, the principles by which she acts.

Kojima: What she does is really cruel (laugh), but it’s like she’s doing what makes sense to her. In the end, by portraying that, I do wonder if all her actions up to that point became clearer.

-Meanwhile, in episode 10 appears Nanachi who is very popular even in the manga.

Kojima: Going by looks, I think everyone likes Nanachi because they have a cute appearance. However, their charm doesn’t come just from looks but also from that hidden part inside of them which acts as a backbone. Particularly, their relationship and their natural look when they’re together with Mitty is very charming. That part, I thought, would be better to do carefully.

-And, as a result, you’ve properly depicted, directly, the aspects of life and death.

Kojima: That’s due to the original material. What I think is interesting is that the mental state is quite different from that of Japanese people of today. In episode 2, it turns out that Lyza might’ve died and the people of the city of Orth celebrate it. From that perspective, it differs from our view of life and death.

-Certainly, that’s exactly it.

Kojima: When Riko said she would travel to the Abyss, Nat, who was originally against it, ended up letting her go. Normally, letting children go to a place that dangerous, in Japan, would be unthinkable. In terms of a basic sense of values, we are different from the people of the Abyss. Furthermore, “Made in Abyss” is the story of those bound by the charms of the Abyss. And I think that part of “it wouldn’t do as a Japanese person’s mentality” is the appeal of this work.

-Putting the charm of the Abyss against one’s life, the former outweighs the other.

Kojima: It extends to Mitty’s chapter. It's a brutal story, right? It was all about how we could capture the actions taken by Reg, but it’s not like he lacks any kindness. If we’re talking about kindness, he is not, in the least, any different to us, but the way in which he acts on it is completely different. That’s why I hope that with the values of today’s Japanese people, you won’t end up thinking that Reg’s actions are weird.

“Abyss” is a work where I’ve used everything that I’ve cultivated over my career up to this point.

-As the director, what is the appeal of Riko and Reg?

Kojima: As for Riko, it’s that she is incredibly mentally strong. I think you know what I mean when you watch episode 10, but, regardless of whether it turns out that she may die, she clearly understands what she needs to do. She’s still a child, her experience doesn’t amount to much but, she has the ability to judge properly. In that sense, Reg is the one who’s weak.

-I guess so

Kojima: In a way, the one closer to the point of view of those watching is Reg. He came from the Abyss, lost his memories and everything he comes to see is a first for him. That’s something we were conscious about.

-In this series there’s also a lot of episodes where the storyboard was handled by the director himself, right? For a TV series I thought that might’ve been quite daunting.

Kojima: As long as there’s time, I like to work on the storyboard myself as much as possible. Particularly, this time, I think that in order to show the world of “Abyss” that you have to factor in the lights and shadows which make up the shading of the screen. As one might guess, you can’t control the coloring just yet, but I thought I would subdue the lighting and shading at the storyboard stage. In that sense, I thought that doing the storyboard by yourself can make it easier to create the picture.

-For example, in the latter half of episode 2, like in the conversation between Riko and Leader (Jiruo). The subject of their conversation was memorable, thanks to the incredible directing job with the lighting and shading.

Kojima: In a TV series, I think you should always try to do as much as you can (laugh). When it comes to expressing the psychological side of a human, with lighting and shading, you must set up a plan to some extent. I think this time, in particular, it was important to have that sort of reality.

-Though the designs look manga-like, it seems like the composition took on an extreme inclination towards realism.

Kojima: Based on the original, that’s how it is. Even with this character design, the things that happen have a serious tone. And so, when I first read it, I really thought “this is worth it” and that there are “a lot of elements to work with”.

-And lastly, director Kojima, you’re a huge veteran who’s been working on animation since the 80s. What type of work is “Abyss” for you?

Kojima: Including the composition, I believe it’s a work where I’ve used everything that I’ve cultivated over my career up to this point. Basically, I enjoy portraying humans, but in the original material, including how real the characters feel, it feels like it was created by walking away from stereotypes. What the characters think, how they act. Pursuing that with diligence is the style I like. In that sense, as well, it was a work truly worth doing.

Interview 2 (Kurata Hideyuki)

October 2017

https://febri.jp/topics/madeinabyss_interview2/

Made in Abyss is a unique fantasy story where young Delvers venture into a super intense world. What has the anime version achieved, with its countless uncompromising depictions that caused so much buzz? Where are the roots of this work? The scriptwriter, Kurata Hideyuki, who splendidly recreated the original story during the anime adaptation. What did he see in the world of “Made in Abyss”

Nanachi’s arc

-I first want to ask about the circumstances by which you got to work on it?

Kurata: I previously had worked on the series Scorching Ping Pong Girls for Kinema Citrus before this series, once that had finished I got approached by animation producer (Muneki) Ogasawara and was lent a volume of the original material. I realized later but I’d already read the first volume.

-Is that so!

Kurata: Another thing is, Me and the author Tsukushi have an acquaintance in common and I had already met him at that person’s new year’s party some years prior. At the time, I got the first volume of “Made in Abyss”(abbr. As “Abyss” hereinafter) from the author Tsukushi himself. However, the setting of the first volume is really interesting but it ends just as they begin their adventure. Moreover, at the very beginning of the story Riko gets strung up naked and I remember I thought “Yikes?! This is an erotic manga?!” (Laugh). So when I received the story, while reading through the volume I kept thinking “I feel like I’ve seen this setting somewhere”, in reality I’d already read it. Such a rude anecdote though (Laugh).

-As you took on the job, did your opinion change after re-reading it?

Kurata: It did greatly change. The setting of course comes upfront in the first volume but after the second volume the characters start taking action and as a manga, it suddenly becomes quite interesting. Probably, the fans of the original became interested with Ozen’s arc at the end of the second volume and I’m sure there’s plenty of people who were pulled by Nanachi in the third volume. The way of drawing manga by Tsukushi gradually evolved, and I was able to understand that process.

-The anime ended up in the middle of the 4th volume, with the arc of Nanachi and Mitty.

Kurata: That’s right. When I received the call it might’ve been around the time the 4th volume was released on sale, at the time the most exciting part was of course Nanachi’s arc, so I thought it was the obvious choice to make that the climax.

-The script was yours and Keigo Koyanagi’s job, right?

Kurata: When I write scripts on my own I tend to fall behind on schedule, and with Made in Abyss I thought it would be much worse than usual. I calculated the difficulty of the drawing for the animation and on top of that it was already decided that the last episode was gonna take a 1 hour slot, and so in order to not break the schedule I asked for Koyanagi’s assistance. We had worked together during “Scorching Ping Pong Girls” and it came out pretty good so this time I asked to split the work half and half.

I myself never thought of “Abyss” as grotesque

-I see. This came up during the interview with director Kojima as well but the starting 3 episodes that you were in charge of turned out to drastically restructure what the original story had done, right?

Kurata: I thought there was a lot of exposition in the first volume. The world setting itself is incredibly interesting, I think if it had been made as a game I would definitely have played it but as a single threaded story it might have characteristics which might be difficult to comprehend. And even still, questions about what type of world is the Abyss and how its people live is basically explained in expository text and dialogue. As a result, there’s a vast amount of special names that come up, so there was also the fear that if we were to leave that in the script the anime would become a slog. And so I wondered if there was any good idea for the restructuring.

-I hear starting with Riko meeting Reg was Kazuchika Kize-san’s idea.

Kurata: That’s right. Seems like Kazuchika-san was worried about that too. With a scene becoming of “Made in Abyss”-starting with the scenario where Riko is mining and in those 30 minutes we slowly understand what these kids are doing. And as the camera pulls up, they are living in the city of a giant hole. I thought it would be nice with that composition. And since animation has movement and audio, and the original is written in dialogue so we could redact to a degree… And while I say that, among those lines of dialogue there’s tons of foreshadowing so it was hard to check with Tsukushi-sensei (Laugh).

-One funny thing for me was when Riko goes up to the Seeker Camp. She vomits as a result of the curse and when I saw that I got reminded of that scene in “R.O.D” where you were in charge of scriptwriting in which Anita vomits.

Kurata: Ah, but that episode (Episode 6) was one of the episodes in which Koyanagi-san was in charge of the script (Laugh). Nonetheless, I think that fundamentally any human would pee so they would also puke. Of course, in Bishoujo that just wouldn’t happen (Laugh), but “Abyss” is already placed in that setting; if something goes wrong you might get injured and you’ll vomit due to the curse of the Abyss. In that case, why wouldn’t we show it? If you go to the internet you’ll find opinions about how “Abyss” starts like a cookie-cut fantasy but it really has a grotesque development, but I myself never thought of “Abyss” as grotesque.

-If they’re a living human being I suppose that’s clearly how they’re supposed to react.

Kurata: Also, when we met to speak with Tsukushi-sensei I found out we shared a lot of movies and books we’ve watched and read. For example, Discovery Channel, National Geographic documentaries and as for movies, “127 hours” from director Danny Boyle, as well as Jiro Taniguchi-san and Yumemakura Baku-san’s “The Summit of the Gods”. They go on adventures as they please but they take the responsibility themselves. Having watched and read these works, you can see how these appear in Tsukushi-sensei’s work as the rules he puts on the world of Made in Abyss. Meaning, if someone is poisoned a certain amount of process is necessary, but that’s not something that’s always pictured.If I had to say, “Abyss” is closer to a show like “Crazy Journey!” than any run-of-the-mill fantasy (Laugh).

 -Why would they go to a place like that (Laugh).

Kurata: As well as “Uemuranaomi story”; why would someone go to a place as cold as that? But if there’s people who go there it’s definitely for a reason, right? Riko indeed does but isn’t the city of Orth like that as well? Because people who were drawn and gathered by the dungeon called Abyss ended up creating a city. In a way, it’s like the gold rush I think. When people hear you can make money, they gather, make a city, live there and die… that cycle is packed in there. On top of that, it has an atmosphere like that of a time when kids were recruited as the workforce before the industrial revolution, the kids themselves don’t even find it particularly distressing… If you think of it that way, you come to understand that it’s not like many other adventure fantasy series.

-So you’re saying that despite the world looking like it’d be fun, it’s more like a half-crazed world with a different moral compass than in our own.

Kurata: The protagonist is a cute girl but what she’s doing is nothing less than climbing mount Everest. Also, speaking of Riko, in the story the aspect of “having to properly kill and eat” is depicted. That has its charm and it’s something unlike other normal heroines. At her age she already knows what she must do and is also reckless about it. Riko’s mind is filled with nothing but venturing and you can see that at the beginning of episode 3.

As a scriptwriter I took more care towards Mitty than with Nanachi

-In the story, Riko says she’s going to the abyss to meet her mother.

Kurata: Relating to that, right around the beginning of our meetings I asked Tsukushi-sensei something about that. She says she “wants to meet her mother” but does she actually want to meet her? I mean, after all, doesn’t she have close to no memories of her, having been separated since the age of 2? So rather than “wanting to meet her mother”, her desire of “wanting to delve into the abyss” is much stronger. Ozen said it as well, that Riko died once in the abyss, and so as someone born in the abyss, she instinctively tries to head towards the core of the Abyss. If that’s the case then that’s where her incentive lies. The more I think about it, the setting is strongly polished. This series is fun for theorizing.

-I see now. Nanachi, who is also very popular in the original story, appears at the end part but, what type of character do you think they are?

Kurata: Just like other fans of the original story, I was looking forward to their appearance but personally I don’t have any particular attitude about them. A big part of that is that I don’t have an inkling of being a furry (Laughs). Nanachi leaves a lot of hints, or rather they’re a character with a lot of depictions that leave implications like “They’re this type of kid”. In the original story, their past is already portrayed from their perspective, so you also come to understand their personality and what they think. As a character in the story, It’s possible to handle all that in a way that feels right. What I mean is, as it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all the emotional parts that Nanachi has, it could feel self-conceited. And so it’s necessary to keep the necessary lines and cut all the ones that are not- I was trying to make a composed judgment like that.

-So as a scriptwriter you needed an objective take on a character who has plenty of emotional scenes.

Kurata: Actually, I took more care towards Mitty. Her introduction in the flashback scene too. After all, it’s all pictured through Nanachi’s eyes, so how was Mitty able to get so attached to Nanachi in such a short amount of time. The fact Nanachi survived among those circumstances is thanks to the help of none other than Mitty but what Mitty thought of Nanachi doesn’t even appear in the original story.

Thanks to Nanachi holding those feelings of remorse and being beholden, the readers can empathize

-Indeed...

Kurata: We don’t even know what Mitty thinks in the first place- Or rather, in-story Nanachi says that “those are just reflexes” but that’s also just Nanachi’s own opinion and in actuality it may be that, like vegetable people, she also has consciousness. That’s personally what interested me the most. Also, in the scene of the last episode when Reg shoots Mitty; it’s one of the more intriguing scenarios in the original story, but certainly, consciously taking a human life is an incredibly difficult thing. Is there something so different in an emotional level between Reg shooting the Scarlet Maw and Reg shooting Mitty. If we’re talking simply about the act of taking a life then both are the same, right? Once you begin thinking about that, gradually your thoughts follow an uncharted path. Nanachi says that “After I die, Mitty will be left behind, which would be really pitiful” but that’s euthanasia, right?

-In a sense, it’s about being able to justify the taking of a life.

Kurata: Perhaps but it’s never clear if that decision is the correct one, the answer’s not even given to us in the original story. You come to understand later in the story that Nanachi themself is solitary, bashful and a loser, and while having to live among Bondrewd they had to make sacrifices out of plenty of people. They’re a character who holds those feelings of remorse and being beholden, which is why the people who are reading can empathize with them. After all, people tend to feel sympathy when they find others who have similar weaknesses to them. Though I personally enjoy more watching humans like Riko who go all out (Laughs). I do fully understand how everyone comes to like Nanachi, however. I was well aware that as the story of “Abyss” expanded, they came to carry a very important role, which is exactly why I was conscious to not overthink things too much.

-Okay, then lastly, what’s an aspect you wish for the fans to enjoy the most?

Kurata: I think this is a series where it’s a lot of fun to think of theorizing about the information that has been presented so far and looking back on it and going “Ooh! So that’s what this meant”. So I hope you will revisit it. Also, as the fans everyone is, I’m sure they must’ve wanted to get to see Bondrewd. Of course, we also wanted to see Bondrewd’s shenanigans but that depends on the “Irredeemable” patronage of everyone (Laughs). At this rate it will really be the end of our journey (Laughs), so please keep on supporting us here on out.

Interview 3 (Tsukushi Akihito)

October 2017

https://febri.jp/topics/madeinabyss_interview3/

Made in Abyss is a unique fantasy story where young Delvers venture into a super intense world. What has the anime version achieved, with its countless uncompromising depictions that caused so much buzz? Where are the roots of this work? We asked the author about it.

When I saw the storyboard for the first episode I was impressed

-When did you first hear about the plans to turn this piece into anime?

Tsukushi: I think it was around the end of the year before last but when I heard from the editor I thought that it must be for a 5 minute anime… (Laughs). At the time I didn’t really understand anything about what happens with the time slot and all that. And then as production started, the editor approached saying that he would like to aim for the sixth volume to come out by the end of the anime’s broadcast. At the time I had just worked on volume 4 so I still needed to draw 2 more volumes, I had to really pick up the pace so that was the first time I even considered bringing an assistant in (Laugh).

-So rather than joy, the first thing that came up was the logistics and the pressure (Laugh).

Tsukushi: The excitement for the anime adaptation washed away with all that (Laugh). That was my first impression but while the thing with the adaptation continued, when I started thinking “Amazing!” was actually when director Kojima (Masayuki) sent me the storyboard for the first episode. When I saw that I was greatly impressed… Previously, when I worked on a videogame company the project I myself had been the character designer of had an anime adaptation so I was sure I understood everything about working cooperatively. But, looking at the storyboard for the first episode, starting with Kurata (Hideyuki)’s outstanding ability of composition, it turned into this level of quality by people way better than me. That impressed quite a lot.

-I guess that’s when you realized the outcome of the adaptation.

Tsukushi: In truth, I never liked the first chapter (of the original). It’s hard to read and it feels like there’s no setups. That’s why, since I wanted to redraw it at some point, at the very first meeting I asked them to give the start a little brushup. As a result, It turned into something quite high-leveled, making me think “This is quite absurd! If this was turned into a movie it would become incredible”.

-I see. I want to come back a little bit, what sort of things did you talk about on the first meeting with the staff?

Tsukushi: The first meeting happened at Takeshobo, me and the editor were waiting and then about ten people from the anime staff came. Everyone had a casual look but among them the one who looked the shabbiest was director Kojima (Laugh). Gave the impression of an actual mountain hermit.

-hahaha

Tsukushi: Nevertheless, the anime staff lead by the director, were filled with curiosity. I wanted to create a grounded fantasy and so I drew the “Abyss” — In other words, a fantasy with no magic or swords. That’s why, for example, take one machine, what type of energy powers it, by what means does it move? I drew it thinking about those sorts of things.

-it’s a well-thought out setting, or rather the realism of the “Abyss” exists over the worldbuilding.

Tsukushi: What made me happy was when at the meeting I was asked in detail about those sorts of things. “What powers the city of Orth?” and “Is the fuel used in the households supplied by firewood?” and the like, all in all I was questioned thoroughly.

-I think the worldbuilding like none other is one of the charms of this work but at the start of serialization, how much of the setting was already worked out?

Tsukushi: I did think things in advance relating to the main story’s setting, though it’s not like I worked out the details that much. I also think things on the spot as necessary, and I also like to make exciting excuses (Laugh).

“Abyss” was planned to wrap in 20 chapters (Laugh)

-From the beginning “Abyss” started as a web comic, which circumstances led to its serialization?

Tsukushi: Originally my editor read my doujinshi work and contacted me for an opportunity to commercialize. “I’m making a new web magazine so I would like you to publish it there” is what he told me. From his perspective it felt like he was telling me “do it 1 or 2 times and if that’s too much you can quit'' (Laugh) then I just said “Well, I’ll take you up on that as an experiment”.

-It was that type of energy, was it?

Tsukushi: At the time I had thought of two projects, the first one was a multi-protagonist story about girls getting in robots which move through different kinds of powers. The other one was about diving into a hole. Then, after showing those two to my editor he said “what about the one about the hole?”.

-The work that was chosen there was “Abyss”

Tsukushi: In order to begin serialization, a proposal is required so I prepared a summary, character table and other materials. At the time I planned for it to be completed in 20 chapters (Laugh). Even now, I’m still kind of continuing with that plan.

-That idea of the “Hole”, where did it come from?

Tsukushi: I like video games so much I worked for a videogame company, among them dungeon crawlers are my favorite. After all, the first one I played was “Wizardry”.

-The Abyss being divided into 7 layers is certainly a video game-esque setting.

Tsukushi: When I proposed it to be divided into layers originally was because I thought it would be interesting. You can see the whole map and wonder what’s the next layer, what lies in there. Only being able to see a little might be more exciting, right? That’s how “Ghosts ‘n Goblins” and “Mashin Hero Wataru” do it but knowing how much left there is until the endgame is more interesting. That was my first idea, and then I expanded on that so that when moving between layers the environment would change drastically. Then I mixed it with the in-universe world’s advancements in technology, making the setting more detailed. In the old map that appears in the first chapter, the first layer is written to be about 1,000 meters but in the map that appears in the latter half it turns out to be about 1,350 meters. Along with the advancements in technology, new information becomes available and gets updated.

In a sense, Riko has a few screws loose

-One bit of this worldbuilding is that the characters are manga-esque or more like they have a cutesy design.

Tsukushi: “Despite the potato-ish characters, it turns into something frightening” is something I get told very often (Laugh). However, when I was a high school student I couldn’t draw anything but old guys and creatures. Putting in detailed wrinkles and warts lit me with passion (Laugh). After that, I formed part of a drawing club… that’s what it was called but in truth it’s not like we studied manga or arts, we simply hanged out, drew pictures and went to the game center (Laugh).

-It was a very lazy club, was it? (Laugh)

Tsukushi: Now that you say it, we were a group of meek hooligans (Laugh). I joined that club and when I became a second grader a younger student joined. That kid drew these pictures with a cute appearance. They always made a fuss about him, so I thought to myself “Times are changing!” (Laugh). But this kid’s drawings were not only cute, it had its charm and elegance. Then, at a point we got to work together and I had to imitate his artstyle. That was the starting point… anyway, after graduating, through “this and that” we did some things together and now he’s been my assistant.

-Is that so? (Laugh) Still, you developed a super intense story with those cute characters. In the anime for example, around episode 10’s developments were exactly what I wouldn’t expect from this, right?

Tsukushi: As a child, you didn’t play with insects as a hobby? It was, after all, very easy to get your hands on these guys that looked like the very realistic figures made by Kaiyodo (Laugh). A long time ago I used to pack them in a cage and once I had made myself believe like it was paradise, my mother had one day caught a female mantis and so-

-Aah! I feel like I know what happened after that… (Laugh).

Tsukushi: Once I put the female mantis in the insect cage, the massacre had started (Laugh). In a single day it had completely eaten everything and layed eggs. However, after that female mantis died the eggs hatched. Past the pile of corpses new life was born. It’s such an incredible world. For that reason, even if the design is potato-ish I can show stuff like that. That’s something that’s always in my mind.

-It’s the sensation of the mixture between the characters’ cuteness and the cruelty of the world. Were the protagonists Riko and Reg a combo from the beginning?

Tsukushi: At the beginning, I thought the protagonist would only be one. It would’ve been a story of a single boy taking the lead. But, around the time serialization begun I thought wouldn’t it be lonesome to delve alone? It’s better to have a partner so the one who had to carry that previous protagonist’s boyishness was Riko.

-I see, so that was the process.

Tsukushi: That’s the reason for Riko being the proactive one. On the other hand, the object of the readers’ empathy, who are from another world, is Reg. In a sense, it’s like a window into this world for the reader. There’s also this famous free game called “Cave Story”, that game starts with the protagonist awakening after losing his memories, as the game progresses he slowly becomes clear that he’s a robot. Stuff like what exactly are you or the thing you believed to be a “Cave” not actually being a cave, that feeling I think is reflected on Reg. He’s ridiculously strong, mysterious and also keeps moving forward in order to unveil that mystery surrounding himself.

-Speaking of Riko, For what purpose does she aim for the bottom of the Abyss? She is tentatively looking to meet her mother but somehow it feels like that’s not the only reason.

Tsukushi: I guess that’s so. In a sense, Riko has a few screws loose. In other words, the place Riko longs for is just in front of her. In that case, one would think, why would I have to be secluded here? Though she understands the perils that may await she wants to go so it’s unavoidable. The one and only biggest amusement is right in front of her so no matter what dangers she faces, Riko would enjoy it from the bottom of her heart.

-So in a way it’s like an obsession with the Abyss.

Tsukushi: You could say it’s an Abyss addiction. I’ve said it in another interview but Riko is someone who has chosen an exciting suicide. She wants to feel, smell and experience all types of things. You’d come to realize that in the scenes where they’re having a meal. Riko doesn’t hesitate at all when it comes to eating. When you die you have to relinquish the money you’ve made or the relics you’ve excavated, and the fame, all of it. But I think that the act of eating and the experiences are something you carry even upon death. It becomes a part of oneself.

-That type of madness stirs her up.

Tsukushi: That’s right. Riko is someone who would do whatever you told her not to. That’s why she’s truly a troublesome kid (Laugh).

Bondrewd was born from the reactions of the readers

-Certainly. When did you get an idea of what you were drawing?

Tsukushi: It was in the middle of volume 2, around the time Ozen makes her appearance. At the time, I had the chance to meet with a coworker from when I worked at the videogame company, that coworker happened to attend Koike Kazuo-sensei’s private school and he ardently recommended Koike-sensei’s book. I gave it a casual read at the beginning but then I found it really interesting. First, how awesome of a person he is, the amount of mangaka he’s produced… It started with Koike-sensei bragging about himself (Laugh), but then there were written things like “I want you to not worry about creating the drama” and “I’ll tell you about how to write compelling characters so that comes first”. The contents written there were all pretty obvious but Koike-sensei did not only put into words that obvious stuff but also organized it. What everyone does by feel was written there in minute detail. The self-bragging from before was also one method of giving you interest in the character that is “Koike-sensei”.

-So then, after reading that, which characters were…

Tsukushi: Ozen and Maruruk. Actually, Ozen was supposed to be a tall and huge old man. A very quiet man but one who would be strict towards Riko and Reg and teach them many things. That was my thought-process but after having read Koike-sensei’s book and looking back on that I though “This won’t do” (Laugh). It was not something you would call a well-defined character.

-Then that huge guy transformed into a woman, furthermore with a strange hairstyle.

Tsukushi: Like Koike-sensei said, characters need a mystery. What brings this character happiness, what would make them irritated; you create the outward look while keeping all of that in mind. Like that, whatever character you create will surely become an interesting character, and then having those characters collide is what creates drama.

-You mean that above all the most important things are the charming characters.

Tsukushi: As I kept thinking of what happened with Riko and her mom, Ozen’s character emerged. Same deal with Marulk. Right at that point in the story I was told many times “You have a manga titled Made in Abyss but no maids have appeared” (Laugh). Then I thought I might as well.

-That was the reasoning? (Laugh).

Tsukushi: However, having a simple maid would’ve been boring so I left the maid’s gender vague. When I started wondering “who’s tastes lead to Marulk having to wear that?” it suddenly turned into something interesting.

-Could it be that Nanachi was also a character created by that method?

Tsukushi: Yes (Laugh). Nanachi’s manner of speech was also one of those tools to making up the character. There’s a famous saying: “Every person has their eccentricities”. People have habits not even themselves realize they do. Having that in drawing and applying it into action is what builds the characters.

-Nanachi happens to be a very popular character even in the original manga, right? Does that sort of response influence the process of the work’s creation?

Tsukushi: It certainly does. If I looked away and drew for nobody else then that would be just like looking at a wall and throwing a ball, it’s much more enjoyable if it comes back. Bondrewd appeared precisely because of that type of response. After Ozen’s part in the story, I took a look at a BBS and the readers’ reactions and I saw something written like “The adults that appear in “Abyss” look frightening but everyone’s just nice adults who seem to take good consideration towards the children”. Then I decided upon Bondrewd’s personality from me wanting to have a villain who’d have you at a loss for words.

The parts I thought would be omitted were depicted straight on

-I see, I’ve been only asking about the original work but this time I want to also ask about the anime adaptation. What’s your favorite thing about the anime?

Tsukushi: First of all, how entertaining it is. Also, it may be obvious, but the huge quantity of information. Manga is drawn on paper so fundamentally there’s no sound or color. In “Abyss” I try to simplify the background as much as I can in order to decrease the amount of workload of drawing as much as possible, and there are some panels where I put objects to create a certain atmosphere. But in the anime all that is tackled straight on. I understand very well how troublesome that is, I absolutely think that is truly amazing.

-Certainly, the craftmanship of those backgrounds is stunning.

Tsukushi: And on top of that the sound is incredibly good. The clattering sound Reg’s arms make is great, and the shroombear’s cry, the human-like cry made me laugh unintentionally. The scene from episode 10 where Riko’s arm gets broken too, it’s ten times more brutal than the original. In the stages of the storyboard there already were detailed directions but there was absolutely no holding back on its depiction. I think director Kojima was prepared for it but what I thought would be omitted in the anime was depicted straight on.

-Episode 10’s scenario was truly shocking.

Tsukushi: The idea is that in order to portray their liveliness, carefully depicting how they’re going to die leaves a much stronger impression. The opposite is also true. That’s why what’s more important than that brutal depiction is Reg’s reaction to Riko’s suffering. By depicting how painful his emotions are, you can properly relay it to the people watching. Which is why I was extremely grateful that they bravely animated that scenario

-This interview takes place before the broadcast of the last episode but with this I’m looking forward to the whole ordeal with sending Mitty off at the end.

Tsukushi: I know, right? Just looking at the storyboard looks like they also tackled this one straight on.

-Seems like there’s still material left to continue, after the anime’s broadcast finalizes, I wonder what sort of developments will we see?

Tsukushi: I’ve already spoken about it to the people of the anime staff but there actually are some setups… For the time being, I have decided how it will end though I can’t speak about it here yet (Laugh).

Interview 4 (Kevin Penkin)

October 2017

https://febri.jp/topics/madeinabyss_interview4/

Made in Abyss(hereinafter as “Abyss”) is a unique fantasy story where young Delvers venture into a super intense world. What has the anime version achieved, with its countless uncompromising depictions that caused so much buzz? We asked the ideas behind the soundtrack of this work to Kevin Penkin, a young composer based in London in charge of music.

I thought that the uniqueness of modern music fit the world of “Abyss”

-One of the aspects of this work is the unique music which you wouldn’t normally listen.What kind of approach did you have going into this series?

Kevin: I started by taking inspiration from the original story I was given and expanded what came to my head with that. While I read the source material, I thought about what music would match the characters that appear in a certain scene. Having that in mind I first made 10 demo tracks and had Director Kojima, Yamada (Haru) the Sound Director and people of the staff listen to them. Since the beginning, I’d wanted to put on some more modern-sounding music in contrast to how unique the world of the source material is.

-There’s also plenty of songs with not-so-simple orchestration.

Kevin: I went to a contemporary music school but you would also study classical music together with modern music there. Having quite a different rhythm and harmony to classical music, I thought modern music would actually fit with that uniqueness of the world of “Abyss”.

-Specifically, which artists did you take inspiration from?

Kevin: not quite inspiration but I’ve certainly been influenced by artists which I find quite interesting like certain Icelandic groups, Sigur Rós and Ben Frost, as well as the American-based Nico Muhly. Also minimalists like Steve Reich and John Adams. Each of them has a very interesting sound.

What music was gonna be put in what scenario was left to them so I was surprised every week

-During music production this time, was there anything you had to keep in mind?

Kevin: The main characters introduced in “Abyss” are Riko and Reg, and later Nanachi. 2 to 3 small children are inside the big space that is the Abyss. I had a lot of interest in that contrast in imagery. As I was thinking on how to express that in music, I thought, what if I had a couple of people record in a big recording studio?

-So you overlapped the conditions when recording music and the situation with Reg and the others, I see. Do you have a personal favorite track?

Kevin: It’s Hanazeve Caradhina. I had the pleasure of Takeshi Saito (From SNARE COVER) singing for that one, his voice was truly impressive. I was so glad that they used it as the opening song of episode 1 too.

-It was a very dramatical song

Kevin: Also, if I can mention another one, I like Nanachi’s theme. Nanachi has two theme tracks, a light one and a dark one. The latter uses synthesizer and bassoon instead. I can’t explain it but I’m quite fond of those instruments’ timbre. Matching up with the dirtied timbre of the bass soundtrack is also fun.

-How was it watching the finished product?

Kevin: I thought the work by Kinema Citrus was honestly perfect! This is a little unrelated to music but the story and art were absolutely wonderful. Even if I hadn’t worked on the music, I think I would’ve enjoyed it as a fan myself (Laughs). What music was gonna be put in what scenario was left to them so I was surprised every week at the same time as everyone.

-And lastly, could you give the fans of the series a message?

Kevin: It was an honor being able to do such a unique work. The source material is also a work with really wonderful art direction but I was grateful I was allowed to make the music for it as I pleased. At the moment, it’s still being broadcasted so we still don’t know how the last episode is gonna turn out… I’m excited for what’s coming.

Interview 5 (Tsukushi Akihito)

October 2017

https://febri.jp/topics/madeinabyss_interview5/

Feature: Looking back on Made in Abyss in advance of the second season!

Unraveling the seven layers of the Abyss with author Akihito Tsukushi

Made in Abyss is a unique fantasy story where young Delvers venture into a super intense, sadistic world. What has the anime version achieved, with its countless uncompromising depictions that caused so much buzz? While sitting down to talk with author Akihito Tsukushi about the work and learn more about the Abyss, our chat went on to cover a lot of aspects not covered in the comic itself. Here we touch on just the tip of the iceberg of the vast world that is Made in Abyss.

Article composed by Nobuyuki Shioda

*This is a reprint of an interview published in Volume 44 of the magazine Febri (published in October 2017).

The gondola system

Tsukushi: The large gondolas used to travel to and from the Abyss work by drawing mechanical power from waterwheels located by waterfalls. The gondola at the pier, where Hablog returned with a White Whistle, is a special one built for the purposes of triumphal returns, so it uses electricity. The other gondola is not powered by electric power, but hydro power.

Sunlight in the Abyss

Tsukushi: Starting on the 3rd layer and lower, the light coming from below is actually stronger than the sunlight outside. Delvers intuitively understand that the light is probably coming from the sun. As Nanachi said, "The force field carries light to the subterranean world acting as the life blood of the Abyss  and carrying nutrients everywhere." Exposure to this light has healing properties on a range of things. Incidentally, the light around the first layer is supposed to be approximate to sunset.

Depth gauges explained

Tsukushi: Some of the minerals harvested in the Abyss differ depending on the depth of the layer they were mined in. Depth gauges make use of these minerals. Barometers cannot be used in the Abyss because of the force field. Within the device, the minerals change slightly to gas or back to solid. Of course, it can also be used to measure the depth in places other than the Abyss. The gauge used by Riko and Reg, which can measure quite deep, is a rare version of this. It's usually used by Black Whistles.

Mysteries of Abyss inhabitants

Tsukushi: The curse of the abyss also affects the creatures that live there, but the symptoms that appear are different from in humans. The closer the creature is to a human, the more the curse affects them.

For instance, if an insect uses some other ability beyond the five senses to grasp its surroundings, then that ability would not be affected by the curse in the 5th Layer. There are also creatures like the Ottobas, which came to the Abyss from the outside and adapted to life in the 2nd Layer. If they cannot adapt, they are eaten, so the Abyss has its own sort of uniquely developed ecosystem like the Galapagos Islands.

The curse of the Abyss

Symptoms by depth level

Layer 1: Dizziness and nausea

Layer 2: Intense nausea, headaches, and numbness of limbs

Layer 3: In addition to aforementioned effects, Vertigo combined with visual and auditory hallucinations.

Layer 4: Intense pain throughout the body and bleeding from every orifice.

Layer 5: Complete sensory deprivation, confusion and self-harming behavior.

Layer 6: Loss of humanity or death

Layer 7 and beyond: Certain death

The Beoluska setting

Tsukushi: Orth refers to some isolated islands and towns that encompass the Abyss, while Beoluska is a more macro distinction that includes the entirety of that, plus other islands and territories. Beoluska is the name of the country encompassing those islands as an archipelago.

As a country, Beoluska is a large and powerful nation-state. It encompasses not just those islands, but also parts of the nearest continent, in its territory. However, part of the backstory is that some events led to the area being split up into East Beoluska and West Beoluska.

Orth is located in Beoluska in the southern seas, and the Abyss is protected by the nation so that people from other countries cannot abuse it. One of those policies is requiring Delvers to earn their whistles through a licensing system.

The Beoluska Islands are to Made in Abyss what, for example, Micronesia would be to Planet Earth.

Although located in the tropics close to the Equator, Orth has access to cool air blowing out of the Abyss itself, so it's not hot there.

The light clothing worn by locals indicates how the area around the opening actually has a cool climate.

This does not mean that Orth and the outside are completely cut off from each other, though. In the past, the rough tides made it so that only airships could reach the area, but with improvements in seafaring technology, ships now travel back and forth. Commercial fleets called "caravan ships" come and go with escorts. As for why escorts are needed, it's because there are frequent pirate attacks targeting relics. (Laughs) By the way, the creatures of the Abyss have adapted to the force field, so they hardly need to venture out, and since they have almost no ability to cross the ocean, they don't breed on other islands.

What powers things in the Abyss?

Tsukushi: There are lots of waterfalls, so turbines specialized in hydroelectric power generation are used. I'd guess they use the proceeds from selling artifacts to hire engineers. The power at the orphanage also comes from hydro turbines. Standard windmills are inefficient, so most of them are used to mill things into flour.

Stone lanterns are a necessity for Delvers. In Volume 4 (Chapter 32) of the original manga, there is a scene featuring a Glowstone bomb Reg uses to restrain Bondrewd.

These Glowstones processed into lanterns are the main lightsource while delving, and consist of a mineral that can only be mine in the Abyss. It glows when a constant vibration is applied, and is a dangerous item that explodes when subjected to a large impact or pressure. Buildings are very close together, so open flames are not used. Relics that generate heat are instead used for cooking.

Delving as a profession

Tsukushi: People from other countries can become Delvers, but like Riko and the others, they must start with a bell. The key point is following the process put in place by the nation to obtain a whistle after training.

Red Whistle Delvers have an agreement to generally not get involved with illegal Delvers. They just report the matter and let other people crack down on it.

Whistles function like a license system. After learning the ways of delving and obtaining a Red Whistle, a practical test is conducted, only after which Delvers finally get their license. It takes time to officially become a Delver, so people who don't want to bother access the Abyss via the entrance in the slums to try to mine in the Great Fault illegally. Of course, there are no such people near the Ido Front or even make it that far. Ozen is just too scary to them. (Laughs)

Akihito Tsukushi

Born in 1979 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After working as a designer at a game company, became a

freelance illustrator. Made in Abyss is his first commercial comic.

Work details

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun (TV anime)

Airs on July 6, 2022

Akihito Tsukushi, Takeshobo/Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Production

Committee

Made in Abyss Golden Week Special

00:00:00.000

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Golden Week Special

Date: May 5, 8PM onward

Guests: Miyu Tomita (Riko), Mariya Ise (Reg), Shiori Izawa (Nanachi), Masayuki Kojima (director), Shinpei Yamashita (producer)

Copyright Akihito Tsukushi, Takeshobo, Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Production Committee

00:04:53.300

Announcer: Introducing the Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun golden week special! Yay!

All: Yay!

00:05:09.900

All: Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Tsukushi-sensei, happy birthday to you! Yay!

Ise: Happy birthday!

Tomita: What about these crackers?

Ise: Oh, that's right, we have these crackers.

All: One, two...[bang] Yay!

Ise: Oh, wow, that was great.

Tomita: So, without further ado, birthday congratulations to Tsukushi-sensei.

All: Yay!

Ise: He looks cute!

Ise: We've got him zoomed in real big here.

 Izawa: Yeah.

Tomita: I brought my own Tsukushi-sensei today. I mean, someone gave me this earlier. It's a little acrylic figurine.  Yay! Anyway, congratulations!

All: Congrats!

00:06:05.000

Right: So, once again, you're watching a special golden week feature on Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun, where we'll be bringing you all the latest news. Today we are pleased to announce that it's also creator Akihito Tsukushi's birthday! Hooray! So before we start the main event, we wanted to celebrate him a bit. One announcement we want to make is that Tsukushi-sensei was unfortunately unable to make a live studio appearance due to his busy schedule...

Izawa: What? Why!

Tomita: ...but in his place, we have a life-sized cardboard cutout of him!

Ise: Wait, this is life-sized?! He's a lot bigger than I thought!

Tomita: Also, since today is Children's Day in Japan, we have these props behind us...

Izawa: That's right.

Tomita: Look at all these decorations.

Izawa: This is crazy! Isn't this going too far?

Ise: This is wild...

Tomita: These streamers are actually different sizes: you have the adult and child versions, apparently.

Izawa: Oh, so this is the dad? And this is the mom? And this is the kid?

Tomita: Yeah, the bottom one is smallest!

Ise: How cute...but kinda creepy.

Tomita: We hope the studio gives you some visual interest to check out while you watch! Although Tsukushi-sensei is not in attendance today, we managed to get him to call in via a live stream at the last minute in between his work. Let's get him onscreen. One, two...

All: Tsukushi-sensei!

00:07:26.000

Tsukushi: Good evening! All: Good evening!

Tsukushi: Thanks for having me!

All: Oh, look, Mitty and Nanachi are here! Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule! And congratulations on your birthday!

Tsukushi: Thank you so much!

Tomita: So once again, it is my pleasure to introduce the birthday boy, Tsukushi-sensei, creator of Made in Abyss. Thanks for calling in!

Tsukushi: Thank you! I'm hard at work on the manga!

Tomita: Wow, you are?!

Ise: Do your best!

Izawa: Did you have any cake today?

Tsukushi: Cake? Oh, well, I haven't, but...I just received this delivery of fried chicken!

Ise: Wow, that chicken is huge!

Tomita: We actually have a cake featuring your portrait on it here in the studio!

Tsukushi: What?!

Tomita: It might be hard to see...here, let's lift it up. This huge cake has your face on it.

Tsukushi: So you're gonna smash it in two in a little while?

Tomita: Yeah, we're gonna cut an abyss into this cake!

Izawa: Yeah, and dig up what we find!

Tsukushi: Cool, I like it!

Tomita: We know you're quite busy, but could you tell us a bit about how you spent your birthday? It's already 8PM.

Tsukushi: Well, actually, it's been really fun. I got together with another mangaka and we did a little sleepover with all of us working on our drafts right up to the deadline.

Tomita: Oh, I saw that on Twitter! So you're in the midst of that now.

Ise: So you're all supporting each other through that last spurt. How charming.

Tomita: Give it your all! Our last live show like this lasted six hours. I think this is the first time we get together again since that, isn't it?

Tsukushi: Oh, yeah, I remember that show.

Ise: Yeah, I don't think we've met him since then, right?

Tomita: It's been quite awhile.

Tsukushi: I remember peering into the booth during the dubbing session.

Izawa: Oh, that's right, we had a dubbing session.

Tomita: By the way, we have live comments from viewers coming in on a screen here. Everyone is sending their congratulations.

Tsukushi: Thank you so much! I owe it all to you fans!

Tomita: How nice! We're grateful for that, indeed. Alright, coming up next, we'll be bringing you the latest scoop on the TV anime Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun. Before we transition to that, let's get some feedback from Tsukushi-sensei: How are you feeling right now, with the anime going into its second season?

Tsukushi: Well, I heard they have something new in store for us today...

Tomita: That's right.

Tsukushi: I haven't really heard much about what's planned, so I'm super excited.

Izawa: Oh, he doesn't know what's being announced today!

Tomita: Have you noticed before that this behind the scenes info tends to not reach him? That's not the first time this has happened!

Ise: Well, it's supposed to be a surprise!

Izawa: He's had his hands full!

Ise: Right.

Tomita: So not only do you get to celebrate your birthday, but we have some surprises in store for you. Is there anything you two would like to ask?

Izawa: Huh? Oh, you mean us?

Ise: How old are you today?

Tsukushi: I think I'm about 41 or 42 now?

Ise: Oh, is that so!

Tsukushi: I think they've got my birthday on Wikipedia. Sorry, wait, I'm 40.

Ise: Did he just read his own age off camera?! Well, thank you! Okay, your turn.

Izawa: Why are you wearing a hat indoors?

Tsukushi: Well, I shaved my head with a buzzer, so...

Ise: Wow, you went all in! Plus, it's his trademark look, right?

Tomita: Honestly, I've never seen him without one.

Tsukushi: I get nervous, so I toss a hat on.

Izawa: A lot of people in the comments are saying they're the same age as you.

All: Oh, yeah!

Tsukushi: Let's grow old together, guys!

Tomita: By the way, we've been seeing a lot of your merchandise all over the place.

Ise: Yeah, it's everywhere!

Izawa: Speaking of which, check out this pin.

Ise: She's wearing a little badge featuring your face.

Tsukushi: Seems there are some people at Takeshobo playing pranks on me.

Izawa: Must be the editorial team.

Tomita: I had my eye on this acrylic figurine and wasn't able to get one, but someone from Kadokawa books got me it. I plan to put this next to my TV at home.

Tsukushi: They've got me striking a wild pose there.

Tomita: Well, you're gonna adorn my TV stand now. Anyway, thanks for making an appearance today, and congrats on your birthday.

Tsukushi: Thank you!

Ise: Do your best! Bye for now!

Tsukushi: Thanks guys! Talk to you later!

Tomita: He's so cute.

Ise and Izawa: Yeah, he is.

00:13:01.500

Tomita: So that's a wrap on his birthday! Let me put this acrylic figurine here in my pocket.

Ise: So you've got him with his watchful presence over our show.

Tomita: So we're well underway with the golden week special for the TV anime, Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun!

All: Yay!

Tomita: On today's live show, we're here to bring you the latest on the second season of the anime, which will be broadcast in July of this year. We have a lot of news you'll be hearing for the first time, so stay tuned till the end! We're already well into the thick of things here, but we haven't even introduced ourselves!

Ise: Oh my god, you're right!

Tomita: It's the three of us today, starting with me, the voice actress for Riko: Miyu Tomita. Thanks for having me!

Ise: Hey, your hair looks just like Riko's!

Tomita: This is my first time out in public since I dyed it blonde. I'm here with Riko in spirit!

Ise: I'm Mariya Ise, and I play the role of Reg. Thanks!

Izawa: I'm Shiori Izawa, and I play Nanachi! Thanks, guys!

All: Yay!

Tomita: I feel it's been awhile since we all get together--outside of recording the show, that is.

Ise: Yeah, it is.

Tomita: The second season is starting up in July, which is right around the corner.

Izawa: It'll be here before you know it.

Tomita: We finished up the voiceover awhile ago, though.

Ise: I think we started in June of last year? It's been almost a year for the show to get ready to go on the airwaves. We've been expectantly waiting all this time.

Tomita: We have a lot in store today to tell you about the show, and the "White Whistles" are coming, so stay tuned! As I mentioned, the three of us will be presenting this show about Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun, but since it's Tsukushi-sensei's birthday today and Children's Day, we have some neat decorations in the studio. In addition to the Hamashirama streamers on our right, we also have some Demonfish streamers.

Izawa: These are a bit easier on the eyes! They actually look like traditional carp streamers. The Hamashirama is a bit...grotesque, right?

Tomita; This would bring a kid to tears!

Izawa: They had so many other choices to pick from, but they went with this!

Tomita: Yeah, we were taking a group photo earlier, and the camera crew kept telling us they wanted to get these streamers in the shot!

Ise: Yeah, they were adamant about it!

00:16:12.833

Tomita: We have lots of interesting character props and stuff for you to check out here. Before we start talking about the anime, we wanted to have a fun little chat about what things you see in Made in Abyss that you'd never want your kids to do in the real world.

Ise: Interesting.

Tomita: I'm sure there are quite a lot!

 Ise: That's true!

Tomita: We have these sketch books and crayons at the ready. The team want us to sketch those situations you'd never want to recreate in real life. And we only get 60 seconds to do it!

Izawa: Hmm, stuff kids wouldn't want to try at home?

Tomita: We should have a lot to choose from. Have you got one in mind? Are you feeling confident about this little exercise?

Ise: I sort of have an idea, yeah.

Tomita: Ready? Let's go. In 60 seconds, depict what things you should definitely not try at home! Start!

Izawa: Wow, using crayons makes it harder. 60 seconds? Really?

Tomita: 60 seconds is equal to one minute.

Izawa: Haha, I know, I meant it's short. I don't think I've used crayons since kindergarten.

Tomita: You're all so focused on your drawings. But they seem to be coming out well, right?

Ise: I think mine is turning out alright! Wait...maybe not.

Tomita: Hmm, is this looking right?

Ise: Surprisingly, sixty seconds is a decent chunk of time.

Izawa: It honestly is.

Tomita: There, I think I got it. I was confident about my idea, but getting it down on paper is another matter.

Ise: Wow, yours is looking awesome, Shiori.

Izawa: Well, I honestly had no other way of drawing this idea. Wow, yours looks so cute, too.

Ise: Really?

All: Time's up! We did it!

Tomita: Looks like we are all ready, so let's ask the viewers to guess what our drawings represent. I'll go first.

Ise: Oh, that's cute.

Tomita: "Ow, this hurts."

Ise: She's crying.

Tomita: She's supposed to be looking at her arm.

Ise: So this is Riko, right?

Tomita: Yeah. This is when she gets stung by an Orb Piercer and has poison in her arm. Remember, if you get poison in your arm, don't try to break the bone! Go to the hospital instead!

Ise: That's smart!

Izawa: Yeah, unless you're in survival conditions, just go to the doctor!

Tomita: That's right. If your arm hurts, consult your neighborhood doctor! Don't try this at home!

Izawa: Nice one.

Tomita: Want to go next?

Ise: Sure. Here's mine.

Tomita: Cute.

Izawa: Okay, I see this is Reg. But what is this supposed to be? Nanachi?

Ise: You got it! Sorry, Nanachi is too challenging for me to draw. But I tried to capture that funny shape of the mouth, and this red is supposed to be blushing.

Tomita: It definitely looks like a "creature," too.

Ise: This scene appeared a lot in the first season. Reg sniffs Nanachi's fragrant aroma. You may see a bit of this in season two, but remember, don't try this at home! No matter how nice someone smells, you shouldn't sniff them like crazy.

Tomita: Good one. That's true in real life for sure! Lastly, let's hear from Shiori.

Izawa: Here's mine.

Tomita: Oh, is that who I think it is?! I'm amazed at how you managed to convey this with so few lines! It's quite clear.

Izawa: This is where Bondrewd comes to solicit kids to go to the Abyss. Remember, you should never follow strangers!

Ise: Precisely!

Izawa: This is a moral you can take home and apply in real life! Don't forget it!

Tomita: So to sum up, we had: 1) if your arm hurts, head to the doctor; 2) don't sniff people you have a crush on; and 3) don't follow strangers! I'm sure we have some students and young people in the audience, so I hope they'll take these lessons to heart. You'll find some of these scenes and more in the first season of Made in Abyss, which is now in syndication on BS11 every Wednesday. Check it out!

And do stay tuned for the upcoming second season in July! In the second half of the show, we'll be bringing you the latest scoop on the second season, so we hope you'll stay through and watch till the end.

00:23:10.167

Ise: Without further ado, we're back with more about the upcoming second season of the TV anime, Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun. We have some special guests in attendance:director Masayuki Kojima and producer Shinpei Yamashita. Yay! Let's start with Mr.

Kojima, could you introduce yourself, please?

Kojima: Hello, I'm Masayuki Kojima, the director of the series. This is my first debut on YouTube as someone over the age of 60!

All: Oh, wow! Really? That's amazing!

Kojima: I'm a bit nervous, but thanks for having me.

Ise: Viewers, this is a golden opportunity to subscribe to the channel!

Kojima: I heard some of the team working on Abyss will send some Superchat comments my way.

Yamashita: Sorry, Superchat is off today, actually.

Ise: Oh, apparently it's disabled, haha. Anyway, thanks for coming out! Next, let's hear from Mr. Yamashita.

Yamashita: I'm Shinpei Yamashita, the producer. Sorry we made you larger than life here, Tsukushi- sensei, but do your best on the manga. I think we've got a lot of exciting info in store for you all, so stay tuned.

00:24:29.700

Ise: Thank you! So, let's look back on the history of the series. The first season went on the air in 2017. The film version--Dawn of the Deep Soul--then hit theaters in 2020. Here we have a summary for you. Wow, look at all the info we've got on this card!

All: There's a ton!

Ise: I'll read it aloud: The Abyss is a mysterious and gaping maw, the last uncharted territory of mankind. This vast, vertical cavern, the depths of which are unknown, is inhabited by mysterious creatures, and deep within lie precious artifacts the likes of which can no longer be made by human hands. Yet the unfathomable mysteries of the Abyss attract people to embark on adventures there. Over time, people plumbing the depths came to be known as Delvers. Orth is a town built on the fringes of the Abyss, and is where Riko, a child at an orphanage, makes her home. She dreams of becoming a famous Delver like her mother one day and untangling the mysteries of the Abyss. One day, a report comes in of her mother Lyza's White Whistle being found, and Riko resolves to delve deep into the Abyss. She is joined by Reg, a robot that has lost his memory and seeks to uncover it somewhere in the depths. In the fourth layer, Riko is stung by a poisonous Orb Piercer, but is saved by Nanachi, a narehate. Nanachi joins the crew and the trio embarks towards the Fifth Layer, when Bondrewd awaits. There they meet a young girl who goes by the name of Prushka. She was raised by Bondrewd and has never seen the outside world. She becomes absorbed in Riko's tales of adventure and wants to join the group, but sadly becomes the victim of Bondrewd's experiments. Yet Prushka is transformed into Riko's White Whistle, and the group plunges further into the 6th Layer, the "Capital of the Unreturned." So what will the second season have in store for us? That's the question on all of our lips, so let's take a peek at this video.

00:26:35.467

Narration: That place where compasses stand straight up...that's where you'll find "it." We all seek, desire, and dream for the Golden City. It was real, it was there.

Vueko: Hey, over there!

Wazukyan: Wh, what's that? Is that...the Inviolable Ocean?

Wazukyan: Who wants to be first to step ashore?

Wazukyan: You are the ones who'll trample the injustice of the world!

Voice actor: Hiroaki Hirata

Belaf: Beauty is in the eyes. Not in a physical sense. By this I mean, the "gaze."

Voice actor: Mitsuki Saiga

Vueko: Wazukyan! It's the compass!

Voice actor: Yuka Terasaki

Vueko: I want to go search for it...that light no one has found before. Faputa: Sosu...now I have my target.

Voice actor: Misaki Kuno

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun

Nanachi: Bondrewd, are you watching? I feel pretty bad about it, to be honest.

Ise: That's trailer #1 for the upcoming show. We saw a lot of new characters. Let's take a look at this slide.

00:28:37.933

Faputa, voiced by Misaki Kuno

A "Narehate Princess" who resides in the 6th Layer. Seems to have some past connection to Reg and is attached to him.

Vueko, voiced by Yuka Terasaki

A member of the Ganja, a suicide corps. She used her star compass to reach the Abyss.

Wazukyan, voiced by Hiroaki Hirata

The leader of the Ganja, a suicide corps bound for the Golden City. Has remarkable foresight, so much so that he is called "The Prophet."

Belaf, voiced by Mitsuki Saiga

A member of the Ganja suicide corps and an adventurer who arrives in the abyss. Fluent in languages and scripts, acting as an able interpreter and negotiator.

Ise: So here are the new characters: Faputa, Vueko, Wazukyan, and Belaf, whom you saw in the first trailer.

Izawa: In Season 1 and the latter part of the theatrical version, there weren't a lot of characters.

Ise: Right.

Izawa: Then in Season 2, you suddenly get this influx of new characters.

Ise: That's true. So, let's ask Mr. Yamashita and Mr. Kojima about this new cast of characters.

Yamashita: Come to think of it, the trailer didn't really feature Riko, Reg, or Nanachi in it.

Ise: That's true!

Yamashita: Well, they appeared briefly as part of a little gag at the end.

All: Right!

Yamashita: One thing I think the viewers will notice about these characters, Mr. Kojima, is that they have a different color tone to the rest.

Ise: Good point.

Izawa: The characters we voice have more earth tones. But these ones are more vivid.

Yamashita: We've intentionally changed the coloring of the scenes as a whole.

Ise: Oh, really? How do you mean? Compared to Season 1?

Kojima: Well, I can't reveal too much, but there is some...difference...in the scenes featuring Riko, and those with Wazukyan. The general layout is different from the original manga. There are some scenes where the shots of Riko and the shots of Vueko and her group are sort of intermingled, so in order to make the pacing clearer for the viewer, we changed the color tones of those respective scenes to make it clearer that there was a shift.

Ise: So you mean that the overall color in the Vueko scenes is kept to a minimum so that the characters stand out? Or you enhanced it?

Kojima: No, you're right. The overall tone is kept at a minimum.

Ise: I see.

Izawa: I felt like some scenes in particular looked different?

Kojima: Well, the entire tone has been changed throughout, so I think it affected everything.

Tomita: Makes sense!

Yamashita: I feel like you're giving away some spoilers here already!

 Kojima: Wait, did I?!

Yamashita: Don't worry, don't worry.

 Izawa: Yeah, he mentioned Vueko a bit.

Ise: Well, that's fine, look Vueko is already on the slide. So the voice actors are: Misaki Kuno for Faputa and Yuka Terasaki for Vueko, then for Wazukyan is Hiroaki Hirata, and for Belaf is Mitsuki Saiga. Honestly, I feel like the casting was perfect.

Tomita: They have a knack for casting just the right talent that feels perfect every time.

Ise: Totally.

Yamashita: Well, we had auditions, you know.

Ise: Oh, did you? Was it a really close one, in terms of having some great contenders down to the end, or did they just stand out right away?

Yamashita: Honestly, we had a full lineup of people just as amazing all there auditioning. It's definitely thanks to how popular the film was. There is lots of voice talent actively interested in it now. And we definitely owe a lot to Mr. Yamada, the sound engineer.

Ise: I see! Outstanding. So we have a star-studded lineup. Let's take a look at this next slide.

00:32:21.767

Yamashita: Oh, we have a storyboard here. This was used to storyboard the first trailer. I believe Mr. Kojima made this one.

Kojima: I did. I can't say what episode it's from, though!

Yamashita: Yeah, that's a secret. We had to blur that out, and blur out what cuts those were. I noticed that in this scene--or rather, in general--that you use color in your storyboards.

Kojima: Well, I find that using color early on, which I did for season 1, too, helps get a shared awareness among the team of the colors we all want to be on the same page about.

Ise: I see. I believe you brought some other things like mood boards and sketches, right? Why don't we have a deeper look at what went into the production of season 2?

Yamashita: Let's look at the next slide.

00:33:45.167

Ise: Wow, you're really gonna show us all this?

Yamashita: Yep! This is stuff you saw in the first trailer, so it's okay.

All: This is the compass, right?

Yaamashita: Well, in its former shape.

Ise: Former?! So I guess we'll have some scenes elaborating how it changes. We see Vueko up at the top right. So the one she has is the "old" version?

Yamashita: That's right.

Ise: So Riko's compass is the "new" one? Or the "old" one?

Yamashita: Well, as far as this design is concerned, it's the new one.

Ise: I see! Look, we have a lot of comments from fans overseas.

Yamashita: Oh, yeah, they writing "star compass" out in English.

Ise: They call it the star compass!

00:34:45.900

Yamashita: Sounds cooler in English. Shall we go to the next slide? This is...ah, a pod.

Ise: A "pod bound for the edge of the Abyss." Interesting.

Izawa: This is the one they climbed into at the end.

Yamashita: I think we used this for the film as well. It's been slightly updated here. You can see that stick figure there showing the relative size.

Ise: Stick figure?

Yamashita: Yeah, the black silhouette.

Ise: Woah, the pod is huge, then! What is this pod made out of, anyway?

 Yamashita: Gee, that's a good question.

Kojima: Search me!

Ise: So that remains a mystery, huh.

Yamashita: No, wait, it says it here: an artifact that is a mixture of organic/inorganic matter.

Ise: Oh, so it's an artifact! Wow, that's interesting.

Kojima: I'm sure they confirmed with Tsukushi-sensei when drawing this up.

Yamashita: Yeah. This design was drawn by Mr. Takakura.

Kojima: Yeah.

Ise: It looks kind of like an eyeball, don't you think?

Yamashita: Yeah, it does.

Ise: I could just start imagining things...like, what if it's made out of the eyeball of some abyssal creature?

Yamashita: Did you hear that, Tsukushi-sensei!

Ise: Yeah, that's my take on it! I could just think about this all day.

00:35:52.000

Yamashita: Ok, shall we check the next slide? This is the Ganja corps fleet.

 Izawa: They went into a lot of detail for the Ganja ships.

Yamashita: Oh, wait, we didn't mention the "Ganja" in the trailer!

Ise: But it did appear on the character slides we looked at.

Yamashita; Yeah, you're right. These are the ships the Ganja members use. Next slide: I think this is from the boat seen in the trailer, when they were looking at the compass.

Ise: So this is inside the boat?

Yamashita: Yeah. It has the date on it. I hope that's okay with the production crew...

Tomita: It's a little late for that!

Yamashita: Let's just say this was made in August 2020, for appearance's sake.

Ise: Oh, and here's a colorized cel.

Yamashita: It's a bit dark. Ise: Yeah, it's dark in there!

Yamashita: This is more of an elaborated mood board for the sketch we just saw. We use this to get a feel for the colors.

Ise: They were in a storm in the trailer, right?

Yamashita: Yeah, and I think you'll see it on this next slide.

00:36:56.833

Ganja corps three sages ship, exterior

Ganja corps three sages ship, exterior -- during storm

Ise: This one?

Yamashita: Yeah, you have a storm at right.

Tomita: Oh, it says right here: "Exterior view of the three sages ship, Ganja corps."

Ise: And then "exterior, during storm." So cool. It looks so different based on the weather.

Yamashita: Prior to doing a shot, we make these to get a sense for the coloration and mood.

Ise: How many of these do you have?

Yamashita: We make a lot of these prior to finalizing it.

Kojima: I think we have almost double the amount we had for season 1.

Ise: Woah, double?!

Yamashita: It's quite a challenge--for Mr. Matsuyama in particular.

Ise: I'd love to see all of those some time.

Tomita: Me, too.

Izawa: Me, three.

Yamashita: Well, some time. Not until we run the whole series.

Tomita: Of course.

Yamashita: But we have a ton of these, yeah.

Ise: I see! Okay, next up...

00:38:07.367

Yamashita: Should be this one.

All: Oh, Vueko!

Izawa: Are you sure it's okay to look at these new characters?

Yamashita: Hmm, I wonder!

Izawa: Yeah, the show hasn't aired yet.

Yamashita: That's true. You get to see a lot of expressions here.

Ise: So cute. Was there any particular emphasis put on certain expressions or her equipment?

Tomita: They even got the bags under her eyes.

Ise: That's true. Vueko always has those dark bags. Mr. Kojima, was there anything in particular you wanted the viewer to take away from this character?

Kojima: Hmm. How should I say? She's a bit...reserved.

Ise: It's a fairly shy character, right?

Kojima: Yeah, essentially. Very naive. We wanted to really get that across in the expressions and movements.

Ise: I see. Thank you.

00:39:22.000

Yamashita: Here's the last one, I think.

All: Wazukyan!

Yamashita: Am I pronouncing it right? WAzukyan? WazuKYAN?

Ise: I remember there was some debate during the first recording session.

Izawa: Yeah, there was some issue with the intonation during the dubbing.

Ise: But I think in the end we agreed around WAzukyan.

Yamashita: Right, Tsukushi-sensei weighed in on it. He always takes part in the dubbings.

Kojima: It really helps.

Yamashita: Yeah, we'd never know without him!

Tomita: I remember asking him a lot of questions during the first season. The second season has been even more complex in that regard.

Ise: Yeah.

Yamashita: So that's Wazukyan. And next is...

00:40:04.967

All: Belaf!

Ise: So cool!

Tomita: His pupils are so striking. He said something about the "gaze" in the trailer, right? Did you put a lot of focus on the design of his eyes?

Kojima: Well, yes. You'll notice some close-up shots of his eyes in the trailer. We focused on that a lot.

Ise: The colors are just great.

Yamashita: Saiga's voice is really cool, too.

Ise: So, I think we've covered three of the new characters. While we'd love to ask more, we want to change gears and bring you a world-first news here: take a look!

00:41:16.000

Reg: The 6th Layer. A place so inhospitable that people seldom return--the edge of the Abyss. Was this it?

Nanachi: I have a feeling we'll be making some interesting acquaintances here.

Reg: What the hell are these guys?

What awaited them was the Narehate Village: Iruburu

Riko: Woah, what is this place? It's like a market!

Majikaja: That's right, a market--a market of value.

Nanachi: So what is Faputa all about, anyway?

Majikaja: Hadimae...how do you say it in the common tongue...? That's right: "Princess." Princess of the Narehate.

Opening theme song: "Katachi" by Riko Azuna

Faputa: What happened to you? Did you forget about this place, sosu?

Moogie: Show your value to the robot and the fluffy one. Don't meet your end here, Riko.

Nanachi: Mitty...

Gaburoon: Leave as soon as you can. I cannot stop Faputa.

Prushka: Call me...

00:42:59.133

Izawa: Did you catch all that, viewers?!

Ise: Waaah!

Izawa: That's the first reveal of trailer 2!

All: Yay!

Ise: It was amazing!

Izawa: That was just too good. Ise: I had goosebumps!

Izawa: We're just turning into total otakus here. The show must go on! So what grabbed you most of in that trailer? The song?

Ise: The song was amazing!

Izawa: The comments are going crazy. Everyone is just reacting with "Woaaah!"

Ise: I'm not surprised!

Izawa: They're at a loss for words. It was awesome.

Tomita: The audience was super engaged.

Ise: Yeah.

Izawa: I don't know where to begin! Let's turn to director [sic] Yamashita. We saw a lot of new characters!

Yamashita: A lot? Maybe four people or so? Four creatures? All: Guess we should call them "creatures," huh?

Yamashita: You can see them there on the table.

00:44:29.500

Majikaja

Voice actor: Hiroki Goto

Acts as a guide to the village.

Maaa

Voice actor: Kana Ichinose

Loves Meinya.

Moogie

Voice actor: Kimiko Saito

Looks after the restaurant.

Gaburoon

Voice actor: Ryota Takeuchi

Travels in tandem with Faputa.

Izawa: here they are. Let's talk a little bit about what we can disclose as far as the characters and 6th layer are concerned. These are the four new characters, and today we can announce who is voicing them. First is Majikaja, voiced by Hiroki Goto. Maaa, voiced by Kana Ichinose. Moogie, by Kimiko Saito and Gaburoon, by Ryota Takeuchi. If you've read the manga, you may be familiar with them already. Is this the first time they appear in color?

Ise: I think they may have been in color on the cover of some of the manga books.

Izawa: I knew Maaa was pink already.

Tomita: I didn't know about the others.

Yamashita: I don't think it's been made clear until now.

Izawa: What do you all think?

Ise: I was really surprised to see Majikaja's color.

Tomita: For some reason, I thought he'd be brownish.

Ise: Yeah, ochre or something.

Tomita: I was shocked to see he is white.

Izawa: The world doesn't seem like it would be that colorful. I was so surprised to see they're so vivid.

Ise: Were these colors specified by Tsukushi-sensei?

Yamashita: Yes. I think it underwent 2-3 iterations.

Izawa: Interesting.

Yamashita: As you said, they appeared a little in some of the original illustrations with the manga. But not in this level of detail.

Izawa: So was there an audition for these, too? The voices are perfect.

Kojima: I think Mr. Yamada had some candidates.

Yamashita: Right, he gave us some candidates and we ran through them to see.

Izawa: The voice actor for Kaja is unreal.

Ise: Totally.

Tomita: So perfect.

Ise: Hiroki Goto was at one of the recording sessions, and as soon as he opened his mouth, we knew he was spot-on for Majikaja. Everyone was like, "That's Majikaja, exactly!"

Izawa: We gave him a standing ovation on the spot.

Ise: He is so good. I noticed there's a bit of manipulation of the sound, right?

Kojima: Yes, a touch.

Ise: But even without the effects, just his natural voice behind the mic, it was spot-on for Majikaja.

Izawa: Totally.

Ise: The way he intones his words and everything.

Izawa: So this is set in the village of Iruburu--can I talk about this? They have a special language.

Yamashita: Sure.

Izawa: They speak a unique dialect there. He even nailed that.

Kojima: Tsukushi-sensei gave us a ton of advice on the dialect and the accent.

Yamashita: Majikaja is the first character that appears onscreen speaking this dialogue, so Mr. Goto became like the resident expert on the dialect.

Izawa: We were all super concerned about how they'd get the dialect for the village. It almost reminds you of an English speaker fluently talking in Japanese, the way they kind of intone the words differently.

Yamashita: Right, it's actually got a sort of French accent.

Kojima: Tsukushi-sensei told us he should have a sort of French tone.

Ise: Oh, really!

Yamashita: The viewers overseas may not think so, but, you know, it's our impression of how French sounds as Japanese people, more or less.

Izawa: I see.

Yamashita: Incidentally, due to COVID, you guys weren't able to record together much, right?

Ise: Yeah...

Izawa: I had a few sessions with Majikaja.

Ise: I did a fair amount with Reg and Gaburoon.

Izawa: That's right.

Ise: Gaburoon is so charming. I can't wait for you all to see it. If you have read the manga, you know Gaburoon is often with Faputa. You really love seeing how he protects her.

Tomita: I actually had a lot of sessions with Moogie.

Ise: How was it?

Tomita: Well, we first had some meetings with Tsukushi-sensei and Mr. Yamada, the audio engineer. I felt she was perfect for the role of Moogie as soon as I heard her voice. Her role is sort of kindly watching over Riko, sort of objectively, or as a detached parent. There's this maternal instinct.

Ise: She's like the mother of the village.

Tomita: Exactly. I hope you'll stay tuned to see how Riko and Moogie interact.

Izawa: What about Maaa? It went in a totally different direction to what I expected.

Tomita: Exactly!

Izawa: For some reason I thought Maaa would sound like a middle-aged guy.

Ise: I was wondering which way it would go, too!

Izawa: Yeah, will Maaa sound like a cartoon mascot or like an old guy?

Ise: On its face, Maaa seems like a cute character, so I thought it'd have a high-pitched voice. But when it turns around, it looks a bit different.

Tomita: Yeah, look at its butt!

Izawa: Yeah, its butt is not so cute! Tsukushi-sensei may have meant it to be cute, but...

Ise: Right. Her butt is a bit...sharp looking.

Izawa: A sharp butt?! Haha.

Ise: Yeah, so I wasn't sure.

Izawa: But they went with a cute voice.

Tomita: It's perfect.

Yamashita: We asked her to give us her cutest possible voice.

All: Oh, wow!

Izawa: Is this trailer going live again later today?

Yamashita: It's airing at 9PM, I think? Or is it later? No? 9PM, okay.

Izawa: I want to catch it again! By the way, we saw Faputa in the first trailer. Now Faputa is back in the second trailer and is talking. I heard you have a set of sketches for us?

Yamashita: Sure, here you go.

00:50:40.367

All: So cute.

Yamashita: Here you can see a variety of angles, the number of tails, hands, and so on.

Izawa: Faputa's shape is so tricky to draw.

Ise: Faputa has four arms?

Izawa: Yeah, four.

Ise: And how many tails?

Izawa: Like a maple leaf.

Yamashita: Yeah, it's like a maple leaf shape.

Ise: Good point. Is it 5 tails?

Yamashita: Yeah. I seem to recall that the soles of Faputa's feet extend.

 Izawa: So detailed!

Kojima: The hooves are kind of...

Yamashita: Unique, yeah.

Kojima: Those are all the little details Tsukushi-sensei asks for.

Izawa: I think we have a color image, too.

00:51:33.000

Ise: I thought Faputa was pure white for some reason. But the colors are more, how should I say?

Izawa: Cream-colored.

Ise: Yeah. Not quite beige, but like undyed fabric.

Kojima: I think this was done to sort of match the overall color of the scenes.

Ise: I see.

Yamashita: Well, Faputa lives in nature, after all.

Izawa: Right.

Kojima: Yeah, Faputa wouldn't be bright white.

Ise: Faputa runs all over the place.

Izawa: I feel like I have to represent Nanachi here as the standard-bearer of fluffiness. So I have to ask, who is more fluffy? Nanachi or Faputa? I'm a bit worried.

Tomita: Faputa seems really fragrant.

Kojima: Faputa takes on a lot of forms, right? So I think Faputa might be able to beat you in the fluffy department.

Ise: Nanachi is losing her motivation!!!

Yamashita: They're different species, so don't worry!

Izawa: I totally expected them to say "Nanachi is fluffier," so honestly I'm shocked.

Tomita: I'm sure you win in the fragrant department.

Izawa: Yeah, what about that?

Yamashita: We'd have to ask Tsukushi-sensei...but even when Faputa is around, Reg is interested in both, so...

Ise: Sorry, I'm fickle...

Izawa: What a louse...

Yamashita: I'd say they're about the same.

Ise: They're both equally fragrant.

Yamashita: We've covered a lot of ground today.

Izawa: Did we get into too many spoilers?

Yamashita: I'm sure people who have read the manga know what's in store.

Izawa: Yeah. As for the song, which we were all so keen on...that's the opening theme song.

Yamashita: Yep.

Izawa: It's so cool.

Ise: I love it. It's perfect for the show.

Izawa: I heard that Tsukushi-sensei had a hand in some of the lyrics?

Yamashita: I think some lyrics were run by him, and he offered some suggestions. But that's consistent with what he always does.

Izawa: So they went into every little detail. We're announcing for the first time today the artist behind this track. The track is "Katachi", by Riko Azuna.

Ise: The title is awesome.

Tomita: Totally!

Ise: It's so emotional. It fits so much of the plot. It's like a keyword. Oh, it's playing now. I just want to sit here and listen to it!

Izawa: We've got a show to run, here!

Yamashita: The trailer only features the chorus.

Izawa: Oh, really?

Yamashita: Yeah.

Tomita: By the way, we got the video for the opening of the show beforehand, and I have to say, the footage is just so good.

Ise: It really is! It's awesome.

Tomita: We can't give away any spoilers, but it's awesome. It brings you to tears.

Izawa: That won't be aired until yet, right?

Yamashita: Not until the show is on the air.

Ise: The opening is so good.

Izawa: Let's leave it at that and talk about the artists who did the ending theme song: the track is "Endless Embrace", by MYTH & Roid. The title is so cool. I didn't know what "embrace" meant, so I looked it up.

Ise: What's it mean?

Izawa: Should I say it? It means "to hug."

Ise: Oh, wow, to hug?

Izawa: To hold someone in your arms.

Ise: So emotional...!

Izawa: Fantastic.

Ise: That word really embodies the second season.

Izawa: We can't play the ending track just yet, so stay tuned. But it's awesome.

Ise: It's awesome.

Izawa: We actually have some words from the duo who made those tracks.

00:56:16.600

Hi to the viewers of the live Made in Abyss stream. I'm Riko Azuna, and I handled the opening theme song for Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun.

I watched all of the first season and the film. I even read the manga. I love this series, so I'm totally honored to have this opportunity. The track is called "Katachi".

The song is about how that "katachi," or "form" changes as the kids go on a long journey, sustain injuries, and experience lots of things. It's also about that deep and unchanging internal form that everyone has inside of them. The song is about both those ideas. I'm in the midst of my own journey of a musical kind, so I hope I've been able to do Riko and the kids justice.

By the way, my favorite character is Riko. I feel like we're really connected, since we have the same name. So I want to be strong and bold like her, leading this story forward.

And happy birthday, Tsukushi-sensei! Well, that's all from me, Riko Azuna.

00:57:50.167

Mayu: Hi to everyone out there watching the live stream. We're MYTH & Roid. We were responsible for the ending theme song for Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun. Thank you! What was your reaction to being asked to handle this track?

Tom-H@ck: Oh, so we're doing this like an interview? Okay. Well, since we handled the song for the theatrical version, I feel like there's this continuity there, and we wanted to make a track that people would find more and more interesting the more they hear it. When they approached us with the offer, that was my first thought. It's going to be a track people hear with each episode. What about you?

Mayu: So the key theme for the lyrics this time around is self-love. Really stepping back and taking stock of your own self-worth isn't something we do all the time. So being able to convey that through this show was quite a challenge, in terms of how to put that into form. But I think the result is a great track.

Tom-H@ck: I agree. It's a really expansive track. Anything you want to say to the fans of Made in Abyss?

Mayu: I was actually a huge fan of Made in Abyss even before they approached us to do the film track.

Tom-H@ck: Oh, you were?

Mayu: Yeah, so I was ecstatic when we got that chance. I thought I could just die happy with that!

Tom-H@ck: Can't just give up there!

Mayu: But I was really ecstatic. I never thought we'd be doing the anime, too. I've read ahead in the manga, so I'm excited to see it onscreen with everyone. We have a new single coming out, too: it hits stores on August 24th, so check it out! And lastly, from the two of us:

Together: Happy birthday, Tsukushi-sensei!

Mayu: That's all from us, MYTH & Roid.

Tom-H@ck: Bye-bye!

01:00:23.033

Izawa: Thanks to Riko Azuna and MYTH & Roid.

Tomita: [not clear what happened here, think she is reacting to Tom-H@ck freezing in place in the video] What happened to Tom?

Ise: Pretty cool, huh? They looked awesome.

Izawa: So the singles for the opening theme song by Riko Azuna, "Katachi", and the ending theme song, "Endless Embrace", by MYTH & Roid, will both be on sale on August 24th. Check it out! We released a lot of exclusive info in advance of the second season today.

Ise: It was awesome. The people in the comments were going wild, too.

Izawa: Just hold tight a bit more until July.

Tomita: Stay tuned for the show in July! We covered a lot of ground today. Before the second season airs, you have time now to brush up on the first season and the film. The first season is being re-run, and the film, Dawn of the Deep Soul is, too. And what's more, the film is going back to theaters! Let's cover that here!

Izawa: This is big news. The show is being broadcast on Tokyo MX on June 25th in the form of a compilation: part 1, Journey's Dawn, and part 2, Wandering Twilight, on June 26th, the day after. Then on July 3rd, the full theatrical version, Dawn of the Deep Soul will air. This is the first time the film airs on terrestrial television. All three are airing at 7PM on their respective days.

Ise: Wow, that's perfect! On the weekend! This must have been hard to arrange, Mr. Yamashita.

Yamashita: We really had to pull some strings. It was expensive.

Ise: But now all the fans will be able to see it!

Yamashita: We also did our best to ensure it's not censored too much.

Tomita: I heard that it's a bit different in parts.

Yamashita: Well, the compilation is untouched.

Tomita: Is that so? And Deep Soul?

Yamashita: The R-rated content has been toned down a bit.

Tomita: So it's a milder version.

Ise: People who have seen it in theaters will enjoy pointing out trivia and finding what has changed.

Tomita: That's the kind of game that's perfect for otakus.

Yamashita: But we didn't cut anything outright. Tokyo MX helped us make some creative changes.

Tomita: So it's got no cuts, but is different. That's interesting.

Yamashita: We were able to get away with minor edits here and there.

Kojima: I don't personally know what's changed.

Yamashita: They're still putting the final touches on it.

Tomita: You heard it here first. Be sure not to miss this at 7PM!

Izawa: As for the first season of the anime, it's on the air every week on Wednesday on BS11. Then on July 4th, at 11PM, Dawn of the Deep Soul will air on BS11. This is the first time they are on satellite TV on BS. Then, on ATX, the first season of the anime will be split in two parts: June 12th, from 6PM, covering episodes 1-7. Then, on the 19th, from 6PM, episodes 8-13. This is followed by the first part of the compilation, with part 1 on June 26th, then part 2 on the same day, that evening, and that is followed by the standalone theatrical version, plus "Marulk's Everyday" This is the first time "A Day in the Life of Marulk" is seen on the air. Don't miss them!

01:04:13.667

Izawa: Now for some news on streaming. Dawn of the Deep Soul is now available for unlimited streaming to members of Niko Niko Premium. It's also available on other streaming sites.

01:04:28.133

Izawa: And here's some big news about the film going back in the theaters.

 Ise: This is huge!

Tomita: From July 1st to July 7th, EJ Anime Theater is airing the compilation versions and the theatrical version, Dawn of the Deep Soul. Check the official Made in Abyss site and the theater's site for details on showtimes.

Tomita: Made in Abyss will be available to watch at so many places as we get closer to season two, so pick your preferred flavor. Now here's some details on the artists behind the tracks we just announced.

01:05:07.000

Tomita: The opening theme song, "Katachi", by Riko Azuna, and the ending theme song, "Endless Embrace", by MYTH & Roid. Both available on August 24 as singles. Do check out the tracks! We've covered a lot today, but we're nearing the end. Let's get some final words for the viewers from Mr. Yamashita and Mr. Kojima. Mr. Yamashita?

Yamashita: Thanks for having us today. We haven't announced the times or the channels on which the show will be broadcast. We are making arrangements to get the best broadcaster to really bring you the show as it was meant to be seen, as close to the original manga as possible. We didn't have time to finalize that for this show, but it will be announced soon. We might also have a third trailer coming up, which may contain additional info. We're in May now, right? Just two months left to go, so do be sure to check the official site, Twitter, and other platforms. Thanks again.

Kojima: Thanks to everyone who became fans of the series with season 1 or the movie, or if you're a longstanding fan of the manga. We are working hard to finalize season two and make it something that will really meet your expectations. Please do stay tuned. Thank you.

Tomita: Let's hear from Shiori now.

Izawa: It's me, Shiori Izawa, the voice of Nanachi. Made in Abyss, the series I love, is as awesome as ever. As a big fan, I'm looking forward to it coming back with season two. We've gotten a sneak preview, so we know you are going to love the final show. I can't wait for you all to see it!

Tomita: Let's hear from Mariya.

Ise: Season 2 is almost here. It's been nearly a year since we wrapped the recording session, but the time flew by. We loved recording the show so much that seeing the number of episodes run out as we got closer to the end of recording them left a bittersweet feeling for us. It's such an amazing show to work on, that you just want it to go on forever. I'm sure the team is hard at work to make the show the best it can be. Knowing it's going to be here soon is so exciting for me, and I can't wait to hear what you think of it.

Tomita: I'm Miyu Tomita, the voice of Riko. Thanks for watching the whole show today. I think we talked at the start of the program that season 1 aired in 2017. But we started recording it sooner, so it's amazing to think so much time has gone by since then. We actually recorded season two at the same place as the first season, so it was really meaningful to look back on the memories we had there for this latest session. We have so many new characters, and it was amazing to work with everyone again. We put our all into the performance, so I hope you'll watch it! Well, we've come to the end of the Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun golden week special. We'll see you next time when the second season airs in July. Thanks for watching!

All: Thanks for watching! Happy birthday, Tsukushi-sensei! Do your best on the manga! Bye all!

Online Fan Meeting – Follow up on questions asked by fans but not addressed during the meeting –

http://miabyss.com/news/article_200.html

• Q: Where were the other White Whistles (Life Reverberating Stones), such as Ozen's, embellished? Are there some who can do so on the surface?

A: Only a part of the association/guild and the White Whistles know the exact location. There is nothing on the surface that looks like it, and according to one theory, the place where it can be processed is in the Abyss.

• Q: In the last episode, the scent of Reg's cape was sniffed out. I wonder what kind of smell it would be if I sniffed Reg.

A: It depends on the part, but it smells like hay.

• Q:  Belaf has a huge scar on his face. How and when did he get it?

A: He was tortured when he was about 14 years old, and he was poisoned with sap from a tree.

• Q: There are many scenes where I can feel a strong fetishism. And those scenes look very seamless. Does Tsukushi sensei draw those scenes intentionally?

A: There are times when I've been thinking “I should definitely draw this for a Doujin, but since the timing for that sometimes seems right even in the main story, I decide to “include it” when it fits. For example, that's the case with the bathing scene with Riko and Reg. Also, I think I draw most scenes because “I want to draw them”, even though I find them tedious.

•  Q: Is there a chance Bondrewd will make an appearance again in the future?

A: There are still a lot of them out there, and I'd like to see them appear.

• Q: I was inspired by Tsukushi-sensei's work and I want to become a manga artist. What would your advice be to someone who is aiming to become a manga artist or proceed in art?

A: First of all, you should try to draw something that you like, even if it's a short story. If you enjoy it, carefully read the book "The Art of Captivating People" by Kazuo Koike. I have been using the methods described in this book since the appearance of Ozen.

• Q: I have a question about Bondrewd. After the fight with Reg, is there still a chance Bondrewd will take more children to experiment on them in the future? And would Riko and Reg think that he would?

A: I don't know what kind of experiments that could be, but I think it's very possible. I'm sure Riko thinks so too.

• Q: What is your most favorite delicious ramen, Tsukushi-sensei?

 A: Hakata Ichiban, located in Wakamatsu 4-chome, Minami-ku, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, has the best noodles in the world when you order it al dente and add pickled Takana mustard with chili and garlic they have as table condiments. Another favorite of mine is Kukkura's tsukemen with extra spinach. It tastes like a really good soy sauce ramen.

• Q: How many more years until we reach the bottom (end) of the Abyss? That is the day I die…

A: Well, then I can't kill you.

• Q: Will Riko-chan's admiration turn into love for someone one day? And who would it be?

A: I don't know exactly what will happen! I think she'll stick with Reg, but…

• Q: Made in Abyss was supposed to be a children's book but how did it turn into something so irredeemable?

A: That’s because the picture book I had originally envisioned was not for children.

• Q: I’ve been a fan of Tsukushi-sensei since ”From the Star Strings” under the “Doorbeetle”- circle and I thought the end of that story was bittersweet. In Made in Abyss, each layer ends more bitterly rather than positively, so will the adventure of Riko's group end with "everyone becomes happy"?

A: I’m kind of sorry about that, because I was drawing From Star Strings with the intention of having a crazy happy ending. Also, adventures don't end. It's more like you die during an adventure. You, me, and the children of the Abyss. I think it's a "happy thing".

• Q:  I have a question about White Whistles. They seem to know each other, but for how long? I'd like to see a relationship chart please!

A: I can't write a relationship chart because it will be involved in the future, but there are some White Whistles who are at least acquainted with each other and have a shallow relationship.

• Q: Dear Tsukushi-sensei, what is your favorite motto and word/phrase?

A: I used to go by the words of my elementary school teacher, "Even if it's stepped on, a dandelion still smiles." That's what my elementary school teacher used to say to me. But, at one point, I thought "Don't dandelions spit poison with a smile?" so this stopped being my motto. My current motto is "To have no pride is pride," which means "It is your pride to judge whether what you believe your pride to be really is your pride by simulating destruction of it." Also, my favorite phrase is "Excuse me, I'd like my noodle refill al dente."

• Q: I'd like to know the names of the Umbra Hands who see Prushka and her friends off at the end of 5th manga volume and the end of the movie Dawn of the Deep Soul.

A: It can’t be helped if you insist on it.

• Q: Thank you for having this event. My question is, who gives out names like Sovereign of Dawn, Bondrewd the Novel, and The Unmovable Sovereign, Ozen the Immovable? Is it the government or is it delvers who have been watching them closely that gave them those names?

A: For a "Sovereign"-title, it was determined by reputation and the person's intentions, and is also registered in the directory. It is said that it started when a member of a White Whistle Delver team began calling them that for fun. Most of the time, the nicknames are the equivalent of something the newspaper or the public started calling them and they became established due to it. These ones are not registered in the directory.

• Q: Is there any motif or anything you took inspiration from to create the monsters and the world of Abyss?

A: At the Science Museum in Ueno, I saw an exhibit that showed the number of creatures that live in a single tree, and I was amazed at how many there were. I think that's when I decided to stop thinking about "known monsters in fantasy" and started creating my own ecosystem and structure. The atmosphere of each layer of the Abyss came to me when I was drawing a layout plan, by first drawing an impossible silhouette of it, and then trying to figure out what it was. It's more interesting that way.

• Q: I love the various plants and primeval creatures, but I'm especially curious about the ecosystems in the 5th and 6th layer, and every time there is a new creature, I wonder what they eat and wish for more details. At the end of the 6th and 9th volume, there was a charm made with the Dread-Owle. How does the fur of the Dread-Owle and Riko's hair together work as creature repellent? I can’t help but be curious about that.

 A: A Dread-Owle’s “body fluid” has a sort of "structure" that interferes with the "insignia" of the force field, which is guided by the beasts living in the environment^[a]. This "insignia" is unique to each living creature, and whether they are aware of it or not, their mere presence imprints a faint mark on the force field.(Just a metaphor but think of it like a fingerprint on a force field.) Organisms that can perceive this can read the information in the force field more finely, and thus are thought to be able to track and select their prey. By spraying "body fluid" on the prey, the Dread-Owle disguises the prey's insignia as "somehow disgusting, negligible" and monopolizes it so that it cannot be found by predators. Interestingly, even if the body fluid is applied to the disguise of this insignia, such as "sebum and hair that has fallen from the prey," the effect extends to the "crest^[b] carved by the prey itself." It is not known whether this is unique to a Dread-Owle’s body fluids or a property of the Abyss force field. The fluid is structurally capable of interfering with the insignia, so even if the Dread-Owle dies, it will continue to interfere with the insignia until the structure of the fluid is destroyed. Faputa uses this characteristic by intuitively understanding it from experience and observation.

• Q: What are in the small bags on both ends of Marulk's headpiece?

A: Work tools. It contains eyepieces for Marulk, adjustment lenses, etc., according to the telescope standards of the surveillance base.

• Q: There is a keyhole in Lyza's White Whistle so will this become relevant at one point?... If you can disclose anything, please let me know!

A: If the keyhole is used in the future, please think I did it with this question in mind.

• Q: I love the Ganja corps! Please tell me if there are any untold stories about Ganja corps that are not in the  manga!

A:  Ganja came to be called that name because of the ship they use.

Also, Wazukyan called himself "One of the Three Wise Men'' even before Belaf joined. He wasn't very educated, so people made fun of him,questioning, "Are you that wise?" But every time a prophecy of his came true, he would in return say, "Did you know this?”

• Q: I've been enjoying both the anime and original works of Made in Abyss. All of the food is so fascinating so I wonder what they could taste like. It's exciting to use my imagination to think about it. In particular the "roasted testicles" they ate in the Village of the Hollows had an impact and seeing Riko eating without hesitation did make me more and more hungry. And so my question is, including the roasted testicles, of the food of the Abyss, are there any that are close to, or have a similar texture, to real life foods? Hurrah to Abyss meals!

A: It's not so much "this one thing" but rather a combination of the impressions I experienced from multiple cuisines. For example, the pan-fried demonfish.

- Deep-fried chicken half eaten at the Musashiseki station.

- A Chinese dish where the fish is fried with oil.

It is a combination of these impressions.

Salt-Rubbed Hamashirama Fillet is akin to the surprise I felt when

- I processed a squid by myself (The fangs of the sucker, the coolness of the beak, the human-like eyes, the shock of the silvery internal organs.)

- Removing slime from an octopus

It's a combination of all of the above.

The Moogie Bomb,

- Big hot curry fried rice at Osawa Shokudo in Sengoku

- Unusual taste of pineapple fried rice I had in Malaysia.

- Smoked, jarred food that I ate in Osaka.

It is a combination of all of the above.

• Q: Akihito Tsukushi-sensei, all of the staff who worked on the first season, and everyone who worked on Dawn of the Deep Soul, thank you so much for creating such fantastic works. I love the Sovereign of the Dawn, but are there any plans for episodes displaying his past in the future? Thanks in advance!

A: Whether it is a past arc or not, there must be some.

• Q: Will Nanachi's gender ever be revealed or is it left up to the readers to decide?

A: I'll leave it to you.

• Q: I have a question for the cast. I was stunned by all of your acting in the first season of the anime and in the movie. Please tell me as much about your acting in the second season of anime as you can.

Miyu Tomita: After the adventures in the first season of the anime series and the movie, I felt that Riko's toughness and willpower have become even more refined, so I've been conscious of how to naturally create a more raw atmosphere compared to before. However, if I'm not careful, my character's mental age will become too mature, so I have to be very careful about how much I adjust it.

Mariya Ise: It's like turning back my own clock to the end of the movie after the Battle with Bondrewd....If my own gained experience comes through in the performance too much, people will say that Reg sounds too mature and handsome! (only in the studio)...

Shiori Izawa: As for Nanachi, the relationship between them, Riko and Reg became even closer after the first season and the movie, so in that sense, I was conscious of making a slight change rather than staying the same as before. Also, for those of you who have read the original story, you know the "farewell"-line. I tried my best in many ways (laughs).

• Q: Made in Abyss is one of my favorite anime, the voices of the characters are well-suited and I'm pulled into the story. Some characters die along the way and I believe it gets harder and more complicated to act out. What would you want the audience to pay special attention to in the 2nd season?

Miyu Tomita: The number of characters has increased dramatically, so it's really fun to be able to interact with a variety of characters. I think the highlight of the second season will be seeing how the characters change as they meet various characters, including Faputa.

Mariya Ise: I think it's thanks to the producers and staff who were involved in the audition and casting process that the characters' voices seem to fit. The cast members who will be playing the new characters from the second season are also really fitting! Please pay attention to them!

Shiori Izawa: The world of Abyss will become even richer with the addition of many new characters. After all, the language of the Narehate village is amazing! I'd like you all to pay attention to the performance of the actors.

• Q: This is a question for the cast. Characters who have a white whistle have a nickname that's made up of 2 kanji characters + the kanji meaning "sovereign" (ex. The Unmovable Sovereign, Sovereign of Dawn), so what kind of nickname do you think Riko would receive?

Miyu Tomita: I thought it would be a nice sentimental touch if she inherited the two names of Lyza, but I think that seems too tough for her...I also like "Sovereign of large foreheads and glasses”. Lol

Mariya Ise: Sovereign of Intuition

Shiori Izawa: Maybe "Sovereign of Admiration".

• Q: Throughout the anime series, was there a particular primeval creature that you were fond of? (also, I'm so curious about Marulk's gender and it keeps me up at night... but they're cute so I'm fine with whatever gender they are)

Miyu Tomita: It's gotta be the Neritantan after all, right? I still can't forget how excited I was when I saw the Neritantan for the first time...!

Mariya Ise: The Neritantan!

Shiori Izawa: Neritantan are the cutest. Both the visual and the naming is genius.

• Q: The original manga has 10 volumes currently on sale, but which scene in particular do you all like?

Miyu Tomita:  There is the scene where they say goodbye to everyone at the orphanage and dive into the Abyss together. No matter how many times I watch it, I always end up crying. Of course I love the characters we meet in the Abyss, but I also love everyone on the surface!

Mariya Ise: When Belaf tells Vueko, "Beauty is in the eyes. Got it? Not the eyes in a physical sense. Take it to mean the look in the eyes. To continue to glare... with affection... and longing. That look in the eyes is... the true nature of beauty."

Shiori Izawa: All "departure scenes".

• Q: I have a question for Mr. Kevin Penkin. In the 1st season, there are touching and beautiful songs like "Hanezeve Caradhina" and "Tomorrow", but what do you keep in mind when you create these tracks? Also can you tell me anything about the music in the 2nd season?

A: For "Hanezeve Caradhina," more so than just the composing, it was a wonderful experience to collaborate with Mr. Takeshi Saito. The song "Tomorrow" was the last song I wrote for the first season. Based on the Made in Abyss songs I've written so far, I think it's a song that puts my heart into the Abyss world. As for the music for the second season, I hope you're looking forward to hearing more about it. I just wanted to create a different style of music this time from the first season. I'm trying to figure out how I can refine it from the first season and the movie version.  I'm also starting to understand the world of Abyss better than before, so I feel like I'm evolving more.

• Q: I have a question for Mr. Kevin Penkin. Thank you for your great music. The work with Mr. Takeshi Saito in the TV series and with the childrens' choir in the movie was very impressive. The next season will be about a new layer in Abyss, what elements did you keep from the previous anime and movie, and is there anything new you brought in?

A: Thanks for the kind words. The Made in Abyss soundtrack had some theme songs like using voices from the first season to the movie. For the second season, I've divided the music into several themes and created categories of music according to those themes. In each category, you may be able to see a different sound from the first season. Also, because of the situation with COVID, various people are participating in the search for new sounds. Please look forward to it!

• Q: Hello, and nice to meet you. I love Hanezeve Caradhina very much and I listen to it many times a day. I heard that it's sung in the fictive language, but if it was in Japanese, what would the lyrics be about?

A: Thank you for listening to "Hanezeve Caradhina".If I were to translate it into Japanese, well, that would be difficult. The lyrics that Mr. Saito wrote and sang are not in a real language. However, I had an approach that I wanted people to feel the experience of life in the lyrics, so I think the lyrics are what "you" felt through your musical experience.

• Q: This is a question regarding the song "Faith" from the soundtrack of the theatrical version "Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul".

To first time listeners, this song really captures the feelings of an adventure that is about to start. However, during the last minute it starts to take on an eerie aura, and then this loud "DUDUN!!"-sound keeps playing. The first time I heard this, I was very shocked by the aura towards the end. Mr. Kevin Penkin, what kind of image did you have in mind by adding that big "DUDUN!!" sound into the song "Faith"? I've always wanted to know!

A: The song "Faith" is a song for the Made in Abyss compilation movies. I wanted it to be a kind of "bridge" between the TV series and the next Bondrewd episode. From the music that conveys the beauty and splendor of the Abyss, for this "Dudun!" I was imagining the Bondrewd arc. I like to interpret the story from images, and I think Abyss is divided into several layers. I want to convey the structure of the story through music.

• Q: From the universe of Made in Abyss, what creature would you like to meet or try eating?

Masayuki Kojima: Salt-Rubbed Hamashirama Fillet, from the movie. The creature I want to meet is the Neritantan. Because it's cute.

• Q: It was said in an interview that the lyrics of the movie's ending song Forever Lost had the nuance of "praying for the white fog", does this have to do with adding in the white fog that covered everything when Prushka was clinging onto the rock-crushed Bondrewd, even though it wasn't in the original work?

Masayuki Kojima: Bondrewd explains the story of blessings and curses, but Nanachi gets uncomfortable upon hearing it, and I wanted to express that discomfort in the fog ... but this is a retcon. Lol. When I drew the storyboard, it naturally became foggy, and when I wondered why I did that later ... I thought, "Oh, that's what that was."

• Q: In Made in Abyss, there are countless gourmet Abyss cuisines, but which of them would you like to eat the most?

Masayuki Kojima: Salt-Rubbed Hamashirama Fillet.

• Q: I got to know about Made in Abyss through the anime, but the very first time I watched the anime, in the first episode where Riko and Reg meet, the scene BGM comes in, and along with it the title logo, the nature, and the townscape. All of this beautiful world-building is shown as you watch Riko and friends returning home; this is what really drew me into the universe of Made in Abyss, and I love that scene enough to rewatch it multiple times a day. To all of the cast members, I'd love to hear about a specific moment in production you liked.

Masayuki Kojima: Music is very important in expressing the world of Abyss, and I personally like the scenes that are shown only with music, such as the opening of episode 1 and the last scene of episode 13.

• Q: If one day you wake up as one of the Made in Abyss characters, who would you want to be and what would you do as them?

Masayuki Kojima: Nanachi! Because I'm loved by everyone!

• Q: To everyone who has kindly gathered here today, could you each please tell us who your most favorite character is, and why?

Masayuki Kojima: Riko. I think of her as a character full of madness in a way. Like a plunging forwardness. That's what I like about her.

• A: I became very obsessed after watching the TV anime and the movies, and purchased the original works. I'm so excited for the airing of the second season of the tv anime. Here is my question: Will the content of the second season of the tv anime remain faithful to the original works? I'd be very happy if it did, regardless of whether that would result in an R-rating.

Shinpei Yamashita: I'll do my best to make adjustments so that I can express myself in a way that maximizes the charm of the original!

Online Fan Meeting – Cave Raiders Guild Rally –

Roles for the event were given as followed: Viewers as Red Whistles, Remote Participants with a Question Ticket as Blue Whistles, MCs as Black Whistles and Higher Staff and Creator as White Whistles

The Rally is structured in a timetable format for the various sections they talk about as follows:

First Layer: Edge of the Fan Meeting

Introduction and Opening thoughts of two of the Participants:

• Shimpei Yamashita (Producer): Some unfortunate events transpired since the last season aired (most likely referring to covid and how it hampered the progress on the second season) but luckily we are able to have this event today for Made in Abyss fans to enjoy.
• Joey (The Anime man, YouTuber): We have lots of fans from various countries watching today, and hope everyone enjoys themselves.
• Nanachi’s VA, Shiori Izawa, encouraged the watchers to comment in chat and those who tweet on Twitter to use the #miabyss_event to share their thoughts and Reg’s Va, Mariya Ise, encouraged the watchers to watch till the end.

Second Layer: The Original Author of Temptation

Shiori Izawa acted as guide and introducer and Tsukushi had been asked in advance to bring “relics” from his past along. Ichiro Ogata (Takeshobo editor) and Atsushi Kimura (Takeshobo) were also present.

• Akihito Tsukushi (Original Author) brought photos from when he was in Kindergarten featuring old drawings of dinosaurs and outdoor events as his first item.
• The second was drawings for a tabletop RPG he did in middle school. He also pointed out that the picture with him sleeping featured his seal plushie he had since he was in Kindergarten and always puts on his desk.
• The third item Tsukushi brought was a collection of drawings he did in highschool which also featured an image of him during his highschool days pasted onto a N64 controller pack.
• He noted, about his drawings from High School, he could only draw old guys and creatures at the time.
• The fourth collection featured drawings of Tsukushi’s college days and the fifth showed drawings from his office worker days.
• Tsukushi noted during his college time he was inspired by the art of Norman Rockwell and tried to imitate the artstyle.

• The sixth image showed his early concept art for what later became Made in Abyss.
• He also showed off initial concept art for design of Reg and Riko that ended up being scrapped and notes he had made for Bondrewd and the initial plot for Nanachi which included Mitty being the little brother of Nanachi.
• The last featured image before moving on was the initial design concept for Marulk.

Second Layer: Live Drawing

•  Participants with the role of Blue Whistles were allowed to vote which of the presented characters (two could be voted) Tsukushi would draw and he would also answer questions during it.
• Nanachi and Bondrewd ended up being the most voted. The final drawing will be signed and distributed in a giveaway.

Question Corner 1:

http://blog.livedoor.jp/com_manga/archives/27552947.html (partial)

• Q: How were the whistles named? (Especially interested to know why only Moon Whistles are not named after a color) - asked by Karaage

A: The colors were decided by the colors of the night sky. That’s why they go from red, blue, moon etc. Red Whistles were made red so it would be easier to pick them out as beginners as the color is not associated with the night sky but more with early morning. The White Whistles are special because they're not part of the night sky theme.

• Q: I really love Riko’s outlook and spirit a lot. Are there any other kids like her who dreamt of the Abyss, but lost their life while attempting to explore it? – by Furon

A: There are a lot of other kids with similar dreams, like Nat, from the slums.

• Q: One of the most significant and memorable scenes with Prushka is where she is very happy to receive that hat as a gift. As drawn in the replica art and in the manga (see Blu-Ray artwork for reference and Volume Chibi, extras and appearance when appearing for Riko), when she leaves with Riko as a whistle, she wears a different outfit. Is that outfit what she imagined she would wear as a delver? Or is a gift from someone in her dreams?  – by Noto

A: It’s Riko’s image of what Prushka would wear if they went on an adventure together.

•  Q: I would like to know how old Jiruo is, please tell me! – Tsukushiro Yuuri

A: He’s about 20 years old. He’s quite young, but exceptionally talented so he skipped grades.

• Q: To become a White Whistle Delver, you need to gain a White Whistle. How do the ranks go from Bells to Black Whistles? I want to know how delvers like Hablog and Jiruo spend their lives. – from Maitake

A: Red Whistles are usually 10 to 14 years old and stay in the 1st Layer. Blue Whistles usually need to be 15 or older to achieve this rank and are allowed to delve to the 2nd Layer. Moon Whistle rank is usually reached with about 22 years of age and they are able to live off what they earn by independent excavation while lower ranks like Blue Whistles often have a part-time job like tourism gigs around the town of Orth.

•  Q: There are official Made in Abyss LINE stamps (Japanese equivalent of Whatsapp), but will there be Tsukushi-sensei original stamps? I remember Tsukushi-sama’s tweet on 2017/2/7 that he is nowhere near finished working on LINE stamps and I’ve been wondering what happened to those Nanachis and other characters. – by Noiro

A: For Takeshobo’s 50th anniversary, we’re thinking about bringing them back (Atsushi Kimura). Tsukushi only finished one stamp so far since that tweet.

• Q: After Bondrewd had the blessing he states the preparations for stepping into the next  two thousand years have been completed (see Chapter 37 for reference). Are there any additional effects/abilities gained from the blessing? – by  E_Primero

A: There are! But I can’t quite reveal them to you yet.

• Q: Ozen said as your mind comes under attack in the depths of the Abyss, gradually the effects show up physically, too. How did Ozen’s hairstyle look and what was she like before going down into the Abyss? - by Donamochi

A: I thought I wouldn’t be able to tell you much about this, but I’ll tell you what I can tell you. She used to be quite energetic and a little sadistic. (Interjection from Izawa: “Was she also quite tall as a child?”) No, she was a normal child with normal height. She grew this tall because of her Relics. She has more Relics than just the Thousand-Men Pins. (Interjection from Izawa again: “So Jiruo doesn’t know this energetic version of Ozen from the past, does he?”) No, that was decades ago.

• Q: My question is about the White Whistles. There are many mysteries about them and in Made in Abyss there are 5 White Whistles themselves or at least their names have been mentioned. The most mysterious ones are the Sovereign of Mystery, Srajo the Obscure, and the Sovereign of Guidance, Wakuna the Chosen. Please tell me anything you can about them. - by Pienta

A: There isn’t really anything I can tell you yet. All I can tell you is that they aren’t following the rules they should as White Whistles. (Interjection from Izawa: “What are the rules for White Whistles?”) They have some rules, like the Last Dive, but you'll find out about them eventually. Just know that not a single one of them follows these rules.

• Q: I believe the heights of the characters are not specified, but like Nanachi’s gender, is it so the readers can have their own idea? – by Nihon

A: The heights are decided. For example, Reg is about 1,37 m (4,5 ft). Nanachi is about 1,70 m including their ears (5,6 ft). (Interjection from Izawa: “Nanachi’s ears are that long?!” Tsukushi: “You can see that on the cutout over there!”)

[Update: After thinking about it again, Tsukushi tweeted, on November 28, 2021, Nanachi's height to be actually about 1,50 meters, including ears, and about 1,30 meters without the ears.]

•  Q: I’m enjoying the manga and want to ask about Wazukyan. He is a very elusive character and I like him just as much as I like Bondrewd. He has done many things before the Narehate village, but his death was too simple I think. – by lu

A: That’s an insightful comment. That’s all I have to say (laughs).

• Q: When the Sovereign of Dawn is controlling Umbra Hands with the Zoaholic, does the body owner’s consciousness or desires (food, sex, and sleep) effect the Sovereign of Dawn in any way? – by Kimi

A: There’s pretty much no influence. Bondrewd probably notices these things, but it doesn’t bother him. However, if their compatibility is bad, then the body becomes invalid and unusable. (interjection from Izawa: “What determines their compatibility?”) You’d have to ask Bondrewd, I wouldn’t know.

• Q: If we were to say the manga ends at 100 chapters, how far along is it by now? – by Mogi

A: That 's hard to say. I actually couldn’t tell you. (Interjection from Izawa: “Do the two from the publishing team know? Yes we do, but we can’t tell you.”)

Final thoughts on the section before moving on to the next one:

• Atsushi Kimura: Our team didn’t say much today, but we would love the opportunity to say more next time.
• Ichiro Ogata: We wanted to be able to tell you more but unfortunately there wasn’t enough time.
• Tsukushi: Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to finish the drawing either.

The third Layer 1: The Great Fault of Setting and Background Art Design

Mariya Ise acted as guide for this section. The participant was Osamu Masuyama, the Art Director, and he was asked to bring “Relics” with him in advance.

• Masuyama brought a replica of a Flower of Fortitude with him and explained it is good to have a 3d model for visualization in art design as it helps when you have a lot of staff drawing the same visual so all have the same image of the object.
• The second “relic” featured was a paper clay model of the Abyss cliff where Orth itself is located. He elaborated that it is kind of hard to draw because of being so uneven and hence a 3d model of it helps for everyone to visualize it
• They had some pictures of caves located in Gunma they used for reference. Masuyama went to these caves by himself to take photos of them.
•  Matusyama showed how he draws a rough board for the cliff edge of the abyss. He noted drawing a rough board can be done in 15 minutes by an experienced artist but can also take up to an hour depending on what is featured.

Question Corner 2:

• Q: Though it wasn’t something official, thank you for making Nagasaki a Made in Abyss pilgrimage point (reference to design inspirations being drawn from it which he mentioned in past interviews) I have a question for Masuyama-san and Tsukushi-sensei. Is there any background art that was only in the anime and not in the manga, or art that was not used in the anime? I love the scene in the Garden of the Flowers of Fortitude. – by Kaisuiyoku (Urakamiumare)

A: The anime only scenes would be like the ones where the Neritantan live. (Interjection from Ise: “Are there any scenes that got deleted?”) Not really.

(Ise interjects again: “The question mentioned that Nagasaki became a pilgrimage point for Made in Abyss. Why is that?”) That’s where I’m from, and I modeled Orth on it.

The third Layer 2: The Great Fault of Setting and Background Art Design

Mariya Ise acted as guide for this section. The participants were Hitoshi Haga, the Assistant Director, Takeshi Takakura, the Design Lead, and Tsukushi and they were asked to bring “Relics” with them in advance to explain the setting; plus Masuyama returned to help with the segment.

• Haga showed a snippet of the fourth Marulk Ova and elaborated they wanted to put in some more serious parts and ended up with being very detailed in drawing the airplane crash as they thought about the setting for it. They put a lot of thought into how things would look from Marulk’s point of view.
• Ise asked if the Marulk shorts were in the original or not to which Tsukushi answered that  they are canon but hadn’t been featured in the manga so they requested them to be made for the third movie.
• They had initially thought about having Ozen pull out the closet Marulk hid in but decided to go with something else ultimately.

• Takakura did a 4 place ranking for four details featured  in the animated media that were only shown or mentioned fuzzily. The first he showcased were design pages of the failed Umbra Hands and their paper whistles that were cut from the movie. He also mentioned that they are featured in the storyboards that come as an extra with the Blu-Ray of the movie.

• His third place were the documents Marulk organized in Yelme’s room in one of the OVA’s and also showcased four pages of it to better show the sketches on it.

• His second place was the errand map Marulk used to try to navigate Orth. While in the OVA only a draft is slightly shown, he made a final version of it later. He also mentioned he drew it purposely in a way Marulk wouldn’t understand where to go from reading it.

• His first place was the contraption Marulk built to lift Ozen while she was sleeping and having to explain how it worked. Hence he had to do research on the weight mechanics as Marulk is quite light compared to Ozen and he drew how it worked and how Marulk ended up how he did in the OVA.

Question Coner 3:

•  Q: I’m a little delver who loves Prushka. I want to know how Prushka looks after the blessing in a more detailed illustration please! – by Koyoi

A: I brought something along with me today to try my best to answer your question. This is a rough sketch of it, so please feel free to use this as reference.

• Q: Where do all these incredible ideas like the strain of ascending in the Abyss, its irredeemable habitats and design of primeval creatures come from? -by Akai Suisei

A: I think of something surprising and then piece the drawings together from the idea. The creatures are actually based on a lot of real life animals. So if it seems similar to something existing in real life, it’s probably based on that.

• Q: Akihito- sensei thinks up all these things by himself, so was it hard for the other staff to understand them? - Ise

A: Yes, we ask him a lot of questions, and it takes about an hour for him to explain the details of one to us. We draw a bit, then ask him to check if it matches his ideas. We always think that Tsukushi-sensei is amazing.

•   Q: By the way, food is a main thing in the Abyss as well. Is that all based on something too? – Ise

A:Those are based on things I’ve eaten myself and really enjoyed. (Ise: “So the Netherworld Stew is based on something that you’ve eaten and loved?”) Why did you pick that? Netherworld Stew tastes really bad (laughs).

• Q: What is on the sides of Nanachi’s head? Is it Nanachi’s hair? – by Nanachi

A: It is not their hair, more something like extensions glued to the hat Nanachi is wearing which could be hair that was cut off and stuck into the hat.

•  Q: Is there any country or region that Orth and the Abyss are based on? Also, are there any references for the letters used in the Abyss and Orth – by Chiinana

A: I thought about the size of the island. Then, I found Aogashima which kind of fits roughly the same size. So it’s based on Aogashima, with a caldera. The letters are based on Japanese characters but even I need a reference chart in front of me often. (Takakura used to be able to read them but can’t anymore and they shared a chart of them among the staff at some point.)

The color scheme for the sea was based on a Southern island for the anime and the city itself is based with a European feel in mind.

• Q: So within Orth, there are buildings, pulleys and lever systems. Did you base all that on any particular country? – Ise

A: There’s no actual country that was based on.

• Q: One thing I remember asking you about before was the streetlamps. How are they powered? – Ise

A:The staff asked before if they were electric, fire, wind-powered, or water-powered too, but the segment ended without Tsukushi giving a proper answer to this question.

Fourth Layer: Goblets of Music and Sound

Miyu Tomita acted as guide for this section. The participants were Hiromitsu Iijima, the Music Producer, Kevin Penkin, the Music Producer, and Shimpei Yamashita and they were asked to bring “Relics” with them in advance.

•  Iijima showed a video from the recording of Made in Abyss music in Vienna.
• They elaborated that the production of the soundtrack for it took about half a year and one year in prior planning for it.
• The section featured a quiz of Kevin playing a Made in Abyss soundtrack in which the holders of a ticket were allowed to participate and had to guess the respective ost right. These soundtracks were tuned to be a little harder to guess. The first, and only, was “The Rumble of Scientific Triumph”, which nobody guessed correctly because Kevin didn’t play it from the beginning but started it in the middle of the song.
• Kevin elaborated that it is quite normal for the specific parts that make up the soundtrack to be recorded separately and mixed together by layering them on top each other in a program to create the final soundtrack.
• After every part, he thinks about what he would like to follow that part to add onto it.
• They used a children's choir in The Rumble of Scientific Triumph because they wanted to give the feeling of the children acting as support for Bondrewd.
• Kevin had the idea to get school-aged children to sing the choral part and Iijima at the time had thought that was kind of a crazy idea.
• Kevin played a few tracks afterwards before the section went over into the Question Corner.

Question Coner 4:

•  Q: I really, truly love Kevin Penkin’s music. I often listen to it while working. It fits everything I imagined in the original work so well that it’s as if it was always there from the beginning. I’m always so impressed. What method did you use in your music production, Kevin? Will the Iruburu edition have the same kind of music?  – by Kentuu

A: I can’ talk about that unfortunately, because it would be a spoiler. But, when I make music, my feelings change day to day. But with Made in Abyss, I really want to make everything feel unique to match the story. It feels like a perfect story to create music for. So, of course we record live music, like we did in Vienna, but I also use digital music as well. You can see all the tools I use around me (Kevin is in his music studio in Australia) and I use these to try and create a more interesting and unique sound. The way I create music evolves and changes every day.

• Q: Can you give us a hint about the music in the Iruburu arc then? – Iijima

A: Just a little hint then… The music is based on some of the scenes that we’ll see today (referring to the PV aired at the end of the stream).

• Q: How did you feel when you were working on Made in Abyss soundtracks, Kevin Penkin? – by Kaaboon

A: I felt really lucky. I’m so glad that this is my job. Made in Abyss has a great team, with Yamashita-san, Iijima-san and Yamada-san. They’re all wonderful people and I’m so glad that I’ve had this opportunity to work with them.

• Q: I’m very captivated by the music of Kevin Penkin, who was in charge of the background music for Made in Abyss. I continue to listen to the original soundtrack every day, such as during my commute or before going to sleep. Out of all the tracks, my favorite is the one called “Pathway”, from the scene where Mitty departs. Every time I hear this track, I imagine Nanachi’s emotions while saying goodbye to Mitty, which makes me so wistful. And so my question is both to Kevin Penkin and Tsukushi-sensei: Could you please tell us which track is the most sentimental one for you? Whether it’s from the first season of the anime or from the theatrical version, I don’t mind. – by Shichimi

A: I don’t have a lot of confidence in the music I create sometimes, but it really feels like a complete package when it's combined with the visuals. There are a few scenes that I love, like the end of the first season and also the scene with Riko’s arm. The song there is called “Forest of the Abyss”. It’s a very traumatic scene, but also kind of beautiful. I tried to juxtapose the pain with something gentle.

Tsukushi (he came to the podium because he was addressed in the question too and wanted to answer it too, which surprised Ise. Afterwards he quickly vanished again): I think it was a scene at the end of episode 13 with the song called “Tomorrow”. I think that the song really fits the scene and I love it.

Fourth Layer: Goblets of Music and Sound

Miyu Tomita, Izawa and Ise were part of this section. The participant was Haru Yamada, the Sound Director, who was  asked to bring “Relics” with him in advance.

• Yamada was the staff member the voice actors worked the closest with.
• Yamada brought a video with him that featured Ise and Tomita in the voice acting booth acting out the scene of Reg awakening after having shot his incinerator in the village and waking up to find Riko save, noticing Gaburoon, and Riko informing him he kept them safe while he was passed out. In the video, Yamada tells Tomita she makes Reg sound a little bit too cool in that scene.
• The second recording was of Nanachi saying her second farewell to the Copy of Mitty. Izawa made a slight mistake in her lines in the video.
• Tomita noted that they will often try to keep going with a recording in order to not break the flow even if they make mistakes.
• Sometimes the va’s feel like Yamada is just saying something without thinking about it much but it is because he knows what’s going on and is quick to answer.
• Yamada often pointed out mistakes of Tomita which made her feel frustrated at times but she also felt like it was a good learning experience.
• The recording for the second season went much smoother than the one for the first.

Question Corner 5:

• Q: There are so many unforgettable scenes from the anime, but for me in particular, Reg’s line in the trailer of the theatrical version where he says “No reason allows you to exploit the devotion of your daughter in that form!!”. Just watching it gave me goosebumps. I’ve gone to the theater countless times, but the moment that has moved my soul the most has got to be from Reg’s rage and devastation. What was the most unforgettable scene for you, everyone? - by Twintal Magic-chan

A: For Ise it was the mentioned scene in the question with Reg. For Izawa, it was the scene of Mitty giving the bird plush to Mitty. For Tomita it was the scene when Riko had her arm almost severed.

• Q: This is a question regarding Tohu Noguchi from the effects department. We had an opportunity to dine together just before the opening of Dawn of the Deep Soul, and I was told that this might have been some of his best work in all the recent years. I was hoping to hear more about this during today’s online event. I wonder why he chose not to take the stage? The Amazon Prime special Sound in Abyss didn’t make an appearance either, so I’d love to see him next time for sure! Haha. – by Zero kyuu ichi

A: Noguchi-san is someone who I’ve known for a long time. He’s actually a little shy. He probably wouldn’t enjoy talking on stage, but he seems like he’d talk a lot if you got him to drink. So if you invite him for a drink, I’m sure he’d be glad to chat with you.

Fifth Layer: Sea of Announcements

Ise and Izawa served as guides for this segment.

• The merchandise set features reproductions of the original key frame art of the anime drawn by original author, Akihito Tsukushi, for the Blu-Ray and DVD box set
• Other merchandise available is a jacket, box illustrations, a big Oyasumi-Grand Nanachi plush, cushions, pillows, acrylics etc.
• The merch is available from 12th November 2021 to 5th December 2021.
• Vinyl’s for the Dawn of the Deep Soul soundtrack will be available from 21 November to 23 January 2022.
• The made in Abyss game, Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness, was also showcased with new screenshots.

Sixth Layer: Fan Meeting of the Returned

All three VA’S acted as guides for this section. The participants were Masayuki Kojima, the Director, Hitoshi Haga, the Assistant Director, Shimpei Yamashita, the Director, and Tsukushi. They were asked to bring “Relics” with them in advance.

• Yamashita showcased a timeline from the 2015, when the project of the anime for Made in Abyss began, up to production in 2021.

2015 – (Spring) TV anime project begins!

2016 – (Winter) First meeting with Tsukushi and staff

                (Spring) Script meetings begin

                (Summer) Storyboards done

                (Fall) Auditions begin

2017 – (Winter) Event: Anime Japan 2017

                (Spring) Voice recording begins!

                (Fall) Event: Blu-ray & DVD release event

                         AKIHABARA Gamers

                        Event: Talking about Made in Abyss

               (Fall) Wrap-up Party for Anime season 1

2018 – (Spring) Compilation script, “Dawn of the Deep Soul” Script

                (Summer) Overseas Event: Mannheim, Germany

2019 – (Spring) Overseas Event: L.A:, United States

                (Summer) Overseas Event: Anime Expo, L.A.

            (Summer) Voice recording for “Dawn of the Deep Soul”

2020 – (Winter) “Dawn of the Deep Soul” Movie

                (Winter) Greeting at theaters

                (Winter) Anime sequel announced

2021 – (Spring) “The Golden City of the Scorching Sun” in 2022 announced

• Yamashita was convinced Made in Abyss is a great manga by the time he had read up to the part about Lyza in the Seeker Camp flashback.
• Both Kojima and Yamashita thought Made in Abyss would make for a great anime and reached out to Takeshobo about it.
• Tsukushi was surprised by the interest of making it an anime because at the time he had only just finished the Seeker Camp Arc. (The anime project started close to the end of the Poison and Soul Liberation Arc.)
• All the main staff were gathered already in 2015 and they started planning.
• Kojima showed off giant print outs of the storyboards for the anime.
• The initial auditions for the VA’s were done via tape. When Izawa had been notified about her passing the tape audition she sent a very excited text message to her manager and tweeted about how much she loves Made in Abyss. Tsukushi ended up replying to her tweet.
• Tomita’s audition tape featured her auditioning for Riko and Reg.
• Yamashita had Izawa’s tape from her audition for Nanachi playing which she got embarrassed about. He also played the tapes of the other two VA’s which had Tomita cringe at her past performance while Ise was surprised her first time voicing Reg wasn’t as bad as she would have thought herself.
• For the first season of the anime, Tomita asked a lot of questions and made a lot of notes on the script she got on what the characters could be thinking and feeling in the scene to help her act them better.
• For episode 10 they had to redraw a lot of scenes because they weren’t satisfied with the quality.
• One of the cakes the staff and the cast had in 2017 had been Made in Abyss themed and with it came little Marzipan decorations of the characters. Ise took the Marzipan Reg home with her and kept it in her living room ever since.

•  Continuation of the Made in Abyss anime was confirmed in 2018, as well as the third movie. They were working on the compilation movies at the time as well as Dawn of the Deep Soul.
• For the audition of the second season, they didn’t invite all candidates for the new roles to the same audition date and as such invited their first choice first and proceeded from there.

Question Corner 6:

•  Q: Please tell us which scene was the most exciting to draw. – by Iori

A: Tsukushi: That’s a hard question. I think it’s when they tried to chop of Riko’s arm.(Kojima interjects: “I think that was in episode 10 as well.”) Yeah, the parts where characters get emotional are really fun for us.

•  Q: The Abyss has a wide variety of monsters, but which monsters would really make you go “Absolutely no way! I never ever want to encounter it!”  – by Germ_strv

A: Kojima: Corpse-Weepers. Corpse-Weepers are really scary, aren’t they? They imitate the calls for help of their victims. I find that really disturbing and would definitely get eaten. Having something non-human calling out in a human voice is really creepy, isn’t it?

Tsukushi: Tama-chan (Orb Piercer) for me. Being skewered by its sharp needles or slowly dying to its poison scares me.

Haga: Amaranthine-Deceptors for me.

Tomita: I thought of Amaranthine-Deceptors as well.

Izawa: For me also the Corpse-Weepers.

Yamashita: For me it’d be Tama-chan as well. Not because of the poison but because Orb-Piercers can predict what you’ll do.

• Q: If the characters were to cosplay, what kind of outfits do you think would look the best on them? Example: Nanachi + nurse outfit etc. – by NERU

A: Ise: Oh, I thought about this a lot! I think Reg would be perfect wearing San’s outfit from Princess Mononoke. She has similar stripe patterns on her face and Reg’s helmet would kind of fit with San’s mask. I think Riko would be perfect as Chihiro from Spirited Away. For Nanachi, I could really see Totoro. (After the others were skeptical she said “What? Don’t you see the similarities with Totoro? Tooootooorooo [Totoro sounds his name which she thinks is similar to “nnaa” and thus tried to show it by saying it out loud.)

Tomita: I think Riko would look great in a sailor uniform and sometimes she has her hair in braids as well.

Izawa: This is a difficult question, but Akihito-sensei often dresses Nanachi up in cute dresses, right?

Tsukushi: Mitty looks good in frilly dresses too, like this! (Tsukushi shows off a Mitty plush in a dress with frills.)

(They asked NERU of his thoughts on cosplay for the characters)

NERU: I think Nanachi would look great in a nurse outfit obviously but I think Riko would look better as a teacher rather than in a sailor uniform. Reg feels like he would look good in an army/SWAT kind of outfit. It’d be really cool. Same would also work for Ozen and Lyza, I think.

• Q: The Tv series was checked 7 times, but how many times do you think the “Narehate village” will be inspected?  - syake

A: Yamashita: You’re talking about all the check ups until it is handed in to the TV station, right? Well, we don’t really know yet. Animes that are a little bit lewd tend to go through a lot of inspections. This work is a little bloody as well.

Izawa: How many times would an anime usually be checked?

Kojima: I was really grateful that it was checked many times!

•  Q: I particularly loved the scene in the theatrical version where Riko, Reg and Nanachi are attacked by the amaranthine-deceptors, but especially how Nanachi throws the deceptor that bit their arm.So when I re-read the original work, I was a bit surprised to find that Nanachi was only bitten in the arm without them throwing the deceptor. With animation, you can add a lot more extra movement, but were there any scenes in particular that left an impression on you, or specific difficulties you encountered, regarding moments unique to the anime not found in the original manga? – by Yagi

A: Kojima: There were lots of scenes where we added some extra movement. When you’re animating it happens in general, like when Reg goes berserk and fires off his Incinerator in the scene where he blows up part of the Ido Front. We definitely added a lot of movement and tried to show how big the Incinerator shot was. We even considered using 3D for that bit, but we eventually drew everything by hand.

Ise: I thought that scene was really impactful as well. There also was that scene where Reg bites off part of Bondrewd’s mask and spits it out. That was really cool.

• Q: Is there a reason for each character’s name, outside of just the in-universe story? For example, in Bulgarian прошка (proshka) means forgiveness so there seems to be a deeper symbolism there beyond just “Flower of Dawn”.  – by Koyanangi

A: Tsukushi: No, there was none at all. This is the first time I’ve heard of that, actually. I actually wanted a name that’s kind of hard to pronounce, but also easy to yell out. I have a kind of image of the people in Made in Abyss being often from the same general area. Riko and Ozen for example have both kinds of Japanese-sounding names. Reg really just is a dog’s name.

• Q:Last year the spread of Covid began right after the release of the theatrical version of Dawn of the Deep Soul and it was a lonely time where you couldn’t go to any real-life events. (the live commentary in February of the last year being the last irl-event) During this time, if Covid hadn’t been a factor, were there any events you had planned on doing, and if so could you explain them a little for us? – by YAMYAM
• A: Yamashita: I remember the exact date, and there was a screening in Hokkaido that we had to cancel. We had all the staff's schedules lined up, but unfortunately we couldn’t have the event. We actually had an overseas event lined up as well but that didn’t happen either. So we’re very grateful to be able to have this event today.

• Q: What do you plan to do with Faputa’s pointy ends?! (nipples) Is there a long lock of her hair covering it!? The protrusion…? What is the mysterious light!? Is it the light of the 7th Layer’s ring?! (jokingly implication of the light that always conveniently covers up the privates in erotic animes.) – by Ika-san

A: Izawa: Probably only the manga staff will know the answer. Faputa hasn’t appeared in the anime “yet”.

Yamashita: We can’t answer that right now unfortunately.

Final thoughts:

• Kojima: I’m grateful to have this opportunity today to talk to everyone.
• Tsukushi: I really felt everyone’s support through this event today. I’m so amazed and grateful.
• Haga: We staff don’t get to see each other that much, so this kind of event really gives us energy. It makes me very happy that I was able to participate and look forward to more Made in Abyss. It would be great to have more opportunities to celebrate Made in Abyss again in the future.
• Yamashita: We do have a budget for events, and we’d love to do more events. Unfortunately we were quite short on time and it was hard to get everyone’s time lined up, including all the Blue Whistles. We weren’t able to answer everyone’s questions today, but we will email out the answers later. Some fans weren’t able to make it and even contacted us to tell us they weren’t able to make it today. We’re very grateful for our fans.
•  Izawa: This has been going on for about six years now…And today I really felt everyone’s passion and energy. I’m going to take that energy and direct it to the second season of the anime, so please look forward to it. Thanks for supporting us and all the characters.
• Ise: I remembered lots of things from the last six years as well. And it really reminded me how we built everything up together over this long time period. We have domestic fans of course, but we’re also very grateful for our international fans. It’s amazing to have your support and hopefully we can do more overseas events for you soon!
• Tomita: Thank you all for joining us today. Made in Abyss really is a wonderful work made possible by so many different people. There are so many people that we don’t normally deal with as voice actors. It made me love the work even more. We hope to have your continued support!

Overseas Cave Raiders Guild

Joey, the anime man (YouTuber) acted as guide for this section. The participants were Masayuki Kojima, Kevin Penkin, the Music Composer, Shimpei Yamashita, the Producer, Miu Tomita, Mariya Ise, Shiori Izawa, and Tsukushi.

• The first section was a showcase of a scene in different dubs. The scene was the opening scene of the first season with Riko showing off her Star Compass to the others. Among the participants, only Tsukushi had heard a dub apart from the Japanese version prior. The featured languages were Japanese, English, German, Italian, Arabic, Spanish and Russian.
• The participants were amazed by the variety of the different versions and Tsukushi noted he really liked the German version because it put emphasis on Reg sounding like a boy with a masculine undertone.
• They were surprised by so many dubs using Papa for when Prushka talked about Bondrewd as they had the impression lots of oversea countries rather use “Dad” over “Papa”.
• The scene with Bondrewd’s “My, My, My, My”  in the battle with dark Reg entertained them greatly in the other dubs. Kevin and Joe really liked the Russian one, the VA’S  really liked the English version.

Question Corner 7:

• Q: It’s been a little while since the first season and the movies came out. What were some of the biggest challenges in making season 2? – by TanTanTim

A: Tsukushi: I had trouble with keeping the dead lines because the Manga was falling behind a bit.

Kojima: I’m looking forward to the second season and hope you all also look forward to it.

Tomita: In the prior animations, conversations mostly happened between Riko, Reg and Nanachi at one point. Season 2 will have a lot more characters involved so a lot more conversations and interactions will be present.

Ise: Covid caused us to have to restrict our recordings to a certain number with people which made it harder to coordinate which we had to adjust to.

Izawa: Nanachi was only around for the last three episodes of the first season which made their inclusion into the group a bit difficult and I had to grow into how they would sound in their interactions with new characters.

• Q: I have a question for Tsukushi-Sensei. Of all the fantasy stories I read and watched, Tsukushi-sensei’s designs and esthetics look really unique especially when it comes to the animals and creatures. What are Tsukushi-sensei's inspirations and creation process when it comes to monsters? – by Nebel Monory

A: There was a similar question from a Japanese viewer before. My general inspiration for creatures is usually first to create something that is really terrifying and go from there. Something that would make people point and shout in horror “What the hell is that thing?!”

• Q:  What was the instrument about half way through the sequence that mimicked the sound of a voice so well? - by Leona Lux

A: That’s a good question. If I’m thinking of the right place it would have probably been a violin. Specifically the violin player that you saw in the promotion with the heavier voice. The one where I said the word “made to'' unsuccessfully to. He was probably playing some very high asbgio combined with the falsetto earth wave. They do tend to have a nice sort of little interaction. The singer, Saita, first off, he is like freakishly good. Like I haven’t heard a dude sing that high and he is able to sing in a very very high register. But obviously, because it is coming from a male voice, it does have a different quality than a female soprano was singing up there. But when you combine that with violin skills playing during sessions in Hollywood for the last 40 years…so let's just say he is very very experienced and good at combining those two elements. Especially in the room where we recorded the violin. There can be some pretty interesting combinations of things that can happen.

• Q: Question for Tsukushi-sensei and Kevin Penkin. With the amount of praise you received for your work so far, do you feel any pressure to outdo yourself in the future and if yes, how do you cope with it? – by Craway85

A: Tsukushi: I felt it before and think it is probably something a lot of artists feel with their long running works. I found that alcohol and good food are very helpful to not fall into worrying about it.

Kevin: I definitely felt it, especially with Made in Abyss and  how things progressed. It’s not even about the “hold my beer” thing or something and to do better. I also think you actually want to try to get better and improve on what you did before because you want to try and almost present the same surprise factor that your work may have had in the first season. That’s why the season and movies are maybe a natural progression, stylistically speaking, but I hope it should have been from a certain technical aspect at least. Hopefully creatively, it should be better. I’m working on new stuff now, and yeah, that pressure is tough. Very tough. But the British had this amazing invention in the 18’s called the gym and it’s very useful for pressure.  

Ise: In the world of voice acting it's also kind of the same with the pressure because you have to constantly improve for roles and to add new variety with being able to voice different characters.

Izawa. For me it is that I have to maintain the quality of the voice for Nanachi because it was such a perfect fit that even Tsukushi-sensei said it was exactly how Nanachi is supposed to sound. Thus that expectation can weigh a little heavy.

• Q: Master Tsukushi. I have a question for you. I would like you to explain the 2000 year circle a little better. What usually happens at the start of 2000 years and are there major changes in the Abyss? How close are we to the 2000 year cycle? – by AtaraxiA

A: In the series, I left some small subtle foreshadowing hints to something going on. I wonder, did someone notice them?

• Q: What place does censorship take in an anime adaptation of such a violent manga, and centered at times on the sexuality of the characters, that Japanese culture can turn out to be so far removed from so many countries? – by 3xotic

A: Yamashita: Well, it is very much a part of Japanese culture and it’s a Japanese creation and hence operates under the rules set in Japan but we do try to maintain the integrity of the Japanese culture in animation while also appealing to as many international audiences as possible.

Seventh Layer: The Final Closure

• Kojima: Thank you so much for tuning in today. I would have never thought that Made in Abyss is that beloved, including the oversea fans. This has become something very precious to me. We’ll be doing our best to live up to everyone’s expectations for the second season.
• Joey: I’m so glad I was invited to join this event today. I was actually really nervous! Thanks again.
• Tsukushi: I was actually really nervous as well! So many of the staff are here today. And I’ve mentioned that we have a lot of fans supporting us, but there’s so much staff supporting us as well. Thanks to the staff for all their support as well!
• Yamashita: So, I was the one that came up with this event. I was really nervous as well and worried about whether people would even turn up. I’m glad that everyone joined us today and enjoyed the event. The archive is available for another week, so please feel free to rewatch it. We’d love to have more people enjoy this event, so please tell all your friends to check it out as well.

• Izawa: So Akihito-sensei was drawing for us but didn’t manage to finish it in time earlier. He finished it in between, so we’ll have him show it to us. Here it is! (Tsukushi: I actually finished it!) So this drawing will be actually given out to one lucky lottery winner with Sensei’s signature on it!
• Ise: This event has been going for about 6 hours and we are finally getting towards the end. I was worried whether we could do a whole 6 hours at first, but with everyone here today, and with everyone’s support, we were able to make it through. Thank you for the support and I hope everyone looks forward to and enjoys the second season that will air next year!
• Kevin Penkin: I’ve been making music for Made in Abyss for 6 years now. I thought about the music every day, for the sake of the fans and for the sake of the work. I hope to continue to make great music for everyone to enjoy. Thank You!
• Tomita: I’ve actually mentioned everything I wanted to say already. But once again, thank you everyone who has stayed with us here this whole time. And I hope to direct this energy to creating a wonderful second season!

As an ending for the stream, the PV for the second season was aired. It revealed four of the voice actors for the characters in the second season:

Faputa will be voiced by Misaki Kuno.

Vueko will be voiced by Yuka Terasaki.

Wazukan will be voiced by Hiroaki Hirata.

Belaf will be voiced by Mitsuki Saiga.

A podcast on the Youtube Channel of Naoki Saito featuring  Akihito Tsukushi

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Tsukushi started to work for Konami in 2000 and worked there for ten years.
• He feels that the more detail one depicts in manga and drawings, the more one shows they have really paid attention to that person or object that is drawn.
• For the Abyss map, he likes the idea of planting hints of places that might have something interesting in them even if they don’t appear in the manga.
• The Abyss itself was originally much smaller in diameter in the original concept for the story (for reference see Doorbeetle Reco).
• Once he had started working on the map for the Abyss, he couldn't stop and ended up working on it for two days straight.
• The Orb Piercer’s face was designed with the intention to make it unrelatable as one can’t make out its eyes.
• Tsukushi thinks in an image only about 10% of what it is supposed to be conveyed will get across to a viewer, but with manga about 50% of the intended information does.
• Tsukushi likes to Google himself, and his work, to see fan response and theories.
• He loves drawing but dislikes the process of having to draw the same panel for a manga over and over again and is “suffering” when he has to do that or when he has to come up with names. Hence he loves drawing but hates doing a full manga.
• Putting on the finishing touches for one of his works/chapters is like a climax to Tsukushi.

 00:00:08

Saito: Hello, everyone! Can you see me onscreen? Please leave a comment if I’m showing up. Hello, there! We’ve just gone live. Oh, is he here? Well, good evening! We have a ton of people who were waiting in the wings here for us – there are already 800 people in chat.

00:00:34

Saito: Anyway, hi! It’s me, Naoki Saito. We’re here celebrating the release of my new book, Umaku Kaku no Kinshi (an artbook), which just released the other day. Here with us, would you believe it, is mangaka Akihito Tsukushi-sensei. This is a last-minute live one-on-one interview! Can you hear me okay?

00:00:54

Saito: As for the book, it’s a compilation of what I’ve discussed on YouTube thus far about how to improve your artwork. My thinking was that it would be great to have some real-world feedback from others in the field, which I was sure our listeners would love. This is one of my favorite artists, so to tell the truth, I’m super nervous. So without further ado, let’s have a chat with mangaka Akihito Tsukushi-sensei. Let’s get him up here! Tsukushi-sensei, are you ready?

00:01:41

Saito: I’ll just turn this on…

00:01:43

Saito: Tsukushi-sensei! Can you hear me?

00:01:50

Tsukushi: I sure can. (Tsukushi is wearing a shirt over his head with a drawing of his face.)

00:01:52

Saito: You surprised me! What is that you’ve got on your face?!

00:01:59

Tsukushi: This is a T-shirt featuring my portrait.

00:02:01

Saito: Oh, it’s a T-shirt! I thought you just drew something on there with a pen.

00:02:06

Tsukushi: No, this is a real shirt, but I cut out these holes in it for the show.

00:02:15

Saito: That’s so wasteful! Anyway, thanks for your time today.

00:02:23

Tsukushi: Thanks for having me.

00:02:25

Saito: I think you need no introduction to our listeners. But just to summarize, Akihito Tsukushi is from the Kanagawa Prefecture, and worked at game developer Konami Digital Entertainment for about ten years starting in 2000. Incidentally, I joined Konami in 2007, so, in a way, you’re actually my senior colleague.

00:02:56

Tsukushi: Oh, I remember.

00:02:58

Saito: I don’t think we met in person at the office, though. Then, in 2010, he went freelance as an illustrator, and in 2012, started the serialized version of the manga Made in Abyss. Finally, in 2017, it was released as a TV anime, and he is today a beloved artist of many. Once again, thank you for coming.

00:03:27

Tsukushi: Thank you!

00:03:29

Saito: I’ve been really looking forward to this.

00:03:34

Tsukushi: Yeah, but you know, I’m going live just after being hugged.

00:03:35

Saito: That’s right! Tsukushi-sensei got a hug from a certain someone today, so – congratulations!

00:03:42

Tsukushi: Thank you! I guess this calls for a bit of this…

00:03:46

Saito: Exactly. Let’s have a drink. So, I guess this is also a toast – I’ve got my beer ready. What are you drinking? Sake?

00:03:57

Tsukushi: You bet. I got this from Ito-san, the bureau director at Takeshobo Publications. It’s sake, but it’s effervescent like champagne.

00:04:03

Saito: Wow, impressive. Sounds tasty. So, shall we have a toast?

00:04:09

Tsukushi: I also have this Dassai I got.

00:04:11

Saito: Wow, Dassai! That’s a luxury sake. Anyway, congrats on getting hugged! Cheers!

00:04:19

Tsukushi: Bottoms up!

00:04:20

Saito: Cheers!

00:04:26

Tsukushi: Wow, it’s good!

00:04:27

Saito: Incidentally, I’ve got this Yona Yona Ale.

00:04:31

Tsukushi: Oh, yeah, that one’s delicious! I love what YO-HO Brewing puts out.

00:04:33

Saito: Yeah, it’s good. So, one interesting thing to note is that I first had a chance to sit down with Tsukushi-sensei at a live venue.

00:04:45

Tsukushi: That’s right. You showed up, and you were just there to spectate, I think, and the topic of your YouTube videos came up, and yeah, you managed to lure me out for an interview, haha.

00:05:10

Saito: Exactly, I was just going to see the show and not be on stage, but I got wrapped up in it and got a chance to sit down with you for a live chat there. That led to this live broadcast you see today, so, again, I have to thank you for agreeing to appear live.

00:05:24

Tsukushi: Oh, no, the pleasure is all mine.

00:05:28

Saito: You’ve appeared on a fair amount of interviews and YouTube videos – are you pretty open to that?

00:05:38

Tsukushi: Well, I figured when drawing the manga that sooner or later I’d have to go public with my identity, and people would see me for the bearded old guy I am. I figured it was better to just abandon hope and go with it.

00:05:46

Saito: Abandon hope?! Haha. But you seem totally at home and you’re a natural on camera.

00:05:54

Tsukushi: You think so? That’s probably cause I’m drinking and loosened up.

00:05:57

Saito: The samue robe you’ve got on fits you well, too.

00:06:01

Tsukushi: I have a fat friend I saw wearing one of these, and it looked really good on him, so I figured I’d go with it.

00:06:10

Saito: And that hat! The listeners say it matches. You seem like a natural for wearing a hat.

00:06:21

Saito: That’s a good look too, with the brim up, haha.

00:06:23

Tsukushi: This kind of reminds me of that character from...what was it called? That guy from the Baby Star Ramen package.

00:06:33

Saito: You do look kind of like him!

00:06:40

Saito: So today…

00:06:41

Tsukushi: What was I going to say, again? Oh, sorry, sorry. Yeah, it’s your turn to ask the questions, sorry.

00:06:47

Saito: I do a lot of videos on YouTube to share easy ways of improving your artwork. Do you have any techniques you like to use? I’m looking forward to discussing that and other topics with you. Oh, look, he has started sniffing that plushie!

00:07:03

Tsukushi: Well, I need a snack to go with my sake.

00:07:07

Saito: Ah, so Debi-chan’s smell goes well with your drink. (The Plushie of the Vtuber Debidebi Debiru from Nijisanji)

00:07:10

Tsukushi: There’s something about this, it’s just really pleasant to sniff.

00:07:13

Saito: I wonder what it smells like…

00:07:16

Tsukushi: So cute.

00:07:23

Saito: I often say on my YouTube videos that to improve your drawings, you need to have good observational ability. And the other day, when we chatted at the live venue, I was amazed at your perceptive skills.

00:07:43

Tsukushi: Ohh, I see. Um, what am I perceptive about?

00:07:47

Saito: Well, for example, you were really perceptive about me, going beyond what most people see. You said that when you watch my videos, I’m always laughing and smiling, but deep down, I don’t seem to be. I felt like you really took a deep look at me.

00:08:08

Tsukushi: Well, how should I say? I watched some of your early videos, and it’s like...you’re smiling and all, “Hey, it’s Naoki Saito!” But in the back of your eyes, you don’t seem to be smiling. It’s like you were sort of feigning being happy – like going through the motions to get people to like you.

00:08:41

Saito: Well, to be honest, I was grateful to get that frank comment from you. For instance, I like the way you depict monsters in your work. And I kind of felt like you were looking at me in the same way, the way you do those monsters. I liked it.

00:09:09

Tsukushi: Right. I get it.

00:09:12

Saito: The other thing that really surprised me is the way you...well, for example, I think most people look at your work at first glance and see the cute depictions of children, or the plump figure of Nanachi, and...hey, what are you doing?! That’s scary! Right, what was I saying? So people see those characters and see your skill in those, but for me, the impression I take away from your work is that you have almost a fetish for cramming in detail into your images.

00:09:46

Tsukushi: You’re right on the money with that. I feel like you can’t have enough of it. When I became a mangaka, I had this feeling that detail is like an expression of love. The more detail you depict, the more you show you’ve really paid attention to that person or object – and in the way you combine and put together that information. To be totally serious, when people asked me in my early 20s in, well, not quite an interview, but this sort of cheesy “100 quick questions about illustration” questionnaire, I was dead serious when I replied: “I’m expressing love through my art.”

00:10:51

Saito: Wow, I totally get it now. I noticed that in your work, but also when you compliment people, you do it by going really into detail about that person. I remember you saying that the first eight pages of The Journey of Shuna (A one-volume watercolor-illustrated graphic novel written and illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki and published as a single softcover booklet, on 15 June 1983, by Tokuma Shoten under its Animage Ju Ju Bunko imprint. The story was adapted into a 60-minute radio drama which was broadcast in Japan, on NHK FM, on 2 May 1987) are really well done. But to be honest, when most people read that manga, that’s not the first thing that comes to mind.

00:11:26

Tsukushi: What?! Really?

00:11:28

Saito: Yeah, I never noticed that detail. But once you said that, I went back and looked at it, and it clicked for me for the first time.

00:11:41

Tsukushi: Wait, let me back this up. You know in the first eight pages, when Hayao – err, I mean, Miyazaki-sensei…shouldn’t call him by his first name – does that narration about how the story is going to unfold? It’s beautiful. It’s so refined, every detail. He depicts things in ways you wouldn’t even expect, using them in combinations that aren’t typical but totally fit. I feel like…that’s love.

00:12:21

Saito: Yeah, it is. And I felt like your ability to see those details in the first place is love. Let me read some of that narration you liked: “Claw at the dry earth and try to plant a frail seedling, yet the fallow ground begrudges even the slightest growth.” I was like…“begrudges?” That’s such a particular word to use.

00:12:53

Tsukushi: Yeah, the ground “begrudges.”

00:12:56

Saito: But once you hear that, it’s a really impactful line. And it really impressed me, your perspicacity in noticing these subtle details.

00:13:08

Tsukushi: I mean, this is just the first eight pages where they’re setting the mood for the book!

00:13:11

Saito: Yeah, it’s like it starts out with the maximum aesthetic potential from the get-go.

00:13:15

Tsukushi: Right, well, it’s like it starts with a bang – put the most beautiful part first. The rest is following the script. But yeah, that’s a great manga. Every last word in it is beautiful.

00:13:33

Saito: One other thing I noticed is that your tweets are also amazing.

00:13:44

Tsukushi: Haha, I’m embarrassed.

00:13:45

Saito: I’ll give you an example. Sorry, it covers your face a bit.

00:13:54

Tsukushi: No problem, I’ll hide.

00:13:55

Saito: These are comments by Tsukushi-sensei about my book: “I am constantly hesitating about how best to draw or express things. And what about you? If that sounds like you, check out Naoki Saito’s new book, ‘Umaku Kaku no Kinshi”, out on 3/22. Is there anything more important than drawing well? Yes. Trust me, there is.” As soon as I saw this tweet, I thought to myself, “This is beautiful.” So I analyzed my thought process, and realized this tweet of yours is crazy. Take a look, I highlighted it: first, you raise an issue you have, namely, hesitating about how to draw. Then you bring up the reader, creating empathy. Finally, you suggest a method of resolving this conflict – this was the part that wowed me.

You bring up the solution first. Then you raise another doubt, flipping things around. “Is there anything more important than drawing well?” Then you come back and give your basis for it, saying “Yes, trust me, there is.” You’re saying that you, Akihito Tsukushi, have found that to be true, and wrap up the tweet. It’s hard to believe this is 144 characters. It’s so much information packed into one message.

Crazy, don’t you think?

00:15:42

Tsukushi: Well, about that last line. You said I stated my basis for things at the end. There’s no confidence behind that conjecture. It’s just a statement.

00:15:52

Saito: Well, yeah, but there are different ways of showing rationale: data, a scientific basis, etc. But it felt like in that last line, you were saying, Akihito Tsukushi says so, so trust me. I thought that was really cool.

00:16:14

Tsukushi: This isn’t actually my own quote, but I kind of paraphrased it from Gurren Lagann.

00:16:16

Saito: Oh, really?

00:16:17

Tsukushi: Well, not verbatim, but I basically agree with the sentiment. It’s something like, “you need to believe in something – trust me, cause I believe it.”

00:16:31

Saito: Oh, I see. Interesting. That was pretty unexpected of you to pull in that reference.

00:16:38

Tsukushi: Well, I’m a huge fan of Gurren Lagann.

00:16:46

Saito: So, that sort of information overload fetish is also on display in your manga. I got goosebumps looking at it. Take a look at this one page. I feel like this single page tells you everything you need to know about Made in Abyss. Let’s get it onscreen. Now you’re totally hidden, sorry. (Saito is displaying the Abyss map on screen.)

00:17:19

Tsukushi: No problem, I’ll hide again!

00:17:21

Saito: Just stand by until he gets back onscreen. So here’s this super high res image. It’s a map of the Made in Abyss world. Just looking at this is exciting, right?

00:17:39

Tsukushi: Yeah, even I get excited looking at it!

00:17:41

Saito: This is crazy. So I was thinking to myself, “What makes this image so exciting?” And I realized I like those overworld maps on an RPG. You walk around and see something that you can’t reach, but there’s a strange object or the like. And you know you’ll be able to get there eventually.

00:18:11

Tsukushi: “I’ll come back later when I have the double jump ability.”

00:18:12

Saito: Exactly! That’s exactly the feeling I get with this map. Take this part, for example. What are these swirling things? I have no idea.

00:18:27

Tsukushi: Yeah, you would have no idea, just looking at that.

00:18:29

Saito: But it looks super intriguing. That’s actually from a deeper layer. Let’s head up a bit. What about this? This shaft has a drop of 5,000 meters! There’s no way you can just go straight down that. It’s like, “How the hell do you get up and down this thing?” Let’s zoom this in a bunch. You have these holes here. You wonder if you can go in here.

00:19:09

Tsukushi: I really like that idea of little hints of places that might have something interesting in them. Even if they don’t appear in the manga, just creating those places. So it’s like, they don’t actually appear in the manga, but they exist in my imagination. So it gets me wanting to create these blueprints. I feel like, if people can appreciate 50% of where I’m coming from by seeing these images, it’s worth it. And if the reader seeing this map expands their imagination by 150%, thinking about what all the stuff on the map might mean...that feels like a really worthwhile piece of media, to me.

00:19:56

Saito: Is there a certain aspect that was a jumping-off point for you in drawing Made in Abyss?

00:20:02

Tsukushi: Other than maps?

00:20:05

Saito: Was a map not your starting point?

00:20:07

Tsukushi: Well, the first thing I drew was that city with a giant hole in it.

 00:20:15

Saito: Oh, I see.

00:20:17

Tsukushi: That was originally a lot smaller. There’s a simplified map in Volume 1, and I think that was the first map I drew, at least.

00:20:33

Saito: So you didn’t originally intend to expand it to what we see here?

00:20:39

Tsukushi: I thought I’d close out the story much sooner.

00:20:40

Saito: The scale just seems so vast.

00:20:48

Tsukushi: Once I got started, I just couldn’t stop, you know?

00:20:54

Saito: So you started adding a few things, and before you knew it, it snowballed.

00:20:59

Tsukushi: With this map in particular, yes. I did nothing but this for two days straight.

00:21:10

Saito: Yeah, the sheer density of this map really impressed me. Not a lot of people would go this far.

00:21:20

Tsukushi: Well, I figured that people who like games would get where I was coming from.

00:21:24

Saito: When I saw this, I was thinking about what your knack might be for improving your skills, or should I say, the source of your skills, is in this density of information. And your response was that it’s all about love, so it really clicked for me.

00:21:50

Tsukushi: You got it. It might just be passion.

00:21:53

Saito: Yeah, it is.

00:21:59

Tsukushi: So, like, drawing a space that seems to be just devoid of anything at first glance…the more you draw it in detail, the more vast it starts to seem. It’s that...degree of density, I guess you’d call it? So there’s nothing in particular there, but it’s nevertheless a remarkable space to see. That density and negative space work together. There’s nothing there, and yet there is.

00:22:30

Saito: Do you really think it’s a contrast of coarseness and density? From where I’m sitting, it just looks super dense – dense all the way through

00:22:34

Tsukushi: No way, it’s subtle!

00:22:37

Saito: This spot was my favorite. These are like cups for giants. What is this plant  called? Kenzan Kazura?

00:22:48

Tsukushi: The largest ones are, yes.

00:22:52

Saito: I love the Orb Piercers that live here. Should I say love? Or did they just traumatize me? Those just knocked me out as soon as I saw them.

00:23:06

Tsukushi: Yeah, there’s something about them, isn’t there? They seem a bit odd at first glance.

Someone told me this anecdote: “When you see something with unclear eyes, you feel like you can’t relate to it at all.” So they look like they have a face, but you can’t make out their eyes. It looks more like the number five on a dice.

00:23:40

Saito: Plus, their scale is the scariest of all the monsters, size-wise. Take a monster like Godzilla that is absurdly large. Godzilla is so huge that he has to have a blind spot. But the Orb Piercer is a size where you can’t rely get in its blind spot. You have nowhere to run. That scene was like, yeah, they are done for.

00:24:01

Tsukushi: Honestly, my thinking there was I would just have the Orb Piercer wreck them.

00:24:08

Saito: Well...let’s try to keep this broadcast spoiler free!

00:24:20

Tsukushi: I think around that time, or maybe a bit later, the editorial department called me out and started talking about what the course of action should be if the manga didn’t sell well, and I thought, uh-oh, this is the end. So I figured, let’s just go with it and take the plotline to the extreme and see what happens.

00:24:49

Saito: You mentioned before that the manga started getting popular once Nanachi debuted.

00:24:55

Tsukushi: That’s right.

00:24:56

Saito: So that was right before Nanachi appeared, then.

00:25:00

Tsukushi: Yeah, correct.

00:25:04

Saito: So I guess that sense of hopelessness was pretty true to life, then, since you actually didn’t know if the manga would continue.

00:25:11

Tsukushi: Now that you mention it, that may be the case…

00:25:14

Saito: Oh, do Nanachi and Debi-chan smell different?

00:25:20

Tsukushi: They’re clearly different. I always sniff this Nanachi plushie too much, and the ears are always exposed to light, so they’re almost ripe and smelly. This is like a vintage piece now. Debi-chan is still new, so I have to break it in.

00:25:49

Saito: It’s still fresh.

00:25:51

Tsukushi: Yeah, still fresh. I love it.

00:26:02

Saito: I’m impressed that your accompaniment for sake is smells.

00:26:07

Tsukushi: By the way, this is going on sale again, so I suggest picking it up if you can.

00:26:15

Saito: You heard it here first, everyone. Pick one up. By the way, you said that only 10% of images tend to get across, but with manga, 50% of the information does. It made me think to myself that manga is a really powerful medium. It got me thinking that given the way you pack info into your manga, maybe that’s the only medium you can really cram that much into.

00:26:52

Tsukushi: Well, no matter how much you cram in there, people aren’t really looking at all of it. They might like the image and hang it up on the wall, but all the info in there doesn’t necessarily come across, even if some people out there spread the word. With manga, you can keep pumping out new information and content. You know, one thing I often do is Google myself and see how people are analyzing the work. The readers come up with some great interpretations, and even if those are on point, I’m always thinking to myself how to twist the plot around.

00:27:48

Saito: So you’re looking for ways to subvert their expectations?

00:27:53

Tsukushi: How should I put it...I want to expand on their expectations.

00:27:59

Saito: You know, Itagaki-sensei and other people have said similar things.

00:28:05

Tsukushi: Yes, let’s talk about him, he’s my favorite!

00:28:09

Saito: He said something like, it’s not about subverting their expectations, but subverting their predictions.

00:28:16

Tsukushi: Exactly. Subvert their predictions.

00:28:18

Saito: Yeah, it seems like you have a similar mindset on that.

00:28:24

Tsukushi: Sure. But I’m not sure I subvert the reader’s predictions that much.

00:28:28

Saito: Do you really think so? I feel like you do.

00:28:32

Tsukushi: Well, I’m glad to hear that. How should I put it? I don’t subvert, but I take into account those expectations, while embellishing them into something bigger and more complex.

00:29:04

Saito: So you had this little kernel of an expectation, and you blew it up into this, and the reader is surprised at its true size.

00:29:15

Tsukushi: That’s a great way of putting it!

00:29:16

Saito: Oh, thanks! It’s like, “There was much more here than met the eye!”

00:29:22

Tsukushi: Much more, and also the little details in there were much more complex than they first seemed.

00:29:31

Saito: I like that!

00:29:37

Tsukushi: It’s more or less something like that.

00:29:39

Saito: That’s love, totally.

00:29:42

Tsukushi: I mean it guys, I’m expressing my love!

00:29:48

Saito: So when do you actually infuse this love into your work? Is it as soon as you start drawing? Or is when you’re conceptualizing it?

00:29:58

Tsukushi: The latter. 90% of it happens when I’m planning, with the remaining 10% while drawing, trying to get to that 100% or beyond with the little touches.

00:30:14

Saito: So the drawing part is actually like the final struggle.

00:30:18

Tsukushi: Exactly! That’s exactly it. Manga is all about the name. Who said that? I think it was Yoshihiro Togashi of Hunter x Hunter. There was some contest associated with Jump where a bunch of big name artists were giving words of wisdom. He said something like, “If you want to improve at manga, you shouldn’t have free time to be practicing in the first place!”

00:30:46

Saito: That does resemble what you’re saying, though.

00:30:51

Tsukushi: So a manga really hinges on the name. Trying to push ahead with the drawing in spite of a dumb name, even if the drawings are good, doesn’t work. In the end, it’ll be bland.

00:31:05

Saito: So would you say you spend much more time on developing a name than on drawing?

00:31:10

Tsukushi: Well, it’s half and half.

00:31:12

Saito: Oh, about half and half?

00:31:16

Tsukushi: I mean, when you’re trying to grind out that last push, whatever it is, don’t we all end up spending too much time on finishing things than we should? It’s the same in games and illustration. Well, perhaps you might have an easier time.

00:31:27

Saito: No, I’m a terrible drawer.

00:31:30

Tsukushi: Sure you are. I’ll stop feigning ignorance...let’s bring out this book.

00:31:39

Saito: Hold on! Don’t show that! This is embarrassing! Why do you even own that?! It’s so old.

00:31:46

Tsukushi: Well, I bought it…

00:31:49

Saito: Woah, I just got goosebumps seeing that.

00:31:52

Tsukushi: This is Saito’s book about Japanese monster tales, everyone. You probably haven’t seen this before.

00:31:59

Saito: Woah, I’m in a cold sweat seeing that...that book is so old.

00:32:05

Tsukushi: Not only that, but it’s in full color!

00:32:06

Saito: I’m in shock.

00:32:09

Tsukushi: Look at this perverted abominable snowman.

00:32:12

Saito: Man, I took you for granted. Cut it out! Put that away!

00:32:26

Tsukushi: This book gives you a good glimpse of Saito’s core ideas from when he was young. I highly recommend this. His work today is focused on really getting a balance between quality and complexity, but his art in this book didn’t take expense into account at all, just going full bore.

00:32:50

Saito: That’s a good point. Expense wasn’t even on our minds at the time.

00:33:01

Tsukushi: Exactly, you spared no expense on this. It’s like you just went all in on every image.

00:33:07

Saito: Wow, I’m still in shock.

00:33:10

Tsukushi: It was like you didn’t even care about the consequences, just making every image to the max.

00:33:15

Saito: You really caught me by surprise.

00:33:18

Tsukushi: Yep, I was feigning ignorance this whole time.

00:33:21

Saito: Well, thank you for digging that up. Man, seeing your old work brought up really gives you a cold sweat. Oh, yeah, we have something really interesting today. It’s an image showing your daily schedule.

00:33:47

Tsukushi: Ahh, yes.

00:33:50

Saito: It gives you a sense of how much time you devote to drawing, and the like. Let’s get it onscreen. It’ll cover the screen, sorry. This is what it looks like. A day in the life of Akihito Tsukushi.

[IMAGE]

04:00: Embracing Gaia (dreaming)

05:00: Thinking about Picross

08:00: Wetting the bed, waking up and falling asleep again 10:00: Breakfast and shit

11:00: Shower

12:00: Internet

13:00: Suffering

19:00: Lunch, pleasant shit

20:00: Suffering

24:00: Bliss

01:00: Dinner or shopping

02:00: Suffering/drinking while drawing/games

00:34:13

Tsukushi: This is just one of many.

00:34:16

Saito: What are these red sections labeled suffering?

00:34:25

Tsukushi: Don’t you find drawing a manga to be super frustrating?

00:34:30

Saito: So “suffering” is when you’re drawing manga?

00:34:37

Tsukushi: Pretty much. If I’m coming up with names or drawing the manga, it takes up this space.

00:34:42

Saito: So you don’t like it.

00:34:45

Tsukushi: No, I love drawing. But I really hate having to draw the same panel over and over again. I feel like I’ve already done it before!

00:34:55

Saito: Yeah, I guess everyone feels that way, now that you mention it. I’m sure your words put some people at ease.

00:35:07

Tsukushi: Yeah, but one thing I often say is that when I put the finishing touches on it, it’s like a climax.

00:35:20

Saito: So this pink area you labeled “bliss” is that?

00:35:24

Tsukushi: No, this is when I’m watching your videos or spending time with Debi-chan.

00:35:32

Saito: So the time you’re getting refreshed only accounts for this tiny sliver?

00:35:40

Tsukushi: Yep. I’ll watch some video with someone talking in a cute voice or the like and breathe a sigh of relief.

00:35:51

Saito: I feel like this graph really captures your inner complexity. What about this? You have this section labeled “suffering,” and then it says “drinking while drawing.” And then “GAME” is bursting in from the outside.

00:36:10

Tsukushi: Well, games seem to come from another dimension of time and occupy a different headspace. I always tell people that I don’t “play” games, but that they’re like a form of prayer for me.

00:36:23

Saito: Prayer?

00:36:24

Tsukushi: I pray while playing games.

00:36:32

Saito: You’re praying for the manga work to end?

00:36:35

Tsukushi: No, no. Just purely praying to the game to go well.

00:36:38

Saito: Oh, I see. What do you mean?

00:36:46

Tsukushi: When I was young, there were basically only two things to do for fun, movies or games. And going to school was boring, cause I didn’t have many friends yet. But when you load up a game, this whole world opens up before you. You take some action, and you get a reaction. The game doesn’t just move by itself without your input. So your actions bring you some happiness, and you get to see the progress. That really struck me. So I really got into games around that time [cut off].

(Note: around the 37-38 minute mark, they got some dropped frames on the live stream, so some of their talking gets cut off.)

00:37:35

Saito: So because it has rules...[cut off]

00:37:39

Tsukushi: You have swords and magic, right? Magic seems to come from some unknown place, it’s not just handy and convenient – there’s some cost involved in using it.

00:37:56

Saito: Hmm, the image and my voice seem frozen.

00:37:59

Tsukushi: No, you’re fine, I see you.

00:38:01

Saito: Alright, let’s move on, then. One thing I wanted to ask is...[cut off]

00:38:07

Tsukushi: ...using a smartphone while shitting is amazing, right?

00:38:15

Saito: What do you mean?

00:38:18

Tsukushi: It feels like smartphones were specifically designed to use while shitting.

00:38:24

Saito: In what sense?

00:38:28

Tsukushi: I feel like the best time to use a smartphone is on the toilet. I feel like the government should recommend that as the preferred use case.

00:38:43

Saito: Wow, that’s a big proposal. So it’s not that you get ideas when using a smartphone? It’s just that you enjoy it?

00:38:52

Tsukushi: It’s fun. You can even read manga.

00:38:56

Saito: Well, that’s true. No one leaves their smartphone outside when going into the restroom. Maybe I enjoy it, too, without noticing.

00:39:09

Tsukushi: Just accept it, it’s fun.

00:39:18

Saito: The fans are saying that when the video freezes, it’s like the phenomenon in the Abyss where you can’t go up past the 6th layer.

00:39:23

Tsukushi: Well, I guess when the conversation goes off the rails, it might send the video into a freeze frame…

00:39:36

Saito: Well, we have so many viewers, I’d hate for the stream to freeze.

00:39:40

Tsukushi: I’m feeling pretty at ease, though, you?

00:39:47

Saito: I think we’re getting some latency...hope the viewers will come back and watch the archived version. This has been quite a talk!

00:39:52

Tsukushi: I think it’s fine now, don’t worry.

00:39:54

Saito: Is it? Oh, good.

00:39:57

Tsukushi: If anything, I’ll make a point of bringing up crude topics when the video is lagging, then, so nobody notices.

00:40:05

Saito: Alright, so next up...oh, wow, we’ve been going for awhile. Let’s move on to the next topic. Sorry to go from talking about crapping to a more serious topic, but…

00:40:19

Tsukushi: Hey, crap is a serious topic…err, sorry, okay, go ahead!

00:40:25

Saito: Do you have any things you do to cope with hard times or adversity? In my case, I feel like it takes a bit of courage to draw.

00:40:44

Tsukushi: Courage? I feel like I just do it recklessly.

00:40:47

Saito: Recklessly? I guess if you don’t have the experience, you question whether you can do it. You went freelance in 2010, so I think you were 30 at the time. But when you sit down and think, “Hmm, I only have a limited amount of time to work before I’m old”, there’s this kind of internal struggle. Should you stay at the company for job security? That sort of thing. Did you have any doubts?

00:41:26

Tsukushi: Of course. I turned 30, and felt like I only had half my life left ahead of me. I figured if I set 60 as a target, there was a limit on what I could do. How should I put it? And as the years progress, you have a shortage of time. So I couldn’t just devote unlimited time on things like I had before. What was I going to do with these remaining 30 years? I felt impatient. I decided to talk to my boss. I said I would quit after the project we were working on.

00:42:19

Saito: Wow, so it was really sudden.

00:42:23

Tsukushi: Yeah, it was. But I somehow knew this was the right line of work for me. Until then, I was pretty passive about just taking on any work assigned to me. But I started to get impatient. I was running out of time. It felt like there was a timer ticking.

00:42:55

Saito: So you just suddenly flipped the switch overnight?

00:42:59

Tsukushi: Yeah.

00:43:03

Saito: That’s pretty unique.

00:43:05

Tsukushi: But I didn’t have any plans ahead. I lied to the company and told them I had illustration gigs lined up.

00:43:14

Saito: But you had nothing?

00:43:17

Tsukushi: Zero. I wasn’t even sure what direction to go.

00:43:24

Saito: But you trusted your intuition and resolved to quit.

00:43:32

Tsukushi: I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but I just had this moment. I realized I didn’t want to continue doing what I was doing. I figured my parents would be against it, too.

00:43:45

Saito: I thought you overcame that uncertainty before quitting, actually. You know the manga Star Strings Yori? I felt like that manga was your attempt to rid yourself of anxiety.

00:44:15

Tsukushi: Hmm, not exactly. I wasn’t trying to rid my anxiety with that. It was more like...I drew that after my doubts were gone. I already had the conviction by then. That was actually the result of my resolving to do manga. I wasn’t too concerned with how people reacted to the manga, but I was happy that I committed to finishing it.

00:44:45

Saito: So you quit your job, and somewhere between that and writing that manga, you resolved your internal turmoil?

00:44:57

Tsukushi: Yeah, exactly. I was in the right state of mind by then, so I was able to finish it. By the way, Star Strings Yori was originally called Hoshi no Ito. And in the original script, the main character, Kororu, finally meets a boy from another planet, the end.

00:45:30

Saito: So it was originally a happy ending.

00:45:34

Tsukushi: Yeah, it was super positive. But my assistant said it wasn’t a really cool conclusion to the story. Firstly, while the story had potential, the title was uncool. And the ending was too bland. My assistant asked me what it was I was trying to convey with the story. What was the main point? It was in the story somewhere, mixed in. So I flipped through it. She walks around, eats, sometimes sings, and sleeps. Nothing changes. And there was this section where the narration is talking about how that’s all she does. That part appeared twice. So I thought to myself, hmm, is this my core message? So I decided I should carry that idea all the way to the end. And since the title was uncool, I started thinking about that idea of string instruments, and the strings talking directly to the reader.

00:46:48

Saito: That’s pretty cool!

00:47:00

Tsukushi: And I felt like, yes, I’ve finally got it!

00:47:05

Saito: That’s awesome. So if your friend hadn’t given you that advice, you never would have gotten it.

00:47:10

Tsukushi: Exactly. That friend still helps me to this day!

00:47:17

Saito: Yeah, I heard about your brainstorming assistant.

00:47:22

Tsukushi: Honestly, that person is like a counselor to me.

00:47:26

Saito: Just to recap for those listeners not familiar with it, Star Strings features a girl Kororu, who goes on an impossible adventure that almost implies death. And it felt to me like that plotline almost foreshadowed Tsukushi’s own life choices, in terms of going freelance and stepping into the unknown. It really wowed me. But I guess my read of it was a bit off, huh?

00:48:10

Tsukushi: I originally conceived it as a happy ending, but things were actually different. That’s the ideal, but things don’t go to plan.

00:48:31

Saito: I feel like that storyline is kind of inherited by Made in Abyss.

00:48:37

Tsukushi: Yes. As Araki-sensei said, the core message is the same.

00:48:45

Saito: I feel like your message is...you know how you talk about an “exciting suicide?”

00:48:51

Tsukushi: Yeah, I say that often.

00:48:54

Saito: I feel like you see that in Star Strings and Made in Abyss.

00:49:01

Tsukushi: Well, I feel like most people can empathize with that thinking.

00:49:04

Saito: Yeah, exactly. And if you carry that to its conclusion, you become a Narehate.

00:49:14

Tsukushi: I feel like everyone is that way, right? Do you know anyone who doesn’t think that way?

00:49:19

Saito: I thought it was really cool how you take a positive spin on it. You know how you had those sections labeled “suffering” in your schedule? But I kind of feel like, despite calling it that, you find it an exciting kind of suffering.

00:49:48

Tsukushi: Yes. At least, let’s leave it at that. But, honestly, it’s not fun.

00:49:56

Saito: Okay, fair enough. I sort of felt like that’s your way of handling adversity.

00:50:08

Tsukushi: I see. Not quite. I haven’t overcome that suffering despite becoming a mangaka. It’s still hard. Adversity is adversity. You can’t change it. And bliss is bliss, same thing. Those things don’t change. As far as Made in Abyss is concerned, I’m sort of carrying those same frustrations and unforgettable pain and sort of am depicting that internal struggle. So I think the suffering can stay as suffering, it’s fine as it is. It’s part of the whole.

00:51:04

Saito: I see. So not attempting to overcome it is in some sense way a way of overcoming.

00:51:12

Tsukushi: Exactly. You just grin and bear it.

00:51:17

Saito: That’s a fair point. If you just forgot about suffering, you wouldn’t be able to empathize with people.

00:51:24

Tsukushi: Exactly. Suffering doesn’t change.

00:51:25

Saito: Wow, I’m learning a lot from this. Part of me has always tried to overcome adversity.

00:51:30

Tsukushi: That’s also fine! People are different.

00:51:35

Saito: I feel like your comments are probably hitting the mark for a lot of listeners, though. So you don’t have to overcome adversity.

00:51:42

Tsukushi: Well, I guess you could say that if you read the manga, you’ll at least get a sense of my side of things.

00:51:54

Saito: Still, I really liked that. Just accepting adversity. You can just kind of live with it.

00:52:02

Tsukushi: Exactly. Just grin and bear it.

00:52:06

Saito: That’s all you can do, really.

00:52:09

Tsukushi: [indistinct]

00:52:14

Saito: So I guess you’re saying, things may be painful, but deal with it.

00:52:22

Tsukushi: Well, I wouldn’t say “deal with it,” but there are lots of tools you can use to bear it.

00:52:31

Saito: Such as sniffing Nanachi.

00:52:33

Tsukushi: Exactly, you just take in this rich aroma.

00:52:39

Saito: And that helps you overcome.

00:52:44

Tsukushi: Or I check YouTube to see if you uploaded new videos.

00:52:48

Saito: So that’s why you were sniffing it before. That’s your coping mechanism.

00:52:57

Tsukushi: I said it before: I like drawing, but I hate doing a full manga.

00:53:00

Saito: You’ve been really kind, mentioning that you always watch my videos. Let me just move onto the last question. I was really surprised to hear that you watch my videos in their entirety – that came up during our interview at the live venue. I was wondering if you’d be willing to select your favorites from among my videos. What are the must-sees?

00:53:42

Tsukushi: Actually, I came prepared. This book has appeared in a lot of your videos. I feel like you’ve covered good ground with this, so I won’t mention videos about the book. The first is the Kimagure Tensaku series. We covered this a bit at the live venue, but let me say: people are missing the boat on this series of videos. The great Saito makes it look easy, but think about it: just to make these videos, he gets an image and then corrects the whole thing before showing anyone, then breaks it down and rearranges it into a video. This is no mean feat. He’s crazy! He is a font of knowledge as a pro illustrator. So if he chooses to revamp your illustration, you should consider yourself lucky! No joke!

See him? Over here on the right of me? He’s nuts!

00:55:50

Saito: I feel like I can’t just edit an image for a single person. It has to be entertaining for the other viewers, so there’s a certain flow to it. It has to be understandable as a video. So the idea is, you can watch a certain video and acquire a specific skillset. So first I find what the solution we are offering is, then build it up and edit into a video. It’s very time-consuming. It’s really kind of you to recommend that series.

00:56:33

Tsukushi: I’ve got more. I recommend watching the more recent episodes in the Kimagure Tensei series, first of all. Next is...I had three, actually. The first is the Kimagure Tensei series. The next is the vlogs featuring Saito on camera. He talks about an illustrator’s daily routine as a 19-year professional in the field.

00:57:24

Saito: Ahh, you mean the ones where my voice is all raspy.

00:57:27

Tsukushi: Exactly, your voice is super husky in those, almost strangely so. But those videos are awesome. You get to see him swallowing a smoked salmon sandwich and a sesame-sprinkled bread with bacon and not even taking a swig of water.

00:57:51

Saito: What episode was that in?! Episode 2?

00:57:54

Tsukushi: Yep, episode 2. The first episode is also great, too.

00:58:00

Saito: I know it sounded weird to have me crunching through my food, but I thought I got the audio pretty good on those.

00:58:07

Tsukushi: You probably wanted to drink some water, right? But you didn’t want to spoil the audio track. You just put the video quality first. That’s the sign of a pro.

00:58:24

Saito: Wow, you analyzed my eating!

00:58:26

Tsukushi: I definitely recommend that video.

00:58:27

Saito: Thank you! I do hope people check it out.

00:58:30

Tsukushi: This next one is more for people who are veterans of your work…

00:58:39

Saito: I mean, your suggestions are already pretty deep.

00:58:44

Tsukushi: Well, people who check out the Kimagure Tensaku series might want to know how you work, and check out the vlogs. But this next one is a bit advanced. It’s titled “Announcing my goal: a live show commemorating 100,000 subscribers.” If you like Saito’s work, you’ve got to check this one out. He talks about why he became an illustrator – it’s super real.

00:59:31

Saito: I cried on camera with that one. So embarrassing.

00:59:37

Tsukushi: It was so real, though. I feel like you spoke from the heart. It’s not a run-of-the-mill video.

00:59:48

Saito: Wow, you even watched that video...embarrassing!

00:59:50

Tsukushi: But it’s like the 100% unfiltered you. I highly recommend it to fans of your work. Man, I’m getting teary just thinking about it.

01:00:03

Saito: I almost didn’t know why I was crying on that one. But when I started rolling the video and talked honestly about why I made the channel and what my plans were for it, I just got overwhelmed. But it was a live broadcast, so I had to keep going. So I just said what I was thinking.

01:00:30

Tsukushi: It’s worth a watch. It’s just full of that feeling of, like, how far you’ve come with your videos. So if you’re a longtime fan of Saito, check it out. I mean, if you’re a longtime fan, you’ve probably seen it already…!

01:00:52

Saito: Yeah, our viewers today are probably longtime fans. Well, thanks for those kind words.

 01:01:00

Tsukushi: That’s my recap of the best Saito videos to check out.

01:01:03

Saito: Now I’m getting a cold sweat again!

01:01:11

Tsukushi: Oh, yeah, if you’re a fan of Kensuke Itagaki-sensei, when you start watching Saito’s videos, you’ll find aspects of Itagaki’s work all sprinkled throughout them.

01:01:26

Saito: You’re right, he does come up fairly often.

01:01:28

Tsukushi: He even appears doing celebrity impersonations.

01:01:34

Saito: It’s like every time he calls me, he puts on this voice and says, “Saito-chan, are you makin’ money?” That’s the first thing he says on the phone! “Makin’ that dough?” It gets me every time. But I just say, “Oh, yeah, doing my best.”

01:01:57

Tsukushi: I love that guy.

01:02:00

Saito: Well, I’ll make sure to feature bits of trivia about him here and there.

01:02:05

Tsukushi: I’d love that.

01:02:08

Saito: By the way, it’s already 11 PM! We’re going to have to wrap this up soon. I’d like to feature the book one last time.

01:02:25

Tsukushi: Let’s rep the book a bit!

01:02:27

Saito: Oh, thanks! I have an image ready. Let’s bring it onscreen. This is the table of contents. This comes from Umaku Kaku no Kinshi, my book that just came out the other day. It summarizes what I’ve discussed in my YouTube videos thus far: effective ways of improving your illustration, categorized by problem. It gives you a brief primer of the topics we’ve discussed in the videos, so you should be able to breeze right through it. It also contains QR codes that will link you right to the video in question, like this – definitely check that out. I’m also going to add a URL to the book at the bottom of this video, so check it out! Well, that’s it.

01:03:39

Tsukushi: It’s also chock-full of cute 4-panel comics and illustrations, so don’t miss it!

01:03:42

Saito: Yeah, it is! Thank you. Oh, by the way, I wanted to promote you a bit, too. I recommended the manga Star Strings Yori a little while ago. I thought I’d add that I’m posting a link to the latest installment, volume 9, of Made in Abyss. If you’re interested, check it out! This is a super cool manga. I highly recommend it.

01:04:18

Tsukushi: Volume 10 is gonna be a hot one, too!

01:04:21

Saito: Ooh, we’re looking forward to that!

01:04:24

Tsukushi: Gotta keep challenging myself to reach new heights, after all.

01:04:27

Saito: Well, that wraps up our segment. Sorry that the video dropped some frames partway through. We’ve got this video being archived, though, so if it still looks choppy, I’ll reupload it. So today we sat down with mangaka Akihito Tsukushi-sensei. We went really in-depth with how he’s improved his artwork over the years...oh, he’s sniffing them again. He told us that love and passion is the key. That really hit home for me.

01:05:20

Tsukushi: Yeah, now that we talked about it, it made me think that love is still a valid theme.

01:05:26

Saito: Lastly, we have a gift for Tsukushi-sensei. This came up during the last live interview. Here it is...can you see it? It’s a ticket to use me however you want for a whole day. We’re giving him this.

01:05:52

Tsukushi: I thought long and hard about how to use that…but I feel like I should share it with all of you viewers so that we can get the most out of him, and have him do something fun for us.

01:06:18

Saito: Lastly...oh, the illustrator Ixy is here and saying “Good work! I have so much respect for Tsukushi-sensei!” And we have others here saying “Cheers! A toast to you!” and “I always look forward to your work.” “Congrats on the new book. I always learn something from your videos. They’re so easy to understand, and help me a lot. Thanks!” “Thanks so much for sharing this valuable talk with us.” “Love is the work of the heart!” And so on...thanks all for the comments. I didn’t expect you to add your own comments to the Super Chat, Tsukushi-sensei!

01:07:24

Tsukushi: I had it all ready to go.

01:07:29

Saito: Well, that wraps it up. We ran a bit long today, but thank you to Akihito Tsukushi-sensei for joining us to talk about how to improve your work. Thank you very much.

01:07:51

Tsukushi: Thank you so much for having me.

01:07:55

Saito: It was a blast. Let’s do this again sometime. Well, that’s all. See you again in the next video. Bye-bye!

01:08:12

Tsukushi: See ya!

A podcast on the Youtube Channel of the female Japanese Virtual YouTuber, Haneru Inaba, associated  with 774 inc. as part of the company's branch group AniMare, featuring  Akihito Tsukushi

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Tsukushi is terrible with deadlines.
• It took Tsukushi 3 years to make a living off manga. At one point his utilities were cut off.
• Tsukushi didn’t have help writing Made in Abyss until after Volume 3. He now has someone who he can ask for help at any time, as well as an on-and-off helper.

1:52 - 3:15

Intertitle: Publishing the serialized manga Made in Abyss on the Web Comic Gamma site run by Takeshobo publications.

The work was turned into an anime in 2017, and the theatrical version, Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul, was a major hit! Our interviewer, Haneru, is such a fan, that she went to see it live in theaters despite having a phobia about going to them.

Haneru: Our first guest is Akihito Tsukushi.

Tsukushi: Hi there! It’s me, Akihito Tsukushi!

Haneru: So here’s the author of Made in Abyss, which I am a big fan of. I have a phobia about theaters, so I don’t usually go…

Tsukushi: Oh, my!

Haneru: But I like Made in Abyss so much, I made the effort to go out and see it.

Tsukushi: Thank you so much! So you overcame your fears for me.

Haneru: Yeah, but since then, I’ve started going a bit more often. I go from time to time. Anyway, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us.

Tsukushi: It’s no problem. I’m actually working on my sketches late at night, so it’s fine.

Haneru: Oh, so you’re in the midst of drawing a chapter for your manga?

Tsukushi: Yes, I’m right in the thick of it. Or, wrapping it up, yeah.

Haneru: Well, feel free to draw as you participate!

Tsukushi: If anything, I actually work at my best while talking to people.

Haneru: Alright, so we can treat this as a little “studio tour” of your work.

Tsukushi: Alright, I’ll try not to say anything out of line!

Haneru: Oh, do people tell you to watch your mouth?

Tsukushi: Don’t worry, I’ll be fine! Haha.

Haneru: Okay, got it. I’m afraid to imagine what you might say! Anyway, happy to have you here today!

Tsukushi: Thanks!

12:29 – 15:52

Haneru: Okay, here’s our first question.

Intertitle: How long did it take for you to be able to make a living off your work?

Haneru: Your manga is super popular today, but how long did it take for you to be able to make a living off your work? Our listeners are really curious about that. Let’s look at the first response.

Intertitle: “About three years. After paying off all my overdue bills, I got my

insurance card back and thought to myself, ‘I did it. I’m a real grown up.’”

Haneru: Who’s responsible for this answer?! You had overdue bills?

Tsukushi: Yessss, it’s me!

Haneru: So it was Akihito Tsukushi! Just what happened?

Tsukushi: Well, I was in arrears on a lot of payments. And I was honestly worried. And you have a, how should I say, you generally know which of your services is going to get cut off first, based on which one has been overdue longest, right? My Internet got cut off first. Then it was my electricity, gas, and water, in that order. So the water lines seem to get kept on a for a while, at least.

Haneru: So they actually gave you some grace period on the water?

Tsukushi: Yeah. About two months, I think.

Kurose: Well, water means the difference between life and death, so…

Haneru: I see, so the water was last.

Tsukushi: So I had bills for all of that, yeah. And I lost access to my insurance card at some point, and was pretty worried. I didn’t even have the money to file for a new one. So I just gave up on it. I just figured it’d be OK in the end.

Haneru: So you just brushed it off?!

Tsukushi: Well, everything turned out okay in the end.

Haneru: I see!

Tsukushi: But yeah, I had this moment where I thought to myself, “I did it. I’m a real grown up.” But then I thought, wait a minute, people who have their shit together are never late on deadlines, either. So in that sense, maybe I’m not grown up after all. I’m still not there!

Haneru: So you tend to be late on your deadlines?

Tsukushi: I hate to say it, but yes.

Haneru: So you leave quite a bit of time in between, huh?!

Tsukushi: I take an almost egregious amount of time…

Haneru: What about you, Yamaguchi?

Yamaguchi: Well...I tend to give myself a lot of extra time to deliver, actually.

Tsukushi: Oh, god, it’s a legit grown up!!

Haneru: So we have some straight shooters in our midst!

Yamaguchi: I mean, I’ve had my water cut off before, too, so, yeah, it’s okay.

Tsukushi: What do you mean, “It’s okay”?!

Yamaguchi: I mean, things turned out okay!

Haneru: So, at any rate, things are going smoothly for you now, right, Tsukushi?

Tsukushi: Totally.

Haneru: Great, so let’s just say you’ve grown up.

Tsukushi: Well, let me say, my grip on deadlines is, uh, a bit better now, yeah!

Haneru: Alright, let’s just say you’ve gotten a bit closer to that ideal.

Tsukushi: Yeah, let’s leave it at that. I grew into it.

Haneru: So you’re not a narehate then, right!

Akasaka: But that manga, you know, it’s not something a normal grown up would draw, to be honest.

Tsukushi: Well, if we’re talking about whether I passed the basic qualifications of a manga artist -- that is, being a degenerate – yeah, maybe I passed with flying colors, in that sense! But that’s fine by me!

Haneru: Good point, haha.

41:50 – 42:50

Tsukushi: Blue Period is really raw and hits you hard, for sure.

Haneru: The psychological depiction is pretty wild. It just hits you.

Kurose: It’s this blend of heavy-hitting and fun, so you keep reading, but it starts getting to you.

Yamaguchi: Yeah, you get really excited reading it, so you can’t just rush through it.

Haneru: So I guess it can be a bit challenging to read if you have some prior trauma.

Tsukushi: But it really is fascinating.

Everyone: Yeah, it really is.

Yamaguchi: I’m amazed to hear my esteemed peers saying this!

43:55 – 46:13

Intertitle: This is one thing I can’t stand!

Haneru: So this is our next theme: “This is one thing I can’t stand!” Our first response is: “I don’t want to write another episode that doesn’t feature children. It physically broke me down.“ Well, this one is easy to guess!

Tsukushi: I really mean it.

Haneru: So it’s you, Tsukushi. Really?!

Tsukushi: So as soon as I started on it, I started feeling physically unwell, out of sorts.

Haneru: Really?!

Tsukushi: When I had to draw an episode without kids, I woke up one day and my chest hurt. It seemed odd. So I had my friend take me to the hospital.

Haneru: Wow!

Tsukushi: They told me to check my blood pressure on a machine. It was 220 points higher than it should be. I thought the machine was broken! But once I got back to drawing kids, I was fine. So I think that was the cause.

Haneru: So just to make sure we’re on the same page, you really like children, right?

Tsukushi: Yes, exactly!

Haneru: And lots of cute kids appear in the manga.

Nishi: Yeah, the designs are really cute.

Haneru: So your fondness for children really comes out in the work?

Tsukushi: Well, I guess what I want to know is, is it even fun to draw adults?

Nishi: So you’re putting the question back on us?

Tsukushi: Yeah!

Haneru: Well, what about you, Kurose? You draw a lot of decidedly uncute stuff.

Kurose: Well, I do draw a lot of creatures that are at least the same size as kids.

Haneru: That’s true! Lots of goblins. Anyway, what do you enjoy drawing most of all?

Tsukushi: I like drawing emotional scenes featuring children, you know, painful and the like.

Haneru: I see!

50:05 – 51:16

(Talking about how you can’t publish controversial content in weekly magazines, but you can get stuff past the censors if you pretend you made some edits to appease them)

Haneru: What about you, Tsukushi? What’s your take on weekly comic magazines?

Akasaka: Yeah, let’s do it!

Tsukushi: [inaudible]

Akasaka: How about it? We could do it together, such as Young Jump.

Tsukushi: I mean, Hell awaits me if I go that route.

Haneru: Scary!

Akasaka: You have nothing to fear.