Anime, Interviews, Translations

Yuri!!! on ICE Production Presentation: Sayo Yamamoto and Mitsurou Kubo

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MAPPA’s Yuri!!! on ICE is helmed by Sayo Yamamoto and Mitsurou Kubo. This is Kubo’s first foray into the world of anime production. Originally she made a name for herself as the mangaka of Again!! and Moteki. On the other hand, Sayo Yamamoto is mainly known for directing the series Michiko & Hatchin and Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine.

I translated an article of the presentation talk with the two creators. This article was originally published on Comic Natalie on March 27, 2016.

Yuri!!! on ICE’s theme is the Grand Prix series, Mitsurou Kubo drew a large amount of rough manga drafts

Mitsurou Kubo and Sayo Yamamoto
From left to right: Moderator, mangaka Mitsurou Kubo and director Sayo Yamamoto.

The production presentation of “Yuri!!! on ICE”, the new original animation by Mitsurou Kubo, Sayo Yamamoto and MAPPA was held on March 27 in Tokyo Big Sight, inside the avex pictures booth during “AnimeJapan 2016”.

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Films, Interviews, Translations

Ono Fuyumi Dialogue Part 3: How to Make Horror Scary

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At last, the final part of the “The Inerasable” Opening Commemoration Dialogue with Ono Fuyumi and Nakamura Yoshihiro from the Daily Shincho. The two discuss the scary techniques used in the movie. Although the article doesn’t reveal big plot points, be warned for some light spoilers if you plan on watching the movie one day.

The three mysteries which occurred on the film set

The Inerasable
The Inerasable

This time our creators talk about techniques to make people scared. And, what does the director attempt to aim at in “The Inerasable”? Also, what of the bizarre phenomena which occurred on set…?

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Films, Interviews, Translations

Ono Fuyumi Dialogue Part 2: “Why do people watch horror?”

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This is the second part of “The Inerasable” Opening Commemoration Dialogue with Ono Fuyumi and Nakamura Yoshihiro. It was originally published on the Daily Shincho (February 4, 2016). Read the first part here. In this part they talk about why people watch horror.

Ono Fuyumi x Nakamura Yoshihiro:

“Why do people watch horror?”

The book cover of "Zange Sunde wa Ikenai Heya".
The book cover of “Zange Sunde wa Ikenai Heya”.

Nakamura: The lead actress Takeuchi Yuuko-san is a great coward. She repeatedly tried to read the script for several weeks, and failed. During the first screening of the movie she couldn’t look straight at the screen for about the last 15 minutes either. Later she stuck through it to the end, and cried when she completed watching the movie.

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Books, Interviews, Translations

Joker Game Author Yanagi Kouji Interview: “Last Waltz”

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A translated interview with Joker Game author Yanagi Kouji originally published on Shukan Bunshun Web (March 1, 2015). Shukan Bunshun Web conducted the interview a few months after the release of the fourth book in the novel series.

A first-rate spy mystery which pulls tricks on its readers

Last Waltz
Last Waltz, fourth book in the Joker Game Series

Yanagi Kouji-san published his latest work “Last Waltz” of the Joker Game series. The series sold a cumulative total of one million copies. In this book, the spies of the former Japanese army’s non-conformist “D-Agency” secretly maneuver all over the world once again.

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Films, Interviews, Translations

Ono Fuyumi Dialogue Part 1: Love for Horror

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A translation of the first out of three parts of “The Inerasable” Opening Commemoration Dialogue with Ono Fuyumi and Nakamura Yoshihiro originally published on the Daily Shincho (February 4, 2016).

Ono Fuyumi talks about her “love for horror” – Addicted to the “Cursed Films” Series

Ono Fuyumi's The Inerasable
Ono Fuyumi’s The Inerasable

On the occasion of the release “The Inerasable” (Zange – Sunde wa Ikenai Heya -), Director Nakamura Yoshihiro (The Booth, The Snow White Murder Case, Prophecy) talked with the original writer Ono Fuyumi (Ghost Hunt, Twelve Kingdoms, Shiki) about their love for horror.

Known as huge horror fans, Ono-san and Director Nakamura actually met over a decade ago through a certain work. That work is the director’s contributions to “It’s True! Cursed Films” series (1999), a compilation of fear-inducing videos.

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