CATDOLL: Japanese media interview: Behind the scenes of "AngelBeats!" and "Charlotte"

"Charlotte" is a Japanese original animation jointly planned by game production company Key and ANIPLEX and produced by PAWORKS. It officially started today (July 5); at the same time, the "AngelBeats!" game created by Key has also been released;

Recently, Japanese media interviewed him. Let us take a look at the stories behind works such as "AngelBeats!"

Q: Today we have invited Mr. Jun Maeda, the original author and script writer of "Charlotte", and Mr. Na-Ga, the character designer. Considering that "AngelBeats! -1st beat-" has also been released, it would be great if you two could talk about this at the same time. Then let me ask you: When do you think you felt the worst during the production process?

Maeda: I think the worst was when the release date of the computer game AngelBeats! -1st beat- was announced at the "ANIPLEX×Key Presents New Project & Angel Beats! News Conference". After checking the script, I realized that I was not in time... I told the person in charge, Kui-kun, "It's impossible to do it", and he replied, "Oh, if you don't do it, it will definitely not be completed"... I felt terrible at that time.

Q: This is something that happened recently. When was it…

Maeda: At the end of last year... I was very anxious, so I started working hard at home during the New Year holiday.

Q: So at what moment did you feel "bad"?

Na-Ga: Although the CG team also had many problems, it was not that bad. It was just that at the end of the year, Mr. Maeda sent me an email saying, "It always feels bad," so I think it may be really bad now.

Q: We have tried the game now, and among the three playable characters, Yui, Iwasawa, and Matsushita, the Matsushita route has the highest popularity.

Maeda: Oh~!

Na-Ga: Thank you very much!

Q: The male characters give people a sense of attachment in a sense, and maybe everyone thinks so when playing this game. However, after playing it, I feel that the Matsushita route is very good.

Maeda: Oh, that’s great.

Q: There is also the recording function, which is also introduced for the first time.

Na-Ga: People in our company said that there were too many options and it was hard to choose. If there was such a function, it would be easy for players to use, so we introduced it.

Q: Another question that all fans may be concerned about is: Are there any plans to release games in the future?

Maeda: I already have the script on hand, so it would be great if everyone could wait for it to be released.

Q: In terms of the script, how many characters have already completed their roles?

Maeda: More than half, probably about two-thirds.

Q: That means Mr. Maeda is currently in charge of "Love Song of the End of the Planet", "Charlotte" and "AngelBeats!" at the same time.

Maeda: I basically started in early 2011.

Q: So do you do this today and that tomorrow to change your mood?

Maeda: If I do two things at the same time, there is no change of mood... I rely on online mahjong to survive (laughs). Recently, I thought about playing a game every day, and then I find players I don’t know online to play.

Q: When did you feel that the TV animation "AngelBeats!" paid off?

Maeda: What I remember most is that the initial sales of the theme song and ending song CD reached an incredible number. I was amazed: such a whirlwind has blown up. In addition, the concert was also very lively.

Na-Ga: I didn’t really pay attention to these statistics… But in which episode was Kanade eating mapo tofu by himself? It was episode 5. That’s when everyone was introduced to what kind of character Kanade is, and I think everyone’s reactions changed.

Q: So for "AngelBeats!", do you feel there is anything you haven't accomplished or anything you regret?

Maeda: There were many things that were not completed or that deserved reflection, and I incorporated all of these elements into Charlotte.

Q: What do you mean by the area of ​​reflection?

Maeda: The character's movements require more sensitive portrayal of details. When all the scripts for "Charlotte" were ready, I talked a lot with the sensitive Na-Ga-kun, asked him to point out the problems in them, and then started the correction work.

Na-Ga: I was eventually involved (laughs). Although I was involved in the confirmation, Mr. Maeda also talked to many other people about this matter and got a lot of inspiration... That's why I had to be listed (laughs).

Maeda: Oh, there are some things I have to let you see.

Q: Are you particularly particular about the protagonist’s movements?

Maeda: No, all the characters. If they feel something is unnatural, they will tell me immediately.

Q: In terms of scriptwriting methods, are there any differences between "AngelBeats!" and "Charlotte"?

Maeda: With the former...I tried to create it in the style of a game script, but with Charlotte I clearly realized that I was creating an animation.

Q: When it comes to game scripts, even if there are many characters, it must be able to make sense, but this is not the case for animations.

Maeda: I think it's okay, but if the roles overlap, it will be hard to remember, and there are many problems anyway. So this aspect is also worth reflecting on.

Q: Mr. Na-Ga, do you have any stories of self-reflection?

Na-Ga: As Mr. Maeda said just now, if there are too many characters, it will easily give people a sense of overlap... This aspect needs to be handled flexibly, and I also regard it as an area for reflection.

Q: I heard that the dubbing of "Charlotte" has reached the sixth episode. So what impression did you two have when the characters were first given voices?

A: I feel like Woori has undergone a qualitative change. Just looking at the text, this is definitely not a very likable character, but after being given a voice, people immediately have a good impression of him. I think this is great.

Na-Ga: Although Mr. Maeda showed me the sample during the dubbing stage, I was still surprised that the protagonist Otosaka has become such a full-fledged character. This makes it very memorable and fun to watch.

Maeda: Also, I like Misa the most. I was very happy when she appeared.

Na-Ga: I also have a favorite character this time, but if I were to say who is easier to create, I would have to mention the younger sister, Ayumi. I always think she is the easiest to create.

Q: Mr. Maeda once said that Mr. Na-Ga’s fighting power was strongest when he drew lolita...

Na-Ga: I don’t agree with that!

Q: What are you mainly working on now?

Maeda: We’re creating some awesome character sub tracks right now. It feels just like when we were working on AngelBeats!

Q: It’s the kind of content that is spoken so fast that it’s hard to tell which way is going (laughs).

Maeda: Yes, now I feel this way as I write.

Q: The first episode of "Charlotte" has been aired, so please tell us what's interesting about it. ...Also, producer Toba Yoshinori once said that he felt like he was being torn apart, so how do you feel now?

Toba: I still feel like I'm being torn apart. After the work is finished, we can't do anything, so we can only wait for the audience's response...

Maeda: The highlight of the first episode is... Yuu is such a jerk. The other part is Ayumi's cuteness.

Toba: The first episode is a prologue in a sense, and the plot develops significantly from the second episode onwards.

Na-Ga: The actions of the protagonist Otosaka are very fun to watch, and I think that's one of the highlights.

Q: Now that the animation has finally begun, please say a few words to the audience.

Maeda: Well, this time it’s a work that strikes back after the fact, so please be sure to stick around until after the sixth volume (laughs).

Toba: As Mr. Maeda said, this time it might be a case of striking back. The first episode is a work that serves as the 0th episode in a sense.

Na-Ga: As Mr. Maeda said, there might be a sense of being a latecomer, but we have made each episode very interesting and explored each character in detail, so I hope everyone will watch it carefully.