kyoani Once Again There Is Confirmation That Yamada Ishihara Ishidate and Kadowaki

This is a translation of the (long) roundtable word between Director Ishihara, Series Director Yamada, and Author Takeda that was published in the Sound! Euphonium Official Fanbook (published on September 25, 2015 by Takarajimasha). Cheers to @yuyucow, @tadamari, and @animenewsdotbiz for their comments and reviews.

Director x Series Managing director x Author Roundtable

Director:

Tatsuya Ishihara
Anime director at Kyoto Blitheness. Previous works directed include Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!, Nichijou, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Series Director:

Naoko Yamada
Anime director/animator at Kyoto Animation. Previous works directed include K-On!, Tamako Marketplace, and the award-winning Tamako Love Story.

Author:

Ayano Takeda
Author. Debuted with "Today, We Breathed Together" in 2013. Too in 2013, Audio! Euphonium was published; currently there are 3 volumes and a collection of shorts published.

Information technology'south rare to see an ordinary protagonist amid anime characters

– Director Ishihara and Yamada-san, what were your thoughts when you lot get-go read the novel?
Ishihara: Actually, at that place had been discussions at a "talking about it" level nigh wanting to produce a work that was ready in Kyoto by people inside our company. With the setting near our company, my true kickoff impression was that I wanted to animate this more and more. (laughs) Also, since I always think about how I would breathing something when I read it, I pondered how we would breathing the SunFest parade. (laughs) For animation, nosotros would have to animate a lot of people walking and property instruments. It'd fire a lot of calories watching it.
Yamada: My first impression was that the temper felt right somehow. It was depicted lively with lots of boyish palpitations and breaths, and so I was immensely hooked. I idea that information technology would exist good to depict anything where people get fired upwardly and that y'all could sympathize with the ongoing relationships with the people taking role in it, not just the concert band itself.

– Takeda-sensei, what were your impressions near your work being fabricated into an anime?
Takeda: At first I had no idea what that meant. (laughs) Information technology didn't hateful that it was a hit, so I wasn't that startled. Honestly, when I met with the staff for our meeting, nosotros would simply talk nearly various topics.
Ishihara: Rather than feeling similar it was a business concern meeting, we had random discussions that made information technology feel more like an introduction. After that, information technology was more than like steadily creating the setting for the anime for us, only what did information technology feel similar to you lot, Takeda-sensei?
Takeda: Information technology felt similar I was talking about my whole family. At get-go, I was just passing on data about the characters as well as the small-scale characters, but after a while, I started to steadily pass on settings for the story that I would write. Later it was decided to make the novel into an anime, I believe I took some of our talks and put that in the two volumes published afterward. (laughs)

– Every bit you lot were working on the series, how did y'all call up almost how you were going to portray the piece of work?
Ishihara: What do y'all mean?
Yamada: Nosotros went a little here and a trivial at that place. At the first of the scenario stage, at that place were discussions about putting more gag-type elements in information technology.
Ishihara: Definitely. Past comparing, the novel is more than a pure story, right? Only the broadcast time was one where the people watching were late night anime fans, so I thought almost making it have a more than manga-type tempo in favor of them. Eventually, we didn't become that route, only the storyboards for episode 2, which I drew, may take the most manga-type comical gags portrayed. (laughs) When you lot compare it to the first episode, the tempo definitely feels different. The reason is that the start feels more like trial and error withal but as the episodes progress, the feeling solidifies into 1 tempo as well.
Yamada: In the novel, Kumiko'due south personality is very charming, but she's a type that isn't the general anime graphic symbol. She's so ordinary feeling; not at all like you'd picture a heroine being. She started to play music because her older sister played it, she worries over the flavor of the water ice cream she bought afterwards, and and then on. (laughs) If nosotros depicted Kumiko, she'd experience a scrap out of identify equally a character in an anime. Only because of that, this was a very fun challenging production.

I page of Ishihara's storyboards for episode ii

– She certainly doesn't feel like she's the protagonist in an anime.
Yamada: Furthermore, she goes along with the catamenia, just she's at the core of the story. One question was how we tin can bring that out in anime-form.
Ishihara: I'd say her outward advent is likewise a chip low on the range of belatedly night anime heroines. Only when she's with the other iii girls, her height on that range is her tallest point. To comment on what Yamada said before, an ordinary protagonist would be a prodigy player or be absolutely atrocious, simply Kumiko plays her euphonium reasonably well. It's rare to see that type of protagonist for an anime grapheme.
Takeda: Really, there is a real person I modeled Kumiko from. Since she was tall likewise, I was pulled by that image of her. Of the other characters, Sapphire also was modeled subsequently someone. The bloody easily incident was an episode that happened entirely in reality.

– Takeda-san, what was the process for how you put Kumiko as a protagonist grapheme?
Takeda: Subsequently I wrote my debut work, "Today, Nosotros Breathed Together," (published in the Takarajimasha Bait-and-switch) my editor asked me "what would yous similar to write about adjacent?" I told them that I wanted to write about an ordinary girl in a concert band and their first response was that information technology was too ordinary. (laughs) Notwithstanding, I wanted to capture the insides of the people at that place rather than merely depict the ups-and-downs of guild activities. I consciously kept that rest between the ii as I wrote and somewhen, it felt like Kumiko's current personality came out. She became the kind of girl you meet around who has that stiff will of a protagonist and is still able to exist recalled in someone's listen.

– Was it likewise a hard function to portray a too ordinary protagonist in an anime?
Ishihara: It was part of it. For novels, readers have the ability to stick their own kind of dearest onto the protagonist, but it'south hard to make anime in that beginning-person setting. The standard is to get involved in fun things with a protagonist-seeming protagonist in anime. On the other paw, in that location are grouping setting styles from the by that have their ain charm by depicting each protagonist one-at-a-time like "Two Years' Holiday."
Takeda: I dearest that way. When you combine various types of personalities and ways of thinking and not but 1, it gradually settles together like a puzzle you can't quite piece together at first. Each daughter has their own traits and when their mutual traits meet, it starts a chemic reaction of entertaining moments. If one girl doesn't movement a sure style, then another girl with a unlike personality tin cover for her. Information technology'south really fun to depict relationships like that. I'grand thinking that I'm a reader wanting to constantly spotter over them.

– After depicting things in the anime, were at that place whatsoever things that y'all became conscious about?
Ishihara: With it being a one-cour 13 episode show instead of a motion-picture show, in that location's no practical turning point scene as the episodes go along i-by-one. I thought for a while about various locations to put one in the series. Though we were to dissever the novel into 13 episodes from the beginning, I was re-arranging and fine-tuning the contents until the final episode was finished.
Yamada: That reminds me, at the get-go scenario meeting, I clearly remember yous and series composer (Jukki) Hanada-san maxim "permit'south finish the beginning episode with Kumiko kicking Shuichi in the back."
Ishihara: Somewhen, that didn't happen.
Yamada: That'due south correct. I believe you ii shook on it, said farewell, and so at the adjacent meeting it was "let's think about that again." What happened there? (laughs)
Ishihara: The first episode itself has to accept a turning indicate and then catastrophe with Kumiko talking to Shuichi felt a scrap lacking in that aspect. Due to that, equally we were inserting the flashback scene for the middle schoolhouse concert, nosotros decided to use that flashback scheme for every episode every bit well. Incidentally, the original plan in episode 1 was for people to sense that the schoolhouse song was being played poorly equally a link to that concert, but the audience wouldn't know what the school song for North Uji High was. Thus nosotros thought virtually how to convey that impuissant playing. Since we wanted to take an entertaining vocal, we put in the theme from "Abarenbou Shogun."
Takeda: That was an incredibly entertaining moment. (laughs)
Ishihara: Modern anime terminate the get-go episode with properly raising a question to be answered. The full general show would movement the story along to the end of our episode 3 where Taki-sensei rebukes the band's performance by asking "What is this?" However, I idea information technology fit this testify's tempo to accept episode 2 have the students picking their instruments. And there are a lot of works with that kind of tempo who take the protagonist as a beginner. In that case, Hazuki saved us. With her at that place, calculation a subplot where she previously bought the wrong mouthpiece was a plus to the story. Both I personally, and the likely large number of viewers, with no knowledge of concert band, would purchase the incorrect mouthpiece because nosotros had no idea it was wrong. That cardinal mistake would proceed to add up scrap-by-bit and feel entertaining.
Takeda: Sapphire was enjoyable also with her slightly "one-time man" elements and her knowledge of music.
Yamada: She'southward the blazon of girl who would cite sayings by musicians, so basically we depicted her as Joe Strummer. (laughs) Thanks to that, we were able to amend the scenario to accept her move around more than and bring out more than of her charm from the novel.

– Takeda-san, what were your impressions as you read the anime scenario?
Takeda: As I read it, I felt "so yous can make an anime like this." The contents were so enjoyable. I was surprised at Sapphire-chan'due south proper Japanese (Note: While all the characters in the novel except Kumiko speak with the Kansaiben dialect, Saphire really uses it.) and her interest in Tuba-kun. (laughs)
Yamada: That mascot has the "merely right" feeling to put the euphonium in the shadow of a tuba. When I was a child, we would collect "Sylvania Families," but the series with musical instruments had a tuba included, but not a euphonium. I really remembered it and felt that nosotros could use information technology as a technique to convey how small-scale the euphonium is.
Ishihara: Did you lot know what a euphonium is?
Yamada: Yes I did. My older sister played 1. When she explained instruments to me, she said "It's a pocket-size tuba" and "There's a lot of tuba merchandise but….." and her depressed mood is an epitome that remained with me. (laughs) Eupho-kun has a different facial expression than Tuba-kun; ane that matches Kumiko, and is cute too. As I was creating the appurtenances for inside the bear witness, I thought about how to add the graphic symbol'southward charms.
Takeda: Horn-chan is likewise beautiful.
Yamada: There's also Sax-kun, simply Eupho-kun recently came out. (laughs)
Takeda: It'd exist funny to create a UFO-themed Eupho-kun design. (laughs) Either way, I truly feel thankful these goods were fabricated.

Wanting to depict fellowship greater than love

– The characters' distance is a bit unlike than in the novel. How did you call back about that range?
Ishihara: Reina, in the early stages, would bear on Kumiko, like point point, during the unabridged conversation.
Yamada: Additionally, we actually paid attending to the imagery paying attending to that distance from the offset when they weren't close.

– Information technology feels similar the limerick of their distance and the growth of Kumiko is somehow weaved or linked together.
Ishihara: At the outset, I don't think it was this deep, simply as we were producing the show, perhaps information technology led towards this direction. They're different than ordinary friends. It's like yous're friends with this astonishing person and you desire to try your all-time so that you lot can be on their level. To Kumiko, Reina is that presence.
Yamada: The descriptions in the novel when Kumiko sees Reina were then unbearably stimulating. Therefore, I wanted to properly draw that.
Takeda: Thank you very much.
Yamada: I planned to measure the corporeality of force so that I wouldn't make a mistake, but it felt like the entire detailed temper that I worked and so hard to gather between Kumiko and Reina was only released. (laughs) On one mitt it was difficult, only information technology was irresistibly fun to create on the other. I wanted to convey that adolescent uproar of excitation. Kumiko's the blazon of daughter to be looking around herself constantly and sometimes her delineation of what she sees is interesting. From her point of view, she sees Reina somewhat sensually, but that's besides a characteristic shared by girls too, correct?
Takeda: (laughs) In most every work, not just novels, there's so many that put romance above fellowship, aren't there? I wasn't satisfied with that, and then I wrote this piece of work thinking of making fellowship above romance. It's just as Yamada-san says, Reina is a scrap sensual from Kumiko's point of view. It's something feature that a girl would sense and describe. If a human were writing it, wouldn't it be more similar a lusty wolf coming out? (laughs)
Yamada: In this earth, there'due south then much that doesn't merely move considering of dear for honey'southward sake.
Takeda: Shuichi is special as well, but for Kumiko, Reina is depicted equally a presence that is above him. Before Kumiko met her, he may have been her special guy, simply now her relationship with Reina is eternal. Information technology'south not just those two; that type of relationship is throughout this entire story. I wanted to show fellowship as this vastly important affair that gets cultivated by flesh depending on each other and working hard in that airtight space of club activities.
Ishihara: Relating to that clarification, honestly, Yamada saved us by being nowadays. I don't know the first thing most girl friendships or fellowships, but I can surmise from this give-and-take that it's quite hard. By all means the way guys expect at girls may be depicted in stereotypes. While there is a portion of this piece of work that feels like the processed view guys see, it was of import to escape away from that stereotyping.
Yamada: There were some points that Ishihara-san felt he couldn't grasp. Therefore, I worked as the series director and then that not just could I provide a feminine intuition for the work, but I could provide another way of thinking for portions that he was able to grasp. Listening to him is also important as well.

– Were your conversations grounded on Takeda-sensei's experiences?
Takeda: I previously played in a concert band, so I included that experience. There are a lot of novels almost concert band with flashbacks or written from the bespeak of view of an teacher, just how many would desire to read a story depicted from the point of view of a real student? Since I was able to write from a new indicate of someone who hasn't lost her beloved of it, I was able to write freely while weaving and mixing in my own experiences. (laughs)

– Was that image shared when the anime was existence made?
Ishihara: As the setting was in a location virtually our studios that we know quite well, we talked about wanting to try to go far feel like on-the-spot filming. I was obsessed over the camerawork while making sure that the background and layout of the screen felt like it was from a existent camera.
Yamada: The locals were surprised. Uji is Uji, just to take North Uji every bit the setting surprised people that we would get that far to depict it as such. (laughs)
Takeda: I had a moment with my editor when I told them about the setting being in Due north Uji. It was a kind of "perhaps nosotros should put in an episode nigh green tea" moment. (laughs)
Yamada: That'southward so truthful. For my screen layout prototype, I thought it might be better to take the infinite seem more masculine despite there being girls in the room since there are so many girls in the gild. If nosotros did that, nosotros could utilize stronger colors in the backgrounds.
Ishihara: My ideal backgrounds for this production would non feel like they were taken by a digital camera, simply candy like how Kodak motion picture used to exist. Older picture has somewhat narrow latitude (the rate of low-cal exposure), so the contrast is strong and shadowy parts properly sink into the image. As I was saying that to her, Yamada replies "wouldn't information technology exist better to have the background hues seem more than masculine." Though Yamada and I both love film, the corporeality of viewers who would support the states who dearest it is unknown, simply we went that course anyways. Additionally, in that location's a self-documentary atmosphere feeling also. While it has the quality of a special nigh concert bands, we very skillfully chased after the appearance so information technology would take a feeling of a documentary also. (laughs)

– Tin can you lot give a concrete style of how a documentary would exist shown?
Ishihara: The camera is from a third person point of view. It's not from i particular graphic symbol's signal of view; instead it feels like there's a cameraman chasing afterwards the subjects. At that place are however some cuts of that left in where I said "I don't dislike this style" similar in the characters being introduced once again in the quaternary episode.

– Yamada-san, was in that location whatsoever other proposals that you suggested for this show?
Yamada: For this prove, there were a lot of times that we would just say "that's right" in agreement for something in dissimilarity to disagreeing with each other. Each person has their way of directing, so at that place were some points of disagreement with the mode to utilise the camera, but the screen layouts we each wanted were similar.
Ishihara: I dearest cameras, so I'm very perceptive when it comes to depth of field or the way to use aperture. We could use soft focus to brand the subject field stand up out more so they would be more beautiful, or we would obscure the background similar a gravure photo shot so that the subject would stand out and still be beautiful. I would command for that kind of difference when creating a screen.
Yamada: Sometimes that tin can be used to draw their psychological country besides how beautiful the subject is.

– It felt like the scene where the girls are waiting for the walk low-cal to turn green in episode 1 was very impressive photography.
Ishihara: That'due south right. It might sound bad to say, but nosotros intentionally blurred the screen. Recently, TV shows and digital cameras are incredibly clear and pretty, but reality is not like that. From our point of view, the background isn't so articulate; information technology's a more blurred point of view correct? Older film styles permit y'all experience that kind of reality.
Takeda: It definitely felt like I was watching a movie. Information technology didn't feel similar so-called modernistic anime; it felt more like the characters were really living in the real earth. Coupled with the performances by the seijyu, the show e'er penetrates with that beautifully feeling of reality.
Yamada: We as well used a similar effect in the scene with the sakura tree rows. I asked to film it with a lens similar to how a bad milk bottle would look. Originally, Ishihara-san is the director, but he asked me to draw the storyboards for the commencement episode, so I was very worried. But when I encounter Kumiko'due south standpoint and recall back well-nigh it after later events, that sakura tree row scene image comes to mind as a symbol of where she was. I depicted information technology equally Kumiko wondering how long they'll be remembered while mingling in a guardian'south point of view. Furthermore, I wanted information technology to exist burned into her swirling centre, and then I made it experience more than like film.
Ishihara: It's generally associated with a simple Photoshop where yous gradually remove the detail, merely the so-chosen 2-line boke can be used sometimes when you want something to appear as if you lot have a bad lens.
Yamada: That shaded-off feeling looks magnificent like in the scene where Midori's waiting at the station in the final episode. I beloved that representation from the manager of photography (Kazuya) Takao-san. He's able to process images to create a very good creation.

I folio of Yamada's episode 1 storyboards

– Takeda-sensei, was there any scenes that you wanted to see at the fourth dimension the anime was determined?
Takeda: I looked forrard to seeing the climbing of Mt. Daikichi. Besides, while I had a lot of expectations for the show, I watched it with fresh feelings much like an ordinary viewer.

– The direction for that felt and so detailed. For case, the manner the water flew was very deliberate.
Ishihara: For an case, if we were to overlap a pretty flower over a girl, it would announced to be more beautiful than the daughter, wouldn't it? We aimed to accept a similar event here.
Yamada: Directing is psychological contesting. Therefore, one of the points where you show your craft is how much you unintentionally move things around to a point where you touch the feelings of the viewers. For that reason, you study daily and keep lots of things secret. (laughs)
Ishihara: Is that so?
Yamada: Yes. I think I've said a fleck too much today, then I'm stopping in that location. (laughs)

Presenting musical instruments with a great deal of unknowns

– Let's look back at how you lot portrayed current of air music since it's one of the themes of this show.
Ishihara: From earlier nosotros started piece of work on production, nosotros, as novices, underwent various forms of preventions to guard for unforeseen errors in handling or playing of musical instruments. As yous'd imagine, we had quite a bit of them. (laughs) Our contrabass stand would inevitably start to lean down on the rightward side when information technology was on its stand for example. The reason why is because the right side would undo once we set the audio post onto the pillar supporting it, and so information technology'd lean down on the right. We had no thought it would practise that, did we? (laughs)
Yamada: Similarly, when we were told the keynote for our horn was wrong, I immediately went into a panic without immediately understanding what they said. (laughs)
Ishihara: We kickoff drew the tuba with its tuning pipe airtight too. But during performances, we were able to make alterations to progress somewhat commonly.
Takeda: I can feel your obsessions from hearing you lot talk about them. (laughs) Additionally, there's a lot of re-occurring parts that would surprise you.
Yamada: Also, there was a girl who would play the trombone in our studio who said "When I played in concerts, I would close the tuning pipage and intentionally sound different during tuning." (laughs) After she said that and I replied "hmm, that so," I chop-chop went back to correct her piece of work.
All: (laughs)
Yamada: I was and then nervous every time we would bring in experienced musicians for what they would right. (laughs)
Ishihara: But it helped us tremendously to being them to our studio.

– Practise you lot accept any memories of how you were able to handle the highly energetic functioning scenes?
Ishihara: You can't run away from them.
Yamada: That's right. It may be the charm of this production, only our staff would enquiry how each instrument would perform during those performances. They would try to convey things similar the weight of each piston in their drawing.
Takeda: That is amazing.
Yamada: It's worth doing that to requite this work credit. From the very starting time, Kyoto Animation as a company has pursued finely detailed expressions. Everyone ever carries with them that feeling to always do more for a production.
Ishihara: It'due south tough work, but it helps y'all clearly nowadays what you've sought out. For case, if I were to depict an overhead spaceship, all I would have to get on is my imagination, correct? But musical instruments accept form and a way to play them that you lot have to clearly empathize.
Yamada: Information technology may seem like you do any you tin can to make the image expect better, but it also helps brand the portions excluding music with universal human relations come together easier likewise.
Takeda: While I was re-reading the novel, I thought about how the beginning performance and the SunFest operation would look. In the story itself, I had to limit the tale to the characters mentioned or else it would get too confusing, simply you constructed settings for all the members of the band. (laughs) I was astonished that you would go so far to determine parts and names for everyone.
Yamada: That reminds me, when I asked you nigh the mysterious pace for SunFest, you replied that it's "A certain samba." (laughs) As I was conveying it to the episode director (Ichirou) Miyoshi-san, it got a bit entertaining.
Ishihara: If it was an ordinary product, the animator would want to stop cartoon pictures as soon equally possible.
Yamada: Miyoshi-san is the kind who would resolutely take information technology on as a claiming. At the fourth dimension we would decide to requite him certain episodes, he'd practice a determined pose. At the same time, he might be increasing his resolve not to quit on information technology. (laughs)

– Takeda-san, going through the whole evidence, what scene is your most memorable?
Takeda: The performance scene with Kumiko and Reina on Mt. Daikichi in episode eight. In the novel, I didn't insert musical instruments to link the two girls, but I was moved more past the anime scene. Also, the visuals were immensely beautiful.
Ishihara: There were a lot of circumstances where we refined the musical performances in the novel. When we had an stance that an entertaining operation would fit the anime we tried to insert them as much equally possible similar the performance of the three girls playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in episode 6 or the duet with Kumiko and Reina in episode 8.
Yamada: We included episodes 6 and 8 as episodes from the brusque story collection. Since the short story collection would be announced during the existent-time production of the anime, we actively moved to mix in the episodes during the storyboarding phase. Really, it felt really skilful to include the portrayal of Hazuki'due south unrequited love in episode eight.
Takeda: I'm glad I wrote it. (laughs)
Yamada: Ishihara-san and I were glad when Chikao Takigawa showed upward.
Takeda: I borrowed the names that were attached to them in the anime when writing the story where the guys gather.
Yamada: It felt similar we were writing an exchange diary every bit we were working on the anime and then the novels were appear. I would larn that Taki-sensei likes coffee milk and then it'd show up in your writing. (laughs)
Takeda: Right. Information technology was very fun.
Ishihara: I've wanted to inquire Takeda-sensei something. The first novel contains elements that impact the 2d and third novels. Did you include them from the beginning to write a sequel?
Takeda: I included them feeling "If I write 1, so that'll exist proficient." Also, I included meaningful overcoming reluctance scenes because I remember stories that resolve things up very conspicuously are quite nice. Since I was pursuing realism for the get-go novel, Asuka became this mysterious upperclassman who thinks near various things and that aspect gave weight to her character image. If the novel and anime clearly explained why you don't know a lot well-nigh her, then she wouldn't be that realistic mysterious upperclassman, would she? (laughs)
Ishihara: Along with that manner of thinking and what I mentioned earlier well-nigh photography, nosotros purposely would use an unclear lens to bring that feeling closer to the viewer. Our thoughts were that it would strengthen that realistic feeling to not bring everything in focus clearly.

– Please give a bulletin to all the fans nigh your thoughts that were affected by this work.
Ishihara: I've made shows with high school protagonists many times now, but I learned a lot from this work since it was my start time using a concert band as a stage. It'south been a fun product year. I can't say something profound similar it was slowly reliving my high school days all over once again only, through the frantic wrestling with this piece of work, I was able to experience something valuable such as that frantic perseverance I felt during that fourth dimension.
Yamada: This piece of work is something similar to taking all the feelings of Takeda-sensei, the staff, and everyone who watched and putting them into one mass eruption. With all that power pushing me forward, I was able to firm my heart and persist in depicting the potent emotions of boyhood. During the various forms of product, it was troubling, but looking back on it, it was quite fun……
Takeda: Being able to have a work animated like this feels like I won the lottery. (laughs) Minutely depicting the depths of wind music, bringing each and every character into reality, and furthermore diligently scraping the novel for all data, I'm thankful for everything. Furthermore, I was blessed with the gamble to write sequels and safely conclude my work. All of it was a approval I never knew once it was ready to be animated. I truly give thanks you all.

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Source: https://ultimatemegax.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/sound-euphonium-roundtable-director-tatsuya-ishihara-series-director-naoko-yamada-author-ayano-takeda/