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■ Date & Time: June 26 (Fri); Stage greeting from 8:55pm to 9:25pm (held after the screening)
■ Venue: Shinjuku Piccadilly theater, Tokyo
■ Speakers: Harutoshi Fukui (Chief Director), Naomichi Yamato (Director), Hideki Oka (Screenplay), Eriko Nakamura (Voice of Mikage Kiryu / Moderator)
L to R: Eriko Nakamura (MC/Mikage Kiryu), Hideki Oka (scriptwriter), Naomichi Yamato (Director), Harutoshi Fukui (General Director)
On the opening day, a typhoon was approaching, and the Kanto region (containing Tokyo) was unfortunately hit by heavy rain. Nevertheless, a large crowd of Yamato fans gathered at the venue. Amidst this, loud applause rang out as the three guests took the stage, introduced by the moderator, voice actress Eriko Nakamura (who voices Mikage Kiryu).
Hideki Oka spoke first, greeting the audience: “While we have a new chapter for every release, I’m most nervous about Chapter 6. I feel like today is a real critical hurdle, so I’m eager to see how everyone receives it.”
Director Yamato followed, saying, “I’m truly happy to finally show this to everyone, but at the same time, work on the upcoming Chapter 7 is already underway, so the team and I are giving it our all every day. It’s a nail-biting experience right up to the very end.”
Finally, Chief Director Fukui expressed his relief, noting, “The weather hasn’t been kind to us. It’s the worst possible condition for an opening day, but seeing so many people here puts my mind at ease.”
Although Chapter 6 serves as the prelude to the series’ climax, it delivers a story that unfolds with breathtaking intensity. Chief Director Fukui made a spirited declaration, heightening the audience’s anticipation for the final chapter: “I imagine some of you are still wondering, ‘Is this really going to end?’ Well, it will end! The next chapter brings a proper conclusion, one that will truly surprise you. Please look forward to it.”
While Yamato suddenly appeared over modern-day Shinjuku at the end of Chapter 5, Chapter 6 sees the ship traveling across a much wider area of Tokyo. Chief Director Fukui remarked, “Unlike other anime, the one thing Yamato hadn’t achieved was ‘pilgrimage’ potential, visiting real-world locations featured in the show. Now, you can actually go on a pilgrimage to these sites.”
This comment drew loud applause from the fans. He also offered a recommendation: “Once the typhoon passes and the skies clear, I hope you’ll visit Odaiba and see Daiba Park, the very spot shown in the scene where the Cosmo Hound appears. It’s a park that looks as if it were built specifically for the Cosmo Hound’s arrival.”
However, the process of selecting Yamato‘s flight path over Tokyo led to a direct clash of opinions between screenwriter Oka and Chief Director Fukui. Oka recalled with a smile, “There were places where I’d ask, ‘Are we really going to show that? Please, don’t show that,’ sometimes three times over, but in the end, I just gave in. I’m glad everyone seems to have received it so positively, though.”
Chief Director Fukui simply said, “I don’t remember that. Did I really say that?” a remark that sent the crowd into a frenzy of excitement.
Highlighting a major aspect of Chapter 6, Oka remarked, “The moment I truly felt we had ‘broken through to a new level’ in this chapter was during the sequence involving Shino Todo and Makoto Kato.” He continued, “It turned out the way it did thanks to the overwhelming power of the animation and the voice acting. Although I’m credited with the screenplay, the story from Chapter 6 through Chapter 7 unfolds almost exactly as Chief Director Fukui designed it. The sheer density and intricacy of the writing in these chapters made it feel like he was finally showing us what he’s truly capable of.”
Chief Director Fukui laughed, “I’ve been giving it my all the whole time, you know.”
Oka reflected, “I think Fukui-san felt a need to properly wrap things up for Chapters 6 and 7, so everything was calculated with incredible precision. That particular sequence was a prime example, it’s truly magnificent. I find myself tearing up every time I watch it.”
Regarding that sequence, Director Yamato added, “It was a collaborative effort involving so many people: Noriaki Saito, who handled the storyboards; Toshiyuki Kono, who directed the episode; and animators like Chizuru Kobayashi, who paid such meticulous attention to detail. I believe it was a scene created by the combined strength of a truly diverse team of staff members.”
Oka then noted, “While Chapter 6 weaves in some heartwarming moments, I also view it as a chapter about people who ‘really messed up.’ Domon made a massive blunder, and even someone as genuinely good as teacher Kosaka…that’s what makes this chapter so interesting, and I hope the audience will pay close attention to how their lives unfold from here on out.”
As the event drew to a close, the speakers shared their final messages with the audience. Oka spoke first: “You just saw the teaser for the next chapter that played at the end of the main feature, didn’t you? It’s a fantastic piece of footage that makes you feel certain something wonderful awaits. I hope you’ll come back to the theater on October 30th to see it for yourselves.”
Director Yamato followed with his own message: “We are fully committed to seeing this through to the final chapter, so we ask for everyone’s continued support!”
Finally, Chief Director Fukui addressed the venue: “We used ‘that song’ in the teaser for Chapter 7. The reason is that a specific lyric in ‘that song’ sparked the idea for the theme we want to convey through this work. In the upcoming Chapter 7, we intend to clearly show you exactly what is encapsulated in those words. We look forward to your continued support.”
Harutoshi Fukui asks, “Does righteousness save people?”
The theme began to come into clear focus in Chapter 6
Published at Mantan Web. See the original post here
On June 26, an opening-day stage greeting was held at Shinjuku Piccadilly theater in Tokyo. Chief Director Harutoshi Fukui, Director Naomichi Yamato, Screenwriter Hideki Oka, and voice actress Eriko Nakamura (who plays Mikage Kiryu) appeared on stage to share their thoughts on Chapter 6 and reveal behind-the-scenes details of the production.
A major topic of discussion was the ending of Chapter 5, in which Yamato crossed a space-time node and arrived not in the future, but in Tokyo in the year 2026. Fukui explained, “Actually, we didn’t stray too far from the source material. We had already decided exactly which music to use for specific scenes. Everything we’ve built up to this point is finally being unleashed.” He added, “You can now go on a pilgrimage to the real-life locations featured in Yamato, something that wasn’t possible before. I really want you to see the place where the Cosmo Hound appears. It looks exactly like the kind of spot where such a craft would emerge.”
Footage shown prior to the screening depicted the Yamato flying over Tokyo and Ginga, which had been grounded on the lunar surface, launching into action. The appearance of a “Black Yamato” has also become a hot topic. Regarding the visuals, the staff member noted, “We fine-tuned the sense of scale for when Yamato flies over Tokyo. That, and the Black Yamato, took a lot of effort to get right. Ginga‘s launch sequence turned out well, too.” Fukui smiled and added, “Ginga really went wild, didn’t it?”
Oka admitted to feeling some anxiety leading up to the release, saying, “I was most nervous about Chapter 6. I felt it was a potential stumbling block.” He continued, “There were points where I disagreed with Fukui-san, asking, ‘Are we really going to include this?’ I told him at least three times, ‘Please don’t do it, mixing these elements is dangerous.’ But it seems the audience has received it favorably,” he said with a look of relief.
Oka also highlighted the human drama as a major draw, noting, “There were scenes in the script that gave me chills. Fukui-san designed the entirety of Chapters 6 and 7. He clearly wanted to bring everything to a proper conclusion, and it was all meticulously calculated. I find myself crying every time I watch it.”
Oka-san also commented, “While there are heartwarming moments, there are also characters who make major blunders. Domon messes up in a big way, and teacher Kosaka does, too. The animation is meticulously crafted. There are shots with angles that make you go, ‘Wow, this angle?’ Humans tend to rationalize their own actions, and I think the way that’s portrayed is fascinating. I hope the audience will imagine what lies ahead.”
Director Yamato expressed confidence, saying, “Things move forward through the efforts of many different people. Everyone has their own way of thinking and is living life to the fullest. I believe we’ve managed to capture that in our storytelling.”
Fukui shared his thoughts: “A central theme of this series is ‘Does righteousness truly save people?’ and that concept has really started to come into focus. I hope parents and children, or couples, will watch it together.”
Oka nodded and added, “Life holds so many different moments. There are times of exhilaration when you feel like the protagonist, but there are also the exact opposite experiences, times when you believe you’re right but aren’t understood. Yet, that isn’t the end. Life goes on. Seeing the finished footage made me feel that strongly. I think it’s a great show to watch with the people close to you.”
The Final Chapter Approaches: Amidst Doubts About Whether It Will Truly End, Harutoshi Fukui Assures, “It Will End, Surprisingly So”
Published at Mantan Web. See the original post here
General Director Harutoshi Fukui stated emphatically, “There are voices asking, ‘Is it really going to end?’ but it will. It will end, surprisingly so, in the next chapter.”
Fukui also revealed, “That ‘certain song’ played in the trailer. It was actually that song that gave me the idea for the core of this story. I intend to fully convey that in Chapter 7.”
Director Yamato noted that the team is giving their all on the final chapter, saying, “Everyone is working hard every day.”
Oka invited fans to the theater, adding, “Something wonderful awaits you. I hope you come and enjoy it.”
Backstage at the Shinjuku Piccadilly. Photo posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee