The short animated film "Maidens of the Ripples," born from the meeting of young creator toubou. (Mizuko Soma) who is particular about her work and Scooter Films, is already gaining global attention, having been screened at the Zagreb Animation Festival in Croatia, despite being an unknown duo in the industry.
In the second part of the interview, we discussed her dedication to the production of the work and her unique perspective on creation as a "curse."
Interviewer: Taro-chin
Born in 1985. Real name: Shotaro Oi. Started game streaming as "Taro-chin" on Nico Nico Douga in 2008. After working as a writer and editor for the web news site "Netorabo," he is now freelance. He was a person who loved alcohol, but in 2022, he suffered from a serious illness called "severe acute pancreatitis," resulting in two-thirds of his pancreas becoming necrotic. He is now permanently abstinent.
The key to completing a work is "spirit" — A relationship of trust born from the creator's "determination"
――The team was formed with Scooter Films due to the talent and enthusiasm of toubou., but what was the process leading up to the creation of the short animated film "Maidens of the Ripples"?
Ashizuka: "It was naturally decided to start with a short film."
toubou.: Yes, I didn't think a complete amateur could suddenly make a two-hour movie, so as a realistic goal, we aimed to complete a short film first.
――Where did the work begin?
Ashizuka: Initially, Sakoda-san was organizing the script while interviewing toubou. We discussed things like "this part is the introduction, development, turn, and conclusion" and theories for visualizing it, digging deeper into the script, and character settings started to take shape.
Harada: We talked quite a bit about "we need a story." The teaser made for our graduation project was based on selecting parts that sparked toubou.'s imagination and connecting them visually, but since it was going to be a film, even if it was a short, we needed a solid story structure to convey it to the audience. We approached that part carefully.
――As toubou., you took on the role of director for the first time leading a team. Did you face any challenges in that regard?
toubou.：During the time when I was creating the V-con little by little every day and throwing it to everyone, I was in a position where I held all the answers for this work. I was constantly struggling with how to convey the answers that only I had to others.
Even in the drawing meetings, I thought it would be very troublesome for the workers if there were things I couldn't explain about my own work. After every meeting, I would have a reflection session alone and feel down.
――That's truly a concern unique to a director working with a team...
toubou.：With my graduation project, as long as I met the deadline, I could manage somehow, even if it was ultimately rushed. But when working with a team, there are people who can't move unless I provide the answers. I really felt the difficulty of imagining things that I couldn't see about myself.
――And you suddenly became a "director," right?
toubou.：That's right. Moreover, I had never made an anime before, so I was a complete amateur who suddenly stepped in, thinking, "I have to bridge that gap!" and I was doing my best.
There was a moment when I almost broke down, and Sakoda-san told me, "Things won't progress unless you provide the answers." I remember feeling like I had received a wake-up slap; it really resonated with me.
――It seems that the experienced folks at Skoota Films guided you through that.
Ashizuka：Sakoda-san was quite strict at key points. "You still have this much left. What are you going to do?"
toubou.：I also had the fear of "What if everything I worked on up to this point gets thrown away?" Additionally, I have a competitive streak where if I'm pointed out on something, I want to show through my actions that I've improved it significantly next time.
――If you produce results, there won't be any complaints.
When I was going to art school, my parents thought, "You'll probably fail the entrance exam," so I had to create a situation where I could only get accepted. When I was told in college, "Can you really make a living from art?" I made sure to be able to say, "I'm already getting paid for my work!" That's something I had to do myself. So when I'm asked, "What's the secret to completing a work?" I answer, "It's determination" (laughs).
――I see (laughs). I think that kind of strong approach or the necessary temperament for a creator is really important.
Harada：That's absolutely right, and we trusted them because they had that determination. After all, making a film is incredibly challenging. You mentioned being competitive, but I felt that they were putting their all into it as well. Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for one person to draw all the backgrounds.
――By accomplishing that, the trust between both parties became even stronger. Were there any other memorable moments during production?
Ashizuka：Actually, during the production phase, we had toubou. record the lines for the V-con in their own voice. And toubou.'s voice fit perfectly.
――Wow, the director themselves recorded the temporary lines.
toubou.：I said I didn't want to do it many times (laughs). I really felt like it was an unreasonable demand...
Ashizuka：But the sound director praised it a lot. "Toubou.'s voice is the correct one, so if a voice actor dubs it, it might actually create a sense of discomfort. I'm going to work hard to eliminate that discomfort!" they said.
――It feels like doing something you wouldn't normally do is part of working in a team.
toubou.：Indeed, while working with everyone at Skoota Films, I really felt the resolution of parts I hadn't noticed about my own work increasing. I intended to portray the character Haruka Arima as a pure and innocent cute girl, but Ashizuka-san pointed out, "Haruka isn't really that nice of a person," and I realized, "Oh, that wasn't the case."
For Rin Toratani, I initially imagined her as a calm, cool girl, but as we worked on the project, she became more and more energetic and human-like. That was a pleasant surprise that wouldn't have happened if I had created it all by myself.
――Was the production mainly done remotely, including those exchanges?
Ashizuka：Yes, toubou. regularly participated in online meetings from their home in Aomori. Many of our animators are quite shy, and at first, during drawing meetings, it was often the case that both the camera and microphone were off, so I think toubou. might have felt a bit out of place.
At one point, we held meetings in a virtual office called "MetaLife." It was a space where pixel art avatars gathered in an online conference room to communicate, and it seemed to help even the shy ones open up and talk more, as they could somewhat convey their characters to each other.
――I see, so there are creative efforts in anime production in that regard...
Harada: It might be a unique case for Scoota Films since we have many introverted individuals (laughs).
toubou.: But being part of Scoota Films has allowed me to think and do more, and the reassurance of not being alone is truly valuable. I'm really grateful that I can enjoy and feel fulfilled even while being in Aomori.
Commitment to Cinemascope: "I want it to be viewed as a work of art"
――By the way, "The Girls of the Ripple" was created in Cinemascope not only for the main feature but also from the graduation project "trailer." Was that your insistence, toubou.?
toubou.: For the graduation project, I initially made it in the standard 16:9 format, but I thought Cinemascope would better showcase my background.
――I found it memorable to see such a wide aspect ratio video on YouTube.
toubou.: The 16:9 aspect ratio has a strong sense of déjà vu, for better or worse. I wanted to create a feeling of "watching a work of art," so I chose the less familiar Cinemascope format. I think it reduces immersion, but I wanted viewers to feel a distance between themselves and the artwork.
――I see, having that philosophy from the start is exactly what it means to have a "clear vision of what you want to do."
Harada: Cinemascope is often disliked because it's too wide and difficult to compose, but I think making it work as a visual piece could actually become a defining feature.
Also, regarding immersion, I think that as devices like "Apple Vision Pro" become more common, watching it on those might actually provide a significant level of immersion.
――How long was the production period for "The Girls of the Ripple"?
Harada: From November 2022 to around February 2024. So, I often say it took "about three years," but in reality, it was just over a year of production.
――"The Girls of the Ripple" has been confirmed for screening at the Zagreb International Animation Festival, but there are still no venues set for viewing in Japan, right? (As of July 2024)
Harada: Short films face challenges not only in production but also in distribution. It's rare for a theater to screen just one short film, and even for online distribution, figuring out how to present it can be quite difficult.
――Indeed, there aren't many opportunities to watch just one short film...
Harada: That's why I was conscious from the beginning that film festivals are an essential venue. We are also applying to domestic film festivals, so I hope to share updates on that in the future. I always thought that toubou.'s works and art would resonate well with international audiences. There are many short film festivals abroad, so it seems like a good fit.
Ashizuka: Zagreb is one of the "three major animation film festivals" in the world, so it was very exciting to be able to participate here.
Presenting Work as a "Curse": The Passion of toubou. Depicted in "The Girls of the Ripple"
――How do you feel about your first work being screened on such a big stage, toubou.?
toubou.：Honestly, I don't really know...
――(laughs) Is it because you haven't seen the audience's reactions yet, so it doesn't feel real?
toubou.：Yeah, there's a part of me that thinks, "Is this really happening?" (laughs). Completing this work was my first destination, so I still find it hard to imagine what comes next.
In the first place, I have no desire like "I want to make a name for myself with this work" or "I want to be successful"... I think my somewhat strange self will gradually be released into the world...
Ashizuka：But toubou., when the film was completed, you said, "I might get discovered by the world" (laughs).
――Just hearing that makes you sound super ambitious (laughs).
toubou.：Ah... but I think creating a work is a "curse." I believe that putting out a work is an act of scattering the traces of my life widely and planting them in someone else's mind. I want my essence to gradually seep into everyone's gaps through my work, ultimately becoming someone who remains in everyone's memory. It feels like the biggest project of my life.
――That's amazing; it really does sound like a "curse"… It feels like a much grander ambition than just wanting to "succeed."
toubou.：It might be a dangerous thought (laughs).
Ashizuka：We really feel like "That's the spirit!"
toubou.：I think if someone's memory or record doesn't remain, the fact that they lived gradually fades away. If I have the ability to create works, meaning to let people know about my existence and feelings, I want to pursue that.
――I see. That might resonate with all creators.
Ashizuka：Personally, I think toubou. isn't necessarily a nice person... but that might sound harsh (laughs). However, I believe the "passion" is depicted in impressive lines within the work. That aspect adds a unique quirk to the director and makes them interesting as a person.
toubou.：I think "Watching 'The Girls of the Ripples' will help you understand me." Haruka is a part of me, and Rin embodies the hope of "I wanted a friend like this; if I could carry my current memories into the next life, I would want to live like this."
――I can't wait for people in Japan to see it. I hear this work is part of the "Ripples Project," which has various developments planned beyond this film. What specifically do you have in mind?
toubou.：Currently, we are releasing new illustrations and texts on the official site every week. We are expressing the world of "Ripples" that isn't depicted in the film, so I hope people can feel that this world is still expanding.
Harada：In the world of "Ripples," I want to express that many other people live there besides Haruka and Rin. One of the animators who participated in this film was originally a fan of toubou. and understood the worldview, so she and toubou. are creating a new 30-second video together.
There's a short film festival that screens very short videos at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, and I hope we can participate in that. It will be a world connected to "Ripples," and since it will be a square aspect ratio, I hope we can do something different this time.
――I'm looking forward to it. Finally, after completing such a significant project, what are your thoughts on your future works, toubou.?
toubou.：I can't keep the emotions that well up inside me to myself, so I think I turn them into works and release them. I've been creating works to express my feelings, burn them, and offer them as a form of closure, so now that I've completed "Ripples," I feel quite "empty." That's why I still don't know what to do next... right now, I'm living with a sense of apologizing to everyone (laughs).
――I see. But that's a good thing, isn't it? You created works to help yourself, and you actually found that help.
toubou.：That might be true. I always feel that once I’ve expressed everything I want to express, that will be the end for me, so I live in a momentary way. However, after a while, I might want to turn this current "emptiness" period into a work.
Creating works is like extending my own life, or it's the reason I live. I'm probably the type of person who would have perished if I couldn't draw, but I want to love the world, and I think I create to find that. I feel like I will continue to create works with that mindset.
(End)