Shopping Guide
Simultaneous Video Game and Anime Production from Scratch
TOM: While mixed media production that takes place based on an existing original piece of work is common, simultaneously producing a video game and an anime without an original work is certainly something that we don’t see very often.
Inafune: I think it’s safe to say that this is the first time ever in the world. In my previous collaborations with STUDIO4℃, the video game that we produced first served as the original work for the anime to match and be based on. For RED ASH, because we do not have something to use or to match, the question of how to move forward to create masterpieces is incredibly difficult to address. Because we are working in two different genres, the more passionate creators from each side become, the harder the project becomes for the other team.
Tanaka: That really is the case here. It might sound simple when we talk about it, but actually trying to have everything work smoothly to the same positive effect in both the game and the anime is still an issue that STUDIO4℃ is working on.
TOM: Based on your comments, it sounds like the key to the success of RED ASH is how well the two sides can blend together. Both sides will stay equal, and neither the game nor the anime will be used to make up for what is missing in the other, right?
Inafune: That’s right. We are aiming to create the best video game and the best anime that we possibly can. Both pieces will use the same themes and will take place in the same world, which will offer a unique sense of excitement and pleasure for fans who enjoy them together. If the game team and the anime team pay too much attention to each other and end up following each other, the result is not going to be as great as we need it to be. I feel that the delicate balance of cooperation and competition is absolutely crucial to our success. Ms. Tanaka really respects the work and the ideas from the game side, and has really put her heart into her role as the coordinator. Overcoming the struggle between wanting to respect others while also wanting to make your own project the best that it can possibly be is probably the most difficult part of this project. However, the greatest difficulties offer the greatest rewards, and that urges us on!
Tanaka: In the beginning, even without a clear path or an answer, we were just like “let’s do it!” We didn’t even think about whether or not it was possible, we just knew that we would make it work.
Inafune: Definitely. While it isnt exactly wrong to follow after someone who is successful, or to alter your own goals to focus on minimizing the risk of failure, I think that style of work isn’t interesting at all!
TOM: That is what you said during our previous Mighty No. 9 interview as well!
Inafune: I think if you succeed in that kind of manner, you can’t really be proud of what you have done. For example, if we went on to produce RED ASH as a Kickstarter project only for a video game at first, and then went to Ms. Tanaka after we finished to have her team create an anime adaptation, the project would be normal and just another project like all the others. However, working on a video game and an anime simultaneously is something that nobody has attempted before, and having both succeed together as a single Kickstarter project is something that is unheard of. It is an awesome challenge, really.
Tanaka: I would be lying if I said that I am not worried at all about the project. Not only is this the first ever crowdfunding project for STUDIO4℃, we are also doing something that has never been done before by working to produce an animation and a video game at the same time.
Inafune: I share those worries as well. But, while everyone else is trapped in their negativity and keeps thinking about how the project might not be successful, I find myself thinking about what I want to do after we succeed. Sometimes I think that I might actually be a fool of some sort! The more those around me tell me that making a game and an anime together is impossible, the more I want to get it done! I felt the same way with Mighty No. 9 actually!
Tanaka: There are many voices claiming that the project is impossible in the animation team as well. I always remind those who become negative with the fact that STUDIO4℃ has and will continue to take what others consider impossible and make it a reality. That attitude and work ethic is what made this studio. The problem isn’t whether or not a project will go well. It’s all about what we will do to make it go well!
Inafune: Creative work is always like that, since there is no definite answer or result that we can see from the very beginning. The only way to tell if a project is a success is to release it to the public and see if it can capture the hearts of the fans. Looking back at some of the more popular series, none of them became popular simply because we wanted them to. There was uncertainty throughout the production process, and it was that same uncertainty and unpredictableness that made the project special. It made the project capable of remaining in the hearts of viewers and players. Works that are predictable and controllable are predictable for fans as well, and do not have that same special effect.
Tanaka: That’s really true. If there was an equation that led to marvellous products all the time, none of us would need to be working so hard.
Inafune: Kickstarters are also full of uncertainty. You don’t know how things will turn out unless you take the first step and start working on it. One thing that I can say for sure is that there are fans around the world who are always expecting and waiting for us to produce and deliver something awesome from the Japanese anime and game scene! The existence of Anime Expo and Japan Expo prove this to be a fact.
Tanaka: Whenever I talk to Mr. Inafune, I feel like he is always thinking about the fans around the world, and that he trusts them very much. He never doubts the fact that there are people in other countries who will love the projects that his team creates, and it is because he thinks of them so much that he is able to capture the hearts of so many people outside of Japan as well.
Inafune: Of course, I’m not just putting up a front here. When I take on an important project, it’s because I know that there is a strong possibility of success. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been invited to various international events, and was able to converse with an incredible number of people. I believe that my time spent with fans around the world is what allows me to understand their thoughts and their needs better than some others.
RED ASH Official Page:http://redashgame.com/
Kickstarter Page (Game)：https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mightyno9/red-ash-the-indelible-legend
Kickstarter Page (Anime)：https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mightyno9/red-ash-magicicada-by-studio4c
comcept Official Page: http://comcept.co.jp/en/
STUDIO4℃ Official Page:http://www.studio4c.co.jp/english/
STUDIO4℃ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studio4c
STUDIO4℃ Twitter: https://twitter.com/STUDIO4C
STUDIO4℃ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/portstudio4c
