Interview: The Staff of The Executioner and Her Way of Life

Anime about Japanese people being summoned to a fantasy world might be very commonplace right now, but The Executioner and Her Way of Life offers an interesting new perspective on a familiar story premise, as well as an epic plot with shocking twists and turns. ANN spoke to light novel author Mato Satō, anime director Yoshiki Kawasaki, and series composition writer Shogo Yasukawa about what makes this anime so unique.

ANN: Isekai stories are very popular as web novels, so why did you decide to submit this novel to the GA Bunko Taisho instead of posting it online?

MATO SATO: I love web novels. In fact, when I was writing Executioner, I was following the momentum in web novels with the opening hook. But instead of prioritizing the fun of speedy plot developments, posted as one chapter at a time, I constructed the story as a single installment of roughly 100,000 Japanese characters. Instead of chasing real-time developments, I wanted to publish it in a form that can be enjoyed as a single epic story. Thus, I submitted it to the GA Bunko Taisho, so that it could be published from the start as a single book.

In a way, this story feels like a response to popular isekai web novels. Were there any particularly influential novels that shaped your impression of the genre?

SATO: Rather than a specific novel, I used the “isekai web novel” template that is mutually understood among readers as the base for Executioner. As for the actual plot developments, I'm influenced by a lot of different anime.

This novel has a lot of dark elements. When you started writing, how far were you willing to push the gruesome elements, and where did you draw the line as “too dark for this story”? Did the boundaries change as you continued writing?

SATO: Until I wrote this novel, I had no experience publishing a dark story commercially. I was motivated to challenge myself with this style; for me, it was one way of stepping up as an author.

I don't write dark turns in order to put characters into deliberately tragic positions. I develop the story with many different elements, believing that my characters can overcome whatever trials that face them.

What was your inspiration for the series' magic system?

SATO: My train of thought was “If you could construct modern steampunk in a magical way, what would that world be like?”

Ether energy replaces steam energy. A magic system uses people's spiritual energy to interfere with things. I constructed the world with that thought as my base.

Unlike the usual comic-based adaptation, this anime is adapted from the light novel which has no visual expressions except the inserted illustrations and character arts. What were you most conscious about in adapting it into the animation? What sort of request did Sato-sensei give you?

YOSHIKI KAWASAKI: There weren't any particular requests from Mr. Sato before we started creating the anime. I suppose the thing I paid attention to the most was making sure that the visual adaptation sells the “weird” parts of the original work.

Regardless of the work, I always value the “weird” parts that deviate from the norm more than the polished parts. What's more, I believe that an author's soul lies within those parts. There might be misunderstandings, but it's more fun that way so I don't mind. The author himself designates this work as a “Chunibyo Stylish Spy Action Fantasy,” so it's got its fair share of “weird” parts. It's a story with quite an interesting sense of purpose.

Incidentally, it would be tedious for me to list all the parts I thought were “weird,” so I'll refrain. I hope you all can look for them on a rewatch.

The anime depicts a fantasy world in an attractive way that has been shaped through the cultural and technological influence of “mayoi-bito (lost person)” coming from “Isekai Japan”. When it came to the background art, were there any specific things you were inspired by, or other motifs you kept in mind?

KAWASAKI: When I read the original novel and learned that the language spoken in the story's world is Japanese, I eagerly decided to pour signs with Japanese writing all over the anime fantasy streets. At first, however, the producer side was reluctant; when we submitted the background art design for the streets, the light novel side asked for the Japanese signage not to stand out so much. The anime workplace is surprisingly conservative.

I had a lot of different inspirations, so I can't list them individually, but the production standards of the world are drawn from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I remember basing the super technology around the mage-craft on art deco. In any case, I endeavored to create a weird and appealing setting that accentuates the drama. The art director Teruhiko Niita turned all of this into a tangible form for us.

Regarding the OP, I was shocked at the sequence where the decaying figure of the Menou was being fleshed out! It also contained other impressive and attractive sequences. What were you conscious of when directing and storyboarding the OP?

KAWASAKI: “By making the characters switch places and take turns appearing, you take your time showing off their appeal. Then, when the song enters the chorus, you show off a cool battle with high quality animation!” That kind of utterly banal “correct anime opening” was the one thing I wanted to avoid. That's why the first shot shows the protagonist as a mummy. But not all the depictions simply came from my imagination; I tried to express the story of the original work symbolically. The sequence where the decaying figure of Menou is being fleshed out that you mention in your question represents Akari's ability to restore Menou by rewinding time, but it was such a ridiculously “incorrect” idea that I'm rather happy with it.

I was impressed by the way “mage-craft” was expressed, especially when growing letters appear as character uses it. How did you get this inspiration from the original work?

KAWASAKI: How to express the mage-craft was a burning question since the beginning of the script's development. This was because the prose in the original novel evoked very strong visual imagery, which is a unique selling point about it. Fortunately, Mr. Sato met us at the studio when we were developing the script. When I asked him about the mage-craft, he explained to me that it isn't invoked through letting out your voice or chanting, so we decided to express it visually onscreen as well.

My inspiration came from how I perceived the original work. I felt a cool, sci-fi atmosphere from the mage-craft, and thought it was cool how it used robotic, computer-like words, so instead of fantasy I asked for designs with more of a sci-fi angle. From there, the 2DCG designer, the 3DCG director, and the compositing director did their magic and created the final image.

What was your first impression of the original work? How familiar were you with the isekai genre before you started working on this series?

YASUKAWA: I wasn't overly familiar with the isekai genre, but I did know about the typical “tropes” for the genre. So when I read the novel, I remember thinking that its approach to the tropes was very fresh and clever. It was very cathartic to read the ending of volume 1, but at the same time, I really wondered about how one would express that visually… It was an enormous pressure.

How closely did you work with the author to determine the most important lines?

YASUKAWA: The original novelist Mato Satō participated in every script meeting. He did it remotely for the most part, but sometimes face-to-face. Because of his diligence, we were able to work together quite closely. When it comes to adapting light novels for screen, there are many cases where you simply have to cut down on lines, but he was very precise in pointing out the most absolutely important parts of the original light novel. Thanks to him, I think we were able to do justice to the most vital parts even in an abridged form.

What was the biggest challenge when it came to adapting the series for screen?

YASUKAWA: Past recollections play a very important role in this series, whether it's the “past” that prompted Menou to become an Executioner, or the “past” that only Akari knows—as revealed at the end of episode 6. Thus, I devoted quite a lot of thought into how to demonstrate that to the audience, and I exchanged a lot of opinions about it with director Kawasaki.

Also, because light novels have a tendency to become quite “wordy” as anime, I was very conscious about making sure the scenes are enjoyable to watch on screen, or that the emotions get across because you're experiencing it in a visual form. We allotted a relatively generous six episodes per volume for this anime, so I think we were able to try a bunch of different things.

Which character was the most fun to write lines for?

YASUKAWA: If I had to name one person, it would be Momo. She's always in full throttle, whether it's when she's doting on Menou or talking sass to Ashuna, which makes her a very fun character.

I think the quirks in the character combinations play a major role in this story. Whether it's Menou and Akari, Menou and Momo, or Momo and Ashuna, all these different pairings make for entertaining dialogue. I'm particularly fond of episode 8 because I was able to represent every combo in the script. If I were to allow myself to be greedy, I wish I could have written a conversation between Akari and Momo… (laughs)

Please give a message to your oversea fans.

SATO: On a personal level, my language skills are insufficient for delivering my story to people overseas directly. Above all, I'm certain that if there weren't anyone seeking Japanese entertainment, then stories from Japan wouldn't be able to exist in the foreign market. I feel blessed by a miracle that my story was able to transcend Japan and fly through the air or internet to reach the hands of everyone abroad.

KAWASAKI: Thank you for your interest in this anime. If you're interested in the continuation of the story, I encourage you to pick up the original novel or the manga adaptation. If you want to see the story continue in anime form, it might be a good idea to send messages to the publisher and production committee. If the books sell well and your voices are heard, and there's a gap in the schedule at the production studio, then a second season might happen.

YASUKAWA: Thank you for enjoying The Executioner and Her Way of Life. I've been very happy seeing your thoughts and fanart on Twitter and other places. I hope you can enjoy the turbulent plot developments and wonderful new characters in the anime's final episodes. If there's ever a second season, I'll be sure to write lots of Akari and Momo conversations (laughs). Please lend us your support, everyone!