Amid the Fall 2024 anime season, we had the honor of interviewing Okamoto, the Director of Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms, an original animation project created by Okamoto and TriF Studio.
We are happy to share with you what we have gathered from Director Okamoto about her thoughts on the production of “Mecha-Ude“, as both the creator and director of the series!
◤◢◤ Question 1 ◢◤◢
“Mecha-Ude” is a unique blend of Sci-Fi, fantasy and action portraying bonds between mankind and mysterious mechanical lifeforms. What were your greatest inspirations behind this concept, and how did they evolve during development?
It all started with the desire to draw machines (mecha).
Since humans are soft and organic beings, I wanted to depict something inorganic as a contrast. (Regarding this contrast), I express it metaphorically through the bond between humans and mysterious life forms.
◤◢◤ Question 2 ◢◤◢
What are some things you paid more attention to in the production process?
As characters, the Mecha-Ude tend to stop speaking on their own during the story, so I made an effort to have the Mecha-Ude engage in conversation as much as possible.
◤◢◤ Question 3◢◤◢
The visual style of Mecha-Ude is striking, especially with the mechanical arms and the fusion with humans. How did you collaborate with animators and artists to bring this fusion to life on screen?
In many scenes, the Mecha-Ude are animated using 3DCG, while the humans are hand-drawn. First, the animation team creates rough motion sketches for the Mecha-Ude, including the rough movements, and then the 3DCG team adds the final animations based on those sketches. To make the Mecha-Ude appear more lifelike, we carefully switch between 3DCG and hand-drawn animation, putting a lot of effort into making them feel organic and soft.
Even though it was less efficient, we were committed to paying attention to these details.
◤◢◤ Question 4 ◢◤◢
Do you have a favourite character in Mecha-ude? Which character are you most looking forward to see in the anime, and why?
My favorite character is, of course, the protagonist Hikaru. Since he doesn’t have a fixed purpose, it was really enjoyable to develop his character during the anime production.
As for the character I’m most excited to see appear, it’s a villainous Mecha-Ude user named Oner, who makes his debut in episode 2. He reappears several times throughout the series, and he plays a key role in expressing the relationship between humans and Mecha-Ude.
Although Oner is human, in many ways, he is perhaps the most relatable and closest to an ordinary person. I’m really looking forward to how he evolves—he’s going to surprise everyone and grow in unexpected ways.
◤◢◤ Question 5 ◢◤◢
Were there any particular challenges in animating the Mecha-ude, considering their intricate mechanical nature and interaction with the characters?
Since Mecha-Ude is made using 3DCG, there are limitations in terms of expression. During the rough stages, we were able to move it in a soft, creature-like way, but as soon as it turned into 3DCG, the movement became so precise that it lost some of its 2D charm.
We overcame this by adding retouching and other adjustments on top of the 3DCG. I especially remember that the more comical movements were particularly challenging.
◤◢◤ Question 6 ◢◤◢
As both the creator and director, how do you balance your creative vision with the practicalities of production? Is there something you have learnt, or hope to take away from this dual role?
There is a production coordinator* I work with named Shota Kawamura. Thanks to him managing production schedules and overseeing the staff’s workflow, I was able to stay focused on the creative aspects. Kawamura has been like a partner to me, as we’ve been making works together as a team for a long time.
*The position which is a team member who thinks about what strategies are necessary to bring the director’s vision to life.
◤◢◤ Question 7 ◢◤◢
Who are some of your greatest influences in storytelling and animation, and how have they shaped your path as an anime director?
The reason I decided to create anime in the first place was because of watching the works of FROGMAN, who created ‘Eagle Talon’. After watching his works, I realized that it was possible to create anime on my own, and that was the starting point for my journey into animation.
Now, while I create works in collaboration with many people, I think the reason I can pursue a flexible approach to production is due to FROGMAN’s influence. For example, when I create an animation, I temporarily voice the characters during the previz (pre-vizualization) stage. This is influenced by FROGMAN, who voices all the characters in his own works. Even in the finished product, he performs all the characters himself.
Seeing his approach to production, I realized that it’s okay to create animation by oneself, that it’s okay not to be picky about methods when pursuing creativity, and that it’s fine for a hand-drawn animation to suddenly incorporate CG. It made me believe that freedom is key.
◤◢◤ Question 8 ◢◤◢
If you could collaborate with any anime director, who would it be?
Regardless of whether a collaboration is possible, I respect Director Tetsuro Araki. I think it’s amazing how he follows the traditional methods of Japanese animation while also having a clear strategy and expressing what he wants to convey.
◤◢◤ Question 9 ◢◤◢
Which character do you relate to the most in the series?
After all, I can relate the most to Hikaru.
He’s a character who has a lot of negative aspects, like not being able to take the first step even though he wants to, and he has parts of himself that he doesn’t really want to acknowledge. During the production process, my struggles really synced with Hikaru’s, and it made me realize how characters are created like this.
◤◢◤ Question 10 ◢◤◢
What was the most exciting part of making Mecha-Ude?
The most exciting moment was when we first premiered the first episode at Anime Expo (AX). It was the first time the TV series was shown to an audience, and the reaction was amazing. I felt like we had finally delivered the project to the audience. That moment really left a strong impression on me.
Also, since it took an incredibly long time to finish the first episode, completing it gave me a real sense of accomplishment.
◤◢◤ Question 11 ◢◤◢
”Mecha-Ude” began as a Kickstarter project back in 2016. How has the fan community from the campaign influenced the anime’s production?
Having the support of these fans made me feel a strong sense of obligation to ensure that the series would definitely be realized. Their encouragement instilled in me a sense of responsibility that this work absolutely deserves to be shared with the world. (laughs) Knowing that these people are behind us has motivated me to keep pushing forward.
◤◢◤ Question 12 ◢◤◢
It has been 5 years since the pilot episode was released. How do you feel, now that the audience is about to watch a full series?
I’m really excited and happy to be able to deliver the continuation of the pilot episode to everyone. I hope that viewers will enjoy both the pilot and what comes after it!
◤◢◤ Question 13 ◢◤◢
Is there any point you’d like the audience to pay special attention to in the series?
In each episode, new characters and Mecha-Ude users will make their appearances, so I hope viewers will look forward to seeing what kind of characters and Mecha-Ude will show up every time!
◤◢◤ A message from Director Okamoto to all readers! ◢◤◢
It’s been about eight years since we started with the Kickstarter project, and I’m thrilled that we can finally share the continuation of the pilot episode. There are some changes from the pilot episode, so I hope you’ll pay attention to those aspects as you watch. We have a variety of Mecha-Ude and their users appearing, and I hope you’ll find your favorite character among them!
ANIPLUS Asia is simulcasting Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms with recap and new episodes every Thursday 24:00 [23:00 id/th]. Recap and latest episode encores start at Fridays 18:00 [17:00 id/th] and Tuesdays 21:00 [20:00 id/th].
- Southeast Asia: ANIPLUS Channel | Bilibili
- Taiwan: Anigamer | Hami Video | MOD | KKTV | friDay | MyVideo
- Hong Kong: Anigamer
※Upload timing may vary; please check the relevant platforms for release schedules.
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©TriF/Mecha-Ude Production Committee
