Interview: Kaiju Girl Caramelise Team on the Anime's Unique Charm
Kaiju Girl Caramelise is a title that took most seasoned anime fans by surprise: its unique charm and lovely character designs manage to attract even those who would usually not enjoy this type of story. At this year's Otakon, Anime Atelier had the chance to interview the director Teruyuki Omine and producer Yuya Ogisu.
This LIDEN FILMS adaptation marks Omine's directorial debut. While he has quite a few episode director credits on titles such as Attack on Titan, this is his first time helming a production. Ogisu, on the other hand, has been working as a LIDEN FILMS producer for some time, and Kaiju Girl Caramelise is one of his latest productions.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Q: With the anime project currently airing, how did both of you first get involved with the Kaiju Girl Caramelise anime project?
Omine: [Yuya] Ogisu-kun initially contacted me a while back, around summer 2022, and asked if I was interested in directing this work.
Ogisu: We were talking in the WIT Studio smoking area when this topic came up.
Omine: Back then, I was working as an episode director for SPY x FAMILY at WIT Studio, which is where I first read the original manga.
Ogisu: It was about the same for me as well. I was first contacted by a company involved in producing the project [GOOD SMILE FILM], and they introduced me to this manga. That's where I got the offer. When I read the original manga, I felt it was really interesting, and that's how it got started.
Q: Omine-san, it’s been 10 years since you started directing back when you were an assistant director (演出補佐) on Nisekoi. As Kaiju Girl Caramelise is your debut as series director (監督), are there any lessons or ideas from those beginnings that have stuck with you to now?
Omine: It's been 10 years (laughs in disbelief). I was just an assistant director back then, but that’s when it all started. Back in 2018-2019, I was working on the Dororo anime with an eccentric director, [Kazuhiro] Furuhashi-san, and I truly learned a lot from him.
Ogisu: Furuhashi-san also worked on the second episode of Kaiju Girl Caramelise as a storyboard artist.
Q: The character designs are by Mitsumi Nakayama-san from NUT. How was she selected for the project?
Omine: So, in a work* where I debuted as effects director and also did episode direction, Nakayama-san was participating as key animator, and Ogisu was the production…
Ogisu: Production assistant, yes.
Note: The work in question is Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor.
Q: There’s also the opening featuring an explosive metal song by METANICK with visuals directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki-san. How were the song artist and opening director selected for this project?
Omine: Regarding the opening theme, we were thinking we wanted the opening theme to be a metal track. PONY CANYON suggested 'METANICK,' and we felt that their music was a great fit for the series, so we decided to work with them. For the song itself, we asked for something rooted in metal while also incorporating sweeter, more charming elements that would reflect the unique tone of the series. Regarding Hamasaki-san, LIDEN FILMS proposed him as the director for the opening sequence. We thought he would be a fantastic choice, so we were very happy to move forward with their proposal.
Q: Omine-san, perhaps by coincidence, you often receive work that takes on themes of humanism, with drama contrasting quieter moments. Kaiju Girl also leans into certain humanistic ideas as we see Kuroe’s struggles and the contrast between herself and her kaiju form. Do you happen to have this kind of preference in the works you enjoy or that you take on professionally?
Omine: Ah yes, that’s very likely the case. I’m a freelancer, so I often choose which projects to work on based on my preference. There are works I want to do, and some I don’t, so I usually choose the ones I do like. That explains my career history.
Q: How do you approach the balance between the romantic comedy segments of the story and the kaiju segments?
Omine: This was a very challenging project. We approached it by separating the romantic comedy elements from the kaiju ones, and taking care of them individually. I think the contrast between those two is actually the real appeal of the anime. The aspect that combines and ties these two contrasting elements together is Kuroe’s character. Her humanity, her heart, and her emotions become the steady core of the story, and I believe we managed to put it all together effectively.
Q: Ogisu-san, including Kaiju Girl, you’re the animation producer for two projects concurrently airing. How do you manage the workload in this kind of situation?
Ogisu: There was six-months gap between when the two projects started, so I entrusted everything I could to those working under me and kept on working on both projects at the same time.
Q: Are there any aspects of the original work that both of you thought would be especially challenging to tackle in the animation?
Omine: Finding the right balance between the scale of the kaiju elements and the everyday romantic comedy was challenging.
Ogisu: Striking the right balance between comedy and serious moments was challenging. I hoped we could go all out with both aspects without holding back on either.
Q: As this is also a kaiju work, are there any specific films or other projects that have inspired the way Kuroe’s kaiju form is depicted in the series?
Omine: We referenced Shin Godzilla—which Spica Aoki-sensei has said was the inspiration for creating the original manga—as well as various titles throughout the Godzilla franchise.
Q: Is there anything that you’d like the viewers to pay particular attention to while they’re watching the adaptation?
Omine: Please pay attention to how Kuroe changes after meeting her friends, and see where her romance with Arata leads!
Ogisu: I hope viewers will also enjoy Kuroe’s emotional range, including Kuroe’s stylized form, as well as Manatsu’s performance and Raimu’s actions! Jumbo King in particular is an absolute must-see!
We'd like to thank Omine-san and Ogisu-san for taking the time to answer our questions, as well as producer Junichiro Tanaka-san for assisting with the answers! We look forward to seeing the season finale of the Kaiju Girl Caramelise anime, which is streaming on Crunchyroll.
Credits:
Interviewer, Photographer: Kwok-Wai Hanson
Assistance: Sarca, Demelza Ward
Interpreter: Kanoa Sugimoto
Editor: Tamara Lazic
Special Thanks: PONY CANYON
Images: ©Kaiju Girl Caramelise Project / KADOKAWA / Spica Aoki
