# EIGHTY-SIX Composer/Director Interview: Sawano Hiroyuki, Kohta Yamamoto, Toshimasa Ishii ## Instead of sample music, we sent over explanation of the setting and structure of the material along with the request(Ishii) > Director Ishii, could you tell us how Sawano-san and Yamamoto-san were invited to join the production? **Ishii** Since this is my first time directing a TV Anime series, I wanted something someone who is familiar with this type of series. After consulting the Producer I went to Sawano and Yamamoto-san, to which they said yes. > Sawano-san, Yamamoto-san what were your impressions of EIGHT-SIX? **Sawano** Its a series filled with settings and concepts that I enjoy. I was excited to see our music/sfx/voice as a part of the final product. **YAMAMOTO** Similar to Sawano-san, I found the "world where the youth struggles against an unfair world, that is mysterious at times" something that really drew me in and motivated me. Ideas just kept flowing during production, it was a really satisfying experience. > So if I am understanding this correctly, Director Ishii and the Sound Director sends Sawano-san and Yamamoto-san requests for the tracks to be made? **Ishii** Since Cour 1 was split into Lena and Shin side, we thought it would make sense for the music of each side to be created separately as well. So instead of requesting music for the whole series in one go, we requested for Lena and Shin parts separately. > I see **Ishii** At our first meeting, that Aketagawa(Jin)-san participated in as well, we told Sawano and Yamamoto-san that "The split parts that each of you will be working on can be treated as completely separate worlds". Usually, I would tell the composers roughly what type of music I imagined each scene has while I storyboarded them, such as having high-tempo music for battle scenes. However, this time we opted to explain the setting and the split part structure of the series to the composers instead. > Sawano-san and Yamamoto-san, how did you internalize the split side structure in EIGHTY-SIX? **Sawano** I thought it made our work easier. Havign split perspective implies a strong dedication to contrasting the battle and slice of life(sol) scenes. In a way this is insurance that there is room for us to work. For example, a gloomy tone track would suffice for almost all of the sol scenes in EIGHTY-SIX. However, we can actually opt for a bright track to really sell the contrast with combat scenes. **Yamamoto** We were also given clear images for each side's music. I was mainly incharge of Lena's side, which we settled on a Classic/Baroque styles with a feminine image. As for the Legion, the image was that of bugs and tunes that evoked a sense of disgust. ## It would be great if the audience were able to feel a mix of different emotions through a combination of visuals and music.(Sawano) > For OSTs, were the requests more vague? **Ishii** Vague, as in "space-like" vague? *(laughs)* **Sawano** Vague requests are common when its for OSTs. For example, for certain scenes we'd get requests that say "we would like the audience to feel sadness and anger while feeling happiness" and as Musicians it is our job to pack all of that into a single track. So as a result, a part of our jobs is to figure our what is the emotional focus of the scene such that when a character is acting really angry visually, the sad music in the background would seem like one of anger to the audience. **Ishii** Yeah, we do have a tendency to ask for songs that convey all the emotions don't we *(laughs)*. If I have a clear internal image of a scene, I can't help but try to explain the characer's feelings in detail. **Sawano** Of course, its for the overall animation to convey multiple emotions. However, instead of using just to music to convey a mix of happiness, sadness and anger, t would be great if the audience were able to feel a mix of different emotions through a combination of visuals and music instead. > Does the production process change depending on who is the Sound Director? **Ishii** Specificaly for this production, Aketagawa-san has complete control over what songs get used for what scenes but we do talk about it as a team as well. Since there are many transitions between very different scenes, it is important that the music transitions well as well. An example would be how in episode 7 between the battle and recollection scenes, the same track (Twilight of the same sky) was playing. In that scene, we removed all the sound effects around the dubbing and gave all that space to the music, resulting in a completely different feel for said scene. Even with the same layout, a different story structure can create a different impression. I hadn't realized that music could do the same, until now. > Seems like that is both the selling point and pain point. How was working separately? **Sawano** I worked on battle music and Shin side's sol tracks and the process went smoothly. **Yamamoto** I think it went smoothly as well. I was in charge of Lena's side and since it was a completely different setting from Shin's side, I didn't need to think about what kind of music Sawano-san is creating for the other side. Since the genre of music requested was different as well, it allowed me to focus solely on what I had to make. > What did you think about the completed music tracks, Director Ishii? **Ishii** I thought that "this is **the** music for EIGHTY-SIX" and was surprised with the type of music we received given we had only provided details on the setting and structure of the series. > If I'm not mistaken, Sawano-san was in-charge of the EDs? **Ishii** I was told that we could have two different ED patterns this time. At first I wasn't sure we could fit 2 different EDs in 11 episodes, but there were actually many episodes where the content of the episode eats into the ED. For example, in episode 3 the main show just keeps going while the ED is playing *(laughs)*. Then I thought, "if this was gonna keep happening then why don't we make the ED visuals dynamic as well". At the time we had the two tracks "Avid" and "Hands Up to the Sky" so I was able to give the editing a bit more thought. **Sawano** I had never seen 2 EDs used in a single episode, which was really interesting to me *(laughs)*. **Yamamoto** It really made the episode feel like a double length one. ## Using music to strengthen the contrast between battle and sol scenes is such a fitting move for EIGHTY-SIX (Ishii) > Side note, what did Sawano-san and Yamamoto-san think after seeing the visuals? **Sawano** I thought "Using music to strengthen the contrast between battle and sol scenes is such a fitting move for EIGHTY-SIX". So much so that first time viewers would probably have a hard time imagining the 86 going to battle after watching one of their sol scenes. The shift betwen the two is definitely innovative. **Yamamoto** For example in episode 7, the scene where the music was allowed to play in the foreground with the dub and sfx volumes lowered was really memorable. Similarly in episode 10, the scene where "Hands up to the Sky" was playing while Fido recalling past events was memorable as well. The direction in these parts really stood out. > Was that the intension, Director Ishii? **Ishii** We wanted to use music to hype up parts where the story slows down. That was exactly what happened for episodes 7 and 10, where music began playing during the avant-title and doesn't stop till the end. In episode 10's B-part, time flys by with each cut and the part being Fido's zoetrope is not revealed until the end so it may seem really weird while watching normally *(laughs)*. I was also glad that we had used the full ED for that part, it really elevated the scene. ## listening to "Avid" while creating the storyboard, I felt like in that moment "he cried a lot" (Ishii) > At this point, cour 1 had just finished production, were there any difficulties in music and animation production? **Ishii** It was harder than I had expected. Music wise, I hadn't expect visuals to change so much after adding music and dubbing. Even if we had to suddenly change the storyboard, just by adding music everything would feel just fine. > Would you say that music completes the product? **Ishii** I had complete trust in both composer's music, so I went in focused on just doing my best for my part. For example, in episode 9 we did not intend for Shin to cry that much initially. **Sawano** Yep. **Ishii** But listening to "Avid" while creating the storyboard, I felt like in that moment "he cried a lot". Since we had not shown him cry at all up till this point and Shin wasn't a character that shows much emotion, I felt in combination with music we could really sell Shin's heightened emotions in the moment. > So scenes can be created from music as well? **Ishii** The scene would be incomplete without the music. For example, in the avant of episode 10, the music(Twilight of the same Sky) is what made the slow scene enjoyable despite its long length. Thanks to the music being finished by the time I was creating the storyboard, it was able to feed into the direction of the series. > On the side, Sawano-san, Yamamoto-san, what were some of your memorable scenes? **Yamamoto** Seeing "Two Worlds Apart" play in episode 8's B-part made me really happy that I had created the song. **Ishii** Yeah when Aketagawa-san showed me the scene with music asking "like this right?", I gave the OK right away. **Yamamoto** *(laughs)* Seeing it played over the scene of Spearhead's last moments at base also changed my image of the song. Originally I had created the song with the image of "the distance between Lena and the spearhead shrinking as trust forms" in mind. Seeing it used for that scene, I was able to see the sadness and fleeting feelings materialize as a part of the song's image. **Sawano** That says a lot about how powerful the visuals were as well. What music can do to add to that, say in a battle scene would be to add hype to it. "The Answer" was created specifically for that and it was a perfect fit for the Shin vs Rei scene. Similarly, creating the collab MVs using EIGHTY-SIX and "Avid" was also really memorable as well. ## Its refreshing to see a series where the ED and the series itself fits together so well. (Yamamoto) > This 4th volume of BD contains the last 3 episodes, 9~11 of EIGHTY-SIX. What are some highlights and music to look out for when rewatching these 3 episodes? **Ishii** In episode 9, the music made transitioning between the different emotional states more obvious and smooth. **Yamamoto** In episode 9, the episode ends along with the OST (Hear my voice) playing which is a rare thing. On the other hand, episode 10 had the double ending for A/B parts separately and despite that felt really good as a whole. While rewatching, I think even if you knew about these interesting usage of music, its effectiveness remains and should still be an enjoyable experience. **Sawano** While not exclusive to the special episode "Coquelicots blooming on the battlefields", it uses "Voices of the Chord" an orchestral arrange of an english version of "Avid" as its ED. Originally, this track was intended for a different scene, but it was memorable when used here. Also, not just in episodes 9~11, I was glad to see my piano solo that aren't on the official tracks list used to emphasize a character's emotional state. I really liked that scene, so it would be great if people looked out for it when rewatching. **Ishii** It wasn't my intention to use the EDs in irregular ways. In my mind, the EDs were another component that when forming the episodes in combination with the dub and sfx, the end result was the most balanced way I could use them. **Sawano** Looking through scene by scene, there were definitely cases where the ED placement was irregular despite it working so well. **Yamamoto** I had the same thought as well. Usually, EDs are paired with the same visuals and played at about the same time. In EIGHTY-SIX, each episode flowed smoothly from start to finish with the visuals of the main content often becoming a part of the ED, which gave it a stronger lasting impact. Normally, EDs act as a point where the viewer's emotional state switches, but in EIGHTY-SIX "Hands up to the Sky" plays when the episode ends on a high note while "Avid" plays when the episode ends on a low note. Its refreshing to see a series where the ED and the series itself fits together so well. **Ishii** I was surprised at how flexible we could be with the format of the show. Back in the day, this wasn't really possible. **Sawano** From what I've heard, Director Ishii basically OKed every song choice the Sound Director made? **Ishii** At the start, we had some back and forths but now due to Covid-19 the way we check the dub has changed. In the past, I would listen to the dub once right after it was recorded, give my comments, see it fixed and that would be turned into the visuals. But now, I would see get to check and comment of the visuals a week before I head to the dubbing studio where I would get to check the visuals again. Basically, in the past, you had 10-15 minutes to make a decision, now you would have much more time to think about what you had just saw. On-top of that, Aketagawa-san had discussed the sound direction with me many times in early production so later on we had a good idea of what each other wanted. **Sawano** I see. The Director is pretty high up in production team right? But aren't you still pretty young? **Ishii** I'm 33 years old. **Sawano** So, as I understand there are other higher ups providing input as well, how much of other people's input do you consider? Or are you the "I'll make whatever I want!" type? *(laughs)* **Ishii** I think for this time, I pushed my vision alone all the way *(laughs)*. For episode 7's battle scene, the storyboard was created by Itou Tomohiko-san who is basically my mentor, however we ended up going with what I felt was the more fitting music which was probably different from what he had in mind. From there I talked to Itou-san about removing all SE in the scene and other various self-indulgences which I think resulted in a better scene over all. **Yamamoto** If you hadn't put your opinions out there, you probably would have regreted it afterwards. **Ishii** Yep. I had experience working in production so I had a firm understanding that the schedule cannot be changed no matter what. I think EIGHTY-SIX cour 1 was a result of not comprising anywhere including the music despite the strict TV anime production schedule. ## Profile #### Sawano Hiroyuki, Composer. Creates OSTs for Anime, Live Action and other various genres. Recent notable works include "Gundam Hathaway's flash", "Kingdom(part 3)". Also active member of vocal project SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]. #### KOHTA YAMAMOTO, Composer/Arranger. Creates OSTs for Anime/TV Dramas, arranging character songs and providing tracks for singers. Recent notable OSTs include "DIVER-Special Infiltration Squad-", "Re:Stage|DreamDays". #### Ishii Toshimasa, Animation Director/Animator. Debuted as an Animator for the anime "Uchuu Kyoudai"(Space brothers). His first directing job was on web anime "Sobahe". ###### tags: `EIGHTY-SIX`, `BD Interview`, `Toshimasa Ishii`, `Sawano Hiroyuki`, `Kohta Yamamoto`
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EIGHTY-SIX Author/Director Interview: Asato Asato & Toshimasa Ishii

This Interview it recorded before Episodes 22 and 23 of EIGHTY-SIX are completed What are your thoughts on the series now that production for cour 2 has concluded? Ishii As this is my first time directing a TV series, I found it difficult to pace the highs/lows across the episodes and often just ended up going all out on every single episode instead. Especially in cour 2, I really had a hard time pacing the series and adapting to the situation. Asato Its been on my mind since cour 1 and I think this has been quite the blessed adaptation. It stays true to the source material, but even when it does break away it does so in a way that is the result of understanding and treating the source material with care. For example, by adapting the epilogue of volume 1 in the 23rd episode it preserves the core idea of the source material. However, it also presents these scenes in ways that I had never imagined in the source material, surprising me with just how much the anime format can elevate the material. As a writer, I was able to learn a lot from this experience. Therefore, I sincerely wish for Director Ishii to direct the sequel to EIGHTY-SIX, though, I also would like to see him direct a non-sequel original series as well... As the author for the source material, I am quite conflicted (laughs). Asato-san, which episodes or scenes made you want to see an original series from director Ishii?

4/30/2022
EIGHTY-SIX Author Interview: Asato Asato

What were your initial reaction to receiving the anime adaptation offer? Asato "Juggernaut action scenes are hard to imagine" were common feedback the novel had received and I thought that the flow of action would be conveyed better when animated, so I was really happy. On the flip side, the series is structured such that the female and male protagonists do not meet each other at all which had me worried as well. However, in my first meeting with Director Ishii, he insisted on adding certain directions to already difficult parts, making it even harder in the process. Upon hearing that, I was relieved and felt that I could trust them to do it right. I am sure that Asato-san had mental images of certain scenes and visuals while you wrote the novel. Did you shared these with the director? Asato Nope, i did not share any of my mental images. I think that it is better to leave the visuals and direction to a professional like the director, so I refrained from interjecting. In that case, would you say that most of your involvement is with the script and character dialogue?

2/4/2022
EIGHTY-SIX Director Interview: Toshimasa Ishii

Note: this translation is a paraphrase and has included the question asked into the answer. Each section is a paraphrase, including context, of a question and the answer following. Bolded text signifies the overall topic of the following section (up to the next bolded text). This interview came with the first BD volume. On the 86 project I was invited by producer Fujii Shota to direct 86. Fujii-san was a kouhai(junior) of mine when I was still working at A-1 pictures. I (Ishii) first read the novel after I got on the project. This was also when the talk of it being 2 cours long began. Because of these things I started thinking about how best to end the first cour... which led to the idea of having Lena and Shin be completely separate and unable to see each other. Ultimately this became the direction of the series, "a boy-meets-girl where they only know each other's voice". We then decided to sprinkle in some emo (in japanese, this means specifically emotional) visuals over it The question then became how to show Shin and Lena's relationship with them never meeting. "Never using a Cut-back", while a wild idea comes with the risk of boring the audience. On top of that, Shin and Lena will be shown "together" on screen at many points in this series which may mislead the audience into thinking they have met before. In order to avoid the confusion, we decided against having any scenes where both of them are in frame at the same time.

10/29/2021
EIGHTY-SIX Cour 2 OP Animation Retrospective: Yamamoto Ken

Link to Original Post on PIXIVFANBOX Since some of the trickier animations were gonna be done by Ishii-san and I lacked the skills to do them anyways, I decided to not over think things and create a straightforward OP. "Blue vs Red" were a contrast used in the source material, so I included it as is, as well as "Voice and Eyes". Additionally, for keywards like "Horizon" were also included as is without much abstraction. During my first meeting with Ishii-san, he asked for my thoughts on "Kurena become a magical girl and have fun flying about"... Which I ended up spending a whole week pondering seriously on the idea. In the end, I was given complete freedom with the OP which I was happy about. Though, I did kinda want to have Ishii-san criticize and fix my work in every way possible... As a result, I've caught the "seeing anime character faces and specifically eyes as a symbol and therefore wouldn't want their eyes to be seen from any direction but side and front" disease. On top of that, I also caught the "when I get to show the eyes, show them in as much detail as possible" disease.

10/28/2021
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