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Attack on Titan's Tetsuro Araki sat down with Your Name's Genki Kawamura to discuss how they brought together an all-star team of anime legends to help create Wit Studio's upcoming original anime film Bubble for Netflix.
As reported by Anime News Network, it was revealed in an all-new video that Bubble came to fruition after Araki, who serves as the movie's director, contacted Kawamura about making a film together. Araki explained that he was interested in working with Kawamura as he had plenty of experience in making films and shows aimed at a wider audience. Being a fan of Araki's directing work on Attack on Titan, Kawamura agreed to produce the film, and the two spent around six months tossing around ideas of what Bubble should be about. A concept illustration drawn by Araki of a mechanical Little Mermaid in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo soon formed the basis of these discussions, as Araki and Kawamura dreamed up a plot around the idea of a futuristic underwater adventure.
Gen Urobuchi, who has worked on series such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Psycho-Pass, was then brought on as screenwriter to develop and tease out the science fiction elements of the film. Urobuchi had done some uncredited work around 10 years ago on Guilty Crown, an action-dystopian anime series that Araki directed. Kawamura was keen to collaborate with Urobuchi as he loved his writing on Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
Takeshi Obata, who famously worked on series such as Death Note and Platinum End, was also recruited as Bubble's original character designer. While he initially rejected the offer to work on the film due to his busy schedule, Obata accepted the role after he learnt what the film would be about. "He's both mainstream and has a sense of artiness, so I've always wanted to work with him," Kawamura said.
Given the all-star team of anime creatives that were assembled for the film, Kawamura's description that Bubble is "a festival of creators involved with director Araki" seems apt. Araki's passion project was aimed to bring aboard people whose work is universally beloved to see what would happen if these geniuses worked together to create something.
Taking place in a Tokyo that has been isolated from the rest of the world after gravity-defying bubbles rain down from the sky, Bubble follows Hibiki, a master of the unique style of parkour young people in the city practice due to the laws of gravity being broken. After falling into the gravity-defying sea surrounding Tokyo, the young ace is saved by Uta, a mysterious girl with equally mysterious powers. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to unravel the secrets of their city after hearing a strange noise only audible to them.
Bubble is set to premiere worldwide on Netflix on April 28.
Source: YouTube via Anime News Network