2017.06.17
The heroine has an exclusive animator!? Interview With "Eromanga Sensei" Director Ryohei Takashita and Animator Keisuke Kobayashi
Interview, article by Kazuki Miura
Editing by Hitomi Sakuma
In particular, the cuteness of the middle schooler heroine Sagiri Izumi has caused quite a stir. The Sagiri drawn by Hiro Kanzaki in the novel is of course very cute, but how she appears in the anime deserves a separate special mention.
The secret lies in the fact that there's a special "Sagiri exclusive animator" who deals with Sagiri's animation throughout the anime - or, at least, that's what they say. We had the chance to interview Eromanga Sensei director Ryohei Takashita and Sagiri animator Keisuke Kobayashi. By the way, they have a senpai/kohai relationship (Takeshita is one year older), and they seem to get along quite well!
Showing parts you don't usually see is the key to kawaiiness



I often use the bird's-eye view to show parts of her body, especially those you cannot usually see like fingers, navel, foot soles and so on. By showing body parts that you don't usually see, I want to bring out her kawaiiness and make the spectators' hearts race.
Also, I think some of her gestures can be pretty cute too. In episode 7, Sagiri is wrapped in her futon - that's such a cute scene.

"Sagiri cuts" between anime style and realism




-- What's special about "Sagiri cuts"?




I'm asking him for cuts where his creative power can come out and make this particular anime even better. (laughs) I asked him many times to have a main role in this production before he accepted.

About that string bikini scene...


In other anime, I think the cut would only portray the final moment when she tightens the strings. However, we decided to recreate the whole action.





In Sagiri cuts, "loops" are important

Personally, I like the one when she takes a picture of her butt in Episode 1. That scene doesn't exist in the original work, so it became a hot topic around the internet. I'm glad people liked that!




Do animators observe women's body in order to draw them just like it happens in Eromanga Sensei?


I think skilled animators necessarily observe reality or photos. I think it's quite common for them to pose in front of a mirror, trying to replicate the character's actions.

Besides that, I often use idols image videos as a reference. It's hard to take a man's body as an example, after all (laughs). I'm watching them as reference materials, but the truth is I'm also enjoying them quite a lot. (laughs)

I wanted to create charming OP & ED credits


In the last part of Episode 2, Sagiri says "I'm gonna wash my own panties from now on", so the ending is somehow connected to that scene as well.


It's not only about kawaii characters. A story about two characters creating a light novel together



That's why, although Sagiri is really cute, the theme of the series is two characters putting their forces together to make a light novel. Without that story, it would be only an anime about cute girls. The message that the two of them will move forward and fight together is also included in the OP credits.
I hope "Eromanga Sensei" headquarters will stay in the staff's hearts
エロマンガ先生9話、ご視聴ありがとうございました!
— 岡勇一 / Yuichi Oka (@oka_yu_1) 2017年6月3日
「自分で選んだのに、いざ着る時になってそのマイクロさに恥ずかしくなる山田エルフ大先生」#Eマンガ先生 #eromanga_sensei pic.twitter.com/d6fISw7Jzl



I want all fans to be happy!


