Zombie Land Saga (Anime)/Production and development

Concept and Creation
About four years before the broadcast, Cygames' Nobuhiro Takenaka came up with the idea for a zombie idol anime because Rita's character, a zombie girl who appeared in “Kami no Bahamut GENESIS”, was cute. The project was started by telling MAPPA that a dead girl could do a drama in which she lives like an idol. Before Murakoshi-san [the main writer] joined the project, the plan had simply started, based on the concept of a series of “zombie idols”.

At that time, it had nothing to do with Saga. This is how it started, but the project had not yet received the green light within the company [Cygames]. The CEO, [Koichi] Watanabe-san, is from Saga and had mentioned in past conversations that he wanted to make an anime about Saga.

So, they had this “zombie idol” project that was not approved, and they also had the instructions to create an anime about Saga, so they tried to put everything together to see if the project was approved. And that's how the Zombie Land Saga project got started.

When the location search process began, they contacted the municipal government and asked if they could show them around.

Murakoshi-san was going on a reconnaissance trip to Saga, but from the start, they didn't seem to be surprised, they maintained a very businesslike atmosphere. Afterward, they seemed they were a bit hesitant at first, but they decided that it could benefit the Prefecture, and therefore they cooperated a lot from the beginning.

They explained: «We want to do this kind of scene, do you know of a good location for this?» and they gave them several ideas.

Production
The title changed completely because they were trying to establish Saga as the location where the anime would take place. Staff members visited Saga many times to get the context of the location. Takenaka said: «Our president was involved in the location.» At first, they were quite concerned about how to combine Saga prefecture with idols. So, they went to Saga prefecture and felt that «the story we were thinking about coincides with Saga prefecture more than we expected». The hardest thing was when they went to Jofuku Chojukan. People in the memorial hall started climbing mountains to get excited and come up with ideas. They said they had a pretty tough experience climbing the mountains. «While traveling through Saga prefecture searching for locations, we moved away from the general concept of idols and changed the title to “Zombie Land Saga” eliminating much of the idol theme from the series».

For the most part, they worked with the Saga government in finding the locations, focusing on the script by Murakoshi-san. However, they were mainly advised on Saga's specialties, like their fame for “mikan” (mandarin oranges) and the like. Most of the locations were decided simply as part of the story.

For locations like “mocha café” from episode 4 or “Plaza 656” [mutsugoro hiroba], they only did internet searches for popular locations in Saga, found places that looked good, and added them to their scouting trip. However, the decisions were largely based on what was stated in the script.

Takenaka: «If history dictated a certain location that might require filming permission, we would ask the prefectural staff for help and then organize our schedule so that on that day we could visit multiple locations at once.» The government helped them with that kind of thing.

Murakoshi, joined after the project had already started. One day, he contacted [Manabu] Otsuka-san [CEO of] MAPPA and asked him: «''Hey, we're working on an idol anime. Are you interested?» — «Sure, but I don't know much about idols or idol anime.''» And they assure that the strength of the project was to ignore the “definition” of what idols are. So, they accepted and joined the project.

The planning of this work was carried out in cooperation with the Saga Prefecture. A person in charge of the public relations hearing section at Saga said, «I really don't care about idol stories.» The production committee was between three companies, MAPPA, Avex Pictures and Cygames. Deciding to make a 12-episode anime with 30 minutes in length per episode.

A great deal of information they got from the location on stage was also reflected. «''It's information that we can't get ourselves. Even if the people in Saga watch, it's often a manic place, so much of the information in the anime was pulled directly from the people in Saga''.»

There was almost nothing they wanted to include that, in the end, they couldn't. They used everything they could on the show and captured almost everything they had without having to compromise. As for what they couldn't use, it really was next to nothing.

Especially funny scenes. Scripts always tend to be a bit long, so while they fit well in terms of story, it is quite common to cut out jokes and joke scenes due to time constraints. But no important aspect of the story was left out.

One of the ideas for a comedy scene that they rejected was for the girls to play football against Saga's professional soccer team. It involved a [Romero] zombie dog replacing the soccer ball at some point, and since he can move by himself, the girls could win the game like that. Realistically, it was one of those ideas that would be rejected.

Setting
They had a general idea and the main points decided, so it was mainly about putting it all together in a neat story. Surprisingly, everyone had their own ideas and visions, so they all got together and shared their ideas (imagine just throwing away a toy box full of things) and got down to business examining them.

About two years from the time Murakoshi joined it. He was the last person to join the writing team, and by then everyone had a general idea of ​​the types of series they were doing, as well as things like the characters and the stories they wanted to include. Many things had already occurred to them.

Before Murakoshi-san joined, everyone shared their ideas. Once he joined, they started researching idols. They interviewed many idols and heard what they had to say, which helped them structure the story well. They were very impressed with how dedicated and passionate everyone was about their art.

MAPPA recalls in an interview with “The Animate Times” that it had the greatest difficulty in constructing the story. Talking to various set writers so far, they have all respected George A. Romero and presented a good setting. Shigeru Murakoshi was appointed because they thought that Shigeru Murakoshi, who had been involved in the work of MAPPA, could do a good job with a comedic background in the series composition.

Since this work is about death, it was decided to form a group of idols who lived in different times to portray different opinions. Furthermore, the idea of ​​giving each member a kind of legend was also adopted.

There is a basic template that most idol anime follow and without that, Zombie Land Saga would not have been made. If they did not have that format as a base, the series would not have made sense to viewers. Everyone has a basic idea of ​​what idols are like, and they tried to change that. It was successful in Japan because it has a strong idol culture. The idol archetype is clearly defined in the minds of most Japanese.

Just as the series is based on rural locations, there are «local [regional] idols» all over Japan, but it doesn't work that way for rock bands. It's not something that would fit most Saga people. But “idols + zombies” fits very well, right? The finer nuances can be difficult to express abroad, especially if the idols have to be “cute.” Adding zombies to the mix would probably be the last thing people want. But they deliberately decided to take the opposite approach. So, for that reason, having idols was an essential aspect after all.

Cygames said, «They were thinking of waking them up one at a time» said the director of Cygames. But in the end, it was decided to wake up all of them at once and leave Tae unawakened. They also had a “Tae-chan Meeting” where they argued what was [Yamada] Tae's true identity. They got to use some of those improvised ideas in season 2. Like when Tae is sent shopping for groceries.

It would be more difficult if the characters were similar in terms of personality. It works precisely because they're all unique, so they didn't have to change anyone once they defined their characters. In that sense, everything fell into place easily. All the girls are from different time periods, lived in different environments, and faced different circumstances. It's interesting because everyone in the group varies a lot. So, it was not difficult to work with that. On the contrary, it was a lot of fun for the team.

At the end of Season 1, there was a good balance between development and story elements that had yet to be explained. It was enough to get people excited and keep them in suspense, much like live-action movies that leave room for sequels. The sense of accomplishment after finishing the first season was incredible for the team behind.

CGI production
Ai Kuroiwa, the 3DCG animation director, talked about how they approached this point: «''Before starting the sequel, we had to review the workflow and how to organize the audience. The objective of “Zombie Land Saga: Revenge” was twofold: to see how far we could go in terms of expression using the same models as in the previous project, and to use the knowledge of the previous project to raise the average quality of the scenes on stage. To achieve this, we have tried to avoid showing broken images as much as possible''». The first step was to create line drawings and 3D character models based on them. To use the 3D model of the previous work and improve the expression, in this work the movement mechanism of the 3D model has been modified in many points, called “rig” (a structure of bones and digital controls is created within a geometry).

First of all, for the parts called “oscillating”, like the hair, the number of joints has been increased to be able to use the script “SpringMagic”. For the dance scenes, in which flexibility is required, the arms have been reinforced to reduce unnatural movement. The skirt is also programmed with a “dash controller” to move along with the movement of the legs, reducing the time to correct the movement of the skirt. For Episode 12, they had to create the dance scene in 3D, so the background art was also created in 3DBG. For the 3DBG model used in episode 12, modeling work with “blender” started at an early stage in the back grounding enterprise. Once the “artboard” was completed, the 3D stage textures were created. Motion capture took motion into account to give character at the time of dance choreography and performance. However, it is not possible to perfectly reproduce the movements of the anime, so in the end, the recorded data is retouched by the animators.

Once the 3D models, 3DBG, and motion capture are ready, it's time to start creating their screen. Once the storyboard is ready, it is used as the basis for deciding which parts should be CG and which parts should be drawn. Based on the schedule, they considered it to be the most effective method. Motion capture is not only used to create CG animation, but is also provided to animators as a guide to the movements for the drawing. Miniature models and virtual cameras were used at the “CG meeting”. The virtual camera (the movement of the screen within the three-dimensional stage) was used for discussions such as «How do we show the big room live?» The virtual camera was also used to communicate the director's vision to staff in a remote environment. After the CG meeting, it is time for the CG animators to start their work. The layout, the primary, and the secondary are the three stages of the process. The “layout” is mainly used to decide the position of the camera. In the primary stage, facial expressions, movements, poses, and timing are fixed, and in the second stage, the image is finished.

Character movements are created from motion capture. The motion capture is rough, so they have to change the angles of the arms to make them look prettier, and if the choreography hides the face, they have to adjust it to make it look better. In the primary, everything is fixed while those parts are processed.

Of course, they did not negate all the gross motions of the motion capture, and there are cases where small gestures are left intact that are difficult to reproduce manually. The most important thing for the production team was the facial expressions of the characters. Due to the delicate movements created by motion capture, facial expressions had to be detailed as well; otherwise, they would look too CG. They had to pay attention to these aspects to bring out the charm of the characters. An important aspect of the expression was the pattern of “squinted”. In this job, they have added a narrow eye pattern close to the design. As the shape of the closed eyes is different from the narrow eyes designed 50% of the time, without this pattern it is not possible to draw well the average expression when closing the eyes or the expression of squinting when laughing. It's not just idols that grace the stage at live shows. The audience waving lanterns in their seats is also part of the show. However, in the twelfth episode, they had planned to place about 30,000 people, and it is not realistic to work on each of them. So, they created a more efficient and effective work environment, with more automation and more movement throughout the process. Rather than creating each audience model, they reduced the amount of data by preparing two types of models: one for close-ups and a simplified version for distant views. In the previous production, the spotlight colors had to be changed manually, but in this version, they used a plug-in that assigns the colors randomly, so that the proportion of colors used can be adjusted to match the color of the image. of the character in the center.

Character development
Surprisingly, they managed to write the script while sticking to the original personalities of the characters. They made Sakura more motivated and energetic, but that change was made while interviewing idols for research. It could say that she became more like the main character.

Other than that, they all ended more or less the way they originally planned. They had a well-formed idea of ​​who they were, and the voice actors worked within that framework.

As the main character, it was a bit challenging to plan how Sakura's personality was going to develop throughout the series. She took some time, and there was a bit of trial and error at first, but in the end, they managed to create a compelling character.

In the middle of production, they made the belated decision to flesh out Sakura's character by adding a flashback scene. That choice was made midway. Originally, they weren't going to do it like this.

They put Yugiri's story aside during the first season because it was difficult for them to write it. They needed to decide things like the content and the mood of her flashbacks.

They had a general idea of ​​what they wanted to do, but found it difficult to fit it into the first season. In terms of time and plot direction, they just didn't have the space, so they delayed it until the second season. However, that gave them a lot more freedom as they were able to take their time and have a 2 episode flashback.

Lily was definitely not an easy character to create. Given the concept of Zombie Land Saga, they thought a lot about what normally could and couldn't be tolerated in an idol anime, including zombies, of course.

The nuance is hard to express, but one of the show's favorite lines is when Lily says, «''I'm not Masao! I am Lily!''» That line was actually a rewrite that they did during the recording sessions, but it feels like it encapsulates perfectly her character. They spent a lot of time thinking about her character and made sure there was a proper balance between comic and serious scenes.

In addition to the gender issue, Lily also died at a very young age, and that, of course, was difficult to address properly. But they wanted to make her a very strong person who stays positive whatever happens and lives life to the fullest… well, as “living” zombies it's a bit of a stretch, but you get the point.

They worked really hard to include scenes like Lily talking to her father, but at the same time, they didn't put too much emphasis on it. Since everyone is a zombie, nothing is holding them back, least of all gender. Be it someone like Tae or Lily, who was born as a child, none of that matters to the other members of the group. They see further.

It is a difficult situation. They must be careful and considerate of this kind of thing, as otherwise, it could become troublesome. Of course, the easiest option is to just avoid it altogether and not have to worry about a thing. But in the end, they relied on intuition, striking the right balance between fun and serious elements while wondering «will viewers understand what we are trying to convey?» It's not something they could know for sure. Sometimes they were sure that doing this or that would be okay, but they were still nervous about how things would turn out until the broadcast. Due to such concerns, they made many dialogue modifications during the recording sessions.

They did tests and decided to edit a lot of lines from episode 8. Fortunately, the scene was well received by the fans, so everything went well. As the creators of the show, they didn't feel it was absolutely necessary to bring the issue of gender to a group of idols. But on the other hand, they wanted to defy convention and do what other idol series didn't.

Art
In the design, the policy was to keep it cute and creepy, but not to turn into a moe, as there were strict rules against moe, and Kasumi Fukagawa was appointed as the character designer. In this work, all anime fans are represented in Franchouchou's audience members.

Casting
Murakoshi-san was very involved in the voice actors involved. He helped organize and direct the entire script, and the project could not have happened without him.

Murakoshi spoke to various people, went on location scouting trips, and participated in scenario planning meetings. He then would put all of that together. So really, he was completely focusing on writing. Once that part was finished, he did not participate anymore.

Once the script is completed, there isn't much involved in the anime's production process. As for Takenaka, thanks to Murakoshi-san being there, the project would have worked well, whether he was involved or not.

But when it comes to Zombie Land Saga, it was really a team effort, and it wasn't completely driven by one or two people. It was run by a competent team that helped with the planning; otherwise, they would not have been able to find someone equally good.

Mamoru Miyano, who plays the role of Kotaro Tatsumi, was decided by the proposal of the sound production staff. The idol voice actors were selected by audition, except for Tae Yamada.

There were some improvised parts. However, [Tatsumi] Kotaro's scenes were almost exactly as they were written in the original script.

The voice acting was very close to the script. There were some improvised parts, like when Kotaro's mouth is not shown on the screen, to which [voice actor] Miyano Mamoru added his personal style, but otherwise followed the script very closely.

Kotaro's character is key to the whole story. He is at the center of everything, which makes him very important.

Since Kotaro has a lot of comic scenes, they needed to find someone they felt safe with. When Miyano-san's name came up during discussions, they agreed that if anyone could do it, it would be him. So, they decided to ask him to play the role if his schedule allowed it.

Even as he stuck to the script, Miyano-san brought a unique tone and energy to the character. He was the closest to perfection they can get.

The other members had a clear personality and were easy to imagine, so it was decided without a problem. On the other hand, the selection of the role of Sakura was difficult, and finally, Kaede Hondo was named after the role of Sakura. Hondo is from Nagoya and has never used a dialect, and this was the first time this work appeared in a work that used a dialect.

Looking back at the event, she enjoyed the fun and cuteness of the dialect through careful instruction of the native dialect. Maki Kawase, who plays the role of Junko, and Rika Kinugawa, who plays the role of Yugiri, also talk about the fun of the dialect during filming.

They really struggled with Yugiri's speech. It was difficult to write a convincing dialogue in the way of talking “Kuruwa Kotoba”.

Kuruwa kotoba, or “quarter jargon”, were special languages ​​used by Yoshiwara courtesans during the EDO period, partially to mask the regional accents of women, who were brought from all over Japan. These languages ​​varied between the workhouse of a courtesan.

It is incredibly difficult. It takes almost twice as long to write for a character from “Oiran” (courtesan) because they have a unique way of speaking, so they have to do a lot of research. First, they wrote the lines in standard Japanese, then they would have to figure out how the real courtesans would have said them. If they couldn't do that, they had to change the dialogue to something that translated well, as it really upsets the pace of the conversations as well. That took a long time.

Nor is it a regional dialect; in fact, it emerged as a means of concealing the backgrounds of the speakers. It's the only way to speak and there's not much reference material to rely on, so Yugiri's version was a bit far from perfect.

There are a lot of people who are passionate about this kind of thing, so if they did things lazily by adding “-arinsu” to the end of words, those people would get mad at the staff. So, they did the best they could to research the topic and write a dialogue that sounded natural so that the experts wouldn't complain about it.

It's rarely a perfect 1-to-1 match, but the translated dialogue tries to capture the characters' personalities and atmosphere as closely as possible, such as with Yugiri's accent or Saki's attitude.

Minami Tanaka, who plays the role of Lily, imagined a serious anime because of the content of the script approved in the audition, but when she read it, she felt that she had been tricked by an unexpected joke and looked at the script again. In an interview with Animate Times, Tanaka said, «''Because Lily is the youngest and the height is short, I think it's okay to do it freely. They told me, «Please make it lively» and I was convinced''». «Oh, I'm so free». She said that she is trying to feel like flirting with other members.

Kotono Mitsuishi, who plays the role of Tae Yamada, and Yasuhiro Takato, who plays the zombie dog Romero, were named by Sakai. Regarding the reason for hiring the two veteran voice actors, Sakai said, «''Because neither Tae nor Romeo can speak, I think it is necessary to have expressive power. I thought it would be difficult unless there were veterans''». It was initially concealed that Mitsuishi was the voice actor in charge of Tae, but it was first revealed in the end credits of Episode 3. In an interview with Animate Times, Mitsuishi said that she was aware of foreign zombie movies when she played and acted with the intention that it would be a humorous anime. Looking back and regarding the intention to act, Mitsuishi stated in the interview that she wanted the viewer to be aware of the Franchouchou members feeling like a zombie-themed idol group.

The director [Munehisa Sakai] has said quite often the fewer lines a character has, the more difficult it is to convey its emotions, so he needs a truly talented actor for the role. It was very difficult to find the ideal voice actor/actress for Tae.

Sakai was directing when the offer was made, but she would have accepted either way. Having met and talked to Mitsuishi-san, you find that she is highly motivated and eager to try new things.

As soon as they started filming for the first half of episode 1 when Tae chases Sakura through the house, Mitsuishi-san gave a great performance despite not having any real dialogue. «''The mood immediately changed, and the other actors looked really energized and motivated to do an equally good job, they might even say from my seat in the control room. He was really impressed. She managed to lead the entire team.''»

Takato, who plays the role of Romero, said: «''Of course, it makes a difference between real and ordinary Romero, but I think it is better to say He-he-he according to the story, so it is better to do «Gaugau» so I do it with instinct and intuition. I spoke with the director, but in the end, it seems that Romero does not seem to think anything''»

Various voice actors were named as the sub-character, of which Hiroyuki Yoshino, the role of Police Officer A, was decided early on. Regarding the scene where police officer A rap in the second episode, Asami Tano, who plays Saki, said: «That scene was not written in the script at the beginning». It is probably a rap battle. He said: «That was what you did, it was improvised»

All songs are performed by Franchouchou (Kaede Hondo, Asami Tano, Risa Taneda, Maki Kawase, Rika Kinugawa, and Minami Tanaka). The anime began airing on October 4, 2018, on AT-X, Tokyo MX, Sun TV, BS11, Saga TV, and TVQ. It was also licensed by Crunchyroll.