PASH! PLUS scored an interview with Okamoto Hideki, the director of Manaria Friends. As with many things, I decided on whim that I’ll translate it. I’m going to be working with some cool dudes from GJM to release the series too, so check it out if you’re interested. It’s got cute socks.
#manariafriends pic.twitter.com/XypRAZBbSj
— LightArrowsEXE (@LightArrowsEXE) 2018年12月24日
An Interview with Okamoto Hideki, the Director of Manaria Friends - The Story of Anne and Grea’s Daily Life
The anime series Manaria Friends by CygamesPictures is set to start on the 20th of January!
Anne and Grea are two immensely popular characters that first appeared in Cygames’ mobile game, Rage of Bahamut. This series depicts their everyday lives in Manaria Magical Academy.
What kind of tale awaits with the cheerful princess of the Manaria Kingdom, Anne, and the bashful princess of the Dragons, Grea, in the spotlight? To answer this question, and a handful of others, we charged ahead of the broadcast schedule and paid a visit to the director, Okamoto Hideki!
A Story About Anne and Grea
We’ve heard Manaria Friends is going to tell an original story. What kind of narrative can we expect?
Anne and Grea are the centerpoints of Manaria Friends. We’ve created situations that will bring forth each of their personalities and individualities, and the story will very much revolve around those two.
They’re definitely very popular characters. Anne and Grea first appeared in an event in Rage of Bahamut, but could you tell us a bit about them for the people that have yet to meet them?
Anne is the princess of the Manaria Kingdom. She’s diplomatic, lively and naturally talented. Grea is the princess of the Dragons. Unlike Anne, she’s rather quiet and a bit of an introvert. They’re both very nice, and loved by all of the students in the academy.
In spite of this, the two feel that there is still some distance between themselves and the other students due to their birth and status. Our story begins with this nagging feeling of loneliness.
Could you tell us about some of the male characters as well? There’s Owen (Hatano Wataru) and William (Uchida Yuuma), right?
Owen is a knight dispatched to guard Princess Anne. William is a student that has a crush on Hanna. At least, that’s the setting—you’ll have to watch the series to see how they’re introduced!
Is there anything in particular we should look out for? Something you worked particularly hard on?
We’ve tried our hardest to depict how Anne and Grea’s releationship deepens over time, and how charming that can be. I hope you enjoy watching over them as this happens. It should be quite peaceful and relaxing.
How are things at the recording studio?
I haven’t had to ask for much in particular, since all of the characters already exist in a number of games. I explained what the series is going to be about, and described the particular feelings I want to convey; that’s about it.
All of the voice actors have known their characters longer than I have, so I’m quite happy to leave them to their own devices.
What about at the animation studio? This is CygamesPictures’ first full series, after all.
Although it is their first full series, I don’t think things are very different to any other studio. All of the staff are working their hardest, and will continue to through to the end, to make sure the show is just that much better.
To wrap things up, do you want to say a few words to our readers? More things to keep an eye out for are fine.
We’re trying our best to produce a work that can truly depict the charms of the characters and how their feelings draw closer together. I hope you enjoy a relaxing time together with Anne and Grea, despite all of the intense ups and downs on our end.
Also, the magical academy has yet to be portrayed in any other Cygames work. I hope you also appreciate our take on this, whether you’re a die-hard fan of the Manaria friends, or a complete newcomer into their world.
