The MONOGATARI Series Returns After a Five-Year Hiatus – The Story of a Production Team's Passion For Taking Over the Series [Part 2 of 2]

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  Tatsuya Ishikawa

  Aniplex

Click here to view the first part of this article: The MONOGATARI Series Returns After a Five-Year Hiatus – The Story of a Production Team's Passion For Taking Over the Series [Part 1 of 2]

The catalyst for a return to production and the new challenges it presented

――In 2019, the “Final Season” was broadcast, and the event “MONOGATARI Fes ～10th Anniversary Story” was held, marking a pause in the development of the MONOGATARI Series. Five years have passed since then, and now a new anime, “OFF & MONSTER Season,” is set to air. What was the catalyst for starting up production on the MONOGATARI Series again?

At “MONOGATARI Fes ～10th Anniversary Story,” we announced that a new project for “NISIOISIN Anime Project” was underway. In 2020, I worked with SHAFT on “Pretty Boy Detective Club,” aiming to move on to the next project from there. However, due to the world entering the pandemic, it was difficult to proceed with the next work.

Around 2022, as the situation with COVID-19 began to settle down, plans for releasing the Blu-ray BOX of the “Final Season” were made. It was then that discussions emerged about doing a “new series” as well. We consulted with KODANSHA and the staff at SHAFT, which led to this revival.

――This marks a long-awaited return for the MONOGATARI Series anime. How did you envision adapting “OFF & MONSTER Season” into an anime?

“OFF Season” is a series where the protagonist of the MONOGATARI Series, Koyomi Araragi, is not featured. Since the MONOGATARI Series through this point has been depicted as Araragi's story, it would have been challenging to suddenly develop a story without the main character after we started up the series again.

Therefore, while the theory would typically be to sequentially adapt “OFF Season” according to the original novels, for this series, we decided to deliberately interweave episodes from “MONSTER Season” as well, and build up the series with a crossover between the two series. We discussed this approach with SHAFT's producer Mitsutoshi Kubota and general director Akiyuki Shimbou.

――The first episode of this anime will start from “OROKAMONOGATARI” in “OFF Season,” correct?

Yes, we will start from “Tsukihi Undo” from “OROKAMONOGATARI” of “OFF Season.” Next will be “Nadeko Draw” from “NADEMONOGATARI.”

――The original novel “OROKAMONOGATARI” includes the chapters “Sodachi Fiasco,” “Suruga Bonehead,” and “Tsukihi Undo.” You will be adapting it starting from “Tsukihi Undo,” so the chronological order will be shuffled.

That's correct. It will start with the episodes of Araragi's sister, Tsukihi Araragi, followed by the episode about Nadeko Sengoku. It will be a series with a slightly different approach than before.

The latest installment of the MONOGATARI Series with a new team

――There have been some changes in the main staff line-up. This time, Midori Yoshizawa has taken on the role of director. She is a rising star in the world of directing.

I personally watched the first episode of “OROKAMONOGATARI” recently, and I felt a similar impression to when I first watched “BAKEMONOGATARI [Monster Tale].” Midori Yoshizawa previously handled the ending of the anime “Magia Record -PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA Side Story- 1st Season,” combining live-action footage focusing on the character, Yachiyo Nanami, which showcased Yoshizawa's sense of style. I feel that such sensibilities are abundantly incorporated in this MONOGATARI Series as well.

For example, scenes involving food use realistic footage. While previous MONOGATARI Series also featured elements of live-action, there's a new impression here that's different from before.

Also, this series focuses on characters like Tsukihi Araragi and Nadeko Sengoku, and they are portrayed in a way typical of young girls in their appearance and the rhythm and pause of their speech. These are traits uniquely characteristic of Yoshizawa's style. I felt it was a great decision to have Yoshizawa on as director. While we have been building upon the design flow of previous MONOGATARI Series, there is a sense that we are also venturing into new forms of expression as well.

――There's also a topic about the music, with YOASOBI handling the ending theme song for this work. How was this decision made?

Director Shimbou mentioned the importance of having an ending theme song that fits the current era. Since the last installment of the MONOGATARI Series was in 2019, for the new production, we wanted an ending theme song that reflects 2024. That’s why we were looking for an artist we hadn’t approached before and were searching for artists who evoke the present moment.

――That was YOASOBI then.

This is a personal feeling, but it wasn't because YOASOBI has handled many hit titles... Initially, I was intrigued by the commonalities between the novel submission site “monogatary.com,” which was the birthplace of YOASOBI, and the MONOGATARI Series. Both have close ties with novels and are centered around the keyword, “monogatari (story).”

Then, composer Ayase mentioned in an interview that he liked the MONOGATARI Series. Thinking there might be a connection, we made an offer, and they agreed to take it up.

――YOASOBI is a duo that “creates music from novels,” but how was the ending theme song for this one created?

Nisio-sensei wrote a short story, and based on that, the song “UNDEAD” was born. It's a song that is deeply rooted in what the MONOGATARI Series anime stands for, and, I think, is a highly sophisticated ending song, even truly fitting for Nisio-sensei's original novels. It reminded me of supercell's “Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari” from “BAKEMONOGATARI,” but with a fresh feel to it.

MONOGATARI Series : “OFF & MONSTER Season” – “OROKAMONOGATARI” & “NADEMONOGATARI” PV

Reasons for the exclusive unlimited streaming on ABEMA

――”OFF & MONSTER Season” will be exclusively available for unlimited streaming on the video streaming service ABEMA. For the MONOGATARI Series, which has traditionally centered around television broadcasts, is this also considered a change?

ABEMA has been actively involved in streaming the MONOGATARI Series since around 2016, even providing support with the fastest streaming available for the movie version “KIZUMONOGATARI [Wound Tale].”. Furthermore, for “OFF & MONSTER Season,” viewers can watch without needing to register, making it the streaming platform with the lowest entry barrier for viewers.

Additionally, since the first “BAKEMONOGATARI,” the MONOGATARI Series has been experimenting with different ways to utilize streaming. When “BAKEMONOGATARI” was produced in 2009 with a total of 15 episodes, the first 12 were broadcast on TV, and the remaining three were streamed on the official website. At that time, this was an incredibly innovative approach.

Another example is the short series “KOYOMIMONOGATARI,” where a dedicated smartphone app was created to stream short episodes of a few minutes each. The MONOGATARI Series has always been a series that takes on such challenges, so I think our collaboration with ABEMA this time progressed smoothly due to that background.

――When basing production on streaming, there may be changes in the format compared to television broadcast productions, wouldn't you agree?

Yes, indeed. Streaming allows for more relaxed restrictions on durations (one episode's broadcast time). The first episode of “OROKAMONOGATARI,” “ Tsukihi Undo,” has a runtime of approximately 35 minutes, and I think that moving to a streaming-based production has expanded our choices in our use of visuals.

Furthermore, nowadays, episode durations for streaming productions often vary from episode to episode, becoming the norm. Amidst these changes in the format of visual productions worldwide, I feel we've entered an era where we can challenge visual production since we are no longer constrained to the traditional 24-minute episode format.

Of course, there are forms of expressions that can only arise within the constraints of a 24-minute episode, but that's not to say that it's the best format either. Especially for the MONOGATARI Series, where the charm of the characters and the interesting dialogue are more important than anything, I think having more relaxed duration restrictions gives us the potential to make it even more interesting.

――Speaking of streaming, I assume expanding overseas is also an important endeavor?

In the first place, some of the early episodes of the MONOGATARI Series were created over a decade ago. Back then, streaming environments weren't as developed as they are now, and methods to expand anime overseas were very limited. Therefore, I think those who have supported the MONOGATARI Series from the beginning are truly core fans.

With this new work, “OFF & MONSTER Season,” we hope to expand the MONOGATARI Series more widely overseas through platforms like Crunchyroll.

――Previously, there have been movie screenings of “KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp-“ and broadcasts of the MONOGATARI Series overseas. How did the fans react at that time?

“KIZUMONOGATARI” has quite bold visual depictions, and while Japanese audiences took some scenes more seriously, those same scenes were met with bursts of laughter from American audiences. I believe the MONOGATARI Series still has the potential for high acclaim overseas.

I once went to Germany with SHAFT's Mr. (Mitsutoshi) Kubota, attending a fan interaction event there. The passion of the local fans was incredible. I got the impression that fans of the MONOGATARI Series often study Japanese out of their love for the work.

The producers' philosophy passed down in the MONOGATARI Series

――The MONOGATARI Series anime will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year. During this time, Aniplex's producers have changed. Is there anything specific that has been inherited while working on the MONOGATARI Series?

There isn't anything specific. It's more like, “Just do what you like.” However, when working on the MONOGATARI Series, there may naturally be a similarity in style that emerges.

People involved in the production of the MONOGATARI Series generally love this work, so they work hard and stick with it until the very end of production, packing it with lots of detail.

This applies not only to us on the producers’ side but also to the production staff, including everyone at SHAFT. Therefore, even when there have been changes in personnel, there may be things that are naturally inherited by this team.

――This new chapter of the MONOGATARI Series anime will surely continue to evolve. What kind of challenges do you personally want to take on in the future?

Of course, I love anime, but more than that, I love interesting things. Making the main part of the anime is one thing, but producing events like “MONOGATARI Fes ～10th Anniversary Story” is also enjoyable. It's often challenging to be in the middle of an event, but I want to continue doing interesting things in the future.

Click here to view the first part of this article: The MONOGATARI Series Returns After a Five-Year Hiatus – The Story of a Production Team's Passion For Taking Over the Series [Part 1 of 2]

Text by Hidekuni Shida
Photos by Kei Masuda
Translated by Yumi Hasegawa

© NISIOISIN/KODANSHA, Aniplex, SHAFT