――Maquia is finished, at last.
SHINOHARA: The previews have already begun, but I haven’t seen the final cut yet. I wonder when I’ll be able to see it! (laughs)
At first, I thought that if Mari Okada was going to direct, it would be best for her to do a TV series, but when I heard it was a movie I was a bit flustered. With TV, the longest a production will go is about a year and a half, but this time, it took over three and a half years from the first meeting! As someone in the midst of old age, director Okada says, I had some complicated feelings. (laughs)

――What is it like being assistant director?
SHINOHARA: My job is to support director Okada from behind. For this film, I provided assistance and support for general production.

――As an assistant?
SHINOHARA: I listen to the general idea of what the director wants to do, and try to put it into practice more specifically, like an on-site director I suppose. I tried to present several different options, without mixing in my own opinion, and have director Okada make the decision. It’s very rare for anime we have worked on to have one person do everything. I direct myself, but I don’t draw or write scripts, and I can’t even begin to think about directing music or sound effects. But the director can do all that thanks to the hard work of all the staff. And as for director Okada, first she writes the script, and she has a clear view of the whole world and all the characters. After that, as long as there is a staff who can provide practical support, we can create a movie with a vision that is “100% Mari Okada”, as producer Kenji Horikawa conceived.

――What did you think of Mari Okada as a script writer?
SHINOHARA: I’ve been working with director Okada as she has written scenarios for 12 or 13 years now, but even now I think she is a script writer with a bottomless well of talent. I’ve only seen a small piece of it, but she can do everything: draw great characters, have great ideas, create good stories, and write amazing dialogue that grabs hold of your heart. Especially regarding the balance of the organization, it’s like a skilled, mobile worker. By mobile, I mean that if you take a weight off one aspect, you have to attach a similar weight to another one or else the balance falls apart. She is very good at knowing where to place what kind of weight so there is nothing extra and nothing lacking in the story overall.

――Can you say something to all the fans waiting for this movie to be released?
SHINOHARA: Among the staff, there were many different feelings about Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms. I think that’s because the film seems to change depending on whose perspective you choose to follow, and what is most important. So I hope that people see it not just once, but two or three times, so you can find something new every time. As a creator, I hope you find something that touches your heartstrings even a little bit.

Toshiya Shinohara: director known for Black Butler, Tatakau Shisho, Nagi no Asukara, and more.