Template:Interview 4

Interview with Enami Katsumi (character designer)


 * '――This time, you were in charge of character design for an original series - how did you develop the designs for Kurusu Kazuki, Suwa Rei, and Unasaka Miri?


 * Enami Katsumi:
 * For Kazuki: I wanted to clearly get across the idea that, despite being an assassin, he's the caretaker figure for Miri and Rei. I was always working towards that, right from the start. Once I had a rough idea of his face, I tweaked his hairstyle and clothing according to requests, to nail things down.


 * For Rei: In the first draft, he was a well-built, tough-looking guy - the spitting image of an assassin. But once I heard the staff requests and got a better handle on his personality, I changed course and made him a slim man with a gloomy air.


 * For Miri: Since she’s the heroine, I very much wanted her personality to stand out. So I gave her facial features and hair that brought out her unique traits very clearly, and made her seem a bit older. I don't draw children all that much, so it was quite a struggle.


 * '――What did you consider the most important aspect in each of their designs?


 * Enami Katsumi:
 * For Kazuki: He's "a mother". I was told this at every planning session, so I made sure to bring out a certain softness in his physique and expressions - something like a mother's tolerance.


 * For Rei: I aimed to make his duality - of the shut-in otaku and the cool assassin - apparent at first glance. And I made him relatively slim, in order to bring out a clear difference between him and Kazuki.


 * For Miri: With "an ordinary innocent young child" as my goal, I cut back on the eyecatching characteristics, and made her hair shorter, so that her liveliness would come through more clearly, and her expressions would be easier to read. At first, I thought she might have ended up too plain, but I figured I would leave things up to the animation and voicing. I was really blown away when I saw her fully-voiced and in motion.


 * '――Was there anything else you got especially hung up on when it came to Kazuki, Rei, and Miri?


 * Enami Katsumi:
 * For Kazuki: The contrast with Rei was crucial, so I definitely wanted to give him a bright, slightly lighthearted air.


 * For Rei: When it came to Rei's assassin mode, I was thinking along the same lines as the rest of the staff, and so his attire and hairstyle were decided quite easily. Then I aimed to highlight a gap - I wanted his "off" mode to be idiosyncratic enough to be immediately recognisable.


 * For Miri: I was told that it was important for Miri to have an ordinary childishness and innocence, and so I was careful to give her childlike body proportions that would make it easy for her to express suitably childish actions.


 * '――Apart from the main trio, are there any characters you're especially attached to, whether because you're fond of their designs or for some other reason?


 * Enami Katsumi: Ogino [Ryo]. Drawing quirky old men is something I really love, and in the final version, after weaving together all the staff's requests, he ended up looking even quirkier than I'd imagined. So he became my favourite.


 * '――When you first saw the complete footage of the characters in motion, what impression did you have?


 * Enami Katsumi: Kazuki was exactly as I imagined, so my reaction was, "This! Yes, this!" Rei's "off" mode honestly surpassed my expectations. If I have the chance to draw him from now on, I definitely want to draw him with this sort of vibe. Miri's voice really is a full blast of childishness - I was amazed how thoroughly it makes up for the parts that couldn't be conveyed through the drawing.


 * '――Enami-san, do you think there is some common charm that the "Buddy Daddies" characters share?


 * Enami Katsumi: We get to see their daily lives, and personalities that make them seem like the most unlikely assassins, and that makes them very endearing. And once Miri is thrown into the mix, all three of them display all sorts of delightful expressions - I want to keep watching them forever. Since them being assassins is built into the premise, we're bound to see a completely different side of them in future; I'm looking forward to it.


 * '――By the time this is posted, episode 3 will have aired. Are there any scenes from episodes 1 to 3 that you found memorable, or that you're especially fond of?


 * Enami Katsumi: The scene where Miri says to Kazuki, "I hope Mama's not too lonely…" When they're talking about the difference from her mama's Hamburg steak, you can sense Miri's emotions brimming over; it's incredible.


 * '――Please tell us what you think are the selling points of this series "Buddy Daddies".


 * Enami Katsumi: I think ultimately, it's the interactions among the trio. I hope that, as the story unfolds, people will enjoy watching the changing relationship between Miri and the two men under her thumb. Personally, my favourite thing is watching Rei in his "off" mode.


 * '――Finally, please give a message to everyone who is enjoying this series.


 * Enami Katsumi: This is my first time designing characters for an original anime. I grew attached to these characters, and I'll be very happy if you become fond of them as well. I hope you'll thoroughly enjoy the main trio's adorableness.