Quote:
Amamiya: What was the original concept around which the show was made?
Aoki: Aniplex producer Iwakami first proposed it to us. Urobushi Gen-san, Iwakami-san, and I decided to make a mecha anime together. That was about 2-3 years ago...probably around the time I was doing Fate/Zero. It was a while before we came up with the broad basis for the story. In the beginning, the story was completely different, but the first thing we decided on was that it'd be a story about 'strong vs. weak robots'. The story was decided based around this concept.
Amamiya: Out of the three main characters, which one crystallised first?
Aoki: Hm...I'd say they all came into being around the same time, but if you want to be really precise, then you could say Slaine was first. Though they weren't even named at that point, just labelled 'main character A, B and C'. The character that became Slaine was the first one that was completed, so-to-speak.
Minase: The final episode was pretty shocking to many people. Was that decided early on?
Aoki: Urobuchi-san made the original story outline, upon which all the screenplays were based. That foundation has been protected, but a lot of things have been added to it -- stories, characters and details. And we'd make adjustments based on those additions.
Amamiya: So Inaho and Asseylum having fallen in that final episode, was that also in the original story outline?
Aoki: No, it was slightly different.
(Whaaaat? Really)
Aoki: The story has remained the same, but the route we are taking is different.
Minase: Waaah...I'm really curious about the route you didn't take!
Amamiya: Yeah, I really want to ask about that!
Minase: Right? Ah, and also, we looked at the character concepts from the first BD last week, and Inaho's character struck us as being rather different from what he is now. Like, there are a few drawings of him smiling. Does that mean that even character expressions were amongst the details that you added or took away?
Aoki: Back when Shimura-san created those character design concepts, he was a bit 'softer', so-to-speak. But we were still finalising his character at that point. The basic idea was there - a smart and quick-witted kid, someone calm and collected; the question of just how 'calm and collected' was still up in the air. So Shimura-san's original character designs had a good balance. In the end, he became a character who's emotions don't really show on his face, so his design was modified based on that.
Minase & Amamiya: So that expression really is rare...something we can see because it was made before his character was complete. (Minase: I thought he was pretty cute. Amamiya: Agreed!)
Amamiya: In terms of character settings, has Inaho always been like this?
Aoki: It's in the show (really...? -karice) but Inaho lost his parents during Heaven's Fall 15 years ago. Since then, he's been living with his sister, Yuki -- with a lot of help from the people around them, of course, but basically, it's been the two of them. And even though they had support, I'd say their life has been pretty difficult. So in the course of supporting each other through this, like, 'the wisdom of living' and the attitude of never giving up no matter how tough things get, that's probably how those traits that Inaho has came to be.
Minase: Like how he was looking out for food specials (in the first episode - What Aoki says here about Inaho is what came to my mind, especially when I rewatched episodes 1 and 2, when those silly debates were going on. It was great to get confirmation! -karice). That kind of 'wisdom of living' is what has helped them overcome all the challenges they've had.
Amamiya: It's a good thing that Yuki isn't the same though, isn't it?
Minase: Perhaps that's why she's like that though, because she has a brother like that. I really really like her.
Amamiya: And the trust between them is also the result of them having worked together to get to this point.
Aoki: Right on. In supporting each other, each filling in for what the other lacks, that's how each of their personalities have taken shape.
Minase & Amamiya: Wow, that's fantastic...really love them as siblings, huh?
Minase: And now for the topic that the two of us are most interested in...Slaine... what should we start with?
Amamiya: Slaine...well, I'm personally really curious about his past, like his father and so on. Like, what happened before he crash-landed into the 'bath house' and was saved by Asseylum.
Aoki: Slaine's father was a researcher studying Aldnoah (NB: the word used indicates that he was the 'doctorate-holding' Dr, not an MD). At the end of episode 5, Saazbaum mentioned a "Dr Troyard," right? Dr Troyard was invited/called to Vers to conduct research on Aldnoah. On the way, their vehicle malfunctioned and so they crash landed. And that's how Slaine and Asseylum met.
Amamiya: Does that mean that they'd always lived on Earth before then?
Aoki: Yup, Slaine lived on Earth for quite a long time.
Amamiya: And his father was from Vers?
Aoki: No no, he's originally from Earth. Slaine's past will be covered in a manga extra packaged with the 2nd BD. (Minase is extremely happy about this.) It's something we couldn't cover in the series itself, so...
Amamiya: And...well, going completely off on a different tangent, does Slaine have any hobbies?
Minase: Or favourite foods?
Amamiya: Since the anime probably won't cover this sort of thing...?
Aoki: Well, the food will appear in the manga... (Both are very excited) Like, a bit more of his personality will become clear, as will his relationship with his father.
Minase & Amamiya: Yay! I'm glad...we have to buy it and read it! (etc etc)
Amamiya: And coming now to Asseylum, in the world of Aldnoah.Zero, she's like a light. But we don't really know much about her...she's lost her father, right? In Heaven's Fall. And her grandfather is the current ruler. Does she have a mother?
Aoki: Her mother passed away pretty soon after she was born.
Minase: So, Asseylum has been alone, except for her grandfather, pretty much since she was a baby.
Aoki: She doesn't really speak about her father in the show, right? Or her family? She does talk about her grandfather, but she probably has no memory at all of her father.
Amamiya: Because she was so young, she really has no memory of her parents. That's really sad. Would she have played with her grandfather?
Aoki: Well, she interacted with him. Remember the formal photo we made for promotional purposes, the one with Slaine as well?
Amamiya: And did they get along?
Aoki: I'd say so. From both sides. And remember in episode 5, how he remembered Slaine? So I think they got along very well when she was young.
Minase: Moving on again...can I ask what you think of Eddelrittuo? Like, I've been wondering about her past, about when she first became a 'lady-in-waiting', and when she was first attached to the princess etc etc.
Aoki: Well...Eddelrittuo is going to be covered in the next manga - like their meeting and stuff.
Minase & Amamiya: (Excited reactions, though 'nervous'). But she's a good kid, right?
Aoki: Yes, she is. Actually, she's also changed a lot from how we first envisioned her. She was actually around 20yo at first. (Wha-- Really?!) As the princess's companion, we set her up as being older and we even had Shimura-san design her based on that concept. But as we got a bit further in development, we felt that the story progression would work better if she was younger, and that's how she came to be. And we apologised to Shimura-san and asked her to redesign her after that.
Amamiya: Ah, so she was originally an older-sister figure.
Minase: And if she'd been 20, I probably wouldn't be voicing her!
Amamiya: Ah, good point! Someone else would probably be playing her!
Minase: And...I'm also hoping we'll be able to see her with her hair down...
Amamiya: It's in the character design concepts, right?
Minase: Ah, yes! But perhaps, in the anime too, someday?
Aoki: Well, I've long wanted to do that, but there's been no suitable scene...
Minase: Ah...being the handmaiden of a princess means she doesn't really have the opportunity to relax and let her hair down, huh? I guess I'll just have to wait for the manga... (with Amamiya: etc)
[They then decide the director's Vers name]
Minase & Amamiya: Since you're like the father of this show => maybe Aldnoah Ei. What would you like?
Aoki: Is this something that I decide?
Minase & Amamiya: Or Aoki Zero, or Aoki Rei. Aoki Zero is pretty stylish... Is there anything that strikes a chord with you? (Aoki laughs) How about we flip it? Zero Aoki, or Zero Aoki Ei? Which would you like?
Aoki (laughing): Out of which options?!
Amamiya: Director Aldnoah Ei, Director Aoki Zero or Director Aoki Rei.
Minase: And the 'Rei' will probably be written as '0'
Aoki: Then let's go with 'Rei'.
=> Director Aoki Rei.
Q&A section (from the readers)
Are there any settings or plot developments that you've decided not to go with? I'd like to rewatch the series with any such details in mind. (Minase & Amamiya agree with the sentiment).
Aoki: Well, there are quite a few. For example, since this is a mecha anime, there are quite a few ideas for robot abilities that didn't really fit in.
Amamiya: Does that mean they won't appear at all?
Aoki: Well, I'd like to try to include them in S2.
Minase: Can we ask what some of those might be?
Aoki: Since they might appear, we'll be spoiling things, so...
Minase & Amamiya: then we'd better leave it here. Is there anything else? Something that you can share in greater detail?
Aoki: Well...turning to the characters, Marito is also different from what we envisioned at the start. In episode 7, at the very end Rayet finished Feminanne off, right? (Yes) That was originally meant to be Marito.
Minase & Amamiya: So he was meant to get back into the fights there? But it changed to Rayet.
Aoki: Yeah, the producer made a comment that "wouldn't it be better if it were Rayet?"
Amamiya: Ah, so just a word from the producer, there wasn't a deeper meaning behind it? Like, Having him fight later?
Aoki: Well, no. I asked him, "wouldn't it be fine leaving it as Marito?" Though Rayet too worked -- both were ok in terms of the story. But it ended up being Rayet in the end.
Amamiya: So Marito lost that chance to fight, and even now, still hasn't returned to the field...
Minase: Even though he keeps warming up for it...
Aoki: Another one is actually Slaine.
(laughter as the two girls' interest is again piqued)
Aoki: Slaine was originally meant to be a bit more...ambitious. The basic background is the same: he's from Earth but went to Vers and is oppressed/mistreated there. The current Slaine, the one in the series, well, his spirit has been broken because of this mistreatment, right? Like, he's struggling with it; even when he tries to go against it, it doesn't work out well for him, so that's broken his spirit. The one thing that keeps him going is Asseylum. But at the start, he was someone who took whatever happened and it...you could say he had a rebellious spirit. But that didn't really work out, and we figured that actually, his character would actually work better if he were someone whose spirit had been broken. So we changed quite a few things at that point.
[Minase & Amamiya find it really interesting, especially thinking about how things might have been. But they're happy with what they got, because they really really love him as he is now (e.g. they love the facial expressions of the broken-spirited Slaine, the Slaine who's struggling so hard), so it must have been the right decision!]
After watching that final episode, I really don't know how I'm going to wait 3 months! So, without giving away any spoilers, could you please share with us a little about the second cour?
(Minase & Amamiya agree that the ending was such a tease!)
Aoki: Well, this week, a preview for the second cour was released. If you listen to it, you should get an idea (of what happens next).
Minase: But even then, we don't really know how we should take it.
Aoki: Well, but even in the last episode, we included a few hints. I wondered if they might not get through-
Minase: Really?
Amamiya: Well, then we're going to have to watch it over and over again.
Minase: Maybe some of the viewers have already picked up on it. For us, we don't really know what to pay attention to, huh?
Aoki: Well, for example, the narration at the end. (By Yuki. Yup). There, she says that "Her Highness, Princess Asseylum's whereabouts are still unknown."
Amamiya: So that means...that her body hasn't been found...
Minase: Ah, so her death isn't confirmed. So you can hold your head high.
Aoki: Well, we don't know whether she's alive or dead.
Amamiya: So if she's alive, then how will she come back into the story? or something like that?
Aoki: Also, the person narrating is Yuki, right? That's also a hint.
Amamiya: Well, I'd actually wondered why it's Yuki that's narrating...so that was also a hint...
Minase: I thought it was simply because Ohara-san's voice was perfect for it...
Amamiya: I see...we really need to rewatch this...
Minase: Ah, and 'Inaho' hasn't popped up in this conversation at all yet, so about Inaho...does that mean he's definitely...?
Aoki: Inaho...he's quite...well, he was definitely shot...
Minase: The bullet didn't penetrate, but...
Aoki: there was blood.
Minase & Amamiya: and quite a lot of it.
Minase: Like, Slaine really aimed to kill...
Amamiya: Like...try a bit harder to miss, please!
Minase: Like, it looked like there's little hope...but even then, perhaps, he's still-
Aoki: Well, it's certain that Inaho's been shot. So...there's no way that he'd be able to just pop right back up after that final episode and say, "well, that was close."
Minase & Amamiya: (nervous laughter) That's true. Ah...it's nerve wrecking.
Aoki: Well...so given the situation, given those conditions, he will die.
Minase & Amamiya: Wait...but you're saying "given the situation"... Like, it feels like there's a riddle in the words you've used! Like, I'm a bit more uncertain now! (Both decide to rewatch it when they get home)
