Animator and director Tetsuro Araki revealed in an interview with Oricon what inspired the upcoming Bubble movie and how a mermaid illustration gave life to the story. Araki, who is directing the movie, and producer Genki Kawamura talked about how the movie came to be and revealed some details behind the staff ensemble.
WIT Studio is animating the Bubble movie that was conceptualized after Araki approached Kawamura, who had previously worked on titles such as Weathering With You and Belle, because he wanted someone who knew how to make an animated work for a wider audience. Kawamura, who saw Araki’s directorial work on Attack on Titan, always wanted to work with him so they spent around 6 months discussing potential themes and topics that the movie would explore. During this period one illustration by Araki stood out – a mermaid observing a sunken city. “I thought an original story with the Ningyo motif might be interesting and so the story moved,” says Kawamura. The illustration was revealed for the first time:
The duo talked about Gen Urobuchi’s involvement in the work. Urobuchi, novelist and screenwriter, well known for his work on the Psycho-Pass and Fate franchises, is writing the screenplay for Bubble, as part of Nitroplus with Renji Oki (Naoko Sato is also credited for the screenplay). Genki Kawamura states that he loved Urobuchi’s work on Puella Magi Madoka Magica (scriptwriter) and that he wanted to work with him as a fan. Araki adds that Urobuchi helped by formulating the setting of the story, giving it a “body” and by adding important sci-fi elements to it. Araki also revealed that he admired Urobuchi greatly when he worked on Guilty Crown some ten years ago.
Kawamura also reflected on Takeshi Obata, Death Note illustrator, who did the original character designs. Initially, Obata was too busy, but after he read the plot he contacted Kawamura and said that he wanted to do it. Kawamura believes Obata’s work added a sense of “manga-style” to the original anime movie.
The full interview with Oricon News is available on their YouTube channel:
Bubble will be streaming on Netflix on April 28, while the theatrical release in Japan is set for May 13. Netflix describes the plot as:
In a Tokyo where gravity has broken, a boy and a girl are drawn to each other… The story is set in Tokyo, after bubbles that broke the laws of gravity rained down upon the world. Cut off from the outside world, Tokyo has become a playground for a group of young people who have lost their families, acting as a battlefield for parkour team battles as they leap from building to building. Hibiki, a young ace known for his dangerous play style, makes a reckless move one day and plummets into the gravity-bending sea. His life is saved by Uta, a girl with mysterious powers. The pair then hear a unique sound audible only to them. Why did Uta appear before Hibiki? Their encounter leads to a revelation that will change the world.
The official trailer features the opening theme song by Eve and Uta, titled “Bubble“:
Source: Oricon News
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