| Source: https://mantan-web.jp/article/20260101dog00m200064000c.html Here is a quick rundown of the interviews __ Tomoya Kitagawa (Season 2 Director) -Said he was genuinely happy to be offered the director role, but also feels strong pressure due to Frieren being such a popular series. -Wants to meet viewers expectations while respecting what made Season 1 special. -Previously worked closely with Saito on Sonny Boy in storyboard and direction roles, and that working relationship continued into Frieren. -Emphasizes that Frieren’s appeal lies in emotional subtlety: characters often say one thing while feeling another. -Focuses on how to visually express inner emotions and emotional complexity rather than over explaining. -Notes that the anime adds original elements, so he constantly considers how to make them feel natural and interesting. -Season 2 is fundamentally an extension of Season 1, deliberately preserving its unique tempo, atmosphere, and quiet tone. -The core theme of Season 2 is the party's growth: Frieren begins passing Himmel’s lessons on to Fern and Stark. -Fern and Stark grow alongside Frieren, and this maturation is reflected both emotionally and in how the party fights together. -Action scenes emphasize teamwork and coordination rather than solo spectacle. -Added small original touches (such as the opening of Episode 1 and title presentation) to heighten the feeling of “Frieren has returned, and the journey begins again”. -Carefully studies Season 1s pacing, scenery, and handling of key dialogue so important lines don’t simply pass by. -Stark, who was less active in the latter half of Season 1, plays a major role in Season 2. __ Keiichiro Saito (Season 1 Director, Season 2 Chief Director) -After finishing Season 1, felt he had fully exhausted himself creatively and wanted to reconsider how Frieren could be delivered more strongly. -Chose to step back from full hands-on directing while still contributing by sharing his experience and knowledge. -Took the “Chief Director” role to advise rather than lead, without holding anything back. -Reviews scripts and storyboards, proposes revisions, and acts as a general advisor. -Also directly worked on part of the storyboard for Season 2 episode 2 and participates in editing. -Initially planned to only assist during pre-production, but ended up helping in post-production as well. -Chose Kitagawa as director because he trusted his thinking, technical ability, and judgment from working together in Season 1. -Says there were no other candidates he seriously considered. -Personally felt it would have been fine if Kitagawa had fully renewed the series with his own color. -However, he is genuinely happy and appreciative that Kitagawa is using Season 1 as a guideline and reference point for Season 2. -Notes that with the experience gained from Season 1, Season 2 is achieving things they couldn’t fully realize before. -Jokingly admits feeling a bit envious watching those improvements. -Believes Kitagawas “color” appears subtly in framing, timing, and acting rather than through drastic stylistic changes. -Points out that the opening of Season 2 episode 1 includes additions not in the original script, clearly showing Kitagawas intent. -Confirms that many key animators from Season 1 are returning, raising expectations. __ Tomohiro Suzuki (Season 1 and 2 Composition/Script) -Felt from the first read that Frieren had a serene, quiet tone with very careful and delicate wording. -Believes the dialogue has strong appeal when heard aloud, not just read on the page. -In Season 1, the slow tempo and calm direction helped emphasize this “pleasant sound” of the dialogue. -Also highlights the importance of contrast between stillness and comedy. -Producer Fukushi emphasized maintaining a clear “axis” for the series, so that after finishing, viewers want to reflect on the story as a whole. -Script discussions focused on showing how the party’s coordination and maturity gradually increase over time. -Notes that Himmel flashbacks feel different in Season 2: Frieren actively recalls him rather than passively remembering. -The original creators specifically asked the team to treasure every line of dialogue. -At the same time, they were supportive and encouraging about expanding scenes when needed. -Season 2 contains more expanded material than Season 1, developed through discussion and refinement. -The team consciously depicts both character change and the aspects of the characters that remain unchanged. __ General Season 2 Production Notes. -Many core staff from Season 1 (art director, color design, cinematography, editing, animation staff, etc) are continuing into Season 2. -Animation producer Fukushi continues to organize the production environment. -The production team is described as highly motivated and stable. -Season 2 aims to maintain the balance between emotional storytelling and action that resonated with the audiences. -Overall goal is for viewers to finish Season 2 feeling warmth, satisfaction, and a sense of growth from the characters. Overall, a pretty informative interview I would say, the production of Season 2 seems to be heading in a very good direction. |
| thanks for translating and highlighting key points of the interview!! As the release day gets closer and closer, its making me more and more excited as well as anxious!! |
V1P3R0PJan 12, 11:54 PM
| Thank you for translating this. It was a nice read. It was obvious that a lot of thought and care was put into adapting the first season and I'm glad to heat that continues into the 2nd season too. Manga is great but the anime adaptation really elevated it for me. One of the best anime adaptations I have ever watched. I usually only watch anime once, or maybe twice if it's really good. But I watched Frieren maybe 15 times by now, I stopped counting at 10. Chose Kitagawa as director because he trusted his thinking, technical ability, and judgment from working together in Season 1. Says there were no other candidates he seriously considered. Seems like high praise for one to get from such a great director and appears to be well deserved, at least from reading Kitagawa's interview. We need as many good directors in the anime industry as we can get, so I hope he does well.Producer Fukushi emphasized maintaining a clear “axis” for the series, so that after finishing, viewers want to reflect on the story as a whole. They really succeed in that, I saw so many people mention how watching Frieren made them reflect on their own life and treasure their time with family and friends even more.I'm looking forward to S2 even more now. |
| just as a quick overview yes it's pretty hard to mess up considering he has a template from season 1 and great source material just put the fries in the bag bro directing honestly. |
Reply to Dene34
Thank you for the the translation and the summary.
Still waiting for someone to delete his account after this, since it was promised.
enthusiastperson said:
Animation producer Fukushi continues to organize the production environment
Animation producer Fukushi continues to organize the production environment
Still waiting for someone to delete his account after this, since it was promised.
| @Dene34 I'm 80% sure that Fukushi is still going to organize the animation production on Season 2 even with his production line currently working on the original film ''Ghost'' directed by Natsume Shingo, that film is releasing in 2027, so I believe (hope) that he can still work on both projects without exhausting his production line. He could also be receiving help from other producers to make his schedule more flexible. (like how he brought producer Takashi Nakame who usually only works on anime films to help with the production of Season 1) |
enthusiastpersonJan 15, 1:17 PM
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