■ Director Ryohei Takeshita’s Comments

[Opening Comment]
With the theme of a bad end, we created this together with the staff while searching for new visual expressions that aren’t possible in the main episodes. It’s a great honor to have been able to match Mokumokuren’s extremely beautiful color script and Vaundy’s incredibly cool music with the animation.

[Ending Comment]
There’s a line in the original manga where Hikaru says, “Yoshiki doesn’t laugh at my silly faces!” I started to wonder what kind of Yoshiki would laugh at a funny face, and that became the inspiration for this creation. With TOOBOE’s very emotional song, I was glad to be able to depict Hikaru and Yoshiki’s relationship in their lifetime, which doesn’t appear in the main story.

■ Comment from the Original Creator, Mokumokuren

[What you focused on or imagined, and the points you want viewers to pay attention to, in this color script work for the opening video]
Since you went out of your way to ask the original creator, I tried to pay attention to the spirit of the original work while also meeting the director’s requests. By creating a contrast between the bluish tones, like the two-page spread in front of the store from chapter one of the manga, and the glitchy reddish colors, I tried to give a sense of “the ordinary and the extraordinary.” There are many aspects that could be improved, but thanks to the input from various people, the colors have turned out very unique and wonderful. In particular, I think the coloration in the kitchen knife scene is really cool, so I’d be happy if you take a look at that.

[Opening Comment]
It’s a striking video with the intensity and horror typical of an OP, and you can sense hidden elements of youth as well. The song’s structure is interesting, and I felt that you get to enjoy many different moods in a single track—it’s a very exciting song. Thanks to the music and visuals, just watching it makes you think, “This work looks really interesting!”

[Ending Comment]
From the live-action portions, you can truly feel the production team’s passion for location scouting, which I think is fantastic. The reality is so convincing that it feels like the two really exist. The song isn’t just gloomy—it has a certain lightness, and I think it’s a masterpiece that wonderfully expresses the atmosphere of the work.

(C)Mokumokuren/KADOKAWA/The Summer Hikaru Died Partners

English