The popular anime Lycoris Recoil could get a sequel

the Japanese medium February published the second part of an interview conducted with Shingo AdachiDirector, creator and writer of the original anime produced by the studios A-1 Pictures, Lycoris recoil. The series was one of the big surprises of the season of Summer-2022 (July-September) in Japan and has amassed tens of thousands of copies sold with its physical packages. In this second part of the interview, the director is asked about the ending of the story and his future intentions with this franchise.

• Although Lycoris Recoil’s story has a happy ending, it was also somewhat disturbing as Majima is also portrayed as a survivor. Why did you choose this path?
• Majima’s portrayal as a survivor was not actually in the script phase. I put it into the storyboard myself because I felt like that scene should have been there. The 1,000 guns that Majima had distributed were not fully recovered and the company was still in uncertainty.because neither the DA (Direct Attack) nor Majima found any way to settle the matter other than sharing the consequences.
• Is it because the prosecution isn’t entirely fair and Majima isn’t downright evil?
• That’s what I mean. In a world where the DA rules everything, that’s bad, right? Interestingly, what Majima, the villain of this series, says is actually the most correct thing (laughs). The DA credo is, shall we say, “the greatest happiness for the greatest number,” that is, utilitarianism. But the price of this is a society where minorities are increasingly marginalized, and the question is whether that is justice. However, the more I thought about representingright The further I got away from these things, the more I tried to keep it just in detail.

• Lycoris Recoil Episode 13 ends with a scene in Hawaii where the Lyco-Rico Cafe opens its doors. After that, how does Principal Adachi introduce Chisato and the others?
• I don’t think Chisato and the others will be staying in Hawaii for long, and I think they’re all just there for vacations. Chisato will definitely want to travel abroad, and I think it’s just a light-hearted way of saying, “let’s serve Mika’s coffee to the locals anyway.” I alone think he intends to return soon as his regular customers will be waiting for him in store when he returns to Japan.
• Aha. So, as a viewer, I would expect another story…
• Since we’ve already talked a bit, I think some sort of future development for Lycoris Recoil is possible if there’s an enthusiastic call from the fans. Luckily we got a lot of support and I wish I could have taken the next step right away, but we didn’t expect it (laughs). Anyway, I just got back from a tough fight, broken, so it’s really hard to be asked to go back to the fight right away (laughs).

• This was your first animation as a director, what did you think of directing?
• To be honest, I didn’t think being a director was a very rewarding job. When I look back, only memories of hard work come to mind (laughs). If you’re an animator, even if the anime fails, you can say, “I did a good job in the role I took on…” But that doesn’t apply to a director. Also, this time I even wrote the script myself, so I can’t apologize. If it goes wrong it’s 100% my fault so I still think the world is very tough. The situation makes it difficult to take the opportunity to thank the staff and cast for their hard work, which is why I’m still not happy being a director. Maybe with a little more time I’ll change my mindset.
• If you dared to mention one happy memory, what would it be?
• This was a discovery for me, but what I enjoyed most was thinking about the characters’ lines. It was an original story this time, so I was able to tweak the dialogues in both the script and the storyboard, which was a great pleasure. I think it would be difficult with an adaptation, so if I had the opportunity to direct again I would prefer an original work. I want to experience the true joy of dialogue writing again.
• Finally, do you have a message for your fans?
• Many thanks for your active support so far. As an animator, I’ve spent a lot of time on production sites figuring out the best way to do things. I’ve tried many different ways of thinking and working outside of the industry norm and I’m so glad I was fortunate enough to have the support of so many people. I would like to continue this work with great care if possible, so please continue to support me.

Font: February

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