Interview with Director Tada Shunsuke on the Behind-the-Scenes of The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These

Tada Shunsuke Discusses the Essence of The Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Director Shunsuke Tada emphasized that the special aspect of The Legend of the Galactic Heroes lies in the story's foundation on Yoshiki Tanaka's extensive historical knowledge. Although set in the future, the depiction of humans driven by emotions and desires captures the complex movements of civilization. Driven by the desire not to make this merely entertainment, Tada strives to maintain the depth of the work.

Project Background and Production Process

The Legend of the Galactic Heroes DNT was initiated with Production I.G leading the production and Shunsuke Tada appointed as director. Unlike works based on manga like The Prince of Tennis or Kuroko's Basketball, the challenge was to create entirely new visuals based on a novel from 40 years ago. Tada spoke about the difficulties in design, particularly in creating from scratch without visual references.

Reasons and Process for Adopting 3D/CG

Regarding the choice of 3D/CG over traditional hand-drawn animation, Director Tada stated that it aimed to improve time and budget efficiency. Specifically, the 3D representation in ship and action scenes sought a middle ground between cel animation and live action, with over a year spent in trial and error. Ultimately, highly reusable 3D/CG cuts achieved a cost-effective form in the long term.

Voice Actor Selection and Character Design

All characters in The Legend of the Galactic Heroes DNT were newly cast, and it was revealed that auditions involved pair testing. Casting focused on the relationships and chemistry between characters, such as Reinhard and Kircheis. An innovative approach was tried in character design, maintaining traditional animation styles while advancing the CGI of fleet battles.

The appeal that viewers should focus on according to Director Tada's new interpretation lies in the character portrayal and the overwhelming visual expression through 3D/CG. There was a strong intention to deliver a grand story to a wide audience by providing viewing experiences in various media, from theatrical release to streaming.