TBS: Interview

==Thoughts about the Scenario==

Two philosophies intermingle and create....


==Draft 0, Final Draft, and How It All Begins==

~~ This time, let's revisit Draft 0 as well as the Final Draft.  Do Draft 0, First Draft, and the revised Final Draft versions of the Madoka script really exist?  Let's start from the beginning.
'''Gen''' Honesty, I never shown Director Shinbo the Draft 0 script. It's the version before he gets to read the script.
'''Shinbo'''  Although I have read Draft 0 and Final Script, I never seen Draft 0.
'''Gen'''  I was thinking as I write, "I already wrote 80 pages of useless dialogue.  I need to start cutting it down to make it anime-length."  That version was where such trial-and-error remains.
'''Shinbo''' That's right.  The scenario meeting for the Madoka Magica script was two years before the anime broadcast (2009), so I can't really remember what happened back then.
'''Gen''':  Oh yes, I basically forgot everything.  The biggest changes between Draft 0 and First Draft are probably composition for Episode 6, the magical girls' weapons, and such.  Because during that time I hadn't really write much details about the magical girl battles.

---What was it like to come up with Draft 0 two years ago?  Were there any general guidelines?
'''Gen'''  I wrote the inital proposal, "magical girls become Witches,"  that was about it.  Because back then, planning got the go-ahead already, so I have to cobble together the design document.
'''Shinbo''' During that stage I didn't really say much.  Only after I read the Series Proposal did I start to understand, so that's what we're making.  An unexpected war story.  If just a Series Proposal can be so interesting, then this can work.

~~  How detailed was the Series Proposal?
'''Gen'''  The Series Proposal was very rough.  Even the episode numbers don't match the final product.  The proposal has 13 episodes, and we aired 12.
'''Shinbo'''  Originally Gen-san expects this to be a battle anime.  But I thought a battle of intellects would be more interesting.  I have worked on the magical girl genre before like Nanoha, so I wanted to try a different direction.
'''Gen'''  A battle royale until only one remain, a "character collapse" story, was actually Producer Atsuhiro's (Atsuhiro Iwakami (岩上 敦宏), Aniplex Producer) instructions.  These basic outlines were included in the Series Proposal already, so basically the outline was done by then.  Because the goal has been set, when writing Draft 0 I simply keep running towards it with a sense of single-mindness.  There were very little changes in the middle of it.

~~  So the "magical girl become Witch" theme end up like this?
'''Gen'''  That's right.  Draft 0 was basically written using "magicl girls become Witches" and "the mascot is actually evil" as main topics.

~~  What is your impression of the magical girl genre?
'''Gen'''  The earliest I watch was ***.  Then ***.  I didn't watch any of the idol sub-genre that developed afterwards at all.
'''Shinbo'''  The earliest I watched was also Magical Girl Sally.  I am not too interested in the idol magical girl series.
'''Gen'''  Yeah.  I don't get that genre at all.  All I know is they turn into idols...
'''Shinbo'''  Series like *** where saving the world make sense to me, but magical girls turning into idols don't seem to fit well.
'''Gen'''  Compared to magical girl work, performance should be more important.  maybe the time has changed, so having idol masters are enough (laughs).  Back then, i regularly watch mecha stories.  ***, ** and such.

~~  You must have watched Sailor Moon type of magical girl stories?
'''Gen'''  I saw young girls imitating Sailor Moon and thought "so this is popular right now."  "Ah, time has changed,"  like becoming *masked rider* and such.
'''Shinbo''' I didn't watch it at all.
'''Gen'''  But wasn't your Nanoha a spiritual successor of Sailor Moon?
'''Shinbo'''  How should I put this.  The script writer *** may have that image in mind.  For me, it's a magical girl verseion of ***.
'''Gen'''  Ah, I see.
'''Shinbo'''   Coloring is *** type too.
'''Gen'''  So that's how it is.  Nanoha certainly has a mecha feel to it.
'''Shinbo'''  To be honest, during the planning stage for Nanoha I have serious doubt whether it would be interesting.  And there was too much uniforms.  Normally they wear uniform, and as magical girls they still wear unifroms.  Even so *** say this is very cool, I doesn't really get it myself.  Yet it ends up very popular.  As expected of ***.
'''Gen'''  Very character obvious and unique.
'''Shinbo'''  Magical girl stories are always about "changing into miniskirts during battle,"  yet "change into uniforms" turns out quite interesting as well.
'''Gen'''  Nanoha wears a long skirt.
'''Shinbo'''  I feel *** is a few steps ahead of me.
'''Gen'''  I don't have an ounce of *** 's gift.  While writing Madoka, I basically did not thought or write down about anything regarding character design.  I thought a bit about the character's dialogues, but nothing about what they'll wear.  At most I know Homurahas long, back hair, and will definitely transform, these basic images.

~~  Then, regarding true magical girls, such feeling...
'''Gen'''  My knowledge about magical girl story is only so much.  I only know the basic stuff, like needing a mascot and etc.  But, since the instruction was "uncharacteristic battle until only one remaining type of magical girl story,"  it was too strange (laughs).  Character Design was Ume Aoki too, what were they thinking?  I don't get it at all, so I just write the script my own way.

~~  Even though this was asked in a few interviews already, how did you came up with each characters' names?  The main character's name Kaname Madoka seem to be full of meaning....
'''Gen'''  No meaning what-so-ever.  I just randomly came up with them.  The only specific was "use first name as last name as well"  such low level.  But I didn't even use this for characters outside of the main ones either.
'''Shinbo''' Why must the last names be first-name like too?
'''Gen'''  Why?  I just want to give more unique last names.
'''Shinbo'''  I thought such causual feeling is quite good as well.  Sometimes people like to give strange meaning to names, and it often end up not translating through in the end.
'''Gen'''  I thought a long time about Homura's name.  For a cool character can Akemi be okay?  Even though the meaning kind of opposite but it end up read well, so I just end up with "Akemi."
'''Shinbo'''  You told me Miki Sayaka is a *** style heroine.
'''Gen'''  Then a lot of audience's imagination, so not worrying.
'''Shinbo'''  It's very interesting.  The more they study it the more meaningful it became.  Homura has became HomuHomu now (laughs).
'''Gen'''  Yeah, maybe someone will come up with something brilliant.  Who knows how things will develop?

~~  How did the "Mahou Shoujo madoka magica" name came about?
'''Gen'''  The decision was made by Producer Atsuhiro.  There were a lot of revisions regarding the title, but after two or three meetings, we end up staying with the original mahou shoujo madoka magica.  I suggested Mahou shoujo Apocalypse but it got refused right away.  They even rebut me, telling me I'm going to expose the plot liek this.
'''Shinbo'''  We want to have mahou shoujo in the title but it was not decided immediately.  After various suggestions,  Producer Atsuhiro say why not "Madoka Magica"?  And we decide immediately.
'''Gen'''  You can really learn to appreciate how incredible a title like *** was.
'''Shinbo'''  That's right.
'''Gen'''  We want a name that can surpass ***.  But it was impossible.
'''Shinbo'''  *** was came up by ***, it really make a huge impression.
'''Gen'''  Even thouggh *** plot isn't very *** , just a lot of fighting.

~~  Adding the * was Producer Atsuhiro's idea?
'''Shinbo'''  I believe the original outline has * already.
'''Gen''' I thought a story like this needs a *, something like that.  Nobody has any objections to it.

~~  All the Episode names are decided by Gen?
'''Gen'''  Yeah, that's correct.... I was just being lazy (laughs).  After general editing, I picked a few lines of dialogue that isn't too spoilish as episode title.  And somehow it end up decided like that.
'''Shinbo'''  I thought the titles are well chosen.

~~  This Draft 0, when did work begin?
'''Gen'''  After the design proposal was accepted, "then, 13 episode long, adjust to 12 please"  and I start work on it immediately.  During the proposal meeting that's how we agree I will write.

~~  And that's how it's written?
'''Gen''' The meeting was only about 5 minutes or so.
'''Shinbo'''  I figure this proposal can work, so I immediately ask Gen to take care of the script.
'''Gen'''  Actually a lot of content not written in teh proposal too, every episode added a lot more content.  The series prosal was only 2 page of A4 paper, it's basically an outline.  For example, back then there wasn't a Hitomi love-stealing plot point.  When writing Draft 0 I was trying to think about what to do, so I came up with who will come steal Kyousuke away... then, how about Hitomi, that was about it.
'''Shinbo'''  When the design proposal came out, Ume-sensei hasn't provide the final character designs yet.

~~  Did the character designs influence any changes to teh story?
'''Gen'''  That's right.  Some changes.  I want to give the main character Madoka a more Hidamari Sketch kind of feel, so I try to make the character cuter in the script.

~~ How long it took to finish the Draft 0 from the Design proposal?
'''Gen'''  I finished it in one sitting.  After I finish there were too much content and I was troubled in figuring out wha tto cut.  After writing nonstop for several days I add in useful foreshadowing into the story... after a few tries it came out.
'''Shinbo'''  Does the foreshadowing give you any predictions.
'''Gen'''  That's right.  It's like the more foreshadowing there are, the more holes I have to fill.

~~  Besides some minor details, Draft 0 and Final Draft composition are largely unchange.
'''Gen''' That's right.  For example Episode 2 is basically unchanged, episode 3 has too much content, so I cut a few.  Draft 0 and Final Draft's largest different is content adjustment.
'''Shinbo'''  Gen's script is very packed, a lot between the lines.

~~  Between the lines, like what?
'''Shinbo'''  The story exposition has a lot of meaning.  So once coupled with adequete animation, the image concentration increased too.  I think that's the itneresting thing about Gen's script, maybe that's why dialogue is differetn between the script and the broadcast.  During storyboard and recording, there're some cuts and additions.  But you can't really say all the script's meanings are perserved.  So, if Gen can accept the product boradcast of his own work, I am very happy.


==Episode 1==

'''Gen'''  Ah... When I start to write, I havent' decide on Walpurgisnacht this name, I just thought it'd be the final boss kind of feel.  Then it turns out during production, the walpurgisnacht name pops up.  This part is very different with hanokoda's manga version.  hanokda begins drawing before witch designs have been finalized, the manga version uses the script before animation has complete.  That's why, hanokoda didn't draw any specific giant monster.

~~  Until episode 4 it always starts with madoka waking up to "it's a dream"
'''Gen'''  That's right.  I thought it's be an interesting way to open the scene.  During prologue we haven't really have a detailed idea regarding the OP, so Draft 0 doesn't have a prologue...  Finally adding in prologue after a long time later.

~~  The mother (Kaname Junko) is very tough and father (Kaname Tomohisa) is very gentle, what's the purpose for deciding on sucha  strange family situation?
'''Gen''' Nothing in particular.  While dicussing with production staff, I quickly designed the father, mother, and brother.  I ask everyone for their opinion, but they end up okaying everything.  Mother is a careerwoman, dad becomes the housetaker.  Originally I just want to try somethign different for the fun of it.  Back then it was just trying outo stuff, thought about character development later.  Afterwards, mom becomes more focused.

~~  I thought that in the second half of the story, the strong mother figure is an important support figure for Madoka.
'''Gen''' That's write.  When writing the script, the characer becomes more development.
'''Shinbo'''  The mother figure in teh animation is in control.
'''Gen'' After the character's direction decided.  It becomes natural to let the character move on its own.
'''Shinbo''''  When the story's direction is clear, finding the right va *** was very adequet.

~~  In teh first story mom and Madoka has a scene about the ribbon.  Was this foreshadowing placed right from teh beginning?
'''Gen'''  Not at all.  After I see Madoka's character design I thought it was her special characteristic, so I want to highlight this point.  At hte beginning I just want to point out the character's special points.

~~  How did Hitomi as Madoka and Sayaka's close from came about?
'''Gen''' While writing Draft 0, I feel like it's kind of lonely for only Madoka and Sayaka walk to school together, so I added another character.  Then I thougth Hitomi is very sad like that, so I added a speech thingi.

~~  So Hitomi has a "desuwa".  It seems like story's character filling out is a process in itself.  How did the girly talk between madoka and Sayaka cget added?
'''Gen'''  I learn from female friends that middle school girls often would do yuri-liek stuff.  I never seen it myself, so I figure I should add some blush-worthy girl talks.
'''Shinbo'''  It's Atsuhiro-san's idea that the characters should be middle school.
'''Gen'''  Is that so?  I plan for the beginning for them to be 14 year old.
'''Shinbo'''  Age for anime characters are not really obvious, everyone have different opinion.  That's why, I didn't have any objections and just say "well, let's settle with that."

~~  14 year old is easier for design for Gen?
'''Gen'''  While writing I thought it must be 14 year old.  I don't want grade schoolers to kill each other, and once girls reach 16 their personalities bcome more pronounced.  For example, 16 year olds can already have babies, so I thougth 14 year old can't just yet.  With that kind of feeling, 14 is enough.

~~ This story really has to write about 14 year old killing each other
'''Gen''' Even though I don't want children kiling each other, but if we think about the real world, there're plenty of 14 year old girl and boys with guns.  The reality of children that age killing each other are very real.  It's scary to think some of them aren't even 14, not about to really think about "life and death" kind of ideas.  I thought even I can't make such decisions at 12.

~~  Inu Curry handles the Witch Barrier designs.  Did you consider this back in Draft 0.
'''Gen''' I didn't know at all thath INu Curry will work on this too.  But I have seen Shinbo's ***, so I thought the barriers will basically look like that.  But it end up completely different than my expectations.
'''Shinbo'''  I really want to make something different than Cossette.  Usually I thought Ume-sensei's drawings are very cute, so drawing a different space will add diffrent aspect to teh show.  So I asked Inu Curry and I knew it will turn out very strange space.  I count Inu Curry as one fo the creators that participates.
'''Gen'''  I remember that half way through the script Inu Curry begins to put out bbarrier designs.  In teh second half I think... ah, but Walpurgisnacht hasn't been deisnged yet.  You can tell from reading the script, in episode 11 I still wrote "use tail to attack" type of things.  Walpurginacht was written like a Gozzilla type of monster.
'''Shinbo''' That's write.  After Gen finish writing the script, Inu Curry uses this as the basis for their designs.  Now i think back, this kind of method is the right one.  If after inu curry finish the design, gen goes back to rewrite the script, there might be all kind of plotholes.
'''Gen''' That's right, it might cancel each other out.
'''Shinbo'''  Sometimes I'll let several different person handle the storyboard, and afterwards let them discuss and come up with a consensus.  This time around, I asked gen to handle the complete script, and as a result the foreshadowing was very impressive.  Even though only able to show the surface of what the writer wish to express, but that's why the original work's focus make madoka so impressive.

~~  Because Gen and Inu Curry are able to each show their own flairs.
'''Shinbo'''  Producer ***'s very clear concept.  Gen still needs to work on the script for Fate/Zero, let him handle Madoka's script and animate his Fate/Zero, all these are all scheduled closely.

~~  So, in some ways, picking Gen as the original script, Producer *** has his own considerations.
'''Gen''' That's right, from 2010 to 2011, we (N+)  has many different products that end up getting animated, and I have a lot of work done as a result.
'''Shinbo'''  Everything at once is quite coincidental.
'''Gen''' it's unbelievable.
'''Shinbo'''  When we ask Gen to write the script back in 2009, animation begins have about 2 years of gap.  After I read gen's script I was very flushed with feeelings, my imagination runs wild, and after two years it finally calms down.
'''Gen'''  Because the broadcast date decision took way too long.
'''Shinbo''' But it's because of such cool down time, that we can make such a calm work.

~~  Episode 1 broadcast didin't have an ED.
'''Shinbo'''  I thought if we add the ED in Episode 1 the plot will get exposed, back then we was still planning to only insert the ED after episode 3.

~~  The ED broadcasted from episode 3 on is storyboard and directed by ***, who has worked with you on Cossette.
'''Shinbo'''  I did my best to hide Madoka's content from ***, so it can be a visual-type, but *** seens to have done his own digging, and made such a animation.

~~  Shinbo will sometimes hide content from staff emmbers and force them to work off that.
'''Shinbo'''  Making the storyboard consistent with teh story is very easy, but copying it without any flairs make for a very oridinary story.  Capture an aspect not seen int he script, pick up things in all kind of differnet directions, that's what make for a different product.

~~  Is the preview dialogue written by Gen as well?
'''Gen'''  I and Producer ** came up with them while non-animation recording.  It's after recording finish asking the voice actor to stay back for recording the preview.  Ah, a lot got decided during the live recording.