For everyone to enjoy their time at home, the production staff behind the BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime will be answering some questions online!
Questions will be answered by the following team:
BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto
BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana
Staff from the animation production company Sanzigen, in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime
Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production
Please post your questions on Twitter with the hashtag #BDAnimeQnA and we will pick a few to be answered!
Examples:
- What was the largest hurdle during the production of the 3rd Season?
- What points did you focus on while producing the MV for RAISE A SUILEN in the 3rd Season's Episode 4?
- Which scenes did you put in extra care for during the Opening and Ending?
- I want to see more location reference photos other than Kamogawa!
- Please tell us your favorite episode.
※Please note questions cannot pick who they are answered by.
Submission Deadline
12:00PM PDT, April 26th 2020 (Sunday).
Questions & Answers Part1
How long does it take to create 1 season of BanG Dream! animation?
The creation of "BanG Dream! 3rd Season" took about 9 months. Prior to the creation of the animation itself, every character model took 2-3 months to make, and a lot more time went into production if we include scriptwriting and setting design.
(SANZIGEN Production Manager, Hideyuki Tazaki)
What was the hardest thing in the production process of the anime?
Adjusting the storyboards. There are 30 main characters, which is a big cast, and it was very difficult to put the layout and acting in accordance to everyone's personality and current state. Unless you are a hardcore BanG Dreamer or an experienced storyboard maker, it was impossible to get everything communicated in short meetings. Also BanG Dream! being a 3D anime, there are both pros and cons compared to traditionally drawn anime, and adjustments regarding those points were challenging too.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
The concert scenes were hard every time. Especially up to episode 9 of the 2nd Season, since we were making the motions manually. It made me want to cry. The ending scene of the final episode in the 3rd Season is also done manually, by the way. It truly felt like I gave it everything I got.
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
How did Yukina do on her exam?
I'm sure she didn't get a failing grade... (haha) It's impressive that everyone is putting a lot of effort in schoolwork, despite all the band practice they have.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Is there any reason why PAREO's home is in Kamogawa, Chiba?
We chose to place it near the ocean first, and decided on Kamogawa because it was the right distance from CHU²'s home. It is a memorable place for me personally too, being the place I visited with Scriptwriter Midori Goto when I was still new to the industry.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
How did you come up with the names of the bands participating in "BanG Dream! Girls Band Challenge"?
We had staff at Bushiroad think up the names. The names may reflect their interests.
(Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production)
Do you have plans to make animation regarding the stories of Afterglow, Pastel＊Palettes, and Hello, Happy World! ?
We may have a chance to make them in the future, though nothing is confirmed yet.
(Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production)
Do you have plans for a sequel?
We do not know whether it will be a TV series, web series, or movie, but we want to keep making BanG Dream! animation perpetually. That being said, we may be able to deliver a TV series after the release of the movie that has been announced, though we still don't know what form it may take.
(Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production)
How did you come up with the lines of the previews on YouTube?
We made the lines based on a rule to talk about completely unrelated topics.
(Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production)
Questions & Answers Part2
Throughout the anime, it seemed that the good aspects of CG were utilized on background and character motions. What magic did you use to remove the "digitalness" of CG?
There is no magic behind it really. We checked scenes that felt too digital, and fixed it frame by frame. We also put a lot of time into character expressions so that they look lively. After that, I guess it comes down to the staff's love...
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
I believe sound effects are usually not used when characters appear, but it's interesting that for episode 1 of the 2nd Season, a jingle effect is used only when Sayo appears. Is there a Sayo fan in the sound team? (haha)
That is true. Excluding comical scenes, Sayo's cut is the only scene where we added a sound effect to the camera work. Amongst our team, we call that camera work and sound effect combined the "Beauty Pan". We used it in order to express Sayo's beauty in 1 cut.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
In the production of the 2nd Season and 3rd Season, what did you take into account from the 1st Season?
The biggest point would be the vibe of Poppin'Party. The idea is that they haven't changed from the 1st Season, and the story is a direct continuation. The "Girls Band Era" and "Budokan Concert" were actually ideas that were present during the 1st Season's production. The fact that we finally got there, after the 2nd & 3rd Season, is emotionally moving.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
I was astounded by the quality of the concert scenes in the 2nd Season and 3rd Season. Can you tell me about the efforts and inside story of making the scenes in 3D?
Actually, we were refraining from using too much flashy 3D camera work, like the ones seen in the concert scene in the last episode, but tried to use camera work that made scenes look better on a more subtle level. We did make characters move around freely though.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
In the concert scenes, we used 3D camera work in as many cuts as we could. Being able to make the stage lights shine on the character models in an effective way is one of the many benefits of making an anime in 3D.
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
In the "EXPOSE 'Burn out!!!'" music video in 3rd Season episode 4, what part did you put the most effort in?
We wanted to make it a completely different taste from the Poppin'Party music video. "In a box" and "finger gun" were the starting points for both videos, but we made sure that the two music videos became nothing alike, to show how different people making videos can produce totally different outputs.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Overall, we aimed for a music video that showed the momentum of RAISE A SUILEN, with Rokka joining as the final member. From character expressions to monitor graphics and coloring, we were able to make something like never before, so it is our pleasure if the audience was attracted to RAISE A SUILEN as a strong rival.
(SANZIGEN Episode 4 RAISE A SUILEN MV Director, Shinsuke Ikeda)
The font in the opening credits is very stylish. Whose idea was it?
Umezu.
(editz Inc. OP Director/Storyboard, Tomomi Umezu)
I heard that the scriptwriter actually went and lived in the public bathhouse in Osaka, which Rokka's "Asahi-yu" is based off of. Can you tell me the reason behind it?
I wanted to make the portrayal as realistic as possible, and as I was the one who came up with Rokka staying at a bathhouse, I had the responsibility... (haha). I originally liked bathhouses, so I had a lot of fun. I was happy that putting potatoes in the boiler, which I took a video about during my stay, made it into the anime.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Why did you use "FIRE BIRD" as the ending song for episode 7 of the 3rd Season?
During the production of the song, Agematsu-san and I had an idea to put quotes in the song, and the anime team wanted to change the quotes in accordance with the situation, thus the episode was made. The song was originally intended to be used in episode 13, but the song and lyrics were so good that we decided to make a episode that fit it.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Can you tell us of any inside stories regarding the production of the anime?
Due to Aiba-san's request, the choreography for "Avant-garde HISTORY" was made manually based on the choreography video she sent us. Thanks to that, we were able to create brilliant animation. Also, this may not be a inside story, but during production I had a dream in which I was called to the office on my day off and yelled at by the president. Normally I don't feel that I'm under pressure, but I must have been at this time since I had such a dream. In reality, the president has never yelled at me, trust me.
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
For MASKING's drumming scene in 3rd Season episode 1, we didn't have motion captured animation, so an animator with drumming experience made it manually. We think the animation ended up looking cool, and also unique to manually made motion.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Hiroshi Morita)
Props tend to be hand drawn, but from the 2nd Season we made a lot of 3D model props, so in the scene in episode 7 where the members of Roselia bring Sayo food, we were able to do it all in 3D. Please take a look at it.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Haruyo Ogawa)
In the final episode of the 3rd Season, we actually added some colors to the glow sticks. The colors differ between the bands, so that's something you might enjoy looking at.
(SANZIGEN Filming Director, Mari Inoue)
There are actually a lot of scenes that people don't notice are hand drawn. For example, all the pajamas and jerseys that the characters wear are hand drawn!
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Takuya Chanohara)
It was difficult to fit the hand drawn animation with the CG. For clothing and props that didn't have 3D models, the digital animation team drew and animated them all. We put in a lot of effort, so please observe the fusion between CG and hand drawn animation!
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Yuka Hachimori)
Which scene did you put the most effort into?
All the scenes! If I were to choose one, I would say the scene where Poppin'Party comes on to the Budokan stage, and sings "Mirai Train". It moved me emotionally making it.
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
The latter part of 3rd Season episode 3, where Rokka leaves Galaxy and heads for CHU²'s studio. We put in a lot of effort in her facial expressions to show her braveness.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Hiroshi Morita)
I can't say specifically which scene, but in episode 5 of the 3rd Season, we worked hard to put the camera where it will capture the characters' faces in the most beautiful way.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Haruyo Ogawa)
We put in a lot of effort whenever there was a concert scene, so it is our pleasure if you will look at it closely. Especially the concert scene with 3 bands in the final episode!
(SANZIGEN Filming Director, Mari Inoue)
We made the ending with passion. Especially for the 3rd Season, there is a lot of information in it, so please feel free to pause it to drink it all in.
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Takuya Chanohara)
It's hard to pick one, but for the "Snappy" comics MASKING was reading, we designed not only the front cover, but the back cover as well. You can only get a glimpse of it, but the Director and I put effort into it, so please take a close look!
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Yuka Hachimori)
Did you use anything as reference in the production of Poppin'Party and RAISE A SUILEN's music videos?
Nothing in particular, but I believe I was influenced by Chris Cunningham since I am a big fan of his music videos.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
How famous was Death Galaxy?
I believe they were a indie band that was famous nationwide. They didn't contract with major labels, and decided their courses of action by discussing amongst the 3 members (even though one is very reticent). By the way, they were a Death Metal / Thrash Metal band, but they made a couple of pretty cute songs too.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
After closing SPACE in episode 13 of the 1st Season, what was the Owner doing until she appeared again as the advisor in the 3rd Season?
It seems that she was doing advisory work from time to time. Apart from that, she was head over heels in love with her grandchild.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
There were a few scenes in the original novel and comics, but in the anime, how was Kasumi like in her junior high school days?
I think she was up to a lot of things, in pursuit of sparkling, heart-pounding feelings. She was curious and eager to explore new places. She went to Karaoke with her friends, and put a lot of effort in her club activities, but was somehow not fully satisfied because the "Star Beat" was such a vivid experience.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
In the original novel, the word "BanG Dream!" comes from Arisa's father's song, but where did the word "BanG Dream!" come from in the anime?
For me, it was created by Marina. She wanted the bands participating in the contest to experience "shooting through their dreams", and she came up with the phrase "BanG Dream!" to portray that concept.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Why did you choose "Poppin'Shuffle" and "EXPOSE 'Burn out!!!'" as songs to make music videos for?
We originally had plans to make new songs for the music videos, but "EXPOSE 'Burn out!!!'", which was in production at the time, went really well with the "liberation" and "breaking down" concept of the video, so we decided to use it instead. "Poppin'Shuffle" was chosen as a song that truly embodies Poppin'Party, just like "Happy Happy Party!" in the 2nd Season.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
In episode 8 of the 3rd Season, what happened to Yukina after she saw Michelle's silhouette?
I wonder what happened...It seems that she was seen eating breakfast the next morning...
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
She got dizzy and had to rest in her room...
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Is the hot spring in episode 8 of the 3rd Season a real place?
The Director told us that he had in mind an old fashioned Japanese-styled inn, with hot springs surrounded by nature. We based the building off of inns in Yukawa, and the hot springs from the Kurokawa hot springs.
(SANZIGEN Settings, Kosuke Kamibara)
When did you start planning for the 3rd Season?
We already had a plan to do a story about the band contest in June or July of 2017. After that we started discussing it, along with the story for the 2nd Season, with the animation staff.
(Bushiroad Producer, Yuki Nemoto)
Does Yoshiko from Galaxy and Marina from CiRCLE have any relationship besides working in the same industry?
They are friends.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
There were many bands in the "BanG Dream! Girls Band Challenge", but were there any band names that you liked?
(besides the main bands.)
"That Day, The Day I Got a Haircut", "†Perish World†", "I Want to Quit, But I Can't Quit".
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
"Nap at 17PM". I like how it is not 5PM.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Were there any scenes that made you grin while making them?
There were a lot. Just to name a few, the Hello, Happy World! story in episode 4 of the 2nd Season, and the conversations between MASKING and LOCK in the 3rd Season.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Do you like chocolate cornets?
I do like them, even though I'm usually not a big fan of sweet types of bread.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
I can't help buying them when I go to bakeries...
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Has "BanG Dream!" inspired you to start something?
The mobile game, "Girls Band Party!".
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Questions & Answers Part3
What was the hardest thing about showing the characters attractively?
Keeping track of the characters' personalities, situations, and emotions for each of the scenes. The unique actions that they take, and their expressions make the characters truly attractive.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Can you show us the storyboard for the "EXPOSE 'Burn out!!!'" music video?
The animation became 3D from the 2nd Season, and the concert scenes in particular fascinated me. Are there any scenes apart from the concert scenes that you think did a better job than 2D animation?
2D and 3D animation both have their pros and cons, so we did not aim for an animation better than 2D, but for an animation that could only be done in 3D. One example is the lighting to emphasize the solidity of the characters. The motions and expressions, regardless of 2D or 3D, comes down to how much soul the animators put into it, so I think comparing them are impossible.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Which was the hardest instrument to model in 3D? Do you have any inside stories on it?
We did our best to depict each instrument including the atmosphere they have and we had to collect a lot of reference materials, so I'd have to say every instrument was equally challenging. The patterns and textures of the instruments were especially hard to communicate, and the modelers in charge all went through many trials and errors to get the modeling just right.
(SANZIGEN Settings, Kosuke Kamibara)
Is the train in 3rd Season #11 based on the 209 series from East Japan Railway? It surprised me that the 209 series I rode to school as a student was reproduced so faithfully. How was it done?
The train LAYER and the members rode was indeed based on the 209 series, which runs on the Sotobo Line. We were able to ride the Sotobo Line from Awakamogawa Station when there were fairly few passengers, and take photos of the inside of the train and scenery from the windows. That helped making the portrayal in the anime realistic.
(SANZIGEN Settings, Kosuke Kamibara)
For the Budokan concert in the final episode, did you refer to the real life concert held there?
We did. We actually watched the real life concert, and used that as reference to make the stages in the anime. It would be great if you can watch the anime, and feel that you want to watch the real life version of the concert too.
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
In the climax of "Mirai Train" in 3rd Season #13, was it intentional that the camera switches between the characters in the order they joined the band? It was very touching!
We wanted to trace Poppin'Party's story from the 1st Season, so we added the camera switch to remind everyone how far they have come. I'm glad you noticed it. After finishing the storyboard for this scene, I was so moved that I couldn't move for a good amount of time.
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
What kind of qualification and skill do you need to make an anime?
For our company, people typically join after learning animation at a vocational school. The software we use daily are as follows. CG Animation→3ds Max, Composition→Adobe After Effects, Digital Animation→TVPaint & CLIP STUDIO PAINT. Other than that, its all about passion!
(SANZIGEN CEO, Hiroaki Matsuura)
In making the 3D models for Sayo and Hina, did the fact that they are twins affect anything? Can you tell me the differences you made?
Even though they are twins, apart from the color, they are very different design-wise. We focused on expressing the personality of Sayo and Hina, more than the fact that they are twins.
(SANZIGEN Modeling Director, Yasuhisa Takeuchi)
For the final episode, did you actually go to the Budokan for reference? Or did you just look at video footage?
We were able to visit the stage, green room, and other locations that appeared in the anime, on the third day of "TOKYO MX presents BanG Dream! 7th☆LIVE". We would not have been able to portray the space below the circular stage if it wasn't for the visit.
(SANZIGEN Settings, Kosuke Kamibara)
What theme did you follow in making the concert scenes? My guess is Poppin'Party: fun star shaped camerawork, RAS: the profound presence of the instruments, and Roselia: more shots on the hand & lighting to fit the song.
We value the atmosphere that the songs and bands have. And for the 2nd and 3rd Season, the concert scenes often concluded the episode, so we made sure to include that sense of conclusion. As for Poppin'Party's Budokan concert, that was our attempt to implement stars, which is a key factor of the story, into the camerawork.
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
For Roselia, we didn't divide it into small shots to show that they don't rely on any cheap tricks. For RAS we made it dynamic, but since "Beautiful Birthday" was a song about the members bonding, and we wanted the audience to immerse into the performance, the shots ended up not getting divided as much as usual. So in the end the performance for both Roselia and RAS had few shots; "Avant-garde HISTORY" to immerse the audience in Roselia's worldview, and "Beautiful Birthday" to immerse the audience emotionally.
(editz Inc. Editor/ #13 Roselia & RAS Concert Storyboard, Tomomi Umezu)
What was hard about drawing 2D animation in a 3D anime?
2D animation requires far more drawing power when it is combined with 3D characters, so I always took more time drawing them.
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Takuya Chanohara)
We get into the 2D drawing phase after deciding on the 3D motions, but it is hard to fit it with the thin lines and subtle movements of CG animation. Depending on the scene, the animation gets complicated, so it is very challenging.
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Yuka Hachimori)
Are there any scenes that you made by taking in ideas from the cast members?
For Yukina and Aya's stage motions, Aiba-san and Maeshima-san choreograph the songs even if they are songs that have not been performed on stage yet. Tsumugi-san thinks up CHU²'s performances too. Also, due to production schedule, we have the cast record to the storyboard, not the animation. We create the motions and expressions based on the voice acting, so each casts' acting influences the final animation. We have casts ad-lib from time to time, but my favorite is Poppin'Party taking photos in front of the Budokan in 2nd Season #6, and PAREO caring for CHU² in 3rd Season #4.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
LAYER and MASKING talking about what it is like to be on the Budokan stage, RAS's chant before going on stage, and the manga title "Miracle Drum☆Snappy-chan".
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Did Kasumi originally have musical talent?
She didn't have bad grades in school. She did love singing, and went to karaoke often with her friends.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
In 3rd Season #1, Poppin'Party and Roselia were turned into rice dumplings, but what kind of rice dumplings do you prefer?
I like rice dumplings with sweet soy glaze.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
In 2nd Season #6, the members of Poppin'Party each chose their bread, but what kind of bread did they choose? (besides Rimi)
Kasumi: melon bread, Arisa: croissant, Saya: ring bread, Tae: sweet bean bun. Everyone aside from Rimi chooses their bread depending on their mood.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
How much rent does CHU² pay for her apartment?
She doesn't pay rent. Her family owns the apartment.
(Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production)
In 3rd Season #6, what icons were Yukina and Sayo using for the messaging app? Was it a cat and a potato?
You might have a chance to see it again in the near future. Please look forward to it.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
I'm sure "battle" was one theme of the 3rd Season, but which parts of the scriptwriting or motions do you think most portrayed it? Do you think you could have done something more to further emphasize it?
All scenes including CHU² in episode 6. The scene where she explained the rules of the match was especially "battle" like and fun to make. The balancing was hard though, since the story would start becoming unpleasant if it leaned too much on the "battle" side.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
I have a question on the episode titles. For the 1st Season, the titles are "We (or I) + verb". For the 2nd Season, the titles are an arrangement of song titles, and for the 3rd Season, the titles are lines from the episode. Why did you choose this unique way of choosing the episode titles?
We had orders to make the 1st Season with coherent episode titles, so we decide to continue it with 2nd Season and 3rd Season as well. In the 2nd Season, we were aiming to put at least 1 concert scene in every episode, so we built the drama and episode title based on song titles. As for the 3rd Season, we decided to use lines from each episode since we wanted the titles to somewhat go with the 2nd Season titles.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
For the 1st Season, we wanted to make the episode titles fun and cute. The 2nd Season was about having concert scenes in every episode, so we used song titles. The 3rd Season was about the drama, so we used lines from the episode.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Can you tell me the name of the band Shifune Tsuzuki was in? / In 3rd Season #13, Masuki was excited to see the Owner, but was she in a famous band?
Former SPACE Owner Shifune was once in a band called Miraculous Scarlet (MiraSca for short).
(Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production)
There were many references to past episodes in the 3rd Season, such as a guitar phrase in "Mirai Train" being the same as "Sparkling Dreaming ~Sing Girls~", and Tae's line before the final preliminaries in #11. What kind of things did you take into account when making references to past episodes?
We always think about the story being connected to the past, so we put scenes that portray it when we have the chance. The band formation story and the members' initial impulse are especially important, since they represent the bands' personality. The 3rd Season was about Poppin'Party achieving their dreams, so we discussed a lot about Kasumi and Arisa's encounter, Kasumi's sparkling, heart-pounding feelings, and how the members of Poppin'Party feel at that point in the story.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Kasumi with Asuka in #12, and Kasumi with Arisa in #13 are both scenes that we made taking into account the 1st Season. The present is always connected to the past, so we decided on the lines based on "The characters would probably say this at this particular moment", but not "Let's make them say the same lines as before".
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
The Owner appears in the 3rd Season, but why did the production team choose to have her in the story again?
The "BanG Dream! Girls Band Challenge!" was Marina's idea, so we thought about what Marina would do. Naturally, she would know about the legendary live house SPACE and its Owner, and seek advice from her to make the contest better.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
The Owner appearing was a suggestion from the Series Compostion.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
In the Budokan scene of the final episode, what was Sayo thinking to herself silently? As a Sayo fan, I need to know!
I think she was thinking about the reason of being there at that moment. About the experience and feelings that she couldn't have earned if she wasn't in Roselia, and about the upcoming "FUTURE WORLD FES"... I suppose? She must have been feeling that all the stages Roselia performs on has meaning.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
She must have been thinking about Roselia's performance, while watching RAS's rehearsal.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
The meaning behind the name of LOCK and PAREO was explained in the 3rd Season, but I'm interested in the meaning behind the other RAS members' names as well!
It is going to be revealed in the RAS Theatrical, so please watch it. The meaning of their real names are going to be explained too.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
In the past, was Galaxy manager Yoshiko also in a band?
I don't think so.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
One of the things BanG Dream! stands out on is the link between the characters and the real life concerts, but were there any challenges in fusing the real life concerts with the anime?
We do not distinguish the characters, and try to think that the same being is in both real life and anime. We do our best so that the experiences of the members become part of them, and we can portray the connection between real life and anime.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
To make the story richer, we take reference from the experiences and emotions of the casts and staff.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
How did the contest staff book the Budokan as the Finals venue? Was it the Owner's doing?
The Budokan in BanG Dream! is usually booked up for at least a year in advance. But there was a day that happened to become free that the staff were able to get hold of, thanks to the connections of the Owner and Marina. As for the price of booking, it was not too expensive, since Budoukan is a Public Interest Cooperation. It turned out that building the stage inside required more money.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
It wasn't the Owner that did the actual work, but the connections that she and the staff had. An event was cancelled unexpectedly, and the staff negotiated to get hold of that opening.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Who were the two standing together with Masuki's father in the ending of 3rd Season #13?
Death Galaxy's bass vocalist Sora Uzaki, and guitarist/Ramen Galaxy manager You Ohta.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
In the beginning of 3rd Season #8, when Pastel＊Palettes were introducing the hot springs, who was in the pot tub breathing from the tube?
That was actually a stick for swirling the tub. Chisato saw it and must have mistook it for a breathing tube. There were no breathing sounds coming from it, unlike when Eve was underwater using a breathing tube.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
The story focused on many bands starting with Poppin'Party, but what kind of things do the staff take into consideration when portraying their everyday life? Which dialogue or gestures do you want the fans to see?
In every story, in every scene, I make sure to think in the characters' perspectives. There are many dialogue and gestures thoughout the anime that we put a lot of effort into, so please find your favorite!
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Making them cute and lively.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
What is the name of the school PAREO is attending?
Kamogawa Chuo Junior High School.
(Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production)
From the 2nd Season, the members of Poppin'Party started to become busy, but they accomplished the 3 weeks of concerts in the 3rd Season. What did the members do to make time for practice and concerts?
Galaxy is a live house in the shopping district, but it seems that Masuki is not familiar with the other characters from the shopping district. Why did Masuki choose not to hang out with the other kids in the same district? And why does Masuki attend Shirayuki High School?
Masuki attends Shirayuki due to the advice of her mother, who is a Shirayuki graduate. Because class starts early and she had to use the train to commute (before she got her motorcycle license), she left for school very early in the morning everyday compared to the other students in the district. The school forbids stopping by anywhere on the way home from school, so Masuki hasn't had many chances to buy and eat things in the shopping district.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
I cried watching the anime, but did the staff cry during production too? It still brings tears to my eyes remembering the climax of the story (haha).
I heard SANZIGEN CEO Matsuura-san cried. Also, some of the staff became silent while checking the finished footage. During production, it really was motivating that the staff told me the story was fun or moving.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
I cry while writing the script. If I can't make myself cry, it wouldn't move anyone, so it's relieving when I'm able to cry.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
I have a question for Composition & Scriptwriter Yuniko Ayana-san. How do you decide on the story composition of the anime series? There are a lot of characters each with their own story, and I thought it's a very difficult task to choose which episode to put into the 13 episodes of one season.
First we decide on the goal for Poppin'Party. At the same time we have various orders such as putting a concert scene in every episode, or having Tae perform as a support guitarist in a new band, so we take them all into account together while thinking about what will be the most fun/effective way to show it, and decide on the best composition.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
There were many Scriptwriters from the 1st Season to the 3rd Season, but how did you choose who will be in charge of which episode?
We tried to have Scriptwriters that had experience writing for a certain character to be in charge of stories that focused on that character. As the Series Composition, I was in charge of episodes that were important to the overall story.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
As the staff, which scenes moved you the most?
I would say 2nd Season #3-#5 and #11-#13, and 3rd Season #3 #5 #7 #10 #11 #13... I love all the episodes.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
2nd Season #12. It was very moving that Poppin'Party, who started out knowing nothing about bands, was preparing for their own concert.
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
2nd Season #11. I was touched by how close the Poppin'Party members were. As I was the CG Director for the episode, I checked it countless times in production, but it still made me cry watching it on TV.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Hiroshi Morita)
2nd Season #11 #12. "Returns" was truly a fitting song for the story.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Haruyo Ogawa)
In both the 2nd Season and 3rd Season, the process of the band members bonding after overcoming a problem was always touching.
(SANZIGEN Filming Director, Mari Inoue)
I still strongly remember the sight of Michelle and Kokoro flying through the sky.
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Takuya Chanohara)
I was moved by the scene where CHU² and PAREO reconcile. It was a great episode in which RAS bonded properly for the first time.
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Yuka Hachimori)
Which part in production did you give everything you got?
Series Composition and communication.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
When I finished the 2nd and 3rd Season, I thought that I gave it everything I got for both the everyday life scenes and concert scenes, but now that I think about it there may be more that I could have done...
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
I would say I was able to make the opening for the 3rd Season really cool. It was hard making the 3D camerawork just right.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Hiroshi Morita)
There are things that I could have done more on, but the chaotic fun of Hello, Happy World!'s concert scene in 2nd Season #4 is one scene that I am proud of.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Haruyo Ogawa)
I gave it everything I got for all episodes, but I did so especially for the Budokan concert in the final episode.
(SANZIGEN Filming Director, Mari Inoue)
I drew the endings with everything I got!
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Takuya Chanohara)
Delivering all the episodes in time without compromising quality. The schedule was tight sometimes, but thanks to all the staff's hard work, we were able to deliver the animation without any troubles.
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Yuka Hachimori)
What is BanG Dream! to you?
Life.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
A snack that I can never get tired of...
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
BanG Dream! was my first job as CG Director, so it's going to be an anime I will remember for life.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Hiroshi Morita)
It is full of heartwarming and touching episodes, it encourages me when I watch it.
(SANZIGEN CG Director, Haruyo Ogawa)
A place that, through various challenges, exploits the charms that each band has.
(SANZIGEN Filming Director, Mari Inoue)
This anime has allowed me to challenge many things, and I owe it a lot. I want to take part in it for as long as I can.
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Takuya Chanohara)
It's full of cute, but not just cute. It's full of great music, but it's not just about the music. Every character in it has personality and their own story. There were many hard times in production, but it was fun nonetheless.
(SANZIGEN Animation Director, Yuka Hachimori)
BanG Dream! has changed my life, and I want to work for the BanG Dream! project in the future. What do I need to accomplish this?
The most important thing is passion! We hope you can shoot straight through your dreams and work with us in the future!
(Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production)
Did you have any scenes or ideas that didn't make it into the anime?
For "BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!☆PICO", we have tons of unused storyboards (haha). It would be neat if I can introduce some of them, together with Director Miyajima.
(Bushiroad Producer, Yuki Nemoto)
I'm afraid I can't go into details here, but there are about 8 minutes of scenes cut out from 3rd Season #13. (I am truly sorry, Scriptwriter Ogawa-san.) I would personally love to see a Director's Cut version of it.
(Staff from Bushiroad in charge of the BanG Dream! Anime production)
What kinds of work are there in the anime production process?
Pre-production where we create the planning / scenario / storyboards, Production where we make the CG animation / backgrounds / digital drawings, and Post-production where we do the editing / printing. There are many meetings and operation in each of the processes.
(SANZIGEN Production Manager, Hideyuki Tazaki)
Who is the hardest character to portray in the anime? Who is the easiest?
I would say Kasumi is the hardest. The Hello, Happy World! members are the easiest, or the most entertaining to portray.
(SANZIGEN CG Supervisor, Atsushi Mimura)
How long does it take to record 1 episode?
About 3-4 hours. In addition to the recording with the whole cast, we sometimes have recordings of individual casts. By the way, at SANZIGEN we use a production method called pre-scoring, where we record the voices first and make the animation after.
(SANZIGEN Production Manager, Hideyuki Tazaki)
Continuing on the BanG Dream! story, do you want to make the next season around stories on the characters being college students? Would it be hard to depict them if they are not high school students?
The nature of the characters will not change even if they go on to become college students, so we would be able to make stories on them. But for now, their high school life is still filled with interesting events, so I would like to focus on those.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
Personally, I would love to make stories on Poppin'Party after graduating high school.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Which episode did you have the most fun making?
The school life of MASKING.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
To be honest all the episodes, but that will be too long to talk about... Out of the episodes that I did the Scriptwriting on, 2nd Season #13 and 3rd Season #8. It was quite hard getting all the information through, but it was fun portraying the members having fun together.
(SANZIGEN Scriptwriter, Midori Goto)
The 3rd Season felt dense because it was packed with events. Was it hard putting so many stories in 13 episodes? Did you have anything that had to be cut out?
The balance between comical stories and serious stories was hard. I'm glad that we were able to make the hot springs episode.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
What was the intention of putting the Budokan concert in the final episode? What points should the audience focus on especially?
As the "Dream" part of BanG Dream!, we wanted to portray the accomplishment of a dream. We wanted the characters, the audience, and also the staff involved to share the same view of accomplishing an enormous dream. I wouldn't specify any point to focus on. It is our pleasure if each audience can enjoy their favorite characters, songs, or episodes. If I'm forced to say, the backstage of the Budokan which you can't normally see is reproduced very faithfully based on our visits, so that might be a good point to focus on while watching.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
We always wanted Poppin'Party to perform on the Budokan stage. Their growth as a band allowed them to fulfill their dreams.
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Out of the relationships between the new characters, which is your favorite, or which one surprised you the most? I was surprised at the fact that MASKING was a fan of Maya!
LOCK and MASKING turned out to be a better duo then I originally expected. I also like the Ako, LOCK, and Asuka trio too. MASKING admiring Maya was really adorable!
(BanG Dream! Anime Series Composition & Scriptwriter, Yuniko Ayana)
Can you tell me the story behind the 3rd Season opening "Initial"'s production? I felt that it had a different vibe than the openings for the 1st and 2nd Season. How did "Initial" affect production emotion-wise?
"Initial" was a suggestion from Elements Garden, who are in charge of the music. It was a different taste from 2nd Season's "Kizuna Music", and became a cool song that lines up with "Teardrops" and "Time Lapse" as the Poppin'Party Trilogy. It was the perfect song for the 3rd Season, in which we wanted to portray the hardships of challenging your dreams.
(BanG Dream! 3rd Season Anime Director, Kodai Kakimoto)
