Bringing Übel Blatt to the Screen

Etorouji Shiono‘s Übel Blatt manga may seem like an odd choice for a contemporary anime adaptation at first blush – the series was serialized between 2004 and 2019, and it definitely retains the feel of its era of dark fantasy with its grimdark qualities and moments of sexual predation. But revenge stories never really go out of style, and even with its older style of storytelling, it’s easy to get pulled into Shiono’s dark world of blood, swords, and betrayal. We had the chance to sit down with Takashi Naoya, the director of the anime adaptation, to discuss how he brings Shiono’s story to life and what changes need to be made in the process of translating the series from manga to anime.

Übel Blatt is, above all else, a revenge story along the lines of Alexandre Dumas‘ The Count of Monte Cristo, with Köinzell seeking vengeance on the people who tried to kill him when he went by Ascheriit. What elements of his story do you want to emphasize in the anime version? His anger? His determination? His moments of kindness? What do you think is most essential to capturing his drive for vengeance?

Takashi Naoya: I believe that, ideally, it’s best to stick to the original work without adding any unnecessary personal interpretation. However, because anime has the limitation of time, there are instances where certain scenes must be cut, depending on the work.

For Übel Blatt, it was necessary to drop some scenes and re-edit the story. I recognize that re-editing the story involves both giving the anime a new tempo and providing a perspective on how the story should be viewed. When cutting scenes for this project, the focus was placed on how Köinzell, who was betrayed by his companions, forms new bonds and regains his ability to trust others. The story was shaped around this central theme.

As for the keyword in the story, I felt the expression “Hero-Child” was very fitting and represented the worldview well. It had been cut during the initial script stage, but I decided to revive it and use it.

The Seven Heroes, Wischtech, and the children born in this world have all absorbed the concept of heroes, and in this world, there are children who long to be heroes. The term “Hero-Child” and how Köinzell perceives it, as well as the contrast with the later appearance of Elsaria, helped define the worldview. How the term “Hero-Child” is understood gives a clearer sense of where the characters stand.

In the first half of the story, Wied is the main protagonist. At the start, Köinzell is consumed by revenge, focusing solely on it, and he pushes forward on his own. If the story focused only on Köinzell, who speaks little and constantly chants “revenge,” it could have become monotonous. So, in the first half, I structured it so that Wied would lead the story.

After parting ways with Wied, the focus shifts to Köinzell’s journey of personal growth as he accepts new companions such as Aht, Peepi, and Altea. This becomes the central theme, showing Köinzell’s evolution.

Although this is a long explanation, to summarize, it’s about how Köinzell meets new people, regains his heart, and how the time that stopped after the Seven Heroes killed him begins to move again. From that point on, a story of growth begins for Köinzell, one that he himself doesn’t know about… This was how I structured the story.

The points mentioned above are things I’m sharing for the first time in this interview, so I hope you can take them as my personal thoughts. Personally, I believe “revenge” always carries a lingering bad aftertaste. Even if the central theme is revenge, I think Köinzell should grow beyond that… Maybe I should have focused more on revenge or anger instead… Oh, I guess my kind personality came through! Heh-heh, just kidding.

In the original work, scenes of violence, combat, and aspects of human greed were depicted. Were you conscious of anything specific when adapting it into an anime?

NAOYA: When I was given the job, I noticed that the original work contained some erotic elements in certain parts. I discussed how to handle those with the studio, the committee, and the original creators. For this anime adaptation, I wanted to focus on Köinzell, who is consumed by revenge, regaining his heart through the various people he meets during his journey. The emphasis was on his growth as he overcomes his anger and revenge. As a result, we decided to remove the erotic elements and proceed without them. Apart from that, I tried to stay as close to the original work as possible.

For my storyboard, I approached Köinzell’s swordsmanship as though he were using iaido. Instead of having a typical swordfight like in period dramas, where there are many swings, I wanted to create a style where the sword is drawn and immediately used to strike. The goal was to show overwhelming strength through this approach. However, the battle with that particular character at the end was the most difficult part [to create].

In a fight between two sword masters, I was concerned that showing too many sword strikes might make it look cheap, so I struggled with this a lot. After much deliberation, I drew inspiration from Knights of the Zodiac, which I have loved since childhood. There was also the issue of how to depict the black wings, but I decided that the black wings would represent what resides in everyone’s hearts. It’s like the concept of the Seventh Sense.

A lot of the story is grounded in Ascheriit’s betrayal and subsequent branding as a traitor, which becomes his motive for vengeance as Köinzell. Do you believe that there’s still some of Ascheriit’s original personality in Köinzell? Or do you plan to approach their scenes as if they were two completely separate characters?

NAOYA: I believe that Köinzell’s ultimate goal on his journey is undoubtedly to kill the Seven Heroes. However, meeting Aht and developing the desire to nurture a swordsman within him was a positive development, I think.

I recognize that Ascheriit’s personality remains the same; only their appearance has changed. Therefore, I have depicted them as the same person.

Übel Blatt overall has the feel of a Medieval German epic. Do you use any directions or techniques to give the anime that sensibility? How do you plan to enhance the series with the additional elements of movement, color, and sound – what do those bring to the table for this story in particular?

NAOYA: Since the sound director is Takahiro Fujimoto, we have put a lot of effort into the characters’ performances. Satellite has created some great CG this time, and I think the artwork is beautiful, perfectly capturing the fantasy world. The cinematography has also been enhanced quite a bit, and there’s a lot of energy put into it. The animation staff did a wonderful job drawing the charming older gentlemen. The musical score has a great sense of depth and is very cool, in my opinion, and everyone has put their own unique touch into it. Asami Matsuo, the assistant director, always manages the production pipeline, so I think he would be able to provide a better answer regarding the points of focus in the anime production process.

Are there any earlier projects you drew on for this one? Or do you approach each new series with a clean slate?

NAOYA: I always start from a completely clean slate when creating.

This work has a dark and harsh medieval setting, but were there any other works or actual epics that influenced or served as references during its creation?

NAOYA: I don’t have any particular influences, but I do like works like Record of Lodoss War and Berserk.

What is your favorite part of Übel Blatt as a story? Are there any episodes you’re particularly excited for fans to see?

NAOYA: I really like the episode with the academy of swordsmanship. However, I think it’s better to read it in the manga.

At the end of the day, what do you hope viewers get from Übel Blatt? Is there a message or theme you’d like viewers to walk away with?

NAOYA: I don’t usually create any particular message or theme on my own. Since I’m not the original creator, I feel that creating my own message could lead to misunderstandings. I try to make myself as invisible as possible, to remove myself from the process, and to avoid interfering with the work (though I feel a bit conflicted after speaking at length about this at the beginning of the interview). I hope that each viewer can interpret it in their own way. I’m sure there will be mixed opinions… (laughs). But I enjoy that, too. If you can enjoy it, then that’s a stroke of luck.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions!

NAOYA: Thank you very much.