The Eminence in Shadow strikes a chord with many anime viewers, whether it’s the unique main character, Cid, or the dark comedy. One of the best-rated series on HIDIVE is this one. The show’s producer, Kazufumi Kikushima, and director, Kazuya Nakanishi, agreed to a conversation with Anime News Network to share their thoughts on the show’s increasing popularity. It was also a fantastic chance to gain some insight into the mindset of those who work behind the scenes on the show.
When Nakanishi first heard about the series’ popularity abroad, he appeared a little taken aback. He cried out, “I was really perplexed.Yes, it’s really popular, and I’m overjoyed about it. However, we’re all wondering, “Why is this even happening?” Although everyone on staff feels the same way, we’re happy.”
“Director Nakanishi and everyone did a fantastic job creating this anime series, so I guess that’s why we are all invited [to Anime NYC] from Japan today,” Kikushima said, echoing the same opinion. It feels like a dream come true for me.”
Although Nakanishi is a relatively new filmmaker, he brought experience from his lengthy career in animation to the table, as he mentioned in the interview.
It’s obvious that these two have a respect for the subject matter despite their responses. As a fan of Daisuke Aizawa’s original light novels, Nakanishi approached the series with a distinct mental image in mind.
“I used to think, ‘I can draw that scene this way, and I can draw that scenario that way,’ while I was reading. I simply tried to write with the same imagination I had while reading the novel after receiving the director’s offer.”
Without getting too technical, it was intriguing to hear what they thought about Cid. They both agreed that he is insane and that they would prefer to watch him from a distance during the Anime NYC event. However, Kikushima went a little farther in the interview.
“I think Shadow is not so brilliant, and I think he makes mistakes. This is just my personal perspective. The protagonist’s distinctiveness, however, makes sense when considering how The Eminence in Shadow is put together. I believe it sticks out because his decisions reveal his policy or worldview.”
This comprehension may have its origins in Kikushima’s childhood experiences, during which he engaged in a lot of video game playing and experienced a “emo moment.”
Growing up, I played a lot of role-playing video games, such as Final Fantasy. In one of the games, there’s a character named Squall, and I dressed completely in black, much like him, and I wore extremely skinny leather leggings. Yes, that was me,” admitted Kikushima.
Nakanishi clarified that while he didn’t go through that stage in his childhood, he did like to follow the main character in his imagination as if he were an imaginary cinematographer, since “it’s not my thing to be the protagonist of the story.”
Even yet, Nakanishi had his eccentric moments in New York. For example, he once appeared at the panel with a bag covering his head for privacy, which he then removed to expose a ski mask before removing it whole to display his face. Even these two may find some parts of the anime puzzling, such as the true significance of the famous line “I am atomic,” yet their respect and affinity for the work are genuine.
