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E9

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:05] Ekoda
    Thank you for calling. This is the Phoenix
    Life Insurance customer service center.
[00:09] Customer
    Um... My husband passed away...
[00:11] Ekoda
    My condolences. This must
    be a difficult time for you.
[00:15] Ekoda
    Great. More death...
[00:15] Ekoda
    May I ask the name on the
    policy or the customer number?
[00:18] Customer
    It's Idenoguchi Shuhei.
[00:20] Ekoda
    Idenoguchi Shuhei-sama, correct?
[00:24] Kouhai
    Looks like you hit the
    jackpot today, sis!
[00:27] Ekoda
    Four out of the five claims
    I've processed have been suicides.
[00:29] Ekoda
    And don't call me "sis."
[00:31] Kouhai
    But that's what you are, sis!
[00:33] Kouhai
    Wow, I go for a quick break and
    come back to find 40 callers waiting?
[00:37] Kouhai
    I am now entering "operations mode"!
[00:39] Kouhai
    Operations, switching on!
[00:41] Kouhai
    Thank you for calling.
[00:43] Ekoda
    Looks like someone's having fun.
[00:43] Kouhai
    This is the Phoenix Life Insurance
    customer service center.
[00:46] Ekoda
    I sit here day after day, in the same seat,
    with the same scripted responses...
[00:49] Co-worker
    Thank you for your call.
[00:50] Ekoda
    Wow, look at that beautiful sunset.
[00:53] Ekoda
    And I'm the only one who's noticed it.
[00:56] Ekoda
    There's something soothing about that...
[00:58] Kouhai
    Hey, sis!
[01:00] Boss
    I don't see hands moving.
[01:03] Ekoda
    I guess I must've spaced out for a sec...
[01:05] Boss
    And while you space out, the calls stack up.
[01:08] Ekoda
    Sorry about that.
[01:10] Kouhai
    Y'know... I heard she's got a toyboy.
[01:13] Ekoda
    I heard she's got a bunch of toyboys.
[01:16] Coworker
    Wait, what? A bunch?
[01:18] Ekoda
    I threw in a few extra.
[01:20] Customer
    Yeah, the last person I talked to
    was terrible. Can I speak to a manager?
[01:22] Ekoda
    Great. I've got a whiner.
[01:24] Ekoda
    One moment, please.
[01:26] Ekoda
    And the signal is...
SIGN    Smoke
    & mirrors
[01:31] Ekoda
    My supervisor's currently away from
    his desk, but I can take your call.
[01:35] Customer
    Fine. Just put me on with that
    Kato person I was talking to earlier.
[01:35] Ekoda
    Excuse #1.
[01:37] Ekoda
    We have several Katos here.
[01:39] Ekoda
    I can find out who you were speaking to
    if you give me your name and policy number.
[01:44] Customer
    What a pain in the ass.
[01:46] Ekoda
    Stormy weather all around, huh?
[01:48] Customer
    06294028461, Yamada Yoko.
[01:53] Customer
    Now, put Kato on.
[01:54] Ekoda
    I'm terribly sorry, ma'am...
[01:56] Ekoda
    The Kato in question is
    currently on another call.
[01:59] Yamada
    All right, fine!
[01:59] Ekoda
    Excuse #2.
[02:01] Ekoda
    Oh, she's gone.
[02:03] Ekoda
    And so's the power?
[02:05] Boss
    It's just a blackout!
[02:05] Kouhai
    Game over, man!
[02:06] Boss
    Backup power should kick in any second!
[02:08] Boss
    Everyone, remain calm!
[02:08] Ekoda
    Ah, here we go.
[02:09] Boss
    Please don't leave your desks!
[02:10] Ekoda
    The lights are taking their time, though.
[02:15] Kouhai
    Selecting optimal course of action:
    conserve energy for moment of reactivation.
[02:21] Ekoda
    More than 50 callers waiting...
[02:23] Ekoda
    Is it even worth bothering,
    in the circumstances?
[02:26] Boss
    Please get back to work!
[02:30] Coworker
    I can't take it!
[02:31] Boss
    Hey! Don't just run off!
[02:34] Kouhai
    Returning to duty!
[02:35] Kouhai
    Re-entering "operations mode"!
[02:37] Kouhai
    Ops, on!
[02:41] Kouhai
    Thank you for your call.
SIGN    No snacking!
SIGN    No snacking!
SIGN    No snacking!
SIGN    Verify their
    information!
[02:43] Kouhai
    This is the Phoenix Life Insurance
    customer service center.
SIGN    No snacking!
SIGN    We can go out for seafood after work!
SIGN    Verify their
    information!
SIGN    No snacking!
SIGN    We can go out for seafood after work!
SIGN    Verify their
    information!
SIGN    No snacking!
SIGN    We can go out for seafood after work!
SIGN    Verify their
    information!
SIGN    I understand
    your frustration!
SIGN    You got this!
[02:43] Ekoda
    It's utter chaos in here.
SIGN    No snacking!
SIGN    We can go out for seafood after work!
SIGN    Verify their
    information!
SIGN    I understand
    your frustration!
SIGN    You got this!
SIGN    You got this!
[02:45] Ekoda
    I want to run away, too.
[02:47] Ekoda
    But it's not in my nature to go off the deep end
    and lose control when all hell breaks loose.
[02:52] Ekoda
    Thank you for your call. You're through to
    Phoenix Life Insurance customer services.
[02:56] Customer
    Um... My son caught a STD and...
[03:33] Narrator
    They say that ten different people
    produce ten different versions.
SIGN    Ten Versions
SIGN    Ten People
[03:37] Narrator
    But what if there were new Ekoda-chans?
SIGN    Sugii
    Gisaburo
SIGN    Takahashi
    Ryosuke
SIGN    Daichi Akitaro
SIGN    Mochizuki
    Tomomi
SIGN    Misawa Shin
SIGN    Takahashi Takeo
SIGN    Yonetani
    Yoshitomo
SIGN    Kobayashi
     Osamu
SIGN    Kojima
    Masayuki
SIGN    Shigino Akira
SIGN    Nagahama Hiroshi
SIGN    Morimoto Koji
SIGN    12 Women
SIGN    12 Versions!?
[03:43] Narrator
    12 women, 12 versions?!
SIGN    Over the course of the next 12 episodes of the anime "Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan,"
    we'll be checking in with the directors of each episode, and the voice
    actress portraying Ekoda-chan!!
[03:45] Narrator
    Over the course of the next 12 episodes
    of the anime "Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan,"
[03:49] Narrator
    we'll be checking in with
    the directors of each episode,
[03:51] Narrator
    and the voice actress
    portraying Ekoda-chan.
[03:53] Narrator
    Today, we would be unveiling the
    director of Episode 9: Takahashi Takeo,
SIGN    Director
SIGN    Takahashi Takeo
[03:58] Narrator
    but he passed up the chance to appear!
SIGN    Episode 9's Director
SIGN    Takahashi Takeo
SIGN    Episode 9's Ekoda-chan
SIGN    Koshimizu Ami
[04:01] Narrator
    Surely that would only be allowed
    on a show as free-spirited as Ekoda-chan?
[04:04] Narrator
    We'll speak to Ekoda-chan's VA
    for this week, Koshimizu Ami-san,
[04:07] Narrator
    and it's going to be a little
    different from usual!
SIGN    Playing Ekoda-chan
SIGN    Koshimizu Ami
[04:09] Narrator
    "Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan" special feature:
    The Director and Ekoda-chan's Naked Chat!
SIGN    Rinshi!! Ekoda-Chan
SIGN    The Director and Ekoda -chan's
SIGN    The Director and Ekoda -chan's
SIGN    The Director and Ekoda -chan's
SIGN    The Director and Ekoda -chan's
SIGN    The Director and Ekoda -chan's
SIGN    Naked Chat
SIGN    Naked Chat
SIGN    Naked Chat
[04:15] Narrator
    We're baring all for you!
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
[04:17] Takahashi 2
    Regarding the round-table
    discussion with Director Takahashi...
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Regarding Director Takahashi...
SIGN    Takahashi Takeo x Koshimizu Ami
SIGN    Rinshi!!
    Ekoda-Chan:
    The Director
    and
    Ekoda-chan's
    Naked
    Chat
SIGN    Episode 9's Ekoda-chan
    Koshimizu Ami
SIGN    Project/Production
    Manager
    Kataoka Yoshiro
[04:20] Koshimizu
    Right.
[04:21] Takahashi 2
    Whenever he's on camera, he tends
    to just freeze up completely.
[04:25] Koshimizu
    Right.
[04:26] Takahashi 2
    And seeing as how that'd
    create a whole heap of issues,
[04:29] Takahashi 2
    he opted to sit this one out.
[04:31] Takahashi 2
    With that in mind,
    I, the voice actor, Takahashi Ryosuke,
SIGN    Episode 9's Director
    Takahashi Takeo
    (VA: Takahashi Ryosuke)
[04:36] Takahashi 2
    will be performing the role of
    Takahashi Takeo for this episode.
[04:41] Koshimizu
    Yay!
[04:42] Kataoka
    So that's...
[04:42] Koshimizu
    Yay!
[04:44] Kataoka
    I was wondering why the director looked
    so different. That explains everything.
[04:48] Kataoka
    Thanks for coming.
[04:48] Koshimizu
    Seriously!
[04:49] Koshimizu
    It's good to have you here.
[04:51] Kataoka
    Our director is an industry veteran,
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    The director and Koshimizu-san's first meeting...
[04:53] Kataoka
    and from where I sit, you're quite
    the veteran yourself, Koshimizu-san.
[04:57] Kataoka
    Do you remember when you
    first encountered each other?
[05:00] Takahashi 2
    We first met on a project
    I directed called "Spice and Wolf."
[05:06] Koshimizu
    That's right.
[05:06] Kataoka
    Was "Spice and Wolf" a TV series? Or a movie?
[05:09] Koshimizu
    Well...
[05:10] Koshimizu
    It was a TV series I was in,
    and looking back...
[05:14] Koshimizu
    I guess it must've been... about
    ten years ago? Maybe a little more?
[05:21] Koshimizu
    Yeah.
[05:23] Kataoka
    What were your impressions of
    Koshimizu-san back then, Director?
[05:25] Takahashi 2
    I was impressed with how
    well she handled interviews,
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    First impressions of Koshimizu-san
[05:29] Takahashi 2
    in spite of her youthfulness.
[05:31] Koshimizu
    Thank you so much!
[05:33] Koshimizu
    So that's what you thought.
[05:35] Kataoka
    And what were your impressions
    of the director, Koshimizu-san?
[05:37] Koshimizu
    Well, just like today,
SIGN    First impressions of Director Takahashi
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
[05:40] Koshimizu
    he seemed so shy, he could have really
    used a voice actor to speak for him.
[05:44] Kataoka
    Shy...
[05:45] Koshimizu
    Whenever the director talked,
     it was a bit like... "Yes."
[05:50] Koshimizu
    And I'd be like, "Wait, what?"
[05:52] Koshimizu
    And he'd just whisper: "Yes, well..."
[05:54] Koshimizu
    That's how he is. Shy.
[05:56] Kataoka
    A director's job is to helm the project.
SIGN    It's okay to be a quiet director?
[06:00] Kataoka
    So if he puts everything in his head or
    everything he wants to say into the show,
[06:04] Kataoka
    then, whether he utters
    a word or not doesn't matter,
[06:08] Kataoka
    as long as it's all up there
    on the screen, I think.
[06:14] Koshimizu
    You might have a point there. Right?
SIGN    The 3-Minute World
    of "Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan"
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
[06:24] Kataoka
    How did you come up with
    the concept for this episode?
[06:24] Censor Bar
    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Behind the concept
SIGN    Takahashi Takeo x Koshimizu Ami
[06:29] Ami
    Oh, now that you mention it...
[06:29] Kataoka
    I'd love to know.
[06:30] Ami
    That's a good question.
[06:32] Takahashi 2
    The concept behind the original work,
    along with this adaptation,
[06:35] Takahashi 2
    was something the producer
    outlined beforehand.
[06:38] Takahashi 2
    So my focus was on how to best utilize
    the short three-minute run-time.
[06:42] Kataoka
    You'll notice that his answer just now
[06:44] Kataoka
    was about the episode format.
[06:47] Kataoka
    I get the feeling that it's his way
    of saying, "You know this already!"
[06:52] Koshimizu
    The thing that impressed me
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Is three minutes long or short?
[06:54] Koshimizu
    is that, compared to the length of a typical
    TV episode, three minutes isn't a lot of time.
[07:01] Koshimizu
    And there's the fact that
    Ekoda-chan is a 4-koma manga,
[07:03] Koshimizu
    so adapting one strip into three minutes
    would stretch the material a little thin.
[07:07] Koshimizu
    So the issue becomes, how do you
    expand on what you're working with,
[07:12] Koshimizu
    while still keeping it contained
    to a single episode?
[07:14] Koshimizu
    And when I was doing the voice-over,
    I was like, "So that's how you do it!"
[07:18] Koshimizu
    That's the impression I got.
[07:19] Koshimizu
    Now, out of curiosity...
[07:20] Koshimizu
    You're currently doing the director's voice...
[07:23] Takahashi 2
    Right.
[07:24] Koshimizu
    But what did you think of it, Takahashi-san?
    Takahashi the voice actor, I mean.
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    What did Takahashi-san (the guy portraying the director) think?
[07:28] Takahashi 2
    Let's see, I think, once I saw the
    video in the voice-over session...
[07:32] Takahashi 2
    The way the cuts were put
    together to look so seamless,
[07:38] Takahashi 2
    combined with the seriously
    fast pace of the story...
[07:43] Takahashi 2
    Even thought it was only three
    minutes' long, the way it played out...
[07:46] Takahashi 2
    I thought it was really bold and cool.
[07:49] Koshimizu
    It's really amazing how
    it's got these parallel stories.
[07:51] Koshimizu
    You see all of them playing out at the same
    time. Over the course of three minutes.
[07:53] Censor Bar
    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Creating such a vibrant world in just 3 minutes is an impressive feat
[07:56] Koshimizu
    But you see the lives of so many
    people playing out at once.
[07:59] Takahashi 2
    It's really impressive
    in terms of how efficient it is.
[08:03] Kataoka
    This story takes place in a call
    center for a life insurance firm.
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Using a life insurance firm call center as a setting
[08:08] Koshimizu
    Right.
[08:09] Kataoka
    Choosing that for his setting
    is really interesting.
[08:12] Koshimizu
    I agree.
[08:13] Kataoka
    I mean, the phone operators
    who work in a job like that...
[08:16] Kataoka
    They end up taking
    some pretty heavy calls.
[08:18] Koshimizu
    True.
[08:19] Kataoka
    They're on the phone with people
[08:23] Kataoka
    who are going through very
    dramatic moments in their lives.
[08:29] Kataoka
    And I imagine they get exposed
    to a lot of different reactions,
[08:32] Kataoka
    and I found it impressive
    how that was represented.
[08:34] Koshimizu
    You've got a point.
[08:36] Koshimizu
    The way you kinda get a feeling
    for the lives of these callers,
[08:42] Koshimizu
    as well as the people taking their calls.
[08:45] Koshimizu
    The fact that everything plays
    out over just three minutes,
[08:49] Koshimizu
    but you get bombarded with so much!
[08:51] Koshimizu
    Nicely done!
[08:53] Kataoka
    I was impressed myself.
[08:54] Koshimizu
    Right?
[08:55] Takahashi 2
    Right.
[08:57] Kataoka
    When you were putting together the episode,
    did anything give you trouble?
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Any difficulties putting the episode together?
[09:01] Takahashi 2
    This episode uses POV perspective,
    with no 3D modeling in sight,
[09:06] Takahashi 2
    and we see everything through
    the eyes of the main character.
[09:10] Takahashi 2
    I don't believe this has ever
     been done in TV anime,
[09:13] Takahashi 2
    and the process of nailing down how
    to choreograph it was a great deal of work,
[09:18] Takahashi 2
    but I believe we've produced something
    hitherto unseen in this medium.
[09:22] Koshimizu
    You're right!
[09:23] Kataoka
    I thought as much.
[09:24] Koshimizu
    Now that you mention it, yeah.
[09:26] Koshimizu
    When you put it like that,
[09:29] Koshimizu
    it makes me want to tell everyone
    to go re-watch the episode somehow.
[09:34] Kataoka
    Something you mentioned, Koshimizu-san,
[09:37] Kataoka
    is that you took a lot of
    your inspiration for lines
[09:42] Kataoka
    from the way the perspective
    of the camera moved.
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    The camera perspective made it easier to get into character
[09:46] Kataoka
    It's interesting how the set up of
    the shots contain that kind of insight.
[09:49] Koshimizu
    You've got a point.
[09:51] Koshimizu
    I think that might well be the case.
[09:54] Kataoka
    So it's only three minutes...
[09:57] Kataoka
    Yeah.
[09:58] Kataoka
    but the voice-over process
    took almost two hours.
[10:01] Koshimizu
    Right.
[10:02] Kataoka
    And I'm sure you had to do a lot of
    thinking about how to nail the character.
[10:07] Kataoka
    Looking back now,
SIGN    Things emphasized during the voice-over recording
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
[10:10] Kataoka
    did anything strike you
    as being noteworthy,
[10:12] Kataoka
    or did you have any moments of inspiration?
[10:14] Koshimizu
    Well, earlier, the director
    said something about
[10:18] Koshimizu
    how it focuses on showing
    how many different things
[10:21] Koshimizu
    can happen at once in the same space.
[10:24] Koshimizu
    And Ekoda-chan is slap bang in the
    center of everything that's going on.
[10:30] Koshimizu
    So there's this confined space,
    and here's Ekoda-chan,
SIGN    Building an environment around Ekoda-chan
[10:33] Koshimizu
    and in her orbit is all this
    stuff that's happening.
[10:36] Koshimizu
    And in order to highlight that
    she's at the center of it all,
[10:41] Koshimizu
    for her internal monologue, and for her
    interactions with other characters, too,
[10:46] Koshimizu
    I wanted to talk with a level of intimacy
[10:50] Koshimizu
    that would encourage the audience
    to see through her eyes.
[10:58] Koshimizu
    While everyone else is
    yammering on and making a fuss,
[11:02] Koshimizu
    there's that one scene where
    she just stares out the window...
[11:07] Koshimizu
    I thought that was incredibly realistic.
[11:10] Koshimizu
    I think that, in life, you're
    sometimes in conversations
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    The realism of Ekoda-chan
[11:13] Koshimizu
    where you're just going, "Yeah, you're right."
[11:16] Koshimizu
    Like, if there's three of you talking,
[11:18] Koshimizu
    and your whole contribution is,
     "Mmhm. Mmhm. Mmhm."
[11:21] Koshimizu
    And then, you get distracted,
    or start thinking about something else...
[11:25] Koshimizu
    I think everyone has moments like that.
[11:27] Koshimizu
    The way that was depicted...
[11:30] Koshimizu
    I really wanted to get across how you feel
    inside when you have those moments.
[11:41] Kataoka
    I would think that's really hard to do, as well.
[11:44] Kataoka
    I asked the director if he wanted
    to make a quiet episode or a busy one.
[11:50] Kataoka
    And he said he wanted a busy one.
[11:52] Kataoka
    So everyone except Ekoda-chan
[11:54] Kataoka
    is making a lot of noise.
[11:55] Koshimizu
    Right.
[11:56] Kataoka
    And amidst that cacophony,
    she peers out the window...
[12:00] Koshimizu
    Right! Exactly!
[12:02] Koshimizu
    But y'know, the way things get more
    and more chaotic in the second half,
[12:07] Koshimizu
    that was something I thought was really fun.
[12:10] Koshimizu
    And cramming so many points
    of interest into just three minutes
[12:19] Koshimizu
    wasn't just entertaining;
    it was really amazing, too.
[12:22] Kataoka
    Right.
[12:23] Kataoka
    There's the part where she looks
    out the window and it's dusk,
[12:26] Kataoka
    and then later, a thunderstorm rolls in.
[12:28] Kataoka
    You generally don't associate
    those two things with each other.
[12:33] Kataoka
    So putting them back to back is
    something of a surprise to the viewer...
[12:37] Kataoka
    Coupled with the way the bit
    with the sunset helps to break up
[12:41] Kataoka
    the noise of the episode, and keeps it
    from turning into pure noise.
[12:44] Kataoka
    And with Ekoda-chan's internal
    monologue in the mix, too.
[12:47] Koshimizu
    It helps modulate the tempo.
[12:50] Kataoka
    I would've thought having that variation
    would make the vocal performance harder.
[12:54] Koshimizu
    Oh, no, not at all!
[12:55] Koshimizu
    Having to mix it up just adds to the fun.
[12:56] Kataoka
    Ah, I see.
[12:58] Koshimizu
    That's what I think.
SIGN    Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan
SIGN    The Director and
     Ekoda -chan's
    Naked Chat
SIGN    Episode 9's Director
SIGN    Takahashi Takeo
SIGN    Episode 9's Ekoda-chan
SIGN    Koshimizu Ami
SIGN    Rinshi!!
    Ekoda-Chan:
    The Director
    and
    Ekoda-chan's
    Naked
    Chat
[13:06] Narrator
    The first half highlighted the attention
    to detail shown by Director Takahashi Takeo,
[13:10] Narrator
    along with his innocent personality.
[13:13] Narrator
    In the second half, we're going to hear
    Koshimizu Ami-san's candid opinions,
[13:16] Narrator
    and philosophy on life.
[13:19] Narrator
    Watch this and you too can
    become like Ekoda-chan! Maybe.
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Koshimizu Ami-san's Smorgasbord
    of Behind-the-Scenes Stories
[13:25] Kataoka
    Did you have any first impressions
    when the script dropped in your lap?
SIGN    Takahashi Takeo x Koshimizu Ami
[13:29] Koshimizu
    Good question! Well...
[13:31] Koshimizu
    When you look at a script,
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    First impressions when reading the script
[13:33] Koshimizu
    there's the section that describes
    what's going on in the scene,
[13:39] Koshimizu
    and below that, it has who's
    speaking and their lines.
[13:43] Koshimizu
    That's how voice-over
    scripts are structured.
[13:45] Koshimizu
    So I'm scanning it, reading about the
    scenes, and looking over the lines,
[13:50] Koshimizu
    and I'm like, "This is a lot!"
[13:53] Koshimizu
    That was my first impression, I'd say.
[13:57] Koshimizu
    You can easily tell when
    looking at a script
[14:01] Koshimizu
    whether the story's going
    to unfold at an even pace,
[14:04] Koshimizu
    or go at breakneck speed
    with a buttload of action.
[14:07] Koshimizu
    To make it easier to picture,
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    The story's atmosphere being apparent in the script
[14:09] Koshimizu
    imagine you've got the scene here,
    and the spoken lines underneath.
[14:14] Koshimizu
    And then, down here, you've
    also got overlapping dialogue,
[14:18] Koshimizu
    so it's a lot going on all at once.
[14:19] Koshimizu
    So as I'm reading it, my reaction is, "What's
    the recording going to be like tomorrow?"
[14:24] Koshimizu
    "Oh, boy!" Basically.
[14:26] Kataoka
    So, as you're reading,
[14:28] Kataoka
    I imagine you're formulating your
    approach to voicing her in your head, yes?
[14:31] Kataoka
    Did any of those ideas change when you
    got in the studio and were given direction?
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Anything you noticed about the direction you received?
[14:37] Koshimizu
    I think that can be said
    of any character, to be honest,
[14:41] Koshimizu
    because voice actors read the script
    themselves and have their own take on them,
[14:45] Koshimizu
    and well, their ideas aren't exactly wrong,
[14:49] Koshimizu
    but additional takes are done to explore
    the dialogue from a whole range of angles,
[14:55] Koshimizu
    and I thought there was
    a lot of that in this recording,
[14:58] Koshimizu
    exploring all the different possibilities.
[15:03] Kataoka
    Did you find any of Ekoda-chan's
    lines particularly memorable?
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Any memorable lines?
[15:09] Koshimizu
    That's a good question!
[15:11] Koshimizu
    Something I think most
    women might tune in on,
[15:16] Koshimizu
    is how, at the very end,
    she's talking to herself,
[15:18] Koshimizu
    and she lets slip that she wants to run away,
[15:21] Koshimizu
    because of the crazy
    situation she finds herself in,
[15:25] Koshimizu
    but she's just not the kind
    of person who does that.
[15:28] ---
    My reaction to that was: "I feel you."
[15:31] Kataoka
    You could relate to that?
[15:32] Koshimizu
    I totally got that part.
[15:34] Koshimizu
    That feeling of wanting to
    join in with the mass hysteria,
[15:37] Koshimizu
    but you just can't.
[15:39] Koshimizu
    Something about that
    really resonated with me.
[15:44] Koshimizu
    It left a deep impression.
[15:46] Kataoka
    Have you been in a lot of situations
    where you end up thinking that?
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Moments where she's felt like that
[15:50] Koshimizu
    Where I want to quit,
    but can't bring myself to?
[15:53] Kataoka
    Yeah.
[15:54] Koshimizu
    Well, I think that, in moments like that,
[15:57] Koshimizu
    you always tend to get
    further by toughing it out.
[16:03] Koshimizu
    After thirty-something years on Earth,
    I think that's something I've figured out.
[16:08] Koshimizu
    Whenever I stick it out,
    instead of just giving in,
[16:13] Koshimizu
    I always end up with
    something to show for it,
[16:17] Koshimizu
    whether it's experience gained,
    or something I've learned.
[16:20] Koshimizu
    So I feel like the right move is
    to hang in there and not give up.
[16:25] Kataoka
    What do you think about
    Ekoda-chan's way of life?
[16:29] Koshimizu
    That's a tough one!
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Regarding Ekoda-chan's way of life
[16:31] Koshimizu
    There's so much to her...
[16:34] Koshimizu
    Like, how she's an expert at saying
    one thing and thinking another,
[16:37] Koshimizu
    and how you can't say she lives
    in a totally selfish way...
[16:41] Koshimizu
    But in spite of that, she's
    always loyal to her desires.
[16:45] Koshimizu
    She's the kind of character
    that I find pretty remarkable,
[16:49] Koshimizu
    because her life's so different from mine.
[16:54] Kataoka
    You made a good point there.
[16:57] Kataoka
    About how she's totally
    honest about what she wants.
[16:59] Koshimizu
    Yeah, exactly!
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    The way Ekoda-chan is true to her desires
[17:01] Koshimizu
    I think it's impressive.
[17:02] Kataoka
    It's remarkable, isn't it?
[17:03] Koshimizu
    I think that sort of thing
    requires a lot of courage.
[17:07] Koshimizu
    So it's really interesting
    to see someone live like that.
[17:11] Kataoka
    Yeah.
SIGN    Q&A with
    Director Takahashi
[17:17] Kataoka
    As fun as having our
    own little conversation is,
SIGN    Takahashi Takeo x Koshimizu Ami
[17:19] Kataoka
    there are some questions
    only the director can answer.
[17:22] Kataoka
    The adaption of "Rinshi!!
    Ekoda-chan" we're doing here
[17:25] Kataoka
    involves 12 directors each doing
    one three-minute episode.
[17:30] Koshimizu
    That's remarkable.
[17:31] Kataoka
    Doing a show where you're only making one out
    of 12 episodes is an odd project to take on,
[17:38] Kataoka
    so I'm curious as to what made
    you agree to be a part of this.
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Your reasons for working on this project
[17:44] Koshimizu
    True. I was just thinking how,
    in terms of flavor,
[17:49] Koshimizu
    Ekoda-chan is a bit different
    from your previous works.
[17:53] Koshimizu
    So I'm curious, too!
[17:55] Koshimizu
    Why'd you agree to do it?
[17:57] Takahashi 2
    I received the offer from a studio
[17:59] Takahashi 2
    I've had the pleasure of working with
    several times before, Creators in Pack,
[18:05] Takahashi 2
    and after hearing about the details
    of the project, I agreed to work on it.
[18:08] Koshimizu
    I see!
[18:10] Kataoka
    Just looking at the footage is enough
    to tell you it turned out great.
[18:13] Kataoka
    The way the storyboards were
    adapted was done very faithfully,
[18:18] Kataoka
    which made me think you must
    have a great relationship
[18:21] Kataoka
    with the people at Creators in Pack.
[18:23] Kataoka
    I'm really curious about
    what your thoughts were,
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    Regarding character design
[18:28] Kataoka
    or what you wanted to achieve
    with the character designs.
[18:33] Takahashi 2
    I asked Ijuin-san,
    who did the character designs
[18:35] Takahashi 2
    for an anime I worked on in
    2017, "Citrus," to handle that.
[18:40] Takahashi 2
    I received a request
    from the production side
[18:45] Takahashi 2
    for elements of sexuality
    to be included in the episode,
[18:48] Takahashi 2
    so that was the main theme
    going into the design.
[18:51] Takahashi 2
    I believe the character designs captured
    the essence of the source material,
[18:56] Takahashi 2
    while also fulfilling
    the producer's requests.
[18:58] Koshimizu
    That's a good point.
[18:59] Koshimizu
    The story Ekoda-chan's in this time,
    compared to ones she's usually in...
[19:03] Koshimizu
    She's wearing clothes, for a start!
[19:04] Kataoka
    Yeah, she is.
[19:07] Koshi
    So it becomes a question of "How else
    do you go about injecting sexiness into it?"
[19:12] Kataoka
    The actual story doesn't
    seem all that sexual at first.
[19:15] Koshimizu
    'Cause she's clothed!
[19:16] Kataoka
    Exactly.
[19:17] Kataoka
    So I think for Takahashi-san to respond
    to that request with this kind of episode,
[19:25] Kataoka
    I think it gives us the sense that
    his concept of sex appeal is sort of...
[19:30] Kataoka
    ...subtle.
[19:31] Koshimizu
    I get that feeling, too.
[19:32] Koshimizu
    Like, it's really pure in nature.
[19:32] Kataoka
    Right, right.
[19:34] Koshimizu
    Which I guess is why...
[19:35] Kataoka
    Right.
[19:36] Koshimizu
    We have a stand-in.
[19:38] Koshimizu
    A stand-in for the director.
[19:41] Kataoka
    What are your thoughts
    on love and marriage?
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    The director's thoughts on love and marriage
[19:43] Takahashi
    In terms of cost-effectiveness,
[19:46] Takahashi
    the price Ekoda-chan pays for her lifestyle
    might seem higher than its worth.
[19:49] Takahashi
    Personally, I think a life focused
    on things like romance and marriage
[19:53] Takahashi
    without worrying about
    finances would be wonderful.
[19:56] Takahashi
    Although, in the case of Ekoda-chan,
[19:57] Takahashi
    her behavior can seem a bit risky at times.
[20:03] Koshimizu
    That's true, in a way. Lately, it seems like...
[20:08] Koshimizu
    attitudes on marriage
    among the younger generation
[20:13] Koshimizu
    seem to be changing quite a bit.
[20:17] Kataoka
    So, Director, if you were Ekoda-chan...
SIGN    If you were Ekoda-chan...
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
[20:23] Kataoka
    What kind of life would you lead?
[20:24] Koshimizu
    A question with gender-swapping
    as the premise!
[20:28] Takahashi 2
    I've never lived in Ekoda before,
[20:31] Takahashi 2
    so I'd love to take a stroll
    around and see what it's like.
[20:33] Koshimizu
    What the heck?!
[20:33] Kataoka
    That answer...
[20:36] Koshimizu
    He dodged it well.
[20:37] Kataoka
    Indeed he did.
[20:38] Kataoka
    What would you like to do if you
    were Ekoda-chan, Koshimizu-san?
SIGN    If Koshimizu-san was Ekoda-chan...
[20:42] Koshimizu
    We're just so different, both in
    terms of our lives and our careers...
[20:47] Koshimizu
    There's so much that's distinct...
[20:49] Koshimizu
    I kinda think I'd like to just
    see what her life is like, as-is.
[20:54] Kataoka
    Good point.
[20:56] Koshimizu
    What is that even like?
[20:57] Koshimizu
    This episode actually gave me a glimpse into
    what it might be like, in some small way.
[21:03] Koshimizu
    Being able to see the world, and the
    people in it, through Ekoda-chan's eyes...
[21:08] Koshimizu
    What does she think?
[21:10] Koshimizu
    I'd love a peek.
[21:12] Kataoka
    It really is fascinating.
[21:13] Kataoka
    Granted, you got a condensed
    taste of it for three minutes.
[21:17] Koshimizu
    Very condensed!
[21:19] Koshimizu
    But it's true, we did.
[21:22] Kataoka
    As we wrap up, I'd like to ask
    both of you one last thing.
[21:27] Kataoka
    What do you think is
    the appeal of Ekoda-chan?
SIGN    Takahashi
    Takeo
SIGN    The appeal of Ekoda-chan
[21:30] Koshimizu
    What do you think?
[21:31] Takahashi 2
    My wife is a fan of Ekoda-chan.
[21:34] Koshimizu
    Right.
[21:34] Takahashi
    But, in my opinion, my wife and
    Ekoda-chan are very different.
[21:39] Takahashi
    But for my wife, she's able to relate
    to a lot of the material in the manga,
[21:43] Takahashi
    which makes me think that many
    of the readers who enjoy it
[21:46] Takahashi
    must feel the same way.
[21:47] Koshimizu
    Oh, I really feel you on that one.
[21:51] Koshimizu
    I think that, since there's such
    a variety of different scenes,
[21:57] Koshimizu
    there's at least one thing
    that everyone can relate to,
[22:02] Koshimizu
    and that's the charm of Ekoda-chan.
[22:08] Narrator
    That's it for today's discussion.
SIGN    Next Episode Preview
[22:11] Narrator
    Next time on "The Director
    and Ekoda-chan's Naked Chat,"
SIGN    Ekoda-chan's
    VA
SIGN    Director
[22:15] Narrator
    we'll go behind the scenes on the quirky
    tenth episode of "Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan."
SIGN    Director
[22:19] Narrator
    What secrets will the Director and
    Ekoda-chan reveal about production?
SIGN    Ekoda-chan's
    VA
SIGN    Director
[22:24] Narrator
    Looks like next week will be
    another must-see episode!
SIGN    Ekoda-chan's
    VA
[22:28] Narrator
    Look forward to it!
SIGN    Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan
SIGN    The Director and Ekoda -chan's
SIGN    Naked Chat
SIGN    Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan
SIGN    Until she's ready
SIGN    Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan
    Until she's ready
SIGN    Glasses
SIGN    Face
SIGN    Clothes
SIGN    Shading
SIGN    Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan