An interview with Souta Furuhashi, producer of the thrilling action anime series 'Only I Level Up,' based on a popular webtoon
Season 2 of ' Only I Level Up, ' an anime adaptation of the wildly popular Webtoon with over 650 million pageviews, will begin airing in January 2025. With a special edited version of all 12 episodes of Season 1 and episodes 13 and 14 of Season 2 currently screening in theaters as ' Only I Level Up - ReAwakening,' we had the opportunity to speak with Aniplex producer Furuhashi Souta, who has been involved in the anime adaptation since its planning stages. We asked him about how the project was planned, whether there are differences when it comes to adapting a Webtoon into anime compared to other genres, and more.
Official website for the TV anime 'Only I Level Up'
The Season 2 poster visual looks like this.
GIGAZINE (hereinafter, G):
The TV anime 'Only I Level Up' (hereinafter 'Ore Level') is based on a webtoon that has been distributed on Piccoma since March 2019. The original work won first place in the manga category of 'Piccoma BEST OF 2019' and is a much-talked-about work that recorded a total of 650 million pageviews when the anime began airing, so when did you start planning to turn 'Ore Level' into an anime, Mr. Furuhashi?
Anipux Producer Furuhashi Souta (hereinafter, Furuhashi):
I think I started reading the work around 2019 or 2020. It was around that time that the Webtoon craze was becoming a hot topic in Japan, and I found it an interesting medium, so I started reading it. I was looking for the original work, with the idea of Webtoon being made into an anime in mind, and that's how I came across 'Ore Level.'
G:
So you thought, 'This is it!' and contacted them to say you wanted to turn it into an anime? Who should I contact for something like this?
Furuhashi:
I didn't know that at the time either, so I first contacted Piccoma, the publisher of my work.
G:
'Ore Level' was ranked second in the '
Furuhashi:
That's right. I brought the project to Mr. Kaneko of A-1 Pictures in 2020, so the project was just starting to move forward.
G:
Did the ranking have a positive impact on the production team, or did it create any pressure?
Furuhashi:
I don't think it had any impact on the production team, but as someone who was involved from the planning stage, I wasn't sure how well it would resonate with anime fans, even though it was popular overseas and was by far the most popular work distributed by Piccoma in Japan. However, the fact that it was ranked in the AnimeJapan rankings meant that it was a work that would resonate with anime fans, so from a producer's perspective, it was positive news.
G:
Season 1 will begin airing in January 2024, with Season 2 set to begin airing shortly after in January 2025. How did you decide how much of the story to adapt into an anime?
Furuhashi:
I didn't think about this point on my own; I first asked series composer Kimura Nobuyuki to create a draft outline, and then we discussed it together with director Nakashige Shunsuke and others and decided on it.
G:
When adapting a webtoon into an anime, did you notice any differences compared to anime based on other genres, such as novels?
Furuhashi:
Personally, I found it difficult to write a scenario for an anime.
G:
Is it a scenario?
Furuhashi:
Webtoons are divided into chapters in a completely different way to Japanese manga. The concept is that they can be read quickly while commuting to work or school on the train, and are structured to build excitement over a short span of time, so it's not easy to turn them into 30-minute anime stories. In particular, 'My Level' is a work that focuses on the protagonist, Mizushino Shun, but the perspective can't remain from the protagonist's perspective throughout the anime, so the production team had to think about how to strike a balance and how to create excitement in each episode.
G:
Nowadays, there are about 70 anime works being broadcast or distributed in one season, so as a producer, I imagine you are always on the lookout for the next anime work to be made. What kind of information do you usually gather?
Furuhashi:
I think the only way to find out is to just read books. So there's nothing I can tell you about how I gather information (laughs). I try to not only buy books online, but also go to bookstores and try to read books that I come across by chance.
G:
So you buy books and read them on apps?
Furuhashi:
Yes, there are a lot of manga apps out there, and they also display popularity rankings, so I make sure to check them out. In that respect, I think we live in a very convenient age where popularity is made visible.
G:
How much time do you spend reading manga?
Furuhashi:
I don't really do it consciously, so I wonder how long it's been...? (laughs) I read manga on my way to and from work, and while I'm waiting. Sometimes on the weekends I set aside a day to concentrate on reading manga, but I think of it as just having time built into my life to read manga.
G:
In May 2024, after Season 1 aired, Sony Group held a management policy briefing for fiscal 2024, and visuals from 'Ore Level' were used in the section that mentioned the anime.
Sony Group Portal | FY2024 Management Policy Briefing
https://www.sony.com/ja/SonyInfo/IR/library/presen/strategy/
Furuhashi:
I agree.
G:
Chairman and CEO Yoshida Kenichiro said in his speech, 'Aniplex produces many works every year that are beloved by anime fans around the world. In addition, Crunchyroll, which has over 13 million paid subscribers, delivers anime produced in Japan to overseas audiences.' But how big has the overseas reaction to this work been?
Furuhashi:
Aniplex often works with Crunchyroll to plan productions and promote overseas, and we receive reports on the reactions from Crunchyroll. The numbers show that this work is by far more popular than previous works, and we can really feel the high expectations overseas. We don't often actively advertise on a large scale overseas, but Crunchyroll has been independently promoting 'My Level,' and from that standpoint, we can really feel that it is a work that has high expectations.
G:
As a producer, are there any aspects of 'Ore Level' that you feel are popular overseas?
Furuhashi:
It's hard to sum it up in one word (laughs). But I think stories about protagonists working hard and persevering are very universal and popular regardless of the era. In addition, in terms of art style, it's cool art that anyone can see, and it's a work that can be read as a manga rather than an illustration, which I think was something that hadn't been around for a long time. I think it became popular because of the quality of the original work.
G:
In this context, 'Only I Level Up -ReAwakening-', a special edited version of Season 1 and an advance screening of episodes 13 and 14 of Season 2, will be screened in theaters not only in Japan but all over the world.
Furuhashi:
Season 1 will begin airing in January 2024, and information about Season 2 was released when the final episode aired. However, since there will be a long gap until Season 2 airs, we wondered if there was anything we could do to create excitement, and decided to hold a theatrical screening. Our main aim is to look back on Season 1 and screen episodes 13 and 14 of Season 2 as a special treat, leading to excitement for Season 2.
G:
I see.
Furuhashi:
I had heard that fans were saying, 'I want to see 'Ore Level' in the theater.' The video and audio quality of 'Ore Level' is comparable to that of a movie shown in theaters, so I thought that screening it in theaters would be a chance to meet the expectations of fans while also attracting people who hadn't seen it before and making the work bigger by launching a new promotion.
G:
So, did you decide to show it in theaters because of the voices of your fans? Since the quality is high from the beginning, was it made with the theater in mind?
Furuhashi:
No, no (laughs), this is a measure we came up with after seeing such a great response after broadcasting Season 1, so it's all thanks to your feedback.
G:
By the way, the only interview I could find that gives any insight into what kind of person Producer Furuhashi is was when he appeared as associate producer for '
[Interview] Behind the scenes of the hit 'Emiya Gohan'... Aniplex x AbemaTV interview with key people | Anime! Anime!
https://animeanime.jp/article/2018/12/30/42450.html
Furuhashi:
That brings back memories (lol)
G:
I understand that you joined Sony Music Marketing and then transferred to Aniplex, but how did you end up becoming a producer?
Furuhashi:
I don't know if this is something that's in demand (laughs), but when I joined the company as a new graduate, I was in music sales in Nagoya. However, I joined the Sony Group because I wanted to work in anime, so I asked to be transferred to Aniplex, where I first worked in advertising, and then moved into production.
G:
It's the step from advertising to production.
Furuhashi:
It wasn't really a step up, it was just a transfer, but in my case, a producer advised me, 'Maybe production is better suited than advertising?' Advertising work is a job that involves working together with a producer, so it was someone I was with who invited me.
G:
You said you joined the company because you wanted to work in the anime industry, but were you always a fan of anime?
Furuhashi:
I watched traditional shounen manga anime like ' Fullmetal Alchemist.' I also liked ' Fate/Zero ' and ' Puella Magi Madoka Magica ,' so when I thought 'I want to work in the anime industry,' I thought I wanted to join Aniplex.
G:
I see, that's a dream come true. I've spoken to many people with the title of producer, and it's interesting because the way they became producer is different for each person.
Furuhashi:
I'm just an office worker (laughs).
G:
If you want to become a producer like Mr. Furuhashi, is there anything you should do or should try?
Furuhashi:
I don't have anything arrogant to say to other people, but... I think it's good to pursue what you like. Nothing goes to waste when you're a producer, so if you like manga, you should read a lot of manga, and if you like movies, you should watch a lot of movies. It's a job where any knowledge you have can be put to use in some way, so rather than 'studying to become a producer,' I feel like 'studying what you like will be useful in your work as a producer.'
G:
Finally, please give a message to the fans who have been waiting for the theatrical release of 'Ore Level' and Season 2, and to those who have become interested in 'Ore Level' after reading this interview.
Furuhashi:
If you haven't seen 'My Level' before, you can start with 'My Level' ReAwakening, which will be screened in theaters this time. For Season 2, the production team has created a visual that surpasses that of Season 1. The scale of the action and the story are even bigger, and Season 2 is one that will make you want to talk about the creators. It's a work that you can simply enjoy the visuals, and I don't think the hurdle to watching it is high, so I hope you will pay attention to the visuals.
G:
thank you very much.
Furuhashi:
thank you very much.
The anime 'Only I Level Up -ReAwakening-', which is a special edited version of Season 1 of the TV anime 'Only I Level Up' and an advance screening of episodes 13 and 14 of Season 2, will be screened in theaters for a limited time from Friday, November 29th to Thursday, December 12th, 2024.
Anime 'Only I Level Up -ReAwakening-' Official Trailer | Season 1 Special Edition & Season 2 Episodes 13 and 14 Pre-Screening / Released in Japan on Friday, November 29th - YouTube
In addition, 'Only I Level Up Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-' will begin broadcasting and streaming in January 2025.
Anime 'Only I Level Up Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-' Teaser PV-YouTube
TV anime 'Only I Level Up Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-' Opening theme release PV-YouTube
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