A roundtable discussion between director Jimmy Stone, producer Hidenori Kosuge, and producer Hitomi Kuroi of the theatrical film 'The Irregular at Magic High School: Yotsuba Succession Arc,' condensing the essence of the original work into 100 minutes.
The theatrical film 'The Irregular at Magic High School: Yotsuba Succession Arc,' which has been showing in theaters since May 8, 2026, is based on the 16th volume of the original light novel series. We gathered director Jimmy Stone, animation producer Hidenori Kosuge, and producer Hitomi Kuroi to hear in detail how the latest installment of this popular series, which has had a total of three TV anime series broadcast since 2014, was produced, and how they tackled making a theatrical film that is not an original episode, unlike the first theatrical film released in 2017.
Official website for the theatrical film 'The Irregular at Magic High School: Yotsuba Succession Arc'
GIGAZINE (hereinafter referred to as G):
First, could you tell us what roles the three of you played in the production of this film?
Director Jimmy Stone (hereinafter, Jimmy):
I've been involved in the production of the original novel from the 'illustration' stage. I started with the mecha designs, and during the first season of the anime, I did some mecha designs for the animation, while also supervising the action scenes, magic scenes, and magic-related effects in the main story. Later, I started doing direction and storyboarding, and I'm grateful to be in this position as director.
Producer Hidenori Kosuge (hereinafter, Kosuge):
I'm Kosuge, the animation producer. As the 'producer on the production floor,' I'm in charge of overseeing the entire project. To elaborate on the history of the production, Madhouse produced the first season of the TV anime, and then Eight Bit was approached about the first theatrical film, which I've been in charge of ever since. My main job is to maintain overall balance, compromise between the requests of the original authors and the production companies, and incorporate what the director wants to do into the visuals. Also, Risako Yoshida directed the first theatrical film, and Jimmy, along with Kana Ishida, has been working on both the illustrations for the original novel and the character designs for the TV anime since the first season of the TV anime.
Jimmy:
Yes, I guess you could say I'm part of the 'original work group' (lol).
Kosuge:
'The Irregular at Magic High School' is a unique project. Ishida-san was in charge of the illustrations for the original novels, as well as the character designs and animation direction for the anime itself, while Jimmy-san was in charge of props, including some of the small items and mechanical parts. We then brought them both in and started working together, and we worked with Director Yoshida on the theatrical film and the second season of the TV anime, the Visitor Arc and the Reminiscence Arc. When it came to doing the third season, Director Yoshida was unable to continue due to other work commitments, so we consulted with Jimmy-san, who had been working with us all along and had also been involved in the direction, and asked him to take over. That's how we got from the third season to this theatrical film.
Producer Hitomi Kuroi (hereinafter, Kuroi):
To put it simply, Aniplex's Kuroi's job is to 'come up with a plan and raise the money to make the anime.' Is that explanation okay? (laughs) In this case, we approached Eight Bit with the idea of making the third season a TV series and the Yotsuba Succession Arc a theatrical film, and they readily agreed. I then said, 'I'll go and raise the money to make the main story.' From there, while Eight Bit was making the main story, I was busy coordinating the TV broadcast slots, scheduling promotions in consultation with the publicity department, asking for various kinds of cooperation from the production committee members, and doing all sorts of other things.
G:
I see. After reading the original novel, I heard that the Yotsuba Succession Arc would be made into a movie, and I was somewhat convinced that it would indeed become a film. But it seems that the decision to make the Yotsuba Succession Arc into a movie was already made when Mr. Kuroi spoke to Eight Bit.
Kuroi:
When the producers, including those from the original author's side, spoke, there was a shared desire to somehow complete the anime up to the Yotsuba Succession Arc. After all, that's a significant turning point in Tatsuya and Miyuki's story, and we all agreed that 'if we're going to do it, let's go that far.' However, there was a concern that the length might not be sufficient for a TV anime, and at the same time, there was a feeling that 'it would be great to see Miyuki's big moment on the big screen in a theater,' so we suggested, 'How about a theatrical film?' and everyone involved encouraged us, saying, 'That sounds like a good idea.'
G:
I see. I've been watching the 'The Irregular at Magic High School' anime series all along, and the first movie had incredibly flashy and impressive fight scenes. When I was thinking about this movie, I wondered, 'Was the fight in this part of the original work really depicted so flashily? I wonder how it will turn out,' and I was surprised to find it was even more spectacular. How did you decide on the level of action in these scenes?
Kosuge:
In producing 'Yotsuba Succession Arc,' the latter half of the story deals with events from the past, which inevitably results in a plot with a lot of dialogue. I shared my concerns with the director about the lengthy scenes that would be difficult to animate. We worked with the director to devise ways to keep viewers engaged while also adding variety to the screen, allocating ample resources to the limited number of action scenes to enhance their quality.
G:
I see. From the perspective of a director who was actually involved in the production, what were some of the most challenging aspects?
Jimmy:
I think it must have been quite a challenge for the animators who drew the original artwork (laughs). As Kosuge-san also mentioned, there are inevitably scenes in the movie where characters are constantly talking, and while Miyuki is the main character in this film, Tatsuya is the main character in the 'Mahouka' series, so we felt that Tatsuya had to play an active role in the movie as well. We said, 'Let's make sure the fight scenes are done properly, especially if Tatsuya is fighting, make them spectacular!'
Jimmy:
Since it's a theatrical film, we had to make sure the exciting parts were exciting, so when we calculated that, the fight scenes in the first half of the movie, especially Tatsuya's parts, became more and more exciting and spectacular. That's why changing the atmosphere from scene to scene was something I found challenging and required a lot of thought. However, the fight scene at the beginning of the movie is a flashback and doesn't involve Tatsuya, so it has a different atmosphere from the main story, and it gives off a bit of a yakuza movie vibe (laughs).
G:
Indeed (lol)
Jimmy:
With that in mind, we did put our best effort into the animation for Tatsuya's main fight scenes, but when it came to how to make the other fight scenes in between different, we talked with Eight Bit and Kosuge-san, and the idea came up that if it was a short sequence, we could do everything, including the background, in 3DCG. In the end, that was realized, and I think the finished product looks really cool. So, as a whole, we consciously worked hard to make sure that each scene was distinct so that the audience could always enjoy it.
G:
I see. I also had the opportunity to see the storyboards as reference material. Even at the storyboard stage, I was impressed, but in particular, the detailed instructions written all over, such as the way the light falls, made me realize that those details are necessary for the final appearance of the video. Are there any other aspects of the storytelling and direction that you pay particular attention to, even though they might not be immediately noticeable when you see the finished product?
Jimmy:
Kana Ishida, who is in charge of character design and chief animation direction, is also an illustrator, and she drew the illustrations and colored the original novel, so she is very sensitive to the trends in visual expression using color, and she incorporates things like 'this kind of processing looks nice' or 'this kind of feel is fashionable now.' We wondered if we could 're-import' those aspects expressed in the original illustrations into the anime. Ishida, who is also in charge of the anime's visuals, said, 'I want to use different colors for each scene as much as possible, to create different beauties and atmospheres that suit each scene,' and I completely agreed with that, so in the movie, we tried to express that even the same character has different colors and different shading in every scene, so that each has a different atmosphere and its own beauty. When we finally finished it, I thought it was done quite well, and that was one of the things we worked hard on in this movie.
G:
I see. So, as the director, you oversee every single aspect of the project.
Jimmy:
Since we incorporated ideas from many different people, I can't really say 'it's all my doing' (laughs), but from the very beginning, I knew that making a theatrical film would be tough. I really worked hard with Mr. Ishida, brainstorming ideas on how to make every scene a success and work well. But the storyboard artists and directors who were in charge of each part were all wonderful people, so it's not like 'it's all my doing' (laughs).
Kosuge:
As the director, I played the role of bringing the whole thing together (laughs).
G:
I see. Producer Kosuge has been working on the 'Mahouka' series for almost 10 years since the first theatrical film. With such a long run, have there been any changes in the work environment?
Kosuge:
That's a difficult question... The world is changing rapidly, and along with that comes a lot of technological discussion and other things, so I think there has been a lot of change in that sense. In the case of 'The Irregular at Magic High School,' the staff loved it very much, and there were staff members who said, 'I want to work on 'The Irregular at Magic High School',' so I feel that it was a great help that they were able to continue working on it for so long.
G:
While the first theatrical film featured an original story, this film is based on a novel. Does this difference in storytelling affect the creation of the theatrical version?
Kosuge:
For the first theatrical film, we also had the original author, Tsutomu Satou, supervise. While it was based on his ideas, we added our own originality as an episode, so I think the difference in 'flavor' reflects his influence in many places. Although the approaches may differ, the essential parts remain consistent as part of the 'Mahouka' series, and we didn't have any difficulties in that regard. However, since each film has a different director, there may be differences in perspective and way of thinking, and it may be perceived as a difference in 'flavor.'
G:
This film is a theatrical adaptation based on the original work, but what kind of supervision did the original author, Mr. Sajima, provide?
Kuroi:
They've been involved from the scriptwriting stage onwards. This time, for the Yotsuba Succession Arc, our goal was to condense one volume of the original novel into a 100-minute theatrical anime film, so they came up with structural ideas beforehand, such as, 'The original novel says this, but how about compressing it this way for a theatrical film?' Conversely, they also responded to our requests with ideas like, 'How about this?' Incidentally, with the original 'Mahouka' series, they've always told us to 'do whatever you want' after the scriptwriting stage (laughs).
G:
(lol)
Kosuge:
One of the reasons for the success of 'The Irregular at Magic High School' is that Mr. Sato and Straight Edge have been thoroughly involved from the script stage, and that they have a great understanding of the demands of animation when it comes to adapting the script into a visual medium. There are always parts where, 'In the original novel it's like this, but in the anime it will be like this,' and the director and production team have to bring up parts that absolutely have to be changed due to the demands of animation, but their flexibility in accepting such a range of expression is something that has been a great help and something I am very grateful for.
G:
In the case of this theatrical film, I imagine there were many difficulties in fitting it all into a 100-minute runtime.
Jimmy:
'Of course, we wanted to stick to the original novel as closely as possible, but with the limitations of animation, there were inevitably parts that couldn't fit into the script, so we had to reluctantly make changes or compress things. As Mr. Kosuge said, Mr. Sajima was very flexible in his responses, which was a great help to us. After that, we created the work with the intention of condensing the essence of the original novel as much as possible, like a concentrated extract.'
Kosuge:
In that sense, I think there are definitely parts where we've had to cut out things that Mr. Sajima and the original creators felt they 'couldn't fully express.'
G:
This is one of the most popular parts of the series, so I imagine there was some pressure during production. Were there any particular difficulties because of that pressure?
Jimmy:
Well, the third season of the anime is set to lead into a movie, so the idea of 'the Yotsuba Succession Arc will be a movie' put a lot of pressure on me. I've always loved this episode since reading the original novel, so I'm very attached to it, but the latter half, especially after they arrive at the Yotsuba house, contains important conversation scenes, so I kept thinking, 'This structure is going to be difficult to adapt into an anime...' I came up with various ideas like, 'Maybe we should change it a bit?', but after rereading it many times, I came to the conclusion that 'the Yotsuba Succession Arc has to be like this, this is the right way to do it,' and then I shifted my thinking to, 'How can I direct this dialogue-driven story?'
G:
amazing…….
Jimmy:
After consulting with various people, including character designer Kana Ishida, we decided to focus on the background and other details as part of the stage production to make it interesting, rethinking it as something that is also a main character. Once we decided to 'work hard on the direction,' we were able to come up with ideas one after another. There's a room called 'Mitsugu's Reception Room,' which has a rather unique design, where Mitsugu and I are constantly talking, and as mentioned earlier, the original creators gave their approval. The Yotsuba family's main house is like a trick house, so we were able to come up with all sorts of designs. We started coming up with ideas like, 'What should we do with this room? Let's make this one a completely different space,' and we thought that if we used the space itself as another main character, we could get through the second half of the show. It was tough, but I really enjoyed coming up with ideas and bringing them to life.
Kuroi:
I'm totally getting through it!
(Everyone laughs)
Kuroi:
That was something I was a little worried about. The fact that the story would continue for quite a while in the second half.
G:
surely.
Kosuge:
From a producer's perspective, regarding this theatrical film, the battle itself ends around the 60-minute mark of the 100-minute runtime. After that, the conversation continues, and the dialogue between Mitsugu and Tatsuya that follows the battle scene is crucial. This is a special package, as we had a special animator named Takaoka-san, who has been involved with the 'Mahouka' series for a long time, handle everything from storyboarding and direction to the actual animation. That scene is quite long, about 20 minutes, and once you get through it, the story becomes increasingly interesting in the future developments. So, I consulted with the director about how to make that conversation scene serious, how to make it dramatic while engaging the audience, and I thought it would be a difficult part. That scene explains Tatsuya's history and how he came to be in his current position at Mahouka. Takaoka-san has a great understanding of the scene, incorporated many ideas, and pulled it off with the power of his visuals, so I think we were able to make it a really great scene, and I'm very grateful for his help.
G:
The 'Mahouka' series is a long-running franchise, with its first TV anime season starting in the spring of 2014. I think there are people who have recently become interested in it but haven't watched the whole series. I'd like to hear about the appealing points of this work, including for those people.
Jimmy:
Our initial goal was to create something that would satisfy fans of the original novels, and with a few surprise elements included, I think we've managed to create something that both fans of the original novels and anime fans can enjoy. Of course, as an added bonus, we also want new fans who are new to 'The Irregular at Magic High School' to watch and enjoy it. As it's a theatrical film, I think it's beautifully made, including the flashy battle scenes and the visual effects. I hope you'll enjoy those aspects as well.
Kosuge:
Because of the nature of the story, it's difficult to say, 'If you only pick out that part...', but we've put in a lot of effort to make it enjoyable as entertainment, so I would be very grateful if this could be an entry point for people to come to love the 'Mahouka' series.
Kuroi:
The Yotsuba Succession Arc is the 'ultimate' arc in terms of depicting long black hair. I think it might be the anime with the best depiction of black hair in the world. It's so shiny. If you like long black hair, you should definitely check it out... That's one of its selling points, but as long as you know that there's an anime about the ultimate brother-sister duo, Tatsuya and Miyuki, you can enjoy the Yotsuba Succession Arc on its own, so I'd be happy if you could watch the Yotsuba Succession Arc first and then go all the way back to the previous series.
G:
Thank you very much for today.
The theatrical film 'The Irregular at Magic High School: Yotsuba Succession Arc' is a huge hit and is currently showing in theaters. Starting May 29th (Friday), a limited number of copies of the original novel, Volume 4 'The Irregular at Magic High School: Void Diver,' will be distributed as a special bonus for theatergoers during the fourth week of screenings.
Furthermore, it has been decided that a stage greeting will be held on Monday, June 8th, featuring director Jimmy Stone, producer Kosuge, and producer Kuroi, all of whom spoke in this three-way discussion.
Staff stage greeting event announced! - NEWS | The Irregular at Magic High School The Movie: Yotsuba Succession Arc
https://mahouka.jp/yotsuba/news/?id=70468
©2024 佐島 勤/KADOKAWA/魔法科高校四葉継承編製作委員会
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