Unveiling the Captivating World of KamiErabi GOD: A Must-Read Exclusive Interview with Yoko Taro and His Brilliant Team at Anime Expo

At Anime Expo 2023 in Los Angeles, California, the renowned team behind the KamiErabi.GOD App made an appearance. Composed of four members including Yoko Taro, the creator of the NieR franchise, Atsushi Ohkubo, the author and artist of South Eater fame, Hiroyuki Seshita, known for Knights of Sidonia, and JIN, the composer for Kagerou Project. GameRant had the privilege of sitting down with them to discuss their latest project. KamiErabi GOD.App is set in a high school and features a suspenseful battle royale where characters compete to become a god. Will elements from their previous works, such as Thou Shalt Not Die and NieR Automata Ver1.1a, be incorporated into this new series? This can include aesthetics and storyline.

Yoko Taro: No, the answer is definitely no because it's a different publisher. If I were to include elements from those works, they would be displeased with me.

GameRant: Your past works often carry a deeper message, like NieR Automata exploring existentialism and the search for personal meaning. Is there a similar underlying message that you want to convey to players through KamiErabi's story?

Yoko Taro had originally created the scenario and provided it to JIN for the scenario writing. However, JIN returned something entirely different, causing Yoko to believe that he disliked his work. This pattern continued with subsequent drafts, leading Yoko to think that JIN simply enjoyed destroying everything in front of him. Despite this, working with computer graphics expert Seshita-san, they found similarities between graphics and video games.

As there was a need for transitions and action in the story, JIN would propose changes and transitions that were incredibly wild and unconventional. In order to move the project forward, they had meetings to confront JIN and prevent him from destroying their progress. Eventually, they were able to succeed in completing the project, although the process was extremely challenging and caused Yoko to suffer. Despite this, Yoko acknowledges JIN's skills as a creator and does not intend to speak ill of him.

What factors influence your choice of talents to collaborate with? In the case of KamiErabi GOD.App, why did you opt to partner with Yoko Taro, Hiroyuki Seshita, and JIN?

Ohkubo: Can I be honest? [laughs] I found computer graphics in anime to be intriguing and captivating. I have always been drawn to it. In fact, I have even played Yoko-san's games and then deliberately erased all the data, just to give an example. Additionally, JIN-san, being from a different generation, has his own remarkable talent in music, which is widely appreciated by the younger generation in Japan. This made me realize that there are exceptional individuals involved in this field, further igniting my interest in participating.

Simultaneously, my focus lies in character design, primarily working with traditional, hand-drawn techniques. However, I was fascinated by the possibility of my drawings being transformed and utilized in 3D animation. This aspect greatly intrigued me, and I was eager to explore its potential.

GameRant: Did you have complete creative freedom with character design or were you given specific guidelines? Did any external inspiration influence the final designs?

Ohkubo: The concept behind the characters was to base them on real people, such as human actors and artists. We would take inspiration from individuals who had a slightly darker or more mysterious aura, like Goro's character, for example. Seshita-san played a role in incorporating these references.

Seshita: To elaborate further, Ohkubo-san's unique qualities and personal flair were crucial in shaping this. We relied on them as a reference while ensuring that we primarily emphasized his distinct touch and individual style.

Ohkubo: Nonetheless, these depictions of actors and artistic individuals ultimately became the inspiration for the characters we created.

GameRant: In regard to KamiErabi's overall production, would you say this is experimental?

Seshita: Yes, I think you can say that it is experimental.

GameRant: [laughs] What made you decide to go with CGI for the animation?

Seshita: Because I like it! I mean there's no other reason than that. Because something that's handwritten is also great. But I like it.

GameRant: What motivated you to undertake this specific project, considering the wide range of genres you have explored in the past?

JIN: Well, it was a matter of personal development for me. I viewed it as a training, like aesthetic training of a samurai or a monk. It was a practice that was prevalent in Japan about 500 years ago, where individuals dedicated themselves to this kind of training. Although we don't engage in extreme practices like Harakiri nowadays, I felt the need to tap into that essence from that era. As descendants of samurai warriors from a thousand years ago, we still carry a sense of samurai within us. However, this mindset is not directed towards other creators, but rather towards the art of creating anime. I don't mean it in a literal sense of harming others! [laughs]

GameRant: [laughs] When I joined the project, there was no existing story or framework. It was like a fresh start, a raw and unformed concept. We worked together to build the characters and plot, and we wanted to inject human emotion into it to enhance the experience. It was like my own B-movie, a chance for me to explore my creativity and see if we could create something with depth and grit. And I think we succeeded. How do you say "good" in English? It turned out very いい, right?

Seshita: Yeah, it turned out good!

With that, we exchanged bows, thank-yous with the staff, and completed the interview. Stayed tuned to KamiErabi GOD.App's premiere, which will be airing this October on Crunchyroll.