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The fun of Anime NYC has wrapped up and we had a lot of fun visiting with fellow fans and having the opportunity to talk with really great guests from Japan. One of the first guests we talked to was Yosuke Shimada and though he first worked in live-action films, he joined the anime industry and hasn’t looked back. He started working on and producing shows like “Go! Go! 575.”, Hitoribocchi no Marumu Seikatsu, Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy, and this season's show about a young cat-girl and her sentient sword, Reincarnated as a Sword.

Yosuke Shimada

Honey-Chan

Interview with Yosuke Shimada

You started out wanting to work in the live-action film industry. What drew you to the anime industry after training and working in the live-action film industry?

We have two types of live-action industries mainly variety or talk shows and TV dramas or film related. The tv field is a quite difficult field to work in and that also is in reference to the salaries you are paid. So, I decided to shift to the anime industry because they have a set salary that was very promising compared to TV.

You have worked on Slice of Life and Shonen battle and adventure series, which one is harder to produce?

I would say science fiction is the hardest genre because comparatively, it is harder to visualize how to go about portraying a scene using animation techniques. We have done idol and sports anime and it might be just because we haven’t done a science fiction anime that it seems hard.

What separates Reincarnated as a Sword apart from other isekai anime?

I think a lot of isekai storytelling has a protagonist go to the other world and life becomes easy-peasy. But in Reincarnated as a Sword, however, we make it from a teacher or father's perspective and that is what sets it apart from other isekai works.

What is a director or industry professional that has inspired you or would like to learn from?

Christopher Nolan, I have no idea how his brain works. I just admire him.

Is it easier to work with actors or animators?

Animators are definitely easier to work with. Yes, we have divas and kings in both industries and it's best to strike a balance. In the animation industry, those divas and kings are all a singular talent that is better than the rest and it is a joy to work with anyone.

Final Thoughts

We really want to thank Shimada-san for sharing his time at Anime NYC with us and telling us his thoughts about the animation industry and Reincarnated as a Sword. We also look forward to the further adventures of Sword Sensei and Fran.