On October 24th Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town will be released on Steam and Switch. I’ve already made an preview based on my time with the game and I can tell you: this is a serious contender for my Game of the Year 2024.
We were lucky to do an interview with Akira Nagashima, the producer of the game, and it turned into an interesting read!
Let’s Meet Akira Nagashima
Can you tell us about yourself and how you found your way into the gaming industry?
Nice to meet you all, I’m Akira Nagashima from Neos Corporation. I am the CCO (Chief Content Officer) of the Consumer & Content Company, overseeing the development of apps for children and console games. As a child, I wanted to be a manga artist and spent my time reproducing manga drawings. In middle school, I dreamed of becoming an animator and reproduced animation cels, and in high school, I wanted to be a film director, so I drew storyboards. After that, while studying graphic design at a design school, I aimed for the gaming industry but ended up working for a housing manufacturer. I didn’t actually get into game-related work until I was over 40.
While you have directed and produced many mobile and console games in the past, you are no stranger to cosy games. I’m thinking of games like Puruchara Friends: Hoppe-chan and the Sanrio Characters and Issho ni Asobo Koupen-chan. Are wholesome games or more family-friendly games your preference when making video games?
I started creating digital content for children more than 10 years ago, and the motivation for that was my daughter’s birth. At the dawn of the smartphone era, there were still very few attractive kids’ apps, and I instinctively felt this was a field where I could make a difference. As a parent, I wanted to create something that would make my own child happy, but I was also motivated as a businessman, seeking out a “blue ocean” market. At the same time, I’ve always had a strong desire to create high-quality content that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.
Those Endless Summer Days
The Summer Vacation series has been very popular in Japan, emphasizing cuteness, childlike innocence, charm, and simplicity, and the Boku no Natsuyasumi series has this in abundance. Would you say games like the Summer vacation games are such a hit in Japan due to being Kawaii?
While “My Summer Vacation” is indeed a popular series, I don’t often hear it described as “Kawaii” in Japan. Instead, it’s more often called “Emoi.” “Emoi” is a slang that likely comes from the word “emotional.” It is used to describe something that stirs the heart in an indescribable way, especially among younger generations. It’s a term that encompasses not only feelings of happiness or sadness but also feelings of loneliness, nostalgia, sadness, and also the deeply felt status of sentimentality, melancholy, and nostalgia. I think “Emoi” is a fitting word to describe My Summer Vacation.
The time seems perfect in the West for relaxed and enjoyable little adventures like the Summer Vacation games, bringing back memories of the lazy summer days of our youth when the vacation seemed to stretch endlessly. Would you say we are ready for more entries of Summer Vacation games?
There used to be many games like that, but recently, it feels like the popularity of aggressive games, such as FPS and fighting games, has really taken off. The element of competition has always been well-suited to games, and as online connectivity has become the norm, this aspect has only grown more prominent. While I do enjoy playing such games occasionally, I feel there are too many of them. On the other hand, in the indie game market, there’s still a lot of support for peaceful and beautiful titles like “My Summer Vacation”, so I believe there’s definitely still demand for them.
Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town
You produced Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation -The Endless Seven-Day Journey alongside Kaz Ayabe, the creator of Boku no Natsuyasumi series. Did this give you the idea to now make Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town?
Absolutely. In this project, due to scheduling conflicts, I wasn’t able to entrust everything to Mr. Ayabe, but while inheriting his spirit of craftsmanship, I focused on pursuing what I personally found enjoyable. The game condenses the essence of various entertainment works that have influenced me since childhood, as well as the nostalgic landscapes etched in my memory.
You are very much at the helm of Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, writing, directing and handling the art direction. Was it a large team that worked with you on the game?
As for the development structure, there were around 80 members in charge of scenarios, graphics, videos, and programming, about 40 members on the art team, and 15 members on the music team. Including the publisher and support staff, it was a team of approximately 150 people. I’m incredibly grateful to the talented team who supported the vision to the very end.
I absolutely love the beautiful backgrounds to Shin chan’s antics, the beautiful art of Studio Ghibli comes to mind. Still, I didn’t perceive it as strange that Shin chan and friends and family looked so different from the background. Is this difficult to get it right together?
Shiro and the Coal Town, like the previous work, was developed with respect for traditional Japanese TV anime production techniques. By layering hand-drawn background art with cel-shaded 3D models animated using our own motion control technology, we were able to create visuals reminiscent of a TV anime. Balancing the intricately detailed backgrounds created by seasoned professionals and the character animations inspired by limited-animation techniques was a tough adjustment process that we fine-tuned until the very end.
Shin Chan: a Special Character
Shin chan is a familiar character, even in the West, due to the series on TV. I remember my four-year-old daughter wanting to watch Shin chan, but I wouldn’t let her. The jokes Shin chan made, and the bare buttocks were too much for this concerned mother. Now, playing the game, I have warmed up to little Shin chan, but some of his remarks are strange for a 5-year-old. Is this perceived differently in Japan?
Indeed, it seems that in the past, Shin-chan’s behaviour and expressions could often be perceived as crude or provocative. As a viewer myself, I remember it often being a topic of conversation among those around me, and many individual opinions were shared. However, children tend to speak and act based on what they see and think, often without much consideration, and adults around them struggle with how to respond to that. “Crayon Shin-chan” is a series that depicts such moments without trying to hide them.
I believe that the ability of both children and adults to relate to this and feel a sense of familiarity with the characters was a key factor in its popularity. What used to be accepted as “just being childlike” has become more difficult in today’s world. The world of Shin-chan has also become much milder in its expression. Yet, he still doesn’t forget his surprisingly mature words and actions that seem beyond his five years. I believe this is because he speaks the truths that adults find hard to express.
There are quite a few video games where young children venture into the world without the guidance of their parents. Like in the Pokémon series and in the Summer Vacation games. There is plenty of freedom, of the kind I remember from my youth when we didn’t have mobile phones and still were away from home on our bikes for hours on end. Is this a representation of a longing for simpler times?
I have the same experience. When I first got my bicycle, I felt like I could go anywhere. It’s a fond memory that I still recall vividly. It’s wonderful that games can let you relive those nostalgic moments. In Japan, there’s been a big outdoor boom in recent years. The sense of happiness and fulfilment that comes from camping, where does it come from? I believe it’s an experience ingrained in our DNA from ancient times.
Nap on Trico’s Belly
In every interview, we ask this: What video game are you playing at the moment, and what game character would you like to be if only for a brief moment?
With so many amazing games being released every day, I buy a lot of titles, but I rarely get the chance to fully immerse myself in them. Recently, I’ve been slowly enjoying The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. If I could be any game character, I’d want to be the boy from The Last Guardian. I’d love to take a nap on Trico’s belly together.
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