In Kafka's 1915 novella, travelling salesman Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning inexplicably transformed into a giant insect, causing his family to hide him away in shame. Director Hirata said that in his production, he was trying to "create a situation in which a robot could move an audience". He swapped a big bug for the Repliee S1 robot, who speaks Kafka's lines with an automated voice. At least if the reviews point out a robotic performance, it won't be an insult.