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New illustration and interview with the directors (Araki Tetsuro x Koizuka Masashi) and the voice actors of Eren & Historia & Levi (Kaji Yūki x Mikami Shiori x Kamiya Hiroshi) from Animedia August 2018

Highlights Translation of Animedia August 2018 (Scans Above)

Interview with SnK Directors Araki Tetsuro & Koizuka Masashi

All translations by @suniuz & @fuku-shuu of @snknews

(Note: The seiyuu interview translation will come later!)

Season 3 is currently in production. How do you guys feel about it?

Araki: We just finished the first episode (As of the time this interview was conducted). It was done really well - it’s perfect (Laughs).

Koizuka: It really is a “perfect film.”

The first episode starts with Levi’s new squad. What’s that group like?

Araki: We begin the story with the relaxed lifestyle of the squad - the scene is similar to a modern school club. During the club gathering, Levi’s almost like a “monster coach” (Laughs). A while after, when everyone starts to struggle with the inner conflict, “You can’t live if you don’t kill other humans,” Levi will become that “monster coach” again, even requesting for them to “not hesitate” about killing. (Laughs)

Koizuka: Even though Levi is the strongest as a soldier, but I don’t think he is perfect as a person, as a superior, or as himself. His past also involves losses of both his subordinates and fellow comrades. However, it is exactly this imperfection and this theme of tragedy that allows Levi’s appeal to express itself thoroughly. He will also urge his subordinates to “Choose for yourself” - to determine paths on their own. His methods are unique, so perhaps he actually is a good leader in the end.

Regarding Kenny and Levi…

Koizuka: We can’t discuss their relationship as of this moment.

Araki: When Levi explains Kenny to his subordinates, he says in one scene, “Just pretend if I were the enemy.” This basically means that Kenny and Levi are on equal ground - and he might even be more skilled in battle than Levi. In terms of their relationship…I can only say, “Both love and hate exist.” All in all, their reunion will bear much importance to the story.

Koizuka: The focus of this season’s story revolves around political conflict, so the main characters are not the youth, but rather the adults. This also means that this season has a lot of episodes where the atmosphere becomes intensified by the intellectual dialogues of those adults. The seiyuu for that part of the cast are also all veterans [In the voice acting industry], so we’re going to experience how these veterans tackle dialogue, and how that adds to Shingeki no Kyojin’s appeal.

[T/N: The two directors then give a lot of praise to Kamiya Hiroshi (Levi) and Yamaji Kazuhiro (Kenny)’s performances]

Araki: My strongest memory of Kamiya-san is the recording of episode 2. Our action director Imai Arifumi’s 3DMG sequences were so spectacular that even Kamiya-san was in shock. He even asked us, “How do I properly reflect this kind of animation?”

Araki: In episode three, we will see a lot of Historia highlights where she describes her past. Mikami [Shiori]-san demonstrated such strong acting skills then. In the end, we used a concept of, “She shuts her heart from her 104th friends, answering impatiently as if she were being interrogated by the police.” For Historia’s conversation with Eren in episode 1, Mikami-san also utilized her abilities and provided a very impressive moment.

Koizuka: Eren’s lines were also terrific during that scene.

Araki: Yes, Kaji-san very much accepted the advice of Isayama Hajime, who was present at the recording and said, “Please be even less courteous [to her].” He was quite successful at being impolite (Laughs).

Eren has somewhat less scenes this season.

Araki: Indeed indeed. The schedule at the recording studio often didn’t even have Eren’s name on it [T/N: There might be entire episodes without Eren this season].

During the production of season 3, sometimes the animators would actually fight to work on a scene. Even if Araki and Koizuka haven’t given directives, there were already staff who asked, “Could I start on the action sequence in episode __?” This was the first time this happened in the history of SnK’s production. Koizuka also states that this is the first time he ever saw the Levi official art that appears alongside this Animedia interview - neither him nor Araki instructed for it to be made, so the staff just created the artwork on their own volition - this means everyone is paying close attention to Levi.

At the conclusion of season 2, there seemed to be a preview that said, “They then saw the ocean…”

Araki: Yes. Right now, we’re diligently focusing on how to create a terrific work of animation that segues into the moment they “see the ocean.” Our efforts now is our most important mission.

In other words, you’re extremely concentrated in the season’s production. I also feel less anxious about waiting for the new season.

Koizuka: The opening of episode one…I feel like it will surprise everyone.

Araki: The second episode will leave a completely opposite impression. The first episode will feel refined, while the second has a much rougher atmosphere.

Koizuka: In season 3, those who enter the story as antagonists will become beloved by the end.

Once again, this is only the interview with the directors, the part with the three seiyuu will come later!

Related News: Anime Staff || Araki Tetsuro || Interviews || Koizuka Masashi || Photos: Official Art || Season 3 || Seiyuu || Translations: Interviews || Wit Studio

Archival News: Anime Staff || Interviews || Season 3 || Wit Studio

