- Interview location: Anime Expo 2026
- Interview format: Face to face, one to one
Animation Pioneer: The Marital Toxins Comics understand that meaning doesn’t matter. How much freedom does this give you as a director?
Hori Motobu: This is not a story that sets me free. not at all. I read it with the understanding that I would be directing it. The loose continuity of the story is actually a constant source of stress. When we changed it from comics to animation, the attraction was the characters. When characters don’t have much continuity, it’s hard for the audience to appreciate them. This made this a very stressful project for me.
I’ve mentioned in previous interviews that there’s a chaotic quality to it. I wanted to retain that chaos, but also allow the audience to identify with the characters to a certain extent and create an emotional connection. If it’s too cluttered, it can lead to an alienating viewing experience. This is something I try to avoid.
Animation Herald: How did you allow it? Marital Toxins More character-driven so the audience isn’t alienated?
Hori Motobu: That’s not something I have to create. It already exists in the original comics. If we look at a character like Gero, he is a killer but his character is very straightforward. It’s almost innocent. This provides the opportunity to develop a good emotional connection with him. In some ways, we could say that I am abstracting from the inherent continuity.
Anime Herald: What was your favorite moment from season one?
Saito Tatsuya: Episode six. I loved episode six from beginning to end.
Episode six has an incredible flow of images. There’s also a great soundtrack and sound effects. I can feel how attracted I am to it. Now, I can’t quite believe it. It was the crew I assembled that did this amazing job.
Hori Motobu: I love this series. There are many scenes. Every time I’m asked this question, I choose a different answer.
Anime Herald: Which one will you choose this time?
Hori Motobu: The first episode has a scene where Gero is deceived by Kinosaki. That’s awesome.
At that moment, Gero became a top figure in the shōnen manga world. He encounters something outside of that world and becomes a little lost. This is the moment when two different genres, shonen manga and shojo manga, coexist. It gives a strong sense of what the series is about.
Animation Herald: That’s a great answer.
Since you mentioned the first episode, I want to share that I love the beginning where we see a villain smoking fifteen cigarettes at once. I think that’s great.
Hori Motobu: Thank you so much.
“Animation Herald”: Can you share a story about the production process of the first season?
Saito Tatsuya: It was very difficult to create a soundtrack for this series.
Hori Motobu: Yes, I agree. This is the hardest part of the backend.
In the first episode, we combine two chapters from the original book Marital Toxins comics. It switches back and forth from funny to serious, from comedy to tragedy. We changed genres every four or five shots. Usually, I decide what kind of music I want for each scene. I added what I thought was the best music. Mr. Saito heard it and thought it was too quiet and subtle. This put me in a bad mood because I wasn’t happy to hear the news. But I do think, “He’s a producer, he’s entitled to his opinion.”
Sure enough, there was a very difficult musical back and forth in that episode.
Animation Herald: What is the origin story of each of you entering this industry?
Hori Motobu: I didn’t think about becoming an animator. I was in college when I saw this video Ken Ishii Extra by Koji Morimoto. I’m very impressed. It opened up the possibilities of animation for me. I’m also a big fan of music.
Saito Tatsuya: I also like music. When I was a kid, I watched two anime: Samurai Champloo and eureka seven From bones. This gave me the idea that I could combine my love of music with animation.
I find that producers can contact individual musicians they want to work with. I find this way of working very interesting.
Anime Herald: Chopsky was my favorite character in season one. What did you focus on in Chopsky’s scene?
Hori Motobu: I think you have good taste. These scenes kind of illustrate the character of the season. Someone did something serious and showed great power. Then they mounted the shark and took off. This flippant tone is very important. Because this transformation was so important, I wanted to choose someone who had a talent for drawing sharks realistically.
Pioneers of Animation: John Williams composes music for Pioneers of Animation great white shark. When Steven Spielberg first proposed the score, he thought he was kidding. Spielberg expected something more complex. Williams responded: “The sophisticated approach you want me to take is not the approach you took in the movie I just experienced.”
Hori Motobu: I think you are right. There’s something very funny about music when you listen to it alone. I thought there was something hilarious about the movie itself.
Animation Herald: Do you have any questions for us?
Hori Motobu: Of all the anime works you have created, which one is the most popular among readers?
Animation Herald: That’s a good question.
I have three pieces that have gone viral. The first one is Above Tokyo Underground. Fashion show at Waku-Waku.
The second time was when I interviewed the president American Aniplex, Henry Goto. He drew me a pyramid. Its basis is streaming videos. Then there are low-cost items. Then there are DVDs and Blu-rays. Finally, there are high-end items at the top.
As for the single animation interview, I think it is witch hat studio. This is an interview I gave in the first physical edition of Anime Herald.
I’ve been doing interviews for years.
Hori Motobu and Saito Tatsuya: Thanks.
Animation Herald: Thank you very much.