- Interview Date: 7/5/2025
- Interview Location: Anime Expo 2025
- Interview Format: One-on-One
Anime Herald: What would you like our readers to know about The Vermilion Mask?
Vermilion Mask: The story begins with the main character putting the mask on and hurting a very dear person to him. The mask has unique abilities for combat.
Anime Herald: Why did he put the mask on in the first place?
Vermilion Mask: He was training for this, to be a masked fighter.
(Editor’s note: There’s more information available about this if you Google “Vermilion Mask.” I am trying to avoid spoilers.)
Anime Herald: What were the anime and manga that convinced you to join the industry?
Taichi Kimura: Naruto.
Satoshi Suzuki: Ghibli.
Anime Herald: Any Ghibli films in particular?
Satoshi Suzuki: I like the works of Isao Takahata.
Anime Herald: Mr. Takahata was a very hard worker. And he expected his staff to work just as hard.
What attracted you to this project?
Satoshi Suzuki: It started with a great meeting with new partners. I’ve always wanted to produce this story. It was not well known in the world. It’s a great story. I always wanted to turn it into an anime. I met with producer (Hiroya) Nakata-san and he had the same feeling. We joined forces.
Taichi Kimura: This story originated in the writer’s mind, Dr.Poro, when she was in middle school. It’s a long developing story. She worked on and released other projects along the way. After she built up her experience, she decided that now is the time to release it. That story came into my hands. After I read it, I knew I wanted to work on it.
Anime Herald: How long was the time frame between when you knew you wanted to make it to when you could formally announce it?
Vermilion Mask: Around three or four years. It was after the second book came out.
Anime Herald: Is the first step in the process securing the funding so you can make it?
Vermilion Mask: The common scenario is, when you want to adapt something into an anime, you reach out to the original publisher. Then, you reach out to the director. In this case, it was Mr. (Tetsuaki) Watanabe to bring him on board. It goes case-by-case.
Anime Herald: Do you feel like three to four years is a normal amount of time?
Vermilion Mask: I would consider it a long amount of time. We had some setbacks in getting aligned with all of our potential partners.
Anime Herald: It must be very emotional to finally be able to release the information that it is coming out.
Vermilion Mask: Definitely. We see a lot of highly popular manga adaptations into anime. The staff for The Vermilion Mask is very young. It’s been interesting working with a new set of minds.
Anime Herald: What is your role in this project?
Satoshi Suzuki: I work hand in hand with the other producer, Nakata-san at YTV. I’m an associate there.
Taichi Kimura: I work with the original manga. In discussion and partnership with the writers, we discuss what an interesting story could be. For the anime, we want to make sure the manner and the tone are on brand.
Anime Herald: So you must have been in contact with director Watanabe.
Taichi Kimura: We take on a very inclusive atmosphere at our workplace. We typically find ourselves speaking all day and all night between our team.
Anime Herald: The two of you seem to have an unusually strong emotional connection to this project.
Vermilion Mask: Thank you.
Anime Herald: Do you have any questions for us?
Vermilion Mask: What is your first impression of the manga?
Anime Herald: The first thing I notice is the scar on his face. I look at him and I expect violence. I expect him to get into fights. I look at her and I notice the hat. I expect her to solve mysteries.
The next thing I notice: she has her pink jacket. He’s in color. The background is in black and white. I expect us to be focused more on the characters and less on the environment.
Vermilion Mask: It is interesting where you put your eyes. In time, we will share the story behind that scar and the intention and reasoning behind the colors. Good eyes.
Anime Herald: In an anime with fighting and violence, I am most curious about why someone is fighting. Can you share why he gets into fights?
Vermilion Mask: The main character is seeking out and destroying cursed masks. That’s the core of the conflict. The masks themselves have a will. A mask deceived him in his youth. The main character was a bit naive.
Anime Herald: What is her part in the story?
Vermilion Mask: Like the main character, she also made a mistake. That’s why she will follow along on his journey.
Anime Herald: When you are working on a project like this, do you generally focus on one project, or do you have a lot of other things on your plate?
Vermilion Mask: There are a lot of anime and a lot of manga. It is typical for us to multitask on multiple projects.
Anime Herald: In America, we usually watch anime through streaming. Is that the case in Japan as well?
Vermilion Mask: Definitely. Streaming is the main form of exposure to anime in Japan as well. We’re excited that we also got a good time slot in the afternoon where a wide demographic can watch it on television. We’re both excited about streaming and television for The Vermilion Mask.
The time slot is right before Case Closed.
Anime Herald: That is a good time slot. Is there anything else you want to share?
Vermilion Mask: A lot of the people who have been involved throughout this project, either on the manga, or on the anime, have heard positive feedback on The Vermilion Mask.
here there any anime that stood out to you here at Anime Expo?
Anime Herald: Gachiakuta. The manga is beautiful and ugly at the same time. It’s a nice aesthetic. But perhaps Vermilion Mask will be the next Case Closed.
Vermilion Mask: We are aiming to release the anime next October. We look forward to seeing everyone back at Anime Expo next year.
Anime Herald: Thank you very much.
Vermilion Mask: Thank you.
The Vermilion Mask Anime Team Talks With Anime Herald – Seth Burn