Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Interview [Dragon Magazine January 2018 Issue]

The January 2018 issue of Dragon Magazine, Fujimi Shobo’s bimonthly magazine that publishes light novel chapters and the latest information about Fujimi Fantasia Bunko-related works, features another long interview with the author of Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (Saekano), Fumiaki Maruto.

Below are some of the highlights of the interview:

Frankly speaking, V13 was over at the first chapter.

I couldn’t give Izumi or Michiru the seriousness they needed to face off against the initial characters.

This series was over when they graduated. Let’s do the college student part or adult lives in another series.

(any regrets?) I regret what happened with Izumi and Michiru. Michiru was my favorite character.

Saekano was the second time I did series composition for an anime. The first time was Classroom Crisis.

I wrote V7 right after I did the series composition for S1. I took three, four days to go from Chapter 5 to the end.

From V7 on, if Megumi didn’t show up I got complaints. (Did GS1 have a bad influence?)

Megumi’s popularity rose up quickly after V7. In comparison, Eriri and Utaha’s was small. I thought, “Even if it’s a loser MC, being betrayed hurts.” There was a big change in how the popularity was spread from V7.

From V8 Megumi’s popularity went up even further from the anime. It wound up being that I had to make sure Megumi always had a good scene.

If I had to pick a series best scene, one would be V7’s hill scene with Megumi and V11.

For Megumi, there were two boosts, one big one at V7, and one at V11 where everyone ended up loving anime. The former went according to expectations, the latter exceeded them.

I was flamed a lot for V12. I got yelled at with stuff like “Tomoya is shit!” From Flat’s Episode 9 to Episode 10’s airing it was hell.

Flat’s best scene was episode 8. That was the aim, and the public’s opinion was that as well. I repeatedly watch the second half’s lovey dovey scenes.

(If you could write one more special episode for the anime, what would you write) I guess V10’s beach part.

Now that I can answer these things, in the beginning, things could’ve ended at V7. From an anime adaptation being adapted, it was decided there would be a Part 2. I always planned for the series to end at high school graduation.

The voices for the anime were close to my image. I thought, “Wow, I’m surprised someone (Yasuno Kiyono) so perfect for Megumi existed.”

As for what will happen from now on, I can’t talk about anything beyond Memorial. Maybe there will be something, maybe there won’t.

I hope everyone enjoys the one last festival at Saekano Fes Flat.

If everyone keeps up their support, isn’t it just human to want to respond to that? (laughs)

The issue also features a limited Saekano clear file for anyone who pre-ordered it from Toranoana.