“Actually, Kill la Kill was quite difficult” – Director Imaishi Revealed the Struggles Behind Creating the Anime

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of ‘Kill la Kill,’ director Hiroyuki Imaishi and screenwriter Kazuki Nakajima get together to look back on the creation of this epic anime. What kind of work is ‘Kill la Kill’ for them? And how did their perspectives change over the years? Let’s hear their thoughts.

1. Imaishi’s Epiphany and How They Made Kill la Kill Interesting!

‘Kill la Kill’ was a difficult project, even for the incredible team who made ‘Gurren Lagann’ a reality. The bar was so high after the hit. This made them wonder about the type of show that could exceed a fan favorite like Gurren.

This led him to make things more complicated.  However, the duo soon realized that complicated things don’t necessarily create interesting narratives. And sometimes, keeping things simple is how you can keep the story engaging.

After this epiphany, Nakajima and Imaishi finally created an incredible show like ‘Kill la Kill.’ The talented duo also revealed that teaming up for one project doesn’t necessarily ensure smooth sailing for the next one. There are always new avenues to explore and new things to work on.

2. The Moment it Clicked!

Nakajima really enjoys episode 5 of Gunbusterd, titled ‘Aim for the Top’. The part where ‘Aim for the Top!~Fly High’ plays during the battle scene seems to be the favorite part of the episode for the screenwriter.

Nakajima described it as a catharsis where the dialogue, art, and music all unite. And this moment made him realize it was exactly the show he was trying to make. He wanted to make people feel overwhelming emotions, and he had finally gotten it right.

This talented screenwriter also revealed that it makes him feel good whenever he watches that episode.

3. Kill la Kill Maybe the Most Unfiltered Work of the Creators!

‘Kill la Kill’ is one of the shows that is closest to the intentions of these creators. It is one of the shows that doesn’t necessarily make sense right from the get-go. However, it slowly pulls you in, and that’s when your emotions peak.

“If you think ‘People are people, and clothes are clothes’ by the show’s end, then we are successful.” So were they?