Acclaimed anime director Naoko Yamada spoke with ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese about her latest movie, The Colors Within. Yamada discussed the film‘s exploration of Catholicism, its main character, and the surprisingly wide appeal of 2016’s A Silent Voice. GKIDS will release the movie in theaters on January 24, 2025.
“Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the ‘colors’ of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a color she treasures as her favorite. Kimi, a classmate at her school, gives off the most beautiful color of all. Although she doesn’t play an instrument, Totsuko forms a band with Kimi and Rui, a quiet music enthusiast they meet at a used bookstore in a far corner of town. As they practice at an old church on a remote island, music brings them together, forming friendships and stirring affections. Will they discover their true ‘colors’?” says the synopsis for the new Naoko Yamada movie.
Tyler Treese: In The Colors Within, Totsuko has a very cheery demeanor, and she sees the best in people. What did you like about your protagonist having those traits?
Naoko Yamada: So I think it depends on people, but I do think it’s easier to spot or it’s easier to be influenced by the negative parts that we see in others. And so I think this also depends on the person, but seeing the good parts of others or within you is maybe a little bit hard.
And I’m sure that Totsuko, even as a child, was hurt by her circumstances, et cetera. But maybe because of all the experiences she had as a result, she decided, “No, it seemed the best, and others would just make both myself happy and then the others happy.” Maybe that’s what she’s realized.
Now that you’ve asked this question to me, I think I’m starting to realize that is something that I really wanted to take care of or depict in this film. Because I think it’s really hard to see the best in yourself, but then when you have a friend sitting next to you and always accepting you or telling you your good parts, it makes you feel better. So then I think that sort of train of thought created this character of Totsuko.
I found the use of religion throughout the story very interesting especially since Catholicism isn’t very big in Japan. What made you want to explore religion and this theme of atonement?
No, you’re right. As you say, in Japan, there are very few Catholic people. I think maybe about 1% would be Catholics, and I think Japan also has a lot of atheists. So then I think this concept and thought of what the Catholics believe in is very like a world of unknown, you know?
Although we do get to see part of it, or some of it in books or movies, I think the various elements of Catholicism, especially sins, are the kinds of things that we go through in puberty or adolescence. But I think these experiences of going through these sins are what shape everyone’s personalities.
Maybe that’s why I had chosen Totsuko’s belief. She’s the one who’s Catholic and she’s the one who has a strong faith. I think I wanted to learn a lot more about what it is to believe and what it is to have faith. So then I think that’s why it depicted her as Catholic.
One aspect of the film I really liked was how masterful you are at making small moments really matter. Generally, in the West, at least, anime is usually celebrated when they have large action set pieces that are very loud, but you’re really wonderful at making smaller moments have a huge impact. Like when the whole group’s stuck inside, and they swap their backstories. Could you discuss putting care into these smaller moments? Because those bring out a lot of the more emotional moments in the film.
Yeah. So when I work on films or when I create work, I do think about the audience or the person viewing this film. So then I want to create experiences or emotions that the viewer will relate to, or what they know.
So then, “Oh, I’ve experienced this emotion before,” or, “I’ve experienced this worrying about these issues before.” I want to create stories that are relatable to the viewer. So, I think maybe I try to create work that is close to the viewer’s experiences.
Of course, in animation, there’s action and battle scenes and flying. Things that people would imagine in their wildest dreams. I do hope that maybe one day I could work on those kinds of works too. But for now, yeah, I try to be close to the viewer’s emotions and experiences.
A Silent Voice has become very popular in America. What does it mean for you to see your work really travel and find an audience worldwide?
Yeah, actually, I don’t understand it either because I think Japanese animation is celebrated or perceived as having a lot of action battles, like being very flashy. Then I think A Silent Voice is very far from those conceptions and perceptions. I’m actually touched that people would watch the film without getting bored and actually wanna know.
I actually wanna ask the audiences and globally, “Why is it that A Silent Voice appeals to you so much?” So, yeah, I don’t know.
Thanks to Naoko Yamada for taking the time to talk about The Colors Within. Tickets are available now.
