Some stuff here and there regarding Zestiria lore and characters from the Complete Guide interview with Yamamoto Naoki (head writer). Not the entire interview, by the way.
――Was there anything you conscious of when creating a title to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the series?
YAMAMOTO: “Tales of” series always presents new challenges in each of its entry, but this time, as a title that marks a major milestone, we decided to take on a challenge that would connect to the next generation. First, we had a new idea for the system, then from that, the scenario team started working on what kind of scenario and characters to put on top of it.
――What was the most important aspect of this work?
YAMAMOTO: This time, we decided to make something orthodox. This is because “Xillia 2″ had a somewhat modern portrayal, and because we imagined a traditional fantasy like “Phantasia”, the first title. “Tales of” series has always included mechanical elements in their settings, so I thought that a truly fantasy-like fantasy might be surprisingly fresh, so we decided to try to do an orthodox fantasy setting this time. I thought about what kind of character would be a protagonist who feels new as a character, but who also still has a “Tales of” feel to them. As a result, we first chose a protagonist named Sorey, who has passionate feelings but is also able to make rational decisions and care for his friends. We then created characters who would take on Sorey’s problems, shared his worries, and also characters who would approach his problems from a different direction. It is a party where everyone really cares for each other, so I hope that people will pay attention to that kind of emotional drama, or rather, the kindness of the characters.
――Every character has a strong personality.
YAMAMOTO: The scenario team had a major theme, “Rather than a drama based on certain things, let’s create a drama that connects the emotions of the characters.” We do not want the characters to only act because of the momentum, but to realistically and carefully depict what kind of words the characters would say depending on their emotions and how they care for one another at the time.
――As a result of following what each of them wanted to do, Alisha also chose a different path from Sorey’s.
YAMAMOTO: Regarding Alisha, I depicted one of Sorey’s setbacks, or rather, the fact that there are barriers that cannot be overcome no matter how he has special powers or not. Alisha’s thoughts were pure; however, it was a parting due to the barriers of reality that stands in the way. But even then, Sorey didn’t make it a heavy farewell. They both knew the meaning of their parting, and that is why they were saying forward-looking words to each other. Here, I tried to bring out their feelings rather than depicting a cliched development. So, instead of anything broody, they said “We’ll see each other again,” or “Let’s do what each of us believe in,” and part ways. In that sense, he may seem like a calm protagonist, but he has passionate feelings, yet does not try to solve problems by shouting or just going with his spirit or momentum. Instead, we made Mikleo a character who expresses his emotions in a straightforward manner, so that the two of them act and speak as if they are one protagonist.
――Please tell us if there were any particular challenges in creating the story.
YAMAMOTO: That emotional drama was very difficult, after all, that I had to revise it many times. As an RPG, it is easier to present a goal, and write based on “this is what it is all about.” Something like connecting the plot beats with certain incidents. This time, however, I rewrote it many times, focusing more on consistency with the characters’ personalities. In the recording of the dialogue, we asked the voice actors to record their lines with the importance of the detailed feelings of their characters, and in the latter half of the production, the voice actors instead would suggest, “This line would be said differently by this character, wouldn’t it?” It may be a small difference in nuance, such as whether to say, “Let’s go ahead then!” or “I don’t think we should stay here,” and even in such a single line, we focused on the character’s personality.
――So the characters are saying what they want to say.
YAMAMOTO: We wanted to pursue a sense of reality in this regard, and since the events being seamlessly connected was a selling point of this work, we thought that the character acting should also bring out a sense of immersion. In past works, skits were created separately and recorded and inserted later, but this time, everything that appears in the main scenario was written in one go. By doing so, we made it possible for the voice actors to record everyhing that was part of that flow.
――Please tell us about the seraphim.
YAMAMOTO: There are some seraphim who were reincarnated from humans, and some rules about it have been revealed, but it is not possible to say clearly what kind of race they are. If anything, they are more like divine spirits. That’s why, the seraphim are saying that they are like this or that they are reincarnated, but the truth is, the part about what to do to become like that can be very ambiguous or in a case-by-case basis. They are the kind of race that cannot be comprehended by mere rules.
――Lailah has an oath, but humans can have oaths too, can’t they?
YAMAMOTO: That’s right. Muse’s seal was also a product of an oath, and as an arte, it can also be used by humans. But I like to think of it more like a curse than something like how a magic system like that exists. Something like, by applying something like a deep-seated grudge, one is able to draw out such a strong force. That’s exactly what Michael did, and although it was said to be a curse, it might have been an oath as well.
――As a Shepherd, Sorey had a unique end, but what happened to the Shepherds up until now in the end?
YAMAMOTO: Lailah’s biggest concern, based on the fact that there used to be many kinds of Shepherds, was that Sorey would be restricted by the Shepherd’s calling. There was a fear that he would bump into his own limitations and if he did poorly, he would be tainted and every Sub Lord with whom he had a pact with would turn into a dragon. This has probably happened many times in the past. Michael is a typical example, which means that many still end up like that, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they fail, and there have been some who have done things for others without being noticed, saved the world, or even given birth to dragons. The reason why Lailah was so concerned about Sorey was because she knew that it would be difficult for him to fulfill his duty as the Shepherd.
――There are Shepherds who become seraphim too.
YAMAMOTO: Like the higher-ranking seraphim in the Trial Shrines. However, the Shepherds are not training in order to be reborn or reincarnated as seraphim. It’s not like there’s a clear system, but rather, it’s a spiritual matter, such that some of them are reborn because they have pure hearts. So there are probably those who are actually reincarnated from Shepherds, but not necessarily in a way or for the purpose of doing so, and that there are a number of Shepherds who have become seraphim in history as a result.
――The way Sorey went to sleep in the ending left an impression.
YAMAMOTO: As is the case in every entry in “Tales of” series, the weight and meaning of the decision cannot be conveyed unless we depict how much risk is involved for the protagonist who purely pursues his ideals. Sorey chose to fight Heldalf, risking the lives of his friends, and by sacrificing his own time, he entrusted the possibility that the world could be saved. That is Sorey’s answer, and to believe in the goodness and potential of humans, what he offered to fulfill something so pure was his own time. Then there is the fact that Sorey’s dream is to visit ruins, and actually, it doesn’t have anything to do with time at all. So, even though he lost his time, he would search for the ruins when he woke up again. Sorey has not given up on his dream, nor has he abandoned his duty as the Shepherd. I tried to depict that he was able to properly do both of those.
――The last scene depicts Mikleo traveling around the ruins, but how many years later is that?
YAMAMOTO: It was said that it would take several hundred years or so to purify, so that’s how much time has passed. In the ending, Rose has died, but I believed that Rose followed her own way of life and did not follow in Sorey’s steps, but rather becoming the Shepherd in the manner that was Rose-like. As a result, since there is the fact that she didn’t spend the same time as Sorey, more than a few decades have passed. Mikleo has also grown up, so I thought it must have been enough time for a seraph to grow up to that extent. However, we wanted to show that, at the end, there is a new world, yet an unchanged Sorey.
――Is the growth of seraphim related to their own thoughts?
YAMAMOTO: There is a conjecture that they will grow until they reach the peak of their own strength, but again, there are really no strict rules here. Mikleo had grown up with Sorey, so he grew up until the same age as Sorey. I think Mikleo’s will is at work in what kind of growth he has achieved since then. And if Mikleo wished that he would only change a bit because he didn’t want Sorey to not recognize him when they met, I think he would have grown up that way.
――Will Rose, who has a high resonance, become a seraph after her death?
YAMAMOTO: As for what happens after the ending, we leave that to the player’s imagination.
先日9月24日に、山口市下市にあるLife and Eat ClubのMEDICAFE2022の一環として「かに革命2022/大そうめん流し」と名打たれたアート・イヴェントが美術家の中崎透氏の企画で行われた。「ナデガタ・インスタント・パーティー」でアートコレクティブとして活動している中崎氏だが近年ではソロワークでの活躍も顕著である。昨年は宇部市のときわ遊園地で行われた「TOKIWAファンタジア2021」でも夜間のイルミネーションをメインにしたアートイベントで多数のコミカルな作品を展示して、多くの子どもたちのファンを増やしたのではないかと思う。
上述のような流れがあり、Life and Eat Clubの津田さんから中崎氏の「かに革命」を今回もやるということだったので、期待して指定の時間に行ってみた。Life and Eat Clubの前にも小川が通っているので、今回も川床を作るのだと思っていたが、行ってみたら今回は革命の旗を作ってそうめん流しをするという企画だった。現地ではボランティアスタッフや親子の参加者、Life and Eat Clubの関係者ら多数がいた。建物の入口のブルーシートの上に旗になる布がたくさん置かれ、子どもたちが、墨やアクリル絵の具でカニの絵を描いていた。中崎風のキャラクターのカニや子供達ののびのびとしたカラフルなカニ、保護者のお母さんたちのカニ、みんなめいめいバラバラのカニを描いていた。僕もカニを描いて欲しいということで何十年かぶりにカニを描いた。結構適当に描いたが、「ヤバイ、カニってかなり自由に描いてもカニらしさは、ブレない、、、、」なんて思った。そうこうするうちに、建物の中で、そうめん流しの準備をするという流れになり、中崎氏のアイデアで雨樋と机やイーゼルを使い、青竹を使わない簡易そうめん流し装置の全貌が見えて来た。実験として水を流してみたら一箇所ちょっと水が溢れた場所があったが、概ね大丈夫(NHK Eテレのピタゴラスイッチの要領である)。水が流れるということはそうめんも大丈夫だろうという感じに仕上がった。最後にみんなで描いた「カニ革命」の旗をそうめん流しの装置の各所に飾り付けたが、なかなかの出来だった。(この「カニ革命」の旗は後日エプロンになって参加者に配られた。)