Atsuko Ishizuka , known for directing No Game No Life for Madhouse in 2014, recently revealed how she "broke the rules" during the production of the famous anime . As she highlighted in an interview, she challenged established standards in design and coloring, creating headaches for her team but also ensuring a unique visual style.
Nowadays, many anime follow a standardized set of color and line rules, allowing experienced fans to quickly identify the genre or target audience with just a screenshot. However, Ishizuka decided to go beyond these limits, exploring new aesthetic possibilities that directly impacted the series' success.
Bold visual choices defined No Game No Life
According to Ishizuka, she was inspired by the original light novel illustrations to define the vibrant, saturated palette of No Game No Life . " I thought the drawings were very beautiful, so I tried to recreate that color pattern ," she said. As she explained, coloring in Japan is systematized, but her training as a visual artist led her to follow a different path.
However, this decision wasn't easy. " There was resistance from the color department ," she said. After all, her scheme defied traditional norms and was complex to balance. Even so, she persisted: " I thought it was beautiful, and we went ahead with it, even though it broke all the rules and caused a lot of headaches for the team ."
Ishizuka's style was consolidated in other productions
In addition to No Game No Life , Ishizuka experimented with her style in other projects, such as The Pet Girl of Sakurasou (2012). Although this anime had more traditional art, she already used a pastel palette, giving it a distinctive look. Later, in A Place Further than the Universe , the director further refined her aesthetic.
Regarding this last work, Ishizuka commented: " It wasn't an anime for people who love anime, but rather for parents and children who enjoy watching movies together ." As he recounted, his intention was to avoid visual clichés, seeking to create an atmosphere similar to that of a live-action film, using unusual colors and shading.
However, you can watch No Game No Life on Hulu and A Place Further than the Universe on Crunchyroll .
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