In the winter of 2022, the anticipation for the Spy x Family anime was palpable. It seemed like everyone was buzzing about it from the moment it was announced. As I delved deeper into the details, one question kept nagging at me: What does it mean to be a co-production?

Spy x Family, a delightful series, is a joint venture between two esteemed studios: CloverWorks Studio, known for their work on The Promised Neverland and Persona 5: The Animation, and Wit Studio, celebrated for Ranking of Kings and the first three seasons of Attack on Titan. Little did I know that months later, after falling head over heels for Spy x Family and deeming it the best anime of the decade so far, I would have the opportunity to ask some burning questions to two animation producers involved in the series. Luckily, Anime Expo 2022, with the help of Crunchyroll, held the surprises I was looking for.

Kazue Hayashi and Kazuki Yamanaka, animation producers at Wit Studio, gave me the inside scoop on the decision to co-produce Spy x Family. It turns out that the idea came from the strong personal bond between George Wada, the head of Wit Studio, and a producer from CloverWorks, although they didn’t mention names. I suspect it was Yuuichi Fukushima, who played an essential role in co-founding the production company JOEN with Wit Studio. Hayashi and Yamanaka joined the project fresh off their work on the visually stunning film Bubble, available for streaming on Netflix.

Splitting the workload, the two studios divided the episodes of Spy x Family evenly. CloverWorks took on the even-numbered episodes while Wit Studio handled the odd ones. However, once each studio took charge of an episode, they had minimal involvement with the other. The only exception was for next-animation-stage effects, such as lighting or special effects, which required the collaboration of both studios to ensure consistency. Nevertheless, various measures were in place to ensure a cohesive and consistent feel throughout the entire series. Both studios adhered to a “rule book” that governed how the characters and world of Spy x Family should be portrayed. Additionally, Director Kazuhiro Furuhashi oversaw and controlled the production, including quality control.

Despite working under the same roof at Wit Studio, Hayashi and Yamanaka had different responsibilities when it came to Spy x Family. Typically, there is only one animation producer per series. However, Hayashi mentioned, amidst laughter, that the workload is often too much for one person. For Spy x Family, Hayashi focused on pre-production, while Yamanaka tackled the main production, which involves the actual animation process.

As the head of pre-production, Hayashi was in charge of storyboarding. This role required her to become an expert on the original Spy x Family manga, understanding its settings, characters, and rules in intricate detail. Her knowledge even rivaled that of the mangaka, Tatsuya Endo. Takaaki Nakazawa, the translator, described her as the “Bible of the original work.” Hayashi and her team transformed this knowledge into storyboards and other tools to lay out the scenarios for each episode. These results were then handed over to Yamanaka for animation.

“Do you use the manga as a reference for the storyboards?” I asked. Upon translation, Hayashi looked me squarely in the eyes and emphatically responded with a single word, “Shimasu” (I do). She further explained how she considered which scenes and layouts the manga fans would want to see in the animation, meticulously finding ways to bring these moments to life.

The entire Wit staff held Endo’s manga in high regard, considering it “perfect” (which is undeniably true). When I inquired about their reaction to the manga’s popularity, Hayashi expressed that it was the manga’s “high quality” itself that struck a chord with their emotions. They were both excited and nervous about the formidable task of translating this “perfect” world into animation. I must say, they succeeded brilliantly.

However, Hayashi and the Wit team couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious about how fans would receive their interpretation of Endo’s manga. Being at Anime Expo and witnessing the series resonate with people from across the Pacific Ocean brought both joy and relief to Hayashi and Yamanaka. The only downside was the overwhelming crowds. Although they didn’t address the issue directly, when the translator mentioned the phrase “hito mechakucha konde’ru” (huge crowds of people), everyone nervously chuckled. It was a mix of elation and quiet overwhelm, perfectly capturing the spirit of Anime Expo.

Hayashi and Yamanaka’s work is far from over, as only half of Spy x Family’s first season has aired. Cour 1 of Season 1 is currently available on Crunchyroll, and we eagerly await Cour 2, scheduled to air in October. In the meantime, let’s appreciate the “perfect” manga and recognize the hard work put in by these talented animators.

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