by A talk show featuring the producers of “Gnosia,” an indie adventure game adapted into a TV anime currently airing every Saturday on MX TV (also broadcast on local stations and video streaming sites), was held on November 3, 2025, in the first-floor lecture room of the Suekawa Memorial Hall on Ritsumeikan University’s Kinugasa Campus.
The speakers were Toru Kawakatsu, president of Petit Depot, the game development group that created the original game, and Yoshitaka Kimura of Aniplex Inc., which produced the game. Both are producers of the anime. Ritsumeikan University’s College of Film and New Media has consistently held collaborative events with anime as part of its practical courses. Still, its earliest efforts date back to a teach-in held in September 2009 with people involved in the anime film “Cencoroll,” directed by Atsuya Uki.
The event featured three speakers: Director Uki, Hiroaki Takeuchi of Sync Inc. (then), who served as the film’s executive producer, and Atsuhiro Iwakami (then), who served as Aniplex’s executive producer. Students were actively involved from the beginning, and the event has continued to this day through collaborations with various anime studios. Many alumni have used their experience planning this event to become active in the game and anime industries. It’s profoundly moving to see the event collaborating with Aniplex, the company that started it all, again, 16 years later.
This event was also planned by students from Ritsumeikan University’s College of Film and New Media, who handled all roles, including hosting. The talk covered a wide range of topics, including behind-the-scenes stories about the production of the anime version of “Gnosia,” as well as issues of interest to university students, such as the two directors’ career perspectives.
The animation path began with the producer’s passion. Producer Kawakatsu of Petit Depot, the original creator of the original work, spoke about the events leading up to the animation of “Gnosia.” After the Nintendo Switch version of the game “Gnosia” was released in 2020, offers to adapt it into an anime came from multiple companies, including Aniplex. Producer Kimura, who approached them at the time, had been involved in a variety of works up until then as an assistant producer on the film “Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel]” and the TV anime “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,” but this was his first time launching a project as a producer. Producer Kimura’s incredible passion for animation was the deciding factor, and the project began in earnest.
Meanwhile, Kawakatsu, the game’s original creator, has been expanding his fanbase, starting with the initial release of “Gnosia” on PlayStation Vita in 2019, followed by Nintendo Switch (2020), Steam (2022), PS5, and PS4 (2023), and has been exploring and considering the possibility of further expansion into new platforms. Given this background, he decided not only to grant permission for the anime adaptation but also to become deeply involved in the production as the original author. It took four years from the time of the film adaptation offer to the project’s fruition.
The unveiling took place in conjunction with the “Shibuya PARCO Presents GNOSIA STORE 5th Anniversary” pop-up shop (November 29–December 15, 2024, at Shibuya PARCO, Tokyo), celebrating the 5th anniversary of the original game’s release. The release of the teaser trailer at this time garnered overwhelming attention on social media and in the media, generating a tremendous response. Director, scriptwriter, voice actors, studio… A gathering of professionals. During the talk show, Kimura spoke about his passion for the work, while Kawakatsu shared his thoughts on the four-year journey from the original manga’s release to the anime adaptation.
The production structure also revealed that the project’s growing passion for both parties. The original game features a spaceship where players, either humans or their enemies, the Gnosia, debate with the characters in an attempt to put their opponents into cold sleep. Once the outcome is decided, the characters are shuffled, creating a familiar loop structure (the character Setsu is stuck in a time loop, supporting the player as they search for the cause and a way to escape).
The first significant challenge they faced in establishing the production structure was how to incorporate the game’s loop structure into a linear anime story. To achieve this, Kimura and Kawakatsu, after much deliberation, decided to commission the script from Jukki Hanada, known for the TV anime “STEINS; GATE.” Hanada had never worked with Aniplex before, but when they were considering a scriptwriter who could fully utilize the characters’ appeal and the time leap in the anime adaptation of the original game, Hanada was the only one they could think of, so they offered him the job. Upon actually working with him, they realized that Hanada, just as Kimura and Kawakatsu had hoped, possessed the experience to create both the original game and an original anime from scratch, making him the ideal series composer and scriptwriter for “Gnosia,” which incorporates both elements. When designing the story, they were conscious of narrative design and decided early on that the anime version would be “another world that could have existed (in the original game).”
Kawakatsu said this was to respect the worldview of the original game, which is already complete as a player-centered experience. Meanwhile, Kawakatsu said the production team focused on how to adapt the script for anime, such as “how to shorten the explanatory text from the game and make it easier to understand.” Kimura felt rewarded by being recognized as a partner in creating the same work through working with veteran screenwriter Hanada and director Ichikawa Ryoya. The voice actors were selected through auditions for Yuri, Setsu, SQ, Rakio, and Jina, while the other crew members were chosen through offers. Kimura prioritized practical arrangements to achieve the “Gnosia” feel of crew members gathering in one place to deliver the same dialogue during dubbing.
The animation studio chosen was Domerica, mainly due to the company’s extensive experience with animation assets for games such as Atlus’ “Persona” series and “Metaphor: Refantasio,” as well as its reputation for combining CG and animation. After visiting the studio and experiencing its technical capabilities, creativity, and staff’s personalities, Producer Kimura became convinced that the studio was the perfect match for the anime adaptation of this work. Expressing the “accelerated learning” of games, a commitment to imbuing the setting and direction with “soul.” At the event, producers Kawakatsu and Kimura watched the “starting point” of the first episode of “Gnosia” together with the audience, and there was an audio commentary corner where they offered real-time commentary. It became clear that the commitment to the direction that could be expressed in animation, which they had worked on in the animation adaptation, was firmly reflected in the first episode. First, in the opening scene, before the main character Yuri, an original character in the anime, wakes up, countless lines of text are drawn, and brain nerves appear to run through a blue digital space. Kawakatsu brought up the topic, saying, “Wouldn’t people who have played the game be amazed to see this?” Kimura revealed that this is a visualization of “accelerated learning” (which also appears in the game).
Furthermore, Kawakatsu pointed out that he was amazed by the scene’s detail: Yuri gets up from his bed, and Setsu tries to open the cryopod for cold sleep, only for the frozen part to be shattered by his hand. Kimura explained the reasoning behind this, saying, “This scene makes effective use of CG, but since it’s the first scene in the original work and also the beginning of the anime, I wanted to convey the beginning of a profound sci-fi story visually.” Within the first minute of the first episode, Setsu reveals to the amnesiac Yuri that one of the crew members is a Gnosia. As they discuss the situation in this world, using a “Werewolf Game” as an analogy, they begin to determine who is a Gnosia. Kimura explained that this was “the result of repeated discussions within the anime production staff, so that viewers could understand the content of this anime at least a little.” Another highlight for game fans will be the meticulously drawn “Interstellar Ship DQO (DQO).” When the exterior of the DQO is shown, the voice says, “DQO. Is it really that big? I think game fans were surprised,” Kimura said.
Kawakatsu expressed his gratitude, saying, “The backgrounds and characters move a lot. Kimura and Domerica were extremely particular about how to make the characters and 3DCG backgrounds blend seamlessly together.” He reiterated that Domerica’s skill in seamlessly connecting the 3DCG and anime expressions was key. Kawakatsu also revealed that Kotori from Petit Depot, the original game’s character designer, created three-dimensional drawings of the main character, as depicted in the film, showing it moving from various angles. Kimura responded, “They say Rakio’s clothes were tough to create (in the anime adaptation)…” which drew laughter from the audience. The gradation of Jina’s hair was also challenging to achieve, but the team’s commitment to carefully designing every character in the game for the anime was evident everywhere.
Regarding SQ, Kawakatsu commented, “Voice actress Akari Kito’s professional acting really brought out the charm of the characters,” revealing that frequent ad-libs breathed life into the characters and helped shape them. Kimura also praised the voice actors, saying, “Yuri’s acting is truly amazing.” While the original game had no voice acting, the anime used all the characters, including katakana, hiragana, and English, to help players imagine the voices in their heads. “I think it was difficult to express the casual words spoken between the lines of dialogue with actual voices. Each voice actor really put a lot of thought into it,” he said. Regarding the sound effects, Kawakatsu discussed them with sound director Ryosuke Naya and sound effects director Kiyotaka Kawada, and they agreed to use sound effects from the original work wherever possible.
The music also made the most of the original music, thanks to arrangements by Hideyuki Fukasawa, who also composed the anime’s soundtrack. In addition, Kawakatsu expressed surprise at the animation’s richness, noting that in the first episode, something is constantly moving, and the layout is shot from a striking angle. Yet, there is still a sense of movement, and even a close-up of a face shows the pupils moving. Kimura also commented, “I made discoveries that I hadn’t seen in previous video production approaches, and even though I’ve worked in animation for a long time, I was able to learn something new.” These various visual and animation techniques elevated the original game, which revolves around “debate,” into an interesting anime.
Regarding the dynamic CG used in the voting scene UI, Kimura commented, “Since this scene appears every time, I asked the director first to make it watchable, and then to come up with ideas to make this scene a highlight. In the end, it was faithfully animated.” He reiterated Ichikawa’s skill.
The much-anticipated broadcast of the entire first episode was made possible through meticulous coordination by the production team. The audio commentary explained the commitment to the whole first episode, but the “27-minute broadcast (non-stop, without commercials)” strategy, which went beyond the anime itself, also drew attention.
Referring to the precedent set by the “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” series, Kimura explained, “Because the first episode was meant to be an introduction to a sci-fi mystery, we wanted to create an immersive viewing experience from start to finish.” Behind the scenes, however, meticulous practical coordination was undertaken with each section of the anime production team and external advertising agencies. Measures to deliver the highest quality possible to as many users as possible were undertaken not only by the creators but also by the production team.
The talk event was also held at Waseda University, the day before the one at Ritsumeikan University. By having a talk show aimed at university students, a part of the target audience, the series’ name was further promoted.
A New Challenge That Requires Long-Term Pushing the Work Forward with Logic and Confidence. This talk event revealed the creators’ unwavering vision and passion, along with their determination to “do their best and wait for the will of God” despite the project’s uncertain success. In concluding his talk, Kawakatsu asserted that in this industry, “there is no surefire way to make it work. No matter how meticulous the structure and length of time, as a new challenge, it’s only natural that there will be a variety of reactions.”
However, even without a guarantee of success, “we spend four years creating it, dreaming that people will enjoy it,” he emphasized the magnitude of the challenge. Kimura continued, “That’s why it’s essential to not rely on vague emotions, but to rely on logic and conviction in your work and have the attitude of ‘making what you’re currently creating exceed perfection.'” At the same time, “This is a job where you receive hundreds of millions of yen in funding from a company and can bring it to life. I think I continue in this job because I find it more rewarding than pressure.” Incidentally, this lecture attracted so much attention that the venue had to be changed shortly after applications opened due to the overwhelming number of applications. As this suggests, the intense passion and determination behind the anime adaptation of “Gnosia” likely matched fans’ expectations and generated a great response. The passion expressed in this lecture likely resonated deeply with the fanbase.
The anime “Gnosia” will air for a second season starting in the new year. It is currently available for unlimited viewing on terrestrial television and various streaming platforms, so why not give it a watch? Nakamura Akinori (Nakamura Akinori): Professor, College of Film and New Media, Ritsumeikan University, PhD. He has served as Director of the Ritsumeikan University Game Research Center, Chairman of the Digital Games Research Association of Japan (DiGRAJapan), Executive Committee Chairman of the Uzumasa Sengoku Festival, and Advisor to the Tokyo Game Show 2010 Asia Business Forum. His major publications include “A Comprehensive Study of the Chinese Game Business,” “A Comprehensive Study of the Global Game Business,” and “Latest Report on the Global Social Media Market: Tencent vs. Facebook.”
