Netflix series
"T.P. Bon"
Interview with Director Masahiro Ando
[Part 2]

The Netflix series "T.P. Bon" is a hot topic as it is the first animated series to be produced as part of the 90th anniversary project of Fujiko F. Fujio's birth. We asked director Masahiro Ando about the particularities and highlights of Season 2, which includes original episodes.
*Contains spoilers

◎Netflix series "T.P. Bon" Season 1/Season 2 now available exclusively

-From season 2 the heroine changes from Reem to Yumiko. Was there anything you paid particular attention to?
In order to ensure that people who have been watching from Season 1 without being familiar with the original work can accept the story more naturally, I thought it would be better to have Yumiko as an acquaintance rather than a complete stranger, so I had her make a brief appearance at the beginning of Season 1, unlike in the original work.
Since the script is based on the original work, there are no major changes to Yumiko's character from the original, but as the story was adapted to film, we made a conscious effort to enrich the character's emotions and increase her acting and gestures, making her appear as a modern, intelligent girl.
With her delicate movements and ever-changing adorable expressions, I think she has become a different type of heroine from the heroine of Season 1, Reem. I'm grateful to the production staff for meeting my difficult requests.
The popularity of the original Reimu is truly amazing. However, many of the staff making this anime are from a generation that doesn't know the original manga, and among them, especially the female staff, there were overwhelmingly more Yumiko supporters. I was even told, "I can't understand why so many people are on Reimu's side. Yumiko is cute, isn't she?" (laughs). I'm neutral, so I'd be happy if both characters could shine.

-What is your favorite episode in Season 2 that you would like people to watch?
Episode 18: "The Crime of T.P."
It's a story about whaling on a large scale, and at the end there's an action-packed showdown with Time Patrol member Dafoe, so it's a story with a different flavor to the usual. In the original, Bon and his friends charge at Dafoe, who is underwater, in the time boat, but in the anime, Dafoe also boards the time boat and they duel on equal terms. I was conscious of the visual appeal, with the image of a fair and square duel in medieval Europe.

In 17th century England, a senior TP member kills a harpooner on a whaling ship!? Bon and his friends rush to prevent a crime from being committed by their own family!


-I understand there are some episodes that are original to the anime.
From the very beginning of this project, there was a request to include original episodes, so the last two episodes, including the final episode, were made original for the anime.
Specifically, episode 23 is a typical rescue mission to Mohenjo Daro in the Indus civilization, which does not appear in the original work. In parallel with that mission, Reem reappears as a plot that leads to the final episode, episode 24. We have carefully created it so that the baton is passed naturally to the final episode, without feeling any sense of incongruity compared to the episodes based on the original work.
And the final episode was full of content, incorporating various historical events with the flavor of the original work. Bon's growth and realization throughout the series, and the ending that gives hope that the Time Patrol is still active somewhere today and will continue into the future. Hoping for a third season (laughs). I'm sure there are fans of the original work who are a bit worried about the original episodes, so I'm excited to see what kind of reaction they'll get, but I hope they'll be glad they watched the whole series to the end.

Episode 23: Ruins Sunken in the Rain
An original anime episode set in Mohenjo Daro around 2400 BC, where a young man is rescued from an unseasonable flood.

Episode 24 "Time Patrol Bon"
The final episode of the anime original will see Season 1's heroine, Reem, rescued. The spotlight will be on the growth of the main character, Bon.


-What is the appeal of "T.P. Bon" that you have come to realise through the production of the anime?
It is simply a high level of perfection as a juvenile science fiction adventure. Although the setting is glamorous and intellectual, visiting various eras and places, what is depicted is not the turbulent drama of famous historical figures, but the stoic story of an ordinary person. And above all, I think the charm of this work is the warm gaze of Mr. F, who is always focused on ordinary people. Therefore, the main character, who is ordinary, is also an ordinary person, and because it is not his heroic tale, I think it is a work that can shine universally in any era.
I've been working on anime in a different field than F-sensei's work, so I never thought I'd encounter this work in this way. The main premise was to visualize what the original work wanted to convey, and I worked on it while thinking about how I could positively feed back the skills I've cultivated so far into the work. As one of the generation that grew up on F-sensei's work in my childhood, I'm really happy to have the opportunity to give back.

[Profile of Director Ando Masahiro]
Masahiro Ando
Born in Hokkaido in 1967. Animator. After graduating from high school, he joined the animation production company Annapuru and worked on many key animations. He then went freelance and participated in the Crayon Shin-chan the Movie series and Cowboy Bepap: Door to Heaven. In 2007, he made his directorial debut with the animated film Stranger: Mukou Hadan. Since then, he has frequently directed television anime.

Now On Sale!
Doraemon & Fujiko F. Fujio Official Fan Book
F Life Special Edition T.P. Book
~The world of the anime "T.P. Bon" and Fujiko F. Fujio

Price: 2,420 yen (tax included)
Publisher: SHOGAKUKAN
Release date: July 17, 2024
The electronic version is also available
This book also contains a long version of the interview with director Ando Masahiro, as well as extensive interviews with series composer Kakihara Yuko and main writer Sato Dai!