Source: Shin Kamaitachi no Yoru Official Guidebook, page 100-101
Shin Kamaitachi no Yoru: Special Author Interview
Takemaru Abiko, the Face of Kamaitachi no Yoru, and Kenji Kuroda, Trick Magician
Takemaru Abiko
Profile
Born in Hyogo in 1962. Made his authorial debut in 1989 with 8 no Satsujin (Kodansha Novels). Since Kamaitachi no Yoru (Chunsoft) in 1994, he has also been involved with making video games. He has also written stories for manga including Kankin Tantei (Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha). Major works include 0 no Satsujin, Ningyo wa Live House de Suiri suru, Satsuriku ni Itaru Yamai and Boku no Suiri Kenkyu.
Q1: Did Chunsoft make any requests of you regarding the content of the scenarios for this game?
They just asked for a story that would make people cry. Nothing in particular aside from that.
Q2: How did you decide how to divide up the scenarios between everyone?
It wasn't divided up, as such; more like each writer wrote within their own speciality.
Q3: How did you decide upon the plot of the Mystery Chapter?
I gave Mr. Kuroda the general gist of the direction, and made several comments on the plot he came up with, but he was generally free to write whatever he wanted.
Q4: Which part of the process of creating the scenario was the hardest?
I was only giving my opinions on what I was handed, so in terms of supervision, it was fairly easy. In terms of the scenario, the one I wrote for 428 was an emotional story regarding life and death, so I wanted to write something different this time. Trying to do that was a pretty big effort.
Q5: Please tell us what's good or tough about dividing up the scenarios.
I think it can be tough to use characters you didn't create yourself. You need to maintain a degree of uniformity with things like their personalities, but at the same time, it would be a shame to lose that distinctive flavour that each writer brings to the table. Trying to strike a balance between keeping the story straight and retaining the writer's individuality... that was tricky, I think.
Q6: Who is your favourite character?
I guess it must be Kaito. I like that he's a total airhead who writes these dumb stories only to lose them in ridiculous ways.
Q7: Were there any ideas you really wanted to use in the game, but were forced to shelve?
Nothing in the parts I was in charge of, no.
Q8: Do you think the mystery is easy or hard to figure out in this game? Please give us any tips and tricks you have for solving it.
I think the difficulty is just about right. I found myself pleasantly fooled. I think anyone can figure out the truth with enough trial and error, so I don't really have any tips. Just have fun with it, including the many bad endings.
Q9: I hear that you played the game during development as part of your supervisory role. What was your initial impression of it?
I was kind of worried about whether adding voices would work in our favour or against us, but I needn't have been. I'm glad that it helped to bring out the unique flavour of a sound novel rather than destroy it.
Q10: Are there any specific hang-ups you have that are shared between this game and the first one?
Probably just wanting the writing to be left to a professional. I wish all game makers would think about it in that way.
Q11: Why did you decide to go with a brand new cast of characters?
It's been a fairly long time since the first game came out, and it'd be weird to keep going with the same characters forever. Though the characters are different, I think the fundamental spirit at the heart of the game is the same.
Q12: Will the Kamaitachi no Yoru series continue?
Can I just say... no comment?
Q13: And finally, a message for all of the fans.
Please enjoy this new-old, old-new Kamaitachi no Yoru.
Kenji Kuroda
Profile
Born in Mie in 1969. Made his debut in 2000 with Wedding Dress, for which he won the 16th Mephisto Prize. Principal works include Garasu Zaiku no Matryoshka, Cunning Shojo and Sayonara Phantom. In recent years, he has taken on a lot of video game-related work, including writing the scripts for the manga adaptations of Ace Attorney and Ace Attorney Investigations, as well as the scenario for Trick x Logic.
Q1: Please tell us how you ended up being put in charge of the main scenario.
I'd already worked with Chunsoft a few times on projects such as the Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors novelisation and Trick x Logic, and I think that relationship might be why I was given such a major role on this game. When they told me they had something important to discuss with me and asked me to come to the head office, I never suspected that they were going to make me such a lovely offer. The Zero Escape book had just come out, so I was feeling really nervous, like, "Did I write something bad and make someone angry?"
Q2: Did Mr. Abiko make any requests of you regarding the content of the Mystery Chapter?
Aside from taking care to maintain the "spirit" of Kamaitachi no Yoru, there was nothing in particular. Thanks to that, I was able to write very freely and easily.
Q3: Please tell us if there was anything you were especially careful about, given that the game is set in the same sort of situation as the first.
I was very careful to maintain a balance between including characters, scenes, props and so on that would remind people of the first game, and making sure to incorporate new things so that it didn't end up being a mere imitation of the first game. As a result, I think I can proudly say that the finished article ended up being similar to yet also different from the first game.
Q4: Which part of the process of creating the scenario was the hardest?
The toughest part was discussing over and over with the team what sort of story it should be, and coming up with all sorts of ideas. There are loads of ideas that didn't make the cut. At first, it wasn't set on a snowy mountain, but at an amusement park or an aquarium. It feels like a waste not to do anything with them, so I think I might try sneaking some into my own work someday.
Q5: Which part of the Mystery Chapter would you like people to pay special attention to?
The logic that leads you to the truth. It's not difficult at all. With the way it's set up, noticing one contradiction sets off a chain reaction that leads you to new clues or the killer.
Q6: Please tell us what's good or tough about dividing up the scenarios.
I initially wrote the Mystery Chapter, and then the others wrote their own stories to accompany my scenario, so I didn't experience any real hardship myself. I guess the most difficult part of dividing up the scenarios would be keeping the characters consistent, but I think that one of the charms of Kamaitachi no Yoru is the way that the characters' personalities change depending on the scenario, so I guess that the others probably had fun writing their parts.
Q7: Who is your favourite character?
Rose Kanbayashi. Like when I wrote the Zero Escape novelisation, I apparently tend to end up getting attached to mature, attractive women. During the plotting stages, we just had her written down as a classy foreign lady, but as I wrote she turned into a cool old lady. By the way, the otaku, Omori, ended up becoming one of my favourite characters as I read through the scenarios the others had written.
Q8: What sort of process did you go through to bring the Mystery Chapter to completion?
I refined the plot by discussing it with the team over and over, then started out by writing a bad ending where everyone gets massacred. After that, I wrote a good ending where the main character solves the mystery, plus one other ending, and then passed the baton. The remaining branches were made by the team. To me, it feels like I wrote three novels with different endings. I didn't think my own style would come through if I focused too hard on the fact that it was a game, so I more or less wrote it the same way I'd write a normal book.
Q9: Having played your own scenario made into a game, what was your initial impression?
Just like when I worked on Trick x Logic, I was surprised by how easily the text enters your brain in comparison to a novel. I guess that's the power of music and graphics. In addition to that, this game is also voiced, so it's even easier to get into.
Q10: And finally, a message for all of the fans.
Even though the story stays the same, the more you reread it, the more new discoveries you'll make. I really hope people seek out all of the hints and foreshadowing dropped by each writer like it's a treasure hunt.