The full "Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26" anime anthology is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video, bringing to life eight short stories by the creator of global hits like "Chainsaw Man" and "Look Back," he drew between the ages of 17 and 26. This ambitious project, featuring six studios and seven directors, explores the powerful themes of adolescent love, recklessness, madness, and deep bonds. As part of our comprehensive look at the series, director and scriptwriter Tetsuaki Watanabe discusses his unique approach to realizing the vision for his short, "Nayuta of the Prophecy."
The Sky Reflects Kenji and Nayuta's Emotions
――What were your impressions and what do you find appealing about "Nayuta of the Prophecy," in your view as the director?
Director/Screenwriter Tetsuaki Watanabe (hereafter, Watanabe): At first glance, it seems like a story about a unique and eccentric heroine causing outrageous trouble, but it's actually a story about a family struggling to communicate with each other. Also, Nayuta is simply adorable.
――Nayuta is a special character for both Tatsuki Fujimoto-sensei and for the readers. Could you tell us about the specific elements you focused on and were conscious of when depicting her?
Watanabe: When it comes to the art style and animation, I had to leave that to character designer Hisashi Higashijima and the animators, so I focused on making her more appealing through direction.
The overall concept for the work was to create a dark, dystopian, slightly old-school Japanese atmosphere. The entire piece has a dark, cold feeling, with the people living there somewhat lacking vitality. Even though Kenji and Nayuta's home has a lived-in feel, we made the walls and floors feel cold, establishing the foundation of the setting through visuals first, then using sound design to properly build up the emotional arc of the characters.
Watanabe: Regarding the backgrounds and color palette, I discussed with art director Yuji Kaneko and requested an image of Japan during its high economic growth period, when photochemical smog was still occurring—constantly overcast even during the day, somehow dark. This represents Kenji and Nayuta's feelings—a sky that never clears, until the final beach scene where everything is released and blue skies appear. Even in the original manga, there was already an image of a somewhat retro Japan, with background characters using flip phones, but we enhanced that further by mixing elements from the 90s and even earlier eras, creating an atmosphere that would evoke a sense of nostalgia for viewers of any generation. We also had the backgrounds themselves drawn freehand without rulers, intentionally creating a handcrafted feel.
Watanabe: For the characters, I worked closely with Sound Director Noriyoshi Konuma to give detailed instructions for the voice actors' performances. To put it bluntly, we aimed for them to appear as 'a brother and his sister who has a communication-disability.' We intentionally cast young, new voice actors who haven't yet built strong associations with other characters from different works. Additionally, we made sure to cast talented, established voice actors for the unnamed "mob" characters surrounding Nayuta and the others, to convey the feeling that 'each of them is truly alive in this world.' By doing this, I wanted to give the world a greater sense of authenticity and impact. (The distinct personalities of the mob characters are also a charm of Fujimoto-sensei's work.)
Watanabe: Finally, we had Hyperball handle the grading for the entire piece to make it a rich film production.
For the soundtrack, I wanted music with a dark, dystopian feel but also mystical beauty, so on the recommendation of sound director Noriyoshi Konuma, we asked Kevin Penkin, who could create music closest to our image. We requested that the first half follow Kenji's emotions, and after Kenji loses consciousness in the latter half, it would follow Nayuta's emotions. As a hidden flavor element, we also incorporated a suspicious feel reminiscent of old end-of-the-century occult programs and a tokusatsu (special effects) sensibility.
There were no specific instructions from Fujimoto-sensei on this, so we simply followed the original work and expanded on its elements during production.
――Focusing on the appealing points and elements you want readers to pay attention to in "Mermaid Rhapsody" and "Nayuta of the Prophecy," please share a message with the readers.
Watanabe: Both "Mermaid Rhapsody" and "Nayuta of the Prophecy," which I worked on, have unique heroines and world settings, but aside from that, they're stories about "bittersweet adolescent romance and family love" and "the bond between siblings and family love." Since they're drama-focused, I intentionally avoided edgy direction and went with orthodox, straightforward presentation. The entire staff poured their passion into adapting and expanding upon the impulses Tatsuki Fujimoto-sensei had at the time, so I hope you'll enjoy it!
Also, the other titles are incredibly interesting too, so I'd be happy if you could watch them all! Let's all get excited about the Tatsuki Fujimoto World together!
[Interview by Taira, Edited by Inari Ogawa]
About "Nayuta of the Prophecy"
Synopsis
Kenji's younger sister, Nayuta, is feared and despised by those around her as a Demon child prophesied to "destroy the world." One day, Nayuta finally causes a major incident…
Cast
Nayuta: Hitomi Sasaki
Kenji: Yohei Matsuoka
Staff
Director/Screenwriter: Tetsuaki Watanabe
Character Design: Hisashi Higashijima
Art Director: Yuji Kaneko
Color Design: Hironori Nochi
Director of Photography: Teppei Ito
Editing: Mai Hasegawa
Sound Director: Noriyoshi Konuma
Music: Kevin Penkin
Production: 100studio
About "Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26"
Exclusive worldwide streaming on Prime Video starting Saturday, November 8, 2025
Production Supervision: FLAGSHIP LINE
Production: "Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26" Production Committee
Distribution: Avex Pictures
Original Work
Original Work: Tatsuki Fujimoto "Tatsuki Fujimoto Short Story Collection 17-21" "Tatsuki Fujimoto Short Story Collection 22-26"
(Published by Shueisha Jump Comics)
Comic Book: Tatsuki Fujimoto Short Story Collection "17-21"
Comic Book: Tatsuki Fujimoto Short Story Collection "22-26"
©Tatsuki Fujimoto/Shueisha/"Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26" Production Committee
*Some parts of this text have been translated using machine translation
