The Boku no Natsuyasumi open-word adventure games are noted for their cozy nature. Instead of being some fabled hero, grizzled fighter, or anthropomorphic animal, players are put in the shoes of a regular boy who is spending his summer vacation away from the city. A few years ago, the charming cult series’ formula was applied to the popular Crayon Shin-chan franchise, resulting in 2021’s Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation The Endless Seven-Day Journey. The game met with positive reviews and has moved over 500,000 copies.
Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation also inspired a sequel, Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, which launched in Japan and Asia on Nintendo Switch earlier this year. It will soon arrive in the West and on Steam on October 24. Ahead of that release, Anime Trending got the chance to ask producer Akira Nagashima some questions about Shiro and the Coal Town via email.
Where did the idea to have two settings for Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town come from? What inspired the setting of Coal Town?
Akira Nagashima: The main theme I focused on while creating this work was “contrast.” The era we live in today, with the advancement of technology and changing ideologies, has brought us a very convenient and efficient lifestyle. But at the same time, there’s a sense of loneliness, as if we’ve forgotten something important that used to exist in the past. I wanted to depict this “contrast.”
As a counterpart to the everyday world where Shinnosuke and his friends live, I envisioned a fictional town modeled after a time when the fossil fuel industry thrived. To give the visuals a feeling that’s not entirely disconnected from reality but just slightly different, we paid great attention to the visuals. In Mizonokuchi, the town I live in, there is an area of bars that retains the atmosphere of the Showa era, continuing from the black markets after World War II. I love this bustling area where you can feel the enthusiasm of the people, so it may have influenced the setting.
Coal Town was acknowledged with the Excellence Award at the Visual Arts category at CEDEC 2024, and the nomination noted the combination of cel-shaded characters with anime-style background art. What do you feel most proud of in terms of the game’s visual accomplishments?
Akira Nagashima: We are very happy that many people have praised the visuals. The cel-shaded models carried over from the previous game were refined by our development staff to allow for more delicate expressions, and combined with the background art created by professionals who have long supported the Japanese anime industry, we were able to achieve very high-quality visuals. One of our main goals was to create an environment where Shin-chan, who is popular in both TV and film, could seamlessly exist in the game world. Every time I see comments on social media like, “It felt like watching a movie,” I feel glad we took on this challenge.
You first tried out this mixture of cel-shaded 3D and anime-style 2D backgrounds with Issho ni Asobo Koupen-chan. What drew you to this particular visual style?
Akira Nagashima: You’re well-informed! We experimented with it in Issho ni Asobo Koupen-chan as well. That game was also set in a traditional Japanese house. We created many pieces of art that captured the seasonal and lived-in feel, such as wind chimes and the engawa, which were inserted between events. The experience we gained there is reflected in this work as well.
I’ve been surrounded by TV anime since I was a child, and as a student, I was determined to create anime myself. This visual style is an original landscape in my memory, and it’s something I admire deeply.
How did the background art creation process for Shiro and the Coal Town compare to its predecessor, Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation The Endless Seven-Day Journey?
Akira Nagashima: The process didn’t change much, but for this work, we incorporated more deformed expressions to create the feel of an alternate world.
I shared a strong creative bond with Takashi Nakamura, who worked on the background art for Issho ni Asobo Koupen-chan and Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation, and we would get excited discussing our sketches late into the night. The idea of using hand-drawn curves for deformed expressions also came from this time. Sadly, Nakamura passed away before the completion of Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation, but his spirit lives on in the art of Shiro and the Coal Town.
In one of your production notes from the special art book, you spoke of how finding an anime background art studio was difficult because of how booked they were at the time — in some cases, for as long as a year. After months of searching, Y.A.P. Ishigaki Production finally offered to assist, despite their busy schedule. When did this search process take place, and what impact did its duration have on the game’s development?
Akira Nagashima: It was incredibly challenging. Although I can’t go into detail, we were in a desperate situation where we had no background art staff for about six months after the development started. At the time, we hadn’t anticipated the worldwide growth in demand for animation due to the rise of video streaming platforms, so we were completely unprepared. We were listing up every possible art company and making continuous offers, and Y.A.P. Ishigaki Production stepped in, saying that if they pushed themselves, they might be able to manage. They worked tirelessly until the very end, with the last piece of art being completed right before the master version of the game was finalized.
For Shiro and the Coal Town, the developer switched from Star Factory to h.a.n.d., with Millennium Kitchen’s Kaz Ayabe-san (the creator of Boku no Natsuyasumi) staying involved, but as a supervisor. Additionally, you’ve taken on roles like planning, writing, and character planning on top of producing. What were the circumstances that led to these changes?
Akira Nagashima: The simple answer is that everyone was busy with schedules overlapping with other projects. Ayabe-san was likely already working on Natsu-Mon [:20th Century Kid] To be honest, we never expected the previous game to be successful enough that we’d be making a sequel so soon, so I regret not securing a more long-term schedule. By that time, I had already accepted that I would have to take on everything since Ayabe-san wouldn’t be able to fully participate.
Trolley Racing is one of the activities in Coal Town. How did this feature come to be a part of the game?
Akira Nagashima: Once we decided to set the game in a mining town, the idea of a trolley running through the town was already part of the concept. Just as the transportation systems in tourist towns feel unique to those places, I felt that vehicles would be a key factor in this work. Since it’s a town where trolleys run regularly, it naturally made sense that a popular activity would be trolley races. I think h.a.n.d., being skilled in action games, also played a big role in its inclusion.
You’re credited as one of the Trolley Machine designers — do you have any interesting stories to share regarding your creations?
Akira Nagashima: We received many design sketches from the staff, but what I was particularly focused on was creating a product design rooted in the world of the game. We explored the history of the trolley race, imagining how the trolley bodies evolved to prioritize speed, while also considering safety features. Drawing inspiration from F1 and bobsleds, I sketched out various designs, one of which was adopted as the final design.
Ayabe-san said that you approached him for Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation. Why did you feel that the Boku no Natsuyasumi structure would go well with the Shin-chan IP?
Akira Nagashima: At the time, I was directing [Crayon Shin-chan:] Otetsudai Daisakusen, so I was constantly thinking about new game concepts. I was filtering everything I saw through the lens of “Could this be turned into a Shin-chan game?” One day, I played Attack of the Friday Monsters! and it hit me — if I replaced the characters with Crayon Shin-chan characters, it would be a lot of fun. It felt like a bolt of lightning struck me, and from there, I quickly put together the concept that became the foundation for OraNatsu [Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation].
How did the reception to the previous game influence the development of Coal Town?
Akira Nagashima: It influenced every aspect of development. From the moment development was decided, Shiro and the Coal Town was positioned as the successor to OraNatsu, and everyone had that expectation. The pressure was intense as we had to decide what to carry over and what to innovate.
Ayabe-san also described Coal Town as being “completely” your title and praised it as “the arrival of a new rival.” What would you say are the differences between your respective styles and the identities of the two games?
Akira Nagashima: I’m humbled by Ayabe-san’s words. I once admired him unilaterally, but through working together, I realized we share the same strike zone for what we find interesting. We discuss many things, and I feel like our points of interest don’t diverge much. However, I think our styles differ a bit. Ayabe-san is much more of a romantic than I am, I believe. He creates worlds that feel like fairy tales, full of comfort. In comparison, I think I lean more toward realism.
Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation has shipped over 500,000 units worldwide. How has the game’s performance outside of Japan been perceived by yourself and by Neos Corporation?
Akira Nagashima: Everyone involved, myself included, are surprised. We will continue striving to create works that surpass this performance.
Now that Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is about to be released in the West, what message would you like to deliver to overseas gamers?
Akira Nagashima: We developed this game to feel fresh from a child’s perspective and nostalgic for adults who were once children. In an era full of violent games, Shiro and the Coal Town offers a slow, relaxing experience. I’d be delighted if many people play and enjoy it.
