A Special Interview Celebrating the Completion of Kodansha Brand Films!
Two Kodansha Brand films have been completed!
Produced by the Kodansha Cinema Lab!
Since its founding in 1909, Kodansha has valued the intersection between “entertainment” and “enrichment”. The phrase that expresses this essence of our company is “Inspire Impossible Stories”. It embodies our brand purpose: to be a company that continually inspires both creators and readers with new discoveries and creativity, and to keep producing stories that are unlike anything seen before.
Among the Kodansha Brand Films that visually express this brand purpose, Kodansha Cinema Lab provided creative support as the editors for the second film, “Story Tree,” and the third film, “LIGHT HOLE.”
Following their releases, these films have garnered a great deal of attention both domestically and internationally. We sat down with Max Blustin, director of “Story Tree,” and Tooru Katori, director of “LIGHT HOLE,” to hear the inside story behind their productions!
“Story Tree” — Stories that bring color to the world. This film vividly depicts how such stories are nurtured through the metaphor of the growth of a tree.
“Story Tree” (Released in 2025)
▼Director Profile / Max Blustin
Max’s award-winning films have been selected for over eighty festivals worldwide, including Oscar, BAFTA, AACTA and Canadian Screen Award qualifying events. He is the owner and founder of the London-based film production company New Planet Film & Media. In 2023, Max was selected as one of the winners from 1,103 applicants to receive short film production funding for Sage as part of the Kodansha Cinema Lab.
① What are the highlights of this film?
For me, the highlight is the moment an idea “sparks” into life and begins its journey towards becoming a story. It sends an apparently conventional scene, on a peaceful afternoon in a park, in an unexpected direction. It felt like the right way to begin expressing “inspire impossible stories”!
② Is there anything in particular that stands out to you from the episodes that you worked on?
During pre-production I visited the Kodansha offices in Tokyo, and immediately encountered the papyrus tree in the foyer. Then, I knew I was on the right track.
③ Please let us know if your impressions of Kodansha or Cinema Lab changed at any point during the production process.
Kodansha and the Cinema Lab have been a dream to work with since our initial collaboration in 2023. “Story Tree” was our second project together. The process was thoroughly enjoyable on both occasions. They have a bottomless supply of encouragement and support, and help find the most powerful ideas to guide the creative process to its destination.
④ Please give us a message for our readers.
Thank you for watching Story Tree and good luck with your own spectacular creations!
“LIGHT HOLE” – The world of reality and the world of fiction. This film focuses on publication, the bridge between these two worlds, through the medium of stop motion.
“LIGHT HOLE” (Released 2026)
▼Director Profile / Toru Katori
He works on live-action productions as well as illustration-based character design, animation, and stop-motion, often creating works with a strong handcrafted feel. He is affiliated with THE NoLD, a creative platform formed through a collaboration between Nomad Tokyo and The Directors Guild, and is active across a wide range of genres, from commercials and music videos to short films.
① What are the highlights of your film?
We’ve used actual books, manga, and manuscripts published by Kodansha to sculpt the cityscape and characters. In this stop motion film, a young girl goes on an adventure, riding on the bike from “AKIRA”; I think you’ll find something new every time you watch it. I’d be thrilled if you could spot your favorite scenes from your favorite works or manga manuscripts.
② Is there anything in particular that stands out to you from the episodes that you worked on?
It was truly moving to see the stories I sketched out in the storyboards come to life as physical models and move as if they were alive. I think that’s an experience unique to stop motion animation. Within that experience, I was particularly struck by the fact that the Colossal Titan from “Attack on Titan” was sculpted to be as large as I am.
③ Please let us know if your impressions of Kodansha or Cinema Lab changed at any point during the production process.
During meetings to finalize the direction, the Cinema Lab team also provided us with revision guidelines and proposals. But, they also told me that “We want this to be a work that exceeds our imagination, so you don’t have to follow our instructions to the letter.” It felt like I caught a glimpse of the collaborative attitude the editors adopt when working with their authors, and it made me feel even more determined.
④ Please give us a message for our readers.
I think one of the appeals of stop-motion films is that you can sense the story unfolding even during the production process. I think watching the behind-the-scenes footage offers a whole new perspective on our film, so I highly recommend checking it out as well.