AnimeTV had the exclusive opportunity to interview director Kengo Saito and producer Hirofumi Ito to explore the creative process of this unique golf-themed anime and better understand their roles. From the creative elements to the production process and the challenges of adapting a niche sport for an anime audience, the director and producer share their insights and experiences on the exciting project that is Sorairo Utility.
Thank you both for your time! Could you please just introduce yourselves?
Kengo Saito: I am Kengo Saito, the director and character designer of the TV anime Sorairo Utility.
Hirofumi Ito: My name is Hirofumi Ito, the animation producer. My hobby is GOLF!
Could you briefly introduce Sorairo Utility and its main characters?
Kengo Saito: It’s a youth girls’ comedy that depicts the fun and charm of amateur golf through the three main characters.
- Minami is a 16-year-old who starts playing golf in search of something special for herself.
- Ayaka is an influencer, an older sister figure who watches over the two of them.
- Haruka is the best golfer of the three, knowing everything about golf, but she’s not very knowledgeable about other things. (Laughs)
Hirofumi Ito: There are three main characters, and the story is a coming-of-age drama woven around the relationships among them!
- Minami is an ordinary high school girl who is searching for something meaningful since starting high school.
- Haruka is a skilled golfer and a third-year high school student with a complicated past.
- Ayaka is an influencer and the only university student among them, a stylish girl with a passion for golf.
How did your involvement with this anime project begin? If there are any stories or episodes from the early stages of planning, we would be delighted to hear them.
Kengo Saito: I started playing golf five years ago and wanted to find a job that could be connected to my hobby, so I proposed the idea for a golf anime. From there, we created and released the short film Sorairo Utility.
After that, we received a wonderful offer from a company that had watched it, suggesting we create a TV anime series. Thanks to the cooperation of various companies, we were able to proceed with the production.
Hirofumi Ito: About five years ago, Director Saito started posting on Twitter (now X) about wanting to create a golf anime, and I thought it would be great to work on a golf anime together someday. Then, when I saw that a short anime had been uploaded, I extended an offer to adapt it into a TV anime.
This work focuses on golf as its main theme. Do you have any special feelings or personal connections to golf? If so, did these experiences provide any inspiration for creating this work?
Kengo Saito: I started playing golf five years ago, and it was triggered by my mother’s illness. My mother was very good at golf, and my desire to surpass her led me to pick up the sport. As I desperately practiced golf, I began to feel the charm of the game.
During this time, I started thinking about what makes amateur golf enjoyable. By talking to different people, I realized that everyone has their own unique way of enjoying golf. This made me want to create golf-related projects even more.
What challenges did you face in adapting golf?
Hirofumi Ito: I think the production staff, producer, and marketing team were all mindful of whether we could provide the viewers with a sense of realism and accuracy, allowing them to experience what the characters do. The idea was to create something that offers a kind of immersive re-experience!
How did you approach the visual design and animation to reflect the anime’s sporting atmosphere? What challenges did you face in adapting golf?
Kengo Saito: Not everyone on the production staff is familiar with golf. So, in order to maintain consistency in the golf swings, I first used motion capture to create sample 3D data of a golf swing. Based on this sample 3D data, I had the characters perform the swing and provided the materials to the team for their work.
While it’s a golf anime, I didn’t want to focus too much on things like the technical aspects of golf swings or ‘How to’ golf. Instead, my main goal was to depict golf itself, and I wanted to convey that in amateur golf, the score isn’t everything.
Could you share some final thoughts for fans eagerly anticipating the premiere of the anime?
Kengo Saito: I believe it would be enjoyable for everyone to see where and how the three individuals are playing golf and having fun. Each character has their own unique way of enjoying the game, and I think this work will showcase those different approaches to golf.
Hirofumi Ito: I hope viewers will enjoy not only the sport of golf but also the human drama, exploring the relationships among the three characters and how each one approaches golf in their own unique way!
Fans can look forward to a rich experience. Each moment will be an opportunity to discover a little more about their personalities and the way they experience the game. Thank you so much!
STAFF:
Director & Character Design: Kengo Saito
Series Composition: Yu Sato
Screenplay: Yu Sato, Aya Satsuki, Aki Mizuki
Original Concept Cooperation: Kota Nozomi
Animation Production: Yostar Pictures
STORY:
I’m gonna end up graduating as a nameless “Townsperson A.”
Minami Aoba was troubled.
She had no particular strengths or passions.
Is it okay for her high school life to end like this, as a background character?
She jumps out of school and searches for her own “Special Something” alone.
By chance, she ends up at a nearby golf practice range.
There, she meets Akane Haruka, who works part-time, and grasps a golf club — a “Utility.”
That was the encounter between Minami and golf.
Winning at play isn’t the only thing about golf!
Everything related to golf is enjoyable!
Together with the genius golfer Haruka and Ayaka Hoshimi, who aims to become an
influencer, seeking the moment when they can become the “protagonist”!
As a super beginner, Minami swings her club again today.
Crunchyroll streams Sorairo Utility OVA and describes it as follows:
Three high schoolers, Minami, Ayaka, and Haruka, head out for a sunny day of relaxation at the golf course. Beginner Minami slowly gains confidence on the grass as she learns and laughs with the help and encouragement of her more experienced senpai.
© Sorairo Utility
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