Producer Takashi Washio shares insights on his collaboration with director Daisuke Nishio and their efforts to understand Korean culture in order to faithfully adapt Heena Baek’s picture book, which follows a boy who struggles to connect with others until he discovers a pack of magical candies.
Toei Animation, based in Nakano, Tokyo, has produced countless hits adored by multiple generations, including Sally the Witch, Mazinger Z, Galaxy Express 999, Dragon Ball, The First Slam Dunk, Futari Wa Pretty Cure, Sailor Moon, Dr. Slump, The Kindaichi Case Files, Magical DoReMi, Digimon Adventure, One Piece, and Butt Detective. Toei Animation has also launched the careers of many famous Japanese animators including Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Hosoda.
Now, partnered with Dandelion Animation Studio, Toei has produced its first CG-animated short film, Magic Candies, the first Japanese animated film to be adapted from a Korean storybook – Heena Baek’s picture book of the same name.
Directed by the famous Dragon Ball Z films director Daisuke Nishio and produced by Pretty Cure’s Takashi Washio, Magic Candies tells the story of Dong-Dong, a boy who struggles to communicate with others. Through a pack of magical candies, Dong-Dong gains the ability to hear the inner thoughts of others – he can even communicate with his couch – which teaches him the importance of empathy and self-expression.
Regarded not only as great contributors to Japanese animation, but as pioneers, Nishio and Washio worked together for 20 years on one of Japan’s most successful animated films, Futari Wa Pretty Cure. In a previous interview, Washio noted that “Toei Animation has a long history of creating works for children. We believe we must keep creating new works for children that will connect to the next generation.”
Magic Candies, in addition to winning the Audience Award at Cambridge Film Festival, the Short Competition at New York International Children Film Festival, and top honors at many other events, has been nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards - which takes place Sunday, March 2 - alongside four other short films: Beautiful Men, Wander to Wonder, Yuck! and In the Shadow of the Cypress.
AWN has interviewed filmmakers from each of the five shorts to discuss the origin of their film, learn about its production, and better understand why they chose to tell this particular story.
Before reading our interview with Magic Candies’ producer Washio, check out the trailer and Making Of featurette.
Victoria Davis: Where did the idea for Magic Candies film come from? I’m assuming this began with the Korean picture book of the same name by Heena Baek?
Takashi Washio: I read Magic Candies after a publisher recommended it to me as a very interesting picture book. The picture book in a clay animation style was completely new to me, and the emotions of Dong-Dong, the main character, were conveyed in a realistic and compelling way. I became very interested to learn that such a wonderful picture book existed in South Korea, and I began to wonder if it would be possible to create a film adaptation of it.
After deciding to work on the animated adaptation, I first met BAEK in the autumn of 2022 in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Before I went to see her, I was worried about whether she might turn my proposal down. In reality, she was quite happy to accept.
VD: What was the urgency, the need, for you to tell this story now? What messages or feelings did you want to share with the audience?
TW: Today, many people are afraid to express their true feelings. I want to remind both children and adults that those around you notice more than you might realize, and you can feel confident in being yourself.
At first glance, one might think that Dong-Dong is a very lonely child. In reality, he’s never been alone; everyone was watching him. For anyone who is feeling frustrated with life or feeling like they’ve hit a brick wall, I’d like them to know that there are always people that are silently cheering you on, and that living life isn’t so bad.
VD: How did you settle on 3DCG animation and the specific stylistic choices for this film? How do you feel the visuals enhance the story?
TW: Since the original picture book used clay dolls, I thought that even if we visualized it in clay animation (or stop-motion), we would not be able to surpass the book. I decided to use full CGI instead, so we were able to animate the characters' facial expressions and gestures in detail. The extensive landscape also helped to symbolize the expanding future of Dong-Dong.
VD: What were the biggest challenges in production? And what about the biggest rewards?
TW: Korea and Japan may seem close, but our cultures and customs are still very different. Director Daisuke Nishio found it challenging to make Dong-Dong appear naturally lifelike while understanding these cultural differences. We went to Seoul for reference shooting and covered as much as possible, including ordinary homes, rooftop views, cityscapes, kids' rooms, and stationery stores.
The place that was hardest to scout for was the store that sells nicknacks, that is, the place where Dong-Dong gets a hold of these magical candies. The concept of a Mun-bang-gu doesn’t exist in Japan, and so I was very curious. Nishio wanted to find a hilly neighborhood where old houses and stores coexisted with skyscrapers. I do believe we visited just about all the hills in Seoul. In the ending credits, you can find our thanks to these people that helped us during our location scout in Seoul.
Ms. Heena Baek, an internationally well-known picture book author, was pleased with the film and said, “The atmosphere of the city is very well expressed.” That was one of the most rewarding moments. By adapting her work to film, we hope that more and more people will be able to appreciate the beauty of the world that she created.
VD: Any lesser-known special aspects of the film or its visuals you'd like to point out to people who get the chance to watch it, or even to entice those who have already seen the film to see it again?
TW: Daisuke symbolically featured magpies in the opening scene, which we often saw in the streets. We learned that the magpie is the national bird of Korea and would convey a good image.
VD: In total, how long did it take to produce this film? How big was the team?
TW: It was in 2019 when we received permission from Ms. Heena Baek to make the film. After that, I gathered the production staff and started modeling the characters. I think it took about three years to complete the film with a cast and crew of around 100 people.
VD: What are your hopes as you continue heading through festival and awards season? Many people say they don't make films for the accolades. So how do you hope the film touches people and gets recognized?
TW: We are not seeking victory or honor in this race, but we want many people to watch our film. Our greatest joy comes from seeing viewers moved by the emotions we experienced and the message we aimed to convey through this film. We would be delighted if this nomination sparks interest and encourages as many people as possible to watch Magic Candies.
Victoria Davis is a full-time, freelance journalist and part-time Otaku with an affinity for all things anime. She's reported on numerous stories from activist news to entertainment. Find more about her work at victoriadavisdepiction.com.
