I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability is one of the most fun anime of 2024 and 2025, a fantasy adaptation that offers a mix of cool fights and quirky comedic expressions, inspired direction, an entertaining supporting cast that gets to shine, and a protagonist whose cute exterior belies overwhelming power and an even more terrifying lust for magical knowledge. As its second season approaches its conclusion, Anime Trending received the opportunity to seek answers from director Jin Tamamura regarding the creative decisions that make the anime a delight, the challenges of portraying protagonist Lloyd, and what he enjoyed storyboarding the most.
Anime Trending: You’re involved with the storyboards and episode direction of basically every episode. What led you to be this hands-on with the show?
Jin Tamamura: I was approached by Mr. [Tsukasa Sakurai] from Tsumugi Akita Animation Lab, who handled the animation production, with the request that “we’d like to produce the series with as consistent a team as possible across all episodes.” Given that, I thought rather than splitting the directing duties episode by episode, it would improve both the consistency of the direction and the internal flow of information if I oversaw most of the storyboarding and direction myself. That is what led to my involvement across the majority of episodes. Additionally, it had been quite some time since I was last involved as a core staff member on a TV series adaptation of an existing work. So, I also wanted to challenge myself to “dive deeper into the project than usual” this time around.
The series feels like it’s infused with a great sense of fun. What were your initial goals at the start of production, and what particular aspects did you fuss over to maintain your desired outcome?
Jin Tamamura: From every page, you can clearly feel that Mr. [Yosuke] Kokuzawa, who handled the manga adaptation, had a great time drawing it. So, I asked the staff to read the comic thoroughly during production to maintain that same energy and enthusiasm.
Of course, I gave specific instructions on how to construct each shot, but I think I placed even more emphasis on this mindset than on purely technical aspects.
On top of that, what I personally focused on most was “increasing the amount of character-related information within the frame.” I was particularly committed to direction and animation that allowed for as many characters as possible to appear within a single shot, with plenty of movement and changes in expression to enrich each scene.
How was Yuichi Abe-san chosen for the show’s action director role, and what do you admire about his work on 7th Prince?
Jin Tamamura: Tsumugi Akita Animation Lab as a company, along with much of its staff, is still relatively young and lacks extensive experience. Given that 7th Prince is a series with a particularly heavy emphasis on action, we felt it was essential to bring in someone who could provide solid support on the action animation side. That led us to approach Mr. Abe for the role.
In Episode 1, there’s a fierce sword-fighting scene between Lloyd and Sylpha where both the characters and the camera move intensely. Yet despite the high level of motion, the flow of the scene remains perfectly smooth, and he skillfully weaves in visual cues about the relationship between the two characters. His ability to craft such dynamic yet coherent action sequences left a strong impression on me.
Abe-san often shares storyboard credits with you as well. Typically, how is the storyboarding workload split between the two of you, and what is working with him like?
Jin Tamamura: Generally speaking, Mr. Abe handles the action sequences and the scenes directly surrounding them, while I take charge of the drama-oriented sections. That said, on occasion, we asked him to storyboard standalone everyday life scenes as well.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with Mr. Abe on several other projects, and I’m consistently impressed by the breadth of his expertise — whether it’s spatial design for action scenes, inventive camera work, or the intricate choreography he brings from his experience in live-action and tokusatsu productions. His versatility and creative toolbox never fail to amaze me.
When it comes to the action, there are many impressive and memorable moments in the series, like the camera rotating around Sylpha in Episode 10 as she prepares to strike, the end of the opening credits of Episode 13 where the camera wows us with Jihriel’s vast array of swords, and the way Episode 19 depicts Lloyd and Guitane approaching each other before their clash. What’s the philosophy that guides the creation of such impactful moments?
Jin Tamamura: The manga version already contains many highly polished action scenes, but in the anime, we make a conscious effort to avoid simply tracing those scenes and animating them as-is.
Instead, we aim to add original touches that are not present in the manga — incorporating elements of surprise and creative flair so that even long-time fans of the source material can experience something new and unexpected when watching the anime.
Lloyd is cute, but also incredibly powerful and frighteningly ravenous in his pursuit of magic. What were the challenges of portraying the character in the anime?
Jin Tamamura: Lloyd has a striking contrast between his cute, appealing appearance and his extraordinary curiosity and unique worldview. When depicting him, we wanted to ensure that this complexity was not taken away.
It may sound a bit abstract, but our goal was to prevent viewers from feeling like they could easily “figure him out.” To achieve this, we intentionally used a slightly more restrained directing style for Lloyd compared to the other characters— employing a more distant camera perspective and avoiding overly intrusive emotional cues.
We were also greatly aided by Makoto Koichi’s voice performance.
The animators credited for key animation/genga are also credited for 3D layouts and sensatsu [line test], which is a bit different from most anime credits. Can you explain what the production/animation process for 7th Prince was like, and why the approach was chosen?
Jin Tamamura: In a standard workflow, animators typically do not handle these areas. However, at Tsumugi Akita Animation Lab, we utilized more user-friendly 3D and compositing software and asked the animators to handle these tasks directly. By having the key animators who are responsible for each cut also create 3D layouts and line test previews for the action, we were able to produce cuts that were much closer to the intended direction, and we could do so more efficiently.
In recent years, the anime industry has become highly specialized and segmented. Depending on the studio, the perception that “animators are both actors and cinematographers” has been fading. We wanted to return to that original mindset and ensure each animator had a strong sense of ownership over their cuts, which is why we adopted this workflow.
The distinctive comedic expressions and chibi depictions feel inspired by the manga adaptation. Why was it important to include this particular form of visual comedy in the anime?
Jin Tamamura: Beyond grounded, realistic animation, we felt it was essential to include a wide range of exaggerated, comedic expressions because they allow for much more varied emotional storytelling and direction. For example, inserting sudden gag-style, deformed drawings into otherwise serious scenes helps keep the tone from becoming overly heavy or suffocating. This tonal balance is one of 7th Prince’s unique strengths, so we made sure to preserve that aspect in the anime.
What do you see as the main charms of the original light novel series and the manga?
Jin Tamamura: I believe it lies in how each character is so distinctive and full of life.
In stories with settings like this one, supporting characters often tend to exist solely to praise or highlight the main protagonist — whether for better or worse. However, in 7th Prince, not only Lloyd, Grim, and Sylpha, but also the surrounding cast members have numerous opportunities to shine. Each of their episodes and scenes carries real emotional weight, and that, I think, is one of the series’ most remarkable qualities.
Out of the moments we’ve experienced so far, which were you most excited to storyboard and bring to life? What were the intentions and ideas that led to its final form?
Jin Tamamura: Every episode brought both enjoyment and challenges during the storyboarding process, but the sections from Episode 16 onward that explored the backstories of Guitane and his companions — Civil War, Shakra, Mega Meat, and Black Dragon — were especially rewarding because they allowed me to incorporate a variety of visual storytelling techniques.
For example, in the Civil War arc, I expressed the consciousness of two characters using split frames; in the Shakra arc, I paid homage to silent films; in the Perfect Meal arc, I employed techniques reminiscent of classic horror cinema; and in the Black Dragon arc, I used the visual motif of cracks running across the screen to depict the separation of mind and body.
As for the Guitane arc… I’ll refrain from saying too much here, as I think it’s best left for viewers to experience for themselves.
I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability is available on platforms like Crunchyroll, Muse Asia’s YouTube channel, and Bilibili.
