THE LENTICULARS is a striking experimental web series currently streaming on YouTube, born from the halls of the renowned animation powerhouse Studio TRIGGER. The project is the brainchild of Akira Amemiya, the visionary director behind SSSS.GRIDMAN. In a departure from high-gloss industry standards, Amemiya embraced a “handmade” DIY aesthetic, personally overseeing every facet of production—from scriptwriting and character design to storyboarding and animation. Complementing this raw visual style is a theme song crafted by the three-piece ensemble Scenarioart. Billboard JAPAN sat down with Amemiya and the band to explore the unconventional fusion of music and minimalist animation.
The Genesis of an Anti-Commercial Vision
What sparked the initial concept for THE LENTICULARS?
Akira Amemiya: After spending years navigating the complexities of professional animation, I felt a deep-seated urge to return to the visceral, unrefined excitement I felt when I first started. I wanted to create something that echoed that original spark. During this developmental phase, I was introduced to Scenarioart, and I knew immediately I wanted them to provide the sonic landscape for this world.
Scenarioart, what were your first impressions when this collaboration was proposed?
Kosuke Hayashi: The moment the name “TRIGGER” was mentioned, I was floored. They are synonymous with ambitious, boundary-pushing art. I was eager to see how our sounds would mesh with their creative energy.
Kumiko Hattori: I vividly remember our first meeting. Amemiya-san was incredibly blunt; he told us, “This anime isn’t designed to be popular.” It was such an refreshing, honest starting point.
Amemiya: (Laughs) My priority wasn’t commercial appeal; it was the act of creation itself. I wanted to produce something a traditional studio might reject for being too “rough.” To lean into that handmade feel, I even cast students from a voice acting academy. I was constantly testing the limits of what remains “watchable” while maintaining a primitive edge.
Shifting Perspectives and Hidden Depths
The title refers to images that transform based on the viewer’s angle. How does that translate to the series?
Amemiya: I remember being fascinated by lenticular rulers as a child. That simple interaction—two images creating a shifting reality—is perhaps what led me to animation. For this series, the name represents how a story can evolve depending on whose eyes you are looking through. It’s about the “what else is happening” in the periphery of a scene. I find that fluidity very compelling.
The series is intentionally cryptic. Kosuke, how did you translate that ambiguity into the music?
Hayashi: I tapped into the volatile emotions of adolescence. I wanted to capture that high-velocity heartbeat—the sense of losing control when you’re overwhelmed by new feelings. The music needed to sound like a pulse racing so fast you can hear it in your ears.
The chorus is quite unconventional. It feels like the emotions are too vast for standard lyrics.
Hattori: It’s fascinating because the chorus doesn’t rely on a traditional “message,” yet the absence of words conveys everything. It felt like a total departure for Kosuke, a completely fresh direction for us.
Takahisa Yamashita: The sonic texture was what gripped me first. It felt highly programmed and precise initially. As a band, our challenge was to take that digital foundation and inject our own instrumental identities into it, transforming it into a true Scenarioart piece.
The track mirrors the show’s tension between euphoria and insecurity. Was that intentional?
Hayashi: Exactly. I wanted the ending theme to sit in that delicate space—not overtly joyful, but not entirely somber. It’s a bittersweet, balanced resonance.
The “B-Side” of the Story
The song concludes with the haunting phrase, “I’ll sing it in the mirror.” What does that signify?
Hayashi: Akira mentioned that THE LENTICULARS has a dual nature—an “A-side” on YouTube and a hidden “B-side.” I wanted the lyrics to reflect that darker, obscured perspective. It’s the side of the story that isn’t immediately visible.
Amemiya: That duality is central to the project. The song actually provides a layer of subtext that the animation doesn’t explicitly show. In modern anime, there is an obsession with verbalizing every detail, but I’ve always been skeptical of that. Lyrics have to be concise, and the more “primitive” you go, the further you move away from traditional language. In that sense, Scenarioart created the perfect companion to my visuals.
A Creative Rebirth
Scenarioart took a brief hiatus earlier this year. Does this project mark a new chapter for the band?
Hattori: Returning after six months, I noticed everyone had a renewed sense of confidence. THE LENTICULARS arrived exactly when we needed it; it was the catalyst that brought our focus back together.
Kosuke, you’ve mentioned being in a “slump” previously. How do you feel now?
Hayashi: I think I’m always in a bit of a slump (laughs), but I’ve learned to embrace it. I’ve moved away from wanting precision in my lyrics. I want to connect with people through those unnamable emotions that exist between sadness and pain.
Amemiya: That uncertainty is actually a great asset. Even though I’m a professional, I often feel like I don’t know “how” to make anime because I never formally studied it. That process of exploration—of navigating the unfamiliar—is where the real joy of this web series lies. I could have made things easier by delegating roles, but then I would have had to explain everything. Doing it myself allowed the project to evolve into something unexpected and exciting.
Interview by Tomohiro Ogawa via Billboard Japan
