Akira Nagashima, Producer of Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town – Interview Series

Crayon Shin-chan, a prestigious Japanese franchise that boasts countless anime, manga, and multimedia iterations, has just announced a brand-new chapter in a bid to broaden its presence across the globe. That’s right, Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is finally afoot, and it’s bringing back the five-year-old wonder and a whole bunch of alternate worlds to explore, to boot. Curious to hear more about it? Thankfully, we have Akira Nagashima, producer of Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, on hand to help fill in the blanks.

Firstly, we just want to say that it’s an absolute honor to be able to sit down and speak with you about the latest developments in the Shin chan universe. Before we delve into the intricacies of the forthcoming chapter, however, we would like to spend a little time exploring the origins of the IP. On that note, please could you tell us about how it all came together? What brought Shin chan to life?

Mr. Nagashima: Crayon Shin-chan is a comic series that began its serialization in 1990 in “Manga Action,” a magazine published by Futabasha. It depicts the daily life of a trouble-making 5-year-old boy, causing a commotion and dragging his family and friends into it. This style of storytelling gained attention, and in 1992, it was adapted into a TV anime, quickly becoming popular across Japan. Since 1993, a movie has been released every year, drawing families and fans alike to the theaters. Numerous related goods and games have also been released, and its popularity extends not only in Japan but all over the world.

You have an enormous catalog of incredible works under your belt—Keitai Kakaricho, Crayon Shin-chan Otetsudai Daisakusen, and Puruchara Friends: Hoppe-chan and the Sanrio Characters, to list just a few. Tell us, what was it that initially fueled your enthusiasm for illustration and game development?

Mr. Nagashima: I’ve been drawing since I was a child. In elementary school, I admired manga artists and would reproduce manga drawings. In middle school, I aspired to be an animator and reproduced animation keyframes. By high school, I wanted to be a film director and started drawing storyboards. Later, I went to design school aiming to join the game industry, but somehow ended up working for a housing manufacturer. It wasn’t until I was well past 40 that I actually got into the gaming industry. Even when I was working in other fields, I was creating game concepts in my free time. It was something I always wanted to do.

Given the fact that Crayon Shin-chan is one of the most prestigious IPs in the gaming industry, it seems only natural that it is making its next step. Speaking of which, your upcoming adventure game, Shiro and the Coal Town — let’s talk about it. What can we expect to find in this family-friendly world and its two alternate realities?

Mr. Nagashima: One important theme we focused on for this project was “contrast.” The era we live in now, shaped by technological advancement and changing ideology, has brought us a very convenient and efficient life, but there’s also a certain loneliness that comes from feeling like we’ve lost something important from the past. I wanted to express that “contrast.” I envisioned a fictional town modeled after a time when the fossil fuel industry flourished, as a counterpart to the everyday world where Shinnosuke and his friends live. We put a lot of care into the setting and character design to give it a slightly different feel while still being grounded in reality.

🎥A new trailer for Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is out! Discover more about Coal Town and its characters, like the lady inventor and the trolly race facility, where you can even race against other people in town and win rare items! #shinchan pic.twitter.com/S9aEd1I0Ok

— @shinchan_summer (@shinchan_summer) September 26, 2024

There is one thing that immediately catches our eye here: the art style. Unsurprisingly, it recently won the Excellence Award in the Visual Arts Category at the CEDEC AWARDS 2024 — which is an enormous achievement. Could you tell us more about the game’s chosen art style and the creative process you used to create both Akita and this mysterious Coal Town?

Mr. Nagashima: We’re really happy that so many people have positively responded to the visuals, and the entire team is grateful for the recognition. The cel-shaded models carried over from the previous game were refined by our development team to allow for more delicate expression, and the background art was handled by professional artists who have long supported Japan’s animation industry, resulting in a very high-quality visual experience. One of our major goals was to create an environment where Shin-chan, a beloved character on TV and in films, could seamlessly exist in a game world. Every time I see feedback on social media, like “It felt like I was watching a movie,” I feel so grateful that we took on the challenge.

Shiro and the Coal Town encapsulates a warm communal feeling that will no doubt resonate with younger players and fans of soothing expeditions. Would you say that this is something that you enjoy creating — harmless worlds in which players can explore without the fear of failing to comprehend or succumbing to stress-related tasks?

Mr. Nagashima: As you can see from the fact that the previous game “Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation” was developed as a homage to Kaz Ayabe’s “My Summer Vacation” series, I enjoy playing games in this relaxed style. We aimed to create a work that feels fresh from a child’s perspective and nostalgic to adults who were once children themselves.

Given the scale of the IP, one could argue that there’s a lot to onboard — especially as a newcomer to the Crayon Shin-chan universe. Do you have any words of advice for those who’ve yet to embark on their own adventures in the world?

Mr. Nagashima: We made sure that even newcomers can enjoy the Shin-chan world without needing any prior knowledge. The story doesn’t have continuity with other works, so anyone can enjoy it.

#Shinchan visits the town of Akita! Experience his daily life with Shiro while traveling in reality and a mysterious town!

Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town comes to #Steam (Worldwide) & #NintendoSwitch Oct. 24 in Western regions! pic.twitter.com/AkBnn5ZQyk

— @shinchan_summer (@shinchan_summer) August 1, 2024

The future is clearly bright for Shin-chan and the IP. But tell us, how else will you be spending your time outside of Coal Town? Are there any other projects that you’re interested in exploring, or any collaborations, perhaps?

Mr. Nagashima: I have a lot of ideas. While I can’t share specifics, we’ll keep working hard to create works that only we can make — or rather, works that only we will make.

We would love to stay up to date with Shiro and the Coal Town and all things Shin-chan related. Please could you provide us with some useful links, social networks, or newsletters that might help us to gather a bit more information on the upcoming release?

Mr. Nagashima: We primarily share information via our website and X (formerly Twitter). Please check out our website or X for the latest updates.

For the Shiro and the Coal Town website, visit: https://game.neoscorp.jp/shinchan_coaltown/index_en.html

For X, please follow @shinchan_summer

Is there anything you would like to add for our readers?

Mr. Nagashima: While there are a lot of violent games, “Shiro and the Coal Town” is something players can enjoy slowly and relaxingly.

We hope many people will play it. 

Thank you for your time, Mr. Nagashima!

For more information on Shin chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, be sure to check in with the X/Twitter channel here. You can also wishlist the game on Steam for additional updates here.