THE LENTICULARS is a YouTube-based web anime created by renowned studio TRIGGER, led almost entirely by director Akira Amemiya, best known for SSSS.GRIDMAN. Conceived as a deliberately raw, DIY project, the series strips animation back to its emotional core. Amemiya personally handled nearly every creative role—from series direction and scriptwriting to character design, animation, and even coloring—embracing a “primitive” approach that contrasts sharply with polished studio productions.
The project’s haunting theme song was composed by three-piece rock band Scenarioart, whose music plays a crucial role in shaping the anime’s emotional landscape. Recently, Billboard JAPAN spoke with Amemiya and Scenarioart about how this unusual collaboration came together and why both anime and music were pushed beyond words in the process.
Returning to the Feeling of Beginnings
According to Amemiya, THE LENTICULARS was born out of nostalgia—not for a story, but for a feeling. As he grew accustomed to professional animation workflows, he found himself longing for the uncertainty and excitement he felt when he first started making anime. That desire led him to create something intentionally unrefined, something a traditional studio would likely never approve.
During production, a mutual acquaintance introduced him to Scenarioart. Sensing a shared creative spirit, Amemiya asked the band to write the series’ theme song, trusting them to translate the anime’s emotional core into sound.
Scenarioart’s First Impression: Excitement and Honesty
For Scenarioart’s Kosuke Hayashi, hearing the name TRIGGER alone was shocking—in the best way. He associated the studio with bold ideas and ambitious visuals, so curiosity immediately turned into excitement.
Bandmate Kumiko Hattori recalled being surprised when Amemiya bluntly stated during their first meeting that the anime likely wouldn’t be popular. For Amemiya, that honesty was intentional. His goal wasn’t mass appeal but personal fulfillment—creating something risky, handmade, and just barely “watchable.” Even so, he ensured a baseline level of quality, such as casting voice acting students to ground the project.
Why “Lenticular”?
The title THE LENTICULARS comes from lenticular images—pictures that change depending on the angle from which they’re viewed. Amemiya traced this fascination back to childhood, remembering rulers with shifting images that captivated him in elementary school.
That concept became central to the anime’s philosophy. The story is designed to evolve depending on perspective, encouraging viewers to question what’s happening beneath the surface and how their understanding changes over time. The narrative avoids heavy explanations, inviting multiple interpretations instead.
Writing a Song Beyond Words
When composing the theme song, Hayashi focused on emotional memory. Knowing the anime centered on a school romance, he reflected on the intensity of adolescence—the racing heart, emotional instability, and loss of control that come with first love. His goal was to capture that physical sensation of emotion, almost like hearing your own heartbeat.
The chorus, in particular, takes an unconventional approach by abandoning clear verbal meaning. Hattori noted that the lack of a direct message made the song feel entirely new for Scenarioart. Guitarist Takahisa Yamashita added that the sound itself stood out first, feeling almost programmed and difficult to adapt into a full band arrangement—yet that challenge ultimately shaped the song’s identity.
Bittersweet Balance and the “B Side”
The song’s emotional tone mirrors the anime’s delicate balance—neither cheerful nor dark, but quietly bittersweet. Hayashi explained that he envisioned the track playing during an ending scene where emotions linger unresolved.
One lyric, “I’ll sing it in the mirror,” hints at the anime’s hidden depth. Amemiya had shared that THE LENTICULARS has two sides: an “A side” currently available on YouTube, and a darker, more introspective “B side” that isn’t directly shown. Hayashi wanted the song to reflect that unseen perspective as well.
Yamashita emphasized that while the anime doesn’t spell out this deeper layer, the music subtly fills in those emotional gaps, offering clues for attentive viewers.
Moving Away From Language
Amemiya praised the song’s chorus for doing what many anime struggle to achieve—communicating without over-explaining. He noted that anime culture often prioritizes verbal clarity, but he questions whether everything truly needs to be put into words. For him, the more “primitive” an expression becomes, the further it moves away from language—and that’s where its power lies.
Hayashi echoed that sentiment, sharing that his own creative journey has gradually drifted away from precision and explicit meaning. After years of making music, he now aims to connect with listeners through emotions that exist somewhere between sadness and pain—feelings that resist verbal definition.
A Creative Reset for Both Sides
Scenarioart had taken a six-month hiatus earlier in the year, and their return coincided with THE LENTICULARS. Hattori described the timing as perfect, saying the project helped reunite the band with renewed confidence and focus.
Hayashi joked that he’s always been in a creative slump, but has learned to accept it as part of the process. Amemiya, on the other hand, said he doesn’t experience slumps so much as constant uncertainty—especially since he never formally studied animation. For him, not knowing the “right” way to do things keeps the work exciting.
Finding Joy in the Unknown
In the end, THE LENTICULARS represents that joy of exploration. Amemiya admitted the process didn’t unfold exactly as planned, but that unpredictability was part of the reward. Handling everything himself may not have been efficient, but it allowed him to bypass excessive explanation and rediscover why he fell in love with creating anime in the first place.
Together, Amemiya and Scenarioart crafted something intentionally rough, emotionally honest, and quietly experimental—a reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful connections between music and anime happen where words fall short.