All the Announcements from Otakon 2024

Passion Defies Genre: A Spirited Talkback with the Creatives of The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Only an hour before the announcement that The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic anime series will be receiving a second season, some of its key creatives sat down to speak about the production in the first of two Otakon talkback sessions. Taking to the stage like Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were original author Kurokata, producer Norihiro Kurosawa, director Takahide Ogata, and Kentarō Itō, the voice of the muscle-bound baldy Tong. Some may see isekai and fantasy series as a dime a dozen, but the passion this quartet spoke with made it clear that Healing Magic is one of a kind.

A decade ago, Kurokata published the original light novels on the web novel site Shōsetsuka Ni Naro. In fact, Healing Magic was one of the very first titles to be featured on Naro. Kurosawa mentioned that talks to adapt the series had been ongoing ever since then. But when those conversations came his way, the producer noticed that the title catered to a younger audience as opposed to its contemporaries. It was then he'd set the goal for himself to produce a “youth adventure story” that would appeal to audiences around the world. As for Kurokata himself, he found himself so emotional to learn that his creation had made the jump to anime after so long—especially choked up to see Usato, the series' hero, in motion.

Based in Saitama, Ogata and the small team of greenhorns at Studio Add were responsible for the motion that moved the series' creator. The director said that his team consisted mostly of folks in their early twenties or thirties who were new to the industry, with many working in key positions for the first time. Naturally, this led to a few roadblocks along the way. Specifically, Ogata mentioned how the studio and character designer Keiji Tanabe struggled to nail down the right look at first but eventually locked down a style with the assistance of the series' original illustrators.

According to the director, the team had hit their stride by episode 12 or 13. Looking at his staff as a whole, Ogata said he was dedicated to providing a solid foundation upon which these new creators could build their further careers. From the smile on his face and the excitement in his voice, one could tell that he was ecstatic to be nurturing this new generation of creatives. The director additionally pointed out that per the production committee's intentions, they took painstaking care to ensure they avoided the over-the-top fanservice and bloodshed of Healing Magic's contemporaries.

A convention attendee who mentioned that she'd been introduced to the series by her husband greatly appreciated that specific fact. She said that the presence of the series' strong women and the fact they weren't being ogled constantly was a breath of fresh air compared to the “ecchi-ness” surrounding women in most isekai titles. Another fan piped up soon after, asking Kurokata if he'd had any oversight over the English localization of his light novels. While the question was solid, I wondered if any anti-localization sentiment tinged it. The author replied with a simple response: “I give no specific instructions; I just leave it to the translators.” The tone of his reply seemed to carry hints of a desire to leave these duties up to the professionals.

The overall response from the audience brimmed with love and appreciation for Healing Magic and those responsible for creating their new favorite thing. Many excited fans asked, “Are you considering making a season two?” A smiling Kurosawa cheekily replied, “Maybe there will be some news by the end of the con...” These requests were rather reminiscent of what he'd seen on social media following the final episode's airing. According to him, Kurosawa took the response as a sign that the team had made the right choices, which he felt quite good about.

On the topic of the series' conclusion, Ito said that he and his castmates were sad to have reached the end. However, he said he'll always remember the smiles that plastered their faces as they wrapped up the final recording session. Ito continued on to say that “the wrap party was lit” as he and the audience shared a big laugh. He hoped that maybe in the future, he could see Usato grow even stronger, just like Shōgo Sakata's (Usato's voice actor) tolerance to alcohol grew during the party.

As the fan questions winded down, Kurosawa took the chance to make the announcement he'd be alluding to this whole time—Healing Magic Season Two had received the greenlight to enter production. The producer was extremely excited to have been able to share the good news, especially considering that they'd just been given the go-ahead two days prior. As the panel said their goodbyes to the audience, Kurosawa proclaimed that this enthusiasm—the fans' enthusiasm—is the fuel that allows them to keep doing what they do. After witnessing such passion being traded back and forth between the creators and their fans, I couldn't help but be captivated by it all. Even if isekai and fantasy stories aren't exactly your bag of cats, listening to someone speak about their passions and work so wholeheartedly is something that will never cease to endear me to them.