[Honey's Anime Interview] Goro Taniguchi, Creative Producer for "Enter the Garden", an Anime Series by Azuki and Dentsu

You've worked within the traditional Japanese pipeline of transforming an idea into anime. How has your experience differed working with Azuki, especially given their focus on short-format anime and changing how anime is produced?

In the past, I usually worked with stories that already existed. This time working with Azuki, there was no original material to reference. So the process started with me asking, “Is this the right path?” and then presenting my ideas to Azuki. Sometimes those ideas were rejected, but the key has been constant communication between us. I’ve had to understand Azuki’s goals and translate that into animation. This open, cross-partner dialogue is very different from working with Japanese publishers or studios that produce anime, manga, or light novels in a traditional format. So far, it’s been a refreshing and exciting change for me.

Enter the Garden seems to be inspired heavily by modern American street fashion and traditional Japanese elements. Could you tell me more about what inspired the look and aesthetic of the world?

As I mentioned earlier, we first asked the Azuki side to show us what kind of things they were thinking about and wanted to do, as well as what kinds of fan art existed. From there, we picked out the parts of their ideas that we understood or that we also thought were cool. Staff members who understood the concept arranged everything in the form of Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3.

Are there plans to introduce other cultural aspects from different countries in future episodes?

That’s something I intentionally avoid. Digging deeper into the reasoning, the staff working on the project had already had that kind of idea in the past; however, we have agreed on focusing on one style identity with room for subtle influences. If I direct that they should include other cultural references, it may hinder the staff’s creativity. That’s something I would like to avoid. I believe that giving the team creative freedom yields better results. I purposely place staff who can generate something good without being influenced. To give more details, for episode 1, I assigned staff who had worked on things other than anime. In episode 2, I assigned staff who could also illustrate the 1980s to 2000s era’s anime style. By doing this, I can ensure each episode has its own uniqueness.

What can you tell me about the character’s personality? Are they in any way influenced by Azuki’s company philosophy or your vision as a director?

As for episode 1, the world setting is Azuki’s idea but the characters were created under our direction. In episode 2, we featured Azuki’s original characters, but I directed how they came to life on screen. Episode 3, which hasn’t been released yet, both the characters and the world were created as a way to further expand our interpretation of Azuki.

When you talk about expanding in artwork and animation technique, in what way do you mean exactly? Are you talking about introducing techniques like rotoscopying or stop motion animation?

It’s not about technique for the sake of technique. It’s about philosophy and how to express an idea visually. If stop motion helps convey that concept, we’ll use it. But technique is secondary to intention. What matters most is expressing the underlying message in a compelling way.

Between episodes 1 and 2 of Enter the Garden, there seems to have been some evolution regarding animation. How did Azuki grow during this process, and what did you learn?

Absolutely, there’s been growth. Originally, I had my plans for episodes 2 and 3. But after finishing episode 1, Azuki suggested new ideas for episode 2, probably ideas that reflected community feedback. I didn’t see these suggestions as just coming from a company, but as a petition from the fans. So I made adjustments to my original vision. Anime is a business, yes, but it’s also for the fans. Their input helped shape the direction of the project.

What message or experience do you hope to deliver to the anime community with Enter the Garden?

Whatever message I want to convey can only be delivered through the anime itself. That’s why I create. What makes this project special is that it listens to the fans and translates their voice into animation. That’s what truly matters.

Are you hoping to bring more creators into the Azuki community, or is this anime laying the groundwork for something bigger?

Whether it's from the wide anime community or Azuki’s community, if you are a creator, the more eyes on your work, the better. My goal isn’t just to cater to the Azuki community, it’s to reach the wider anime audience. By doing this, if that draws more people into Azuki, that’s something I can feel happy about. If that happens, you can say creating Enter the Garden anime was successful.

Working with legends like Tatsuyuki Tanaka on Enter the Garden must be a unique experience. How do you foster an equal creative environment for industry veterans?

The answer is very simple. As the director, I define clear creative boundaries. I explained the project and everyone’s responsibilities at the start. Mr. Tanaka understood exactly what his role was and where his creative domain lay. Once that’s clear, I don’t interfere unless someone steps outside their zone. That mutual respect is what keeps the environment clear of issues.

Goro Taniguchi’s approach to Enter the Garden reveals a balance between personal creative vision and open collaboration with both Azuki and its growing community. This experimental project isn’t just about breaking anime conventions in format and production, it’s about exploring how far you can go when fan voices, corporate goals, and experienced direction meet halfway. With more episodes on the horizon and an evolving aesthetic, Enter the Garden may just be a blueprint for a new era of anime production where creators like Taniguchi continue to innovate beyond borders.