The upcoming Crunchyroll series, The Vermilion Mask, aims to stand out by embracing a deliberately classic approach to anime direction, according to series director Tetsuaki Watanabe. Known for his work on the popular soccer anime Blue Lock, Watanabe believes that contemporary anime can sometimes obscure their narratives with excessive spectacle.
"With a lot of today’s flashy action and over-elaborate direction, I often find myself thinking, ‘I cannot tell what is going on,’" Watanabe stated in an interview. "So we have deliberately gone with old-fashioned, classic direction to make things easy to follow." This approach combines modern animation techniques with the clarity found in anime from the 1990s and early 2000s, a period he feels offered more discernible storytelling.
The series centers on Peru d’Arrest, an apprentice mask maker on a quest to destroy magical masks created by his former master. Each mask grants a unique supernatural ability, ranging from playful power-ups to potentially calamitous forces. The premiere episode, set to debut in October, quickly establishes the premise, introduces the protagonist, and showcases the mask powers in action. Despite the fast pace and exaggerated action, Watanabe and his team have focused on ensuring that character positions and objectives remain clear to the viewer.
The distinctiveness of the masks and their powers is conveyed through animation, color, music, and sound effects. Peru utilizes a variety of masks from his backpack, each transforming aspects of his body and bestowing specific abilities. His background as a craftsman, rather than a traditional superhero, informs his fighting style. The narrative is filtered through his guilt over a past tragedy involving the sentient Mask of the War God, which led him to kill his master and fellow apprentices.
Watanabe emphasized that the story is designed to move forward from Peru’s perspective to foster audience empathy. He also highlighted the appeal of watching Peru creatively use different masks to escape difficult situations.
The Vermilion Mask adapts a manga by Dr.Poro and Nabana Naba, which has been serialized in Young King OURs since 2021. Watanabe was drawn to the project due to its relative obscurity and its departure from typical superpower battle series. He described the manga’s story as full of unpredictability and compelling characters, with a unique premise and world-building that he believes can rival established titles.
"Being relatively unknown means there are not many expectations attached to the series and that nobody has it marked as one to watch," Watanabe remarked, suggesting there is significant room for the anime to exceed potential. He sees a common thread between The Vermilion Mask and Blue Lock in his focus on depicting each character’s core convictions, which he believes adds depth and appeal.
The director hopes the series’ blend of character-driven storytelling, unique powers, and comprehensible action will resonate with a wide audience. He suggested that younger viewers might find the style novel, while older audiences may experience a sense of nostalgia. The Vermilion Mask is slated to premiere on Crunchyroll in October.