#INTERVIEW: Re:ZERO Creator Tappei Nagatsuki Talks About How The Prophecy of the Throne Video Game Fits Within Canon
“#INTERVIEW: Re:ZERO Creator Tappei Nagatsuki Talks About How The Prophecy of the Throne Video Game Fits Within Canon”
Following on from last week's interview with Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- illustrator Shinichirou Otsuka, we also got to speak with the creator of the franchise, Tappei Nagatsuki, about the upcoming video game, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne, and how the story was conceived and how it fits into the framework of the already established story of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-.
Nagatsuki told Crunchyroll News that he “was presented with several options” for the main story of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne. The game’s team and Nagatsuki discussed all the possible options and of them, they thought that the idea of "’a sixth candidate appear[ing]’ … would be best.”
The election for the next King of Lugunica is one the central points of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, and the main driving force of Emilia’s plot throughout the first part of the series — even though she is the unlikely candidate, being half-elf and all. Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne shakes up the already established canon by injecting a sixth candidate into the mix.
Together, Nagatsuki and the team worked in figuring out the fine details of the story, making sure that the backstory of the sixth candidate didn’t overlap with the backstory of any of the other candidates. They had the enormous task of going through all the light novels and “ensuring things like their motivations, personalities, and backgrounds didn't overlap with the other royal candidates' and their knights.” No easy task in such an already fleshed out world.
The original candidates, minus Felt (from Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- episode 13)
But Nagatsuki said that “the easiest point in the story to diverge from the main series is right before the royal selection begins in earnest.” This means the story of the game occurs just after the Mabeast incident but before the start of arc three. “Ferris and Wilhelm from Crusch's camp appear at Roswaal Manor in the main series, but different characters will show up in that scene in the game,” Nagatsuki teased, not giving too much about the game’s story away.
Discussing the new character of Melty, Nagatsuki said that she’s “unlike the other royal candidates” but “players will know there is something going on with her and her camp, as she is the ‘sixth candidate.’" Melty herself is “mostly a timid, withdrawn, and gentle girl.” Nagatsuki expects that “players will enjoy how this arc plays out differently” with Melty and her camp involved in the process as well as the players, making for a different story than the main Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- plot.
Nagatsuki said his favorite part of Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne is the climax of the entire game, explaining “what draws people into Re:ZERO is that it's all about recovering and unraveling the scattered points of foreshadowing and showcasing how bad situations are resolved.” Nagatsuki also loves how “each character has their own role,” which all come to a head during the climax where they “all give their utmost effort.”
“When encounters change, relations change, which is another charming point of Re:ZERO,” Nagatsuki teased on the difference between the game and the original series. “I hope you all have fun immersing yourself in the new world and story of Re:ZERO!” We hope we have fun too!
From Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne video game
Thanks once again to Spike Chunsoft who helped facilitate this interview, along with the one last week with illustrator and original character designer Shinichirou Otsuka. Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne releases on Steam, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on January 29, 2021, in North America, and February 5, 2021, in Europe. Visit the official website for more information!
The first part of the second season of the Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- TV anime series just finished airing, with the second part scheduled for January 2021.
Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.
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