Internal work: What Netflix creator Shion Takeuchi brings from the gravity waterfall

Few animators transition from animation of all ages to adult animation, but this hasn’t stopped Gravity waterfall Writer Takeuchi Shien.This year, she used her new show to replace the summer adventures of the Pine Twins with the dullness of adult work life. Internal work.

Takeuchi has some experience entertaining adult audiences-she is also committed to Disenchantment – but Internal work This is her first time as a host of a show. This workplace comedy will premiere on Netflix on October 22. The company happens to implement ambitious plans on behalf of the secret shadow government. Cognito Inc. Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan) is an anti-social genius and the daughter of Cognito Inc. Co-founder Christian Slater-just want to have the opportunity to lead his team and get out of his father’s shadow. However, due to her poor interpersonal skills, she was assigned a very ordinary but very amiable Bretthand (Clark Duke) partner, and he was very happy to be here.

Shion first inspired this idea when he heard the late night AM radio show when he was in college Coast to Coast AM. It was the first time that she heard of the so-called “shadow government”, and she was startled at first-but after thinking about it, she realized that even if there is a shadow government, it must be run by real people. it.

“That just refutes the idea of ​​a shadow government, because if there is a shadow government, it can hardly control anything, purely out of luck and opportunity,” she recalled. “Most of the people who work there spend most of their time in the trivial and trivial personal lives and can barely complete this job.”

After the program trailer that premiered at Netflix’s Tudum preview event on Saturday, we sat down with Takeuchi to discuss her approach to making comedies from the shadow government, how adult animation has changed, and what it means to be a female show host A male-dominated space, and what she brings animations of all ages to the adult space. (And check out two exclusive new images in the series below.)

[Ed. note: This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.]

---

Polygons: how to have an idea Internal work From your college days, what parts have survived to become a professional animation writer?

Takeuchi Shion: The world hasn’t really been fully developed yet, just what is this? What is a shadow government company? What does it do? This must be figured out, because there is no model. If this show is about working in a restaurant, you will know exactly what the restaurant does. But you don’t know what the shadow government does. That part is later. But the core of it-interpersonal relationships-is almost where I started. The father-daughter relationship, the relationship between Reagan and Brett has existed from the beginning, which is the core of the show.

Tell me more about the role of Reagan.

For me, the most interesting thing about her is that she really wants to be a leader. She wants to be a leader because she wants to make the world a better place. But her appearance, behavior, voice, or appearance is not what you think a leader needs. She is not good at small talk. She is not good at getting along with charming people. She is fierce and more straightforward. Pragmatic, not a true idealist. I describe her as a cynical optimist. I have never seen someone in a leadership role like that, trying to become a leader. As a pragmatic and cynical person who still wants to save the world, this kind of strange irony is very interesting to me. It comes from my view of things. Like, I want to open my eyes to see the world, but I still think we have to care. We can be like, Yes, wow, everything is trash can fire and shit.I will still try my best to make everything better. These things can sometimes feel contradictory.

How do you balance this weirdness?

I really don’t think there is anything too weird about this show, as long as it still deals with the characters and there is a related problem and conflict, everyone can see a little bit of themselves.

Your career started in animation for all ages-what appeal to you in adult animation? Why transition?

I’m interested in telling stories that I feel strongly, dealing with things I’m experiencing, or stories about checking or observing in culture or daily life. The beauty of content for all ages is that we have seen people get rid of it when it comes to making content for all levels.We really tried to do Gravity waterfall, It suits everyone. The theme is universal, and the character story is also universal. I like that. This gave me a lot of freedom to explore and honed my craft. But as far as adult animation is concerned, some topics that people of my age deal with are a bit too mature for people of all ages, and it feels good to be able to talk about it.

This is a space historically dominated by male performers, creating specific types of shows-the field has undergone a lot of changes, especially recently, but does that space seem intimidating?

Oh yes, of course. Fortunately, just before all these things, too much content started to buck the trend for me. But it’s definitely the longest time, there are many adult animations…it looks like you follow the format. I think everyone thinks that the time is ripe for new formats and new story types. I like what is happening now. There are many different programs to choose from.The thought of yourself trying to get into the ring through a show like this is absolutely daunting The Simpsons who cares. I always just look at the next step, look at the small pieces. So that you don’t get overwhelmed. I would say that I think the space is changing. I think this is very exciting. It’s scary, but I think we made a show that everyone can enjoy.

Are there any programs that make you feel that you are out of that format?

I really like it Tuka and Bertie. Have you seen that?

Yes!A generation really like.

It is very cartoonish in a very pleasant way. But it is still dealing with adult issues. I think the animation is really interesting, flexible, colorful and light, but you still think the character is an adult. It involves deeper emotional issues. The emotional arc of the first season… watching it build up during the episode is like, Oh, this is where they are going. Oh my goodness. All this leads to something that feels very meaningful. I love so much.

Big mouth It is also one of my most recent favorites. Everyone in it is so interesting. I really admire the show because it feels like everyone is writing about it and it is very interesting. It feels very improvised, made up of bricks, like people gathering in a room, just to see how much they can accept an idea or concept. It’s nice to see how free they are.

Which all-age animations have you brought to adult animation?

When I think about what people think of adult animation in the past few decades, I think it can usually be a group of people sniping at each other, or rudeness in humor. Although it is funny, it sometimes has an obvious acrimonious tone in adult animation. Where I come from, in my past work experience, the heart is equally important. Without a heart, it drops like a glass of evaporated water. For me, at least. It’s really important to have that heart. I want to love these characters, I want to be such a person, they are my friends. For me, this is not all wit and sniper. They must also love each other.That tone, that heart, what I learned in the content and classics of all ages Gravity waterfall ——This is the kind of sensibility that does not always exist in adult animation. This show will definitely subscribe to it.

correct: The previous version of this article indicated that Takeuchi participated in a project called Frustrated. The correct name of the show is Disenchantment. We have edited this article to reflect this.

Internal work Landed on Netflix on October 22nd.