According to Ai Ota, the starting point for the story of this episode was the idea of having a character who constantly reminisces about "things that have already disappeared," so that children might come to understand the significance of the vanished cities and people. In an effort to introduce different elements, she included a scene with a nighttime street food vendor.[1]
Initially, the episode was envisioned as a story with a strong nighttime atmosphere, and the character of Obiko appeared very eerie. However, with the addition of daytime scenes, the overall mood of the story became richer.
The title of this episode is actually a reference to Ultra Q episode 12, "I Saw a Bird."
Regarding the character of Obiko, Ota initially envisioned Obiko as an elderly person. This was because she had deeply felt that such an elderly individual lives in a state of "longing for someone or something that is forever gone." These lost things could be people or even cities. It was based on this feeling that Ota created the character as someone who is entirely immersed in mourning what has been lost and lives solely for that purpose. Ultimately, however, Obiko’s character was designed by Kawasaki to be more vibrant.
In the original script, after the battle between the two sides, it was Rena's wish for Tiga to take the weakened Obiko into space. However, this arrangement seemed off to the episode's director, Kyota Kawasaki, so he made changes to the script on his own. This decision led to criticism from other members of the production team.
According to Yoshihiko Marutani, during the script discussions, the production team debated whether Obiko's story should end with his "death." Marutani expressed his preference for a different approach, arguing that Obiko had not committed any wrongdoing. He suggested that Tiga should instead send Obiko to a place far removed from humanity to conclude the story. This proposal was ultimately adopted in the final approved script.[4]
However, when Marutani viewed the finished footage directed by Kawasaki, he discovered that it deviated entirely from the script. This prompted Marutani to confront Kawasaki, saying, "The approved script is not something to be altered at will. If changes are necessary, at the very least, you should discuss them with us before shooting."
In reality, the monk that appears in the mountains is actually a Tanuki, a detail Kawasaki found somewhat suspicious while reading the script, so he added it to the story himself. Similarly, the Shadow was also conceived with a similar setting, both of which served to highlight the traditional and mysterious aspects still present in the small town.
As for the fight scenes, Obiko's fighting style was planned to resemble a child's play-fighting, a detail that had been confirmed beforehand.
