Shoji Kawamori, known as one of the most imaginative mechanical designers in anime and a director and screenwriter, shared details about his new film Labyrinth. The story centers around a schoolgirl who gets consumed by her smartphone, after which she finds herself in a world of giant mechanisms and living "stickers," while her smartphone version wreaks havoc in the real world.

Kawamori describes the film not just as a story about escape, but also as a conversation about how to accept even the part of oneself that is frightening. According to him, the film also became a way for him to play with the theme of smartphones, social media, and how they have already become part of personal identity.

The director explained that the first idea came to him over ten years ago after a dream about Yokohama, where he picked up a stranger's smartphone from the ground. He was struck by the thought that a phone for a modern person is almost a symbol of identity, as it holds calls, browsing history, and photos. Later, when he accidentally broke the screen of his own smartphone, it further intensified the concept.

In its current form, the project began to take shape about 5–6 years ago, and active work in the studio lasted about a year and a half. For the film, the Sanzigen team used 3DCG for human characters, but Kawamori tried to maintain the feeling of 2D animation. He believes that 3DCG works particularly well in dance scenes, action, and live concerts, although the technology itself can make the image too rigid if not refined manually.

The main character is voiced by Suzuka from Atarashii Gakko!, marking her first experience as a voice actor. Kawamori explained that he was looking for a voice with a strong presence for a character who is not afraid to do things her own way for 100 million likes. He also noted that during the recording, Suzuka gradually revealed a more sensitive side that blended well with Shiori's story.

The music for the film was composed by yonkey, known for his work on songs for Atarashii Gakko!. According to Kawamori, his sound combines freshness for a younger audience and a taste familiar to people of his generation, which suits the world where reality and the smartphone labyrinth intersect.

Separately, the director explained that Labyrinth for him is not an escape to a safe "Neverland," but a story about overcoming oneself. In his opinion, many isekai stories allow the viewer to simply hide from problems, while in this film, the characters must go through an internal wall to grow and change. Kawamori also emphasized that smartphones and social media have a much greater impact than it seems: they are convenient but very powerful tools, and the film shows this power as something worth being aware of.