Yōhei Kameyama, a Japanese creator who serves as character designer, 3D modeler, animator and director, discussed his short‑form anime Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express during an interview in Tokyo on June 27, 2026. The series, which has accumulated millions of views on YouTube and was released in theaters earlier this year, continues the story of characters Chiharu and Makina.

Kameyama first created Milky☆Highway as his graduation project while attending a vocational school in Japan. Inspired by the integration of music and animation in Disney's Steamboat Willie, he designed the visuals himself and coordinated music composition to link the two elements.

He described designing characters with striking appearances to create an immediate impression, using 3D models to emphasize texture differences, such as the metal surface of Makina's face. Dialogue was intended to sound natural, drawing from observations of Hollywood film speech patterns.

The transition from the twelve‑episode short series to a feature film required adjustments to pacing. Kameyama added transitional clips featuring police officers Ryoko and Asami and inserted landscape shots to bridge gaps where credits would normally appear.

Kameyama handled character design, animation, dialogue, screenplay and direction for Milky☆Subway, while delegating specific tasks such as small‑prop modeling and lighting to other artists. He noted that a clear schedule and regular meetings helped manage the workload.

Kameyama expressed interest in producing additional episodes, continuing the Chiharu and Makina storyline, and developing spin‑offs focusing on supporting characters like Akane. He said he now needs to establish a production environment that allows collaboration, as he cannot undertake all aspects of future projects alone. He also mentioned that the three‑and‑a‑half‑minute episode length suits short‑form viewing habits and that he plans to continue using this format while aiming to create a properly structured theatrical film.