Early Gainax Animator Interviews

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Let's talk about anime drawing Gainax young animator introduction (3)
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The Special Event

PR OF ILE
COLUMN
REVIEW TAKAMURA KAZUHIRO
Let's watch more anime

Born October 10, 1972. Born in Fukui Prefecture. Graduated from Yoyogi Animation Academy
DATA BASE Nagoya. He has blood type B. Character designer and chief animation director for
``Mahoromatic Automatic Maiden.'' He has also participated in illustrating works such as
EVENT
``Boyfriend and Girlfriend Circumstances'' and ``FLCL.'' He was in charge of the guest
character design for the 8th episode of `Àbe no Bridge Mahou☆Shotengai'', ``Tokimeke!
■Introduction of Young
Abeno Bridge☆School Shopping District''. His appearance in episode 19 of ``Boyfriend and
Gainax Animators (1)
■Introduction of Young Girlfriend Circumstances'' and episode 3 of ``FLCL'' was also impressive.

■Introduction of Young
Sa to Next up is Mr. Takamura, please.
Ta k a mura : Am I going to talk too?
――Ta k a mura - san is not a newcomer, but he is a great addition.
Ta k a mura is not a newcomer at all. He's already an old man. It's 30.
Ima i s hi Ah, I see. I'm 31.
Sa me g enera ti on a s H i ra ma ts u Imaishi?
Ima i s hi is about the same generation.
Sa to , please go ahead. Something like “my profile”.
Ta k a mura : “My profile”? There really isn't anything else. I love Hayao Miyazaki's
works, and I've always wanted to work on one of his works for Ghibli. Even after
entering anime vocational school, I didn't have any other production companies in
mind.
Ima i s hi What did you like about Miyazaki's works?
Ta k a mura : I saw Laputa (Castle in the Sky) and thought it was amazing. I also
thought ``Kiki's Delivery Service'' was amazing and interesting. It was only later
that I realized that it was the same person who made it.
H i ra ma ts u : I realized that kind of thing rather late. However, I told her that I like
Ghibli anime, and when she showed me her drawings, she was a beautiful girl.
Ta k a mura : To take the exam for Ghibli, I drew a different picture than usual and
brought it with me. If I brought the same work to Gaina, it would have been
accepted.
Sa to : Oh, I was fooled (lol).
--When you were a student, you drew so-called beautiful girls.
Ta k a mura drew it. When I was in high school, I fell in love with Akane Tendou
from Ranma 1/2.
Sa to is here!
E v ery one here!
style.fm/as/01_talk/gaina03.shtml 1/15
Is i t better f or A k a ne H i ra ma ts u to have long hair? Should she be short?

Ta k a mura :Of course, the longer the better. She was watching Ranma and
thinking, ``She's really pissed off, Ryoga.''
I thi nk Sa to Hiramatsu-san would be better off with a shorter length.
H i ra ma ts u : I definitely prefer shorter lengths.
Sa to: Speaking of Ranma, there are staff members like Nakajima (Atsuko) who
are well-known and active.
Ta k a mura Yes. But (I) didn't have any data on that kind of thing.
Sa to : Oh, that's right.
Ta k a mura : In my rural area, there were extremely few anime broadcasts. I didn't
have a chance to see it.
--I'l l ask you the questions in order. Did you move to Tokyo with the intention of
becoming an animator?
Ta k a mura I agree. By the time I moved to Tokyo, I had already focused on being
an animator. When I was living in the countryside, I actually wanted to become a
manga artist. I drew some manga and posted them, but I couldn't get enough of
them. That's why you became an animator.
--So you moved to Tokyo? It was the Nagoya branch of
Ta k a mura Yoy og i A ni ma ti on A ca demy . There was a time when I wasn't sure
whether to go to a vocational school or get a job in the countryside, and at that
time, there was a system in Yoyogi called Ikuei Sei. The school would cover all
tuition fees, and I was accepted for the first round. So, if you can go for free, go.
That may have been the turning point.
--A f ter entering vocational school, did the amount of information about anime
suddenly increase?
Ta k a mura didn't increase. Because at that point, there was only Ghibli. The
others were covered up.
E v en Sa to watched Ranma.
Ta k a mura : I watched Ranma. It was recorded in ED Beta.
-- Just "Ranma"? Moreover, ED beta?
Ta k a mura Yes. ``Ranma'' is the only one that has a library.
Sa to: Even back then, there were many other people who drew cute pictures, like
Mutsumi Inomata. Haven't you bought any anime magazines?
Ta k a mura : Oh, I didn't buy it at that time.
H i ra ma ts u: Back then, it would be Michitaka Kikuchi. What about that? I did not
recognize the name
Mi chi ta k a Ta k a mura Ki k uchi . However, I once thought that the cover of
``Borgman'' from `Ànimage'' or something else would be nice. I got it from a friend.
He didn't buy it himself. embarrassed.
H i ra ma ts u cheeks.
--H e 's a tough guy.
Ta k a mura : At that time, he thought that anime fans were nerds, so he didn't
want to become one.
Sa to : So, is it Akane-chan? This is
A k a ne Ta k a mura .
Sa to is a little strange (lol).

Ta k a mura : That's funny. He likes beautiful girls and is also a Ghibli fan.
Ima i s hi , too, is a little different for people of my generation. Because that was
the time when I was the most otaku.
--It was around the time of the Tsutomu Miyazaki incident,
Ima i s hi . The people who are called otaku are called kanben.
Ta k a mura : There was something that society was trying to eliminate.
--So , you unfortunately failed the Ghibli exam and came to Gainax?
Ta k a mura Before that, I went to a place called Studio Zain in Kichijoji. At that
time, I called Gaina, but as it happened, I couldn't get through. So, I stayed at Zain
for about 10 months and then quit. So she worked at a construction company for
about a year.
H i ra ma ts u Ah, there's a blank.
Ta k a mura : At that point, I decided to take another Ghibli film. Then, after
receiving Ghibli for the fourth time, I lost it, and then Gaina.
H o H i ra ma ts u . Why Gaina? I liked Gaina
Ta k a mura . I went to see ``Royal'' in theaters twice. It's the only anime I paid to
see twice. The airplane missile in Mr. Anno's original drawing looked extremely
realistic. Then, during the scene where Riikuni is attacked, I decided to watch it
again.
H i ra ma ts u : Did you react to that?
Ima i s hi Ah, I see. So I watched it one more time.
A l l of us (lol).
Mr. Sa to Anno pulled him aside, and Mr. Sadamoto dealt him the final blow.
H i ra ma ts u : I see. That was the first step on the path to becoming Gaina.
Ta k a mura : Now, I'm glad I joined Gaina.
--Wha t was good about Gainax?
Ta k a mura First of all, it was great to be involved in Evangelion. Since I was
involved in the incident, I didn't really understand the reaction from those around
me. When he went back to the countryside and said, `Ì did that piece,'' people said,
``Wow, that was amazing.'' When I told my parents, `Ì did that work,'' they thought I
was doing a good job. It was great to be involved in such a work.
--The first thing that made me think of the name was the scene where the girl
takes a bath in episode 26 of Microman.
Ta k a mura : I don't think it was good for my job. There's no room for me to get
into ``Microman.'' It's a work that Imaishi-san and Saeki-san are making, so I really
felt like I was helping out.
Ima i s hi : That scene was created for Takamura-kun. I don't think he took a bath
in the script. After all, even though it's early in the morning, I'm taking a bath (lol).
H i ra ma ts u : It should have been around 4 or 5 in the morning, but I was taking a
bath (lol).
Ima i s hi That's how much I wanted to see the bath scene drawn by Takamura.
Ta k a mura : That was the only place I could be in charge of. Well, I'm not good at
mechanics. I have a really hard time capturing the three-dimensional image.
Yea h Ima i s hi . You have to like mecha.
H i ra ma ts u (Takamura) is very strict about his work.

Ta k a mura Hmm. That's tough, isn't it?
Sa to is a document enthusiast.
H i ra ma ts u He has an amazing collection of materials and is passionate about
research. I have collected a lot of information on
N i s hi k ori ma i d cos tumes . I wonder what all these things will be used for.
H i ra ma ts uI collect them as a hobby. I guess my hobby is
ni s hi k ori .
――Wa s that during “Mahoro”?
A t the ti me of N i s hi k ori 's ``Mahoro''. I also collect cosplays that aren't maid
costumes.
Ta k a mura Hmm. But if I don't do that, I'm worried. I'm the type of person who
sticks to one picture. That's why I'm so slow anyway. It takes a lot of time to draw
one picture. Especially when it comes to natural phenomena such as explosions,
wind, and waves, you can't really tell. What will happen in the next moment? If you
were a human, you would be able to see how it would turn out if you tried it
yourself by raising your hand. Hmm. I don't know how to draw fire anymore. That's
why I envy people who can draw things like that. I guess he's drawing based on his
feelings. I've been importing Mr. Imaishi's rough sketches onto my computer and
doing various research on them.
--The original picture?
Ta k a mura Yeah. Make the original picture into a movie on your computer. I'm
really a document enthusiast. When I was asked to do the copyright for "Kare
Kano" at a relatively early stage, I wondered what the clothes in that setting would
look like if they were real, and since I didn't have a computer at the time, I worked
hard here and there. I started cutting things out of magazines, researching things
like the condition of the skirts, and collecting materials until I was starting to lose
track of what was going on. It's not just girls' clothes, but guys' shirts, too. It would
be bad to say that you can't draw unless you do that. I don't think it would bother
me if the shape of a shirt was a little different, but since it actually exists, I'm
worried about it unless I look for it. I wish it had been different.
--Tel l us about Mr. Takamura's success.
H i ra ma ts u: You were drawing the copyright when you were working on Karekano.
At that time, I thought he was a person who had his own paintings. That's why I
thought it would be a good idea to do a character design as soon as possible.
Ima i s hi 's episodes don't bring out the best in Takamura.
Ta k a mura : I'm scared to team up with Imaishi-san. real.
N ow , I guess we're both nervous about each other. Even if we do it together, I can
tell that Takamura-kun isn't having fun (lol).
Ta k a mura : The reason I'm scared is because I think I'll cause trouble. Because
it's too different.
Ima i s hi No, but he has helped me a lot since Karekano. However, I'm thinking
that Takamura-kun probably won't enjoy it.
Ta k a mura It's not that it's not fun. Indeed. I feel sad, or rather, I think it's making
me look like a nuisance. There's something like that.
Ima i s hi is helping me.

--- Well then, let's talk about "Mahoro".
Ima i s hi Yes, that's right. It's like, ``This is Gaina.'' She looks like an amazingly
beautiful girl.
H i ra ma ts u : This was very good casting.
Sa to: When the project for ``Mahoromatic'' came to me, Mr. Yamaga gave me two
answers and said yes. One of the winning conditions at that time was to see if
there was someone in the company who could draw cute maids. When Mr. Yamaga
asked me about it, I said, `Ì'm here. There's one person who is willing to die, so I'll
leave it to him.'' That night, he went to see Takamura and asked him if he wanted to
do it, and he said, `Ì'll do it,'' and the project started right away.
--Oh . There are ways to make things strictly like Sato's layout philosophy, and
there are ways to explode the so-called animator-ism like in FLCL, but within the
so-called orthodox way of making TV anime, there is a way to create a drama that
focuses on the characters
. Let's try to make a company-wide shift in that direction. Around that time,
`Àbeno'' was working on the other hand, so we started with the idea that we could
do both on the A side and the B side.
--So Abeno was more animator-oriented.
Sa to That's true in that the director can do whatever he wants for each episode.
That was partly because we placed importance on the concept that Mr. Yamaga and
Mr. Hiramatsu had proposed. The world changes every time, but since the
characters are fixed in a loop, I was wondering how hard I could draw out the
character's play. As for Takamura in Mahoro, he was a great choice at that stage.
Even though this is his first time designing characters, he has probably seen many
different works.
--I feel something really deep.
Soy a ne Sato. There is such a thing as depth of karma. I think it's more than just
the document enthusiast thing I mentioned earlier.
--Ca n I ask you something a little naughty?
Sa to please.
--I don't think there have been many examples of anime depicting girls with
small breasts in such a wonderful way (lol).
Ta k a mura A ctua l l y , it's difficult to draw small breasts in anime.
--Tha t 's right. Until now, when I used to say, `Ì have small breasts,'' everyone
was confused. That's exactly what Akane-chan is.
Ta k a mura : That's right. Like Lina from Slayers. That's quite a joke in the movie,
isn't it?
--Your breasts are small.
E v en Ta k a mura sees it on the screen.
--Tha t 's admirable.
Ta k a mura Yes. Probably, if you don't add volume to that area, the silhouette
won't look beautiful. I think that's why animators draw things that way too.
――In that respect, I thought that ``Mahoromatic'' had a high aesthetic sense
when I watched it.
A t Ta k a mura , Saeki requested that it be made a little smaller.

Mi noru H i ra ma ts u ...do you like big things?
Ta k a mura (deliberately) Huh? I just asked her if she likes big ones. now?
A l l of us (lol).
Ta k a mura (again on purpose) I don't even need to ask you that!
H i ra ma ts u No, well, I know and I'm pretending (bitter smile). He also likes idols.
Ima i s hi : Oh, that's amazing.
The onl y peopl e w ho ca n ta l k to i dol s Sa da moto Hiramatsu are
Takamura-kun and Tsurumaki-san.
Ta k a mura : I'm no good at all. Only Tsurumaki-san and Sato-san can compete
with Sadamoto-san.
--- Mr. Hiramatsu, could you tell us a little more about Mr. Takamura?
H i ra ma ts u Hmm. He's from a completely different field than me. I realized that
while working on Kare Kano. As I said earlier, I knew from that moment that he was
a person who could make a breakthrough through character design. Then, when
``Mahoro'' came along, I was like, ``This is good.''
E v en Ta k a mura feels a great sense of crisis. There are a lot of talented new
players, and I wonder what my position will be like from now on. He feels a lot of
anxiety. Also, it would be nice to have a work like ``Mahoro.'' Well, it's not that
convenient.
Sa to : Well, as a company, we want to move forward with a wide range of
possibilities. For example, when things become all about layoutism and
movementism and go in a high-end direction, there is a kind of pressure from
people who can't keep up. Apart from that, there is a different need for so-called
character-based anime. It's better to have both. I would like to create a product that
is a subtle blend of both.
Ta k a mura Hmm. I agree. Fortunately, there is demand for the character, so I
personally think it would be better to focus on that.
Sa toOf course, characters need drama and movement. That's why even
character-based works can be made into anime. Otherwise, it would just be an
illustration. I don't think you need to be too condescending about that (lol).
--One last word.
Ta k a mura : Is that a word? There are a lot of talented people in Gaina, so I'm
really inspired by them. I think it's a really good environment because she can be
inspired and improve herself. It's a good place. When I see new players getting
better at it, I feel like I have to get better too. Gaina is a great place (lol).
PR OF ILE YOSH IGA KI
YUSUKE
Born on November 17, 1973. Born in Kanagawa. Graduated from Yoyogi Animation Academy. She has blood type A. She has
participated in original illustrations for ``Boyfriend and Girlfriend Circumstances,'' ``FLCL,'' `Àbe no Bridge Mahou☆Shotengai''
and ``Mahoromatic Automatic Maiden.'' Participated in other companies' works such as ``Hellsing'', ``Lost * Universe'', and ``Little
Giant Microman''.
――N ex t is the animator Yoshigaki-san.

H i ra ma ts u : He does things that I don't understand even more than Imaishi. This
(copyright [ Gainax HP top page illustration ]) is also an image that I would never
have come up with on my own. I think it's amazing that he can draw so openly, and I
really like him.
Ima i s hi : He's my same generation. We made the video together, and we also did
the original drawings together. In that sense, I feel like we are classmates the most.
The only true peer left is Yoshigaki. Saeki-kun and Takamura-kun are slightly off. If
you've known him for that long, you know his hobbies well. He understands
everything I want him to do.
H i ra ma ts u : Ah, I see.
Ima i s hi is very helpful. Even when I was drawing the storyboards, I decided from
the beginning, `Òh, this is Yoshigaki.''
――Wha t kind of place is it specifically?
Ima i s hi seems right.... In the 3rd episode of `Àbe no Bridge'', the first scene is
when he is angry and says something like ``muki''. In "FLCL", from the beginning of
episode 5 to the subtitle. I always ask for the first thing I grab.
H i ra ma ts u : The first episode of `Àbeno'' is the last one. I wanted it to be as
confusing as possible, so I gave it to him.
Ima i s hi Ah, then you're absolutely right (lol).
H i ra ma ts u yes. Even when I was doing storyboards, I couldn't really see how it
would turn out. Anyway, I wanted it to be a slapstick action story that would lead
into the second episode, but would feel out of place given the flow of the first
episode.
--The action scene is where the shopping district collapses? The same goes for
the part where
Sa to runs f a s t. It was used twice at the opening.
F rom the moment H i ra ma ts u starts running, all the way to the very end.
--You're good at intense things.
Ima i s hi . Moreover, it gives you quite a bit of extra benefits. Because I have my
own world view of movement. In other words, the drawings are skillful. It goes
without saying, but the drawings they bring to the entrance exams are extremely
skillful. The most skillful thing was the drawing.
H i ra ma ts u Hey. I haven't seen that.
Ima i s hi : Because I have that, I feel very safe.
Sa to: He hasn't spoken at all since just now.
Ima i s hi Yoshigaki really hates it when other people praise him.
Sa to, you're quiet.
E v en i n the f i rs t epi s ode of H i ra ma ts u , even though I was praising him, I

became more and more intimidated by him. Even though I said, ``That's good,'' I
said, `Ì'm embarrassed that I'm the only one left alone.'' I started to feel like it was
my fault that I swung with such aim.
Sa to Did Yoshigaki-chan make it through anime vocational school?
Yos hi g a k i : That's right. This is Yoyogi.
--Wha t made you want to become an animator?
Yos hi g a k i : No, I heard that it makes money.
E v ery one (lol).
Sa to: That's deceiving me (lol).
A f ter g ra dua ti ng f rom Yos hi g a k i High School, I attended a cram school and
tried to go to university. Then, when I was talking to some of my friends who
couldn't keep up with me at cram school, and we were talking about what would
make the most money, they said something like, `Ànimators can make a living for
a month just by drawing one poster.'' I was wondering if that's the kind of business
it is. As soon as I entered Yoyogi, I realized that things were different (lol).
--D i d you like painting?
Yos hi g a k i : That's right. However, it wasn't until I entered Yoyogi that I started
drawing properly.
When I w a s i n H i ra ma ts u junior high and high school, I used to do things like
doodling and flipbooks. The environment was not conducive to
Yos hi g a k i . It's a technical high school. It's a school full of scary older brothers.
I had no idea how to draw. Did you like
H i ra ma ts u a ni me?
Yos hi g a k i : That's right. I was kind of looking at it. I looked at it in a normal way.
It wasn't like I had to watch it every week or something. It's like you're doing it
when you put it on.
H i ra ma ts u It wasn't the "frame-by-frame" type I was talking about earlier.
A f ter j oi ni ng Yos hi g a k i Gaina, I became like that.
H i ra ma ts u (pointing to Mr. Imaishi) It's this person's fault.
Yos hi g a k i Yes.
E v en Ima i s hi was the one who was the best at drawing when he joined. “Aim
for the top! '' or ``Nadia.'' I've been watching all these things for 10 years, and I
finally got here. I thought, ``Damn,'' and lent him various videos (lol).
Sa to: `Ì'll ruin it!'' (laughs)
H i ra ma ts u: I see.
Sa to: So, Yoshigaki-chan's unique feeling may have come from such a difference
in her upbringing.
--The anime isn't out of sync, is it?
H i ra ma ts u Yeah. Not faded.
――Then , what have you been influenced or inspired by since joining Gaina?
Yos hi g a k i Hmm. In other words, everyone around me was skilled, so rather than
trying to become someone better, I just thought, `Ì have to become good,'' and I
kept doing my best.
H i ra ma ts u Really? I really don't think so. I had the feeling that they were acting
freely.
Yos hi g a k i : No, that's not true.
H i ra ma ts u : Is that not the case?
Yos hi g a k i is doing his best, he's doing his best.
H i ra ma ts u : Well, I guess he's trying his best (bitter smile).
Yos hi na ri (You) is sitting right next to Sato. Do you feel a kind of pressure when
you see someone like him who is an anime fanatic, or should I say, someone who
came from an anime country?
Yos hi g a k i : Well, I feel like I shouldn't be able to talk to her unless I'm more
tactful (lol).
Ima i s hi : That's true (lol). My seniors won't talk to me unless I do my job properly.
That kind of belief.
Sa to: There are trends in the anime industry. Was it after you started working at
the company that you saw something like that and thought, Wow, this is great?
Haven't you seen Otomo-san's manga?
Yos hi g a k i : That's right. I didn't watch Katsuhiro Otomo's manga because his face
was scary. Mr. Imaishi was talking about `ÀKIRA'' and I thought I'd buy it, so I
bought it at a used bookstore and collected it.
Sa to : Until then, when you were studying drawing, had you not looked at manga
drawings at all?
Yos hi g a k i : That's right. I did a lot of sketching though. I like
Ima i s hi s k etches . Sketch something ordinary.
H i ra ma ts u 's doodles don't even draw particularly cute girls, but rather
mysterious drawings.
Yos hi g a k i : I can't draw cute girls.
A l l of us (lol).
If I ca n dra w Yos hi g a k i , I will. Properly.
Ima i s hi is sleeping (lol).
H i ra ma ts u: You don't have to be so angry (sweat).
I w a s tol d tha t a v i deo f rom the Sa to Imaishi collection would be sent
around saying, ``Look at this!'' Among them, I thought this was interesting, but was
it influenced by the movement?
H i ra ma ts u : He draws movements that you don't know where they're coming
from.
Yos hi g a k i Is that so? (Laughs)
Ima i s hi When I look at someone my age, I can usually tell who likes who and
who, but when it comes to Yoshigaki's movements, I can't really tell.
Sa to McKee (Kazuya Tsurumaki) was highly praised before. They say he has the
most personality.
Ima i s hi : I'm jealous of things like that. For me, everything is just sampling, but I
feel like Yoshigaki has something that comes out even without that.
I w onder w hy Yos hi g a k i is getting so many compliments today...
A l l of us (lol).
H i ra ma ts u Mackie really praised the way he changed his clothes in FLCL. I like
it too though. The X-ray thing in episode 2.
Ima i s hi Ah, Haruko's change of clothes.

She couldn't see Yoshigaki.
Ima i s hi Oh, the scene where she changes clothes was completely overcast. It
became invisible due to screen processing.
H i ra ma ts u : Well, as the person who drew it, I have that kind of dissatisfaction.
B eca us e now it's like I can't see the stones or I can't.
H i ra ma ts u : The density of the original drawings is high, so you can really feel
that.
Ima i s hi 's facial expressions are great, Yoshigaki's original drawings have
interesting facial expressions.
H i ra ma ts u : Are you not interested in cute girls? There is
Yos hi g a k i . Is there
H i ra ma ts u ? (Laughs) There's nothing better than being able to draw
Yos hi g a k i .
H i ra ma ts u Passion is not suitable for that?
Yos hi g a k i No. A good facial expression doesn't make you cute.
Sa toD oes that mean you can't get close to what you have in mind?
Yos hi g a k i : That's right. I don't have a clear image in mind, but when I saw the
finished product, I thought, `Ìt's disgusting'' (lol).
Ima i s hi : I think it just means that if you were asked to draw a character as cute
as the characters in an existing work, you wouldn't be able to draw them.
H i ra ma ts u A question of hobby. If you draw with
Yos hi g a k i Ima i s hi 's s ty l e, y ou ca n dra w a cute g i rl . Even
Yos hi g a k i i s n't a bus i nes s w here i t i s neces s a ry to dra w cutel y
a ccordi ng to the cha ra cter cha rt.
Ima i s hi No, that's right. That doesn't mean I can't draw cute girls. In episode 39
of Microman, she created her own character chart and drew it (the two girls who are
classmates who appear with Asami at the beginning). If you draw in a relatively free
environment like that, you'll be able to draw normally cute children. I think I'd be in
trouble if someone told me to draw an overly cute girl. Is
Sa to Sug o s omethi ng l i k e a g a me cha ra cter?
Ima i s hi That's right. Something like a game character.
H i ra ma ts u's own version of cuteness. There is something called "this".
Ima i s hi : It's really nice when you just say something like that.
H i ra ma ts u : Is that the challenge for the future? (lol)
Yos hi g a k i : I think that's it.
H i ra ma ts u (looking at the copyright illustration from earlier): But I also like this
kind of thing.
Ima i s hi . This kind of thing is clever.
--D i d you feel stupid?
H i ra ma ts u : Well, I don't know what to say, I would say the situation is more
interesting than the characters. Although I may not be very interested in so-called
copyrighted single-panel paintings.
Yos hi g a k i : That's not the case (lol).
If y ou w ere H i ra ma ts u , you should try something like that (lol).
When I a s k Sa to for copyright-related works, I find that he is always thinking

about how to draw situations, movements, poses, etc. in a way that makes them
look interesting. He doesn't do exactly what I say, but always adds something along
the lines of, `Ì think it's more interesting this way.''
Ima i s hi always has a plus alpha.
Sa to: That's right. I mean, it's got some ideas. There are always times when I
think, `Òh, I see.'' When I asked them to do it in a horizontal layout, they did things
like create an interesting character balance in a horizontal layout. I think that kind
of thing was especially interesting in FLCL.
H i ra ma ts u : In his case, he doesn't just manipulate things, but rather gives them
ideas.
Sa to: Rather than trying new things, I think it's more fun to be able to draw and
add to your own ideas. Is there such a thing?
Yos hi g a k i , or should I say that, it's really annoying when people say things like
that and have expectations for me (lol). I want to be able to have a reasonable
amount of freedom within a reasonable amount of constraints
.
Yos hi g a k i : As long as the work goes on normally, things will be fine.
Ima i s hi would get angry if someone came to me and told me to draw the
character according to the chart.
A l l of us (lol).
PR OF ILE
SAEKI SHOUJI
Born December 17, 1971. Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. He is a graduate of Teikyo University.
His blood type is AB. While a student, he worked on the independent anime ``Maki-chan
Courier''. He worked as an animator and later became a director. Her full-fledged directorial
debut was with ``Boyfriend and Girlfriend Circumstances''. Since then, he has participated in
storyboarding and direction for ``Mahoromatic Automatic Maiden,'' ``FLCL,'' and
``Puchipuri*Yushi.'' His works other than Gainax include ``Little Giant Microman'' and
``Panyopanyode the Charat.''
--Thi s time it's a special feature on young animators, but the last one isn't about
animators.
Sa to: Hey, animator...did you quit? I'm working on
Sa ek i D os a k u Sa ma g i re.
Sa to : Oh, you're doing it in a sloppy manner.
I don't do Sa i k i to 's work, but instead do it when I'm directing.
Sa to: He has been participating as an assistant director since the second series
of ``Mahoromatic'' (``More Beautiful Thing''). Well, I guess you're like Kodai-kun.
A re y ou a cti ng Ca pta i n Ima i s hi ?
Sa to: That's right. Even though he is acting as a substitute, he fires wave-motion
cannons without permission, and warps without permission.He has a lot of energy
(lol).
--Mr. Imaishi, please introduce us.

Ima i s hi Ma y I introduce you? When I think of Saeki-kun, I think of him as
``Maki-chan, the Courier.''
--A h , it's a masterpiece of independent production. This is a masterpiece
created by
Ima i s hi hi ms el f . I thought the person who made this was amazing. He had also
done independent production, but his was completely different. He brought in
aspiring voice actors on his own, even managed his finances, and what's more, he's
in the black. He sold it at Comiket and even made his own mook book (lol). Will you
go that far?
Sa to alone is in a weak state.
Ima i s hi yes. One person is in a poor state. Apparently he drew the original picture
by himself. The man who did that is amazing. He even does market development on
his own. That's scary.
H i ra ma ts u : That's amazing.
Sa ek i : It's not just that maniacs are doing it (lol). We're doing the same thing
now.
H i ra ma ts u : ``Maki-chan''. I can't tell you how many times the video went around
in the studio.
Ima i s hi Ah, it was when the tape came to Gaina.
H i ra ma ts u: That's right. When I was playing it back in the studio, someone who
had watched it from halfway through would ask, ``What's going on now?'' Then I'd
turn it back on, watch it from the beginning, and say, `Àha!'' as they watched it.
Another person watched it from the middle, then watched it from the beginning, and
so on.
Sa ek i : It's not that big of a deal (bitter smile).
- D i d he want to become a director while he was in school?
Sa ek i Hmm. Well, you were interested in the story. Regarding ``Maki-chan'', it
looked like a normal TV anime, and after it was completed, I thought, ``That's it.'' I
thought it would be a little more amateurish, or maybe I could do it as I wanted.
When I saw Mr. Imaishi making it, I was shocked that something like this actually
existed.
Ima i s hi I wanted to make something like ``Maki-chan the Courier'', a TV anime. I
couldn't do that, so I just turned to paper and photography.
Sa ek i No, but.
Ima i s hi is the opposite.
Sa ek i Goi ng back to what I said earlier. When I gather information from seniors
who have joined the industry, I have heard that although it is not uncommon for
someone to suddenly join as a director, it is often the case that the first step is to
work on the production process, and then the animator becomes the director. I was
also interested in drawing, and I thought that someone who could draw would
probably be stronger, so I decided to try my hand at becoming an animator. With
that in mind, I took Xebec once before taking Gainax. At that time, I was told that I
wasn't an animator because I didn't have a desk, but I could be an actor. But I really
wanted to start with painting.
D i d the pers on w ho drew H i ra ma ts u paintings also have sex appeal?

Sa ek i : Ah, there it is. I tend to be half-hearted, but there were quite a few times
when I wanted to do this and that. I thought that if the pictures weren't good
enough, a scenario or a background would be fine.
--Wha t will your first appearance be?
Sa ek i 's production itself is episode 8 of "Karekano". Even in episode 8, I was
given technical advice from (Ken) Ando.
H i ra ma ts u: You drew the storyboard for part A in episode 1.
Sa to: Was that a nomination from Mr. Anno? Or did you volunteer to do it
yourself, like "Let me do it!"?
Sa ek i : When I joined the company, I said at the interview stage that I wanted to
work as a director.
Sa to : Oh, that's right.
Sa ek i The first episode of ``Kare Kano'' was written together with Mr. Imaishi.
E v en Ima i s hi was like, `Ìf you want to do something, run for office.''
Sa ek i Yeah. It seems like if you want to do something, you can do it. So, please
let me do it. Mr. Tsurumaki told me that if you always say, `Ì want to do what I
want to do,'' that kind of path will open up more easily.
--If you ask me, Tsurumaki-san is great. He takes care of a lot of young people.
Ima i s hi : Everyone is indebted to Tsurumaki-san.
Wa s tha t H i ra ma ts u Conte’s debut?
Conte Saeki worked with Mr. Tsurumaki in the previous `Àkihabara Cyber
Group''.
--When did you start thinking that you could make it as a director?
Sa ek i : I still didn't understand Karekano very well. ``Microman'' was also a mess.
That was something we all made together, so I'm not sure where my strengths were.
I thought for a moment that it would be okay to try a little more with ``Mahoro.'' I'm
not sure yet.
I w onder i f Ima i s hi is ``Mahoro'' after all. Genuine Saeki bushi.
Sa ek i : I don't know (laughs).
―― What did you put a lot of effort into in ``Mahoro''?
Sa ek i For me, I add a little bit of content to the scenario and have them do it. I
want to make it as normal as possible. It's not really aimed at enthusiasts. Even if
the person who normally turns on the TV isn't interested in the show, I think it
would be nice if they could spend that time in front of the TV. Well, even though I
say that, as long as I get paid and have the dohyo prepared, I can't make anything
that doesn't work. I'm making this with the idea that I want to expand the range of
people who can watch it, while still staying within the limits.
Sa toWhen you wanted to become a director when you were a student, what kind
of director did you want to be? I want to create works like Mr. Dezaki (Moto).
Whi l e a ttendi ng Sa ek i University, Junichi Sato looked around the industry and
thought it was great. I thought it was amazing that they were able to capture so
much of things like ``(Pretty Guardian) Sailor Moon.'' It will appeal to everyone from
kindergarteners to adults.
--A h , the heart of the person watching.
Sa ek i : I think that is one of the ideals of anime.

--Then I'm pretty major-oriented.
It's Sa ek i . Rather than trying to stand out, I just hope that people will see it and
find it interesting. To be honest, personally, I don't need people to buy videos or
anything...no (lol).
Ima i s hi : If the result is really interesting, people will buy it.
Sa ek i : That's better than just bringing something to sell.
H i ra ma ts u That's exactly right.
A l l of us (lol).
--A h , Tencho-san said something.
Sa to : No, not really (laughs).
H i ra ma ts u Is your directing style the type where you want to accurately trace
the feelings of the characters?
Sa ek i Hmm. However, I'm not very good at calculating things. I don't think it's the
same as
H i ra ma ts u ca l cul a ti on. But that's what you should be most careful about.
Sa ek i : There are times when I'll just do something that comes to my mind, and
once I get to a certain point, something like a line (direction-wise) will connect.
When you accomplish that, you think, `Ì did it.''
H i ra ma ts u For example?
Sa ek i No, I can't remember specifically (lol). I'm still not sure about my work. If it
doesn't work, I think I'll quit and move on to a different job. But I can't stop because
I feel like if I keep doing it, I might be able to do something a little better. The
scene that Yoshigaki did in episode 39 of
Ima i s hi 's ``Mi croma n'' ( the a bov e-menti oned s cene of A s a mi a nd her
cl a s s ma te g oi ng to s chool ) . That's adding something that isn't in the scenario.
I guess there's something very Saeki-like about that. It includes depictions of
children's daily lives and other ordinary scenes, and it also includes battle scenes.
That kind of balance is right.
Sa ek i I think it's probably because I'm greedy.
H i ra ma ts u : Well, you can do it because you can be greedy.
--Wha t kind of work do you want to do in the future?
Sa ek i : It was the same when I was working on ``The Courier Maki-chan,'' but to
be honest, there wasn't anything solid. I'm aware of that. That may be why I entered
the anime industry.
--Wha t do you mean?
Sa ek i : If he had his own idea of ``this,'' I think he would have drawn a manga or
something. Well, I guess there are some people who don't think so.
H i ra ma ts u : Are you not going to the live-action movie?
Sa ek i Ah, I didn't go.
H i ra ma ts u : In that sense, I really like painting.
Sa ek i Hmm. I guess it comes from the fact that I'm an otaku at heart. Mr. Imaishi
was the first person in the industry to be able to understand the story of Machine
Robo (The Great Revenge of Cronos).
D o y ou mea n H i ra ma ts u generation?
--N o , even among my generation, only a minority of people talk about Machine
Robo.
Yea h Ima i s hi . Even within the same generation, there are people who can talk
about it and people who can't.
Sa ek i : So I thought we could understand.
Ima i s hi I hope you have the Keibunsha Encyclopedia.
Sa ek i : That's right.
Thi s i s the first time I've seen anyone other than myself who owns an
encyclopedia of Machine Robo.
Sa ek i Imaishi-san is a little different. There's something about him that I don't
know.
Ima i s hi no no.
--I found out something today. There are some normal people in Gainax as well.
Is tha t Ima i s hi ?
Sa to Ordinary person? Yoshigaki-kun or Shibata-kun? There are people like
Nishikori
Ima i s hi w ho a re thi nk i ng a bout i t properl y . It's not just people who are
stupid (lol).
--N o , no one said that (lol).
Sa to: He wasn't just doing it out of instinct. He doesn't just do things based on
instinct; there are people out there who have a lot of logic in them.
--Tha t 's right.
H ey Sa ek i . Was Nishikori doing it right?
Ima i s hi Nishikori was showing off his intelligence.
H ey Sa ek i . He's an intellectual, man.
H i ra ma ts u : Yes, it was a proper interview.
Ima i s hi I already had something ready to say. It's like, "What is anime?" (laughs).
Sa to Well, that's about it for today.
●Go to “Let’s talk about anime drawing” main page
(03.02.15)
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9/17/23, 1:48 PM WEB anime style_Let's talk about anime drawing

Anime style special report

The Special Event

REVIEW TAKAMURA KAZUHIRO

Let's watch more anime

Gainax Animators (2)

Is i t better f or A k a ne H i ra ma ts u to have long hair? Should she be short?

Sa to is a little strange (lol).

H i ra ma ts u (Takamura) is very strict about his work.

Ima i s hi is helping me.

A t Ta k a mura , Saeki requested that it be made a little smaller.

PR OF ILE YOSH IGA KI

――N ex t is the animator Yoshigaki-san.

E v en i n the f i rs t epi s ode of H i ra ma ts u , even though I was praising him, I

Ima i s hi Ah, Haruko's change of clothes.

When I a s k Sa to for copyright-related works, I find that he is always thinking

--Mr. Imaishi, please introduce us.

D i d the pers on w ho drew H i ra ma ts u paintings also have sex appeal?

Sa ek i : I think that is one of the ideals of anime.

●Go to “Let’s talk about anime drawing” main page

←BAC K ↑PAG E TOP

Editing and writing: Studio You Cooperation: StyleCopyright

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