Anime Dream Specials - Animazement Interviews & Con Report

Interviews With: Yasuo Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki Kitakubo, Yoshinobu Yamakawa, Akira Kamiya, Kazuto Nakazawa, Koichi Tsunoda, Hiroaki Sakurai, Asami Sanada, and Kyoko Hikami.
Location: Animazement 2003
Date: May 23rd - 25th, 2002
Interviews By: Tsukasa

At Animazement 2003, I had the opportunity to speak to a number of fascinating guests who had come all the way to the con from Japan. I had prepared a great number of questions to ask, but ultimately due to time constraints, I was only able to ask a few at each press session in which several of the guests would get to sit down and respond to the questions posed by the few of us who showed up, with the aid of several translators.

On Friday, I sat down at the table with Yasuo Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki Kitakubo, Yoshinobu Yamakawa, and Kazuto Nakazawa. Mr. Yamaguchi has directed a number of productions, such as Ge Ge Ge No Kitarou, Getta Robo, and Devilman, but he is best known as having been the chief planner of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. Mr. Kitakubo is best known for having directed Roujin Z, Blood:The Last Vampire, and Golden Boy. Mr. Yamakawa has taken on a variety of jobs, particularly director and character designer in a number of series, and his work was featured in Di Gi Charat and Slayers Gorgeous, amongst others. Mr. Nakazawa is an animator, and best known for his work as the character designer for El-Hazard:The Magnificent World. During this first press session, I was only able to ask a couple of questions, as the time quickly flew during that hour, but I tried my best to make them interesting ones. I opened with a question to Yasuo Yamaguchi.

For reference, all questions asked by Anime Dream will be identified with AD, while interviewees' responses will be identified with their family names.

AD:	How does it feel to have helped bring one of the defining shows of the Magical Girl genre to life?
Yamaguchi:	I was not the first line producer in the project, but I took on more of a managerial role. It all began when I was talking with some people at Kodansha, after having produced the successful Candy Candy. They were talking about putting together a new series, but we were all half drunk at the time, and most series ideas tend to fizzle out when discussed under such circumstances. Ultimately, while we were searching for a new talent, we came across someone (Naoko Takeuchi), and thought she had real talent, so we decided to give her a shot, since her manga was becoming popular. I took a more hands off style in overseeing the project, ultimately, and I feel as if in the end, I only really helped propel the series from the beginning until it took off on its own inertia.
After the other members of the press in attendance asked their first questions, it became clear that time was growing short, and so I decided to ask a question aimed at all of the guests at that press session.
AD:	What do you think of the censorship and plot changes anime often undergoes in order to be broadcast on American television?
Kitakubo:	I think it's stupid. No, frankly, I feel that it is the Americans' accepted norm that animation is a children's and family medium. I feel that this is a preconception that needs to be broken down for the medium to be fully accepted. Ralph Bakshi was amongst those who started this, I hope to be a part of that too. One of my movies, Blood, isn't something you'll see on US primetime TV, but I wanted to make something for someone who wanted to see that sort of film, not create something for everyone to be able to watch without any objections to what the film contains.
Yamakawa:	I think it's really unavoidable, because of the overall cultural differences. It makes sense that it'd have to be edited, although it is unfortunate that such changes are really necessary.
Nakazawa:	I'm split on this. I can see the merits of both sides. The presence of rules invigorates my creative process to some degree, giving me the opportunity to try to find ways to circumvent censorship, but on the other hand, I really just don't like it.
Yamaguchi:	I think the custom tailoring of anime series and works for cultural reasons is unavoidable, but all alterations should have to be approved by the original creator, I think. It's difficult at times to keep track of all the changes a series goes through. For example, a series' score is soemtimes hcanged when brought out in other countries, but it legally conflicts with the original version's copyright. There needs to be a formal system of keeping track of all the changes a work goes through when released in other countries, and the creator should have direct say in what alterations he or she allows to be made in their work when viewed by foreign audiences.
Mr. Kitakubo then spoke up one last time to drive home his opinion on the censorship issue, "My motto is that the end user has the ultimate right to turn on or off the TV, to buy and tear up a ticket, and to break a DVD of theirs if they find it unsatisfactory. If people don't want to see something, they don't have to, so censorship shouldn't have to be necessary." With that, the first day's press session reached its conclusion. On Saturday at noon, I sat down with the second press session's attendees, which included Koichi Tsunoda, Hiroaki Sakurai, Asami Sanada, and Kyoko Hikami. Mr. Tsunoda has worked as Drawing Director for series such as Devilman, Mazinger Z, and Uchuu Senkan Yamato, as well as the Mazinger Z meets Devilman OVA. Mr. Sakurai has been working in anime since 1984, his works inlude Hime-chan no Ribbon, Akazukin ChaCha, Kodomo No Omocha, Sugoi Yo! Masaru-san, Akihabara Cyber Team:Summer Vacation 2011, Di Gi Charat, Da! Da! Da!, and Parappa the Rapper. Ms. Sanada is fairly new to the anime industry, and best known for being the voice of Dejiko in Di Gi Charat. Ms. Hikami has been in the anime industry for over a decade now, and she has been the voices of Rabi En Rose in Di Gi Charat, Momoko in Ai Tenshi Wedding Peach, CBD Sara in Hand Maid May, Deborah in Trouble Chocolate, Lisa Hotfist in Final Fantasy Unlimited, and Ema in Geneshaft, amongst many others. During this hour, I was able to get in a few more questions than I had on friday. I opened with a very general question for all four of them to get the session going.
AD:	Do you have any particular favorite series that you worked on?
Sakurai:	I had fun working on all my shows. When working on even serious shows, I try to have fun, so I enjoy all my shows.
Tsunoda:	I had fun working on all my shows, but my favorites were Around the World in 80 Days and Puss in boots.
Sanada:	I feel the same way, I really enjoy doing the voices for all my characters, so I can't choose a favorite.
Hikami:	I feel the same way, as far as performing goes, I enjoy all my roles, but my most memorable was my debut in Ai Tenshi Wedding Peach, as I worked long and hard on that role.
Continuing on, when my next turn to ask a question came up, I decided to pose another question to all the guests in attendance.
AD:	What do you think of the censorship and plot changes anime often undergoes in order to be broadcast on American television?
Sakurai:	I understand that each country has different censorship codes, so it's understandable. I don't keep that in mind as I work. I direct what I direct. If I come across something I consider too controversial and consider deleting, I talk it over with my staff.
Tsunoda:	When I make animations, I don't think about it airing outside of Japan. I make my shows for Japanese audiences, with no edits.
Sanada & Hikami:	Voice actors really have no say in what happens when a show gets exported, as they're just going to dub it anyway, but if we're given a script with anything in it that we feel is too harsh, we'll say something about it.
By my next turn to ask a question, time was already becoming painfully short, so I went ahead and directed my last question for that session to Mr. Sakurai and Mr. Tsunoda.
AD:	How has the introduction of CG animation changed the industry as opposed to cel animation?
Sakurai:	I just go with the flow. Whenever something changes, I just accept it. While digital animation has gone on the rise, and it's generally much easier to work with, it can't do some things you could with cels. But cel painting has become much easier now as well. When you get down to it though, it's all in who uses the technology.
Tsunoda:	I feel the same way. Digital animation has improved over cel animation, since when working with cels, there is a four layer limit, and if you added any more, the colors became murky. With CG animation, there is a much better color range, in addition to the loss of the layer limit issue from cels. I'm sad that machines are taking over what we used to do by hand though. Humans did make machines though, we are the worst creatures in the world, after all.
With words of thanks exchanged, the Saturday's first press session came to a close. Shortly afterwards, the third and final press session began, with Akira Kamiya taking questions on his own. Mr. Kamiya is easily one of the most recognized seiyuu in the industry, well known for playing the roles of Roy Focker in SDF Macross, Shutaro Mendou in Urusei Yatsura, Ryo Saeba in City Hunter, Kenshiro in Fist of the North Star, and Ashram in the Record of Lodoss War OVA series, amongst others. In Mr. Kamiya's interview, I was able to ask all the questions I had prepared.
AD:	Do you have any particular favorite project that you worked on?
Kamiya:	That's a tough question, and a very general one. Could you narrow it down?
AD:	Sure, what was your favorite anime project, and what was your favorite game project that you worked on?
Kamiya:	My favorite anime project is Boy Detective Conan, and my favorite game project is Super Robot Wars.
AD:	Were you turned off by the resultant voice samples for Dieharte in Langrisser 3, or the final sound quality in any of the games you voiced? Were you dissatisfied with any game project's final result?
Kamiya:	Well, I vaguely remember it, was I in that game? Was I on the record for being in that game?
AD:	To my understanding, you played a character named Dieharte in it, and some fans weren't particularly pleased with the sound quality of the final product. If I remember correctly, it was on the Sega Saturn, back when voice acting was first really being introduced to video games.
Kamiya:	Since I don't play video games, I don't know how games I'm in turn out. I am happy when I get good feedback, and unhappy when I get negative feedback. Fans usually don't complain to me about the sound quality in games though, so I t hink they're usually happy with the sound quality.
AD:	Would you act the part of Ryo Saeba again, if given the chance?
Kamiya:	Of course. I have a feeling that I will again in not such a distant future. That's particularly because Angel Heart is a current manga that's popular, and if it's animated, I should get to play the role of Ryo Saeba again.
AD:	Did you experience any difficulties in resuming the role of Roy Focker in Macross Zero?
Kamiya:	Actually, I didn't have much difficulty in going back to playing Roy Focker. Back when I was playing him in the original Macross, my low register voice was still being developed, so it's easier now, and I've been having fun, although he hasn't appeared much in Macross Zero so far.
AD:	How would you describe the differences between working on anime and game voicing?
Kamiya:	Well, work is work, I base my work on the character, not whether it's just anime or games.
AD:	Is there a particular reason you chose not to play the part of Ashram in the Record of Lodoss War TV series after having played him in the OVA series and Legend of Crystania?
Kamiya:	Well, I don't know the real reason why I didn't get the casting call. I did leave the production agency I belonged to before the TV series began production, and since the production agency has something to do with the shows' casting, my departure may have had something to do with that.
AD:	Would you ever play Shutaro Mendou or Kenshiro again, if the opportunity came up?
Kamiya:	I'd love to do both, but since Urusei Yatsura is a finished story, the likelihood of a new story is very little. If the new Fist of the North Star story, Fist of the Blue Sky, is made into anime, I would very much like to play Kenshiro again.
At that point, all the press in attendance were done asking their questions, and Kamiya just happened to mention a few other things off hand, starting with talking on his work for Pachinko and Slot machine parlors.
Kamiya:	In Japan, many Pachinko and Slot machines have licensed characters on them, and so I've done the voice of Kenshiro for these machines, and soon new machines will be released that I did the voice of Ryo Saeba for.
He then mentioned his latest project, which is still largely unannounced at this point.
Kamiya:	There's going to be a 13 episode Rumiko Takahashi Theater show coming out this year, and I have a role in it. There will be some other voices from Detective Conan in it, and I'm very much looking foward to hearing them. I'll be starting recording as soon as I get back to Japan.
The last press session with the guests from Japan was thus concluded. Anime Dream and myself would like to extend our deepest thanks to Mr. Yamaguchi, Mr. Kitakubo, Mr. Yamakawa, Mr. Nakazawa, Mr. Tsunoda, Mr. Sakurai, Ms. Sanada, Ms. Hikami, and Mr. Kamiya for taking the time out to talk to us and answer our questions. Although I didn't get their names written down, we thank all three of the translators who played such a key part in conducting these interviews. Thank you to the Animazement 2003 staff, especially the Press and Guest relations staff, for organizing the press sessions and making all of this possible.

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