{"id":21726,"date":"2016-08-09T23:03:17","date_gmt":"2016-08-10T06:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=21726"},"modified":"2018-11-01T12:37:27","modified_gmt":"2018-11-01T19:37:27","slug":"116a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/116a\/","title":{"rendered":"Yamato <em>2202<\/em> Director Interview, May 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-880 alt=\"1608icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-content\/uploads\/1608icon.JPG\" width=\"216\" height=\"90\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"cosmo-teaser\">From <em>Ship&#8217;s Log<\/em> #14: Nobuyoshi Habara&#8217;s first interview in his capacity as the supervising director of <em>Yamato 2202<\/em>, in which he discusses his work on <em>Resurrection<\/em> and <em>2199<\/em>, his time as a fan watching <em>Yamato<\/em> on TV, and his intentions for the new series.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><!--noteaser--><\/p>\n<p><em>From Yamato Crew Premium Fan Club magazine<\/em> Ship\u2019s Log <em>#14, June 27, 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><em>\u201dI absolutely won\u2019t let <\/em>Space Battleship Yamato 2202<em> suffer, so please watch it to the end.\u201d<\/em> &#8211; Nobuyoshi Habara<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"image-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a02.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Profile<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">Born on June 21, 1963. An animator from Hiroshima Prefecture, a director at Xebec studio. After graduation from Hiroshima Prefectural Daimon High School, he joined Reed production and made his animation debut on <a href='http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=1450'><em>Magical Princess Minky Momo<\/em><\/a> (1982). He did mecha design for <em>Mad Machine<\/em> (1982, unaired) and was responsible for mecha animation on <a href='http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=2114'><em>Special Powered Armor Troop Dorvack<\/em><\/a> (1983). After that, he took charge of art direction for <a href='http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=570'><em>Super Beast Machine God Dancougar<\/em><\/a> (1985) and character design for <a href='http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=2037'><em>Revenge of Machine Robo Chronos<\/em><\/a> (1986).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">He took on his first directing challenge on the 1988 OVA <a href='http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=6844'><em>Leina: Wolf Sword Legend<\/em><\/a>. He drew storyboards for the live-action movie <a href='http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1748278\/'><em>Saya Zamurai<\/em><\/a> (2011) He directed <a href='http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=2288'><em>DNAngel<\/em><\/a>, <a href='http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=3870'><em>Fafner<\/em><\/a>, <a href='http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/anime.php?id=863'><em>Steam Detectives<\/em><\/a>, and was an animation director on the <em>Yamato Resurrection<\/em> Director\u2019s Cut (2012). He directed episodes 9 and 19 of <em>Space Battleship Yamato 2199<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\">See a much longer list of his credits at Anime News Network <a href='http:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/people.php?id=5802'>here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a01.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> First of all, congratulations on your appointment as director of <em>Space Battleship Yamato 2202, Soldiers of Love<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Thank you very much. I\u2019m giving it my all, so please look forward to it.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> You recently participated in an informal meeting at Yakitori Yamato restaurant. Was it difficult after the announcement of <em>Yamato 2202<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> No, no, I was happy to talk there. I originally started out as an anime fan and a <em>Yamato<\/em> fan. It was fun to drink and talk with everyone. A lot of people who like <em>Yamato<\/em> gathered together, and it was wonderful to get all fired up. I was also happy to go back to spending time as just a <em>Yamato<\/em> fan. I\u2019ve gone drinking with a lot of <em>Yamato<\/em> fans in the anime industry, and we all talk <em>Yamato<\/em> until morning. (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Then I\u2019ll be happy if I can ask you to tell stories as a <em>Yamato<\/em> fan today. Since you participated in <em>Yamato Resurrection<\/em>, you\u2019ve been involved with <em>Yamato<\/em> for a considerable period.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Since <em>Resurrection<\/em> came out in 2009 and I participated in the production, it\u2019s been almost eight years. Well\u2026it sure passes quickly. (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> You participated in \u201cmechanic direction\u201d for <em>Resurrection<\/em>, didn\u2019t you?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Yes, I did a considerable portion of the storyboards for mecha scenes. I made changes to the storyboards at an early stage at the direction of Yoshinobu Nishizaki, and drew and redrew. Some of what I drew was finally adopted for the opening scene. Director Nishizaki also asked me to draw for many of the non-mecha scenes. I think Director Nishizaki had various scenes ordered based on his ability to see through the creator\u2019s area of expertise.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-right\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a05.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> What are some of your memories from the production of <em>Yamato Resurrection<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Memories\u2026there are a lot of them. At first, I was surprised by what a different world it was from the rest of the anime industry. The production methods were different from what I was used to, so I was surprised. \u201cSo this is how you do it\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Up until then, I thought making animation was very rational. First you write the script and everyone agrees on it, then you draw storyboards and then the work shifts to animation. Everyone agrees that that\u2019s the usual way the work progresses. But <em>Yamato<\/em> was different in that respect. I thought, \u201cI\u2019m advancing to here, but it\u2019s been overturned! It stopped!\u201d (Laughs) Such changes happen because, of course, you try to make it better. <\/p>\n<p>Anyway, I was surprised at first. Director Nishizaki had very strong feelings about <em>Yamato<\/em>. Even when production was well underway, sudden changes were decided upon in order to get closer to his feelings and ideals. In fact, even on the past works I heard stories about how policies were changed at the last minute to pursue higher quality, and to incorporate those feelings into the form of the work\u2026it was very difficult, but also very rewarding. <\/p>\n<p>I also had some great clashes with Director Nishizaki. Since a lot of the staff on <em>Yamato Resurrection<\/em> had been involved on previous <em>Yamato<\/em> works, I was the a member of the youngest generation. Thirty years had passed since I entered the anime industry, but I was still in the junior class. Makoto Kobayashi was a little older, and had already participated in <em>Yamato 2520<\/em>, and had been engaged in the <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/524'>preliminary stage<\/a> of <em>Resurrection<\/em> in 1992.<\/p>\n<p>But in my case it was my first time working on <em>Yamato<\/em>, and my over-excitement marked me as a newbie. However, I got along well despite the arguing. It\u2019s a really good memory.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Word of the Director\u2019s Cut emerged just after <em>Resurrection<\/em> was released to the public\u2026<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right. I went to work on something else after <em>Resurrection<\/em>, and I wasn\u2019t involved with the Director\u2019s Cut at first. However, production of the Director\u2019s Cut suddenly stopped when Director Nishizaki died of an unexpected accident, and its status was up in the air. After a while, Xebec took over the production, so I participated in it once again. It was right around the time of the 3\/11 earthquake.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> You participated in the Director\u2019s Cut as an \u201canimation director.\u201d What was the actual nature of the work?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> First, I took instructions from Makoto Kobayashi as the acting director. We looked at scenes that were cut from the <em>Resurrection<\/em> theatrical version and brought back scenes we felt were \u201cabsolutely necessary.\u201d Like the scene where Dr. Yoshiharu Sasaki treats Satoru Kamijo, and the scene in the captain\u2019s room just before returning to Earth from Amal. Furthermore, I renewed some shots that had been taken out at the storyboard stage and were not animated, like the new one where Jun Kobayashi receives a Black Tiger uniform. I drew a lot of other small scenes in addition to that.<\/p>\n<p>(Read all about the making of the Director\u2019s Cut <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/685'>here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The tempo of some scenes also changed quite a bit.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Yes, Director Nishizaki liked the film very much and it was very important to him. Since he loved every nook and cranny of the completed film, cutting any of it was regrettable, but it couldn\u2019t be helped. Even with the theatrical version, he\u2019d be hesitant when we\u2019d say, \u201cWe should cut this here\u201d, and it seemed like he couldn\u2019t boldly make the cuts. So there were places where we had to cut it a certain way in order to increase the tempo. \u201cI\u2019m sure Director Nishizaki would have wanted it to have this kind of tempo\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a03.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p>While I worked on it, I thought about how he would have made it if he were there. We watched <em>Yamato<\/em> from the old days to get a better understanding in order to liven up a scene, and I carefully revised parts that I felt were necessary to raise the tempo. However, if we raised it too much, the taste would be too modern, so it was hard work to change the tempo and still preserve the atmosphere of the \u201ctheatrical version.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Previously, the editorial staff of <em>Ship\u2019s Log<\/em> magazine produced a book that compared the theatrical edition with the Director\u2019s Cut (the <em>Difference Book<\/em> that was a bonus item with the blu-ray), and I didn\u2019t think it had changed very much. I was surprised by the attention to detail that you wouldn\u2019t even notice unless you played both of them side by side.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s easy to see in the battle scene before the \u201cflyby warp\u201d where Kodai gives orders and says <em>\u201cYamato<\/em> will take the central enemy.\u201d Just before that we have a line from Omura. That part had a pretty bold change, and I\u2019ll be grateful if you compare them.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> With regards to the Director\u2019s Cut, were there any specific production instructions left behind?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Very little. But Mokoto Kobayashi had talked deeply with Director Nishizaki before he died, and pushed the production forward with that as a reference. The scene of Earth sinking at the end is one such typical scene. When we worked on that, I had the feeling that Director Nishizaki would have said, \u201cThat\u2019s right, this is it!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The sound effects were also completely changed, right?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> The theatrical version had \u201creal system\u201d-type sound effects, and as you would expect\u2026it changed the characteristics of <em>Yamato<\/em>. When I got involved with the Director\u2019s Cut, I hoped it would be possible to correct that and use sounds from the original works. At the same time, I wanted to use more of the original music as well. There was a lot of classical music used in the middle part. I wanted to change that form and use music from the original. <\/p>\n<p>Finding out if we could actually use those two points was very difficult, but it was cleared after great effort by many people, so we were able to do it. If we hadn\u2019t cleared up the problems of using sound effects and music at that point, it\u2019s possible that <em>Yamato 2199<\/em> might have had a very different form. Tomohiro Yoshida worked very hard as the sound supervisor, and we were grateful that it could be realized with the help of (original sound supervisor) <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/716'>Mitsuru Kashiwabara<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The music and sound effects of <em>Yamato<\/em> are engraved on the fans at the genetic level, and they bring a great feeling of \u201csecurity.\u201d Well, you participated in <em>Yamato 2199<\/em> after that. Were you part of it from the beginning?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> No, because <em>Resurrection<\/em> and <em>2199<\/em> were organized by completely different production systems, I didn\u2019t plan to participate at first. As I mentioned earlier, I was on another project between <em>Resurrection<\/em> and the Director\u2019s Cut. Since that was going to be about a year, I thought I wouldn\u2019t be able to work on <em>2199<\/em>, but it was a quirk of fate that I was able to do it anyway. It was to be a remake of the first <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>, so I wanted to work in it by all means. I was very glad.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a04.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Episode 9, <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/989'><em>The Clockwork Prisoner<\/em><\/a>, was your first.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Yes. Originally, there was already a storyboard for Episode 9. But because it was done at a time when there were no models, there were a lot of discrepancies between the storyboard and the designs. At the start, I was asked to mainly just correct those parts, but once I got started my brush ran carelessly and\u2026a lot of my own color appeared. (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> In terms of the story, it took quite a different direction from the original <em>Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> When I thought about what the situation would be like inside the ship, since it\u2019s traveling while Earth is in crisis, I thought there would be planned power outages, like there were just after the earthquake. Because of that extraordinary experience, the lighting inside the ship during Episode 9 was rather dark. I also enjoyed working on it because Sadayuki Murai\u2019s script was wonderful. It was a more modern version of the original Episode 16 story, <em>Beemela, Planet of Condemned Criminals<\/em>. Also, I personally wanted to do [Quoting Analyzer] \u201cI am human.\u201d (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Your next one took place right before the battle of the Rainbow Star Cluster, Episode 19, <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/085a'><em>They\u2019re Here<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> That was a good time. I enjoyed it heartily. I wanted to do the scene properly where they sing the Garmillas national anthem, so the lip sync was finely reproduced.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> When you showed me the storyboard for Episode 19, the face of Domel at the end was very impressive.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Yeah, yeah!! (Laughs) I really like the animator Kazuhide Tomonaga from the old days. Especially on Episode 22 of <em>Yamato<\/em>, <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/469'><em>Decisive battle! Fight for honor at the rainbow star group!<\/em><\/a>, that was the best. I added that touch to the storyboard out of respect<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s the last shot in Episode 19, and the same scene is in the trailer after Episode 18, but Domel\u2019s face is drawn differently.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> In fact, I drew the animation for the trailer at the end of Episode 18. But Director Izubuchi pointed out that \u201cthat\u2019s overdoing it\u201d! (Laughs) The face was revised to look a little more normal in Episode 19.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a06.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><br \/>\n<em>Domel heads toward the Battle of the Rainbow Star Cluster. The scene shows him with a fierce, determined expression.<br \/>\nThe still at far left is from the original Episode 22. Center: Habara\u2019s \u201ctribute\u201d from the trailer after Episode 18.<br \/>\nHere you can perceive his feelings and respect. At right is the final version from the end of Episode 19. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I\u2019d like to hear about how your enthusiasm will soon be applied to <em>Space Battleship Yamato 2202<\/em>, since for you <em>Farewell to Yamato<\/em> is\u2026<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I love it, of course! (Laughs) I read the interview with <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/104a'>Harutoshi Fukui<\/a> in the last issue <em>(Ship\u2019s Log<\/em> #13), and I agree with it completely. Even now, I don\u2019t think of that ending as a simple suicide run, and besides, you\u2019re not moved because he defeats that super colossal spaceship with a suicide attack, but because of the tenderness he felt for others.<\/p>\n<p>Even Sanada and Saito loved Kodai, didn\u2019t they? And in loving Kodai, and loving everyone else, couldn\u2019t you call it an ultimate expression of kindness for people? That really echoed in my heart.<\/p>\n<p>There were some who took any slight change in taste or theme from the original <em>Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> with discomfort, but inside I feel that the range of difference between the original series and <em>Farewell<\/em> isn\u2019t as great as the range between the individual episodes of the original series. Since I was in middle school, I understood that different film companies worked on them, and you can quickly tell with a look when the animation staff is different, can\u2019t you? Including the visual parts, I quietly just accepted everything.<\/p>\n<p>As far as the differences in how the pictures were drawn, since I thought it was great to have all sorts of art, I love <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/474'>Nobuhiro Okaseko<\/a> and <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/618'>Toyoo Ashida\u2019s<\/a> artwork, and also like Tiger Pro\u2019s episodes. Likewise, I really love <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/379'>Tomonori Kogawa\u2019s<\/a> art, too. I enjoy seeing the individual personalities of the men responsible for the original animation.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right. Our generation likes seeing the various versions of Kodai and we all have a favorite. But what specific scene do you like in <em>Farewell<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> As expected, I\u2019ll have more to say about the pictures than the story, and I like the part where Mr. Tomonaga took charge of the scenes, which is also where Yoshinori Kaneda\u2019s amazing scenes appear! It gets my blood pumping even now when I see it. It starts around the time they attack the imperial city, the area where Mr. Tomonaga takes charge of the most painful parts. (Laughs) Right before Dr. Sado says \u201cMake me a <em>Yamato<\/em> cocktail\u201d while doing surgery, the layout of the bombed medical instruments you see around the scene and the weird mecha are exquisite.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a07.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><br \/>\n<em>One of Mr. Habara\u2019s favorite scenes. Tension rises as bottles and medical equipment in the field hospital go flying after a hit.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s where the camera is tilted when Saito carries an injured person in, right?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Yes. That scene in particular emphasizes the enemy onslaught and the urgency of the crisis with the tilt of the camera. The boldness of parts like that is a big feature of <em>Farewell<\/em>. And after that is all the \u201cKanada action.\u201d In the case of current action, mecha scenes are done in CG rather than drawing\u2026but I want to do the animation that way. (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a08.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><br \/>\n<em>In these shots, the camera is tilted as Saito brings in an injured soldier to better emphasize the state of emergency.<br \/>\nThe camera is also tilted in the scene where Saito conveys Sado\u2019s death. In scenes that express anxiety and fear,<br \/>\nthe camera tilts to visually evoke an abnormal situation.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> How about <em>Yamato 2<\/em>? There are a lot of differences there, including in the art.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Of course, I watched the whole thing and loved it. But there are a lot of places where I don\u2019t remember details. (Laughs) But that\u2019s not a bad thing\u2026I\u2019d already made up my mind to become an animator in those days, so I focused more on the animation than the content when I watched <em>Yamato 2<\/em>. I liked the story, but I remember various things like \u201cthat shot, that timing\u2026\u201d (Laughs) For the story, Hijikata assembles the Earth fleet at Saturn, burning for a showdown with the Gatlantis fleet.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a10.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> There\u2019s a part where even if Earth surrenders, <em>Yamato<\/em> decides to fight a decisive battle without surrendering. That\u2019s a climax that wasn\u2019t in <em>Farewell<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Of course! But I didn\u2019t want the imperial city to drop down into the ocean of Earth. I thought, \u201cIt\u2019s small!\u201d when it did. (Laughs) Because it was a TV series, it was shot on 16mm film rather than 35mm, so I was disappointed in the depth and tint. But that\u2019s fanboy talk, sorry.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> No, no, not a problem. In fact, I think everyone in the Yamato Crew Premium membership will be pleased. When we talk this way, I get the illusion of talking to a regular <em>Yamato<\/em> fan. (Laughs) So other than <em>Farewell<\/em>, what kind of scenes do you like?<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a09.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><br \/>\n<em>Dessler cracks a whip to hasten a warp. Mr. Kaneda took advantage of the weakness of limited animation<br \/>\nto create unique movements that could not be imitated, which fascinated everyone who watched.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> The scene of Dessler that Kaneda drew in Episode 26 of Space Battleship <em>Yamato<\/em> [Series 1]! \u201cWarp after them!\u201d It\u2019s the scene where Dessler cracks the whip. That\u2019s insanely cool. His cape goes flying and Dessler dances. (Laughs) It\u2019s not really in character, but I really like that scene. The whole staf worked on the last round, and that scene is totally different in both layout and tension! (Laughs) I\u2019m grateful that that scene was appointed to Mr. Kaneda. (Laughs) He had participated since Episode 2, but he was always under someone else\u2019s direction, so it was comparatively quiet. But it sure exploded in the last round. (Laughs) After that he also did the scene in the same episode where Sado salutes Captain Okita after he dies.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a11.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><br \/>\n<em>The scene of Dr. Sado saluting Captain Okita just before returning to Earth.<br \/>\nWhen you see all three poses, you can understand the \u201cghost\u201d in the second image.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s where the \u201cghost\u201d can be seen. (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right. The salute is done in three drawings, and in the second one you can see \u201cghost arms,\u201d which gives unique movement to all three. That \u201cKAN\u201d sound effect really matches it, too.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-right\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a12.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><br \/>\n<em>Another of Mr. Habara\u2019s favorite shots. <\/em>Yamato<em> drawn by<br \/>\nMr. Tomonaga. This powerful pass later became synonymous<br \/>\nwith <\/em>Yamato<em>, and could be called an \u201cinvention\u201d that <\/em>Yamato<em><br \/>\nproduced in the world of anime.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>I also like the original <em>Yamato<\/em> pass drawn by Mr. Tomonaga in the second-to-last episode. There are only four windows on the first bridge (laughs), but that doesn\u2019t matter, because it has a <em>\u201cYamato<\/em> lives\u201d sense of vitality, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> There was quite an animation mania in those days, wasn\u2019t there? You previously mentioned that you\u2019d made up your mind to be an animator while you were still a junior high student. What was the work that triggered it?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I decided to become an animator when I watched <em>Mazinger Z<\/em> as a fifth grader. When I watched it I thought, \u201cWhy are the pictures different every week?\u201d and after a while I noticed that the credits for \u201canimation director\u201d were different and I felt, \u201cMaybe I\u2019d like to be that person.\u201d When I saw the preview for next week, I thought, \u201cOh! It\u2019s by that animation director, I absolutely have to see it!\u201d <\/p>\n<p>When I watched the end credits for <em>Getta Robo<\/em>, there was one for \u201ccharacter design\u201d in addition to \u201canimation director,\u201d but I felt that it was better when they were the same person. (Laughs) \u201cKazuo Komatsubara is good, and I also like Takuo Noda.\u201d I had a real animation mania, and I enjoyed the personality of the art.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Since you have such a drawing mania, what kind of pictures do you intend to make for <em>Yamato 2202<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Well, when I was involved in <em>Yamato 2199<\/em> I didn\u2019t do true animation, and the thing was \u201cMr. Izubuchi\u2019s direction policy is to present realistic angles that are pushed a little to depict a situation properly.\u201d That became the reality of <em>Yamato 2199<\/em>. Naturally, that will continue to be important in <em>Yamato 2202<\/em>. As a director, I like the camera to get in close to the character. Camera work where you film it as a close up as much as you can to hit you with the emotion is something I like and use a lot.<\/p>\n<p>So, compared to <em>Yamato 2199<\/em>, there may be a lot of up-shots this time. A lot of today\u2019s anime looks like it\u2019s seen from a distance through a zoom lens, but old anime was different on that point. <em>Farewell<\/em> in particular often had closeup images of characters as seen through a wide lens. When you see characters from a distance through a zoom lens, the view is more \u201cobjective\u201d than with a wide lens, even if the character distribution on the screen is the same. I want the audience to have more of the feeling of being \u201con the spot.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Since we grew up from childhood seeing lots of animation made using imagery like that, I think I like to use close-ups a lot in the big scenes with emotional highs and lows. Instead of getting the \u201cfeelings\u201d of a bunch of characters on the screen, I want you to get the feelings of each character. Even related to the mecha, rather than shooting them from a distance, I tend to end up having them shot close, with them coming at the camera, like that \u201c<em>Yamato<\/em> pass\u201d and the like.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a13.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><br \/>\n<em>Mr. Habara says there will be more shots like this in <\/em>2202<em>. Angles like these, as seen through a wide lens close<br \/>\nto the character, were a feature of <\/em>Farewell to Yamato<em>. The composition and tilt brings out power and resonance of the<br \/>\nindividual animator and beautifully projects the feelings of the character. This Kodai drawing by Mr. Tomonaga is a particular<br \/>\nfavorite of Mr. Habara\u2019s, a scene in which the emotions \u2013 anger, sorrow, and determination \u2013 all reach their peak.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> In our previous interview with Mr. Fukui, he said, \u201cI\u2019d want to cherish the atmosphere of the original <em>Yamato<\/em>.\u201d Mr. Fukui aims for that with the storytelling, and will you do the same with the direction and filmmaking?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right. I\u2019ve talked with Mr. Fukui from the early stages of the meetings and said I intended to \u201cput in the images that we saw.\u201d We can\u2019t help but match the tempo of modern times, so we can\u2019t settle into the unhurried feeling of older anime. However, the original <em>Yamato<\/em> was mainly about filmmaking, and I intend to properly follow the \u201cgrammar of drawing.\u201d I\u2019d like everyone to be able to say \u201cI wanted to see scenes like that!\u201d I want them to enjoy actually watching and seeing how a scene turned out.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a14.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><br \/>\n<em>Unique action scenes from <\/em>Be Forever Yamato<\/em> by Yoshinori Kanada that are familiar to <\/em>Yamato<em> fans.<br \/>\nWill the day come again when we can thrill to the action scenes of good old animation?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> A few more staff members are announced every month. This time, Nobuteru Yuuki and Akira Miyagawa were announced, so it really mirrors <em>Farewell to Yamato<\/em>. I\u2019m very excited to see \u201cthe old crew\u201d gathering again.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> It really does have that feeling. In the early meetings with Shoji Nishizaki, Mr. Fukui, Mr. Kobayashi and I and several producers, the creators who participated in <em>Yamato 2199<\/em> joined in one by one, and it has the feeling of the <em>Yamato<\/em> crew gathering at <em>Yamato<\/em> in the underground. The staff from <em>Yamato 2199<\/em> still continues to join up, so things are getting serious on-site. The amount of passion everyone has for <em>Yamato<\/em> is ridiculous\u2026 (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Fukui had an overabundance of ideas, to the point where we\u2019d say, \u201cWe can\u2019t put that many ideas into a 30-minute film\u201d as one interesting idea after another came flying out of him. I really think he\u2019s an amazing person.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/aug16\/116a15.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In addition, Akira Miyagawa participated in a meeting the other day, too, and we talked about various things. Akira\u2019s smiling face has the power to lead the on-site atmosphere in a good direction. I think he\u2019s a natural entertainer. That shows in his music, but it\u2019s his father\u2019s music too, so it will be fun just to listen to what he does. It really is a great feeling to have Akira in charge of the music. Don\u2019t all the fans feel the same as I do? <\/p>\n<p>Also, Mr. Yuuki finally drew Zordar the other day, and it\u2019s insanely cool! Please look forward to it. I want to depict an attractive Zordar and Gatlantis that will be a good match for Akira on the pipe organ this time.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Finally, please give a message to the people reading about the second series.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> My love for <em>Yamato<\/em> brought me into this industry, and I was happy to help make <em>Yamato Resurrection<\/em> and <em>Yamato 2199<\/em>. Now I\u2019ve been blessed with the chance to make <em>Space Battleship Yamato 2202, Soldiers of Love<\/em>, based on both <em>Farewell<\/em> and <em>Yamato 2<\/em>. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m good enough, but I absolutely wanted to be engaged in this work. I\u2019ll give it everything I\u2019ve got. I\u2019m not going to leave anything out, so please see it until the end by all means.<\/p>\n<p><em>At Xebec Studio, May 27<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>The End<\/h3>\n<p><em>Special thanks to Neil Nadelman for translation support.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Read two more interviews with Nobuyoshi Habara about his work on <em>2199<\/em> <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/4'>here<\/a> (2012) and <a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/428'>here<\/a> (2013).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,123,135],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-others-interviews-essays","category-yamato-2202","category-yamato-2202-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21726"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21929,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21726\/revisions\/21929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}