{"id":24150,"date":"2017-10-14T17:09:34","date_gmt":"2017-10-15T00:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=24150"},"modified":"2018-11-04T14:48:57","modified_gmt":"2018-11-04T22:48:57","slug":"240a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/240a\/","title":{"rendered":"Director Nobuyoshi Habara interview, June 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-880 alt=\"1710icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-content\/uploads\/1710icon.JPG\" width=\"216\" height=\"90\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"cosmo-teaser\">From <em>Bandai Channel<\/em>: a lengthy conversation with Director Nobuyoshi Habara examines the making of <em>Yamato 2202<\/em> Chapters 1 and 2 with an emphasis on respect for and homages to the original stories.<\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><!--noteaser--><\/p>\n<p>Published by <a href='http:\/\/www.b-ch.com\/contents\/feat_creators_selection\/backnumber\/v44\/index.html'>Bandai Channel<\/a>, June 23, 2017.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a01.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Depicting a three-way relationship with Susumu Kodai at the center<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> <em>Yamato 2202<\/em> is a very special work. I think it would be seriously difficult to make a work that builds on the story of <em>Farewell to Yamato<\/em> and <em>Yamato 2<\/em> for a new form. First, can you tell me about the response to Chapter 2?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> After all that pressure, the response was wonderful. There were times when the work was harder than I thought and it weighed heavily on me. When I was a director on <em>Yamato 2199<\/em>, General Director Yutaka Izubuchi steered the big ship, but this time I have to steer it all by myself. Since everyone on the staff and in the audience has their own <em>Yamato<\/em> image, I have to find the direction that pleases as many people as possible. It\u2019s a situation where I\u2019m feeling my way along.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-right\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a02.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Susumu Kodai becomes the acting captain in this story, and it sort of feels in sync with your circumstances. (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right! In Mr. Fukui\u2019s scripts, Kodai is troubled and worried and lost, and since many conflicts are depicted I understand them very well. Kodai is terribly troubled in Chapter 3, and I\u2019m in a condition where I can exactly detect my own feelings when I see what is written.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The Kodai-centric narrative is an important point, and I\u2019m wondering if it will lead to a difference between <em>2199<\/em> and <em>2202<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Yes, as you can expect, \u201cHow we depict the character of Susumu Kodai\u201d is important. If we did <em>2202<\/em> in the form of an ensemble story like <em>2199<\/em>, it could be distracting. Now we have a three-way relationship with Earth, Garmillas, and Gatlantis and since there are new characters out there too, it takes on a form that shows Kodai at the center. Maintaining that balance\u2026that\u2019s the hard part.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> A few stories have gone around, but what was the process for you to become the director this time?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> At first I was asked, \u201cDo you know anyone who can write a script?\u201d and I didn\u2019t know about Mr. Fukui\u2019s participation at that time, so I recommended the live-action director Hideki Oka. We\u2019d gotten together at other times and our \u201c<em>Yamato<\/em> love\u201d made us friends. He also saw <em>Yamato Resurrection<\/em>, for which I supervised the Director\u2019s Cut, and so the flow lead to me asking \u201cwhat about a director?\u201d The story was that if Mr. Izubuchi decides not to continue, you and your company can do it. (Mr. Habara is also chairman of the board at Xebec.)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> That was the order?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Yes. Whether I was suitable or not, I would definitely regret it if I\u2019d refused and it went to someone else. Even if it wasn\u2019t easy, I thought I\u2019d want to do as much as I could, and that\u2019s the feeling that leads me now.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> You\u2019re in the anime staff that went from <em>Resurrection<\/em> to <em>2199<\/em>. What were your major <em>Yamato<\/em> experiences before that, in the days of being a fan?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Of course, if I\u2019m asked, \u201cHow much do you like it?\u201d I\u2019d say as much as ever. <em>Yamato<\/em> is a huge part of me.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> How old were you when you first encountered <em>Yamato<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I was ten years old at the time of the first TV series. I was in the third year of junior high when <em>Farewell<\/em> came out.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a03.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s a time when life can be seriously influenced.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Yes, I was very impressionable. (Laughs) After I became an adult, I understood that the generation above me looked at the end of <em>Farewell<\/em> and called it a \u201csuicide attack.\u201d But I considered it to be \u201cthe best work.\u201d I didn\u2019t feel the last scene was a suicide attack. Since Kodai called it a new voyage it had the feeling of a wedding to me. I had great sympathy. <\/p>\n<p>Since I\u2019m from Hiroshima, there was a peace class at school during summer vacation every August 6 (the date of the atomic bombing) and I grew up being told, \u201cWar is miserable, we should never awaken it again.\u201d Of course, I knew what a \u201csuicide attack\u201d was, but it wasn\u2019t possible for me to connect it with <em>Farewell<\/em> by any means. Since people of that generation reacted due to their personal experience, I thought, \u201cI see\u2026\u201d and came to understand it afterward.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I was thinking about the story today and was impressed by how a straight element like \u201cPure Love\u201d this year is similar to <em>Your Name<\/em> from last year.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s exactly right. I wondered if we should go in that direction if we did a remake of <em>Farewell<\/em>. As for how to end it this time, I can\u2019t tell you now\u2026<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> That would be the biggest spoiler. (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> So I\u2019ll just say \u201cwe\u2019ll depict love\u201d and you can look forward to it in the future.<\/p>\n<h3>Attention to character expressions in the camera work<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> What you\u2019ll do with the ending is one of the big features this time, and it\u2019s an interesting place. Not only is this a continuation of <em>Yamato 2199<\/em>, the number 2 is in the title. So is it arranged like <em>Yamato 2<\/em> or <em>Farewell<\/em>\u2026? Regarding that, what kind of story was it at the early stage?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> The title <em>2202<\/em> was already on the plan book written by Mr. Fukui, though the 0 was the character \u03a6 (Phi). It seemed to be both <em>Yamato 2<\/em> and <em>Farewell<\/em>, but maybe neither. That was the meaning of the title. From the beginning, I thought we could put a lot of new elements in it.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Did you come in and deepen the discussion based on that plan?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> At the first script meeting, Mr. Fukui had made a rough overall flow. We divided it up into episodes, and Mr. Oka would write a script called the \u201cZero version\u201d for each one. The core group talked about it, and then Mr. Fukui gathered it all up into another script to advance it. Since each episode is written by two people, the script gets a joint credit.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s a collaboration of various elements.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> At that stage, Assistant Director Makoto Kobayashi says \u201cI also have this idea\u201d and pictures come burning out and something like, \u201cGyaaa!\u201d happens. (Laughs) \u201cLet\u2019s put this in, too!\u201d With things like that, more and more new elements are incorporated into the script. Rather than me saying \u201cplease do it this way\u201d or \u201clet\u2019s do this to make use of that,\u201d I become a coordinator who balances everyone\u2019s opinions for consistency.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> As a director, you make the screen visuals?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> As the criterion for judging whether something in a script is OK or NG [no good], it has to be visual. That\u2019s the measure. Mr. Fukui\u2019s scripts are packed with tremendous density, and we could put it all in, but then the distinctive \u201c<em>Yamato<\/em>-ness\u201d would be lost. As music comes in it will slowly liven it up, but it wouldn\u2019t work if the visuals can\u2019t be done at a director\u2019s discretion. There is also the factor that I don\u2019t want to chop up the music, so one thing I wanted to do was avoid the ship movements becoming too fast. With that, I decided that the policy on the Earth side was to focus mainly on Kodai and organize it around that.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I think there are many parts where those on the audience side will be surprised by new elements. Were there any ideas that surprised you?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-right\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a05.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I\u2019m always surprised by the images Kobayashi comes up with. (Laughs) Even for the throne of Gatlantis, I was planning on a flat image with Emperor Zordar at the end of a red carpet, but he came up with concepts that gave it a vertical direction, and I thought it was wonderful. In terms of ideas, I was surprised at the \u201ctime fault.\u201d I wanted to make some kind of singularity, and then Mr. Oka came up with the term \u201ctime fault.\u201d It had the feeling of the \u201cnegative legacy of the Cosmo Cleaner.\u201d Back then the thought was \u201cthe reconstruction of the Earth fleet is too soon,\u201d and when we took this as an opportunity to make full use of various concepts of the past, everyone did it wonderfully. There were almost no ideas that came from me. I moved forward while thinking about the production side. \u201cWhat should be done to make this a surprise?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> After participating in all three <em>Yamato<\/em> works over recent years, <em>Resurrection<\/em>, <em>2199<\/em>, and <em>2202<\/em>, what features are unique to <em>2202<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I think the difference in the visuals is big. Both <em>Resurrection<\/em> and <em>2199<\/em> were made with camera angles that looked like movies. <em>2199<\/em> in particular had the feeling of capturing crowds in panoramic long shots, but <em>2202<\/em> brings the camera close to the characters, and I\u2019m conscious of capturing it with a slight wide-angle touch. By doing so, I want to deliver subtle changes in facial expression and excitement when yelling. I know it\u2019s not good to overuse this technique on a big-screen film, but I use it purposefully. I grew up on Toei anime, so it might be superfluous.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Do you feel there are three types of \u201c<em>Yamato<\/em>-ness\u201d?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I touched on it a while ago, but I think in the end it is \u201cpacing.\u201d There is a \u201cpacing\u201d that is clearly different from other works. As with the use of music, there are a lot of images that settle in slowly and carefully. Then the camera follows it, and it gradually swells. My impression of <em>Yamato<\/em> is like that. Since I started out directing shots that were short and choppy, I\u2019m careful to slow it down and let it breathe for a moment.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s a very difficult direction when it comes to creating art, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> If it\u2019s drawn by hand, it\u2019s practically impossible. Because it is CG, it can be extended for a long time, and the angles can change, too. It is helped tremendously by CG.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a06.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Commitment to the newly-built Battleship <em>Andromeda<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Originally, a lot of new elements came out in <em>Farewell<\/em>, including <em>Andromeda<\/em>. What feelings were considered in that area?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> With <em>Andromeda<\/em> as a new element, it was a good thing that we dealt with the nuance of \u201cwhat is it NOT supposed to be?\u201d A magnificent, newly-built battleship came out and fired the Dispersion Wave-Motion Gun, but it was defeated\u2026that doesn\u2019t give you the feeling of it being purposefully built as a symbol of reconstruction. I think that\u2019s being expressed well now.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> When you say <em>Farewell<\/em> or <em>Yamato 2<\/em>, you think \u201cfirst, <em>Andromeda<\/em>.\u201d (Laughs) When you bring it up at an event, there\u2019s a burst of laughter. Still, it\u2019s impossible to just say \u201cWe can talk, but maybe not about <em>Andromeda<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Yes, \u201cfirst <em>Andromeda<\/em>,\u201d definitely. (Laughs) When I gave instructions to Mecha Designer Junichiro Tamamori, my first request was \u201cI want to make a shot of the forward pass that was drawn by Kazutaka Miyatake.\u201d And with that\u2026<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jul17\/214a03.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> If the three-sided diagram was used as a CG model, the expression of that pass would be difficult. I was worried.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> So it\u2019s really great that it has such exquisite lines.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> What do you think are the merits of <em>Andromeda<\/em>? Of course, the first thing is that it looks cool, but\u2026<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s completely different from other battleships. First of all, it has the firm position of being a \u201cmain character mecha.\u201d It\u2019s designed to be a hero, and moreover an entirely different direction from <em>Yamato<\/em> as a hero. Obviously, it stands out. Therefore, it\u2019s cool. That\u2019s how I perceive it. It was good that we could add a little more menace to it this time.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> There\u2019s also a very direct feeling of power-up with the two Wave-Motion Guns.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> When I was a junior high student, I was just happy to say, \u201cCool! It has two!\u201d (Laughs) It was an obvious \u201csense of strength.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> It has a lot of line work for parts like launch tubes and others of unknown purpose, and I\u2019m glad it was used in Chapter 2.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Fine details were decided like \u201cThe fighters launch from here\u201d and \u201cGravity darts spread out.\u201d In the future, I want to use all the parts Mr. Tamamori established.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> It was also a surprising point that multiple <em>Andromeda<\/em> ships of the same type appeared.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a07.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> That was another idea from Mr. Kobayashi at the script conference, and picture came out of multiple <em>Andromeda<\/em>s lined up. Everyone was surprised. \u201cA fleet?\u201d \u201cLet\u2019s put it in!\u201d Like a whirlwind. I think that also gave the feeling that Earth had begun to go in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> On the other hand, there\u2019s another familiar scene with <em>Andromeda<\/em> in Chapter 1.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s sort of an obsession with \u201cKeep making warships, because we\u2019ve got plenty of champagne.\u201d (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> To which I reflexively thought, \u201cDon\u2019t overuse the dramatically-lit return to base.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I wanted to strengthen it this time, so I made it \u201cbakiyaro\u201d instead of \u201cbakayaro.\u201d But I thought when it was time to launch, I still wanted to go with \u201cSlow speed ahead, 0.5.\u201d (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Again, it\u2019s a place where you expect to be surprised, but the surprise instead is that it\u2019s restrained. The feeling of balance between new and old is fascinating.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I wanted to properly restrain it when I thought it was important. I think there are also a lot of points where people will be dissatisfied, so I want to keep as much as I can.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I also feel the interpretation of the enemy Gatlantis side has been substantially redone.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a08.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right. When they came out in <em>2199<\/em>, they were regarded as a tribe. But because I wanted to get back to the pipe organ music at all cost, I had to return to a feeling that suited it, which was close to that of <em>Farewell<\/em>. And the structure of Gatlantis itself is a new concept that Mr. Fukui came up with.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I\u2019m looking forward to that.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> There\u2019s a concept I can\u2019t talk about yet that shows how they are a nation of conquest and how they inherit generations.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Is it because of that feeling you get from the beginning? \u201cI wonder if this is a race with a different concept of life?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> that\u2019s right. Everyone is surprised that \u201cZordar talks about love,\u201d but when you ask, \u201cHow is love understood?\u201d you get the feeling that various details can be derived from there.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I see. \u201cIs this a story that talks about love through a different basis for life?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> It is connected to the reason why they are soon coming to Earth.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I see. As for \u201cthe problem of love,\u201d since it\u2019s a part of history that\u2019s been discussed various ways in the past, I look forward to this becoming a story with a new interpretation.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> The \u201c<em>Soldiers of Love<\/em>\u201d subtitle is not a throwaway by any means. I\u2019m taking good care of it and incorporating it into the story, so I\u2019d appreciate it if you keep your eye on that.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a09.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-right\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a10.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Aiming for a deep character portrait<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I also want to ask about characters on the Earth side. Hijikata and Saito already appeared in <em>2199<\/em>, but they were new characters from <em>Farewell<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Both are very good characters, aren\u2019t they? Yamanami also appeared in <em>2199<\/em>, and it was a great help to be able to put him on <em>Andromeda<\/em>. The situation was that we couldn\u2019t make Hijikata the captain as in <em>Yamato 2<\/em> because we could get new development possibilities by moving him to the 11th Planet with Saito. <\/p>\n<p>Yamanami is a good, easygoing character, but that alone wouldn\u2019t qualify him as captain of <em>Andromeda<\/em> so I\u2019m glad we could give him the feeling of \u201cactually, this is a man who can handle it.\u201d By contrasting him with an ineffectual government, we were able to define him as \u201ca person who stands out.\u201d And as for Saito, the more you use him, the better he becomes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The space cavalry also has a somewhat different way of participating.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Nagakura, who appeared in <em>Ark of the Stars<\/em>, plays a good role this time. The Space Cavalry is a military unit, but it feels a little different if you can combine their brawn with the sense that they\u2019re good people.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a11.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> They\u2019re a gang, but they also feel a little chivalrous.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I want to feature elements like that. Hijikata also watches over Kodai and the others, including with the Wave-Motion Gun problem, and I think a fatherly feeling will emerge. Since he was originally Yuki Mori\u2019s substitute father in <em>2199<\/em>, that\u2019s the impression he gives in that area.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Speaking of Yuki Mori, I think her romance with Kodai is a particularly big point this time. How is that going?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I\u2019m trying to depict it quite carefully. The separation scene in Chapter 2 was originally set in another location in the script, but I put it in an elevator since I wanted them to talk in a tight space where their faces would contrast each other. They\u2019re watching the door while they\u2019re talking and Kodai turns to her but she doesn\u2019t turn to him. I wanted to play up the difference in their emotions.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-right\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a12.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I could see subtle feelings of love going through their eyes throughout the whole thing.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I think Kodai is still immature when it comes to such things. You can see much more going on with Yuki. I think that \u201cWomen are amazing, aren\u2019t they?\u201d part is a lot like <em>Farewell<\/em>, too. I especially like Yuki, and the feeling that came from them shouting in the car in Chapter 1 became my favorite scene. Houko Kuwashima\u2019s acting is really good. I hope you\u2019ll look forward to it in the future.<\/p>\n<h3>The story of an alliance with Garmillas is changing<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Because the concept of a \u201cGarmillas alliance with Earth\u201d was possible, it would inevitably change <em>Farewell<\/em> and <em>Yamato 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I think <em>2199<\/em> improved when it ended with an alliance. Garmillas would have foresight about the new problem of time fault technology, so it\u2019s fascinating that they would develop an alliance with Earth in that respect, so it\u2019s a good feeling. The simple presence of Garmillas observers in suits allowed me to visually expresses the feeling of \u201cwhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I was surprised to see people with blue faces. (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a13.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> It was a normal crowd, and when the idea appeared I rushed to appoint the blue color. \u201cCan we have some Garmillas people in there?\u201d Originally, the two Garmillas children on the 11th Planet were supposed to be Earthlings, but since the concept was that Garmillas had developed the planet, I decided that their father had told them \u201c<em>Yamato<\/em> saved Garmillas\u201d and that Garmillas children would have <em>Yamato<\/em> models. I thought \u201cthis is great\u201d and it nearly made me cry. I think we were able to inherit a lot of depth and good feeling from the new part that was born in <em>2199<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> How about the new character, Keyman?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> As for that, Hiroshi Kamiya\u2019s voice was the only one I heard at the time I read the script, and we were able to cast him from quite an early stage. When deciding on his name, everyone agreed, \u201cIt has to be Keyman.\u201d (Editorial note: Alphon\u2019s initial name in <em>Be Forever Yamato<\/em> was Keyman.) Mr. Fukui said, \u201cIn Garmillas, Keyman is a common name like Suzuki or Sato.\u201d (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The route to Telezart may be the same, but things will develop differently because of him won\u2019t they?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-right\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a14.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> As for the situation of a Garmillan riding on <em>Yamato<\/em>, it also has a different feeling from Melda. I hope you\u2019ll enjoy that along with his interactions with Kodai. <em>Farewell to Yamato<\/em> had a lot of female fans, too.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Mr. Kamiya is suitable for the demeanor of Keyman. He seems sincere, but there\u2019s still a peculiar feeling.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Various developments will come out of that area.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I\u2019m interested in Dessler\u2019s whereabouts on the Garmillas side. Can you talk about that at this stage?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> No. I\u2019m sure it will be a surprise, so please look forward to it.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I was surprised by the trailers for Chapters 1, 2 and 3, and the activity of the large Gatlantis battleship.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a17.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Everyone on the staff wants to \u201cpush the large battleship.\u201d If for no other reason than to get a big model kit.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> In the old days, it only came out as a Mecha Collection mini-model.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> From the early days of script reading, everyone talked about plamo [plastic models]. There were a lot of angry stories about \u201cIt was hard to make the model of the large battleship, the fins kept breaking because they were attached diagonally.\u201d So we said, \u201cWhen will we have the large battleship?\u201d I think it was a surprise to see it in Chapter 1, then it gets serious for <em>Yamato<\/em> when six of them appear in Chapter 2. And you can see that it gets more serious in the trailer for Chapter 3.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a15.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I thought, \u201cwhat\u2019s happening with this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I hesitated for a moment about whether or not to put it in the trailer, but I thought you\u2019d be surprised.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> One of the attractions of <em>Farewell<\/em> was the Gatlantis mecha appearing one after the other.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> It was surprising to see more and more new mecha.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Thanks to the plamodels of enemy mecha selling so well, we were able to get <em>Gundam<\/em> plamo of the Zaku and Musai right from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a16.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Oh, that\u2019s right. We didn\u2019t get plamo of enemy mecha until then. Also, it was good that the Gatlantis mecha was cool.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The wraparound carrier Naska at the beginning made for a good homage.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s something you don\u2019t easily notice. I added lines to give it some flash across the side to improve it a little. I just added a hint since it looks noisy when it goes too far. It\u2019s satisfying when I can be particular about such little details. (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Hand-drawing and CG hybrids are good, aren\u2019t they?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> As for other impressions, we gave <em>Yamato<\/em> a good feeling in the opening title, too.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> There\u2019s a shot where it takes fire from the city empire. In the original, that was a Kazuhide Tomonaga scene.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a18.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-right\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a19.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> When I gave instructions for that, I said, \u201cplease do it with that timing\u201d to faithfully reproduce it! I think that\u2019s the best result at the present stage.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> The opening title is incredible.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Before the storyboard stage, I talked with Kia Asamiya and said, \u201clet\u2019s make this kind of shot.\u201d In fact, on <em>Resurrection<\/em> I asked, \u201ccan\u2019t we show <em>Yamato<\/em> under construction?\u201d but various circumstances made it impossible. So since then I\u2019ve always thought, \u201csomeday I want to show nameless men, different from the crew, rebuilding <em>Yamato<\/em> as energetically as possible.\u201d (Laughs) <\/p>\n<p>Starting from the ideas to the angles to the first line drawings and then the cleanup, Mr. Asamiya drew a lot. Art Director Yoshio Tanioka put in the color and the harmony treatment (a method of applying texture to a line drawing). Regarding the harmony on the characters, Mr. Tanioka studied the illustrations of Mr. Asamiya and reproduced the same brush stroke. The soul of various people went into it, and made it a great opening.<\/p>\n<h3>The method of ending each chapter strengthens anticipation<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Have you attended Akira Miyagawa\u2019s music recordings?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Not all of them, but for the main parts of the BGM. It goes without saying that it was wonderful.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> What about the performance on the pipe organ?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> I went to see that! I couldn\u2019t miss it. Different people played different pieces on the pipe organ. I think some will notice because the area of the hall was different. Sounds in the lower range echo in a completely different way. This time there\u2019s a take where only the low bass tones echo, and it\u2019s quite eerie. There are other songs that were played in a special performance on the pipe organ, but I can\u2019t talk about them yet.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/oct17\/240a20.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Finally, please talk about future development and points you\u2019d like us to anticipate.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> First there\u2019s the \u201cWave-Motion Gun problem,\u201d isn\u2019t there? What will happen with the \u201cpromise to seal it up\u201d with Iscandar? And what happens to <em>Yamato<\/em> after falling into a pinch? Those are points I want you to look forward to. Chapter 3 picks up with the feeling depicted in Chapter 2 regarding the future of Kodai and Yuki. I hope there\u2019s a lot of anticipation about the action that will lead to.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> That reminds me, <em>2199<\/em> came to points where a chapter break naturally happened, and it gave each chapter a feeling of cohesiveness. By contrast, <em>2202<\/em> has an abrupt sense of \u201cto be continued.\u201d (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Certainly there was a satisfaction after each <em>2199<\/em> chapter that \u201cI\u2019ve finished watching it.\u201d But with <em>2202<\/em> it ends at a point of \u201cmust keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> <em>2199<\/em> was good because it seemed to expand the content of the familiar main route, but this time it\u2019s nice that the route is unknown in <em>2202<\/em> and we can expect a lot of surprises.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Habara:<\/em><\/span> Chapter 3 also ends abruptly. At one event Mr. Fukui said \u201cThere\u2019s a cliffhanger at the end of every season in an overseas drama, and I\u2019m matching that.\u201d But as much as he said that sort of thing, since we\u2019ve really only thought about the final scene, for now I think I\u2019ll end each chapter with \u201cLook forward to the next part!\u201d (Laughs)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"textBlue\"><em>Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> I\u2019m looking forward to it more and more. Thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p><em>Special thanks to Neil Nadelman for translation support.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href='https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/226a'>Return to the index<\/a><\/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":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24150","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=24150"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25750,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24150\/revisions\/25750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}