{"id":27838,"date":"2019-12-27T12:57:31","date_gmt":"2019-12-27T20:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=27838"},"modified":"2021-11-13T22:57:35","modified_gmt":"2021-11-14T06:57:35","slug":"440a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/440a\/","title":{"rendered":"Yamato 2205<\/em> director interview, Nov 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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From Star Blazers\/Yamato<\/em> magazine vol. 5: in October 2019, Kenji Yasuda was announced as the series director for Yamato 2205, The New Voyage<\/em>. In his first interview, he describes his entry into the anime industry, the directors who fostered him, and his hopes for 2205<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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\nSee an enlargement at the end of this page<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The first official coverage of Yamato 2205<\/em> came directly from the nerve center, Star Blazers\/Yamato<\/em> magazine vol. 5 (late November, 2019). It started with a tantalizing glimpse of preproduction art that was first shown to the audience of the Yamato 2202<\/em> concert Close To You Tonight<\/em> in October 2019, then continued directly to the first interview with Series Director Kenji Yasuda. Here, he describes his entry into the anime industry, the directors who fostered him, and his hopes for the new series.<\/p>\n

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Yamato 2202<\/em> concert 2019 early release<\/span><\/h3>\n

Featured Information<\/h2>\n

The rough design images became a hot topic \u2013 and are now shared with the public in Yamato<\/em> magazine! Expectations will inevitably increase for Space Battleship Yamato 2205, The New Voyage<\/em>!!<\/p>\n

Main Staff decided!!<\/h3>\n

Creator: Yoshinobu Nishizaki
\nExecutive Producer: Shoji Nishizaki
\nDirector: Kenji Yasuda
\nSeries writer: Harutoshi Fukui
\nScripts: Hideki Oka
\nCharacter Design: Nobuteru Yuuki
\nMechanical Design: Junichiro Tamamori \/ Mika Akitaka \/ Yasushi Ishizu
\nMusic: Akira Miyagawa<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kenji Yasuda Interview<\/h2>\n

The latest series has been announced: Space Battleship Yamato 2205, The New Voyage<\/em>. Director Kenji Yasuda of Satelight Studio<\/a> has been chosen, a man who has worked on many other productions. In this issue, we have a special interview with Director Yasuda. What kind of creator is he, and how did he encounter Yamato<\/em>? With this interview, you can begin to anticipate the new work!<\/p>\n

Profile<\/em><\/p>\n

After working with Studio Fantasia, he joined Shaft. He worked as a freelancer for a while, then joined Satelight in 2012. His major works include Sakura Wars, Symphogear, Fullmetal Alchemist, Macross Delta<\/em>, and others. Concurrent with Yamato 2205<\/em>, he is directing Somali and the Forest Spirit<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

See his profile at Anime News Network here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

See his profile at Satelight\u2019s official site here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> How did you join the animation industry?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> When I was in elementary school, I watched movies and anime with my friends and my older brother, and that was how I became conscious of the entertainment industry. So at first, rather than wanting to do anime, I longed for the mainstream entertainment industry and I started by going to film school.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Why were you drawn to live-action film over anime?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> I watched a lot of high-spirited movies like Brian DePalma\u2019s Phantom of The Paradise<\/em> and The Untouchables<\/em>, and I wanted to create works that delivered that kind of entertainment. Of course, I wasn\u2019t conscious of that at the time, so I was attracted to movies that were full of spirit rather than those that wanted to convey a message. And although I thought about making such works as a student, there was just no momentum in Japanese film. The story went that in order to become a director, you had to endure decades of teacher\/student relations like in professional sports. (Laughs) That seemed really difficult, so I turned to anime instead.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Were there any works in the anime industry that had a direct influence on you?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> In particular, the works of Osamu Dezaki (\u203b1). I\u2019d watched them since I was a kid, but when I was in film school I had the chance to see The Adventures of Ganba<\/em><\/a> and Tomorrow\u2019s Joe 2<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

At that time I saw that various elements like music and sound effects could dynamically express various things in a story. Both works have a tense atmosphere as men\u2019s dramas, but sometimes a breather scene is inserted. This method of pacing makes for a lively character, and it\u2019s very attractive. After seeing such productions, I felt that anime was a better medium to create works with that entertainment spirit I was looking for. Eventually, I knocked on the gates of the anime industry.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> How did you enter the anime industry and become a director?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> I joined Studio Fantasia at the age of 21 or 22. At first, I was in charge of OVA [Original Video Anime] production for about three years. At that time, there were more OVA works than TV series and I was able to take the time to produce them, but as the number of late-night TV anime gradually increased, it didn\u2019t go that way any more. The number of works done in the Dezaki style was going down, so I decided to study directing.<\/p>\n

I started by copying storyboards at home and created my own independently, and I had the opportunity to show them to Seiji Muzushima (\u203b2) when he visited Fantasia one time. He told me that Shaft studio that was looking for someone with production experience who wanted to become a director, so I decided to transfer there. After working there for about a year, I made my directing and storyboarding debut on Space Pirate Mito<\/em><\/a> (1999). After that, it was exciting to get into the rotation under Mr. Mizushima when he directed Fullmetal Alchemist<\/em><\/a> (2003). <\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> You\u2019re currently a member of Satelight<\/a>. How did you get there?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> When I belonged to Shaft, I was allowed to storyboard and direct an episode of Heat Guy J<\/em><\/a> (2002). The director was Kazuki Akane (\u203b3), a member of Satelight. This gave him an opportunity to ask if I\u2019d like to be the assistant director for him on Noein \u2013 To Your Other Self<\/em><\/a> (2005). Ever since then, I\u2019ve had a seat at Satelight. After working on several TV series as a director, I became a member of the company in 2012.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Of the works you were involved with, which one was the turning point?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> There are a few, but the first one that comes to mind is Croisee in a Foreign Labyrinth \u2013 The Animation<\/em><\/a> (2011). It\u2019s the story of a Japanese girl who goes to Paris alone in the 19th century. It was written by Junichi Sato, who was also the sound director, and it was a big thing to be involved in. How you assemble an original series that isn\u2019t based on a manga, how to add original elements to its worldview\u2026I learned a lot from that one. I think it was Croisee<\/em> where I learned how to request music that matched the work in acoustic terms, and the first time I became aware of how to use it effectively. In that way, Mr. Sato taught me a lot about combining music with visuals. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I also feel strongly about my time as an associate director on Boogiebop Phantom<\/em><\/a> (2000). It was recently remade, but it was first broadcast about 20 years ago. In order to create a horror\/mystery atmosphere, I put a lot of filters on the lens when it was shot. We were still shooting in analog back then, so that\u2019s how it was done. I think that was the intention of Director Takashi Watanabe (\u203b5). We didn\u2019t just shoot the drawings and the backgrounds together, I noticed there was a way to control what you saw on screen by manipulating the shooting process. I think it was Mr. Watanabe\u2019s influence that made me strongly conscious of that.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> This may be a dumb question, but what is the effect of the shooting process?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> First of all, shooting is the process of photographing cel art and background materials. So if I wanted to blur the outline of something or make the eyes shine, that would be a shooting effect. Since the process went digital, the range has expanded dramatically and we can apply a variety of effects. Boogiebop<\/em> was made in the analog days, and it\u2019s the one where I applied filters to the screen. By using that effectively, it makes it easier to convey what the character is feeling in a scene.<\/p>\n

I think the shooting process is very important in anime. This is a bit unusual, but when I make a storyboard, I have a meeting with the director of photography. That way, it’s easier for me to convey the intention, atmosphere, and contrast of a scene. Of course, current anime always has to balance quality with the schedule, so some works don\u2019t have a lot of money to spend on the shooting process. Even so, I feel that the burden on the photography unit is very high on current anime, and I hope to lighten that burden while still being able to make good visuals.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> You previously talked about going to film school to make live-action movies. What do you think about the differences between live-action and anime?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> In the first place, live-action and anime are completely different things. I think a feature of anime is that the way your work is received depends very much on what the creators decide to show and conversely what not to show. Director Dezaki created a unique atmosphere in his work using flip-art and incidental light. After what I learned from Mr. Watanabe on Boogiebop<\/em>, I work with an awareness of what kind of impression the final visuals will have on the viewer. <\/p>\n

Of course, an animator’s cel art and backgrounds are very important elements and shouldn\u2019t be lost. On the other hand, it\u2019s not those that reach the viewer, it\u2019s a photograph of them that\u2019s been shot; the atmosphere of the scene, the sentiment of a character, and the mood of the work. In recent years I\u2019ve become more conscious of using the shooting process effectively to get as much as possible out of the material.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> What are you particularly conscious of when you\u2019re involved in a work as a director?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> Grasping the style and guidelines of the work and how to deliver them to the audience. The original reason I joined the anime industry was to deliver entertainment, and I do my work while keeping in mind how the audience will receive it. I mentioned earlier how I\u2019m conscious of the shooting process, but if for example it\u2019s a work for children, it\u2019s better not to do something elaborate. I think it\u2019s especially important for the director to clarify the vision of the visuals after identifying the direction and target of the work.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking of directing, sometimes a director only does a certain number of episodes. In current anime, short series of just a single arc [13 episodes] are becoming more common, so an episodic director may only be engaged once, or at most twice, and they may finish their involvement without gaining a proper understanding of the character and worldview. However, a series director is in a position to see the work in total and properly steer the episodic directors to keep a sense of unity. So I think it\u2019s important for the series director to set firm guidelines.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> What are your feelings now that you\u2019ve been announced as the director of Yamato 2205<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> I enjoyed watching Yamato 2199<\/em> and 2202<\/em> on my own, but I didn\u2019t think there was any way I would direct a sequel. That was my feeling. When I was a kid, my older brother was an enthusiastic fan of Yamato<\/em>, and I never expected that I\u2019d be the director of a work he enjoyed back then.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> As a director, what kind of work would you like 2205<\/em> to be?<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> Yamato<\/em> has a magnificent story, and I think the characters and mecha are also important factors. Of course, it\u2019s a work with a deep history, so we can\u2019t stray from that image. But it shouldn\u2019t be exactly the same, either. I\u2019d like to give it more weight and intensity than ever before. Yamato<\/em>\u2019s crew is made up of unique people who are often placed in extreme situations. I think feeling a sense of closeness to them is important, and to give it a human touch that takes care of those points. It\u2019s a work that has a lot more CG shots than the average TV series, so I want to deliver a new visual expression while exploring how to show mecha.<\/p>\n

Interviewer:<\/em><\/span> Finally, please give a message to Yamato<\/em> fans.<\/p>\n

Yasuda:<\/em><\/span> We\u2019re working hard to deliver new charms while also protecting the work that has been cherished so far. In 2205<\/em>, we\u2019ll depict new aspects of the characters as well as a new story. I hope you\u2019ll look forward to it.<\/p>\n

Footnotes<\/em><\/p>\n

\u203b1 Osamu Dezaki<\/a>, director. His major works include Tomorrow\u2019s Joe, Aim for the Ace, Adventure of Ganba, Rose of Versailles<\/em>, and Tomorrow\u2019s Joe 2<\/em>. Died in 2011.<\/p>\n

\u203b2 Seiji Mizushima<\/a>: director. His major works include Fullmetal Alchemist, Mobile Suit Gundam OO<\/em>, and Expelled from Paradise<\/em>. Mr. Yasuda directed and storyboarded episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist<\/em> and Oh! Edo Rocket<\/em> under him.<\/p>\n

\u203b3 Kazuki Akane<\/a>: director. His major works include Escaflowne<\/em> [movie], Noein \u2013 To Your Other Self<\/em>, and Birdy the Mighty: Decode<\/em>. Mr. Yasuda was his assistant director on Noein<\/em>, directed and storyboarded episodes of Heat Guy J<\/em>, and storyboarded on Stars Aline<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u203b4 Junichi Sato<\/a>: director. His major works include Sailor Moon, Kaleido Star<\/em>, and Aria the Animation<\/em>. Mr. Yasuda was his assistant director on M3 The Dark Metal<\/em> and directed and storyboarded episodes of Tamayura \u2013 Hitotose<\/em>. Mr. Sato also supervised Shugo Chara!! Doki<\/em> and was the writer and sound director on Croisee in a Foreign Labyrinth \u2013 The Animation<\/em>. He storyboarded Episode 24 of Yamato 2199<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u203b5 Takashi Watanabe<\/a>: director. His major works include Slayers, Ikki Tousen<\/em>, and Shakugen no Shana<\/em>. Mr. Yasuda was his assistant director on Boogiebop Phantom<\/em> and directed and storyboarded episodes of Space Pirate Mito<\/em>. Mr. Watanabe was also involved in the live-action Yamato<\/em> movie with the credit of \u201cspecialized equipment support.\u201d<\/p>\n

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