{"id":34337,"date":"2022-05-02T19:02:39","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T02:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=34337"},"modified":"2023-05-13T12:58:46","modified_gmt":"2023-05-13T19:58:46","slug":"787a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/787a\/","title":{"rendered":"Roadshow<\/em> magazine, August 1978"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A message from a lone wolf who challenges SF anime in pursuit of magnificent romance<\/h3>\n

The second work of this lone wolf was born from the end scene!<\/h2>\n

Interviewer: Kazuko Komori<\/p>\n

Yoshinobu Nishizaki<\/em><\/p>\n

Born in Tokyo in 1934. After graduating from Nihon University College of Art in 1957, he worked as a jazz commentator, orchestra manager, music producer, promoter, and business secretary. In 1972, he established Office Academy as the president and produced the TV animation Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>. The theatrical movie version was a huge hit in 1977. The second film, Farewell to Yamato<\/em>, is currently in production for release on August 5.<\/p>\n

<\/br><\/p>\n

Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> was not popular at first<\/h3>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> How do you like it? The second work, Farewell to Yamato<\/em>… is it almost finished?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> It’s finally in the last stages. Today is the last day of retakes. The final rushes were finished the day before yesterday, just in time. For example, the comet at the beginning of the film is moving too fast. I’ll look at the rushes and make the final retakes.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Is today the wrapup?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> Yes, it is. The total time is now 2 hours and 49 minutes, so I’ll squeeze it down to about two and a half hours.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> The film will be released on August 5, right?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> Yes, it will. It will be released nationwide in 130 theaters in 105 cities under the Toei\/Tokyu group. On August 4, the eve before the premiere, Fuji TV will broadcast a 2-hour and 8-minute encore of the first film from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Then it will be popular again, won’t it? Compared to the first one, how long did it take to make the second one?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> It usually takes about a year to make a two-and-a-half hour animated film. This time, however, I started in November of last year, so I was able to finish it in about 9 months.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Was it shorter than the first one?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> In the case of the first film, a large part of the content was taken from the TV program. The content of the second film is completely fresh. In terms of time, the first film had much more leeway. After all, I had two and a half years from the time when it didn’t do well on TV to when the movie was made.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> But you made the film because it was successful on TV, right?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> No, it was not. When we made it for TV, it was terrible. Anyway, I made three series in total, two in the first three years. [Triton of the Sea, Wansa-kun<\/em>, and Mountain Mouse Rocky Chuck.]<\/em> In the fourth year, I made the best use of my resources and decided to make an anime with strong musicality. That was Yamato<\/em>, which took half a year just to plan. It took another year to make the animation. It was made after a sufficient period of time and consideration, so I was very confident at the time. But when the program was aired, the viewer rating was a mere 5%.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> What was the time slot?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> It was during golden time, between 7:30 and 8:00 on Sunday night. The best possible time. However, this is the time for cartoons, which means that the target audience is mainly lower grade elementary school students and pre-school children. From the beginning, my target audience was 14 to 15 year olds. My approach to making films was to focus on older boys and girls, even though they’re considered only for young children. I was thinking of viewers at least old enough to understand the story. However, because of the time slot, the boys and girls in my target audience were turned off.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> When did things start to improve?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> After the TV series ended, I was disappointed because I had been so excited about it. But I didn’t want to just throw it away, so I decided to sell it overseas first, and started editing it for the overseas market. That would cost me tens of millions of yen, so I sold the TV rerun rights to a certain company for a very high price.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the ratings increased each time the program was rerun. The first rerun got a whopping 15%. After that, the ratings climbed to 25%, 30%, and so on. Even without being covered in the mass media, the repeated reruns quietly penetrated the entire country.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> I guess it was a good thing you sold it so early… (Laughs)<\/p>\n

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

Would you die for your lover? This is my second theme<\/h3>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> That’s right. I was desperate for money, so it turned out to be a good thing. (Laughs) However, in the series they go to Iscandar to get a device to remove radiation in order to save the Earth. The process of getting there is depicted episode by episode in the style of a serialized story. I think I was able to express the love drama of the various characters as they dealt with the events that occurred in the story. <\/p>\n

However, in the case of a movie, the same story is depicted in a two-hour frame, so inevitably the ability to depict the main character is limited. I didn’t have enough time to depict the different types of love, such as love for mankind, love for one’s family, and love for another. But you can do that with a TV series.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Yes, each episode is different…<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> That’s right. Each episode is based on the same idea, not only for the main character but also for the supporting characters. Sometimes we could depict the others. This is how the drama of Yamato<\/em> permeated the fans.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> That’s interesting.<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> Anyway, in the TV series, I created a story in which the main character says, “When a man has a goal, he must accomplish it.” This was one theme. And to express this theme, I added Juzo Okita, the captain of the ship, who is a great man. Okita’s own way of life is an example of this, and the main character, Kodai, grows up in the relationship with Okita.<\/p>\n

And finally, in order for the protagonist to achieve his goal, he thought it was the right thing to do and was totally absorbed in it, but was it really the right thing to do? After the destruction of the enemy’s main planet, we learned that the other side had a clear reason for fighting, namely migrating to Earth. It raises the question of whether you can justify the fight for your own purpose. Anyway, the first film is over, isn’t it?<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Did you plan to make the second one because the first one was a big hit?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> Even though the first film was a hit, I had no intention of making a second film at that time, at least not in the context of the main character Susumu Kodai’s growth story. In the end, he’s the one who says, “We should have shown love rather than fighting.” So I couldn’t have him fight in the second film without any reason.<\/p>\n

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

After that, I received a lot of requests for a sequel from fans through questionnaires…but I was still hesitant about it. In November of last year, I suddenly had a thought, an idea to depict the end of Yamato<\/em>. While I was thinking about it, an end scene came to me. For whatever reason, Yamato<\/em> drifts away gracefully to the far reaches of the wonderful galaxy. I thought wanted to depict that with a certain emotion…<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> So you created a story working backward from the last scene?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> That’s right. The real impetus for making a second film was the image of Yamato<\/em> flying off and disappearing into space. And then the Yamato<\/em> theme is overlaid on it, everyone on the screen sees it off, and at the same time, the audience sees it off as well. I thought we could send Yamato<\/em> off like this.<\/p>\n

When I say “disappear”, I don’t mean it simply vanishes, but it disappears for the sake of Earth or the universe, or for the sake of some person. This is completely worth showing. I also thought about the idea of surrendering for the sake of others and floating off in the currents.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> That’s a good idea. So, the second work is really your own dream. It’s got power and everything in it…<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> That’s right. It’s like I put all of my thoughts into it. From there, it just grew and grew. Anyway, as the second film, the ideal is that all the conflicts in the world can be solved by love, but that’s just an ideal. What do we have to do now in order to get there? We have to cherish the love that is closest to us. A love of humankind and the universe is important, but fundamentally, I think that individual love is the most important thing.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Personal love.<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> For example, in the case of love between a man and a woman, can you risk your life for the sake of your lover? What is the proof of love? This is the question posed in the second work.<\/p>\n

I have loved musicals and war movies since I was a child<\/h3>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> With that out of the way, let’s start with your first encounter with films.<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> I have loved movies since I was a child. The war ended when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school. There weren’t many good movies after the war, so I was impressed by the first one I went to see, Disney’s Gulliver’s Travels<\/em>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But my first real encounter was during the war with the movie, Kato Hayabusa Combat Team<\/em><\/a>. The son of Captain Kato was in my class, and I sat next to him. I remember watching this movie in my elementary school playground. It was about airplanes, and because of that image, the captain of the Black Tiger fighters in Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> is Saburo Kato. I chose that name myself.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Did Gulliver’s Travels<\/em> get you interested in anime?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> No. At that time, I was only interested in movies. When I entered junior high school and went to Musashi High School, I had to go to Ikebukuro [entertainment district in Tokyo]. I saw a lot of colorful movies there. There was a movie called Adventure<\/em>, when kiss scenes were still rare in Japan. It featured Clark Gable and Greer Gershon, right? I snuck into a theater where minors were not allowed. My heart was pounding so hard in anticipation of the kiss scene, I couldn’t follow the story. I started watching a lot of movies around that time, including Disney’s Fantasia<\/em>. I watched films with strong musicality.<\/p>\n

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

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Did you like musicals?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> I loved them. Among the many musicals of that time, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers<\/em> made the biggest impression on me. I also love war stories. Especially with submarines.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> What films did you see?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> Richard Widmark’s Hell and High Water<\/em>, I think. Anyway, I was thrilled when I saw submarines, tanks, and airplanes.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> You are a boy after all.<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> Yes. It must be the mecha. Those films were very useful for Yamato<\/em>. When we were making the first series, I showed the film Battle of Britain<\/em><\/a> to all the animators. This was going to be different from fighter battles in past anime. When a plane descends, it doesn’t just descend, it twists and turns and tilts sideways to make a ground attack. Rockets, for example, don’t just drop down from under their wings, but take a pause before dropping.<\/p>\n

Musical films were also very useful. If the human performance is 100, then using music that fits the scene\/image takes it to 150, or even 170, and so on. When the audience finishes watching a movie, and later on when they close their eyes and listen to some music, the scene comes back to them. Or, vice versa, by remembering a certain scene the music comes flowing back. This was helpful in creating Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> When did you become aware that you would like to make something as a producer someday?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> I don’t remember that I consciously thought anything like that in order to express something, in films or whatever. But I clearly wanted to develop my own musicality.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> When you were a student, did you form your own band or something?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> I was a commentator at a jazz cafe. Until I was 18 years old, I was in a very privileged environment, as you know. My aunt was [pianist] Midori Nishizaki, and she lived nearby, so I could hear the tinkling sound next door. When you live in such an environment for a number of years, it becomes a natural part of you. <\/p>\n

My sister loved classical music during her junior high and high school years, I listened to music from the 16th century to the 18th century, up to the time of Ravel and Debussy, for 4 or 5 years. When I turned 18, I told my father that I wouldn’t follow in his footsteps, but would instead go into theater. He was very angry and I was seriously disowned.<\/p>\n

I went to Bungakuza for a few years, but then I had a car accident and went back home again. I was a bit young at the time, and various things happened. I had to leave home again, and I had to eat, so I started to appear on stage as a commentator at jazz cafes. I was 21 years old.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> I see.<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> At first, I only knew Begin the Begin<\/em><\/a> and Too Young<\/em><\/a>, but I spent three years there and learned all kinds of jazz, starting with rock, then Dixie, swing, Kansas City swing, and then modern. Brass Japanese music and classical music were very useful for me in creating Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n

After that, I got tired of being a jazz commentator and started managing a jazz orchestra. I became a promoter who dabbled in box office business. Then I went to Europe and trained under a famous showman there. I worked as a secretary for a businessman, and so on.<\/p>\n

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

An ocean drama for young people who really want to make it<\/h3>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> By the way, have you seen Star Wars<\/em> and Close Encounters<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> Yes, in January of this year, before making Farewell to Yamato<\/em>, I went to Hawaii with Leiji Matsumoto to observe the enemy situation.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Did you get some fresh inspiration?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> To be honest, I was not very impressed. There were several reasons. I think it’s a compilation of all the robots and things that have happened in the past, including monsters. Of course, I think it’s a fun and wonderful work that meets a pretty high standard, but I also felt that there was no story to it.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Both of them?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> I especially felt that way about Star Wars<\/em>. I wondered how much the simple concept of rescuing a princess in a fairy tale would permeate the Japanese character. I don’t think I could make something like that.<\/p>\n

But Close Encounters<\/em> is wonderful, the way director Spielberg worked on the theme and carried it through the story, represented by the phrase “We are not alone.” I think he’s very talented, and I could feel his youthfulness from the screen itself. However, I don’t like the way the music is often used as sound effects. It’s the same with Star Wars<\/em>. Anyway, the melody doesn’t remain in my heart after watching it.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> That can be said for both films.<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> I can’t say much about either film except for the music. For example, in Close Encounters<\/em>, the alien melody remains in my mind, but it doesn’t mean the music left a lasting impression on me. It’s more of a sound effect.<\/p>\n

If you find it helpful, the way they express three-dimensional mechanisms from the outside is no match for tokusatsu (Japanese special effects films), but tokusatsu is too expensive to express interior mechanisms, and has its limits. In the case of Star Wars<\/em>, we don’t spend as much as they did on the outside. After discussing this with Mr. Matsumoto, we decided to draw the insides and the mecha process.<\/p>\n

The other thing I would like to depict is the relationship between mecha and human beings, which is not depicted in Star Wars<\/em>. We depict a story with humans as the ones who operate the machines. But when I first saw these two works, I was really shocked. I threw the script away for a while.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Were you that shocked?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> It really was a big shock. Especially Close Encounters<\/em>. We were thinking of a city empire as well, but they beat us to it. The saucer is a kind of city empire. In our case, a planet itself is a city empire. That was so shocking that Mr. Matsumoto turned pale after watching Close Encounters<\/em>.<\/p>\n

And as for the theme of the work, when you set a story in space and depict something called love, you inevitably have to go beyond human love. In the case of Yamato<\/em>, even if the enemy are aliens, they are depicted as human beings.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> After all, “We are not alone”…<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> That’s right. Therefore, it is wrong to say that Close Encounters<\/em> took the lead with “We are not alone.” I think that is the ultimate theme. The problem is how to express it.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> After this work, would you like to change your pace and make a musical?<\/p>\n

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

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> I think so. Anyway, I have two major goals for next year. One is to do another Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> TV series. I did it for film, I did it for radio, I did concerts, and the music got a gold record, so I’ve done it in all genres. The only thing left is a musical, that is, the stage.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned earlier, if it’s not a story with a theme common to young people, it will not be successful. In the case of American musicals, the themes are very simple in that sense. When I think about it that way, the music and story of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> are already very closely connected at the animation stage, and it is also accepted by today’s young people. If that’s the case, I would like to use this material for a musical in the future.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> I see. Then, what’s the other major goal?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> I have worked in management, then as a producer, and animation, TV, and film, but I would like to do feature films in this area. Even in animation, there are limits to expression. In particular, it’s impossible to depict a person’s facial expressions and the movements of their hearts in pictures. I’d like to make a magnificent ocean drama with real people, and young people as the theme.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> You like the sea, don’t you?<\/p>\n

Nishizaki:<\/em><\/span> Yes, I love it. I think it’s a case of looking at the same theme from the teenage years. When you look at it from your late thirties or early forties, the scene and the music must be different. While depicting both of them, I’d like to create a great entertainment action drama with the sea as the stage. This work will only be possible if it’s an original story. This will be the biggest theme for me next year. Actually, it will be the year after next, and I may do an anime in the meantime.<\/p>\n

Komori:<\/em><\/span> Thank you very much for the pleasant talk today. I wish you success with Farewell to Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n

<\/br><\/p>\n

Return to previous article<\/a><\/p>\n

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