Otakon 2013 Anime Mirai Interview

This is an interview with Tachikawa Yuzuru and Suwa Michihiko, both of whom are involved with the Anime Mirai project, an annual Japanese government-funded program to help teach young animators the skills they need to improve Japan's animation industry. Tachikawa is the director of one such Anime Mirai-funded work, Death Billiards. Suwa is better known as the producer for works including Detective Conan, Magic Knight Rayearth, and City Hunter, and is part of the Anime Mirai selection committee.



SO THE FIRST THING I WANT TO ASK YOU PERTAINING TO ANIME MIRAI IS, BECAUSE THE PROJECT DEVELOPED FROM WANTING TO HELP YOUNG ANIMATORS, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF THE CURRENT STATE OF ANIME FOR YOUNG ANIMATORS IN JAPAN? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE A FUTURE PERHAPS WHERE THE ANIMEMIRAI PROJECT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG ANIMATORS?




Tachikawa: So the reality is that when it comes to the number of animators versus the number of projects, the projects are greatly outnumbering the animators. The upper staff (senpai) is supposed to teach the younger (kouhai), but that's not really happening these days. To speak bluntly, the studio doesn't have much time or money, so it's sort of centered around making the project. So since Anime Mirai is being funded by the country, I hope that it will be a starter for raising new hopes for the anime industry.



In the end, what would be best is if the upper staff at the studio would be able to teach the younger staff and that way Anime Mirai would no longer be needed. That would be the best future we could see.



YOU SAID THE ANIME MIRAI PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT. WHAT UNIQUE ADVANTAGE DOES THIS PROVIDE, THE FACT THAT IT IS STATE FUNDED?



Suwa: So the country funds Anime Mirai with I think 38 million yen, check back with me for the numbers. Sfter Anime Mirai makes a project, throughout the year the project will be shown as a movie. But after that, the movie/show will be in the hands of the companies, and it will then be a new project for the companies to get a profit out of Anime Mirai, so I think it will be a new way of doing things.



THIS QUESTION IS ABOUT DEATH BILLIARDS BECAUSE IT USES A LOT OF 3DCG IN ITS ANIMATION OF BILLIARDS. I KNOW 3DCG HAS BEEN SEEN IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, SUCH AS A SHORTCUT, A NEW FORM OF ANIMATION UNTO ITSELF, AND AS A COST-SAVING MEASURE. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF USING 3D COMPUTER GRAPHICS IN ANIME?



Tachikawa: Personally I don't like anime becoming all 3DCG, it has to be a balance of both. The importance would be using 3DCG in the right place at the right time. The balls in Death Billiards are 3DCG, but the project had plans to teach the younger ones how to draw the more human parts, so we left the billiard balls and such to 3DCG.
Full Post