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Vol 2 Issue 7
[EX-CLUSIVE]

A Conversation With Minami Masahiko (continued)

Past and Future Projects

EX: Which of your projects are you the most satisfied with?

Minami: This is very difficult... For TV series, I've done three works: IRON LEAGUER, G GUNDAM, and ESCAFLOWNE. There isn't any particular I like the best. I am satisfied with all of them. In my case, when we first start a project, I discuss with the director about the project, the story, and what we will make. If the results show on the film, I am pretty much satisfied. In the technical sense, since I go for the all-new techniques, I am pretty satisfied with ESCAFLOWNE as the newest work up to now. However, personally, IRON LEAGUER is my favorite. (laughs) It was a very pure type of story. There are plenty of robot stories with warfare, but as a sports story, this was different. All of the [television] series I've done were geared to children—except ESCAFLOWNE, of course. G GUNDAM was fun with the indulgent director, "Mr. I." I worked on the GUNDAM 0083 video series, so I've done work on regular GUNDAM. Because of that, I was able to enjoy doing a different kind of GUNDAM.

Shots from IRON LEAGUER.

EX: Besides COWBOY BEBOP, what are some of the anime projects that Sunrise is working on now?

Minami: We are doing several projects. The WATARU 2 series, a new series, will be released for television broadcast this October.

EX: WATARU 2?

Minami: Oh, that's right, WATARU already has series 1 and 2. (laughs) Also, there is OUTLAW STAR, a space story based on an Itoh Takehiko work [in ULTRA JUMP]. The broadcast time hasn't been decided yet, but it will be the end of this year or beginning of next. [Since the interview, OUTLAW STAR has been scheduled for January 1998.] There are various robot shows being made.

EX: Including one directed by Tomino Yoshiyuki [creator of GUNDAM]?

Minami: Yes, it should be next year or later. And of course, I will be taking care of some theatrical anime next year. (laughs) I'd like to produce at least one more TV series by the end of the century. [Ed. Note: read Tomino's Counterattack in the EX 2.2 news column for more info on Tomino's upcoming show]

EX: Are there plans for more GUNDAM projects in the future besides the conclusion of THE 08TH MS TEAM?

Minami: THE 08TH MS TEAM, the series that will not end... Between next year and the following year, we are planning to create some kind of project for the 20th anniversary of the first GUNDAM. But we're still thinking about it. Also we will finish THE 08TH MS TEAM (laughs nervously).


State of Anime and International Fandom

EX: In your opinion, what is the state of Japanese animation today?

Minami: This year, with late night and morning time slots, CS [Communication Satellite] and BS [Broadcast Satellite] channels, and such, television slots for animation have pretty much grown. We also have many theatrical animation films with increased audiences like EVANGELION. But I wonder if the current situation is a good one or a very difficult one. Because first of all, there aren't that many creators at this point. Also, they are usually working with low budgets and short schedules, which might lead to lower quality. The resulting situation is that productions don't do too well; in fact, a lot of them are in a pretty precarious situation. It's all a matter of how we take the story between the creator and the audience.

Left: the Sunrise logo. Right: animators hard at work.

I have an interesting story. When we were airing ESCAFLOWNE on television, a person called me on the phone and told me, Minami, you can't do this kind of thing on television, because it makes other series look bad. But then I asked him, why don't you call the people who create terrible anime then?
  I think it would be best if the audience can choose their favorite anime among many kinds of works. Anime is becoming very popular overseas. However, the overseas market system is not established very well, although it is getting better. It depends on the creators' thoughts and values.

EX: How do you see computer animation being used in the next ten years?

Minami: It may not be true CG, but ReTAS and animation systems using computers [to composite or color] will grow a lot in the next ten years. Some say we might not produce too many cels by actual paints anymore in the future. But as for animation using actual computer graphics, there are some in America such as the one with dinosaurs turning into robots.

EX: TRANSFORMERS BEAST WARS?

Minami: That's right, BEAST WARS. However, I still think there won't be too much animation with all computer graphics. The current style of animation and manga will not cease in the near future. It's all two dimensional. That's the whole idea. But as a way of expression, CG is very attention-grabbing and attractive. As far as using it as the background or a stage, I think is a good idea, with characters two-dimensional as they are right now.

EX: What would you like to say to American fans of Sunrise?

Minami: I've heard that Japanese animation is getting more popular overseas from Yuuki (laughs) and others. I personally believe I am creating something very interesting. For IRON LEAGUER, I actually had fans overseas in my mind when I was creating it. For example, we made the stage of the anime with no nationalities. The audience wouldn't know which country, or even if it takes place on another planet. I still get criticism when there is too much violence which can't be shown on tv overseas. Basically, I would like to target towards children who can understand [regardless of violence] and have fun. If you have a chance, please watch our works and have fun. In the next year or the year after, Sunrise will be producing many other interesting works, so please look forward to them. As I mentioned before, I would like to spread the overseas popularity of animation, so I can get a larger budget (laughs) and create more interesting works.


Sidebar: Sunrise, Inc. (homepage)
Established:     September 1972 (under the name Sunrise Studio, Ltd.)
Incorporated: November 1976 (under the name Nippon Sunrise, Inc.)
President: Yoshii Takayuki
Current number of studios: 10
First projects it
collaborated on:
Hazedon (1972-73), 0 Tester (1973-74), Brave Raideen (1975-76), Star of La Seine (1975-76)
First project it oversaw: The Unchallengable Zambot 3 (1977-78)
"Breakthough" project: Mobile Suit Gundam  (1979-80, 1981-82)
Current projects
in production:
(partial listing) Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (1996- ), King of Braves GaoGaiGar (1997- ), The Silent Service: Voyage 2 (1997), Super Mashin Hero [Legend] Wataru (1997- ), Cowboy Bebop (1997- ), Outlaw Star (1998- )
Percentage of
Sunrise-related
series featured in
Neo Super Robot War:
67% (8 of 12)

Cowboy Bebop
Creator:     Yadate Hajime
Director: Watanabe Shinichiroh (Gundam 0083, Macross Plus)
Series Script Supervisor: Nobumoto Keiko (Macross Plus)
Script: Nobumoto Keiko, Yokote Michiko, Yamaguchi Ryohta (Escaflowne), Murai Sadayuki
Character Design: Kawamoto Toshihiro (Gundam 0083, Golden Boy, Gundam: The 08th MS Team)
Mechanical Design: Yamane Kimitoshi (Escaflowne, Silent Service, Bubblegum Crisis)
Music: Kanno Youko (Macross Plus, Memories' Magnetic Rose, Escaflowne)
Producer: Minami Masahiko
Animation Production: Sunrise


© Sunrise, Sotsu Agency, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo, Takachiho Haruka & A.A., NTV, Kawaguchi Kaiji/Kodansha,  Morimatsu Shinji, Kikuda Yohno / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV

Special thanks to: Richard Kim for the photography; Ogawa Yukiko of Sunrise, Inc., Takachiho Haruka, and Karahashi Takayuki for initially arranging the visit; David Van Cleef for accomodations; Senoh Yufuko (The Vision of Escaflowne Fanbook) for locale-scouting; and Scott and Maria Rider for Jack Daniels


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