Interview with Hayashi Hiroki

While Hayashi Hiroki may not be immediately recognizable for his work in anime, he is a creative force in the industry today. Probably best known for creating both TENCHI MUYO! and EL HAZARD, Mr. Hayashi has directed SOL BIANCA, BUBBLEGUM CRISIS 4, and is also slated to direct the upcoming BUBBLEGUM CRISIS television series. EX spoke with Mr. Hayashi at the same time we spoke with Mr. Kitazume.

Scenes from EL HAZARD 2.

Since you're the creator of EL HAZARD, perhaps we could start by having you tell us about EL HAZARD 2?

Hayashi: I'm just the assistant director on that, and I'm assisting with the story planning. The story comes from one of the radio dramas; they took the most popular radio drama and used it as the basis for the second OVA series.

How does the story change from radio to video?

Hayashi: Just a little. Since radio is just sound, we have to make the story more visual for the OVA version.

I have to ask this next question because our readers want to know: what is the status of the BUBBLEGUM CRISIS television series?

Hayashi: [laughs] Well, It was supposed to begin airing on television this fall, but it has been delayed due to contract difficulties. It may be out next April, but that hasn't been firmly decided.

Is it still being worked on while the contracts are ironed out?

Hayashi: We're still working on story ideas and character designs. Our original character designer was Matsubara Hidenori, but now it's changed, since he is now busy with other projects. [Editor's note: Like the AA! MEGAMISAMA movie.] We have decided, though, to start the series over, rather than continue from the OVAs.

Why is that?

Hayashi: The original BUBBLEGUM CRISIS was written and directed by different people, and was never meant to continue. The next OVA was just tacked onto the end of the last one. Since there were different writers, directors, and staff for each episode, there are a lot of incongruities and inconsistencies in the characters and the stories. Continuity will be easier to maintain with one staff for the entire show. Plus, the original is now ten years old. We have a new staff and a new potential audience, so we don't want to rely on them knowing the old series. We are hoping for a later time slot so we can retain the serious tone of the original.

Which character will be the focus of the series?

Hayashi: The directors will do their own original stories that fit into the new storyline. But we all have our favorites. Each character hasn't been, and doesn't always have to be, fully explained. As an example, the story of Sylia's father never came out. I want to tell that story.

One last question. Is it true that you worked on THUNDERCATS?

Hayashi: [laughs] Yes. Our studio did a few episodes of that show, and I worked on it as a key animator.