-Filmography
Voices of a Distant Star
(Hoshi no Koe)
A: Afternoon's Reporter
F: Kousuke Fujishima
S: Makoto Shinkai
To Create by Oneself
"To tell the truth, I wanted to be an animator"
"To tell the truth, I wanted to be an animator"
F: Why did you think to make an anime by yourself?
S: Somehow I thought I could do it. The length was not so long -was just under 30 minutes. And, to use softwares for creation themselves were really enjoyable for me. While I was using a 3D modeling software, I could build 3D world in front of my eyes as though I'm playing some kind of game. Thus I enjoyed the task itself.
F: But you had a feeling that "I want to express these thoughts", didn't you? I think the essential feature of a creator is how far he can go to achieve with what he wants to do, isn't it? In this area, you are great, Mr. Shinkai.
S: Thank you, although it's difficult.
F: It's really difficult. For example, especially....
S: "To make by oneself" or something?
F: Or, a creator could not go through with it if he didn't make it by himself. It is a feature of it. Furthermore, it is difficult not to become smug, but you didn't. That was your good point giving proper consideration to the audiences' point of view.
S: However, that is a standard matter of course, right?
F: That is not a matter of course in many cases. We need to consider the point of view of the people who pay to watch or read our work, and think about what they want. I can sense you were maybe considering about the people who were in the other side of the screen while you were making Voices of a Distant Star. I feel that was really great.
S: Thank you.
F: That was an important thing.
S: I didn't expect you to speak such highly of me.
F: What was the most enjoyable part for you when you were making Voices of a Distant Star?
S: For me, It was the editing. After visuals were completed. I synchronized them to the music and lined them up on a time line. That was most enjoyable. What is your most enjoyable moment, Mr. Fujishima?
F: The completed moment.
S: You mean kinda the sense of release or accomplishment?
F: It's a sense of fulfillment for only a split second. (Lough)
S: I agree that's really a split second.
F: Yes, a split second. But I can taste it every month. It's wonderful. I say "I finiiissshhed!" Well, I also enjoy while drawing. I most enjoy drawing roughly while I am at work. It seems to come directly to me without too many 'filtering' effects of
other factors. But I can't show them directly.
S: I think everyone would enjoy if you showed (the drawings) directly.
F: No, no....I'll be scolded.
S: Your work requires so many time after that, doesn't it?
F: Yes, I have often erased all even though I draw many drafts.
S: When did you draw a manga for the first time?
F: What does "manga" mean to you?
S: I mean something that has frames and word balloons.
F: Well, I have drawn such a thing when I was in elementary school, but I first drew a manga which has a story and many pages when I was a highschooler.
S: What story did you write?
F: I don't remember. I definitely don't want to remember. (Lough) To tell the truth, I wanted to be an animator.
S: Really?
F: But I thought the job might not pay enough to live on.
S: You can take all your favorite part in manga by yourself, can't you?
F: Actually, that's right. I can draw it by both ways, with someone's help or by only myself. Moreover, I can earn money by it.
S: Moreover, someone makes it into an anime for you. (Lough)
F: You don't consider yourself as a kind of animator, do you?
S: I have a lot of respects for animator's work. I also respect an animator who is working with me. I can't draw like them. I don't know as much as they do though because I myself have never worked at am anime studio.
F: I feel "anime sakka" (an anime artist) is a suitable title for you.
S: The title sakka sounds too grandiose for me.
(Translator's
Note: In Japanese language, "-ka" suffix means a person who has an
expert-level skill and be valued by the public by it. e.g. Karateka
[karate expert], Shousetsuka [novelist], Ongakuka [musician])
F: Well, I'm called "mangaka" (a manga artist).... It's too....S: That's okay. A mangaka is great.
F: Not any different.
S: Anyway, I'm so happy because I didn't expect my one-man work become a manga on Afternoon.
Voices of a Distant Star as a Manga
"I want to read Voices of a Distant Star
arranged like a girl's manga"
"I want to read Voices of a Distant Star
arranged like a girl's manga"
A: Do you have any special expectations to this manga version?
S: I wanted to read Voices of a Distant Star in manga. I've wanted to see Voices of a Distant Star arranged like a shoujo manga (manga for girls). Shoujo manga has a side which shows a story by monologues and dialogues, right?
F: Shoujo manga has a flavor of literature.
S: Sure. I wanted to read something similar to that. So, I'm pleased because the author of this manga version is a female.
A: Do you have any points looking forward to, Mr. Fujishima?
F: I'm looking forward see what new dimension she adds to it. To do same thing to anime version is nonsense. I'm interested in how she expresses the story special to manga.
S: Yes. In the case of a manga becoming an anime, the anime's story will be aligned with the manga if there is a well-written original manga like Mr. Fujishima's work. However, this time is different a bit. This is a manga version of only 25-minutes-long anime, so I think Ms Sahara, the author of manga version, faces a lot of difficulties of expressions in adding a new dimension to it.
F: But I think a expression will be more interesting if it is in less expressions, like literatures or novels. Ultimately, an expression is the act of showing something which does not exist by another way, isn't it?
A: "It does not exist, that's why I make it" or something?
F: No, I express the stuff which does not exist. I mean, I can play a sound in an anime if I need it, although I have to create the sound. In that respect, manga requires to express the sound by writing words. That is the interesting point. Moreover, a novelist needs to describe everything by words because a novel doesn't have pictures. The less options available, the more description is required of the author.
S: So, a manga artist needs to fill any gaps when adapting an anime into a manga.
F: That's right. How to treat (the story) without the options of sound and animation will depend on the author. There are many methods to show them: by showing the motion, by showing the emotion without motion, etc. So, I think the consideration of various expression methods will be very interesting. I'm thinking about "I want to show the metallic texture in this part" or "I want to show this part will open" or something while I'm drawing an art.
Voices to the New Work,
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
"I want to see this sky more"
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
"I want to see this sky more"
F: I'm expecting I can see "the beautiful sky" again in your next work.
S: I will do my best for the sky.
F: You will do your best only for the sky? (Laugh)
S: I enjoy drawing it the most. The sky is really enjoyable in drawing background art.
F: The sky you draw is beautiful, Mr. Shinkai.
S: One of the reasons is because it's the easiest for me. (Laugh)
F: Actually, I think it is easy. However, people tend to feel "Sky, not again", but not with your sky. It makes us feel that "I want to see this sky once more." That makes you different from the rest.
S: Thank you.
F: The sky, which appeared in Voices of a Distant Star again and again, was beautiful. Next time, a cool airplane will fly in the beautiful sky, won't it?
S: That is such a story.
F: It makes me happy!
[EOF]
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