在FicZone举行期间(这是一个在西班牙南部的格拉纳达举行的关于最新动画、漫画与游戏的展览活动),我们与贞本义行一起谈论了他的近期工作企划,希望能够获得他在完成EVANGELION漫画后对动画产业的看法。这位世界著名人物设计师向我们述说了他在新FLCL系列以及Gainax的苍之乌尔中的参与(苍之乌尔似乎将再次延期)。
在从事了多年EVANGELION的工作后,你是如何看待这部作品的?
作为动画产业从业者,对于我来说EVANGELION仅是一份工作,我需要除了EVANGELION以外的工作以继续前进。现在我不想再进行这部作品的工作——但是在日本这是一部重要的作品,并且它有着大量粉丝,所以我会认真的对待它。
似乎庵野秀明也搁下了EVANGELION去休息了,他似乎更专注于实拍电影。
确实是这样的,我不知道庵野的脑袋里在想着什么(笑)。
自从 2012 年的《狼的孩子雨和雪》,我们发现你没有从事任何动画工作,哪怕是《怪物之子》,而在之前你参与了细田守的每一部动画电影。这是为什么?
我只是想专注于绘画,我想把重点集中在完成新世纪 EVANGELION 的漫画上。
如你所知,FLCL将会出续集。你有参与这个新企划吗?
原企划是由Gainax与Production I.G共同进行的,而新系列完全取决于Production I.G,我问过他们是否要继续使用我的设计,按情况写在人员名单中就好。这样做不会有任何问题,但是我还没有得到任何答复——我们要等等看。
你对这个系列的回归是怎么看的?
作为画师,我喜爱FLCL,但是除此之外我没有什么看法,只要我的作品得到尊重。
是怎样的过程使得一部像FLCL这样的作品得以复活?
粉丝是很重要的,这是当然的。对于FLCL,粉丝们想让他们的作品回来,而很好的是他们实现了他们的愿望。但是真正决定一个系列回归与否的是赞助商们。像EVANGELION或是FLCL,它们是很成功的作品。对于赞助商们来说他们是零风险的作品,他们知道他们只要参与这种作品的回归企划就能够赚钱。
作为画师,「为什么我们要把钱花在不是新点子、新故事的企划上?」这种感觉撼动着我。我知道这是动画产业的运作方式,但是我困惑着。
当你不得不在一个没有什么赞助商的企划中工作时,这要怎么做?
你需要钱来进行原创事物的工作,如果你想制作新动画,你就要去找赞助商,它们很可能会对你说不。所以当要进行这样的企划时,你需要一定数量的钱,只是你要用更少的钱来制作。
我不想有人对我说一定要去做什么,所以我认为最好的能够避免这种情况的办法是慢慢来。首先你要开始一部漫画。当这部漫画足够成功就会有人主动来要制作动画。就是这样运作的。
这些年在Gainax的工作是怎样的?
作为团队的一部分在Gainax工作……是非常自由的。就好像当我要参与细田守的作品,尽管我是Gainax的一份子,我还是去要了工作许可。他们说了可以,所以我能毫无问题的进行参与。
另外,Gainax有一个培养提升年轻画师的规定。就是说如果某人有天赋,你就要帮助他负担更多的责任甚至是当监督来制作新东西。Gainax在这方面非常自由与前卫,这让我很喜欢。
事实上你正作为人物设计师进行《苍之乌尔》的工作。电影进行得怎么样了?
如我之前所说,这是取决于钱的事情。我致力于这部电影,我爱它。但是进展缓慢,并且缺乏资金是个很大的问题。不符按怎样,虽然现在我不能说关于它的任何内容,但是即使现在的监督都离开了这个企划,我仍会参与其中。
所以目前的上映时间(2018年)依旧有效吗?
你要知道,这个上映时间是去年的……我不知道(笑)
谈到动画筹资——你了解众筹吗?你觉得这种获取资金的途径现实吗?
已经有许多企划选择了这种方法。但它们都是10或者15分钟的短篇动画。像这样的话你可以这样做,但是对于像是EVANGELION这样的大型企划你需要远多于你能从众筹中获得的资金。这是一种会持续下去的趋势,但是对大制作是不可行的。
那么在未来,动画制作的资金来源会是什么?
目前,视频企业与音乐企业是非常重要的资金来源,它们在动画筹资中占有很高的比例。但是我认为未来是属于像是亚马逊或者Netflix这样的平台的。它们正在寻找参与动画的机会,我认为它们将改变目前的运作方式。它们将为它们自己的平台制作它们自己的作品,动画制作资金来源的走向将被改变。
你现在有什么工作企划吗?
我在进行智能手机游戏的工作,还有实拍电影的服装设计工作。同时,我参与了一个很小的动画企划,所以要同时做4或5件事,这让我一直很忙。
我们还将会见到你再次制作一部像是EVANGELION这样长的漫画的作品吗?
我现在54了。如果要再花20年,当它结束的时候我就74了……我觉得会很难吧(笑)
感谢FicZone提供本次参访的机会。英中翻译洗手见天使。
Interview: Legendary Evangelion Illustrator Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
During FicZone, a recent anime, manga and videogames event in Granada, in the south of Spain, we sat down to talk with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto about his current projects, hoping to get his thoughts about the anime industry after finishing the Evangelion manga. The world-famous character designer talked with us about his involvement in the new FLCL series, as well as Gainax’s Aoki Uru project, which seems to be delayed again.
After all these years working on Evangelion, how do you feel about the series?
As an anime industry worker, for me Evangelion has been just another job, and I need to get work apart from Evangelion to keep going. It’s a franchise I don’t really want to work on anymore at this point – but it’s an important franchise in Japan and there are many fans, so I take it seriously.
It seems like Hideaki Anno is also resting from Evangelion and he’s more focused on the live-action market.
The thing is, I don’t understand what’s cooking inside Anno’s head (laughs).
Since Wolf Children in 2012, we haven’t seen you working on any anime, even Bakemono no Ko, which is interesting as you’ve worked in every one of Hosoda’s films. What is this about?
I just wanted to devote myself to draw, I wanted to focus exclusively in finishing the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga.
As you surely know, there’s a FLCL sequel on the way. Are you involved in the new project?
The original project was carried out between Gainax and Production I.G while the new series depends exclusively on Production I.G I asked them if they were going to use my designs, credited as such in the production. There wouldn’t be any problem working that out but I haven’t heard anything from them yet – we’ll see what happens.
What’s your opinion about the series coming back?
As an artist, I feel affection for FLCL, but beyond that I don’t have an opinion as long as my work is respected.
What’s the process like, deciding to resurrect a property like FLCL?
The fans are important, of course. Fans want their series to come back, as in the case of FLCL, and it’s great they can fulfill their desires. But the people who really determine whether or not a series returns are the sponsors. Evangelion or FLCL, for example, are series which had a lot of success. They’re series with zero risk to sponsors, and they know they’ll be making money if they take part in those kind of returning projects.
As an artist, the feeling that shakes me is “why do we spend money on projects that aren’t new ideas or new stories?” I know that’s how the industry works, but I wonder.
When you have to work on projects with not much support from sponsors, how is it done?
To work on original things you need money, and if you want to work in new anime, you are going to ask to sponsors that probably are going to say no to you. So when it comes time to make certain projects and you need a certain amount of money, you just have do it with less money.
I don’t want anyone telling me what I have to do, so I think the best way possible to avoid this is to go slowly. First you come up with the manga. Once the manga is successful enough, someone will come along willing to make the anime. That’s how it works.
How has it been working for Gainax all these years?
Working in Gainax as part of the team… it’s very liberating. For example, when I worked with Hosoda, I went to ask permission to work with him despite being at Gainax. They said yes, so I could do it without any problems.
In addition, it’s a policy that enhances their young artists. The idea is that if someone has talent, you have to support him to do new things with more responsibility, even as a director. Gainax is very liberal and avant-garde in this field, and that’s something I love.
In fact, you are working in a project at the studio, Aoki Uru, where you also work as a character designer. How’s the movie going?
As I said before, it’s something that depends on money. In this case, I’m really committed to the movie, I just love it. It is a slow process and lack of money is a real problem. Anyway, although I can not say anything about it right now, even if the current director leaves the project, I will stay involved in it.
So it is the current release date (2018) still going to happen?
You know, the previous release date was for last year… I don’t know (laughs).
Speaking of financing anime – are you aware of crowdfunding? Do you think it’s a realistic way of getting money?
There are already many projects choosing this route. But they’re short animations, which have a duration of ten or fifteen minutes. You can do things like that, but for large projects like Evangelion you need much more money than what you get by crowdfunding. It is a trend that will continue, but it’s not viable for big productions.
What is the future of funding anime productions, then?
Right now, video and music companies are very important in terms of funding and they represent a high percentage for the financing of anime. But I think the future belongs to platforms like Amazon or Netflix. They’re taking a chance on anime and I think they will change the thinking about how it’s done. Doing their own productions for their own platforms, the trend of funding anime productions is going to change.
What are your current projects?
I’m working in the smartphone video games market, as well as costume design for a live-action movie. Also, I’m involved in a pretty small anime project, so there are four or five things at the very moment that keep me busy.
Will we see you again taking action in such a long manga as Evangelion?
I’m 54 right now. If It’s going to take me another twenty years It would end when I’m 74… I think that’s kind of difficult (laughs).
Thanks to the FicZone organisation for providing the opportunity for this interview. Japanese translation by Michie Yamaya.