Long interview with Aiko Matsuyama, color setter! (The 9th "Inside Man" of Anime and Games)

In this series, we interview creators active on the front lines of the animation and game industry to get a closer look at their work styles and personalities. In the ninth installment, we interview Ms. Aiko Matsuyama, who is in charge of color setting. Ms. Matsuyama is responsible for overseeing the "colors" of numerous hit titles such as "Oh My Goddess," "Amagami SS," "Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next," and "Gakusen Toshi Asterisk. In this interview, we asked him about his career, works that have influenced him, people he aims to be like, his work ethic, qualities and abilities required for color setting, his future goals, and many other aspects.

I want to make animated films like "Junkers Come Here" that will stay in people's hearts.

Please allow me to thank you very much for your time today. First of all, could you tell us about the works that have influenced you?

Aiko Matsuyama (Matsuyama): The animated film "Junkers Come Here" (1990). My friend invited me to see it 3 or 4 times, and no matter which movie theater I went to, I was moved to tears. I was moved to tears when I saw it at any movie theater. I began to think, "If this kind of thing can be done with animation, I would like to make an animation that will leave a lasting impression on people.

Do you have any goals?

Matsuyama: Kumiko Nakayama, who taught me a lot of things at the beginning. The colors she creates are so wonderful. Even now, I don't think I have caught up with her in terms of technique.

Since you started working, have you been influenced by Ms. Nakayama's work?

Matsuyama: I thought "Macross F" (2008), for which you did the color settings, was "amazing" and "a stone's throw" (laughs).

Color setting is "a job that involves everything related to color."

I'm sorry to ask a basic question, but what kind of work is color setting?

Matsuyama: Simply put, it is "a job that involves everything related to color. Depending on the work, I may also talk about art and special effects.

What are some of the changes in your work over time?

Matsuyama: When I started my job, there were only a few people who could work with digital technology because it was a time when analog celluloid and digital were mixed together. For example, if the artwork had not yet been digitized, I would adjust the digital version of the artwork. Now it is subdivided.

Developing your career at AIC.

I would like to ask you about your career. Did you attend an animation school?

Matsuyama: I attended the finishing course at Yoyogi Animation Gakuin for one year, where I learned celluloid coloring. The course was mainly about celluloid painting, and it seems that the digital coloring course was started the following year. There were many teachers who were working in the field, so I was able to acquire practical skills.

After you graduated from AIC, you joined AIC?

Matsuyama: That's right. At the time, AIC did not yet have a digital coloring staff, and I was hired as one of the new staff members. I mainly studied celluloid coloring at school, but I was also studying digital coloring, so I applied for the job.

So AIC was your first choice?

Matsuyama: I only applied to AIC. I went to an animation school because I wanted to make animation, but I actually didn't watch much animation. I didn't really know which companies were making what. Then, one of my teachers at Yoyogi Animation Gakuin, Isamu Ichimura, happened to be an AIC employee and said, "Why don't you apply to AIC? I applied and was accepted, so I joined the company.

What kind of software did you use to create your digital coloring portfolio?

Matsuyama: "PaintMan," which I used at Yoyogi Animation Institute. It was a good way for me to show that I could use the same software used in the animation field right away.

What kind of work did you do at first?

Matsuyama: I did the finishing touches on "The Chronicles of Rhodes: Knight of Heroes" (1998). I only did celluloid coloring. I didn't paint that many pictures, so I don't think my name is on it (laughs).

(laughs) ─ Is there a target number of sheets for those in their early careers?

Matsuyama: We aim for 50 to 60 sheets per day. In the beginning, the department said, "We will switch to digital in the future," and there were no detailed rules. As we began the transition to fully digital, we began to set targets, taking profitability into consideration.

In the case of "Battle of Rhodes," how many pictures were painted in a day?

Matsuyama: I painted on cells with paints, so it was about 10 to 20 sheets.

Did Mr. Nakayama teach you one-on-one immediately after you joined the company?

Matsuyama: When I was painting on celluloid, I learned from many of my seniors. I met Mr. Nakayama after I became digital.