Long interview with Koichi Motomura, animator! (The "inside man" of animation and games No.22)

Animation is not created in a day. Animation is the crystallization of creators' outstanding skills and unceasing efforts. In this 22nd edition of "Inside the Anime and Game Industry," we interview animator Koichi Motomura for the first time in the web media. Mr. Motomura is known for his work on "Gurren Lagann," "Toradora! Panty & Stocking with Garter Belt," "Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai. He is widely known as an animation director for masterpieces such as "Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai," "Natsuiro Kiseki," "Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S," "Onikan no Chitetsu," "Seraph of the End," "Rolling☆Girls," and "Blend S." He is also known for his work on "Yotsunoha," in which he created the character "Yotsunoha. He also served as character designer for "Yotsunoha" and as chief animation director for "Hanamaru Kindergarten," both of which have become fan favorites. In this article, Mr. Motomura talks at length about his influences, his work ethic, his career, the qualities and abilities necessary for an animator, and his future challenges.

I will never forget the excitement of seeing my own drawings in motion.

Thank you very much for agreeing to be interviewed by Akiba Research Institute. First of all, what do you find most rewarding as an animator?

Koichi Motomura (Motomura): When I was just starting out, I was so moved when I saw my own drawings in action, and I still remember that feeling today.

What works influenced you?

Honmura I didn't really start watching anime until I was a university student, but the episode 31 of "Rurouni Kenshin" (1996-98), supervised by Atsuko Nakajima, had very beautiful drawings. The chanbara scene, for example. After that, I started to record and watch anime.

I also watched "Tenchi Muyo! The Môryôkô (1992-94), which I was allowed to watch by my seniors in the manga study group at university. It was the first OVA series, and at the time I had no idea that I would become an animator; I was just a pure fan.

In terms of video games, there was a fighting boom, so I used to play "Street Fighter" a lot. Street Fighter" was a big influence on the way I drew muscles.

You were in the manga club at university, weren't you?

Motomura: I studied fine arts at university, and I did oil paintings in class. I thought I wanted to avoid the art club because I was doing oil paintings in class, so I joined the Manzoken with a light heart, but it was full of people with strong characters like "Jutsu Choujin Aaru" (laughs). (Laughs.) I was taken to my first Comiket, and that is how I got into the otaku scene.

Up until then, my illustrations had been realistic, realistic-looking drawings, but under the influence of the older students at the manga club, I began to draw manga-like pictures as well. I had never had any fellow artists before, so it was my first experience to be influenced by others.

I am good at cute and daily life plays.

What kind of drawings and genres are you good at?

Motomura: I enjoy drawing cute pictures. In terms of genres, I am good at daily life plays. I was very happy when the director Hiroshi Nishikori, who helped me with "GAD GUARD" (2003), gave me a cut of an everyday scene from another work, saying, "If you want to do everyday scenes, you should be Motomura.

Speaking of cute and cuddly, you have been the animation director for "Natsuiro Kiseki" (2012), "Rolling☆Girls" (2015), and "Blend S" (2017). Aren't there many female characters in these works, and isn't it difficult to separate them?

Motomura: I have to draw each character separately and think about each character's personality and play-acting, which makes my head explode (laughs). (Laughs.) If I, as an animator, were an actor, I would have to play several roles for each character. It's fun, but it's hard work. For a while, I also studied stage acting.

(2016), in which you participated in the opening as an original artist.

Motomura: I like both the works and the staff at Animation Studio, so when they call me, I just say, "I'll be right there! (laughs).

What kind of cuts do you do for works other than the cute ones?　For example, how about "Onikan no chitetsu" (2014)?

Motomura: I supervised the creation of the B part of "Onikan" episode 4, the rabbit Akuto's flip-flop cartoon.

What kind of original art did you do for "The Garden of the Sinners" (2007-10)?

Motomura: In Chapter 6, there is a cut where the character is wearing a kimono and wielding a Japanese sword. I remember it was very difficult because I was wearing a kimono and my furisode (long-sleeved kimono) was shaking. In fact, I bought myself an imitation sword and wielded it while doing it. I was in a kendo club when I was little, so I like action with swords.

Do you have any rules that you always follow in your work?

Motomura: I always make it a rule to keep the connection between the previous and next parts of a picture, whether I am doing original drawings or supervising the production of a movie. In industry jargon, it is called "matching," but if something that was in the previous cut is not in the next cut, or if a character's performance in the previous cut is not connected to the next cut, I try to eliminate anything that the viewer would find unnatural. This is also pointed out in Yoshiyuki Tomino's "Principles of Imaging," and I think animators should read this book.