Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love Chapter 5, Purgatory Arc, is about to be screened! Interview with Hiroki Komatsu, Animation Producer, the heart of the production site

It has already been four months since the screening of "Chapter 4: TENMEI-EN," which broke the audience's hearts with its breathtaking operation to liberate the planet Terezato. Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love Chapter 5, Purgatory Arc" will be screened in theaters from May 25, 2018 (Friday). Akiba Research Institute conducted an interview with Hiroki Komatsu, the animation producer in charge of making the film for the fifth chapter, which will take us to the climax of the story. This interview is different from the behind-the-scenes stories told mainly by director Nobuyoshi Habara and series director Harutoshi Fukui, and we hope you will pay attention to the "real voice from the production site.

What is an "animation producer"?

───What is your job as an "animation producer" for "Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love"?

Komatsu To put it simply, I am in charge of the production site, securing human resources such as designers and animators, assigning them jobs and when, and coordinating with the production committee and manufacturers to set the schedule. I also coordinate with the production committee and manufacturers to determine the schedule. Of course, Mr. Habara is in charge of the overall direction of the work, Mr. Fukui is in charge of the story line, and Assistant Director Makoto Kobayashi is in charge of the mechanics and artwork, but Mr. Habara is always willing to incorporate the opinions of many staff members in order to create a good product. It is no mean feat to listen to everyone's opinions and organize them, but Mr. Habara is an amazing person who never gives up on that. It is my job to see to it that this process goes as smoothly as possible.

─ ─ What was your impression of participating in "Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love"?

Komatsu: I didn't start working on "2202" at the beginning of the project, but rather from the middle, and since it was such a big title, I was very worried about whether I would be able to handle it. However, when I actually started working on the project, I found it very interesting!　Besides, the fact that it was a big title meant that the fans' voices were directly heard. I feel that this is a very worthwhile and rewarding experience. It is obvious from the reactions on the Internet that there are many dedicated fans, and the reactions are very strong, so I feel that we are "being talked about". Of course, there are many times when I feel pressure to do the opposite.

This is my seventh year at XEBEC, an animation production company, and I have always been in charge of production, not drawing or directing. This is the first time for me to work as a producer, but compared to other productions I have experienced, the working process of "2202" is very complicated. It is my first experience to have such a large percentage of 3DCG, and there are procedures unique to "2202," such as ...... where we have to prepare 3D materials and then order them from the art department. In the beginning, it was very difficult to figure it out.

─ ─ Looking back on the path to "Chapter 4: Tenmeihen", how do you feel?

Komatsu: To be honest, I feel that we have finally come this far. In terms of the content of the work and the teamwork and communication among the staff, the first stage was really exploratory, so there were some aspects that were difficult to get off the ground. It was a series of hardships until we were able to get over that and get on track. In Chapters 1 and 2, we were working hard until we got it on track, but even in Chapter 3, when it was time to get it on track, it didn't turn out so well (laughs), and we had to deal with a variety of schedule-related difficulties. (Laughs.) On the other hand, in the fourth chapter, we were able to focus on the work.

In particular, "2202" uses a lot of 3DCG, so modeling itself took a lot of time in the beginning, but as the production work progressed, we became more familiar with it, and we were able to utilize the models we had created, so the flow became smoother. 3D motion, explosions, and other effects, etc., and it is as if we are building up a stock of models and expanding our capabilities.

We have been experimenting in each chapter. In the cut of the Yamato's departure in Chapter 2, we went through a lot of trial and error in overlaying the drawing of the wave splash in 3D on the drawing.

─ What was your own original experience with "Yamato"?

Komatsu: When I was in elementary school, I saw a rerun of the first "Space Battleship Yamato" on NHK-BS, and that was my first experience. It was an old work, but strangely enough, I didn't mind watching it. My father explained it to me in various ways. For example, he told me that the current terminology means this: ...... (laughs). He also went to see the movie "Farewell Space Battleship Yamato" (1978) in the theater, and gave his assurance that it was a very good movie. When it was decided that I would be in charge of "2202," I first boasted to my father that I was now involved in the remake of "Saraba" (......) (laugh). Most of the works I have been in charge of so far, when I mention their names, I don't get much of a reaction from him, saying, "I've never heard of it. I am glad that people are interested in my work.

What are some of the difficulties that Yamato faces in the field?

─ Staff members sometimes say that "Yamato is different from other animations" and "Yamato is hard work.

Komatsu: First of all, the storyboarding stage takes a lot of time, which is perhaps a characteristic of Yamato. We order storyboards based on the scenario, but there are a lot of behind-the-scenario settings that do not appear on the surface of the scenario, so it is difficult for the storyboard staff to decipher and understand them. Also, everyone puts a lot of effort into drawing the storyboards, so when they are finished, sometimes they don't fit in the time frame (laughs). (Laughs.) So it is very difficult to make adjustments.

Also, since the film depicts a "battleship or fleet conquering space," we have to be very careful about expressing the sense of size, especially the sense of immensity. If you put the 3D model on the screen as it is, it often does not look very huge. So, depending on the cut, we may show a model that is several times larger than the original size. Or, if the model moves too fast, it may look too small and light, so we may ask the model to move slowly using 3 times the scale ....... Of course, Director Habara and Assistant Director Kobayashi are also sensitive to such requests, and they sometimes submit retakes for such 3D expressions. I am very proud of the people in charge of 3D who respond to such retakes.

Another difficult aspect of "2202" is the character expression. The characters drawn by Mr. Nobuteru Yuki (character designer) have very delicate lines, so it is very difficult for some animators to make them "look like" the characters. Even the animation directors sometimes say, "I'm good at this character, but this character doesn't look right. ...... Ancient, Snow, and Dessler are said to be very difficult to "make them look like each other" (laugh).

The format of the theatrical screening of the film in seven chapters, which is different from the TV series, also gives "2202" a unique sense of scheduling. We can take more time to work on it than the TV series, but if we are not careful, we can end up spending extra time on it. For "Yamato," we often have to go through many takes of something that would have been OK in the TV series, saying, "I want to add this," or "I want to add that. To be honest, there are times when we end up pushing too hard until the very last minute.

─ You mentioned that you "go after it too hard," but what exactly do you mean by that?

Komatsu: How to show the details of the mechanisms is one of the most exciting aspects of Yamato, so it is a very difficult part of the work, and it is a point where I tend to "chase too deep". We really want to show the details of the mecha in the key shots, and since it's very difficult to draw all the details from scratch, we have the 3D base image created and then add the details by hand. Sometimes Assistant Director Kobayashi is directly in charge of this kind of work.

In Chapter 2, when the camera is moving slowly to show the Yamato moored at the undersea dock and the image is almost complete, the director suddenly says, "I want to add more detail here! (Laughs). But we overcame this and came up with a good image. (Laughs.) But when we overcame these difficulties and created a good image, we were all truly happy to have done the work. We have an excellent staff that is willing to listen to such urgent orders. I have nothing but gratitude for our staff. It is my job to create a pleasant work environment for all the staff who help us.

The "direct hit generation's passion" as seen by the younger staff members

─ It seems that the "2202" production team is driven by the "enthusiasm" of the generation directly hit by Yamato, such as Mr. Habara, Mr. Fukui, Mr. Kobayashi, etc. Conversely, how do you see the "enthusiasm" of these old men from your younger generation, Mr. Komatsu?

Komatsu No, I think they are genuinely cool. The senses of those who have been watching Yamato since the old series are exciting and trustworthy. I think it is that "enthusiasm" that has made the work so good, and if we forget that, it would be like losing the rudder. The work, myself, and the entire staff are supported by such "enthusiasm," and I intend to follow firmly behind.

───Mr. Habara and Mr. Fukui are well-known for their stage greetings and webcast program "Ai no Senden Kaigi," but I would like to ask about the other staff members' roles and how they are struggling in their jobs.

Komatsu: First of all, I would like to mention the assistant director, Makoto Kobayashi. I consult with him on everything from settings to mechanics and art. He is always ready to help us with mechanicals that we could not have envisioned at the scenario stage, and he is always ready to help us with anything we have a problem with.

He is a very reliable and central figure who can pick up on any problems that we have and solve them.

Then there is Akitoshi Maeda, the animation director. Depending on the number of episodes, he is also asked to be the chief animation director. As I mentioned earlier, there are many times when I have trouble with the characters' drawings, such as when they don't look right, I rely on Mr. Maeda to help me put them together. From episode 18, character designer Yuki Nobuteru will also join us as an animation director, so I hope you can look forward to even more exciting animation from chapter 5 onward.

Another person who should not be forgotten is Hiroki Takagi, who worked as the animation director. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly in February, but like Mr. Maeda, he was a very reliable person whom I could consult with on anything in terms of drawing. I believe that Mr. Takagi was instrumental in helping us reach the fourth chapter of "2202," which was the turning point of the project. At first, I was really anxious about working without Mr. Takagi, but now all of us on site are working with renewed determination to complete the final chapter of "2202" in a way that does not embarrass Mr. Takagi.

─ ─ Finally, what are the highlights of "Chapter 5: Purgatory" that you would like to emphasize?

Komatsu As many of you may have guessed from the way Chapter 4 ended, the first half of Chapter 5 will mainly focus on the story of Death Rider. The story of Death Rider's past, which has been hidden until now, will also be depicted, so I would like you to pay attention to this part of the story. In the second half, the fleet battles will be more powerful. The second half of the movie will be a series of battle action scenes that will leave you breathless, so I hope you will come to the theater to enjoy the action.

─ ─ Thank you very much for your time today.

(Interview and text by Ryozo Fuwa)