Star Wars: Visions" will be my retirement film! Interview with TRIGGER President Masahiko Otsuka, Director of "The Elder"!

The "Star Wars" series is an unprecedented entertainment series with many fans around the world. Star Wars: Visions," a big project in which seven leading Japanese studios will depict a new "Star Wars" story in animation based on the worldview of the series with their own "visions," will be available exclusively on Disney+ from September 22, 2021.

The nine works produced by Japanese animation studios participating in "Star Wars: Visions" are as follows

Kamikaze Animation "The Duel

Kinema Citrus "The Village Bride

Science SARU "T0-B1" and "Akakiri

Geno Studio's Lop and Ochō (Lop and Ochō)

Tatooine Rhapsody" by Studio Colorado

Production I.G "The Ninth Jedi

TRIGGER "THE TWINS" and "The Elder

Among these, "The Elder" has attracted a great deal of attention because it is directed by Masahiko Otsuka, who is also the president of TRIGGER and has announced his retirement from the animation production field after this film.

In this interview, we will talk to Director Otsuka about how he got involved in the big project "Star Wars: Visions" and the secret story behind the production of the film. We also asked him about the truth behind his "retirement declaration.

Competition: "I was determined to get the film through!

─ First of all, could you tell us how you came to participate in "Star Wars: Visions"?

Otsuka: "We have a project to ask a Japanese animation studio to make several "Star Wars" animated films. I said, "Sure," and that was the beginning of the project. I said, "Sure," and then I entered the project competition.

There was a staff member at the studio who liked "Star Wars" as much as I did, so I submitted a project with him with the feeling of "Let's definitely pass the competition" and "Let's do a few, if we want. We actually submitted three projects, and I was hoping that one of them would pass, so I am very grateful that we were able to produce two of them.

───Director Otsuka's "The Elder" is an action film about the exploits of the Jedi knights, but I understand that it is set even further in the past than "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"?

Otsuka: That's right. The setting is intended to be a time before all the films.

─ Did Lucasfilm give any orders or make any modifications to the settings or situations in the animated film?

Otsuka: First we submitted the plot, then the scenario, and then the storyboard. We were allowed to do some pretty bold things.

─ Was the production itself done according to TRIGGER's - the so-called "usual" production flow of Japanese animation?

Otsuka: Yes. The dubbing and sound mixing was originally scheduled to be done in San Francisco, but due to Corona, we were in Tokyo and the crew was there, so we had to work remotely. We had no experience in dubbing remotely, so that was a big difference from what we normally do.

We had no experience in dubbing remotely, so that was a big difference from what we normally do.

I felt like I was back in high school when I was shocked by "Star Wars.

─ ─ I was impressed by the visuals of "The Elder," with the rough touch of a brush painting and the setting on a planet that looks like a Japanese farming village, which really brought the Japanese taste to the forefront.

Otsuka: From the planning stage, we had a slight awareness of period drama, and the pictures really emphasized the Japanese style - they were ink paintings in particular. However, in reality, there was a conflict with the production site, and we didn't want to over-emphasize the Japanese taste, so we settled on a more common style to achieve the final balance.

─ You were inspired to work in film after seeing "Star Wars" when you were in high school, and "The Elder" has a hint of Kurosawa's films, such as "The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress," which you say had an influence on "Star Wars. Were you conscious of Akira Kurosawa's films, which can be said to be the roots of "Star Wars"?

Otsuka: I would say that is the basis of the film. I also think that the appeal of "Star Wars" is that it is an entertaining and entertaining film. So, when I make animation, my fundamental desire is to entertain the audience, and if I wanted to repay the influence of "Star Wars" from long ago, one of my goals was to make a period drama with a "Star Wars" flavor. However, I haven't had a chance to make it happen until now.

But when I actually got the chance to do "Star Wars," I thought, "Well, let's do a period drama with a "Star Wars" flavor," but then it would just be "Star Wars," wouldn't it? So I aimed to make a work that was "Star Wars" but with the flavor of a period drama. That way I could do "Star Wars," and I thought I could make a "Star Wars like a period drama," which is what I had wanted to do for a long time.

─ So you had the idea of making a period drama with "Star Wars" for a long time?

Otsuka: When I was in high school, I made a puppet animation, and it was really a puppet show that replaced "Star Wars" with an old tale, or a Japanese fantasy period drama. I wanted to do that in animation someday, and this time I was able to do something close to that.

───Does this film represent a return to your roots, or perhaps a return to your initial impulses?

Otsuka: Yes, that's right. I feel as if I went back to when I was a high school student. The project started with the idea of using current technology to do the things I fantasized about back then. That may be the pillar of the project.

──The character design was done by Ogre Shirahama. He is a cartoonist and illustrator who has been involved with "Star Wars" in various ways.

Otsuka: It was producer Naoko Tsutsumi who suggested it. I thought it was impossible because she is a very busy person. I thought it would be impossible, but she said, "You like 'Star Wars' because you do that kind of illustration work," so I asked her to do it on the spur of the moment. He was very enthusiastic in our meetings, and it was as if he understood 10 things when I said 1 thing. He was very understanding, and I enjoyed working with him from the very beginning of our meetings.

─ It seems like a group of people who love "Star Wars" have gathered together. What are the highlights of this film?

Otsuka: As I mentioned earlier, I was very conscious of the Japanese period drama, but I was also aware of the importance of the "Star Wars" theme. That was one of the things I was particular about.

There are nine "Star Wars" movies, as well as a huge number of spin-off movies and animated films, so I think there are some people who are hesitant about which movie to watch first.

Also, there are many people who are new to "Star Wars" because of the interesting animated film "Star Wars: Visions," so I made sure to create a film for them that they can watch without any prior knowledge.

Of course, I also made sure that "Star Wars" fans would also enjoy it, so I hope everyone will be able to see it.

─ ─ When you hear the sound of lightsabers, you instantly get a "Star Wars" feeling. Personally, I enjoyed the mismatch of the period-style rural setting.

Otsuka: That sound effect makes everyone want to imitate the chambara. I still think that without that, there would be no "Star Wars. The final image is also the first HDR (High Dynamic Range, or HDR) image for TRIGGER. We have worked on HDR (High Dynamic Range, a next-generation high-definition technology that can express a wider range of brightness compared to conventional images), and I think you will enjoy the upgraded images.

We have put a lot of effort into creating the screen, so I hope you will enjoy watching the film in the best possible environment.

Director Otsuka is retiring. ...... What's the truth?

─ ─ You yourself are a "Star Wars" fan above all, how does it feel for you as a fan to be able to work on an official film?

Otsuka: It feels like a dream come true. When my credits came up at the end, I thought, "Is this a gag? I thought it was a gag (laughs). (Laughs) I've been told this by other "Star Wars" fans who have known me for a long time, so I'm starting to realize that I was involved in "Star Wars" through these experiences.

──When I saw the letters TRIGGER and the Lucasfilm logo side by side, I certainly thought, "Wow.

Otsuka: I was stunned (laughs). It has been a long time since I have felt moved by the mention of my name, but this time I was smiling when I saw my name.

───Amidst all this, I was wondering if you could tell us the truth about Otsuka's retirement from the field of animation production after this film.

Otsuka: Originally, when I created TRIGGER, I thought that would be the end of my career as an animation director, so I didn't plan to work in the field much after that, but I said I would do it if it was hard work. But I said I would do it if it was too hard. But it has been hard ever since the company was established, and as a result, I was not allowed to retire because I felt that I had to continue helping out on the job site until now.

I was thinking it was time for me to retire when I got this offer, and I told everyone around me that it would be nice to finish "Star Wars," and people outside the company started asking me, "Mr. Otsuka, are you going to retire after this? I started getting comments from people outside the company saying, "Mr. Otsuka, are you going to retire after this? But that is really what I intend to do.

Originally, I was shifting my focus to training the next generation, but if I stay in the field indefinitely, I will always be relied upon. So I decided to declare my retirement, thinking that if I said, "This is the last time," people around me would think that I won't do it anymore.

However, this time my dream of doing dubbing work in the U.S. didn't come true, so if there is another "Star Wars" animation job, I might do it (laughs).

─ Incidentally, with subscription services taking root on a global scale these days, there are more and more opportunities for Japanese animation production studios to create animation with an eye on overseas markets. I think this project is similar to that. This is a personal observation, but I believe that Japanese anime has evolved in a Galapagos-like manner to cater to domestic audiences, and that this is one of the aspects that have fostered a unique anime culture unparalleled anywhere in the world. In this light, what do you think will be the shape of Japanese animation in the future?

Otsuka: The traditional business model was that anime was broadcast on terrestrial television and sold on discs (DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), but since the time we created TRIGGER, we have been predicting that distribution would soon take root and probably become the mainstream. I had predicted that distribution would probably become the mainstream. On the other hand, video services such as YouTube - even though it is illegal to do so - have been voluntarily subtitling their programs in local languages overseas, so that anime fans overseas have been watching the latest anime at the same time as it is broadcast in Japan for quite some time.

As a result, anime events began to be held overseas, and we actually participated in some of them, but what we learned firsthand at that time was that overseas fans' reactions were sometimes exaggerated, but the parts that were popular were the same. So, in the end, I believe that the otaku feeling is the same regardless of whether it is in Japan or overseas.

Therefore, I don't think that the way we make anime will change depending on whether it is for the Japanese or foreign market. On the other hand, although the situation is not so bad in Japan anymore, there is still a perception overseas that animation is something for children to watch, and there is still a strong sense of "Cartoon and Japanese animation are for children, too. Cartoon and Japanese animation are also for children.

In contrast, I believe that Japanese animation has been creating works that can be enjoyed not only by high teens, but also by mature adults. I think the strength of Japanese animation is that it is able to create works with a high level of quality that can be enjoyed by children overseas who like animation and who can then become adults, and I don't think this stance will change.

In this light, I believe that the number of people who like Japanese animation will continue to increase, so there is no need for us to change our stance in response to the market. I think that we should continue to produce anime in the same way as we have in the past.

─ ─ Now that you mention it, it is true that both of TRIGGER's works in "Star Wars: Visions" were produced in Japan and overseas. I thought that the two TRIGGER productions in "Star Wars: Visions" were like a bridge between anime and live-action works.

Otsuka: I think that's exactly right. Star Wars" itself was a sci-fi movie that was once thought to be for children, but now adults are taking it seriously, and I feel that this is linked to our current efforts to spread anime to the world.