Long interview with producer Masakazu Ogawa! (The "inside man" of anime and games No.56)

In this 56th installment of our series, we introduce Mr. Masakazu Ogawa, President and Producer of SUNRISE BEYOND Co. There is probably no producer in the Japanese animation industry today who has such a deep knowledge of and attachment to the "robot" genre as Mr. Ogawa. Since joining SUNRISE Corporation (now NAMCO BANDAI Filmworks Inc.), Mr. Ogawa has produced numerous robot anime, leading such works as "Gundam Build Fighters" and "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blood Orphens" to become hits. Currently, he is also showing his skills as a producer of "Boundary War Machine," the first original robot animation work by SUNRISE BEYOND. In this exclusive interview with writer crepuscular, we will thoroughly explore Mr. Ogawa's producing philosophy. He says that in order to make an original animation a success, one must be "prepared" to make any sacrifices. In this article, we will review his filmography and introduce the background of SUNRISE BEYOND and the story behind the production of "Boundary War Machine". Inheriting the DNA of Sunrise and XEBEC, he continues to create high quality original robot animation at the forefront of the animation industry!

A producer who "connects plans and brings them to life

Thank you very much for taking time out of your very busy schedule to talk with us during the production of the second part of "Boundary War Machine". First of all, what does an "animation producer" mean to you, Mr. Ogawa?

Masakazu Ogawa (Ogawa): For me, a producer is "someone who connects plans and makes them come true. It depends on the project where the creators, producers, or related parties come up with what they want to do, but the producer connects those projects from person to person and finally realizes them as works that will be released to the world.

Some producers take the initiative to find and connect with people they are interested in, while others naturally gather the ideas from directors and creators, and then balance and adjust them into a good shape. It depends on the producer. In my case, I start by thinking, "I would like to work with that director," or "What would happen if I work with this creator on this kind of film? I start from the point of "I would like to work with that director," or "What would happen if I work with this creator on this kind of work? In that sense, being a producer is a job that one cannot do alone.

Ogawa: So you are saying that the producer's job is to "realize" the project, which means that the project must not fall apart.

Ogawa: That's right. If it is a commercial project, in other words, if it is a business project, it is meaningless unless the work is released to the world and is seen by the audience. If it is for the enjoyment of one's friends, it is enough to do it as a doujinshi activity and be satisfied with it, and there is no need to do it commercially.

When do you find your work rewarding?

Ogawa: First of all, when the work is completed. I feel the most "I'm glad I did it!" when we get some kind of reaction from the audience when they see our work. In an era like today, when there are so many works, it is not uncommon for a work to go to ...... and not be seen by the audience even though it was created. The creators who are working in the field will not be rewarded for their hard work unless their works are seen by the audience. I believe that it is the role of producers to make sure that the work reaches the audience.

What works have had the greatest influence on your work?

Ogawa: When I was in college, my anime-loving friends recommended me to watch "Gundam" a lot, but around the time of the Sunrise entrance exam, I was watching the TV period drama "Onihei Hankacho" starring Nakamura Kichiemon and reading historical novels by Ikenami Shotaro and Fujisawa Shuhei. I remember having a lot of fun talking about period dramas with my interviewer. In a 60-minute drama like "Onihei," each character has to be characterized within the frame, and the story often has to be complete in a single episode, with a lot of action scenes and sword fighting. In that sense, I think I was influenced in some way by the period dramas and historical novels I was exposed to at that time, rather than by any specific works.

Nakamura Kichiemon's version of "Onihei Hankacho" uses the Gipsy Kings' "Inspiration" as the ending, which I thought was also amazing.

Ogawa: It is wonderful, isn't it? I think it was the best combination for the work, or rather, the matching of images and music that the director was looking for, and I think I was able to learn from that. For "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans" (2015-17), Mr. Keiichi Tonomura (ed. note: passed away suddenly in 2021), who was a music producer at Sony Music Records, brought together some very fine artists with "Iron-Blooded Orphans.

We don't want robot animation production to be a "gap-finding" process.

What is your specialty?　Looking back on your filmography, except for "Boundary War Machine" (2021-22), all of your productions have been "Gundam" works.

Ogawa: It's not so much that I have been involved in the "Gundam" genre of my own choice, but rather that the majority of my career has been in this genre as a result, but I think I have more experience in "mecha animation" than producers at other production companies.

I think I have more experience than producers at other production companies when it comes to mecha animation. What are some of the unique and difficult aspects of planning mecha animation?　As an aside, in the sixth episode of the second part of "Boundary War Machine," there was a small story about how the person in charge of training Guy was brought up by showing him robot animation. I felt that Ogawa-san and the staff's love for robot animation overflowed even in such details that were not directly related to the main plot.

Ogawa: There are so many things that someone had already tried to do somewhere in the settings and scenarios of mechanical works, and if done poorly, it can turn into "finding a gap in the work". If that happens, we don't know what we are planning for, so we are very careful about that. I try to think in the direction of, "It's okay if we find a gap, but if we create a work with this, will it really be interesting? I also try to think in the direction of the creators involved in mechanical works. Also, the creators of mechatronics have to put in a lot of hard work to create the images, so we have to make sure that their efforts are rewarded, or that the work is worthwhile.

Background of the "Boundary War Machine" project

Boundary Warfare Machine" has the aspect of a "fictional war story" that simulates a future war in Japan. It is a very shocking setting in which the land of Japan is divided and occupied by the armies of other countries.

Ogawa: There have been many "otherworldly" stories recently, but actually, Yoshiyuki Tomino had already done an "otherworldly" story decades ago with "Seisenji Dunbine" (1983-84). Therefore, if we try to do an original otherworldly story now, it may fall into the category of "searching for a gap. On the other hand, Ryosuke Takahashi did a "fictional war story" in "Aoki Ryusei SPT Reisner" (1985-86), in which the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union extended to Mars. So, I thought, "If we could do "Raisner" in the future in Japan, even with the same idea, we could do something a little different and interesting." I thought.

The robot "AMAIM" in "Boundary Warfare Machine" is much smaller than the Gundam. In the fourth episode of Part II, there was a scene where it was placed in a trailer.

Ogawa: Since we were working on an extension of the present day, we tried to make it seem as realistic as possible, as if it could happen 30 to 40 years from now. We tried to keep the size around 10 meters so that it would have a sense of reality. However, if the size is smaller than that, it would not be a passenger type, but rather a power suit type, and if we tried to make it too realistic, it would be hard to reinforce the setting. So, it was very difficult to work out the details of "Boundary Warfare Machine". However, it is precisely because it is an original work that we were able to take on this kind of challenge, and I am glad that we did it.

SUNRISE BEYOND" finds its "raison d'etre in original production

It is also very unique that all of your productions are original. You are not avoiding original works, are you?

Ogawa: Of course not. In fact, OLM (O.L.M.) introduced us to producer Takumi Kusakabe, and we produced "Kingslade: Successors to the Will" (2020-21) as a one-cour production. However, it is also true that SUNRISE BEYOND's position is more like, "Our raison d'etre is to create original works.

Mr . Ogawa, you worked with Mr. Yoshikazu Beniya of TV Tokyo on "Boundary War Machine," and Mr. Beniya said, "It is difficult to promote an original work" ( # ).

Ogawa: In that sense, we are very grateful that SUNRISE BEYOND is a member of the Namco Bandai Group, and that we are able to work with a company like BANDAI SPIRITS, which has developed many products linked to its works, to plan original animation. I think it's a great thing.

Frost Flower," a novel version of "Boundary War Machine," is a deep and enjoyable story.

Ogawa: "Boundary War Machine" is not only an anime, but also a novel version "Boundary War Machine Frost Flower" is serialized in "Monthly Hobby Japan", isn't it?

Ogawa: The technique of developing spin-offs and external stories in manga and novels has been used in many Sunrise works for some time. TV animation needs to reach as wide an audience as possible, so it is difficult to satisfy those who seek something more maniacal. That is why we release more maniacal works as spinoffs or external stories so that those people can also be fully immersed in the world of the work. If we simultaneously develop them in manga and novel form, there will be more opportunities for people to experience the anime.

Why did you choose "Monthly Hobby Japan" for the serialization of "Frost Flower"?

Ogawa: The main product of "Boundary War Machine" was a plastic model, so we talked with BANDAI SPIRITS and decided to work with Hobby Japan, who was enthusiastic about the project.