Long interview with animator/illustrator Kajun Fukagawa! (The 31st "Inside Man" of Anime and Games)

The life of a fledgling animator is hard. However, it is not without help. Through hard work and perseverance, a way forward may open up for them. In this 31st issue, we feature animator and illustrator Kajun Fukagawa, who overcame a long and grueling period as an underachiever to become a popular artist. Ms. Fukagawa's humanistic character designs in "Idolish Seven" and "Zombieland Saga" are still fresh in our minds. Zombieland Saga" was the winner of the "Anime General Election 2018 Annual Grand Prize," an online user voting event sponsored by Dwango and supported by five major anime media outlets including Akiba Soken, beating out numerous strong anime titles. Fukagawa's design is notable for its strong support from both male and female fans. What is Mr. Fukagawa's passion in character creation?　This article will answer that question in no uncertain terms. He also talked about his own death-defying experience, hoping to encourage his younger colleagues who are still struggling in the field. Please read to the end of this long interview, which is filled with the many thoughts and feelings of Mr. Fukagawa, who has come back to life like a zombie.

(Editor's note: The photo shows a dog and cat that Fukagawa took in at an animal shelter and has become a member of her family and a source of emotional support.)

I want to deliver the "creator's message" through my drawings.

Thank you very much for agreeing to be interviewed by Akiba Research Institute. What is the appeal of animation drawing for you?

Kajumi Fukagawa (KAJUN FUKAGAWA): The appeal of animation is not only that it can reach a wider audience through television, but also that a work that reaches people's hearts always contains the creator's message, which can be conveyed through the drawing expression. In the case of animation with an original story, it is very important to deliver the message of the original story as the author intended. I am happy when I can deliver the message of my favorite work.

I understand and respect the animators who put their lives into their work. However, if the animator's thought is, "This part of the drawing is amazing! I think that if you get into the mindset of "this part of the drawing is amazing! My belief is to draw while preserving what should not be blurred.

What is the animation work that has moved you the most?

Fukagawa: "Digimon Adventure" (1999), directed by Mamoru Hosoda. It is an amazing work in which the pictures and sounds are wonderfully linked, and it grabbed my heart and made me feel like I was being swept along like a roller coaster.

Fukagawa: I heard that you like the PSP game "Gunshot and Diamonds" so much that you want to buy it 10 times.

Fukagawa: Yes (laughs). (laughs) There are countless other games, TV dramas, and movies that have influenced me without me even realizing it. When I paint, I use my head a lot, but there are also many simple tasks such as coloring and drawing. During the simple work, my mind is not busy, so I just play video clips, and I watch at least three movies a week.

Fukagawa: So you watch a lot of live-action films?

Fukagawa: I want to broaden my horizons and see the world, so I try to watch not only dramas and movies, but also variety shows that teach me miscellaneous things.

What is your target person?　According to past interviews, you have always been fond of Asako Nishida, who drew the original art for "Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko" (2011).

Fukagawa: There are a lot of very good animators. So basically, I like them all. I am especially fond of people whose lines are alive and whose drawings have the power to communicate. I am moved by the drawings of people who can clearly express what they want to convey with their lines, whether it is their emotion, taste, or intention at the time. Nishida-san is a person who speaks through his lines, and his drawings capture the "wonder of the female body" and convey it without words.

Do you have a master-disciple relationship with Mr. Nishida?

Fukagawa: No, I like him one-sidedly. I have no experience of being instructed by anyone, and I don't have anyone I can call a mentor. I think that's why I became conscious of reading the information contained in a single line and drawing lines with passion and commitment.

Drawing human beings" in character design

Could you tell us about your favorite kind of drawing?　In your past statements, the keyword "fetishism" was mentioned.

Fukagawa: I think that when I master the art of drawing what I want to convey, I end up with something like a grudge, and because I try to convey that grudge, I end up with something like fetishism. I would like to be able to draw in various styles, including that.

Fukagawa: Do you have a favorite genre?

Fukagawa: If I were to talk about my personal taste, I like hard-boiled, muddy human dramas more than live-action ones, but I think there is probably no demand for them in anime. I think there is probably no demand for it in animation.

Fukagawa: What do you pay attention to when designing characters?

Fukagawa: It's not specific, but I am very conscious of "portraying human beings. I believe that even though they are characters, they have their own lives, which are reflected in their posture, facial expressions, clothing, etc. The silhouettes also reflect this. This is reflected in their silhouettes, and I believe that this is also reflected in the way the characters are portrayed.

Fukagawa: How do you deal with trends?

Fukagawa: I think it is one of my skills to follow the trends of the times. I think it is very important to be flexible and have the sensitivity to see various things as "wonderful," so that I do not have fixed ideas in my mind. I think there are pictures that can only be drawn when you are young, or pictures that can only be drawn after you have gained experience in life, but no matter how old I get, I always try to go back to the basics and try to draw a variety of pictures. So I often look at "pixiv" and study trendy pictures to learn from them.

Almost all characters in "Zombieland Saga

The seven Franchou characters in "Zombieland Saga" (2018) are all very attractive. What was the point of your design?

Fukagawa: I think what's good about girls is that they look soft when you hug them, they smell nice, and they look warm ....... I drew them after thoroughly thinking about how I could express them in my drawings.

Zombieland Saga

According to a past interview, Sakura's model is actress Kanna Hashimoto. Are there any other models among the other members?

Fukagawa: Yes, there is one, and she is the basis of my work. I'm not sure if I should tell you about them, so you will have to imagine them yourselves (laughs).

Fukagawa: I heard that the zombie version was designed based on the cause of death of the members.

Fukagawa: That's right. I wondered what happened to them before they became zombies.　I thought about their lives.

Kotaro is also a strong character.

Fukagawa: Kotaro is a character who is set up as "What the hell is this guy? I thought it would be no good if I made him a bad-looking man, or he might be really disliked by the audience. ......, so I made him a good-looking man with a good atmosphere. As for why the jacket is draped over his shoulders, I thought it would be cool for the character if it was flipped around like a cape. I think it also made it easier to add movement.

Are the main characters the only ones you designed?　Uncle Death, Takeo, Maria, Reiko, Okoba, etc., the sub-characters were also unique.

Fukagawa: I also worked on the sub-characters. Some characters did not have models, and even Lily's Puppy was designed from scratch. I designed the sub-characters in the same way as the main characters, with their lives in mind. For example, Maria is a biker gang member with a kick-ass personality, but she still has a "good girl" quality to her. I symbolized this by giving her well-groomed bangs and so on. Her two companions are also completely literate, and I designed them to give the impression that they are being forced to do things.

Fukagawa: Is that also the design of the zombie who is a back-up dancer in the opening song, "Necromancy"?

Fukagawa: That was all drawn by a genius named Atsushi Park. He not only storyboarded and directed the film, but also did the original drawings, and I only provided a little supervising assistance.

Fukagawa: Did you come up with multiple design ideas?

Fukagawa: When I first submitted the design for "Zombieland Saga," the head was taller, but the design has not changed at all. So, I am not good at submitting multiple ideas. It's not a good thing to do as a professional, but I get very attached to the ideas I come up with, and I tend to submit ideas like, "If this one doesn't pass, I'll be very upset. ...... I get very attached to the ideas I come up with, and if it doesn't go through, I end up submitting something like, "If this doesn't go through, I'll be very upset. ...... (smiles). It is not only in the design, but also in the composition.

Fukagawa: I felt an outpouring of sensitivity in the costumes as well.

Fukagawa: Fashion is something that is very close to our hearts, and if you push it too far, it becomes as difficult as the Paris Collection, but it is fun if you stick to it. It's more noticeable when it comes to clothing styles for girls, but I think it's important to think about the character's life and ask myself, "Would this character like this type of clothing? I think about the character's life and wonder if she would like this type of clothing, or if she would not like this type of clothing. I think about the character's life.

I believe that characters are human beings, so it is very important for me to be "interested in human beings. I observe people because I like them, and I am fascinated by the depth of all kinds of people, and I want to convey that.

─ Junko was an idol of the Showa era, and this is also expressed in her clothes.

Fukagawa: Regarding Junko and Saki's clothes, I thought that if I brought them as they were in the old days, they might look a little unbearable, so I decided to make them retro-feeling clothes that look like the old days but can still be worn today, the "retro cute" look that is popular these days.