Long interview with Hiroyuki Horiuchi, animator! (The "inside man" of animation and games No. 37)

In this 37th installment of the series, we introduce Hiroyuki Horiuchi, a super animator who has been at the forefront of the animation industry since the 1980s, and who gained attention in the 1990s for his character designs for the TV version of "Tenchi Muyo! In the 1990s, Mr. Horiuchi gained attention for his character designs for the TV version of "Tenchi Muyo!" and his drawings for "Detective Conan." Today, he continues to support the backbone of Japanimation as the main animator for "Wagamushi Pedal" and "Jujo Senki" where he is in charge of action and important scenes. The Ballad of the Dead Gods." and "Jingyoku Sankai Polyphonica" and "Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryu no Ranbu" are also indispensable when talking about Mr. Horiuchi's brush drawings. Another unique feature is that he did the original drawings for all the episodes of the "High School Girl's Wasted Life," which he called a "terrific" anime. Even this seemingly evergreen Mr. Horiuchi actually has a major handicap that he will have to deal with for the rest of his life. What is the secret of Mr. Horiuchi's success in the tough animation industry despite his handicap, what are the bottlenecks in today's animation industry that he can identify from his nearly 40 years of experience, and what challenges does he want to take on now that 2020 is just around the corner? In an exclusive interview with the writer crepuscular, he talks about them in detail.

Working without using colors to draw pictures," a job I've been doing for about 40 years.

It is a great honor to meet you. You have been active in the animation industry's drawing department from the 1980s to the present. What do you think is the appeal of animation drawing?

Hiroyuki Horiuchi (Horiuchi): I have never really thought about the appeal or satisfaction of animation. In fact, I have never really thought about the appeal or satisfaction of animation. I really wanted to do other things, but animation was the only thing I could do. That is why I am happy that I am still in the animation industry, and that I am able to make a living as an animator.

I think that with your skills and talent, you could be active in illustration and manga as well.

Horiuchi I have color vision diversity. I am a little stronger than normal people, and I have only read the first page of the numbers I am asked to read at the time of testing. Because I am that strong, I was turned down by the technical high schools and vocational schools that I wanted to go to. ...... So when I was looking for a job where I could draw without using colors, I came across a job as an animator. As an animator, I would use colored pencils for shadows, but only certain colors, so I thought, "I can do this.

─ What works influenced you in your creative process?

Horiuchi: I don't have a specific work that influenced me to become an animator, but I like animation, and when I was little I watched "Planet Boy Papii" (1965-1966), and Osamu Tezuka's "W3 (Wonder Three)" (1965-1966) and "Jungle Emperor" (1965-1966). I was watching "Papii" at that time. At the time, there was "Papii" balloon gum, which you don't see anymore, but as an added bonus, the gum bag itself was a sticker. And if you pressed the sticker against a wall and rubbed it, the rubbed area would be transferred and remain. I remember I used to transfer many, many copies of the same picture onto my wardrobe and other things in my house. After I became a student, I liked steam locomotives, so I watched "Galaxy Express 999" (1978-81) and so on. Then I gradually started watching Toei Animation films.

There is no "I can't draw" for animators.

Do you have a specialty or genre?　Looking at your filmography, I see that you have worked in all genres, from realistic to cute, so I get the impression that you are a versatile animator who can draw anything.

Horiuchi: I don't think I am good at anything. I don't want to say, "I only want to draw this! I don't want to say, "I only want to draw this," or "I want to draw this! I don't have a genre that I want to work in. I feel like I am allowed to be in the animation industry, so I have always had the feeling that "I will do it no matter what comes my way! If I have never done it before, it is not interesting. If I have never done it before, that would be interesting, wouldn't it?

Recently, I have been getting more and more action-related jobs, but I think that is because there are not many people who can draw action, or perhaps it is because I can draw anything, which has helped me get more jobs. I have never said to myself, "I want to do action work! I have never said to myself, "I want to do action.

I think you must have gone through a lot of hardship, because it takes a lot of skill and experience to be able to do everything.

Horiuchi When I first entered the industry, Studio Pokke president Fumio Hiramura told me, "It's better to be able to draw anything," and I thought, "I can't become an original artist unless I can draw anything. I thought, "I can't become an animator if I can't draw anything." I have in my mind that "even if the style changes, an animator must be able to draw accordingly," so although I may not be good at some things, I don't think I am "unable" to draw. I have to draw many cuts under various constraints, such as a lack of time, so I think there are some tendencies that come out and the patterns become old, but as long as there is a character chart, I think animators can draw well.

What do you keep in mind when drawing?

Horiuchi: In my mind, it's all about logic. I try to reason my way of thinking. If I say, "Why does it move like this?" I say, "It will move like this because its weight moves like this. It is logic. You can't draw, or rather, you can't move, with the senses. So, if the director says to me, "Draw this kind of movement without logic," I will probably be troubled with the question, "How should I move it?

The other thing I like is that "I don't know who did this here. It means that it is well integrated into the work. It doesn't have to stand out, but it should be something that people can understand. I think it is good if people say, "I don't know who did it, but I like it here.

I think it would be good if people say, "I don't know who did it, but I like it here. If you don't mind, could you tell us about some of the cuts you were involved in?

Horiuchi: In episode 4, there is a shot of Ginnaman and Banagher camping out together. It's a very simple scene, but it's a very simple scene. Jinnaman is adding wood to the campfire, and Banagher can't hold it in any longer, so he covers himself with a blanket and cries. I participated in the production as a supervisor, but the original artist was very good, so I was quite worried about whether I should add my own touches to the scene.

I also got goosebumps when Zinnemann said, "Tears shed when thinking of others are different.

Horiuchi I really liked the scenario, and it was interesting to work on it. I thought that if I could show the flames and other elements as a description of the situation, it would add to the flavor of the story, so I made some modifications. The characters were so well drawn that I didn't have to do much to them. I only made minor changes to the facial expressions and the way the tears flowed.

I was also credited for the original drawings for the third episode.

Horiuchi: I drew the scene where Banagher is called into the captain's office to talk with Dagza, and Otto serves him tea. Otto is brewing tea at the edge of the frame while Daguza is talking, and there are some subtle movements such as checking the aroma of the tea leaves and steeping the tea leaves in the pot, which I thought would lead to psychological portrayal, so I took the time to draw them.

In episode 9 of "The Book of Bantorra" (2009-10), there is a shot where Gambanzel grips the gun with trembling hands and the moment he pulls the trigger, the gun recoils and goes out of frame. I thought that was a brilliant piece of theatricality.

Horiuchi Even when shooting a gun, the reaction of an old person shooting a gun will be different from that of a young person, and even when running, the way a person runs will change depending on whether he is running after someone or being chased. I try to express these things in movement while considering what kind of situation the character is in.

You are also participating in the Osamu Tezuka's "Dororo" in 2019, aren't you? You mentioned that you like Tezuka's works, what kind of original art did you draw?

Horiuchi: Most of it was action, including the opening scene of the second season, where Hyakkimaru knocks out the yokai and Dororo kicks the yokai as the camera swoops around.

The character list is simple, and we also designed for 3D.

What do you pay attention to when designing the characters?

Horiuchi Most of what I do is based on the original story, so I try to keep the atmosphere of the original story as much as possible. Also, I want to pack as much of the character list as possible into a single sheet. According to the animators I know, the chart is divided into two parts, one showing only the whole body and the other showing the face. So, I decided to consolidate them into a single piece. That's how I did it for "Jinkyoku Sankai Polyphonica" (2007), where I drew without any gaps.

Some people have described Horiuchi's drawings as "rounded and cute. Certainly, the design of "The Ballad of Shigami" (2006) had such a touch. (2006) had that kind of touch.

Horiuchi It is not that I wanted to draw something like that, but I honestly think that is how it turned out when I started drawing to suit the work. I like to draw with a brush in various ways, and when I do that, I tend to draw pictures with a more relaxed atmosphere rather than crisp pictures. I will also draw works with a gekiga touch if I am asked to do so.

I also draw dramatic works if I am asked to do so. in LOVE" (1996), how did you come up with the idea for Achika's design?

Horiuchi Achika first appeared in the OVA Tenchi Muyo! The Môryôkôki (1992-94), but that was the only time she appeared. When it came time to do the theatrical version, Director Hiroshi Negishi asked me to draw Achika, so I drew up the settings again, and both the director and Masaki Kajishima gave me the OK, so what I drew became the "character design for the theater. At that time, I was only thinking, "I hope I can draw in the same place without destroying the world view.

─ In recent years, you have designed characters for "Kaze no Matasaburo" (2016). You also designed animals such as bears and wild boars, were they original?

Horiuchi: I had a rough image of what the director, Mr. Hiroki Yamada, had in mind. I created them from there, so if you ask me if they are completely original, I would say they are a little different. Kaze no Matasaburo" is entirely in 3D. I wanted to try to create a 3D illustration with a pencil touch, with a little bit of blurriness in the colors.

You mentioned that you have color-vision diversity.

Horiuchi: I often leave it up to the director, but if he asks, I try to express my own ideas. When I was working for a game company in the past, there was a project called "Maron of Maronia," which was intended to be a series but was abandoned halfway through. When I was designing the character, the color designer created several patterns. When I was designing the character, the color designer made several patterns for me. Even for skin tones, there are subtle color variations, such as "a little cold" or "warm," and so on. But when I was asked, "What do you think, Mr. Horiuchi? I had no choice but to answer, "They both look the same. So at that time, I would ask, "Which looks gentler? or "Which one leaves you with a cold feeling as a character? and then I would ask someone else to confirm my answer.