Character designer Takashi Kojima reveals the secret behind the adorable characters in "Kimi to, Nami no Norareta" (Anime Industry Watching Vol. 55).

It is different from any anime I have ever seen. It has a freshness that is likely to be loved by a demographic of women who do not normally watch anime - this is my first impression of "Kimi to, Nami no Nororareta" (directed by Masaaki Yuasa), which will be released on June 21, 2019.
The charm of "Kimi to, Naniwa no Norareta" (Kimi to, Naniwa no Norareta), which depicts the mysterious and sad love story of Hinako, a girl who loves surfing, and her handsome and reliable boyfriend, Minato, is, to say the least, its quirky character designs. The characters have a natural presence that is not bound by the "promises" characteristic of anime, and the overall animation of the film was directed by Takashi Kojima, an animator who is still very young.
What was Mr. Kojima's state of mind as he approached his first original theatrical work?

I want to be an animator who can do everything, not a one-size-fits-all animator.

─ How long have you been in the animation industry?

Kojima: I became an animator when I was about 20 years old, so about 10 years have already passed. I worked as an animator for about the first year, then worked as a second original picture animator for about six months to a year, and then moved to a company that allowed me to draw original pictures.

─ ─ So you are now a freelancer who is not affiliated with any company?

Kojima Yes, I am now a freelancer, not a company employee. Since I became an original picture artist, I have been consciously working for one company for about two years. I want to experience the difference between different studios, such as being able to work on a large number of pieces and taking my time on each piece, so I need a certain amount of time to myself. Currently, I am working more and more at home, so it has become more subtle. ......

─ ─ Do you think it is better to look around at various companies?

Kojima: Simply put, I am the type of person who likes to look around at various companies, and the longer you stay at one place, the more chances you have of getting a good job, so some people may be better suited to working for one company. In my case, I have moved from one company to another over the past two years or so, but I am not insulated from any of them, and I maintain an amicable relationship with them, saying, "If you give me a job, of course I'll do it.

─ Are there any senior animators that you admire?

Kojima: I had not done much drawing before I entered the industry. I was not a drawing geek, so I had no knowledge about animators. After I entered the industry, I studied and tried to learn the good points of each studio. Each studio has its own animators that I can call my mentors, and Kiyotaka Oshiyama, the director of "Flip Floppers" (2016), was the biggest influence on me in terms of technical and mental aspects and work style. What I learned from "Flip Floppers" is now the core of my work.
The person whose name I did not know, but who made me think, "I like the pictures he draws," was Masashi Ishihama. I respected him very much as an animator, so when I heard that he was going to direct "From the New World" (2012), I actively moved to the studio myself (Mr. Kojima joined as a key animator).

───Mr. Kojima, you sometimes do the original drawings for a single episode all by yourself, don't you?

Kojima: The fifth episode of "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso" (2014) was the first episode in which I drew all the original drawings by myself. At the time, I didn't have much of a track record, so I worked on this work with the mindset of "making the audience understand. April is Your Lie" was a job that really pushed me forward.

─ Your name is also credited as a director, isn't it?

Kojima It is natural that when I draw all the original drawings for a film, I am in charge of the timesheets, character emotions, and camera work, as well as all cutting control. Therefore, it may not be surprising if I am credited as a director.

─ Is it correct that your first character design was for "Flip Flappers"?

Kojima: Yes, I was a character designer and chief animation director. It was the first time for me to fix other people's drawings. Flip Flop" has a simple, fluffy design, but I tried to give the characters down-to-earth performances so that they would not be too cartoonish. In that sense, I was able to work in a wide range of styles. I want to be able to draw whatever I want, rather than being a one-size-fits-all animator as much as possible.


─ ─ After "Furi Hula," you participated in "DEVILMAN crybaby" (2018), directed by Masaaki Yuasa, as a director and an original illustrator.

Kojima: Oshiyama-san was going to design and draw "DEVILMAN," so I asked him if he wanted to join me. I was invited by Oshiyama-san to join him. I felt that Director Yuasa liked my direction and original drawings for episode 9.

───Is that why you were chosen to be the character designer and supervising animator for "Kimi to, Naniwa no Noritareru"?

Kojima: Of course the overall project went well, but the schedule was too demanding for a single person to be in charge of the original drawings and direction. So I thought, "If an animator can draw this much on his own, he can handle a whole movie, can't he? I think Director Yuasa must have had an idea in his mind that "if an animator can draw this much on his own, he can probably handle a whole movie. That's a pretty self-serving way of looking at it.