Kenji Yokoyama, a veteran original picture artist, tells us about his tips for "working at your own pace for a long time without overworking" (Anime Industry Watching No.94)

It is sometimes said that "animators are poorly paid and cannot make a living," but Kenji Yokoyama, who has been active since the early 1980s, is a veteran animator who continues to draw original drawings with a "work" attitude. He is a veteran animator who has been active since the early 1980s, and has been drawing original drawings with a "work ethic." He is so accomplished that he has single-handedly drawn 30 minutes of original drawings for famous TV animation works such as "SLAM DUNK" and "ONE PIECE," but his demeanor is somewhat aloof.
We asked Mr. Yokoyama, who has recently been hosting an online community, for his tips on how to make being an animator a "job" that lasts a long time.

When I was beginning my job search, I injured my leg, which led me to try helping out with animation.

─ ─ Mr. Yokoyama, you majored in business administration at university, didn't you?

Yokoyama: Yes, I attended the Faculty of Business Administration at Yokohama National University. I was a member of the baseball team, but I injured my leg during practice and had to take two months off from the university. During that time, perhaps because I was stuck at home alone in bed, I began to worry about this and that, "I have to graduate, and what should I do about finding a job ......? My brother, who is four years older than me and is an animator, asked me if I would like to help him with his work because it would be a good way to learn how to draw. I started to help him, and he said, "You'll learn a lot. When I started helping him, he said, "Wow, this is surprisingly interesting," and I got more and more into it. Even though the pictures were quite difficult, as I completed the tasks, I could feel that I was making progress. At first I was drawing simple cuts, like a robot exploding, but eventually I became able to draw human theatrics as well.

Yokoyama──Then you started drawing original pictures instead of moving pictures?

Yokoyama: I started out as an animator, but after watching and copying many good original drawings, I was able to move on to original drawings in less than a year. I got a job through my brother, and after about a year of participating in Tatsunoko Productions' productions, I gained confidence, so I called the production manager of Toei's "Galaxy Express 999" and made a pitch to him. I called the production manager of Toei's "Galaxy Express 999" and pitched it to him. (laughs). What are you doing now? When I answered, "I'm working for Tatsunoko Productions," they looked up my background and said, "Let's meet," so I went to Toei. I went to Toei and they said, "We don't have anything for you right now, but why don't you give this a try? He gave me the scene of the villagers dancing in "Running Meros" (1981). I made the girls dance a lot, and that job was decisive. I was able to get into it and I knew for sure that I was suited for this job.

─ What did you do at university in the meantime?

Yokoyama: I couldn't graduate because I was still working as an animator, so when I was in my fifth year, I decided to drop out of college. What was most important was that I was starting to earn decent money. At a time when the starting salary for a college graduate was about 160,000 yen, I was earning about 300,000 yen a month. I was convinced that if I could make this kind of money as a starter, there were many more amazing animators above me, and that I could continue to do this for a long time. At that time, I was still freelance, and I was paid by the piece rate per cut. The market rate then was about half of what it is now, but I still made enough money.

───After that, were you able to participate in "The Galaxy Express 999"?

Yokoyama: Yes, at that time I drew the scene where the mechanical man is hoisted into the sky in "Sayonara Galaxy Express 999 -Andromeda Terminus-" (1981). There were so many pictures, but I played with them in my own way and incorporated a lot of interesting movements. The director, Rintaro, said, "I don't need this kind of movement" (laughs), but it turned out to be a very powerful scene.


─ ─ Did you have any particular motive for making the film, such as "I like this kind of character"?

Yokoyama: In my case, I don't have that kind of motivation. I just did the work that I was asked to do, and I did it diligently. I have no one I can call a master, so I have studied in my own way, being influenced by good original drawings.