Shoji Kawamori He is a man of many talents. he is famous as the inventor Macross series, a long-running science fiction series about aerial dogfights, romance, and pop music. He is an experienced mechanical designer whose work includes eureka seven, armored core and Diaclonis the toy line that forms the basis of the Transformers franchise. On top of that, he’s directed a lot of weird and wonderful original animation, including earth girl arjuna and Aquarion EVOL.
Anime NYC invites Comics Beat to an interview roundtable featuring ESR Gaming Network, Comic Mavericks, animation pioneer, Animation Corner and Geeks of all ages. We each asked Kawamori burning questions about his creative process. As expected, Kawamori stepped up.
ESR Game Network: Which Macross Is the series your favorite thing to work on?
Masashi Kawamori: Each of them is equal. I fell in love with them during the storyboarding and production process.
Comic beat: As the animation industry continues to expand, nurturing new talent has become more important than ever. What are you doing now to help the next generation of animators and directors?
Kawamori: I’m not the kind of person who works hand-in-hand with anyone. My role is more about teaching aspiring animators in technical schools to come up with original concepts and ideas. If I can inspire them to come up with new stories, I’ve done my part.
Comic Mavericks: How does the collaborative process evolve? Macross Plus Do you like Nobumoto Keiko? [Nobumoto is the acclaimed scriptwriter behind such works as Cowboy Bebop and Wolf’s Rain.]
Kawamori: according to Macross PlusI came up with the main story and overarching plot. Then I turned it over to Nobumoto to flesh out the character more fully. She is particularly good at writing dialogue.
Animation Herald: In honor of your recent partnership with Disney+, what is your favorite Disney movie?
Kawamori: I was really inspired by some of the early Disney movies. As far as recent Disney movies go, I’d say Moana——Especially in the first half.
Animation corner: looking back on the past Macross Franchise, what is it about it that keeps it relevant for so long?
Kawamori: my inspiration comes from Space Battleship Yamato and Mobile Suit Gundam growing up. I wanted to create something completely unique from these pieces. I also wanted a more realistic mech that could serve as a fighting machine. I will not wage war with weapons, but with songs.
Geeks of all ages: Did you ever imagine that some of your work would inspire a franchise like this Transformers?
Kawamori: I was so focused on my animations that I didn’t think about how they might inspire other works. according to TransformersI was working with Takara (now Takara Tomy) at the time. The idea of robots that can transform into other things has long interested me. In retrospect, what bothers me are some of the slight paradoxes in the robot’s design. Where will their cockpits or engines go? When I designed Valkyrie MacrossI made sure that every part of the robot after transformation was considered.
By the way, people said to me: “Macross like Top Gun! But no, Macross first.
Equivalent series resistance: What inspires the work you do today?
Kawamori: I’m the kind of person who prefers creating original animations rather than adapting them. So I wanted to draw inspiration from the real world: for example, actual science rather than science fiction. Otherwise, the work I create will be fictional and a copy of a copy. Instead, I try to draw inspiration from reality. That said, I think live action is too close to animation, so I look further outside for inspiration.
CB: It’s been eight years Macross Delta Broadcast on Japanese TV. Now it’s finally coming to Disney+ in 2024. Macross Are fans new to the series? What should they pay attention to?
Kawamori: One thing I want fans to focus on is that I wrote and created Macross Delta Have a teamwork philosophy. Delta Group is a team, and so are the villains. I wanted to show collaboration between humans and mecha.
mm: How did you decide to collaborate with Shinichiro Watanabe? Macross Plus? What is your working relationship like? [Watanabe’s other works include Cowboy Bebop and Space Dandy.]
Kawamori: As a member of the original cast Macross Creative team, I’m responsible for story and concept. I left Watanabe in charge of daily life and battle scenes. Because I was doing Macross Plus and Macross 7Day-to-day interactions in the studio are handled by Watanabe. I’m in charge of dubbing.
ah: We’ve moved from VHS to streaming. How has the industry changed as a result?
Kawamori: This is a challenging question. It’s great that you can watch so much content from anywhere in the world. Instead, this results in an overall decrease in individual viewer attention. Fans focus on the little bits and pieces of anime—like the mecha in this one or the cute idols in another—rather than enjoying the diversity that exists.
AC: Has Sharon Apple set a precedent for VTubers?
Kawamori: I don’t know if Sharon directly affected the development of VTuber. One thing I can say for sure is that when I develop Macross PlusMy colleagues said, “This can’t happen!” It happened faster than I expected.
AAoG: Your work covers weighty themes such as spirituality and ecology. Are these topics important to you?
Kawamori: This isn’t necessarily intentional. But I’m the kind of person who wants to look within and ask questions. The topics you mentioned are also ones I would like to know more about. Because of the episode limit, I sometimes get criticized, “You want to fit in too much!”
Equivalent series resistance: Have you ever played a video game in which your mecha designs appeared? Which one do you like best?
Kawamori: I have too much work and no time to play games. It’s just my own personality. I’m the kind of person who likes to experience simulators. I love designing games, I just don’t have the time to play them.
CB: Some of my favorite works were made in collaboration with screenwriter Mari Okada, e.g. Aquarion evolution and AKB0048. How did you first meet, and is it possible to collaborate again in the future?
Kawamori: When I gathered the staff, she was introduced to me Aquarion EVOL. I was struck by her keen judgment in depicting characters and their emotions.
I think it’s possible for us to work, she’s just busy. But I’d love to work with her again if she had time. I think this is going to be a lot different than our last collaboration – even more unique.
mm: How did you come to make music with Yoko Kanno? Macross Plus? [Kanno is one of the most acclaimed anime composers of all time; she’s responsible for Cowboy Bebop, Turn A Gundam and others.]
Kawamori: I have been honored to work with Yoko Sugano many times. I’m amazed by her versatility – her music fits every scene and is diverse.
In terms of actual daily work…it would be easier to give an example aquarion series. I described the worldview and characters to her. She never just said, “Okay,” but asked, “Okay, what then?” When I told her that the enemy boss character in Aquarion had to go back 12,000 years to retrieve a letter he had removed. In his love letter, Kanno said: “Oh, that’s it!”
for Macross FrontierI mentioned to her that the story takes place at an academy in space; once the protagonists separate, they may never see each other again. She was satisfied after that.
ah: 45 years later, do you still remember love?
Kawamori: I guess I’m still looking for love. This is a very challenging problem.
Equivalent series resistance: What advice do you have for aspiring animators and designers?
Kawamori: First, ask me how I develop an original concept. No matter what genre a creator wants to get into, they need to decide what they want to accomplish: an original series or an adaptation. They may want to have both, but they need to consider what their goals are.
CB: The world has continued to change since earth girl arjuna Released in 2001.
Kawamori: then Arjuna After it aired, most people thought it would never happen. However, it feels like the world has moved in the direction we’ve seen in the series. While people are now seeking to get to know each other better, I think we rely too heavily on devices rather than face-to-face interactions.
I take this as a theme My Osaka Exhibition 2025. There is a lot of dialogue around communication between people. But when it comes to other species, such as animals, much less so.
mm: What are your thoughts on AI media? What questions do you want to ask about artificial intelligence? Macross Plus and last hope?
Kawamori: When I was creating Macross PlusI didn’t expect AI to develop so fast. At the time, we thought artificial intelligence would replace humans in simple tasks. I didn’t expect the same thing to happen in the creative field. The development of artificial intelligence also raises some questions: What is life? What is artificial intelligence?
The types of answers AI gives are becoming more and more human-like, but devoid of emotion. I think it will take time for artificial intelligence to develop to that point. What interests me is the amount of data required for the advancement of artificial intelligence (and other living things).
ah: Can you tell us about your recent collaboration with Sunrise?
Kawamori: I have been involved with Sunrise from the beginning of my career: escafone, Internet equationetc. I wouldn’t say this is my home, but I owe them a lot. It shows up in my work.