M: Right now, I am taking part in the production of Gridman and PROMARE.





A: The two titles have just been announced! The first episode wasn't broadcasted yet; what things are there to do during this pre-release phase?





M: Pre-production.





A: Pre-production...?





M: Once an anime is in the middle of its production phase and episodes come out one after another, it's nearly impossible to back-track. That's why it is important to decide on the basis of the story in advance. This is what pre-production is about.

Basically, we have to decide the world within the anime, its culture, ethics, and character design. The Director has to decide on what needs to be done for the story and work with their peers without distorting its original meaning. The initial script is written based on all that.





A: So you decide on theoretical aspects of the anime that won't be seen on screen! Shifting between two works side-by-side must be tiring for your head...

How long does it take from when you start planning an anime until you publicly air it?





M: At Studio Trigger, it takes about 3 years from the first public meeting until the anime airing. It's the same this time as well.





A: Three years! I finally understand how much work is behind the anime that I usually watch... For someone like you, who has been working in the anime world for so long, did some turning point occur at any time?





M: Hmm... well,

- At the age of fourteen, I watched the movie Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

- When I was a university freshman, I watched the TV anime Neon Genesis Evangelion

- When I joined Studio Gainax, I was put in-charge of the anime Gurren Lagann.

These were my main turning points.





A: How did working on Gurren Lagann influence you?





M: Since I was originally a subcontractor under a subcontract for a company's animation production, instead of working on one title, I worked on various animes and dealt with any leftover work. My prime contractor who was heavily involved in a big anime project became part of Gainax, so at our own convenience, we started making anime for others.

During the period as a subcontractor under a subcontract, I used to tell people that I worked for a company for a client. However, in Gainax, you could really tell that we made products for our viewers. That was my work's turning point.





A: What do you feel is the greatest inconvenience of your current job?





M: The fact that we have no concept of vacations. (immediate reply)

I never felt an urge to take a break. In the industry, my work is my hobby and identity, not a job. It is fun and since the standards focused on anime, it made life fun (laughs).





A: You were influenced by anime every day and thought about the enjoyment in your hobbies! Now for the last question: please tell me in which direction Studio Trigger will develop from now on.





M: As long as the company remains intact, we will keep making anime. We also want to increase our audience.





A: What are you currently doing in order to increase your overseas audience?





M: We participate in about 7 overseas events every year. In events such as Anime Expo, we showed our new works and made Director's comments for the enjoyment of our fans. Directly speaking, we provided a lot of fanservice.





We greatly value our fan's responses, so we specifically went to these events and I think we satisfied our viewers who held expectations for us.





A: Thank you very much!