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| © DAICHI Akitaro・☆GA Pro/CW |
Excellence Prize
MAKASETE IRUKA!
Original Video Animation
Artist : DAICHI Akitaro
(Japan)
DAICHI Akitaro
Born in Takasaki, 1956. Attracted by OSOMATSU-KUN by AKATSUKA Fujio, determined to seek a gag cartoonist career. After graduating from Tokyo Polytechnic University Junior College, joined an animation filming company. Having gained video shooting and animation producing experience, made a directing debut with Nurse Angel Ririka SOS in 1995. His representative works include KODOMO NO OMOCHA, SUGOIYO!! MASARU-SAN, OJARUMARU, JUBEI-CHAN, IMA SOKO NI IRU BOKU, and FRUIT BASKET.
Of my own works, MAKASETE IRUKA has become my favorite. It is entirely my own original, starting from the first draft. I infused everything that I had wanted to try into this work and was fortunate to have excellent staff and cast. The story can be appreciated from the viewpoints of both children and adults. Created in a form of OVA (Original Video Animation), this animation is an absolute recommendation for today's terrestrial television viewers and I am extremely pleased to receive this award. Thank you.
Applause goes to the director for skillfully integrating the theme of "try hard with high spirits" with sophisticated direction and popular characters. Daichi's alert ingenuity that even enabled sign language to be incorporated into his work is outstanding regardless of his status as a professional. Animation is supposed to be a medium to provide joy to the public; therefore, MAKASETE IRUKA is superior to those adult-oriented works that tend to encourage wild fancies. The implication of the director's protest against the incapable adult society supporting such works gives us the opportunity to think about the response.
What kind of medium did you choose for your work when the first time you were aware of your "creation"?
Drawing paper which was 1 yen per sheet and a pencil.
And, how old were you and what did you make?
It was when I was in the second grade in elementary school.
Since I was very impressed by Akatsuka Fujio's OSOMATSU-KUN and influenced a lot, I drew a gag manga named SONNANO-KANTA.
Do you have any consistent subject matter or theme through your works?
The work of animation largely depends on technology all the time.
Or, I always feel that way.
Regarding the question about what are the commonalities or differences between “media arts” and “traditional arts”, if you think that “media arts” means “commercial products”, I think no one can compare these two. The point is either “you feel or not”, or “it is fun or not”.
When do you feel the connection with the technology in your creative activity?
What is the difference of the sense of Media Art from the one of traditional fine art?
The work of animation largely depends on technology all the time.
Or, I always feel that way.
Regarding the question about what are the commonalities or differences between “media arts” and “traditional arts”, if you think that “media arts” means “commercial products”, I think no one can compare these two. The point is either “you feel or not”, or “it is fun or not”.
How does your choice of medium affect on your works?
In another words, what kind of expression does your choice of medium allow you to make?
The tools for my creation are currently digital equipment such as a Macintosh computer, a digital camera, and a Digital Video camera. I think they have limitless potentialities of presentation.
I realize expressive ability has increased dramatically compared with the time of analog technology, but it cannot be denied that tools have advanced far beyond what we can do with them.
Perhaps we should maintain our ideas in the analog style.
Do you feel that your theme of your works and the digital art will change along with the shift of the society?
As a matter of course, it will change. It is very unlikely that it will never change.
Perhaps it is the “time” regarding the development of media, but when it comes to the theme, the larger factor is that I myself am aging, rather than the “time”.
When you think about the growth of my family alone, this factor's influence on me is significant. Also, it is a matter of course that the more experience you have, the more depth your work achieves.
What kind of field you are best at in your works?
And how do your works fit within and affect on this society?
First of all, it is “humor”.
Then, originality and universality.
My work is always aware of the possibility of becoming a TV series. MAKASETE IRUKA!, the award-winning work in this festival, is aiming to become a TV series, and it is also a suggestion that I would like this kind of program to be broadcast and these are what I would like to watch.
What is your motto?
Anytime, anywhere. When I feel, I feel.
While I watch TV or movies, or I read manga or novels, sometimes I get an inspiration when I feel “it seems to lack something” although the subject or production are interesting.
Perhaps that is because I would think what would happen if I was in charge. I simply enjoy it when I encounter a masterpiece. And I often get inspiration while driving a car. Yes, it is dangerous.
What kind of situation in every day life do you get inspired most?
Make TV programs (surface wave) fun!
Let the family living room be amusing!
What kind of vision do you have in your future development as the creator?
Born in Takasaki, 1956. Attracted by OSOMATSU-KUN by Akatsuka Fujio, determined to seek a gag cartoonist career. After graduating from Tokyo Polytechnic University Junior College, joined an animation film company. Having gained video shooting and animation producing experience, made his directing debut with Nurse Angel Ririka SOS in 1995. His representative works include KODOMO NO OMOCHA, SUGOIYO!! MASARU-SAN, OJARUMARU, JUBEI-CHAN, IMA SOKO NI IRU BOKU, and FRUIT BASKET.
Please name of the people or phenomena that you have got most influenced by as the creator.
AKATSUKA Fujio
He is my starting point.
I felt a shock when I read OSOMATSU-KUN for the first time when I was in second grade in elementary school. I wished I could become a person like this manga artist. I had a clear vision for my future as a result of my encounter with him.
He has contributed to the settling down of “nonsense gag” cartoons in Japan and no gag cartoonist has surpassed Akatsuka Fujio. I thought I would like to take over his spirit.
KONOE Jushiro
I was fascinated by the attractiveness of nonsense comedy and Chanbara in a TV program called SU-RONIN TSUKIKAGE HYOGO and infatuated with Konoe Jushiro, the leading performer, and by Yagyu Jubei as a character. It led to my work JUBEI-CHAN.
Also, I was struck by the film YAGYU BUGEI-CHO: KATAME NO NINJA, staring Konoe Jushiro ever since I had been shocked by OSOMATSU-KUN. I felt as though I saw the peak point of seriousness in the figure of YAGYU-NINGUN who were utterly ruthless. It gravely affects the serious part of my work.
EGUCHI Satoshi
It was Eguchi Satoshi who emerged in the field where Akatsuka Fujio, who is unique and outclasses others, sits on the top of gag, in my opinion.
His gag is a world being designed. He makes viewers feel even blue jokes are decent. I think this arises from an uncompromising sense of drawing. He is also an artist who gave a sound to the gag manga. “Ma”, the time interval between the dialogues or performance, is vital for gag. I believe “ma” in my films has been established by simulating visualizing Eguchi's work.
Charles CHAPLIN
He is the father of slapstick comedy, but I was greatly influenced by the feature films which depict both sides of laughter and tears in his later years.
I rediscover the fact that good entertainment is structured with “laughter” and “tears”. His work, which is hilarious to the point of putting you in stitches and moving to the point of making you shed tears with warm feeling at the last scene of the film, is what I am aiming for.
He is my starting point.
I felt a shock when I read OSOMATSU-KUN for the first time when I was in second grade in elementary school. I wished I could become a person like this manga artist. I had a clear vision for my future as a result of my encounter with him.
He has contributed to the settling down of “nonsense gag” cartoons in Japan and no gag cartoonist has surpassed Akatsuka Fujio. I thought I would like to take over his spirit.
KONOE Jushiro
I was fascinated by the attractiveness of nonsense comedy and Chanbara in a TV program called SU-RONIN TSUKIKAGE HYOGO and infatuated with Konoe Jushiro, the leading performer, and by Yagyu Jubei as a character. It led to my work JUBEI-CHAN.
Also, I was struck by the film YAGYU BUGEI-CHO: KATAME NO NINJA, staring Konoe Jushiro ever since I had been shocked by OSOMATSU-KUN. I felt as though I saw the peak point of seriousness in the figure of YAGYU-NINGUN who were utterly ruthless. It gravely affects the serious part of my work.
EGUCHI Satoshi
It was Eguchi Satoshi who emerged in the field where Akatsuka Fujio, who is unique and outclasses others, sits on the top of gag, in my opinion.
His gag is a world being designed. He makes viewers feel even blue jokes are decent. I think this arises from an uncompromising sense of drawing. He is also an artist who gave a sound to the gag manga. “Ma”, the time interval between the dialogues or performance, is vital for gag. I believe “ma” in my films has been established by simulating visualizing Eguchi's work.
Charles CHAPLIN
He is the father of slapstick comedy, but I was greatly influenced by the feature films which depict both sides of laughter and tears in his later years.
I rediscover the fact that good entertainment is structured with “laughter” and “tears”. His work, which is hilarious to the point of putting you in stitches and moving to the point of making you shed tears with warm feeling at the last scene of the film, is what I am aiming for.
