Interview with Hideaki Anno?

[Omicron Psi]

I've heard that there's an interview with Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno about Rahxephon in the Rahxephon Complete book. Unfortunately, it's only in Japanese.

Has anyone who can understand Japanese read it? Is there a translation somewhere of it?

[Atriede]

The RahXephon area is not that popular.
I suggest you post this in the anime section for effective results!

[Samourai]

The RahXephon area is not that popular.
I suggest you post this in the anime section for effective results!


it should be, the series is one of the best i have seen.

[Mordecai]

it should be, the series is one of the best i have seen.
Agreed, but it doesn't seem like many people want to discuss it.
The only topics that get any attention are those silly topics comparing it to that other show.

Oh yeah... I would also like to read that interview, but as far as I know it hasn't been translated.

[Vir]

I know of at least two people who have translations of that interview, but it's of course not OK to put them online because of copyright. Perhaps Newtype, ADV or Media Factory could be encouraged to bring it as a special feature with a new DVD set or something?

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/7839/987wu0.jpg
Izubuchi (left) and Anno (right)

[Vir]

Bump, because I now have the interview translated. I'm taking a Japanese course, and through that I got connected to a Japanese person whom I paid to translate it for me. I'm not posting it online, but if you have any questions about it I'll be happy to answer.

[Westlo]

Let's see... what's he think of rahxephon and what were his thoughts on homages done by Izubuchi in rahxephon and his own (if brought up).

[Vir]

They don't get into that, and I don't think there are many either. Elvy's cross necklace I think is a reference, and maybe sinking into the ground (though that could come from another show). Also Ayato's first line could be an ironic nod, if Bones/Izubuchi had directed ADV to translate it into "All's right with the world, huh" in reference to Pippa Passes.

They do talk a lot about other mecha shows, and how Eva and RahXephon were influenced by those. Eva seems more inspired by a variety of mecha shows, while RahXephon was inspired by Raideen, Japanese sci-fi movies, and western literature.

[Westlo]

Yeah I'm kinda just throwing random darts here.... um do they talk about working on any past projects together?

[Vir]

do they talk about working on any past projects together?
Yes, Evangelion.

Izubuchi drew some design proposals on the Evangelions. Anno sent him instructions and rough sketches, and Izubuchi drew some designs. Izubuchi introduced one with four eyes like what unit 02 ended up having. We don't know how much his proposal influenced the final design though, since he's not credited for the final designs.

Izubuchi and Anno both are credited for mecha design on Char's Counterattack (one of the Gundam movies), but that didn't necessarily mean that they met when working on it, because it could just be that they both had designed some previously existing Gundam which ended up in that movie.

Since this interview Izubuchi has designed a costume for Anno's live action Cutie Honey movie.

It's clear from the interview that they have known each other for a long time, Anno relates how he and other colleagues/drinking buddies were prodding Izubuchi to try directing something himself.

[Vaikyuko]

^On the note of the CCA stuff, I've no idea on Izubuchi but Anno helped design some of the ships like the Ra'Cailum.

[Vir]

OK thanks. I see that Wikipedia has articles and lists of pretty much every Gundam variant out there, but precious few of them actually include information about who designed them in the real world.

[kamidake90]

Yutaka Izubuchi was responsible for designing the Nu Gundam, the Jegan units, as well as the RE-GZ. Anno did the ship designs as well as posting double duty as the director of animation(Anno's forte).

[Levon]

I have a few articles about Tomino doing CCA. Anno even make a book that included stuff like interviews with the cast & such.
"Char's Counterattack is great" - Anno

[kamidake90]

Hey levon's still around! I was starting to feel lonely here after being away for all this time

[Soluzar]

Why were they interviewing Anno about Rahxephon? I don't see what relationship there is between him and this anime. Except in the minds of certain rabid fanboys.

[kamidake90]

Anno and Izubuchi are old friends and this series being Izubuchi's first time to direct(despite being in the industry for nearly 20 years) they probably thought the interview would be cool.

[Soluzar]

Anno and Izubuchi are old friends and this series being Izubuchi's first time to direct(despite being in the industry for nearly 20 years) they probably thought the interview would be cool.
Oh right. Izubuchi is the director's name. The rest of this thread makes sense now. Sorry about that, I just didn't manage to figure that out on my own.

[Vir]

Thanks for the info kamidake90. I guess that means Anno and Izubuchi did indeed work together on Char's Counterattack (as opposed to just have their previously designed mecha appear in it). The Nu Gundam, at the very least, first appeared in that movie.

[kamidake90]

Many of the current crop of people in the industry are in it because of Tomino. Either due to inspiration from him or direct tutelage(I think he was the first to use Yoko Kanno's music in a series). Of course Tomino himself along with Matsumoto, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, Kunio Ookwara and generally the rest of the founding members of Sunrise were all students of Osamu Tezuka dating back to the old Mushi productions days(Astro Boy FTW)

[Westlo]

(I think he was the first to use Yoko Kanno's music in a series).

Shouji Kawamori put Kanno on the map in Macross Plus (1994) and Vision Of Escaflowne (1996). Kanno worked with Tomino on Brain Powered (1998) and Turn A Gundam (1999).

From her Wiki

Please Save My Earth 1994 Composer (other tracks by Hajime Mizoguchi)
Macross Plus 1994 Composer
Memories: Magnetic Rose 1996 Composer
Vision of Escaflowne 1996 Composer (other tracks by Hajime Mizoguchi)
X Clamp Characters File Vol1-4 1996 Composer (one track for each album)
Clamp School Detectives 1997 Second ending theme
Noiseman Sound Insect 1997 Composer
Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight 1998 Composer for Opening theme
Cowboy Bebop 1998 Composer
Cardcaptor Sakura 1998 Composer for TV opening theme
Brain Powerd 1998 Composer
Turn-A Gundam 1999 Composer

[Black Knight]

I'd always thought Izubuchi had influenced the mecha (for lack of a better term) designs in Eva; there's a good deal of resemblance between the Eva-01 and Izubuchi's Kaempfer design from Gundam 0080, particularly around the head. Nice to see that there is actually some proof to back me up on this.

[kamidake90]

I do believe that although Kanno wasn't the main composer, some of her work was used in Victory Gundam back in 1993(checking the interview with Tomino and Kanno on the Brain Powered dvd's....Yup! She was an understudy to the series composer and composed three songs herself.)

[Westlo]

That would be like if Tupac Shakur was still alive and him saying he used Timbaland first because Timbaland was an understudy (ghost producer) of Devante. You can't give Tomino/Tupac credit for a composer/producer using their understudy. You give the credit to the composer/producer since Tomino/Tupac wanted Akira Senju/Devante and not Yoko Kanno/Timbaland.

[Vir]

You almost lost me, but I think I know what you mean.

[gwern]

I pinged Vir everywhere I could find him online (he seems to be essentially inactive under that name), but I'm doubtful it'll do any good.

Does anyone else have a translation of the interview, or maybe scans of it which could be re-translated?