Ask John: Why Switch to a Female Director for Lupin?

Question:
Why do you think there was a sudden change to a female director for Lupin? Is there a feeling that Fujiko has not gotten more focus in recent Lupin specials? Or did TMS just want to do something different, since this is an anniversary year for the franchise? Or is just the idea that it’ll help Japanese viewers deal with the recent seiyuu change-up?

Also, is Sayo Yamamoto the first [female] director of any anime in general? I noted her credits on Texhnolyze and Michiko to Hachin, but I do not know many female animators in the industry who get to that level. And will it become a trend, due to male self-serving otaku like Anno alienating regular viewers?

Answer:
I really don’t have any credentialed insight into the production decisions behind next month’s LUPIN the Third ~Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna~ television series, so I can’t say whether TMS Entertainment’s decision to hire a female director was a political or simply practical decision; however, the selection of Sayo Yamamoto feels like a wise choice. Supporting character Fujiko Mine has never has as prominent role in the Lupin III franchise as Jigen and Goemon, nor is she as popular a character as Lupin. So I don’t suspect that a decision was made to thrust Fujiko into the spotlight as an attempt to inflate her prominence. Rather, since this new Lupin TV series has been confirmed to be only 13 late-night episodes impelled to emphasize risqué sensuality, focusing on Fujiko seems like a natural focus since Lupin and his male cohorts aren’t exactly sexy. Furthermore, placing Michiko to Hatchin director Sayo Yamamoto in charge of this re-focused Lupin anime seems ideal because the 2008 Michiko to Hatchin anime series looks and feels almost exactly like a prototype anime starring Fujiko Mine. Particularly given the broadcast length and time-slot, this new Lupin anime is definitely not targeted at the mainstream family audience that conventional Lupin III anime is designed for. Unlike past Lupin anime, next month’s series isn’t airing in prime-time, and it’s not scheduled for an extended broadcast run. The short length, late-night timeslot, shifted focus, and presence of primary creative staffers Sayo Yamamoto & Takeshi Koike all signify that the Fujiko Mine TV series is consciously planned as a short, experimental divergence from the conventions of the Lupin anime franchise designed to appeal to hardcore otaku rather than mainstream, average viewers used to Hayao Miyazaki’s version of Lupin and the typically family-friendly annual TV movies. I don’t think that this short series is intended as an introduction to a new voice cast. When Lupin’s voice first changed in 1995, fans and viewers expressed little anxiety or resistance. The new Lupin voice cast that will star in next month’s TV series, in fact, already premiered in last year’s prime-time “Chi no Kokuin ~Eien no Mermaid~” TV special.

Sayo Yamamoto isn’t a solitary female anime director, although the anime production industry is largely dominated by male directors. Haruka Ninomiya directed the 2005 Suki na Mono wa Suki Dakara Shouganai!! tv series. Mitsuko Kase directed the 2002 Saishu Heiki Kanojo, 2008 Crystal Blaze, and 2009 Ristorante Paradiso television series. Naoko Yamada directed the 2009 K-On! television series. Kiyoko Sayama directed the 1996 Harimogu Harry and 1998 Saber Marionette J to X TV series, 2000 Angel Sanctuary OVA, and 2008 Skip Beat and Vampire Knight TV series. Yukiyo Teramoto directed the 27th and 31st Doraemon movies released in 2007 & 2011. However, female directors do remain an exception in anime production, and some sexist rhetoric from noted male anime directors including Hideaki Anno and Hayao Miyazaki notwithstanding, I don’t envision the industry drastically changing in the foreseeable future. Like many industries, the anime industry favors its established routines and status quo and doesn’t encourage massive paradigm shift.