Project Anime: Otakon Interview with Production IG Staff

In an effort to round out our site coverage, we're going to begin to incorporate more anime related interviews and articles on the site! This has been a objective I've had for years so it feels good to finally get it moving in earnest. 

The first entry in this objective is an interview we had with Takayuki Goto (The "G" in anime studio Production IG, Maki Terashima-Furuta, the president of Production IG USA, and Yoko Ueda, an anime producer who's credits include Yaiba: Samurai Legend. (Did you think we'd have no Shogakukan content in this article? For shame!) 

A big shout out to Otakon for facilitating this interview and of course the guests for their time. Some of the interview was in person at Otakon, while a significant portion took place over email afterward.

We don't mind reposts or translations into other languages but please reach out to us first for permission and so that we can boost your work! 

All right, with that out of the way please enjoy the interview. 

Takayuki Goto\

You’ve worked as both a chief animation director and key frame artist. Could you tell those who aren’t familiar with those roles what they entail?

It might be hard to explain this simply, but I’d say overall the chief animation director role is a
step up from the keyframe artist. In the industry, there’s a role known as the chief keyframe director (sakuga kantoku) who acts as the director for keyframe animators. Who then is in
charge of a three- to ten-member keyframe artist team. Within that team, each member has
individual approaches to artwork, so it’s the art director’s job to unify those individual frames into
a cohesive and consistent cut. Japanese animation is very systematic in its approach, so it’s
important for the chief key frame director to ensure that the drawings are consistent and the
work is done on time. 

What design philosophy do you adhere to when creating character designs? 

Especially for works based on manga, I always try to stay true to the look and feel of the original while finding ways to enhance the designs beyond what’s on the page. At the same time, I incorporate my own personal touch into the designs and look for ways to make sure that comes through on screen.

When Production IG was established, it was a part of Tasunoko Pro that later became its own company, which in turn has produced other anime studios. Where do you think Production IG sits as a studio now as a progenitor of other studios? 

Production I.G started out as IG Tatsunoko and will soon be celebrating its 39th anniversary. We’ve become one of the long-established studios in the anime industry, but a younger generation of staff is now taking over. I think we’ve reached a point where they need to keep up with other studios and build a new identity for the Production I.G brand. I’m no longer directly involved in production, but I think it’s a good thing that this generational transition is happening.

As a teacher of animation, what do you emphasize new animators study or learn to hone their crafts?

First of all, I want young animators to learn to think for themselves rather than simply being taught what to do. No one becomes a great animator overnight, so I think it’s important to build knowledge and experience through trial and error on the job. Of course, learning the fundamentals is also essential, and as someone in a teaching role, I hope to pass those fundamentals on to the next generation.

Red Photon Zillion is the “starting point” for Production IG. What about this production do you think led to the creation of the studio?

At the time, I think the series stood out from other shows because both the character designs and the story had a somewhat unique appeal that broke away from the usual conventions. The popularity of the cast also added to that, and together those elements helped make the TV series a success. Zillion also helped raise my profile as an animator, while Ishikawa gained recognition for his abilities as the producer behind the project. It became the best possible showcase for us when pursuing new work, and I think that ultimately helped lead to the founding of Production I.G.

Maki Terashima

Could you tell us how you got involved with international licensing specifically?

My first assignment was in licensing. Since I spoke a little Spanish, I started out selling TV series such as Martian Successor Nadesico and Cyber Team in Akihabara to Latin America. At the time, I really didn’t know much about the business, so I learned a lot from the licensees themselves as I worked my way through the process and eventually closed the deals.

What would you say is the most important part of establishing relationships between Japanese and international companies?

I think communication is the most important thing. It’s not just about understanding different languages or cultures; everyone has their own personality and their own way of doing business, so being able to communicate effectively with each individual is essential.

How did you become involved with Yokoso! Scooby Doo anime?

I’m not in a position to say much about this project at this time, but I became involved through an introduction from someone I know.

What is the process for creating anime of Western properties such as Rick and Morty: Samurai and Shogun? Is the Japanese side approached for these productions, or are there cases where Japanese studios ask first?

For Rick and Morty: Samurai and Shogun, we’ve had a longstanding relationship with Adult Swim for a long time, which has produced many collaborations. We presented to them that we have certain creators working with us and what they’ve done. So it came along one day when Adult Swim approached us and said they had a budget to do something with the IP and asked if there’s anyone on our end who’d like to take it on. In Japan, there aren’t many fans of the series, but to our surprise, there was a director, Kaichi Sato, who loves the series and wanted to work on an anime version of it. While there wasn’t a huge budget for the production, the director made it work and made the special, which had a great reception, so a second and then a series were greenlit. So essentially in this case it was the US side who made a request of us.

With streaming, anime fans worldwide are able to watch shows simultaneously. Has this advent made international tastes in anime closer to what is popular in Japan? 

With streaming, people around the world now have access to a much wider variety of shows, which I think is a wonderful thing. At the same time, there is now so much content that many great shows can easily get lost in the crowd, and it has also created a dilemma where it’s very difficult for a show to rise to the top without strong marketing behind it.

Yoko Ueda

After an anime has been green-lit, what is the producer’s first job? 

I’ve only been an animation producer for one series, so I don’t have as much experience there, but before an anime production begins, we first have to decide on the staff that will work on the show, the budget, the schedule and format of the anime, as well as the client and the plan for
production as well, and then the boring part of actually getting the money.

To add on to that question, how is the staff usually decided for an anime production?

There isn’t a set means of deciding on staff. Rather, it’s on a case-by-case basis. In some cases the production team may already have people in mind, or if, for example, it’s an adaptation of an already existing work. In the case of Yaiba: Samurai Legend, it was the staff themselves that really wanted to make an action-packed anime. (Yoshimichi) Kameda already had a relationship with the director and producer, and they all agreed they wanted to make this anime and already had a staff in mind when making the proposal. It’d be much more difficult to look for staff after an anime has already been greenlit.

If the work isn’t an adaptation and is instead an original work, then the internal staff may make

suggestions on who they’d like to have on the project. It’s often an “if this then that” mentality. If

there’s a certain work that they’re aiming to do, and they know of someone who successfully

helmed a similar project, then they’ll approach that person to be on the staff. Animation producers have a good sense of who they want to pull from other places to be on an anime. In other cases, animators themselves may hear of a project or a person on a project and ask to be

involved.

Among the projects you have worked on, what differences have you noticed between promotional approaches in Japan and overseas?

At this point, I do not feel that there is a significant difference between promotional approaches in Japan and those used overseas. If anything, I believe anime fans around the world are looking for the same quality and amount of information as fans in Japan.

With the growth of the internet and social media, fans everywhere can now receive information at almost the same time. Because of this, I expect the differences between promotion in Japan and overseas to become even smaller in the future.

Has there been a title whose overseas response surprised you by being even greater than expected?

Attack on Titan immediately comes to mind. I knew, of course, that it was popular around the world, but through my work on the series, I have come to realize almost every day that its popularity is even greater than I had imagined.

The series has so many passionate fans. Whenever an official account or the animation studio shares something on social media, we receive an incredible number of warm and supportive comments from people all over the world. I am truly grateful that so many fans, across so many different countries and regions, care so deeply about the series.

What do you find most challenging about anime marketing and licensing? Conversely, which project has been the most rewarding for you?

In anime marketing and licensing, there are often various guidelines in place to protect the world of the title and respect the intentions of the creators who worked on it.

For example, we may need to limit the amount of information we release in order to avoid spoilers. We also need to be thoughtful about how illustrations are used, so that an animator’s work is not presented in a way that goes against their intentions or the image of the title. I fully understand that these considerations are necessary to protect both the work and its creators.

At the same time, pirated content and unofficial fan clips can sometimes reveal more information—and do so earlier—than the official channels are able to. As a result, the official side, which is responsible for presenting the title properly, may actually have fewer options available. Finding the right balance while still communicating the appeal of the work is one of the most challenging parts of the job.

Even within those limitations, however, I find it deeply rewarding to think of new ways to introduce a title to more people while continuing to respect both the work and its creators. Rather than choosing just one project, I would say that one of the greatest joys of my work is seeing the titles I have been involved with reach audiences across different countries and languages—and continue to be loved for many years.

From left to right: Takayuki Goto, Maki Terashima-Furuta, Yoko Ueda.