Q: How did you get into the industry?

KT: Obari Masami, the FATAL FURY movie director, saw some of my doujinshi and I guess he decided he liked my work and wanted to bring me in. My first job as character designer was on the video game TOSHINDEN. I was originally supposed to do the package illustration for the Super Famicom (Super Nintendo) version of SAMURAI SPIRITS, but that fell through. As a result, they felt bad and asked me to do character designs for this new game called TOSHINDEN.

Q: What inspired you all to follow the calling of anime and manga?

KT: GUNDAM, for anime. And for manga, APPLESEED.

Yoko-o: I was a game programmer before I did this. I had no specific inspiration from any one manga, I was just looking for a more expressive and creative medium.

Okuma: URUSEI YATSURA and KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD manga.

Q: Who would you like to work with that you haven't worked with yet?

KT: If anyone asks, I wouldn't mind working with them at all. (laughs)

Q: What was the first doujinshi you did and how old were you?

KT: I was fourteen. I wrote an original science fiction novel. It didn't sell at all.

Yoko-o: At eighteen, I did a doujinshi of STREET FIGHTER's Chun-Li.

Okuma: Around eighteen, I was part of an URUSEI YATSURA doujinshi circle. We would all write and trade at conventions. I used to love following around people dressed as Lum. (laughs)

Q: What do you read or watch these days?

KT: I don't really watch anime, but I have to say that I like the manga INITIAL D. I waste most of my free time playing video games.

Yoko-o: I still watch some anime, but I really haven't read manga in three years. My inspiration comes from Japanese and American movies.

Okuma: Lately, there aren't many anime series I find interesting. I watch a lot of American television—X FILES, VIPER, ER.

Q: How do you come up with character designs?

KT: Whoever I'm working for has an archetype already established. I draw several different designs based on that and we discuss them and choose a set of designs.

Q: Has there ever been the case where there was a choice made that you really didn't like?

KT: Not as such. Usually, it's a collaborative effort between him and the production company. But when AKIHABARA DENNO GUMI started production, I didn't even know which designs they had picked!

Q: Who's your favorite SABER MARIONETTE?

KT: Tiger. She is based on an original character I designed long ago for another project. I like her the best. And the hardest to draw is Lime.

Q: What future projects do you have planned?

KT: We had one in mind, but after seeing THE MATRIX last night, all our plans went out the window. We dropped it all, unfortunately.