Interview with Amano Yoshitaka

—by Charles McCarter

Amano Yoshitaka is one of those people who follows his dreams. He was drawing since he was a child, and cannot remember a time when he wasn't drawing. At age fifteen—while still a high school student—he got his first job at Tatsunoko Studios. He stayed there for fifteen years, creating some of the most popular and enduring characters of the anime world. But he felt it was time to move on, even though others questioned his decision to leave his job and go off into an unknown future. "But once your life is too stable, your creativity dies," he believed.
Since then, Mr. Amano has worked in a variety of jobs as well as a variety of media. He has done animated film, printmaking, and other forms of illustration. He has done artwork for novels, exhibitions, and video games. His art is recognized by several different generations of Americans, whether it be for his work on KAGAKU NINJA TAI GATCHAMAN (known to Americans as either BATTLE OF THE PLANETS or G-FORCE) or on the astounding juggernaut that is the FINAL FANTASY video game series.
Mr. Amano's latest work, HERO, is described by its creator as "a legend of the future."
HERO is a man who falls in love in the twentieth century. He is reborn 10,000 years and many lifetimes later as a prince. But the prince has a yearning for a past love, and without her, he is doomed to immortality. Accompanied by his cyborg companion, the prince must explore multiple worlds if he is to find his beloved. And only in seeing her can he find eternal peace.
Mr. Amano believes that this is his life's work. And, fans of the latest SANDMAN graphic novel will be pleased to know that he will be collaborating with Neil Gaiman on the story. HERO will go through a variety of incarnations and mediums before it reaches its final form, which will be an "animated 3DCG opera."
EX had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Amano about HERO and some of his other works and how he creates such enduring artwork.

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EX: Let's start with HERO, your new project. I understand that you envision this as being a multi-media project. Where did you get the idea for the story from? And how do you envision this ending?

AY: The idea spawned from opera. I wanted to do something like Wagner's Ring [of the Nibelung] or Mozart's Magic Flute as a motion picture. But, I also felt that if I could be original and create a legend of the future it would be amazing. And I wanted the result to have a happy ending.
I wanted to draw a world where the images could be expanded freely with no constraints. And in that case, the work naturally became HERO, an original work... Because after all opera has set music and set lyrics, and does everything within those frames.

EX: Have your previous works been leading up to HERO? If so, how do you think they have influenced it?

AY: My previous works were not stepping stones. Each of them had their own purposes, with definite conclusions.

EX: Now that the Exhibition is underway, and the preparations for that are over, what are you working on now?

AY: I'm working on two new video games: EMBLEM OF ERU for Capcom and FINAL FANTASY IX. I'm also designing art and costumes for KAIJIN BESSOU, a play starring Bandou Tamazaburou. Finally, I am also drawing for an original book about HERO.

EX: Can you tell us something about this project that you haven't told anyone else?

AY: I've had a habit of chewing on my pencils since I was young, so my pencils are all tattered now. Pens and markers are really hard, so it makes my teeth hurt.

EX: Let's move back a little bit and talk about some of your earlier works. GATCHAMAN, for example. When you were working on GATCHAMAN, did you ever think that a whole generation of American children would know your work on this show?

AY: No, not at all.

EX: How do you feel about being recognized for working on this show?

AY: I might sound a little cliche, but GATCHAMAN represents my adolescence. I can see how I was back then when I look at it. I had researched the various customs when drawing even the costumes for the background characters, so I feel that it was a record of how I was back in the 70s. So, I feel that it brings me good memories.

EX: What was your inspiration for the character designs, especially the bird costumes?

AY: I don't remember too clearly, but a bird theme was the concept that we all decided upon in the planning stages.

EX: What are your memories of your early days at Tatsunoko?

AY: I just hated working, and I was always running away from it. I didn't want to go to the office, and when I didn't go for a long time, they sent me a telegraph. Like "Contact us." [laughs] It really was a tough time.

EX: And now, a question that I'm sure a lot of people have on their minds. What would you like to say to your fans who are confused by EGG OF THE ANGEL?

AY: That was a rather private story, so I'm sure it's nearly impossible to understand it. So, it might be better for them to watch it more for the visual images than for the story.

EX: Second only to FINAL FANTASY and GATCHAMAN is VAMPIRE HUNTER D. In fact, you are probably more famous for your illustrations than the author is for his novels. How did you come up with the idea for D's design?

AY: Well, this may sound strange but for D I had drawn a macaroni-western in my own way.

EX: Another long-standing rumor to ask about: Is it true that you really didn't like the first VAMPIRE HUNTER D movie?

AY: Yes, it's true.

EX: How involved are you in the current D movie in production by Madhouse studios?

AY: I am involved only as the original character planner.

EX: What do you think it is about D that has captivated the imaginations of fans around the world?

AY: I would wish for them to be able to read the original novels, and not see just the images. I'm sure that if they do, it will be even more splendid. But as for people's liking of D, I think it is a longing for something strong, beautiful, and inhuman.