Yoshiyuki Sadamoto x Nihongogo Interview @ Japan Expo USA 2013 1st Impact

By David Chang on September 11, 2013

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. Before the studio was founded under the official name, he served as animator on the second animated project, the Daicon IV opening animation. His first assignment as character designer in Gainax was for Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise, released in 1987. He also worked as animator on Gunbuster and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and he came back to this specialty for the first episode of Diebuster. He is also the character designer of the best known Gainax anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as the author of its manga adaptation.

In addition to his work on Neon Genesis Evangelion, he has done character design for Nadia, FLCL, .hack//Sign, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars. He also did the character design for the current blockbuster, Wolf Children. His first artbook is entitled Alpha, and presents a collection of his illustrations that were made before Evangelion. In 2003, Viz published a collection of his works, entitled Der Mond. Other artbooks like Die Sterne and Groundwork of FLCL include some of Sadamoto’s works.

He is also the author of a short manga named Route 20 and two manga one-shots, Dirty Work and System of Romance. He also did the character design for the current blockbuster, Wolf Children. He is currently serving as co-creator and character designer for the .hack game franchise. He worked on various projects such as the cover of Eric Clapton’s album Pilgrim.

Sadamoto attended Japan Expo in Paris in 2008.

Was there ever a character you designed that you felt you could have improved? Which was it and what could you have changed?

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: I try not to think about stuff like that because I am the type of person who criticizes everything that he does. I tend to forget about stuff like that, so in that way I have no regrets. If I feel like I could have improved in something, I will use it in my next project.

An artist’s eye is keen for flaws and imperfections. Do you find it difficult to enjoy looking at art without analyzing it, or is that what makes art fun for you?

If I know the artist of a project I will see it with a different eye. For example, if my friend or someone I respect only made the background of an art piece, I would only see the background not the rest of the art. So it depends on if I know who drew something. This changes how I see art.

What is the biggest difference to you between American comics and Japanese manga?

It’s odd for me to explain. The way of expressing the outside view is what’s different. For example, with American comics the camera seems to slide more. It doesn’t focus on the character as much, it focuses on the action to bring out the emotion. In Japanese manga, there’s focus on the eyes while characters are speaking, the camera moves in more ways such as spinning to create new sensations that don’t exist in American comics. The type in Japanese manga change based on emotions, the bubbles will become bigger or transform and this as common in American comics. However, in American comics one page is more beautiful, detailed, and complete than Japanese manga.

Are there any special talents outside of art that you would like to share with us?

I am a fan of mechanics. Not planes or jet fighters, but something you can touch easily such as cars and bikes. I can’t remember people’s names, but I can remember the names of cars and bikes. I’m reading tons of books about mechanics all the time. Another talent I have is I can sleep anywhere. Also, I am unable to clean my room.

Is there any subject that you don’t like illustrating?

In general, I don’t want to draw something that I have to study further in order to draw. For example, I could not draw a medical manga because it’s impossible for me to make a lie about medicine. Also things like Soccer and Baseball. I am unfamiliar with these worlds so it would be too difficult to show the actual plays.

If you could participate in a collaboration with anyone, who would it be with?

Since I am an artist, I would like to work with a writer. If I were to choose a foreigner, it would be Robert Westall. If inside of Japan, I would choose Ryu Murakami because I love his books. I would love to make a manga based on his short novels. I was a bit shocked because recently I read a paper written by Hayao Miyazaki on Robert Westall’s book. I am a big fan of Miyazaki. Also Philip K. Dick. These are all deceased people, sorry.