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●LASER DISC● GENMA TAISEN (幻魔大戦) [new edition]



Genma Taisen (幻魔大戦) was released today in a new Laser Disc edition in Japan, directed by Rintaro (りんたろう) and originally released theatrically in Japan on march 12, 1983, this film is the first collaboration of Katsuhiro Otomo in an animation project in which he worked as character designer. This new edition includes Digital Sound track.

LD DETAILS

Publisher: Pionner (パイオニ)
Release date: 1993-XII-21
Format: NTSC | CLV | 1.33:1
Audio: Japanese Dolby Surround Digital and Analog
Subtitles: none
Run time: 131 min
Retail price: ¥6,800
Catalogue number: PILA-1236

AVAILABILITY

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●BOOK● The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) 3



Kodansha has released the third volume of The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) , a manga written by Katsuhiro Otomo and illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功) that started it's serialization in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1990-I-15 and continued its serialization sporadically until 2004-IV-26 making a total of 5 parts collected in 7 books.

BOOK DETAILS

Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 1993-VII-6
Langueage: Japanese
Number of pages: 338
Size: 25.2 x 17.8 x 3 cm (B5)
Retail price: ¥1,165
ISBN-10: 4063194108
ISBN-13: 978-4063194104

AVAILABILITY

Amazon JP: http://amzn.to/1hkg0nk
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1G14RGp
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1NlgOcw
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2l6cdHM
Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/2jExuI5
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Amazon IT: https://amzn.to/2l5Em1y
Amazon ES: https://amzn.to/2l9YboE

COLLECTED EPISODES

The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 1
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-II-15
40 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 2
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-II-22
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 3
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-III-1
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 4
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-III-8
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 5
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-III-15
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 6
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-III-22
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 7
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-III-29
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 8
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-IV-5
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 9
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-IV12
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 10
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-IV-19
20 pages | B&W


●The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 11
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-IV-26
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 12
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-V-3
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 13
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-V-10/17
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 14
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-V-24
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 15
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-V-31
20 pages | B&W


The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) PART 3 episode 16
Published in Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) in 1993-VI-7
32 pages | B&W


OTHER JAPANESE EDITIONS

There is a smaller size new edition that collects the same episodes:
The Legend of Mother Sarah (沙流羅) 3 [new edition]


US EDITION ● The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of Angels

This third volume was released in 9 issues in English.
Translated by Dana Lewis & Toren Smith


The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of the Angels 1 of 9

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date: 1996-X-1
Language: English
Number of pages: 48
Size:
Retail price: $3.95

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The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of the Angels 2 of 9

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date:
Language: English
Number of pages: 48
Size: 1997-XII-31
Retail price: $3.95

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The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of the Angels 3 of 9

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date: 1998-I-28
Language: English
Number of pages: 48
Size:
Retail price: $3.95

AVAILABILITY
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The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of the Angels 4 of 9

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date: 1998-II-25
Language: English
Number of pages: 48
Size:
Retail price: $3.95

AVAILABILITY
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The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of the Angels 5 of 9

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date: 1998-III-25
Language: English
Number of pages: 48
Size:
Retail price: $3.95

AVAILABILITY
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The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of the Angels 6 of 9

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date: 1998-IV-29
Language: English
Number of pages: 48
Size:
Retail price: $3.95

AVAILABILITY
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The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of the Angels 7 of 9

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date: 1998-V-27
Language: English
Number of pages: 48
Size:
Retail price: $3.95

AVAILABILITY
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The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of the Angels 8 of 9

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date: 1998-VI-24
Language: English
Number of pages: 48
Size:
Retail price: $3.95

AVAILABILITY
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The Legend of Mother Sarah: City of the Angels 9 of 9

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher: Dark Horse
Release date: 1998-VII-29
Language: English
Number of pages: 48
Size:
Retail price: $3.95

AVAILABILITY
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GERMAN EDITION ● Sarah 6,7 & 8


Sarah 6: Die Stadt der Engel

BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Carlsen Verlag
Release date: 1997-IV
Language: German
Number of pages: -
Size: 25 x 16,6 x 1 cm
Retail price: -
ISBN-10: 3551729069
ISBN-13: 978-3551729064

AVAILABILITY
Amazon JP: http://amzn.to/1HdjhnK
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Sarah 7: Vor der Schlacht

BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Carlsen
Release date: 1997-VI
Language: German
Number of pages:112
Size: 25 x 16,6 x 1 cm
Retail price:
ISBN-10: 3551729077
ISBN-13: 978-3551729071

AVAILABILITY
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Sarah 8: Das Wunder

BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Carlsen
Release date: 1997-XI
Language: German
Number of pages:-
Size: 25 x 16,6 x 1 cm
Retail price:
ISBN-10: 3551729085
ISBN-13: 978-3551729088

AVAILABILITY
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FRENCH EDITION ● Mother Sarah 4 & 5


Mother Sarah 4: Sacrifices

BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Editions Delcourt
Release date: 1997-III-1
Language: French
Number of pages: 175
Size: 26,5 x 17,5 x 1,5 cm
Retail price: €12,90
ISBN-10: 2840551314
ISBN-13: 978-2840551317

AVAILABILITY
Amazon JP:-
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1xmaxcL-
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1NlDdWY
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1GyFg8n
Amazon DE: http://amzn.to/1GyFfRT
Amazon FR: http://amzn.to/1BCqzLX
Amazon IT: https://amzn.to/2lbzrMN
Amazon ES: https://amzn.to/2jEBkRL


Mother Sarah 5: Soupçons

BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Editions Delcourt
Release date: 1997-IX-1
Language: French
Number of pages: 163
Size: 26,5 x 18 x 1,7 cm
Retail price: €12,50
ISBN-10: 2840551667
ISBN-13: 978-2840551669

AVAILABILITY
Amazon JP: https://amzn.to/2LRWQy2
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1xmaVb3
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1xmaUUD
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1BCruMp
Amazon DE: http://amzn.to/1BCroV9
Amazon FR: http://amzn.to/1GyG650
Amazon IT: https://amzn.to/30su1fB
Amazon ES: https://amzn.to/2NT3syO



ITALIAN EDITION ● La leggenda di Sarah: La città degli angeli

BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Phoenix Enterprises
Release date:
Language: Italian
Number of pages:
Size: 26x17 cm (Hardcover)
Retail price: €10,4
ISBN-10:
ISBN-13:

AVAILABILITY
Amazon JP:
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SPANISH EDITION ● La Leyenda de la Madre Sarah 5 & 6

This 3rd volume is collected in volumes 5 and 6 of the spanish edition. A new 7 volume edition was published later. Translator: Olinda Cordukes Salleras.


La Leyenda de la Madre Sarah 5

BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Norma Editorial
Release date: 1997-II
Language: Spanish
Number of pages: 176
Size: 26x17 cm
Retail price: €8
ISBN 10: 84-7904-746-1
ISBN 13: 978-84-7904-746-7

AVAILABILITY
Amazon JP:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1xmbrGb
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Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1CX9alI
Amazon DE: http://amzn.to/1GyHchk
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Amazon IT: http://amzn.to/1CX98ds
Amazon ES: http://amzn.to/1GyHynZ

La Leyenda de la Madre Sarah 6

BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Norma Editorial
Release date: 1997-III
Language: Spanish
Number of pages: 168
Size: 26x17 cm
Retail price: €8
ISBN 10: 84-7904-747-X
ISBN 13: 978-84-7904-747-4

AVAILABILITY
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●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 16 (沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第16回)




THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 16
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第16回)

Young Magazine in (ヤングマガジン) No.24
1993-VI-7 | 20 pages | B&W

Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)


Collected in the books:

●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 15 (沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第15回)



THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 15
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第15回)

Young Magazine in (ヤングマガジン) No.23
1993-V-31 | 20 pages | B&W


Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)


Collected in the books:


●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 14 (沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第14回)



THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 14
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第14回)

Young Magazine in (ヤングマガジン) No.22
1993-V-24 | 20 pages | B&W

Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)


Collected in the books:

●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 13 (沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第13回)



THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 13
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第13回)

Young Magazine in (ヤングマガジン) No.20
1993-V-10 | 20 pages | B&W

Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)

Collected in the books:

●PRESS● OTOMO in BARCELONA (El País)



Katsuhiro Otomo has atended to 'Saló del Cómic de Barcelona' this year where he had a Q&A session with the media and the fans. The Spanish newspaper El País collected some of his comments.


NEWSPAPER DETAILS

Publisher: Ediciones El País, S.L.
Release date: 1993-V-8
Language: Spanish
Number of pages: -
Size: -
Retail price: 100pts





OTOMO'S COMMENTS

Q: Did you plan to make AKIRA rich in details and perspectives beforehand?

A: No, I didn't expect to do anything special. It came out spontaneously.

Q: Is there a warning about the danger of weapon growth in AKIRA or is it a criticism of Japanese society?

A: No, there is no criticism. In AKIRA I ask myself, above all, the question of why two people who were friends cannot continue to be so. I didn't want to make a story similar to that of the knights of the middle ages, where a gentleman saves a lady. I wanted something more complicated, like a reflection of today's society, putting enough characters to get that reflection effect.

The idea of ​​AKIRA came about because I wanted to create a hero whose age was between that of an adult and a child. But the argument is based on a manga series that told the story of a robot that the bad guys end up controlling. Obviously, the idea was transformed, and AKIRA was emerging. In the end, as the story progressed, it escaped my control.

Q: Did you ever had the temptation to quit AKIRA, tired of the story?

A: Yes, once. It was when I was at the time limit to deliver the last chapter.

Q: About his way to work...

A: The big difference between manga and animation is that in manga, if I do something wrong, I get angry at myself. In the movie, if something goes wrong, I have someone to get angry with.

Q: About his latest works...

A: It's a movie that is actually composed of three movies, and one of them is called MEMORIES.

Q: About his new manga collaboration with Jodorowsky...

A: It will be titled Megamex War and will be published in Japan and in France.

●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 12 (沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第12回)



THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 12
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第12回)

Young Magazine in (ヤングマガジン) No.19
1993-V-3 | 20 pages | B&W

Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)


Collected in the books:

●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 11(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第11回)



THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 11
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第11回)

Young Magazine in (ヤングマガジン) No.18
1993-IV-26 | 20 pages | B&W

Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)


Collected in the books:

●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 10 (沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第10回)



THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 10
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第10回)

Young Magazine in (ヤングマガジン) No.17
1993-IV-19 | 20 pages | B&W

Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)


Collected in the books:

●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 9 (沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第9回)



THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 9
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第9回)

Young Magazine in (ヤングマガジン) No.16
1993-IV-12 | 20 pages | B&W

Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)


Collected in the books:

●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 8 (沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第8回)



THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 8
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第8回)

Young Magazine in (ヤングマガジン) No.15
1993-IV-5 | 20 pages | B&W

Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)


Collected in the books:

●TALK● CONVERSATION with AKIRA KUROSAWA


This months Mister Magazine No8 (ミスターマガジン) features a conversation between legendary filmaker Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明) and Katsuhiro Otomo. The conversation was later collected in the book AKIRA KUROSAWA ARCHIVES Vol.4 (大系 黒澤明 第4巻).


BOOK DETAILS 

 Publisher: Kodansha (講談社)
Release date: 2010-IV-23
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 866
Size: 21.2 x 14.8 x 5 cm
Retail price: ¥6,480
ISBN-10: 4062155788
ISBN-13: 978-4062155786



AVAILABILITY 


CONVERSATION EXTRACT

 A GOOD DIRECTOR IS BORN WITH A PARTICULAR PERSONAL SENSE OF RHYTHM.


Akira Kurosawa Did you see Madadayo?

Katsuhiro Otomo I did. I thought it had a fairytale-like quality. Because among my generation, mention teachers and inevitably what first springs to mind are "bad role models" and "loathe the bastard. 

Kurosawa (laughs)

Otomo It struck me as a film made with no expense spared.

Kurosawa Money was spent in odd places. For example, the slope in front of the teacher's house. Soil was brought in for that.

Otomo I suspected as much (laughs).

Kurosawa What a perfonnance. Every last clod trucked in. But It gives a very different feel to what it would've had on the flat, wouldn't you say?

Otomo True. Then there was the rubble after the air raid. That was amazing too.

Kurosawa With that, I wasn't at all happy with what the art department came up with, so redid it. Initially they just threw together a pile of charred stakes and burnt corrugated iron. But that's not good enough. What did this house look like before it burned down? It must have had foundations. And what were the supporting columns like? Bum those and it will look real, so I told Art to do it properly so it did look like that. They proceeded to come up with various materials. If you put it together with say, these as the stairs of the apartment, and see here how just the handrail remains, it becomes quite interesting.

Otomo I see,

Kurosawa Then you have the scorched earth. Before making a burned-out building, first you have to blacken the soil. Where (George) Tokoro and (Hisashi) lgawa are searching for the cat, it would have been quite a mission to blacken the entire area. So we decided to do it up, metaphorically, to about Mt. Fuji's fifth station, or fourth perhaps. as that's black with volcanic ash.

Otomo Wow.

Kurosawa The moon was interesting too. Let's see, we took a big reflective sheet about the 10 size of one-and-a-half tatami mats, attached a crane to it, and took it right to the back. There are lights on both sides of the camera, and when we flicked those on it reflected and shone.

Otomo I just assumed it was a composite.

Kurosawa Not at all. I'd ten the actors "The moon is coming out now" and switch on those lights. The moon would then suddenly appear in the distance, giving everyone quite a start (laughs).

Otomo There's that "Madakai" party scene in Madadayo, right? Each person, starting from the end, stands up and speaks. one speaking in English, one reciting rallway station names. Then everyone is shown dancing along, followed by a scene where they're carrying a coffin on their shoulders. To me this scene felt very musical.

Kurosawa Musical?!

Otomo Yes, musical... As I watched it seemed to me that the party itself was composed musically, as in this is the first movement, here's the second, and so on.

Kuroaawa If you were to ask what film resembles, I'd say music. Both film and music are temporal arts. So it is possible to put together a film like a symphony, with the first movement to here, then from here the second, then the third. the fourth and so on. In addition. music has three elements: rhythm, melody and harmony.F ilm too can be approached in that way.

Otomo That's true.

Kurosawa Well, to be honest there's no need to think very logically about it - a good director is born with a particular personal sense of rhythm, a way in which their films flow. So (Mikio) Naruse has his, (Yasujiro) Ozu his, and (Kenji) Mizoguchi his own particular flow.

Otomo And the way a film is edited can change it quite a lot, can't it? Kurosawa True. Remember the scene where Tokoro and lgawa sneak into the teacher's house? My son saw that and said, "They're taking their time aren't they?" Because we know the layout of that house we shoot it thinking well, this is how long it would take to go, for example, from the bathroom along the passage and out into the garden. But thinking about it, you don't really need that. The layout of the house is Irrelevant to those watching. Editing the scene with that In mind tightened it up considerably. Mucking about because something actually takes a certain length of time doesn't make it an y more real, and one has to adjust the time and present the scene with a fixed rhythm.

Otomo Using and cutting time correctly can be tricky.

Kurosawa Yes, so one could say the secret of film fies in where to start each cut.

Otomo When it comes to determining the camera position, to what extent do you issue instructions?

Kurosawa I might say how many millimeters for the lens, or to move the camera like this or that, but most of the time it's OK to leave cameras A and B, which always wori< in tandem, to just get on with it.

Otomo How many types of lens do you have?

Kurosawa From 20-something mm to 1000mm. Although I don't use the 1000mm lens on set. The further away the camera, the sharper people's expressions when you do a close-up. They look incredibly real. For instance, take the scene on the beach with the red Fuji in Dreams.

Otomo Yes, I know the one.

Kurosawa The camera there is so far away as to be almost out of the actors' sight. Which is why the actors on the cliff and the background sea slot together so well. The force of the waves out at sea is highlighted.

Otomo Do you also use wide-angle lenses?

Kurosawa Almost never actually. There's something about them that gives me the creeps (laughs). Occasionally I do try using a wide-­ angle, but it just doesn't feel right. At most I'd pull to about 75mm I guess. From time to time I'd use a 50 or 60, but there's just something not Quite right for some reason.

Kurosawa Have you already made a movie?

Otomo Yes, one. I really, really wanted to be a film director.

Kurosawa Why don't you give it a go then?

Otomo Maybe I should (laughs).

Kurosawa Just be sure to keep your sense of humor about the whole thing.

Otomo I'd certainly like to (laughs).

Kurosawa Years ago when Toho was dominated by communists, a lot of people made a distinction between artist and artisan, as in, "He's an artist, but that guy's a craftsman." I got into a lot of arguments about it, because to my mind, artists are in truth artisans. First you have to become a real artisan. It's only when you work through being an artisan and come out the other side that you count as an artist. Works of art, ceramics from way back, the really good ones are anonymous creations. They're made by genuine craftsmen. To me it seems that became corrupted when people started to sign their names on things.

Otomo I see.



●BULLETIN● KATSUHIRO OTOMO CLUB Bulletin DŌMU FINAL (大友克洋 クラブ 会報 「童夢 FINAL」)


Katsuhiro Otomo fan club bulletin containing interviews articles and more. Final number, Special Issue of AKIRA.

BULLETIN DETAILS

Publisher: Katsuhiro Otomo Fan Club
Release date: 1993
Number of pages: 110
Size: B5
Language: Japanese

●MANGA SCRIPT● THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 7 (沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第7回)



THE LEGEND OF MOTHER SARAH Part 3 -Tenshi no machi- Episode 7
(沙流羅 第3話「 天使の街」 第7回)

Young Magazine (ヤングマガジン) No.14
1993-III-29 | 20 pages | B&W

Written by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友 克洋) 
Illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu (ながやす功)


Collected in the books:

●INTERVIEW● Akira Special Collection Laser Disc




Transcription of the 30 minutes Katsuhiro Otomo interview featured for the first time in the 1993 release of AKIRA SPECIAL COLLECTION LASER DISC


Q: How did AKIRA come about?

A: At first, I was asked by an editor at “Young Magazine” to do a few short pieces. After I did two or so, they asked if I wanted to do a serial. I hadn’t really do much in the way of series before, but I figured “why not?”. This was 1982. They asked me to do something that was SF-action. I’d been writing some SF pieces at the time, but I thought I’d make a long story as the series ran, and make something that people could sit down and read. So that’s where I began. Before then, I’d written some SF stories, not all of which made it into a solo book format. Pretty much the first SF piece I’d drawn was called “Fireball” ②. The name of the computer in Fireball was Atom. This Atom, named after Osamu Tezuka’s “Tetsuwan Atom” ③ (Astroboy), shows up a lot, so it was…consecrated?...to Osamu Tezuka’s “Tetsuwan Atom.” I made Fireball in response to the works I grew up with. I wanted to make my own piece in response to those SF comics. After that, I did a piece called “Doumu.” ④ It was about a little girl named Etchan who had superpowers. Now, Shotaro Ishimori has a story called “Sarutobi Et-chan.” ⑤ I guess that was an homage to Shotaro Ishimori. That sort of thing. There was something like that at about the time of Akira, too. I wanted to do Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s “Tetsujin 28” ⑥ (Gigantor). The general story was…Well, I guess I can’t say it was “Tetsujin 28.” The initial idea was, but it became something totally different as I wrote it. What’s left is Kaneda, and…Kaneda is based n the Shotaro Kaneda that appearedin tetsujin 28. That, and Akira being No.28 comes from the name Tetsujin 28. And Tetsujin 28’s story is about a secret weapon, made by the military before the Pacific War being reawakened in modern times. From that standpoint, Akira is a retelling of Tetsujin 28, so Tetsujin 28 was the initial image.

Q: What were your guidelines in creating the AKIRA world?

A: A new Tokyo, I guess. The motif of Tokyo came out a lot when it was in the planning stages in my head. I wanted to do Tokyo. My thought was to have an SF story that would take place in this chaotic city. It’s got a strong sense of Tokyo in it.



Q: We’re told that there are production notes for AKIRA. What’s in them?

A: Yes, that’s right. Let’s see…I really don’t want to show these to anybody. They’re…I forget what these notes are on. The first one has…It’s written out as “episode 1” and “episode 2”, but before that the whole story is outlined here. The entire story is spread out here. The ending is totally different, though. When I started writing it, it was incredibly, incredibly…Anyway, I’d write out one or two volumes in minute detail. But by the end, I’d just write the basic image. For the most part, I did follow this as I went along. This line here means, “ I've reached this point now.” (laughs) And here, I wrote, “Maybe this is enough for Part 1.” And it’s simple. Right here is, “There’s a panic as Akira awakens.” This ended up covering dozens of pages. I’m not really sure how many pages it comes to now. It has to be about 2000, I guess. So this is my initial overall memo, and the rest is notes on each volume…where I wrote out a little bit of each before drawing it. So this one has the overall story in it. And as for the others, I jotted down things each time. This is kind of like storyboards, where I worked out the frames. And what else…? And when I first made the title for the book covers, I had “Akira” written out like this. I did it like this the whole time. At first, I thought it would end at about this point, but it was like the story would never end. What else is there? There are three volumes, so there’s this other one. This one’s about the same. Those one’s… Yeah, the overall themes. Image. It’s got part of the story planning, too. But as you write, the end gets…more and more different from what you first wrote. I sometimes wrote out the whole thing. But it gets more and more different. Once every few issues, though, I’d come up with a whole story line.

Q: What was the first work that influenced you?

A: That’d be when I was in grade school. I think it’s the same with everyone in my generation. That’d be Shotaro Ishimori’s “Magaka nyuumon” ⑦ (How to be a Comic Artist). It was the first book that properly explained how to draw a comic. After I read that, I was hooked. The first thing that shocked me was that movie that came out in the 70’s…That American movie. What was it called again? What was it? “Bonnie and Clyde.” ⑧ “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” ⑨ And “Easy Rider.” ⑩ The way we saw movies and read comics changed. Life…That might be going overboard…The way we looked at the world changed. After that, I started watching Japanese movies and old movies long after that. That sort of thing happened. But I guess movies from America definitely influenced me. All the movies said to pack up and leave town. Basically, all the movies were about leaving home. “Easy Rider” was like that. So was “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” All the movies were about people who were fed up…with their boring lives, so they wanted to go someplace else. It was like Woodstock ⑪ was like that, too, right? Everybody wanted to hitchhike their way to Woodstock. It was like that for some people. I really wanted to leave home, too. I wonder is someplace out there wasn't like the life I had. So I wanted to leave home. But just saying that you’re going to leave home won’t…Well, it’s not like you’re going to be able to support yourself. So I started thinking, what can I do to make enough to eat? Comics? If I do draw comics, maybe I’ll be able to eat…That’s too optimistic, isn't it? Back then, I was thinking, “Maybe I’ll be able to eat if I do comics.” But at the time, comics had an air of freedom about them. It wasn't… In that era, you weren't drawing something for entertainment, you were putting the life you were leading into comic form. They were called “Youth Comics” back then. I thought, “Well, that’s how it is.” I thought it’d be great if I could live off of comics like that.

Q: What was your first encounter with animation?

A: I guess it’d be the old Toei feature-length theatrical animations that I mentioned. I guess the ones I really liked were “Saiyuuki” ⑫ and “Hakujaden.” ⑬ What else? Ones like “sarutobi Sasuke.” ⑭ Things like that. I liked movies like those.

Q: What are your Feelings on Having made animation yourself?

A: Mr. Rin talked to me about working on “Genma Taisen” ⑮ (Harmageddon). I’d always liked Genma. He asked if I would do the character designs, and I said sure. And that’s how I got into it. The biggest change was working as part of a group. Working on a comic is a solo effort. With animation, you have a lot of people who like to draw working together. It’s not like using an assistant. An assistant helps you out with your work. With animation, everyone works on the same job together. And there were so many talented people there. That was a surprise. A surprise and a lot of fun. There were only people who loved to draw. When you go from working alone to a place like that, you feel real cozy. That’s not always a good thing.

Q: What made you decide to animate AKIRA?

A: Right after I finished work on “Order to Stop Contruction” ⑯. I forget what year that was. I was first asked to do “Order to Stop Contruction,” then I did “Akira” for a week, and then I spent the next week at the Minami Asagaya studio. It was when I worked there with other animators. That was the first time Kodansha talked to me about animating it. I was really interested because I was working on an animation at the time. I wanted to make my own, but I thought, “Man, this’ll be a lot of work!” It was really hard work.

Q: What gave you trouble when animating it?

A: Well, first of all, I wasn't thinking of making the comic version straight into an animation. I thought of it as something completely different. It was different, but since there was source material, and I wrote it, my first thought was to make a separate world for the movie based on the comic. I guess the main thing was the length. We’re talking less than two hours, right? It was hard to bring everything together inside of two hours. Plus, I hadn't written the ending yet at that point. It was rough, knowing that I even had to come up with the ending. Basically, it was different from the flow of the comic. I had to start by writing the end. It was hard to write the ending. There ended up being a lot of cuts, but I knew there would be. What would you call it…? It’s tough to say. I thought of it more as a visual work than as an animation. It was less about making the characters move than about the edits and things you have in a live-action film. I wanted to do something more technical with the visuals. Of course, we do animate the characters. Speaking of animating the characters, we used prescoring, for instance. We did things like that, but I really wanted to approach it visually. The thing is, it’s not really a…What would you call it? It’s not really a character piece. Not a character piece? Well, not a hero piece, I mean. In a hero piece, he shows up and he looks cool and all that. In “Akira” there isn't a hero like that. I wanted to create this movie as more of a total visual piece.

Q: What was your intent with using prescoring?

(Prescoring is where the dialogue is recorded before the film starts production, and the movement of the character’s lips are animated to match that dialogue.)

A: I was worried that the animation wouldn’t work if the mouth movements didn’t match the spoken lines during closeup shots. Well, I thought it would be boring with just lip-synching. Since it’d be on a big screen, I started off by saying that I’d like to use prescoring on at least the close-ups. We ended up using it for just about everything, though. Whether prescoring is good or bad is another matter. My thinking was that if we have the dialogue first, the actor’s performance will come back out of it. They don’t just stand still and deliver their lines, the action comes across naturally in their lines. That’s what I wanted to accomplish. Nobody had done it before. No one had done it, so they were a bit lost. How the animator images the scene is limited by the actors’s performance. Some animators would say it’s good that the lines are there because they bring new ideas to the work, and those who say that now they can’t draw the action that they imagine. There are those two sides to it. 


Q: What was your intent with using the Quick Action Recorder?

(The Quick Action Recorder is a system that can digitalize key frames and in between frames with a video camera, and play then back at 24 frames per second. It is used for motion timing checks and corrections) 

A: In animation, the editing is already finished in the storyboard phase. I think that’s a really tough process for us. With movies, you film our shots and then edit them together to match what’s in your head. In animation, you have to work out the rhythm of the edits when you’re in the storyboard phase. That means, If you mess up, after it’s colored and…It’s not just a rush of one cut each. You just can’t tell unless you see a series of connected rushes. So you really want to find that out. You want to find out if the storyboards you've put together establish the rhythm of the motion and have the proper tempo. You want to find that out. I’m not a veteran who can tell that just from looking at the storyboards and the directions, so I wanted to know for sure. I think that animators want to know that, too. To know how much they’re drawing. Really, when you’re animating something at your desk, you can imagine that what you’re drawing is moving, but there’s no way to tell unless you actually see it moving. Using the Quick Action is the easiest way to do that. It does take more time when you use it, to be sure. Everyone fixes things in the initial stages. So sometimes the key drawings don’t make it to the next production stage in time. But to be honest, this is the ideal situation if you want to get it perfect.

Q: What was your intent in using computer graphics?

A: Right, I think I mentioned the reason I used computer graphics earlier. I wanted to incorporate various visual things, not just animation.

Q: Your intent in using the Synclavier?

(The Synclavier is a digital audio system that can freely manipulate various effect sounds on a single keyboard)

A: The world it takes place in is the Tokyo of the future, so…To tell you the truth, I would’ve done even more with the audio if I could have. The Synclavier really worked out. But at the time, “Akira” was pretty much the first project it was used on. I didn’t really understand what the Synclavier was.

Q: Your reason for using Geinoh Yamashiro Gumi for the music?

A: The Yamashiro Gumi⑰ had a Bulgarian voice album. I forget the title. I heard that earlier, and then they did “Kecak” after that. It was a choral piece. Well, they were both choral. Each record was made as a suite. That is, instead of just making an LP out of single songs, they made a total album. So… How can I put it? They have a real breadth in the music world. They don’t just let it go with individual pieces. They make them with an overall structure. Aside from that, I also wanted to use a chorus. I definitely wanted to use a chorus. I had that in mind, so I figured I had to go with the Yamashiro Gumi. Aside from that, the Yamashiro Gumi creates a really wide range of music. They do Bulgarian voice, they did the Kecak…They do rock music, too. Traditional Japanese music, too. A real mish-mash. I thought they were really close to the image I had of Tokyo. I thought that “Akira” wouldn’t hold together unless it had something that fit that Tokyo image, not just a classical score. I felt that “Akira” wouldn't hold together unless it had lush music. Plain classical and choral wouldn't be enough. Something ethnic with more rhythm—I like rhythm, you see. Their work has lots of rhythm.

Q: On the reputation of AKIRA around the world.

A: There’s overseas, American, and European versions of the comic. I didn’t really give it much thought at first. I didn’t make it with the overseas market in mind. When I first found out about them, I basically just went, “Wow”. I thought there’d only be Japanese readers. I was worried about whether or not they’d like it, but people looked at it and said it was interesting. It’s like “Blade Runner” ⑱ and Cyberpunk. I think it shared certain worldwide visions with those, all right. The fact that the comic of “Akira” and the film version were accepted overseas might be because they share those images.

Q: What’s next for Katsuhiro Otomo?

A: I want to keep drawing comics, and there are new projects and movies I want to do. I definitely want to try my hand at live-action, too. I’d like to try something else that’s on the same scale as “Akira.” There were things I couldn't do in “Akira,” and things in “Akira” that didn't live up to my expectations that I want to try again. And there’s one other thing. I want to try an animated piece that’s not like the animation in “Akira.” It’s hard to put in concrete terms. I feel like animation may be moving towards something new. Using cell animation, which we've used so far and CG animation, which is developing quickly, turned out really well. I think that animation may be taking a different form, so I think I might want to give that a try, too. I want to do other cell animation, but this new form of animation…Like the animation they’re doing over at Disney that makes use of computers. Something close to that. I think animation’s changing little by little. New machines and computers come out, and they influence animation. I think I’d like to give that a try. “Akira,” both the comic and the film, went overseas and I think it may have opened up a lot of possibilities. I think I’s opened up possibilities, not only for myself, but for Japanese animation and comics as well. So in this situation, I think overseas writers…comic artists and illustrators will work with us more and more. I think computers will be introduced into animation. And in the same way, people’s, staff’s , and animators’ ways of thinking will change. And when I say it’s changing, I think I have to make things like that, too. Yes. When they say that “Akira” is the only phenomenal thing I've done, I don’t think that’s good for me. I want to move forward, to take it a step further. I want other people and other animators to keep working their hardest. And I want to challenge that world…Challenge that wide-open field.



Notes by ChronOtomo:

①This interview was later included in the Japanese 2001 release of AKIRA DVD SPECIAL EDITION and in 2012 release of AKIRA 30th ANNIVERSAY BLU-RAY EDITION. It was also included in the USA Special Edition DVD release from 2001 (http://amzn.to/YkMiJt

Fireball by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友克洋) is a 50 pages one shot manga published in January 27, 1979 in Action Draks. It’s been included in Otomo katsuhiro Anthology 1 (彼女の想いで…大友克洋短編集1).

③Tetsuwan Atom (鉄腕アトム) is a manga by Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫)published from 1951 to 1968. Available as part of Osamu Tezuka Manga Complete Works Edition (手塚治虫漫画全集) in japan (http://amzn.to/XXNldN). Released in English in the US by DARK HORSE (http://amzn.to/10xfYA8) and in Spanish by GLENÁT (http://amzn.to/10vMmmS

Dōmu (童夢) by Katsuhiro Otomo (大友克洋) is afour part manga published between 1980 and 1981 in Action Deluxe magazine (アクションデラックス) and collected as a 234 page volume in 1983 by KODANSHA.

⑤Sarutobi Et-chan (さるとびエッちゃん)by Shotaro Ishimori (石ノ森章太郎)is a manga published in Shueisha’s Weekly Margarete Magazine from 1964 to 1966 with the name Okashina Okashina Ano Ko (おかしなおかしなあの子) name that was later changed when it was released as an animation series by TOEI in 1971. Diverse availability: http://amzn.to/10N7OFw

⑥Tetsujin 28 (鉄人28号)(Gigantor) by Mitsuteru Yokoyama (横山 光輝) is a manga published in Kobunsha's Shōnen Magazine from July 1956 to May 1966 and was later adapted to various anime series in the 60’s, 80’s and the last one in 2004 as well a live action film in 2005. Diverse availability: http://amzn.to/YmHaVd

⑦Magaka nyuumon (マンガ家入門) (How to be a Comic Artist) by Shotaro Ishimori (石ノ森章太郎). Available in Amazon japan: http://amzn.to/XsuQB1

⑧Bonnie and Clyde (1967) a film directed by Arthur Penn. Available in DVD in Japan: http://amzn.to/Xsv6zR, US:http://amzn.to/YmHiEc, Spain: http://amzn.to/Ye0fEz

⑨Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) a film directed by George Roy Hill and Written by William Goldman. Available in DVD in Japan:http://amzn.to/YmHVgY, US: http://amzn.to/Za4jc4, Spain: http://amzn.to/16NXW0t

⑩ Easy Rider (1969) directed by Dennis Hopper. Available in DVD in Japan: http://amzn.to/YmIs2t, in the US:http://amzn.to/16NYweE, in Spain:http://amzn.to/XtfNak

⑪Woodstock (1970) a documentary directed by Michael Wadleigh. Available in DVD in Japan:http://amzn.to/10N6Vem, in the US:http://amzn.to/10UnDZL, in Spain:http://amzn.to/16NYEuH

⑫Saiyuuki (西遊記) is an animation film produced by TOEI in 1960 based on Osamu tezuka’s (手塚治虫) manga of the Chinese classic The Journey to the West . TOEI site:http://goo.gl/Bgr6i. Availability in Japan:http://amzn.to/ZnYsfx, in the US:http://amzn.to/Zioj9q

⑬Hakujaden (白蛇伝) is the first animation film produced by TOEI released in 1958. Film site: http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/lineup/movie/movie_hakujaden/ Available in Japan on DVD: http://amzn.to/10NWzfW

⑭Sarutobi Sasuke (少年猿飛佐助) is second animation film produced by TOEI and released in 1959. Film site:http://goo.gl/1gkai . Availablein Japan on DVD :http://amzn.to/10UOaV3

Genma Taisen (幻魔大戦) (Harmageddon) is an animation film directed by Rin-Taro in 1983. The characters were designed by Katsuhiro Otomo and can be found in this book キャラクターオブ幻魔大戦―WARNING!

⑯Kōji Chūshi Meirei (工事中止命令) (Order to Stop Contruction ) is a 1987 animation short directed by Katsuhiro Otomo that formed part of the film Meikyū Monogatari (迷宮物語). The film is known in the US as Neo Tokyo.

⑰ Geinoh Yamashiro Gumi (芸能山城組) is a Japanese musical collective founded on 1974 by Tsutomu Ōhashi, They are known for both their faithful re-creations of folk music from around the world, as well as their fusion of various traditional musical styles with modern instrumentation and synthesizers. Official site:http://www.yamashirogumi.gr.jp/ Discography available here:http://amzn.to/Ynmah4

⑱Blade Runner (1982) is a film directed by Ridley Scott based on a novel by Phillip K. Dick. Available in Japan: http://amzn.to/12KyGtB. In the US: http://amzn.to/10UUzkK. In Spain: http://amzn.to/ZogEFR