In 2013, the original TV animation "I Am Britney" celebrated its 30th anniversary. As a well-known animation company· StudioPierrot's first original animated work, the film won the support of a wide range of age groups, and even generated more than 20% of the ratings when the final episode was broadcast that year. "I Am Britney" is an epoch-making magical girl animation in terms of popularity and content, and it is still reproduced in various media forms to this day. And in May 2014, the Blu-ray products of this work will also be fully listed.

Responsible for the character design of the work "I Am Britney" is the well-known illustrator Akemi Takada. Takada has worked on many works such as the animated version of "Mobile Police", "Lucky Star Kid", and "Orange Road", but "I Am Britney", as the first original animation work she is responsible for, can be said to be full of various meanings. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the work, the original painting exhibition of Akemi Takada was also held recently. This time, Japanese media conducted a special interview with Akemi Takada. From her mouth, she explored the secrets of "I Am Britney", as well as the issues she valued when creating characters, and also talked about the sub tracks recorded in the Blu-ray products, and even introduced to reporters what "cute" is. It can be said that a real character designer is restored from many aspects and three-dimensionally. So if you are interested, please continue reading the following text!

■Because of the relationship with StudioPierrot, there is "I Am Britney"

Q: First of all, we would like to ask about the ins and outs of the birth of "I Am Britney", can you tell us about it?

Takada: StudioPierrot, which produced "I Am Britney", was founded by Ikuji Fukawa. Mr. Fukawa and I have known each other since we were working together at Ryunoko Animation. Later, I started working with StudioPierrot, and I was in charge of the character design of works such as "Lucky Star Kid" at this company, and I should say that I started working on it as early as the company was just starting out and doing some TV pilots. Because of this fate, when they were thinking that "if they want to make a girl's animation, then the character designer should find a woman to be in charge", they naturally contacted me.

Q: Before deciding on the final character, I believe you have put in a lot of hard work.

Takada: It's a long road to decide on the final character. I drew a draft and brought it over, and then I went back and forth. After consultation, we decided on a new policy and then redesigned it. However, in the whole research experience, I was the only one who participated in the discussion as members of StudioPierrot. In this work, I was in charge of the design, and Mr. Ito had to think hard about the inspiration for the setting.

Q: How long did it take you to polish the setting of your work?

Takada: I said that was more than 30 years ago (laughs). I think I repeated the process about 4 or 5 times when I went back with the drawing and went back to work after discussing it. It didn't take too long, though, because as a matter of common sense, I just needed to draw a diagram related to the negotiation. It's just that I usually secretly draw more drafts in the first few days and bring them to show them. In terms of thickness, it looks like 5 centimeters.

Q: That's an amazing amount of weight.

Takada: yes. And ah, I didn't just draw a work about "I Am Britney", of course, I did draw a lot of drafts about this work.

■ Determine the contour of Asami's hair, as well as the color, and there are many stories that have been experienced during this period

Q: Among the characters, the one that caught the audience's attention the most was Asami's hair. What kind of process did you go through to decide on a hair contour like Asami's and purple hair color?

Takada: When I was trying to draw various templates, I once submitted a drawing of Asami dancing and singing. It was a picture of fluffy hair fluttering in the wind, but surprisingly, people told me, "It's a great feeling." "It's a picture of a momentary action, but it's considered very good (laughs). After that, it was quite hard to draw the three-sided diagram. And Asami's hair color was also determined at the same time during that period. In addition to the current purple, there are also orange and yellow hair color settings. Among the many colors, perhaps it was because of the fact that "lilac is the most weird" color that I finally decided to use this color.

In retrospect, there is no sense of dissonance when you put blue-green (Yuu's hair color) and lilac (Asami's hair color) together. This hair color combination also gives a good feel when it is further set up later. And there are many clothes that go well with these two colors. Whether it's pink, yellow, or aqua, it's a good fit. Later, when I was in charge of "Magic Mi (**) Sui", I forgot about this experience, and the characters' eyes chose real colors that fit the worldview of the story, and as a result, it was difficult to color their costumes when drawing Lara and Miho at the same time.

Q: Who finalized the personality, hair contour, and hair color?

Takada: It is a person of the Bandai girls' toy department. After all, the character's walking stick, carrying makeup equipment, microphones and other props are all designed from there. I'm afraid these props are also in line with Asami's appearance**, after all, I found that most of the props are pink.

■The reason why I never draw Yuu with Asami

Q: Ms. Takada: For a long time, you didn't put Yu and Asami in the same shot. So was there any opportunity to draw the two figures together?

Takada: After all, they're the same person. So for a long time, I didn't draw them together. Of course, since the beginning, there have been some merchandise that do have two people at the same time, but that wasn't designed by me.

If you want two people to appear at the same time, then you need to have a fantasy space to remove the irrationality of reality. However, the work is always set in the real world, so I rarely make this choice.

Q: You have also drawn a new picture for the Blu-ray BOX that was released on May 28, 2014. However, this time the picture was made to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the broadcast of "I Am Britney", so a large number of characters appeared on it. How did you think about this aspect of the design?

Takada: To be honest, my style is to draw characters big and shine with them. This time, the blue light BOX made me break my brain with the drawings. On the other hand, the inner cover of the BOX was pre-specified with a combination of characters, but I was able to draw my favorite composition to my heart's content, which made it easier to design. For example, the scene where Yuu is dating Toshio, the scene in the alien spaceship, and the Washington that appears in the OVA "Long Goodbye", etc., I can use my imagination of the plot to compose the picture. Speaking of which, the place where Yuu and Toshio date is Shinjuku. I paint landscapes with my digital camera as a background. Although it may be questioned that the picture does not fit Asami's time, as long as everyone can enjoy the atmosphere, then my goal has been achieved.

■The characters in the work still resonate with people today

Q: Ms. Takada has been drawing various pictures for "I Am Britney" for many years. In the creative process, the concept of the characters will also change due to the different materials and touches. But as far as the core question is concerned, how do you think you can create the character of "Britney"?

Takada: There's no doubt that it's hair, right? In terms of hair contour, as long as you can draw a character with fluffy bangs and hair on the back of the head, then Asami should be able to design it. The next thing that must be mentioned is color. Since there are no characters with the same hair color as Asami, even if Asami is given a very extreme hairstyle, people can recognize her at a glance. Depending on the fashion trend, there will be changes to her hairstyle, but we all know that this is Asami. I think purple is one of the keys to Asami's creation.

Q: In other words, by using soft colors for the characters, you can fully express the worldview of "I Am Britney".

Takada: This is also the first original work for me, so I put a lot of effort into it, and I used my favorite colors and pastel tones as much as possible. In addition, in the anime, I was also impressed by the watercolor art used by Mr. Shichiro Kobayashi. It is with this kind of hand-drawn fine art effect that the character can be more alive on this basis. Of course, the art aspect of the work was done later, so I didn't think about it when I was designing it.

Q: "I Am Britney" can still be said to be full of fashion elements to this day, and it has also gained good popularity. In particular, the young girls in the Harajuku department liked the design style of this work.

Takada: Fashion is cyclical. And I feel that the fashion cycle is also getting shorter every year. One of the most striking things is the color pastel that girls love so much, and I think that the work can maintain its popularity all year round, and this style is also an important factor in attracting everyone, right?

"I Am Britney" itself has been replayed many times, so although most of the male fans are middle-aged in their 30s and 40s, female fans are all in their 10s and 40s. Around me, there were even some 6-year-old girls who were taken by their mothers and told me: "Mami-chan is so cute~". In my opinion, Asami's cuteness is already universal.

■The so-called cuteness is to elegantly express something that you want to protect

Q: How did you consciously depict Asami's cuteness?

Takada: I think it's innate to be "cute" or "not cute" in pictures. Pictures are a reflection of what is in the artist's mind. Just as everyone has a different personality, there are also thoughts in people's minds, such as "I want to draw a cute picture" and "I feel better when I look creepy".

It's the same for people who draw comics, who construct a part of their own mind into different works. That's why when people say, "Asami is cute," I feel like I've been praised by someone else, and I'm very happy (laughs).

Q: In other words, Asami's cuteness is also projected on Ms. Takada herself.

Takada: When I was younger, I didn't think about messy things in my mind when I was painting, but many people said that my drawings were cute, and then I thought, "So, what do you mean by 'cute'?" And the answer I came up with was "The so-called cuteness is to elegantly express something that you want to protect." I never depict a beautiful girl in the combat department. Because I don't think Bishoujo itself is meant to fight. When you want to throw a fist at the opponent, if the object in front of you is a cute girl, then you will naturally drop your fist. So cuteness is such a peaceful force.

In the midst of "cuteness", there is a peaceful feeling of "hoping that the world will come together so that everyone can have a positive attitude". Therefore, I think that works such as "I Am Britney" will continue to be inherited in the future.

■The moment when "Britney" is completed

Q: Britney's voice actor was Takako Ota, who had not been debuting long ago. How did you feel when you saw her in person?

Takada: At first, I was very surprised (laughs). Because her voice is very personal, once you hear it once, you will never forget it. When I'm drawing female characters like Ram (Lucky Star Kid) and Asami, I read the script to make up for the sounds that these characters make. And when the anime is dubbed by the voice actor, the concept of the character's voice immediately switches to the voice actor version.

So after Ms. Ota gave Asami a voice, I thought, "I see, Asami was designed to be such a character." "And in that way, I think the role is done. Ms. Ota's voice is very healthy.

Q: Not only Asami and Yuu, but all the characters in this work are shining.

Takada: That's right. In today's animation works, it is always easy to have some characters with shadows, but such characters are not available in the animation of the 80s of the last century. Therefore, the worldview of the work "I Am Britney" is difficult to reappear in today's context.

■This work is like the "home field" in my heart

Q: Let's return to the work itself. What is the significance of the work "I Am Britney" to Ms. Takada?

Takada: So far, this work has been broadcast in a variety of media. From vintage video tapes to home video tapes, from CDs to DVDs, and now the Blu-ray version of Britney will also be available to everyone. And I often have to draw various pictures for this work, and I believe that it still has a long way to go. Before you know it, 30 years have passed. This work is also integrated into my own style, and it is like a "home field" in my heart.

Q: For the first time in the upcoming Blu-ray BOX, the sub track will be included, and Ms. Takada will also participate in the recording of the final episode.

Takada: Yes, yes (laughs). The final speakers were Ms. Ota, Mr. Hiroshi Mizushima, and me. In short, it is a stage where people can speak freely, and I hope you will definitely listen to our comments! It's a hilarious sub-track. I think the sub tracks of the other episodes are also very good, but this one is just as fun (laughs). Fans will definitely burst into laughter if they listen to it. Please look forward to it.

Q: Finally, would you like to give a message to the fans?

Takada: "I'm Britney" is an animation made by Studio Pierrot, who is a good child, for good children. Therefore, if you have children, please be sure to bring them to watch this work. As for the audience who has always loved this work before, please be able to find your past selves and enjoy it with a fresh and pleasant mood!

["I Am Britney" 30th Anniversary Akemi Takada Original Art Exhibition & Related Shops】

Venue: Marui City Shibuya 9th floor special booth

Date: May 23 (Friday) ~ June 15 (Sunday)

*1 Ikuji Fukawa: The person in charge of StudioPierrot Co., Ltd. In 1967, he joined the animation production company Pengying Studio. As an animation producer, he has participated in works such as "Cosmic Shonen Soran" and "Adventure Kaboto Island". After that, he joined the insect zuò company and the jack studio, and later became a member of the dragon son zuò company, and developed from an ordinary animation company to a performer. The main performances include "Time Spaceship", "Cassin Reinvention", "Little Twin Heroes" and so on. In 1977, he began to plan the establishment of Studio Pierrot, during which time he produced "The Adventures of Little Bees". In 1979, StudioPierrot Co., Ltd. was founded. Over the course of more than 30 years, the company has brought popular titles to anime fans, including "Goose Riding Adventures", "Lucky Star Kid", "Yuyu Hakusho", "Naruto", and 2014's "Even So the World Is Beautiful" and "Tokyo Mean" and many other popular titles. He is currently the chairman of the Japan Animation Association and a professor at the Graduate School of Tohoku University of Arts and Technology.

*2 Kazunori Ito: Scripter. In the process of being in charge of the TV animation "Lucky Star Kid", he switched to the text direction, and served as the original plan, series composition, and script in "I Am Britney". He has written scripts for many other works such as the animated version of "Mobile Police" and "Ghost in the Shell".

*3 Akemi Takada: "I'm thinking about summarizing my previous draft this summer and presenting it in the form of a 30th anniversary book. I believe that there will be a lot of content in this, so please look forward to it. ”

*4 Shichiro Kobayashi: Animation art supervisor. He has been responsible for the art work of many works including "I Am Britney", "The City of Lupin the Third Carriostelo", "Lucky Star Kid", "Girl Revolution" and so on.

Interview with the creator of "I Am Britney".

The classic magical girl animation "I Am Britney" will be released at the end of May Blu-ray commemorative edition, and the relevant media specially interviewed the creator of the animation production company, Ikuji Fukawa, to get the secret of the birth of "I Am Britney" from his mouth.

In 1983, "I Am Britney" (『magic のangelクリィミーマミ』), which began to be broadcast in the form of TV anime, has been supported by a large number of fans and loved by audiences of all ages. It has been more than 30 years since the creation of the work, but various related products are still being released. In particular, from May 28, 2014, "I Am Britney Blu-ray Commemorative Edition BOX" will also be fully released.

"I Am Britney" can be said to have created a new model of the magical girl theme, and it also occupies a significance that cannot be ignored in the history of Japanese animation. In addition, for Studio Pierrot, which produces zuò animation, it was also facing a turning point in the entrepreneurial period at that time. This work also opened up new markets for the company.

Recently, some Japanese media interviewed the founder of StudioPierrot, Ikuji Bukawa, to get the secret of the birth of "I Am Britney" from his mouth, as well as the relevant details of the animation company at that time.

■ A new definition for magical girls

Q: I'd like to ask you about the secret of the birth of "I Am Britney". At the end of the day, how did the project for "I Am Britney" come about?

Fukawa: Speaking of the magical girl series, there is also the orthodox "Pretty Girl of Light" series that is still on the air, but this work basically follows the original line of the theme specified by Toei Animation's "Sally the Magician" (1966). Faced with this situation, we were approached by a toy manufacturer and asked if they could give some refreshing definition of a magical girl. That's the starting point for this work. Of course, in the 80s, toy manufacturers were doing well, so there was capital to mess around like this (laughs).

And for those of us who do animation, if we don't have the support of sponsors, then it will be difficult. Specifically, the Yomiuri Advertising Agency, which is an advertising agency, received a request and started the project.

Q: Why did Yomiuri make this request to StudioPierrot?

Fukawa: The Yomiuri advertising agency has been trying to study new routes for magical girls, so they also approached Reed Production (now ProductionREED) to produce the "Sweet Fairy" series (1982). When the advertising agency was ready to carry out the next project, it approached us at StudioPierrot.

At that time, StudioPierrot gained popularity with the 1981 broadcast of "Lucky Star Kid", and was recognized by the industry and audiences as an animation production company. Taking advantage of this great opportunity, we also wanted to make a series of works about magical girls.

Q: How did you decide to make the project a specific program?

Fukawa: It's been 30 years since that time, so my mind is full of strange memories (laughs). In the end, the toy dealer only provides advice on toys, and we make the worldview of the work and the character setting. What we care about is the quality of the work. At least for me, I'd like to be able to give my daughter a spin-off toy that can be used by my daughter (laughs).

For example, Xiaoyu, the protagonist of "I Am Britney", has blue-green hair, but after transforming into idol singer Asami, her hair turns purple again. We deliberately chose a pink tone for this. The setting of the hair was also determined from the beginning.

At that time, the animation was still made in traditional celluloid painting, and there were not many colors in the celluloid painting tools that could be used, but we had to work under such conditions. But I think we created a special atmosphere called "Asami Sex". Especially regarding Koyu's hair color, Ms. Akemi Takada, who was in charge of the design of the work at the time, was extremely persistent, and she also made a new celluloid painting tool specifically for Koyu. In terms of the art of the work, I also think that the color palette used by Mr. Shichiro Kobayashi, who is the art director, is very suitable for the characters.

Q: Not only the use of color, but also the fashion of the characters' personal clothes in this work, as well as the setting of a crepe shop in Xiaoyou's home, are actually very cleverly integrated into the trend of the 80s of the last century.

Fukawa: The crepe shop is supposed to be made by our company. In the '80s, crepe shops were still a rarity. The reason for this store was that the staff, who were very young at the time, were actively incorporating elements that were ahead of the times.

■The chemistry of the young staff

Q: Kazunori Ito, the person in charge of the series, and Akemi Takada, who were the main producers of "Lucky Star Kid" at that time, were probably the main people.

Buchuan: Everyone was in their twenties and thirties. Little Ito joined StudioPierrot before we launched Lucky Star Kid and took on the role of producer and executioner. However, my intention is to engage in creation. So when I went to work in the morning, I often found that I had a script written by him on my desk. And he keeps saying, "You're going to show me" (laughs). I'm very busy at work, and if I haven't told him what I think for a while, he'll put me a new script. Heck, that's the kind of thing that happens (laughs).

But it was precisely because of his enthusiasm that I made him realize his dream of being a screenwriter in "Lucky Star Kid". And in the process of his work, we discovered talent, which may also be one of the factors that gave birth to the project "I Am Britney". In this sense, it is only natural that Ito should be the composer of the series for this work.

Q: The chief director of this work is Mr. Osamu Kobayashi from Asia Hall. The staff of Asia Hall also participated in the production of many works.

Buchuan: Studio Pierrot has produced a series of animation works, starting with "The Adventure of Riding a Goose". However, due to the complexity of the project, it was difficult for the director of StudioPierrot at the time to decide who would be in charge. So at that time, I asked the directors of other companies.

We are very familiar with the style of director Osamu Kobayashi's work, and it was a reassuring decision to choose him. And in "I Am Britney", he also really showed a strong guiding talent. In addition, the sense of existence of Tomomitsukun Mochizuki, who performed the work, cannot be ignored. Mochizuki-kun's painting style, Xiao Ito's plot, and Takada-kun's character design...... They're seamlessly connected to each other, and I think that's really important for "I'm Britney".

Q: In your book "Why does Britney use a wand to transform?" 〈『クリィミーマミはなぜステッキで変身するのか?』 , Nikkei BP), the final words that once mentioned this work received very high ratings. So how did the animation go throughout the broadcast?

Fukawa: When it was first released, it was very popular, and the related toy sales points didn't look like it was a big hit, so as far as our company was concerned, it was just an ordinary work. But when it came to the final words, the ratings actually exceeded 20%. As a result, we were also honored by Nippon Television.

In "I Am Britney", it starts with the setting that "the protagonist Xiaoyu can only use magic for a year". In other words, the results of a year later have been determined, so create a variety of stories that happened during the year on this basis, so as to give the audience a sense of drama. There is no doubt that the strength of the plot is very crucial.

Q: At the end of the final episode, it can be said that Xiaoyu, who has grown up as an adult, portrays it very well and is impressive.

Fukawa: It's a very vivid way to wrap up, and I think most people will remember it. It is precisely because of this that many people are looking forward to the birth of a sequel. But it's not easy to make such an ending impressive.

Q: After the end of the anime series, you also produced the OVA "Forever OnceMore" and "Little Cream LongGoodbye", which tell the story after the TV anime.

Fukikawa: There were many forward-thinking people at BandaiVisual (then the Bandai Networks Frontier Division) that we worked with. In the early '80s, they asked Studio Pierrot to produce DALLOS in OVA format. OVA is a different form from TV anime, and it won't have the movie-watching craze like the theatrical version, so it can be said that it is a new genre. The OVA of "I Am Britney" was established under this background, and the sales are also very good. What shocked us at the time was that the work was supported by a large number of male fans. Of course, looking back at the current era, it's not an incredible thing (laughs). But in the 80s, we were puzzled: "It's obviously a magical girl-themed thing, why do so many male viewers like it?" "Maybe those loyal magical girl fans now,It's in that era that they found resonance with the work.,That's why we have today.。

The animation magazine "Animage" also published a special feature based on StudioPierrot, and I was very impressed with that special feature. At that time, the editor-in-chief of the magazine was Hideo Ogata, and we received a lot of care from him.

■The reason for the appeal that transcends the times

Q: "I Am Britney" is a work that has transcended the times and is loved by audiences of different ages. So what do you think is the appeal of this work?

Fukawa: As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, I am really touched to be able to receive so much support from fans. And the recent trend about "I Am Britney" is actually not consciously promoted by our side, but in response to the voices of fans. As for the reasons why the work is loved, I think there are various reasons.

As I mentioned earlier, the plot of this work is very good, and the characters portrayed by Kotakada are full of charm. After transforming, he can become a completely different person, and he is also a charismatic idol. Such a setting has an irresistible charm for female audiences. I think it's a pretty good idea.

In addition, Takako Ota, who voiced Xiaoyu and Asami, also exudes a strong sense of preservation in the work. Although she is a complete amateur in terms of voice actor and looks very immature when she performs, she gives people a feeling of doing her best. Heck, a voice like her is hard to find in today's voice actor world. And the voice actors, including Hiroshi Mizushima, also affectionately tolerated Takako Ota-chan, and I think it's a good place to have a perfect balance with each other.

Q: You mentioned that Akemi Takada's characters are attractive, but what is the charm of the characters?

Buchuan: It's a very fashionable place. She and I worked together at Tatsuko Tsuò, and her charm hasn't changed since then. There is no sense of outdated decadence in the characters she creates, and she has gained a lot of support from fans overseas.

Speaking of the dragon son system zuò company, at that time, it was basically Yoshida Ryuo + Kuri Ichihei + Amano Yoshitaka as the main backbone, but Takata-chan was not the same as them. She has a different worldview. I've been convinced of this since then. Anyway, I met with her a few days ago, and Takata-chan also said: "I used to make such preparations for the show after "I Am Britney". And showed me the character setting of the "post-Britney era" she envisioned.

Q: I think there is still such a trend.

Fukawa: It seems that Ito Jr. has written a follow-up story about it. It's just that at that time, the follow-up program of "I Am Britney" had been confirmed as "Magic Fairy Belusa" ("I love Belusa!") serialized in "Weekly Margaret". "Animation created for the original project). This work, I think it's a different attempt from "I'm Britney". And the main producers of "I Am Britney" also have their own persistent themes, so everyone doesn't really want to make sequels of the same type, and I myself am in a period of vigorous fighting spirit, and I want to produce all kinds of works, so the sequel to "I Am Britney" is also stranded.

Q: "I Am Britney" is not only a magical girl-themed work, but also an idol-themed work. Music also plays a big part of it.

Buchuan: From the very beginning of StudioPierrot, we had the idea of combining music and animation images. This is because the moment when the music is synchronized with the picture, it can give the audience a sense of happiness. We are particularly interested in the theme song and ending song of the work. At the time of "Lucky Star Kid", we asked Mr. Koji Minami, who was born in the company of Ryunoko Tsuò (mainly working in the production of zuò animation advertisements, etc.). And logically, during the period of "I Am Britney", he also made a request to him. Although he doesn't work in painting himself, he does draw fascinating storyboards for us. Mr. Nan Jia is a person who works in advertising, so he has a keen sense of the times. In many of his subsequent works, he has contributed a lot to us.

Q: The singing plot in this plot is also a highlight.

Fukawa: The music scenes in this anime are quite time-consuming. In the case of animation, it is usually after the animation video has been created that the musical work begins. However, this work first created the music, adjusted the timing based on it, performed the animation, and completed the painting. Because it is difficult to draw a storyboard that matches the music, this part of the production process of "I Am Britney" is quite hard.

■What does "I Am Britney" mean to StudioPierrot as a company?

Q: "I Am Britney" is the first original project for StudioPierrot. What do you think is interesting about your original projects?

Fukkawa: As a producer, my job is to identify the main producers of an anime, including the animation director. This is also one of the keys to this job. Although animation director is an important starting point, it does not mean that you can complete your work independently like a writer. Everyone, with 1+1+...... and measure the entire production cycle, so that the production process of the animation can be formed. Not to mention original projects, we have to think carefully about who we should work with in order to maximize chemistry. Depending on the way people are combined, the style of the work will be completely different.

In terms of the selection of personnel for "I Am Britney", I think it is very wise. Director Kotakada, Ito Koto, and director Kobayashi later worked together on "Orange Road". And Takada Ito's group also collaborated with Mamoru Oshii to produce "Mobile Police" together, well, although it was made for another company. I think it can be said that the careers of these people have also started from "I Am Britney" and have taken a new starting point.

Q: You have a high degree of freedom in original planning, but don't you think fun is also very important?

Buchuan: You're right. In this way, at Studio Pierrot, we consciously paid attention to the story and animation effects from the very beginning of our business, and created works based on them. And this tradition continues to this day. However, if you want the plot of the work to be brilliant and the performance effect to be outstanding, then you need to make a lot of settings. Arts, Characters, Fine Arts...... Whether the various departments in the company are able to carry out these pre-setting settings well is also the key to determining whether a work, especially an original work, can be of a high standard. In this regard, I think StudioPierrot is a company that takes quality very seriously.

Since last year, I have been planning to set up a "NUNOANI Juku" where newcomers can learn how to perform and produce animation. I hope that I will always want to share the experience I have gained over the years in the animation industry with the next generation of animators, so that they can carry on the good tradition. In order to achieve the purpose of cultivating such talents, I opened this school. If you want to see this interview for young people who want to work hard in the animation industry in the future, we hope you will come and try it out with us.

Q: What does "I Am Britney" mean to StudioPierrot as a company?

Buchuan: StudioPierrot spent most of the first few years of its business taking on outsourcing work. I got some copyright when I was in "Lucky Star Kid", but "I Am Britney" is the first work that StudioPierrot fully controls the copyright. And this work is loved by everyone to this day, so we should also "honor" it (laughs). Nowadays, this work is somewhat nostalgic to watch, but in the end, it is thanks to the efforts of the energetic producers that it has become so popular, so I believe that this is a representative work of Studio Pierrot's golden age.

Q: On May 28th, Blu-ray BOX will be released. So please say a few words to the fans who watched "I Am Britney" again.

Bu Chuan: To have the opportunity to let everyone meet Xiao Tian Tian again, I naturally have no other feelings in my heart except joy. Taking advantage of this Blu-ray BOX, we will present you with a surprisingly beautiful image. Please be sure to appreciate it with a "fresh" mentality.

DETAILED REPORT ON THE OPENING OF NICONICO SUPER CONFERENCE 3

On April 26th and 27th, 2014, Makuhari Messe hosted a mega event, "Niconico Super Conference 3". Due to the excellent weather last weekend, there were a large number of NICONICO fans and ordinary spectators who came to have fun, and the atmosphere of the event was maintained at a high level.

As the event came to an end, the organizer also announced the number of related numbers of this super conference 3. Over the course of two days, 124,966 people attended the event. This is about 20% higher than last year's 103,561 visits. In addition, if you include the number of netizens who followed the event on their computers and smartphones in the form of watching the NICONICO livestream, the number reached 7,595,978. This number has increased by about 50% from last year's 5,094,944 people, which can be said to be an explosive rise. It seems that the Internet is the stage where NICONICO can exert its greatest power.

This year, as usual, the organizers have moved almost all of the content on the NICONICO website to 3D, so that the audience can experience the joy brought by NICONICO in an immersive way. This includes not only music, dance, animation, games, and cosplay, but also a wide variety of genres such as academy, Go and shogi, space development, sumo wrestling, and general companies. The dazzling program not only brought surprise and delight to the organizers, but also won the hearts of a large number of fans, so it was only natural that this year's "Niconico Super Conference 3" was a huge success.

Since the market is still good in 2014, the organizers naturally struck while the iron was hot and announced the news that the "Niconico Super Conference 2015" would be held in 2015. Next year's event will be held on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26. It is difficult to predict how far the Niconico Super Conference will go in the future as a large-scale event that can represent Japan after only three editions. However, as the operator of the NICONICO website, I will definitely further activate the utility of the NICONICO super conference as a leader.

In addition, in this year's "Niconico Super Conference 3", the new development strategy of NICONICO was also officially announced. One of the most notable is the relocation of Niconico from its original Tokyo and Harajuku locations to a new location. ACCORDING TO THE PLAN, A NEW NICONICO COMPANY WILL BE LAUNCHED IN IKEBUKURO P'PARCO IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR.

Since December 2010, Niconico has been used as a base for various events and related information distribution. With the company's move to Ikebukuro, officials are trying to make it possible for everyone to "enjoy NICONICO 365 days" in the real world. In addition, the new company will have a number of communication platforms, including stages, shops, and coffee shops, as well as services such as animation photography and online delivery.

In addition, from May 2nd, the "NICONICO Stereoscopic" service with the theme of 3D will also be launched. NICONICO is a service that allows users to post and post 3D models and MMD models. In this way, it is possible to meet the needs of today's 3D products to the greatest extent. In addition to the above, there are many other interesting projects that will be launched in the future, which will be great for not only Japanese users, but also Niconico fans around the world.

【NICONICO Super Conference 3】

The total number of visitors (counting the number of visitors to the exhibition building and the event building)

124,966 (last year's number: 103,561)

Total number of attendees (counting the number of users who watched the live broadcast)

7,595,978 (last year's number: 5,094,944)

※ Internet users of the second day of the NICONICO super-pai duì III are not included

NICONICO ULTRA CONFERENCE 2015

Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 and Sunday, April 26, 2015

Venue: Makuhari Messe

WakeUp, Girls held their first concert

2014 Winter New "WakeUp, Girls! tells the story of a group of girls who work hard to achieve their idol dreams. However, Tong Guò also gave birth to the three-dimensional idol group "WakeUp, Girls! The group has not stopped its activities even after the TV anime has been broadcast, and its popularity has been rising. On April 27, "WakeUp, Girls! At Shinagawa Stellaball in Tokyo, the group's first exclusive concert since its inception, "WakeUp, Girls! FESTA. [Please let me hold an event!] 】”（WakeUp,Girls！ FESTA.「 イベント、やらせてください！ The bustling scene also gave people confidence in the future of this group.

In addition, at the event site of the day, the group also released a series of activities related to this summer, which made people feel "WakeUp, Girls! "We will continue to be more active in the future. Among the events was the long-awaited radio show "WakeUp, Radio!", which erupted in cheers when the news broke. However, the details of this radio program are still to be revealed on the official website in the future.

It was "WakeUp, Girls!" that appeared on stage that day. 7 girls. They are Mayu Yoshioka (Shimada Mamune), Airi Nagano (Ransato Hayashida), Miami Tanaka (Minoru Katayama), Yoshino Aoyama (Kanno Nanase), Nanami Yamashita (Nana Kana Kukai), Kaya Okuno (Natsuya Kikuma), and Miyu Takagi (Miyoshi Okamoto). In addition, he served as the "WakeUp, Girls! Kohei Matsuda, the agent, also "came" to the scene, and of course, it was Shintaro Asanuma who voiced the character who appeared in front of the audience. The 8 people held a fun-filled symposium on the day, and the mini-concert also went smoothly.

Among them, in the symposium session, Shintaro Asonuma performed an advertisement as Matsuda's agent. And what he said, "I'm Shintaro Asanuma who voiced Kohei Matsuda, who is known for his incompetence!" It also detonated the laughter at the scene. The discussion was based on Asanuma, "WakeUp, Girls!" The members replied in the form of a response. The content includes "The best plot I've chosen" and "Please let me repent here!" WakeUp,Girls！ Trial! "Wait. In particular, the trial part has become a link for everyone to expose the black history to each other, and the judge Asanuma will issue a verdict on this information. Although it seems to be full of gunpowder, the whole scene is still a happy scene. In addition, when asked, "Are you a fan Matsuda agent?" Or Hayasaka? Most of the girls chose the latter, which also hit Asonuma hard. However, Asanuma himself allocated his time very well at the symposium and controlled the balance, and it could be seen that he was definitely qualified to be an excellent agent in the third dimension.

Of course, the concert session also made the audience addicted. The members wore new colorful costumes revealed in the "Idol Festival" episode of the TV anime, and performed songs such as "7GirlsWar", "Aoba Words", and "16-year-old Agape". Among them, "16-year-old Agape" is the first time to perform in public. And with the audience's cry of "one more song", "WakeUp, Girls! He also sang the theme song of the theatrical version "Cheer Up! 》。 The enthusiasm of the girls was very high, but the audience's expression was not inferior, and the close cooperation between the two sides pushed the atmosphere of this exclusive event to the **. Finally, after each member gave a thank you speech to the audience, "WakeUp, Girls! "The first exclusive event in history has also come to a successful conclusion. For their further growth in the future, Tencent Animation will also continue to pay attention.

What is the industry changing? Popular anime singers have closed down one after another

"April 1, 2014, from today, I will become a freelance singer", an anime singer posted a text on Twitter in Japan, which surprised countless anime song fans. THIS PASSAGE WAS WRITTEN ABOUT A MONTH AGO BY AN ANIME SINGER NAMED HIMEKA.

In 2008, she moved to Japan from Canada to participate in the 2nd All Japan Anime Song Awards, a competition that was known at the time to discover anime song singers. Because of the first place in the competition, she began to be appreciated, and successfully joined Sony Music Entertainment as a foreigner anime song singer.

Soon after her debut, she sang a lot of theme songs for popular anime such as "Battlefield Valkyrie" (戦場のヴァルキュリア) and "Letter Bee" (テガミバチ). Despite a steady increase in popularity, since 2010, she has not received a new job with anime songs. Just after releasing an album in 2011, she left Sony and moved to "5pb." At the new company, she sang several theme songs about the game, but it seems that on April 1 of this year, she and "5pb." The signed contract expired, and there was the opening quote. But freelance singers are not a good thing for her, because she is a foreigner, and if she loses her job as a foreigner, she loses her status of residence in Japan, and if she can't find a new office, she will have to leave Japan and return to her native Canada by May 2.

At the same time as the above news, the 8th All Japan Anime Song Awards, which was originally scheduled to be held in 2014, announced the cancellation of the event. Since 2007, a large-scale singing contest has been held every year as scheduled, and many outstanding singers such as HIMEKA have been selected, so why did it suddenly cancel this year? This has to be surprising. The contest has long been a symbol of the popularity of anime songs throughout Japan, and it is a veritable national contest that begins with regional group competitions from all regions of Japan and then gathers the winners of each region to compete in the finals in Tokyo. Most people believe that as long as they stand out in such a famous event, they will definitely be able to make a successful debut as an anime song singer.

So far, the above competitions have given birth to many new anime singers such as Shuhei Kita and Saka Sasa. The All Japan Anime Song Awards has long been regarded as the leading point for anime singers, but in 2012, the sixth edition of the contest caused a number of scandals that caused the contest to go downhill. The winner of the 6th contest in 2012 was a female singer named Nanaka Okamoto, who was supposed to be on the road of glory, but she was criticized by many anime song fans. Many viewers who watched the live broadcast of the competition questioned her singing ability, and the bitter words of the chairman of the competition committee Mizuki Ichiro to the judges on Twitter in Japan about the results can also be seen that both inside and outside the industry are deeply confused about the results of that year's competition. As for the news of this year's closure, the organizers did not issue a detailed explanation on this, and only issued an article "Suspension of the Event" from beginning to end. For this matter, it has also attracted various speculations from fans of anime songs.

Amazingly, this spring was full of negative news about the All Japan Anime Song Awards, but not only that, but many popular anime singers announced that they were out of business one after another. Led by "Sweet Kiss Marks SS" (アマガミSS), self-playing and self-singing singer azusa, who has sung a number of classic anime songs, announced the suspension of acting activities at the end of last year; Anime singer Natsuko Aso and voice actress Ai Nakajima announced the suspension of singer activities this spring. Although Ms. Aso shifted her focus to artist activities, while Ms. Nakajima wanted to concentrate on her voice actor work, she stopped singing anime songs after all. These singers, who are all the rage in the field of anime songs, have stopped their singer activities one after another, which is really regrettable and worrying.

Of course, the singers also have other things to do, and they all suspend their activities for some reasons. But is their cessation of singer activities related to the changes in the anime song market today? Next, let's take a look at some numbers. First of all, in 2007, the year the All Japan Anime Song Awards began, there were a total of 88 anime theme songs in the spring anime, of which 26 were sung by anime singers (or ordinary singers who mainly sing anime songs), and 6 were sung by voice actors who starred in voice actors or performed singer activities. In 2014, there were 90 theme songs for this spring, of which 15 were sung by anime singers and 45 were sung by voice actors. Comparing the two, we can see that the proportion of anime singers and voice actors has reversed significantly, and not only that, but the share of anime singers has decreased by nearly half compared to seven years ago.

Even in terms of CD sales, the theme songs sung by the voice actors are more popular, and from this point alone, it is not difficult to imagine the idea of "voice actors with idol popularity, and the theme song CDs sung by them will be more profitable". The author thinks, is this the kind of thinking that makes the producer more use voice actors to sing the theme song?

Everyone says that this is the time when the anime song craze is in full swing, but in fact, the anime song singers who specialize in anime songs are not getting their fair share of this craze. Some people may think of the term bubble economy, and thus put forward the idea that "the bubble of anime songs bursts", but whether this is the case or not, I think it is still undecided. But now may be a good time for the industry to pause and wonder what the future holds for anime songs.

Nanako Subumi participated in the Japanese drama "Onodera Sister and Brother"

The movie "Onodera's Younger Brother, Onodera's Sister", which starred in the sister-brother role by Mukai Ri and Katagiri, recently announced the additional cast list. In addition to the names of Mitsuki Yamamoto, Mitsuhiro Kagawa, Tsuyoshi Muro, Kumiko Aso, Minamiho Omori, etc., Nanako Sumi, who is well-known for her voice actress career, is also confirmed to appear in this work. In addition, this work will be officially released on October 25 this year.

"Onodera's Younger Brother, Onodera's Sister" is based on the original novel of the same name written by scripter Seishi Nishida. Seishi Nishida was once well-known to the audience with the TV series "Monster Prince". In this film, it will tell the comedic story of a pair of siblings who are close to each other. Previously, the work was also launched in the form of a stage play in July ~ August 2013, when the younger brother Jin and sister Yoshiko were played by Mukai Li and Katagiri Iri, and this movie can be regarded as a continuation of the previous lineup.

In this additional list, Mitsuki Yamamoto will play the role of a woman who has a crush on her younger brother, and Mitsuhiro Kagawa will play the role of Mitsuhiro Kagawa, a man who has a heart with her sister Yoshiko. In addition, Tsuyoshi Muro will play Jin's friend, Jin's former lover will be played by Kumiko Aso, and Jin's boss will be played by Namho Omori. And the key characters around the siblings are the popular voice actress Minako Shou.

From powerful to newborn love actors, plus voice actors and variety show hosts, it can be said that this movie brings together faces from all sides. Director Nishida explained, "The Onodera siblings live in a very small circle. This time, I chose a cast that I admired very much, and asked them to express those unproductive and ordinary characters who live in a small circle. And the director is full of confidence, "Each character will change a little bit from the actor himself, so fans of these actors will have the opportunity to see the idol's 'never showed'." ”

And as the director said, the actors who starred also said that they seemed to have opened up a new stage in this work. "This was my first attempt to play a flirtatious role. This role is different from my usual self, and it is closer to the image of the ideal girl in my mind, so when it comes to letting me play it, I am very happy. (Yamamoto) "I played Asano, a salesman who didn't have much interest and was probably a bit natural. …… It's a role I've never tried before, so I learned a lot. (Kagawa)

In addition, Nanako Sumiko once won the singing award at the 4th Voice Actor Award in the name of the group "Tea Time After School", a band formed in the drama "Light Girl". And it's also a voice actor group· A member of the Sphere. In addition, she can also be seen in various TV dramas and variety shows, and it can be said that she is a young artist worthy of attention in recent years. Before starring in this live-action movie, she also used to voice Gigi in the live-action version of "Little Witch Home Delivery Service". But that time can only be regarded as a continuation of the work of the voice actor, and now he has joined "Onodera's Younger Brother and Onodera's Sister" as an actor, I wonder if it will be able to open up a path to a movie star career for Suminana? Tencent Animation will also continue to pay attention.

The movie "Onodera's Younger Brother and Onodera's Sister" will be released from October 25 in cinemas such as Shinjuku Piccadilly.

This year's Anisama has added four new groups of popular singers to join

This year's large-scale summer anime song event, "AnimeloSummerLive2014-ONENESS-", will be held on August 29 (Friday), August 30 (Saturday), and August 31 (Sunday) at the Saitama Super Sports Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Today, the organizers of the event announced four new groups of participating artists.

On Friday, August 29th, there will be a performance by Miss Ai Arai and T.M. Revolution Takayo Nishikawa, on Saturday, August 30th, Yui Horie and on Sunday, August 31st, the new musical group "Beautiful Girl of Light" Summer Rainbow (プリキュアサマーレインボー) will be performed. Miss Hitomi Yoshida, Miss Akika Nakatani and other five "Beautiful Girl of Light" voice actors.

[Introduction to the new participating artists]

Blue Well Ailu

A well-known and powerful female singer in recent years, in October 2011, she sang the ending theme song of the TV animation "Fate/Zero", released her first single "MEMORIA" and officially made her singer debut; On January 30, 2013, he released his first album "BLAU", which ranked fourth on the music sales list; On January 29, 2014, the highly anticipated second solo album "AUBU" was released, and the Facebook page received nearly 300,000 likes from all over the world.

T.M.Revolution

In 1996, Takayo Nishikawa made his official debut with the project "T.M.Revolution", and has sung many popular songs with catchy lyrics, captivating stage performances, and overwhelming dance moves. Appointed as the "Shiga Tourism Ambassador" in his hometown of Shiga Prefecture, he held a large-scale outdoor rock music event called the "Thunder Rock Festival" every year, and in 2013, his partnership with Nana Mizuki caused a huge response, and his collaboration "PreservedRoses" and "Revolutionary Dualism" (Revolution デュアリズム) both received wide acclaim, and they jointly won the "Planning Award" under the "55th Japan Record Awards", and they also participated in the "" " at the end of last year with these two songs. The 64th NHK Red and White Song Festival".

Yui Horie

To date, he has released 17 solo singles and 9 solo albums, and is a regular at the top of the sales charts. The latest album "Secret", released in February 2012, was ranked third on the one-week sales chart, and "BESTALBUM", released in September of the same year, also ranked third on the one-day sales chart. As a voice actress, she has participated in a large number of works, including "Mishiore· F. Biscody", TIGER×DRAGON! "Kushieda Minoru Pear" in "Dragon and Tiger", and Tsubasa Hanekawa in "Monogatari Series", etc.

The summer rainbow of "Pretty Girl of Light".

(Members: Mayumi Gojo, Mayuki Kudo, Aya Ikeda, Hitomi Yoshida, Akika Nakatani)

The "Pretty Girl of Light" series premiered in 2004 and is still popular today. The producer brings together voice actors who have sung theme songs from past generations to form a music group that was born only for Anisama. The summer rainbow of "Beautiful Girl of Light" will strive to bring joy to everyone with singing!

The 45th Nebula Awards Alternate Animation List has been announced

Japan's famous science fiction awards, the Nebula Awards, were recently announced by the organizing committee for the 45th year. Among them, Nozaki Tsukashi's "Know" and Oda Masakuhito's "11 Floors" are among the candidates for the Japan Novel/Short Story Award. However, for anime fans, the focus should be on the two awards of "Media Division" and "Manga Division".

The Media Category Awards are mainly for all kinds of science fiction films, animations, etc. In the shortlist, we saw "Algontia of the Emerald Star", "Space Battleship Yamato 2199", "PSYCHO-PASS Psychometrician", "The Girl and the Chariot", "Blue Steel Battleship" and "Upside Down Patma".

As for the manga department, the nominees include "Tomoko Hoshinoko and Reiko Tofu", "The World of Sung Hui", "GANTZ", and "The Demon of the Red Cat".

It is also worth noting that in the "Freedom Division" of this Nebula Awards, we also found the name of "Fleet Collection-Ship Colle-". And the reason for the recommendation of the organizing committee is that "the anthropomorphic ship girls have gained good popularity". Although many people complain about what the ship girl has to do with science fiction, but considering that "The Girl and the Chariot", a work that also links cute girls with machines, was also selected, we can't ignore the combat effectiveness of this work.

The Nebula Awards is a Japanese science fiction award with a long history, which mainly recognizes outstanding representatives of Japanese science fiction works and related fields. The award selects the best entries voted for by sci-fi convention attendees from the titles released in the previous year. The voting time for the 45th Nebula Awards is April 27 ~ June 15, 2014, and the voters are the participants of the 53rd Japan Science Fiction Convention. The final winners will be announced on July 19.