In Japan, most of the time when you meet an animator or director of anime series, those in the industry were big fans of anime or are very familiar with the genre.
For animator/director Atsuko Ishizuka, she is the opposite.
Studying at the Aichi Prefecture University of the Arts, Atsuko never watched anime and her interest was more in music and graphic arts. And how she would work in the anime industry was not for an interest in anime but for the sake of art.
While at art school, Ishizuka would create short animated films tied to music. One of these animated shorts titled “Gravitation” was featured in the 2005 Tehran International Short Film Festival which would capture the attention of NHK and Madhouse.
Madhouse would offer Atsuko a chance a job as a production assistant, while NHK would contact Atsuko to animated a video segment for their “Minna no Uta” program, which highlights upcoming independent animators and musicians. But because she was already employed by Madhouse, the studio allowed her to work with NHK and in the process, she created her first professional film titled “Tsuki no Waltz”.
This video would give attention to Atsuko Ishizuka and not long after working for Madhouse, getting her chance to work in the animated series such as “MONSTER”, her first assistant director role for “NANA” followed by “MapleStory”.Then episode director for “Top Secret ~The Revelation” and “Moryo no Hako”. And in a few years, she was directing two episodes for “Aoi Bungaku”, co-directing for “Supernatural: The Animation Series” and in 2012-2013, her major directorial role for “Sakura-so no Pet na Kanojo”.
On April 1st, Atsuko Ishizuka attended her first anime convention in the U.S. in Seattle as a Guest of Honor for Sakura-Con 2013 to promote her work for “Supernatural: The Animation” and “Sakura-so no Pet na Kanojo” and took part in a media press conference.
The following is a transcript of the press conference with Atsuko Ishizuka which J!-ENT took part in.
J!-ENT: Before we discuss your career, let’s get to know you a little better. I read that you didn’t watch much anime growing up but you listened to music and were into design. Were there any designers that inspired you?
Atsuko: I don’t have any awareness of any specific thing or artist that inspired me. I attended a technical school, so the things that I saw and heard there inspired me. So, I built experience overtime of things that I made myself and saw how they turned out.
Because of your different background in art and music, how does that education and background in graphic design affect animation. Especially styles and concepts since they are different from animation.
Atsuko: When I entered the company, at first I thought it would be a weakness because of my unawareness of animation. But now that I have progressed in my career, I now consider that as a strength. So I can create these new experiences and adventures with a point of a view of one who hasn’t had exposure to anime and I think it was best expressed in the “Tsuki no Waltz” short film that I did.
Building upon that, of all art forms, which is easier for you to work on now?
Atsuko: I think the easiest for me is expression through animation. I did try my hand once in live action, but it turned out that the things that are in my head can only be realized through fantasy and pictures, so for me it’s drawing of what I am imagining is the easiest way for me to realize my vision and realize what I wanted to do. So, for me it’s not limited to a certain particular genre.
What challenges did you face in creating the “Aoi Bungaku” series for which you were director, writer and storyboard artist?
Atsuko: She strived for vivid and clear images, not so much old looking but something fresh and vivid and clear for the images and backgrounds.
As you have never watched anime growing up, now that you work in the field, do you now have a favorite?
Atsuko: For anime, even now that I am part of the industry, I don’t watch much anime. I do for study but not really for just a hobby. I personally think that there is a lot of people in the anime industry who don’t really watch much anime when they are creating it. At some point, you won’t be able to enjoy it for its own merits.
J!-ENT: In 2010, you had the opportunity to co-direct “Supernatural: The Anime Series†with Shigeyu- ki Miya. Because the series was based on an American drama series, were there strict rules that you had to face on working on the anime adaptation and how was the experience to work on this anime version?
Atsuko: For the “Supernatural the animation”, there was a great deal that I left to the scenario writer. In an overseas drama outside of Japan has very dense scripts and 45 minute plus running times. In Japan,we have only 20 minutes, so it was very difficult that the scenario writer faced many challenges. But I gave the person my full support and told them to do their best.
Being a person in the industry who wasn’t a fan before and even now of anime, are there any series or any franchise that you really want to work on now as an animator?
Atsuko: “Doraemon”. Please promote that I would love to work on a theatrical version of “Doraemon”. I think it’s a great work with real vision!
Are there any works in classical literature that you want to work on?
Atsuko: Works by Kogo Abe, to read his stories and novels, I would think those would be great visual works.
Since you don’t necessarily watch anime, do you read manga or friends and family who reads manga and suggest titles for you to work on? Or possibly reading manga that you get ideas in your head of wanting to create an anime?
Atsuko: One in particular was Chie Shinohara’s “Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori: Anatolia Story”, which is a very unusual work that I would love to revisit some time.
J-ENT: Is this your first time as a guest at an anime convention in America? Now, that you are in America. Is there a certain food that you always wanted to try? Or certain shops that you are excited to visit?
Atsuko: This is my first convention as everything up until now has been more interviews and events. This is a world that I can not enter, it’s all people who know much more about animation than me. I feel I should apologize, even though I am an animation director. As for food, in Seattle, clam chowder which was recommended by Takahiro Yoshimatsu (character designer and animation director for the “The Slayers” and “Future GPX Cyber Formula” films), who is a regular of Sakura-Con and he recommended to try the clam chowder. So, I tried the clam chowder and it was great!
You worked in a lot of horror genre and supernatural. Even your first “Minna no Uta” video was creepy but in a good way. Is that a genre you would like to continue working in?
Atsuko: People ask me that a lot. Maybe it’s because of “Tsuki no Waltz” because it has that supernatural style to it. I do think it’s a genre that I’m good at. But it is something that when I pursue the supernatural world, it feels I am pursuing the art world almost. And it can be very exhausting. I feel that sometimes I am trying to wring something out of myself, that maybe I don’t have enough of. So, I want to continue doing it from time-to-time, but it’s very draining if you continue to do it. Recently, I started to think that maybe I should continue to pursue this kind of warmth which is only possible through anime with works such as “Pet Girl of Sakurasou” and in between pursue areas that I’m good at in regards to art and fantasy.
 
I really loved your episodes of “Aoi Bungaku”. Would you ever consider possibly doing “Yotsuya Kaidan” or classic kaidans?
Atsuko: Japanese horror is very interesting. I think it would be interesting to try and express the fear and horror of Japanese classical horror through these visual works because there is no reality, it would be a challenge! Very good question…thank you!
What are your future goals as an animator?
Atsuko: There is a lot of people that hoped that I would create supernatural worlds but I’m currently searching for my next project and I think it may diverge away from the art world, for kids or some other genre where I can use my strengths. So, one thing I am aware of recently is to not fully pull out from my own work. To really go into areas and not do things that I have done in the past.
How have you evolved as an animator from the beginning to where you are now. And what lessons have you learned?
Atsuko: So, my career actually started not as an animator but part of production of Madhouse. It was actually through “Tsuki no Waltz” which was through a personal connection at NHK, a producer, that I was able to realize and move on to my current direction. I’ve learned so much. So, when I was faced the challenge to work on a storyboard, I didn’t know how to approach it, so I took Masayuki Kojima’s storyboard, because he’s such a good creator and set it down right next to mind and created what he had done in the past. I really have built my experience by imitating other work of people but I always love drawing. So, I’ve always loved drawing and there is no special direction, so I’m good at drawing illustrations. The quickest shortcut is to imitate people.
Has there been an artist that you imitate the most?
Atsuko: Not really so much of an artist but Morio Asaka, the director. I really find myself looking at his works. And also Aya Furuichi at that area for influence for storyboards. And it seems that from time to time and I see something that I need. So may it be photos or movies, I’ll gradually build experience from the things around me and once that new world has been created inside of me, that’s when I begin production. And so I will build up so much information so quickly that there will be movies that I will see that I don’t remember the title, the cast or director of the film but I will absorb it. And so there are things in films that I have to capture all this information, but I forget what the title is, so I will not be able to see it ever again. My folder is full of images and my PC is a total mess.
Because you have all these ideas, if you have an unlimited budget and wanted to create something you really like, what message would you like to convey? It may be difficult to achieve, but it’s still back in your mind?
Atsuko: So, thinking about the viewer, I think that 90 minutes is long enough to do anything I want to do. Or a TV series that will go on forever and will be 30-minutes long. And as far as the content, the hero must be energetic and maybe a touch of fantasy, psychic powers or supernatural elements. And I think the story would be a hero who is helping people and following his own dream. A hero following the straight path. So, the viewer would protect him in his journey and grow along with him. So, this is something that I want to do, so I will do my best to create this original work. I don’t think it would be an expensive project or something flashy but something that is well loved for a long period of time. If you have high production values, then it will go 3D (laughing) and end up being a very popular and using actor that would be motion-captured and put real into a visual work. Another aspect of animation is that it’s not done in real time or live, but it would be great to create animation that feels like it’s live but in order to do that, it’s better not to expect too much from it. Animation from live painting maybe?
Do you drink anything to get you through a deadline? What is the longest that you have not slept?
Atsuko: Caffeine. I continue to take in caffeine. After consuming your caffeine, then you don’t sleep, so you can stay there for days and not take any breaks. My maximum is three days, if I go more than three days, really strange images start to appear. Like with “Tsuki no Waltz”, that was a state I was in, so that’s why the world looked like that.
J!-ENT:Â If there was one word you can describe yourself, what word would that be?
Atsuko: I wonder… I absolute have no idea. What am I really? I can say with conviction that I am an earthling.
Your next anime can be “What am I?” and a character that takes a lot of caffeine.
Atsuko: Yeah, you can really make something unique and strange.
Do you have any final words?
Atsuko: I will try to find myself through making a lot of new animations, so I thank you so much for your support!
For more information on Atsuko Ishizuka, please visit the following website
Top photo courtesy of Sakura Con / Bottom two photo by Michelle Tymon, J!-ENT