Wave Motion Cannon

The following article was originally posted on Toei’s website December 12th, 2015. The interview has been translated by Twitter user @NohAcro © 2016 Wave Motion Cannon

Born July 7, 1960, Kaizawa’s work has spanned many Toei series, including Digimon Frontier and Tamers, Sailor Moon Crystal, One Piece, and Dragonball Super, as well as Go! Princess Precure The Movie to name a few. This interview is for the 2009 Toei series, Marie & Gali. Participants in this discussion are the Romanian born Toei producer, Gyarmath Bogdan, who asked Kaizawa about his episode direction on episodes 1, 2, 21, and 22.

Bogdan: Thank you for your presence today.

Kaizawa: Thank you too.

Bogdan: Marie & Gali entered its second year, we had you work on episode 1 and 2, as well as the last two episodes of the first season. Regarding Ver2.0, you’re currently working at your full capacity right now (laugh). What was your first impression of the project? Also are there things you would insist on after one year working on it?

Kaizawa: Well… When I first saw the pilot film, I thought it was a very pop anime. I didn’t have much experience in that kind of work so the difficult part for me was to build myself a sense of humor. It felt laborious until I got comfortable with that. Now that we’re on the second year, the show has more freedom in it, and I think I’ll be able to tie it up, along with what I was able to develop in my mind.

Bogdan: It’s quite hard to give a pop feeling to a work, isn’t it?

Kaizawa: For a short show like this, rhythm and tempo are very important factors. The question is how to represent that it an anime. There are things I finally could depict after having heard something like the “drawings’ rhythm” or their “melody” should I say. That’s something I had a hard time with.

Bogdan: I think there are many scenes with Marika’s pets leaving the plot to play around, were there points you were careful about for these scenes?

Kaizawa: The pets… Well, I had to think about how they respond to Marika, how they retort to gags involving her. Of course they cannot talk so that was an important point. On the other hand, there was the bear who becomes huge according to Norika’s feelings. By fixing that kind of pattern, I just need to reflect on how to include it in a story or a drama to make it interesting, so maybe the bear was easier to handle. Besides, Marika’s pets don’t sympathize with her systematically. That’s another point I’m constantly thinking about.

Bogdan: Are there scenes or episodes you recommend particularly in Marigali ver2.0?

Kaizawa: Episodes 21 and 22 I’m working on now are quite unusual ones.  It’s about science, but not in a pompous way. The attempt is more to try and represent science through Marika and Norika’s feelings. Episode 21 is about reaching above the clouds, and it’s a story depicted from their romantic –or should I say girly – point of view. Episode 22 is a little bit sad story about Sputnik, about the relashionship between the Sputnik they see and science. I think I managed to represent the sadness behind science as expressions of emotions. It’s an unusual work, but I hope the audience can see the multiple aspects of science and the links created by emotions.

Bogdan: Could you present us a storyboard part you particularly like?

Kaizawa: (brings the storyboard out) Maybe here. I added a little touch to the original script, on the part where they are wondering if the bear can return to Earth without burning out entering the atmosphere. So how did it come back? I thought it would be comical to say he just made it by the power of will (laugh). The key animator in charge worked this out in a very playful way, so I think the final result will be a very good cut.

Bogdan: As a conclusion, I let you send a message to the fans.

Kaizawa: Thank you very much for watching Marie & Gali. Marika, Norika and Galileo are active characters who move very freely, to the point even we making it don’t realize. We’ll do our best to dig out amusing aspects we couldn’t find yet, so please look forward to it.

Bogdan: Thank you very much.

Kaizawa: Thank you very much.