Title: JX: An interview with Evangelion's Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Author: Josh Totman
Source: Japanator
Dated: August 27th, 2013
There are moments that define your otaku life. Some of them are minor, like getting that special edition of whatever you like, and then there are some that are huge, like meeting the man that created the series that solidified your very otaku existence. My friends, I have had that major moment.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the man who created the Evangelion manga and has been credited on the designs of Gunbuster, Nadia, Wings of Honneamise, FLCL and much more. Personally, I wanted to know a bit more about the man himself then his work. You can always find questions about his work on just about any interview he has done, but you never really find anything about him. With the short time that I had with him, I was able to dig a bit deeper.
Japanator: Are there any aspects of the Evangelion anime that you would have liked to see changed?
Sadamoto: About the main framework of the films, I don't have a lot of things to say about it because when they were omitting I was at every meeting where I would give my opinion. Sometimes they would take it and sometimes not, but I know why they didn't take my opinion. I do get the feeling that I get to change somethings, but Mr. Anno the director has a good way of thinking, which I can agree on. So, I don't have any feeling towards the animation of the films except maybe shooting at a little bit of a different angle, but the main direction of the animation was good.
J: How different was it to do the character designs for a live-action movie like Cutey Honey from character designs for animation?
S: There is a lot more stress working on a live-action show because of the formatting of the show like the costumes and the bike that the creator made. I had to more of less arrange them not so much create them in a way that it would work on actual human bodies. So I can't be totally relaxed on the design of it because I had to make them compatible with Japanese actors legs which I can't change from short to long. It was a quite a bit more stress in dealing with that then doing it for animation.
J: Is there any work that you have done, besides Evangelion, that you are especially proud of?
S: If Evangelion is out, then I would have to say it would be: Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise, Furi Curi, and Gunbuster 2 would be the works I am most proud of.
J: I know you have been doing more then just character designs for animation, is this something that you are pursuing to do more of in the future?
S: Yes, this is something that I want to do more of in the future because I want to be apart of the entire aspect of animation creations. I don't want to stop at just character designs.
J: Who have been some of your influences throughout your career?
S: There a lots of people of course. If we are speaking about manga there is Go Nagai, Leiji Matsumoto, Katsuhiro Otomo. In animation there is Hayao Miyazaki, I'm very fond of him, Hisashi Sakagushi who was animator at Mushi Productions or Mushi Pro. He worked on the first Astro Boy series and was also making manga. So I am like him now making animation and manga works.
J: What do you like to do to relax on your time off? Interests and hobbies?
S: Listen to music and go see some live-action movies. I also like to drive, whether it be one of my cars or my motorcycle. With my motorcycle I like to try and tinker with it and fix it whenever I can.
J: Last question, what is your perfect meal?
S: Nigiri sushi and Dasai Sake. The same drink that Misato drinks. Also Japanese ramen is also right up there as well.
Translated by Emmanuel Bochew