Masterpost: On Anime ‘Writing’ Project

Since I’ve managed to pick up all the interviews I was looking for, it’s probably time I set up a Masterpost for this On Anime ‘Writing’ project of mine.

As many of you will already know, I’m currently carrying out a blog project about the role that anime screenwriters—such as Okada Mari, Urobuchi Gen and Yoshino Hiroyuki—play in the anime production process. All related posts can be found under the tag, but this is where I’ll keep a record of all the editorials and translations that I’ve published as part of it, along with links to any other relevant translations I’ve done in the past.

If you’re new to this project, I recommend starting with my first editorial, where I compared the ‘writing’ stages of the typical anime production with that of Avatar: The Legend of Korra. A more comprehensive collection of links to behind-the-scenes resources can also be found on ‘White Box’ Treasure. I hope you find this project interesting and informative, and that you will join in the discussion on anime production here and elsewhere!

Outline of the Project, Upcoming Features and Trades

I launched this project at the start of Spring 2016, and am aiming to post an interview translation or an editorial at least once a fortnight. The works I plan to cover include AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day and the Psycho-Pass franchise. I also intend to translate a number of interviews with directors, screenwriters and producers, including:

• Kawamori Shōji’s Bandai Channel Creators Selection interview
• Urobuchi Gen’s “Hello world” interview from Newtype, December 2014
• The Nagai x Tanaka x Okada discussion on AnoHana in this edition of Anime Style, from which a few false Okada rumours seem to have been born.

However, I’m always on the look out for more material, especially about series involving Okada Mari and Urobuchi Gen, and I’d be happy to trade a translation or comparable interview for them. Additionally, if there are other series or interviews that you think I should look at, please drop me a note as well, and I’ll see if I can slot them in.

Yoroshiku! (Image source: here)

List of project posts

1. Project Launch
2. A comparison with the ‘writing’ of Avatar: The Legend of Korra (editorial)
3. Kiznaiver and Mayoiga: Okada Mari in Spring 2016 (editorial)
4. Flashback 2011: Yamamoto Koji on the future of noitaminA
5. Okada Mari on Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
6. Okada Mari on the people who’ve made her who she is
7. Director Yasuda Kenji on Macross ∆
8. Kawamori Shōji x Yoshino Hiroyuki on Creating Macross Frontier
9. Yoshino Hiroyuki on Writing Macross Frontier
10. Kawamori Shōji on Conceptualising Macross Frontier
11. Kikuchi Yasuhito on Remembering Love via Macross Frontier
12. Kawamori Shōji: Talking ‘story’ in Macross Frontier, and his commentary on each and every episode of the series.
13. Kikuchi Yasuhito on making The False Diva
14. Kawamori Shōji on bringing Macross F from TV to theater
15. Iron-Blooded Orphans is NOT “Mari Okada’s Gundam” (editorial, on WMC)
16. Kubo Mitsurō on the beginnings of Yuri!!! on ICE. I also recommend reading this later interview on how they created Yuuri, Victor and Yuri!
17. Yamamoto Sayo on the origins of Michiko & Hatchin
18. Anime pre-production: from story to script (editorial)
19. Code Geass screenwriter Ichirō Ōkouchi takes a trip down memory lane.
    • Part One: The impact of the timeslot
    • Part Two: Watching TV in the Internet age (SPOILER WARNING)
    • Part Three: Worldbuilding with cellphones
    • Part Four: How we chose their names
    • Part Five: the perks of being a screenwriter
    • Part Six: How we chose their names, redux!
20. Mari Okada and ‘Anime Writing’, which is a critique of this video by The Canipa Effect

Bonus editorials

• Sounding off on Anime Sound Design

If you’re still hungry for more, all other translations I’ve ever worked on can be found here. Enjoy!