Evangelion 2.0 CRC: Anno Interview

[1731298478]

Here's my attempt at part 6 of the interview. There's some things I was a bit uncertain of, so please forgive mistakes. Comments and corrections are very highly appreciated!

symbv's suggestions for this part have been incorporated. I am very, very grateful for his help!!

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Part 6

限られた長さに収めていくための工夫と変化
"Devices used and changes made in order to fit [the film] into a limited length [of time]"

---キャラや物語の変化は設計図的に作ったというよりは、いろいろなバランスで決めているように思えます。
--- It seems that the changes in the characters and story were not so much made according to a plan as decided in accordance with various "balances."

庵野　『破』に限らず、僕はどの作品もそうなんですよ。脚本、画コンテを読んでは「はっ」と気づく。ラッシュを見ては大小様々なことに「あっ」と気づく。で、急ぎ諸々対処していく。この繰り返しです。まさに試行錯誤で作ってますね。これはスタッフに迷惑をかけるので、もっと、一度ですべてを面白い方に決められる能力がほしいです。とはいえ『破』は登場人物も多く、消化すべきエピソードも多いので、全体的な流れとバランスは実際に体感しないと見えてこないんですよ。
Anno: It's not just "Break"; it's like that for all my works. I all of a sudden noticed things when I read the script or the storyboards. I noticed a variety of things, large and small, with surprise when I watched the rushes. So, I hurriedly went to deal with these various things. It was a cycle of repetition. It was really creation by trial and error. Because this caused my staff troubles, I wish I had more of the capacity to settle everything at once in an interesting way. Nevertheless, because "Break" had many characters and there were many sequences that it had to incorporate, I couldn't see the overall flow and balance if I didn't actually experience it firsthand.

---短時間でものすごくたくさんのことを消化しなければならない。それはやはり、今回の大きな課題だったわけですね。
--- [The film] had to incorporate an extraordinary number of things. That was naturally a great challenge this time around.

庵野　TVシリーズで言えば、第七話から第弐拾参話ぐらいまでですからね。二二分三〇秒が十八本分ぐらいの長さです。それを二時間弱で見せるとなると、相当量そぎ落とさないと。
Anno: That's because, if you put it in terms of the TV series, [the film goes] from episode seven to about episode twenty-three. That's a length of about eighteen episodes of twenty-two minutes and thirty seconds. When it comes to showing that in a little less than two hours, [you can't do it] if you don't cut off a sizable amount.

---その取捨選択は、シナリオ段階から大きな課題でしたか。
--- Was that problem of what to keep and what to remove a major challenge starting from the scenario stage?

庵野　あれこれとエピソードを描いている余裕が絶対にないのは最初から分かってはいたんですが、最初のうちはどうもそこが見えづらくて、あれこれ入れてしまいました。まずはいっぱい盛りつけてしまって、後から「これも入らない、あれも入らないな」と、削る作業です。特にキャラクターに関しては、あれこれと描写を足そうとした時期もありました。アスカもついエピソードが増えてしまうので、気がつくと主人公みたいになって困りました。
Anno: I knew from the start that there was absolutely no margin to develop various scenes, but for some reason, during the initial stages, it was hard for me to recognize that, and I ended up inserting various things. First, I served up a full plate, and had the work afterwards of cutting things down: "I won't put this in, I won't put that in." Especially as concerns the characters, there was even a period where I tried in a number of ways to increase the number of scenes depicting them. Asuka's scenes also ended up increasing, and when I finally noticed I was faced with the difficulty that she now seemed to be the main character.

---シンジより目立ってはいけない鉄則があるわけですね。
--- There's an inviolable rule that [another character] can't be more prominent than Shinji.

庵野　あくまで彼が主人公ですから。でもまあ、構成的にはサイドストーリーでもシンジが絡むことなら、まあ、問題なくいけるかと。
Anno: In the end, he is the main character. But, well, from a compositional point of view, if we have Shinji involved in even the side stories, well, [I thought] that could be done without problem.

---映画全体としては、シンジが主人公としてきちんと立って見えているわけですが。
--- In the [finished] film as a whole, Shinji clearly stands out as the main character.

庵野　それはいろんな努力の積み重ねの結果ですね。下手すると最後だけ唐突に出てきかねない危険も内包している話でしたから。
Anno: That was the result of an accumulation of a variety of great efforts. As we were talking about, in case it was poorly done, the implication could be the risk that [Shinji] might just appear abruptly only at the end.

---アスカにはラブコメっぽい、食事を作る展開とかそういう役割もありましたね。
--- Asuka also had a "romantic comedy"-like part: the development where she cooks a meal, and so on.

庵野　そこはなんとなく中学生らしい部分を、分かりやすく描こうと。
Anno: With that, for some reason or other I wanted to develop, in an easy-to-understand way, a "junior high school-like" part.

---「食事をとる」というウエイトが高くなっていることも印象的でしたが、そこには何か意図的なことがあったのでしょうか。
--- The heavy emphasis on "having a meal" was also striking, but was there something intentional in that?

庵野　僕自身が、「食べる」ということにちょっとこだわりを持ってみようと思いました。嫁さんの影響が大きいです。彼女のおかげで、僕自身が少し変わったところですね。それで食事のウエイトを上げてみたんです。脚本第１３稿までは「落下使徒戦の後にミサトが加持やリツコ、オペレータ三人組たちも誘ってラーメン屋に行き、アスカを囲ってみんなで食事」というエピソードも入っていたんです。両腕に包帯をしているシンジには加持が「ノープロブレム。ほら、あ～ん」と。マリにはアスカがしぶしぶラーメンを食べさせ、ミサトの「アスカ、他人の役に立てるって、けっこう気持ちいいでしょ」という言葉に、アスカが「うっとおしいだけよ」と答えるといった話でした。が、結局は削ることにしました。アスカとシンジのリアクションに静かに集中させたっかたのと、食事シーンは作画も大変なので、これはやめておこうと。脚本第１３ａ稿でなくなってます。
Anno: I thought that I would attempt to adopt a slight fixation with the idea of "eating." The influence of my wife is significant. Owing to her, I have changed a little bit. So, I tried increasing the emphasis on meals. Up until the 13th draft of the script I had also inserted a scene where, after the battle with the falling angel, Misato invites Kaji, Ritsuko, and the three operators to go to a Ramen shop, and they sit around Asuka and have a meal together. Kaji tells Shinji, who has both of his arms bandaged, "No Problem. Here, open up-" [1]. Asuka reluctantly feeds ramen to Mari, and, in response to Misato's words, "Asuka, helping another person probably feels pretty good," says, "It's just irritating." But, in the end I decided to cut it. Because I wanted to focus quiety on Asuka and Shinji's reactions, and because it's hard to animate a meal scene, I decided not to do it. It wasn't in draft 13a of the script.

[1] Meaning that Kaji feeds Shinji with chopsticks...!

今回のクライマックスはTV版第拾九話がベースですから、EVAが使徒を食べるみたいな、まあ結果は逆になりましたが、そういうイメージも含めて「捕食」というものにスポットを当ててみようかなと考えたんです。
Because this time the climax was based on episode 19 of the TV series, the image where Eva consumes an angel - well, the result was the opposite [of that], but, I wondered if I should feature the act of "consuming prey," including that sort of image.

---「食」は映画の随所に散りばめられています。友だちといっしょうに食事する、アイスキャンディーを買い食いする、学校でお弁当を食べる、食事を作りかけて中断する......。これは「同じエヴァでも新しい印象を」という、『破』らしい変化につながっているように思えます。
--- [The motif of] "Food" has been placed throughout the film. Having a meal together with friends, buying and eating ice candies, eating a bento at school, making a meal [for someone] and suddenly stopping...... This seems to me to be tied into these "Break"-type changes, where [you feel], "this is a new impression although it's the same Eva."

庵野　これについては作劇の都合というよりは、先のとおり、僕自身の変化だろうなと思います。僕が「食べる」ということにようやく興味を持とうした、その表れのようなものだと思います。僕にとって食べるっていうとはどういうことなんだろうと。自分自身に好き嫌いが多く、子供のころから「食べる」ことにそんなに執着がなかったので、その辺を改めて考えてみたかったんですね。なので、今回は物語の流れとして描写をつなげていく中で、食べるという行為を意図して軸にしてます、
Anno: I think, concerning that, that it probably has less to do with scriptwriting considerations than with what was discussed previously, my personal changes. I finally tried to take an interest in "eating," and I think that's something like a manifestation of that. For myself, I wondered what sort of thing "eating" was supposed to be. I myself have many likes and dislikes, and since childhood I was not so attached to the idea of "eating", so I wanted to try to do some rethink on that area. Because of that, while I connected the depictions to form the story flow, I intentionally center it on the act of "eating".

車のシーンが増えたのも同様で、自分で運転するようになったからですね。高校出てすぐに免許取って以来、結婚するまでほとんどペーパードライバーでしたから。東京の道は怖いし。八年前に運転するようになって、初めて車に興味が出てきました。メーカーや車種も覚えるようになったし、貞本や鶴巻と車の話ができるようになりました。そうした、旧作のころや十二年前にはなかった自分自身の一部を、今回はできるだけ入れてみようと。ご飯食べることに興味を持つとか、車に乗ってるとか、鎌倉に嫁さんといるとか、社会的に結婚してるとか、あとは新しい自分の制作スタジオでやってるとか。そういった部分の反応です。十二年前になかった自分の一部を意図して注ぎ込まない限り、やっぱり変わらない気がしていましたから。
The increase in the amount of car scenes is the same; it's because I started driving. From the time I got my license right after I left high school up until my marriage, I have practically been a "paper driver." [2] The streets of Tokyo are frightening. I started driving eight years ago, and became interested in cars for the first time. I started to remember the makes and models of cars, and I began being able to hold conversations with Sadamoto and Tsurumaki about cars. So, this time, I wanted to try to put as much of those parts of me that hadn't existed at the time of the old series or twelve years ago into [the film] as I could. Things like having an interest in eating meals, or riding cars, or being in Kamakura with my wife, or, at a social level, being married, and also working at my own new production studio. It's a reaction to those parts. Unless I intentionally imbued [the film] with those parts of me that didn't exist twelve years ago, then I would feel like things hadn't changed after all.

[2] Someone with a license who doesn't drive.

なんかこう、そういった以前にはなかった「気分」みたいなものがフィルムに定着してくれたらいいかなと思ってます。そして自分では補えない新たな面白さというものは、鶴巻なり摩砂雪なりスタッフの新しい要素をどんどん入れてカオスにしていこうと......。

I thought it would be good if these, if those "feelings" that weren't previously present would take hold in the film. And for new interesting points that I could not fill in myself, I intended on quickly inserting new elements from the staff like Tsurumaki or Masayuki to get [the whole thing] into chaos...

[Xard]

Especially as concerns the characters, there was even a period where I tried in a number of ways to increase the number of scenes depicting them. Asuka's scenes also ended up increasing, and when I finally noticed I was faced with the difficulty that she now seemed to be the main character.

Angry Asuka fans coming in at 5, 4, 3...



the eating bit was very interesting. Good marriages ruin angsty directors :P

(Anno was kind of guy in 90s who didn't care at all about eating. He would've lived with pills if he could've. So in light of that what Anno is trying to say becomes clear)

[Hyper Shinchan]

(Anno was kind of guy in 90s who didn't care at all about eating. He would've lived with pills if he could've. So in light of that what Anno is trying to say becomes clear)

But Anno also said that people can change, I'm pleased by the new Anno, he really gives me the impression that he was right (currently I'm one of those that would live on pills, I'm always imprecating those that lied about it in the last decades).

Not much to say about the removal of the scenes regarding Asuka and the other secondary characters, I always said that it was inevitable considering that Shinji is the main character and the story is shown from his perspective (and after all this is a movie, not a 26 episodes TV series).

[Sailor Star Dust]

Anno especially after his marriage, really IS on a different wavelength from everybody else, I love it. (I'd say he was always on a different wavelength from other people, but even more so nowadays.)

It's rather striking when you go back to his comments (and his parent's comments) over here: http://forum.evageeks.org/viewtopic.php?p=393195#393195 compared to his comments about eating here. It's kind of cute in a way that his waifu influenced him with yet Anno still maintained the "Eva"-like feel.

And "paper driver", eh? That's gonna end up being me one of these days for various reasons, whenever I finally learn.

I thought the talk about cars among other things was here: http://khara.co.jp/hideakianno/bymyself.html but I don't see that English biography of him anywhere, I guess it was somewhere else besides the Khara website.

I don't have any real comment about "Asuka being the main character", other than with NGE there is focus on other characters besides Shinji (and Misato, see here: http://wiki.evageeks.org/Statements_by_Evangelion_Staff#Hideaki_Anno:_What_were_we_trying_to_make_here.3F ), yet the focus does always return to him. This being a film, time constraints do abound so whether or not there is success is another thing. Speaking of, I think the shift to focus mainly on even more so than in NGE Shinji does make sense (it IS ultimately his story; whether or not Shinji matures and can find happiness without Eva/find happiness with life in general) with the transition from TV series to film series, but obviously certain things (other characters, the plot feeling rushed or not) can suffer as a result (not if it's done right though).

[Hyper Shinchan]

I thought the talk about cars among other things was here: http://khara.co.jp/hideakianno/bymyself.html but I don't see that English biography of him anywhere, I guess it was somewhere else besides the Khara website.

Yeah, you're right, I clearly remembered that part, anyway the English version is linked in that page (there's clearly written "ENGLISH" in Latin characters): http://khara.co.jp/hideakianno/personal-biography.html

Speaking of, I think the shift to focus mainly on even more so than in NGE Shinji does make sense (it IS ultimately his story; whether or not Shinji matures and can find happiness without Eva/find happiness with life in general) with the transition from TV series to film series, but obviously certain things (other characters, the plot feeling rushed or not) can suffer as a result (not if it's done right though).

Is it really possible? I have the feeling that there's some margin for improvement with Ha but I suspect that the improvement would require an extended length of the movie (or more movies).
The opposite result (less focus on Shinji and main motifs of the movie but more focus on secondary character and plots) would have been much worse imo.

[gwern]

Numbers, maybe instead of 'fencing in Asuka' it'd be 'boxing in Asuka'? If I saw someone who didn't want to be there specifically put against the wall in a booth and people on bother sides of her, I'd describe her as 'boxed in'.

You know, it occurs to me that the other main Shinji-Kaji scene with all the yaoi undertones also involved food, specifically drink... Maybe she's to blame for it as well! (I wonder if she has a background in boys love. Don't see anything on Wikipedia.)

As far as the car goes, Sadamoto is nuts about Jeeps (did you see that roundtable thing with his mentor?). The autobio quote for the lazy is

Anno got a driver's license for passenger cars immediately after graduating from high school. However, he hardly ever drove in the year between one year past his getting his license and getting married. There were multiple times when his driver's license would expire and he would have to get it re-issued. He hardly studied at all in the one-year period after he flunked his college entrance exam, a time in which he was supposed to be studying to retake it the following year. Instead, he worked part-time making morning and evening newspaper deliveries, played mahjong, religiously recorded episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam as it was first broadcast, and engaged in other manga- and anime-related activities day in and day out.

[symbv]

Thanks for the translation! Again some comments from me. Will keep it concise so won't discuss too much on translation preference :)

庵野　『破』に限らず、僕はどの作品もそうなんですよ。脚本、画コンテを読んでは「はっ」と気づく。ラッシュを見ては大小様々なことに「あっ」と気づく。で、急ぎ諸々対処していく。この繰り返しです。まさに試行錯誤で作ってますね。これはスタッフに迷惑をかけるので、もっと、一度ですべてを面白い方に決められる能力がほしいです。とはいえ『破』は登場人物も多く、消化すべきエピソードも多いので、全体的な流れとバランスは実際に体感しないと見えてこないんですよ。
Anno: It's not just "Break"; it's like that for all my works. I all of a sudden notice things when I read the script or the storyboards. I notice a variety of things, large and small, with surprise when I watch the rushes. So, I deal with [these things] in all kinds of hurried ways. [?] It's a cycle of repetition. I truly create using [a process of] trial and error. Because this causes my staff troubles, I wish I had more of the capacity to settle everything at once in an interesting way. Nevertheless, because "Break" had many characters and there were many sequences that it had to incorporate, I couldn't see the overall flow and balance if I didn't actually experience it firsthand.

急ぎ諸々対処していく
So, I deal with [these things] in all kinds of hurried ways. [?]

- My translation
So I hurriedly went to deal with these various things.


まさに試行錯誤で作ってますね
I truly create using [a process of] trial and error.

- My translation
It was really creation by trial and error.

庵野　TVシリーズで言えば、第七話から第弐拾参話ぐらいまでですからね。二二分三〇秒が十八本分ぐらいの長さです。それを二時間弱で見せるとなると、相当量そぎ落とさないと。
Anno: That's because, if you put it in terms of the TV series, [the film goes] from episode seven to about episode twenty-three. That's a length of about eighteen parts of twenty-two minutes and thirty seconds. [?] When it comes to showing that in a little less than two hours, [you can't do it] if you don't cut off a sizable amount.

二二分三〇秒が十八本分ぐらいの長さです。
That's a length of about eighteen parts of twenty-two minutes and thirty seconds. [?]

- 十八本 can just be translated as 18 episodes. The counter for episode is 本

庵野　あくまで彼が主人公ですから。でもまあ、構成的にはサイドストーリーでもシンジが絡むことなら、まあ、問題なくいけるかと。
Anno: In the end, he is the main character. But, well, from the point of view of the organization [of the whole], I [thought?] even side stories would, well, go on without problems if they were connected with Shinji.

でもまあ、構成的にはサイドストーリーでもシンジが絡むことなら、まあ、問題なくいけるかと。
But, well, from the point of view of the organization [of the whole], I [thought?] even side stories would, well, go on without problems if they were connected with Shinji.

- My translation
But, well, from a compositional point of view, if we have Shinji involved in even the side stories, well, [I thought] then it could be done without problem

庵野　それはいろんな努力の積み重ねの結果ですね。下手すると最後だけ唐突に出てきかねない危険も内包している話でしたから。
Anno: That was the result of an accumulation of a variety of great efforts. Because it was a case where, [?] if I hadn't been careful, there was a danger that [Shinji] could have suddenly appeared just at the end.

下手すると最後だけ唐突に出てきかねない危険も内包している話でしたから。
Because it was a case where, [?] if I hadn't been careful, there was a danger that [Shinji] could have suddenly appeared just at the end.

- My translation
As we were talking about in case it was poorly done, the implication could be the risk that [Shinji] might just appear abruptly only at the end

庵野　僕自身が、「食べる」ということにちょっとこだわりを持ってみようと思いました。嫁さんの影響が大きいです。彼女のおかげで、僕自身が少し変わったところですね。それで食事のウエイトを上げてみたんです。脚本第１３稿までは「落下使徒戦の後にミサトが加持やリツコ、オペレータ三人組たちも誘ってラーメン屋に行き、アスカを囲ってみんなで食事」というエピソードも入っていたんです。両腕に包帯をしているシンジには加持が「ノープロブレム。ほら、あ～ん」と。マリにはアスカがしぶしぶラーメンを食べさせ、ミサトの「アスカ、他人の役に立てるって、けっこう気持ちいいでしょ」という言葉に、アスカが「うっとおしいだけよ」と答えるといった話でした。が、結局は削ることにしました。アスカとシンジのリアクションに静かに集中させたっかたのと、食事シーンは作画も大変なので、これはやめておこうと。脚本第１３ａ稿でなくなってます。
Anno: I thought that I would attempt to adopt a slight fixation with the idea of "eating." The influence of my wife is significant. Owing to her, I have changed a little bit. So, I tried increasing the emphasis on meals. Up until the 13th draft of the script I had also inserted a scene where, after the battle with the falling angel, Misato invites Kaji, RItsuko, and the three operators to go to a Ramen shop, and, fencing in Asuka [?], has a meal with everyone. Kaji tells Shinji, who has both of his arms bandaged, "No Problem. Here, open up-" [1]. Asuka reluctantly gives [feeds?] Mari ramen, and, in response to Misato's words, "Asuka, helping another person probably feels pretty good," says, "It's just irritating." But, in the end I decided to cut it. Because I wanted to focus quiety on Asuka and Shinji's reactions, and because it's hard to animate a meal scene, I decided not to do it. It wasn't in draft 13a of the script.

アスカを囲ってみんなで食事
and, fencing in Asuka [?], has a meal with everyone.

- My translation
and they sit around Asuka and have meal together


マリにはアスカがしぶしぶラーメンを食べさせ
Asuka reluctantly gives [feeds?] Mari ramen

- My translation
Asuka reluctantly feeds ramen to Mari

庵野　これについては作劇の都合というよりは、先のとおり、僕自身の変化だろうなと思います。僕が「食べる」ということにようやく興味を持とうした、その表れのようなものだと思います。僕にとって食べるっていうとはどういうことなんだろうと。自分自身に好き嫌いが多く、子供のころから「食べる」ことにそんなに執着がなかったので、その辺を改めて考えてみたかったんですね。なので、今回は物語の流れとして描写をつなげていく中で、食べるという行為を意図して軸にしてます、
Anno: I think, concerning that, that it probably has less to do with scripwriting considerations than with what was discussed previously, my personal changes. I finally tried to take an interest in "eating," and I think that's something like a manifestation of that. For myself, I wondered what sort of thing "eating" was supposed to be. I am very particular about myself [?], and from the time I was a child I had no attachment to "eating" in that way, so I wanted to try thinking over that area again. So, this time, by connecting [these] depictions over the course of the story, I intentionally made the act of "eating" a central axis. [??]

自分自身に好き嫌いが多く、子供のころから「食べる」ことにそんなに執着がなかったので、その辺を改めて考えてみたかったんですね。なので、今回は物語の流れとして描写をつなげていく中で、食べるという行為を意図して軸にしてます、
I am very particular about myself [?], and from the time I was a child I had no attachment to "eating" in that way, so I wanted to try thinking over that area again. So, this time, by connecting [these] depictions over the course of the story, I intentionally made the act of "eating" a central axis. [??]

- My translation
I myself have many likes and dislikes, and since childhood I was not so attached to the idea of "eating", so I wanted to try to do some rethink on that area. Because of that, while I connected the depictions to form the story flow, I intentionally centered it on the act of "eating".

なんかこう、そういった以前にはなかった「気分」みたいなものがフィルムに定着してくれたらいいかなと思ってます。そして自分では補えない新たな面白さというものは、鶴巻なり摩砂雪なりスタッフの新しい要素をどんどん入れてカオスにしていこうと......。

I thought it would be good if these, if those "feelings" that weren't previously present would take hold in the film. And, as a new interest I couldn't provide by myself [?] I intended on inserting new elements provided by the staff, by Tsurumaki or Masayuki, and thus plunge things into chaos......

そして自分では補えない新たな面白さというものは、鶴巻なり摩砂雪なりスタッフの新しい要素をどんどん入れてカオスにしていこうと......
And, as a new interest I couldn't provide by myself [?] I intended on inserting new elements provided by the staff, by Tsurumaki or Masayuki, and thus plunge things into chaos......

- Think it's fine. My translation
And for new interesting points that I could not fill in myself, I intended on quickly inserting new elements from the staff like Tsurumaki or Masayuki to get [the whole thing] into chaos..


====================

I am glad that Anno is finally becoming more like a normal man living a human life -- his taking notice of "eating" is a very positive development (there are no lack of movies that show how eating well with a respectful attitude to eating can change people's thoughts and lives), as is his expansion of social life.

[Kendrix]

Then could we interpret Rei as Anno and Shinji as Anno's wife, teaching Rei/Anno about the value of both eating (and by extension, the normal, physical world) and socializing while finding zeh luv?

[1731298478]

symbv, thanks very, very much for your corrections!! I really appreciate you going to the trouble to do such a thing. I incorporated your suggestions into the original post.

Numbers, maybe instead of 'fencing in Asuka' it'd be 'boxing in Asuka'? If I saw someone who didn't want to be there specifically put against the wall in a booth and people on bother sides of her, I'd describe her as 'boxed in'.

Well, when I read that part, I thought it meant they were all sitting around Asuka, maybe to make her feel better, but then from the context I started to wonder if it had implied that Asuka had been made to come. But, I think I might have been wrong about that. symbv suggested:

アスカを囲ってみんなで食事
and they sit around Asuka and have a meal together

symbv, do you think there was an implication that Misato and the others made Asuka eat with them? or, do you think they sat around Asuka for another reason, like in order to make her feel better or more comfortable?

Then could we interpret Rei as Anno and Shinji as Anno's wife,

I'm not sure what to make of that, but the chopstick case Shinji gives Rei has one of Moyoco Anno's characters drawn on it (see [url]http://www.evastore.jp/blog/?p=130[/url]; cf. here). Also, if I remember correctly, the handwriting on Rei's invitations was done by Anno. That said, if I remember correctly again, Anno says later in the interview that his wife's personality influenced somewhat the way he depicted Asuka, Mari, and Misato, but he didn't mention Rei (or Shinji!) in this regard.

[symbv]

symbv, do you think there was an implication that Misato and the others made Asuka eat with them? or, do you think they sat around Asuka for another reason, like in order to make her feel better or more comfortable?

Since the original text only said "Asuka wo kakotte" it would only mean they sit around Asuka but not whether they dragged Asuka along. I would interpret it as Asuka sat herself alone at the far side and then Misato saw it and decide to sit around Asuka so that she had some company during eating.

[1731298478]

Since the original text only said "Asuka wo kakotte" it would only mean they sit around Asuka but not whether they dragged Asuka along. I would interpret it as Asuka sat herself alone at the far side and then Misato saw it and decide to sit around Asuka so that she had some company during eating.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!

[Kendrix]

I'm not sure what to make of that, but the chopstick case Shinji gives Rei has one of Moyoco Anno's characters drawn on it (see [url]http://www.evastore.jp/blog/?p=130[/url]; cf. here). Also, if I remember correctly, the handwriting on Rei's invitations was done by Anno. That said, if I remember correctly again, Anno says later in the interview that his wife's personality influenced somewhat the way he depicted Asuka, Mari, and Misato, but he didn't mention Rei (or Shinji!) in this regard.

Lol, all these little details one barely notices...


In the original EVA, there was a lot of lusting and eye-ing, playing with the concept of a "woman" and it's different angles, but Shinji never actually got into a relationship.
This is, of course, only fitting for a kid of Shinji's age that isn't exactly the born pimp, but then you watch Rebuild, and the "romantic" plot elements seem more streamlined, focused, it dwells less on the secret longing ppl carry with them, but the focus has shifted to interaction/communication.
Asuka doesn't shove her boobs into Shinji's face in the sleepover scene, she talks to him.
PPl actually do stuff to win each other over.
The actual word "love" or the like is used.
And it's pretty clear who's the "official couple"/ Shinji's only visibly interested in one chick and their relationship actually progresses instead of staying at the same state of uncertainty... Yes, the characters themselves had a lot of developement in old!NGE, but there were hardly any "relationship upgrades" except with parental sort of relationships (Misato and Shinji had a few, the graveyard scene may be seen as one for Shinji and Gendo - in old NGE, Shinji and Asuka kissed and the status quo remained the same excep for both of them being depressed on their own)

[SaltyJoe]

It's really interesting how Anno directly inserts various thing from his personal life into Eva. He got a taste for eating, so he used eating as a motif. I wonder if the prevalence of mobile phone communcation in the film has some similar roots.

[Xous]

Hm... I never really thought about how prominent eating was in 2.22, but after reading that, it's just so obvious. (And I can't help but laugh a little at how even Zeruel's consumption of Unit 00 also goes along with the motif.)

It's nice to hear Anno got over his fear of driving. I don't drive because I fear the reckless drivers around here. Anno's situation seems to justify his fear a bit more, though - he has to put up with an extremely busy city's roads. Compared to that, the roads around me must seem like a breeze.

Anyway, to those it concerns: thanks for the continued efforts in translating these. :)

[Xard]

It's really interesting how Anno directly inserts various thing from his personal life into Eva. He got a taste for eating, so he used eating as a motif. I wonder if the prevalence of mobile phone communcation in the film has some similar roots.

I think the beginning of EoE is still his best creative use of his own interests

[JoeD80]

I wonder if the prevalence of mobile phone communcation in the film has some similar roots.

That's probably more because NTT docomo is one of the film's sponsors.

[1731298478]

After a long hiatus, here's my attempt at the first half of Part 7 of the interview. As always, I apologize in advance for mistakes in the translation. Corrections and suggestions are extremely appreciated. Thanks very much to Reichu for the scans and symbv for all his assistance!

Edit: Some corrections from symbv have been incorporated; many thanks!!

---

Part 7 [First Segment]

『エヴァ』と庵野秀明の作家性との関係
"The relationship between Eva and Hideaki Anno's authorship [sakkasei]"

---でも、最終的な判断は庵野さんがつけられるわけですよね。それによって『エヴァ』として成立しているのではないかというのが、鶴巻さんのご意見でした。
But the final decision is made by Anno-san. Tsurumaki-san's opinion was that this is the reason that [the work] becomes "Eva."

庵野　その前に助手の轟木に「これってどうかな？」とジャッジメントを聞いたりもしています。轟木の意見はファンとしてもクリエイターとしてもすごく的確なので、大変ありがたく参考にしています。エンターテイメントを目指すなら、僕ひとりが勝手に面白いと感じていてもダメだと思うんですよ。最大多数の最大幸福も目指すべきです。そこに自分の感じる面白さが極力同調してくれるのがいいんじゃないかと。
Anno: Before that [decision] I ask my assistant Todoroki what he thinks about it. Todoroki's viewpoint, both as a fan and as a creator, is extremely accurate, so I'm very grateful for his advice. I think, if I'm aiming at entertainment, it's no good if only I find it interesting. I also have to aim at the greatest happiness of the greatest number. I think it's good if, to the best of my ability, I align my feelings about what is interesting with that.

まあ、さして重要でない遊びの部分には、個人的な好みや趣味を入れたりしていますけど。それはそれで「フェチズム」につながって、作品に味や粘り気を出してくれますから、いいんじゃないかと。あまり自分から強引に「オレが、オレが」というのはないですね。どうしてもこだわるところもありますが、やはり現場の流れというか無意識や気分で、作品を最初からイメージとは違う「意図せず、なんだかこういうものになっていってしまう」感じを大事にしたいと思うので。まあ、常に「面白い方に賛成」ということです。そういうフレキシブルな作り方ですね。特に「エヴァ」は。
Well, I insert my individual likes and preferences into the parts that are playful and not that important. That way it connects to [one's] "fetishism," and is good, I think, because it brings out "flavor" and "thickness" in the work. It's not really the case that I'm forcibly [bending it to my whims]. At any rate, the things I am fixated on are there as well, but of course that's because I wanted to place importance, not on envisioning the work from the beginning, but on the work somehow ending up a certain way without my intending it to, due to the course of the actual situation or to the unconscious, or to the mood. Well, it means always "favoring the interesting direction." Eva in particular is created in this flexible manner.

---『エヴァ』というだけで、いまだに世間の大多数は庵野さんの作家性の産物だと信じ、そう語られることも多いはずです。
--- Just because it's "Eva," the vast majority of people in society still believe that [the films are] a product of Anno-san's authorship. This account must have been given many times.

庵野　作家性の定義によりますが、あまりそういう感じはしないですね。僕の場合は確固とした設計図をもとに「作家として、こういうテームを描きたい」とかがあるわけではなく、日々闇雲にどうしたら面白くなるのかとこねくり回しながら作っているので。初めに完成形があってそれを目指して作っていくやり方じゃないんです。初号までいったいどうなるか分からない、けれどひたすら面白くなるように常に変えていく。それをスケジュールギリギリまでやってます。毎回そんな感じですね。いや、スタッフはいろいろと大変なんですが。
Anno: It depends on the definition of authorship, but I don't really feel that's the case. That's because, in my situation, rather than having a firm blueprint at the outset and saying, "as an author, I want to depict this theme," I create while every day blindly trying to work out what I can do to make things interesting. It's not a way of doing things where I start with the finished form and create [the work] aiming at that. Although I don't know how it will end up, I do nothing but constantly change things in order to make it interesting [right] up until the first screening. I do that up until the very last minute of the schedule. It's like this every time. Well, it's a lot of trouble for the staff.

「作品至上主義」というか、僕自身のやりたいことより作品にとってプラスになることを大事にしたい、というかそれは重要なんだと思います。まあ、僕の作家性とか、僕自身はどうでもいいです。何よりも、作品が面白ければ、より面白くなればいいなと。時間内に作業可能で、一番面白くなりそうな発想や方法をそのときどきに最終的に僕が選び、その責任を負うだけです。
It's something like, "the principle of the supremity of the work," or that I want to place more importance on what will be of benefit to the work than on what I want to do personally. I think that's what's important. Well, I'm not concerned about my authorship and so on. I feel, more than anything, if the work is interesting, if it becomes more interesting, that's good. I just have the responsibility of ultimately choosing, in accordance with what is possible to complete on time, what seems like it will end up being the most interesting idea or way at a given point in time.

お金を払って観てくれるお客さんに面白がって、楽しんでもらえる。あえて不愉快な思いをする仕掛けを入れるのもお客さんのためを思ってのことです。商業映画は作品であり、商品でもありますから。観てくれる人のための作品作りです。ずっと、僕らの仕事はサービス業だと思ってますので。
I'm able to amuse and entertain the customers who pay to see [what I make]. If I put something in which makes them feel unpleasant, that's also done with their interests in mind. Commercial films are both works [of art] and products. You're creating for the people who watch them. I've always thought our job was [a part of] the service industry.

---庵野さんを作家的に扱おうとする方が、『破』に下す評価に違和感があったんですが、今のお話でなんだか腑に落ちるような感じがしました。
--- Although I felt that trying to treat Anno-san as an author was out of place with an evaluation of "Break," having had this discussion now I feel somehow that it is possible to understand.

庵野　現場の中心にいて、『エヴァ』だと原作・脚本もやっているので、作家性みたいなものはどうしても漏れ出すというかしみ出てしまうと思いますが、そのくらいでちょうどいい気がします。マンガや小説などと違い、集団で作っているところが映像の現場の好きなポイントなんです。もちろん「監督の待っているイメージを寸分違わずにフィルムに定着させていく、そのためのスタッフ」という作り方もあります。特にアニメは効率論としてイメージの具現化に向いているので、そちら向きです。自分のイメージどおりに映像を作りたい人には、お勧めの映像表現です。でも僕は、せっかくイメージの具現化に向いているんだったら、できるだけいろんなスタッフのイメージを取り合わせた方が、ひとりのイメージで固定化するより作品は面白くなるんじゃないかと思ってます。作品の芯というか、核があれば映像全体はカオスの方がいいなと。統一感のある完全体よりもどこか欠けている方が好きなんですね。人間自身やヒトのいる世の中自体がごうだし、作品的にもいろんなもので構成されている方が観客にとってリアルというか、現実感が漂うんじゃないかと。その上で全体なカオスの中に監督が意図を持って、あるいは自然にコスモスができている。そういうのがいいですね。『エヴァ』はそんな作り方です。重ね重ね、超大変ですけど。
Anno: Because, for Eva, I'm at the core of the actual work, writing the original scenario and the scripts, I think that something like my authorship will leak out or seep through no matter what, but I feel that much is just right. Unlike manga or novels, you create as a group, which is something I love about film work. Of course, there is also a method of creating which says, "the purpose of the staff is to put the the vision of the director onto film without the slightest deviation." Anime in particular points in this direction, since, as a matter of efficiency, it's well suited to the realization of a vision. For people who want to create an image along the lines of their visions, this is the recommended [form of] visual expression. But, if [anime is] well suited to realize a long-prepared vision, I think the work will end up being more interesting if, as far as possible, one were to combine the visions of various staff members, rather than just establishing a single vision. I think, if the work has a heart or a core, then it's better if the image is entirely [thrown into] chaos. Rather than a whole with a sense of unity, I prefer that it be lacking in some respects. I think that human beings and human society are themselves like this, and that if the work too is composed of a variety of things, it will be more real for the audience, or carry a greater sense of reality. And on top of that there is the intention of the director in the midst of the overall chaos, or a cosmos forms naturally. That's good. That's how Eva is created. Over and over again - it's extremely difficult.

[Sailor Star Dust]

If I put something in which makes them feel unpleasant, that's also done with their interests in mind.

Kimochi warui? Anno may or may not be twisted(?), as usual. :Smirk: But yes, this thought of Anno's here instantly called to my mind both EoE's final scene (Needs no explanation)and 2.0's ending with the Third Impact dissonance (externally the world's going to hell while internally Shinji happily embraces Rei and they fade away into Eva-01).

Interesting stuff, as always!

[Alaska Slim]

It's not a way of doing things where I start with the finished form and create [the work] aiming at that. Until the first screening I don't know how it will end up

"I don't know what to think, until I see what I say."

I get the feeling any coherent plan for these films or NGE may have been doomed from the start. Instead, it's a process. B)

[MugwumpHasNoLiver]

Anno was cooler when he was depressed. You'd have to be really boring or really fat to form a fixation around eating of all things.