February 3
I’ve done the cover art for the art book, and also done illustrations for the goods for the Yamato 50th Anniversary Exhibition, which I was commissioned to do for Bandai. Now I’m going back to working on the main text of the art book. The rough sketch of the cover art for the art book looks like this.
February 7
The frontispiece of the comic will be disassembled and published in the artbook like this. I’m working on that. I haven’t started on the new drawings yet. Heeey!
I draw my manuscripts on paper, so unlike digital artists, I can’t erase the speech bubbles because they’re a part of the picture. Sorry, I’m an old manga artist. Sorry.
February 9
The battle is endless, the soldiers are tired, and the triumph of victory is a distant illusion. But we still have Yamato.
February 11
Not only am I working on the artbook, but I’m also busy with meetings about the 50th anniversary and the designs for 3199, and it’s so busy I feel like I’m going to burst! I needed it for the editorial of the artbook, so I quickly made a rough cover for volume 6 of the 2202 novelization!
February 15
No matter how much I walk, I can’t get out of the tunnel. But if I don’t walk, I won’t move forward. Do your best. It’s probably just a little longer.
February 17
The battle continues.
When I was drawing Sasha from Be Forever in 1980, I thought that the character design at that time was more sexually intense. More like a character who initiates forbidden love than a girl, and it was annoying. So I never wanted to draw that version of her.
If Sasha had been changed to a younger age, the romantic element would have been lighter, and it would have been easier to depict the fragility of a being who needs to be protected, and the confusion and joy of the distance between them as blood relatives. The plot of Kodai and Yuki being at the mercy of forbidden love is simple, and I think it lacks depth as a psychological expression of the story. The movie is gorgeous, especially the music, but it has many holes.
February 20
I’ve submitted all the illustrations and the data of the first appearance list, so I’ve finished the art book! (I’m still working on the color proofing.)
Anyway, most of the manuscripts have been revised bit by bit, so I’m exhausted without a break since the end of the year. I haven’t even seen Gundam yet. I haven’t read or responded to any of the New Year’s cards I received.
I was approached through the editorial department about a chance to do a signing session at the Yamato Exhibition in Shibuya in March, if the artbook is released without any problems. I replied, “I’d be happy to do it if it’s for Yamato.”
Actually, as of March 15th, Kinokuniya Bookstore only wanted 100 copies in advance. This shows how weak I am as a manga artist. I wonder what will happen by the time the first edition is officially distributed on the 24th (the date of the signing session). I should receive more information by the time the exhibition opens.
February 23
Since the end of the year, I’ve been busy working on the artbook and writing (I was supervising the design today as well), so a lot of things have been put off. Today, I finally set up this year’s calendar. But I’m not going to use January anymore, so I’m going to tear it up and throw it away, but I feel like I’ve lost something.
Oh, come to think of it, I also have to file my tax return!
February 25
It seems that the cover image of the artbook has been released on some sites, such as the KADOKAWA website.
February 26
The Yamato artbook is planned to be available in the form of an e-book in the future. Mr. Anno’s intention for both my book and Tamamori’s book is to have the illustrations in a format that allows you to see each one as much as possible, which means that the paper layout will be different than a booklet, so we will need to make some adjustments with the publisher.
In the case of a booklet, the pictures are separated into colors for printing, and the colors change due to the relationship between the plate making and the paper and ink, so I imagine that the e-book version will be closer to the artist’s image in terms of color reproduction.
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