Katsumi Itabashi interview
Six years after he retired from his job as Leiji Matsumoto’s assistant, a sudden phone call decided his fate…
Mr. Itabashi has been in charge of mecha design for the Yamato and 999 series, mainly for the movies. From what I’ve heard, he gave up a six-year career as a salaryman to enter this field. I wanted to hear everything from this lone wolf who was willing to be scrutinized, but wanted to put all his strength into the big screen.
When I was an assistant to Matsumoto-sensei…
Interviewer: I heard that you were an assistant to Leiji Matsumoto, so could you start by telling us about that?
Itabashi: I was a big fan of Matsumoto-sensei. So I went to him, or rather, I wrote him a letter in my third year of high school saying, “I’d really like to learn from you.” He replied right away, “Come visit me and bring your work,” which really touched me and made me happy. I know I sound presumptuous if I say this, and he might get angry if I say this, but when I first saw the teacher’s work in a manga magazine when I was in high school, I felt something very special. In other words, the world depicted in the teacher’s manga was similar to the world I liked and drew at the time, and I felt like I could understand it intuitively. I guess I was really devoted his work.
Interviewer: What was the outcome of that interview?
Itabashi: He suggested we give it a try for a while, and I was hired as an assistant. However, I was still a student (a junior in high school) at the time, so I was supposed to focus on my studies, but I ended up skipping school most of the second half of my third year.
Interviewer: Were you living at Matsumoto’s house and training?
Itabashi: Yes. I was sleeping there, and when I got busy with work, I hardly went home.
Interviewer: That’s how you took your first step into this world, but before that, when you were a child, did you aspire to be a manga artist or animator?
Itabashi: Well, I guess everyone does. I’ve loved drawing since I was little. But I wasn’t particularly fond of anime or manga, and I wasn’t particularly interested in those kinds of jobs.
Anyway, I started to get fascinated with drawing when I was in the third grade of elementary school. I drew all sorts of things, but I especially drew vehicles, because I liked them. And my favorite vehicle was the steam locomotive. At that time, you could still see a few steam locomotives in the countryside. But when I think about it, I never dreamed that I would grow up and make a living by drawing steam locomotives. (Laughs)
Interviewer: There are often a lot of boys with cameras lined up along the tracks where steam locomotives run, but did you have a sketchbook in your hands?
Itabashi: No, I didn’t go that far. I didn’t really sketch in front of the real thing. So when it came to steam locomotives, I would see them running, and then later, when I got home, I would draw them in my room, imagining, “Oh, that’s what it was like there, I wonder if this part was like this.” So the finished product was quite different from the real thing. (Laughs)
But it was really fun for me to draw in that kind of imaginary world. And now I’m working in mecha design, and I think the way I drew back then really helps me in my work, by using my imagination.
Interviewer: So you were still a boy who loved drawing even after you went to middle school and high school.
Itabashi: But for some reason, as soon as I entered middle school I stopped drawing altogether. It was around that time that I started to get into plastic models, so all my interests shifted to that. Then I started to get interested in drawing again. I think it was when I was in my second year of high school.
Interviewer: Was there a particular reason that you started drawing again?
Itabashi: Maybe I got tired of making plastic models. (Laughs)
Interviewer: I’m sure your way of thinking had changed since elementary school, but what were you drawing this time?
Itabashi: As usual…vehicles. (Laughs) But this time, I didn’t draw realistic things like steam locomotives. I used my imagination to the fullest and drew spaceships, flying saucers, and other sci-fi things. Of course, it was nothing more than a doodle.
Then, when I entered my third year of high school, I suddenly became interested in manga, and started scribbling manga in my own way. As I continued to draw, I somehow started to think that I wanted to become a manga artist, and it was around that time that I saw the work of Matsumoto-sensei.
Interviewer: And so you became an assistant, but what exactly do you do?
Itabashi: First the blackout work. I filled in the solid black parts of what the sensei had drawn with ink. Then I drew the outline, corrected any excess, and used an eraser. It’s an important and basic task in drawing manga, but I didn’t know about such a system. So I felt dizzy and anxious when I thought about having to continue this kind of work, that didn’t use my imagination, for many years to come. But he actually let me draw relatively quickly.
Interviewer: What are your unforgettable memories from your time as an assistant?
Itabashi: Hmm. There are many things, but when I think about it now, it feels like it was over in the blink of an eye, a really short time. There were only a few assistants at that time, about 3-4 people, and it had a family-like atmosphere.
Sensei often took us out to dinner and movies. The ones I remember even now were science fiction, action, and war movies like Yamato, McKenna’s Gold, and [Russian film series] The Liberation of Europe. There were a lot of science-fiction, action, and war films. I think watching so many films has influenced my current work, and I’m sure the sensei had that in mind as well.
I also remember shooting blowguns with my coworkers and making paper airplanes to fly. I have a strong impression that it was a lot of fun.
Interviewer: What kind of person is Leiji Matsumoto?
Itabashi: Well, in one word, he’s a generous person. He’s very caring and doesn’t say anything even if the assistants make a mistake. I never had the experience of being scolded during my time as an assistant. This was true even at work, and he never made us feel nervous. So we could do things freely. In that sense, he was very considerate. Anyway, I enjoyed working there.
INSET: PRODUCTION LIST
1978: Yamato 2 (TV)
1979: Galaxy Express 999 (movie)
1979: Legend of Marine Snow (TV special)
1980: Be Forever Yamato (movie)
1980: Yamato III (TV)
1981: Adieu Galaxy Express 999 (movie)
1981: Queen Millennia (TV)
1982: Queen Millennia, My Youth in Arcadia (movies)
For about a year, I led a double life as a salaryman during the day and a mecha designer at night…
Interviewer: You originally wanted to be a manga artist.
Itabashi: That’s right. But how should I put it, I wasn’t desperate to become a manga artist no matter what. I just wanted to be one if I could. (Laughs) So looking back now, I think I just loved drawing, and I was living like that, drawing every day.
Interviewer: What happened after that?
Itabashi: I worked as an assistant for Matsumoto-sensei for about two years, but I started to lose confidence in my ability to make it as a manga artist. Even though I was working as an assistant, I started to feel anxious about my life and my future. So I decided that this was a turning point. I made a fresh start and decided to become a salaryman, and quit working as an assistant.
Interviewer: What do you mean by “salaryman”?
Itabashi: I got a job at a company that manufactures electrical parts. I’ve always liked the world of machines and electronics. Even now, thanks to my time at that company, I buy parts and make things like amplifiers and radios as a hobby. I think I was there for about six years…
Interviewer: Now, let’s talk about anime. What motivated you to make a comeback to the world of drawing?
Itabashi: I didn’t have a clear desire to return to that world, but I think it was about my fifth year at the company. One day I suddenly got a phone call from Matsumoto-sensei. I was really surprised, but he said to me, “I’m going to make a movie, so would you please help me?” and I was surprised again. (Laughs) The movie was Galaxy Express 999.
I was really happy when he said that to me, but I couldn’t just say “Yes, I understand” and quit the company right away, so I was in a difficult position. At the time, I also had a strong desire to try it, so I thought I could do it somehow if I used my time after work, so I accepted.
Interviewer: That must have been quite a challenge.
Itabashi: Well, I started out as if it were a part-time job, but I didn’t start with 999. It was on the TV series Space Battleship Yamato 2. After that, I did 999. As I said earlier, I’ve always loved steam locomotives, so it was only when I was doing 999 that I first became interested in anime. I thought, “Wow, it would be great if I could make a living doing this kind of work.”
After 999, I also did The New Voyage for Yamato, but the schedule for this was incredibly tight. Of course, I was still working at the company, so I drew it after work. I did all of the designs for the two and a half hours in, um, about a month. I think it was about 120 pages.
Even before that, my teacher told me to quit my job and focus on anime, but I still had some anxiety. But because New Voyage was so hard, and I had gained confidence after doing a few more projects, I decided to quit my job and take a break from the double life. Looking back, I think it was a good decision.
Interviewer: You spent two years as a manga assistant under Matsumoto Leiji, followed by a six-year hiatus, and then returned to the anime world. What was your impression of re-entering the anime industry?
Itabashi: I was still anxious. I think it was in Hakone, and there was a meeting for 999, and I was going to attend. When I went to the inn and looked around, I saw a lot of impressive artists, like Rin Taro and Kazuo Komatsubara. I remember feeling overwhelmed and very anxious, wondering if I could really make it with such amazing people.
Interviewer: However, the results of working on 999 were amazing.
Itabashi: I don’t know if it was amazing or not, but I was able to get some recognition, so I was relieved.
TV is good, but the spectacle of the big screen is the best!
Interviewer: What are you working on now?
Itabashi: I’m working on designs for My Youth in Arcadia (Toei Animation), which will be released this summer. I started working on it around the end of the year, and I’m currently very busy, so I’m putting everything I’ve got into this one.
Interviewer: What kind of work is it?
Itabashi: It hasn’t been officially announced yet, so unfortunately I can’t talk about the content.
Interviewer: How many films has this been for you, Mr. Itabashi?
Itabashi: It will be my fifth theatrical film, counting from 999. I think my fifth film will be a turning point, both in my mind and in terms of numbers. So I have a new feeling, and although it’s been a short time, I’d like to summarize the total of my anime work that started with 999, so I’m putting a lot of effort into it.
Also, Arcadia is a slightly different type of work from those I’ve done so far. In other words, it’s not a gunfight type of work, but one that shows you the details. I like that kind of world, and it’s something I’ve wanted to try, so I’m really into it. I’m doing it with a fresh mindset.
Interviewer: How far along are you now (February 13th)?
Itabashi: I’ve only just finished the basics (laughs)…I think it’s going to get really busy from here on. I think I’ll probably do about 200 designs for this work, so I think I’m going to run out of time to relax soon.
Interviewer: You seem to do a lot of theatrical productions, but do you also work on TV?
Itabashi: Yes, I’ve done the Yamato series and the special Legend of Marine Snow.
Interviewer: Do you make a distinction between the two?
Itabashi: Not entirely, but I feel that theatrical productions are more rewarding.
As you know, TV series are very difficult, especially the schedule. For example, if you’re asked to create a certain design today, it’s very common that you have to finish and hand it over tomorrow. So, with a TV series, it’s not that I want to cut corners, but I have to be efficient in order to fit it into the schedule. In other words, TV is a game of chase.
Interviewer: Do you ever watch other people’s work on TV?
Itabashi: If I had more time, I’d watch more and study, but I don’t watch much.
Interviewer: For example, Gundam?
Itabashi: I haven’t seen much…I haven’t seen the TV version or the movie version. I’m sorry (laughs)…I’m sure it’s a good work because it’s so popular…but I’m still attracted to movies. It’s great to be able to develop your ideas and what you’ve created for that big screen. It’s fulfilling. I want to focus on theatrical productions, but I can’t say that’s all I’ll do, so I think I’ll continue to do TV series as well.
There are a lot of good TV series, and there’s a lot of potential, so I want to pursue those. It’s not that I only do theatrical productions, but personally, I find it easier to work on them because I can concentrate. And then there’s the [longer] schedule, too. (Laughs)
Interviewer: What time do you work?
Itabashi: It’s all over the place, but I mostly work at night. Usually until about 3am. I rarely work during the day. But when I get a lot of work, I have to work day and night.
Interviewer: Are you completely focused on work?
Itabashi: Not really. I play quite a bit, and I’m really bad at using my time, so when I get absorbed in playing, I neglect my work. (Laughs)
Interviewer: What do you mean by “play”?
Itabashi: Until I was about 20, I used to make and break plastic models, as I mentioned earlier, but now I often make amplifiers and shoot air guns and rifles. I’m feeling like I shouldn’t focus on my hobbies, but I really love it. (Laughs)
Interviewer: What’s the fun part of mecha design?
Itabashi: Well, it may sound simple, but it’s really fun to see something I’ve created from my imagination moving on the screen. It’s like breathing life into it…it’s great. And it’s probably the same with other creative work, but it’s really interesting to see my ideas and things go out into the world.
Another thing, and it’s a personal pleasure, but I like to play around in my work. It’s great when it works out in a way that people don’t notice.
Interviewer: What’s your favorite work and mecha to date?
Itabashi: My favorite work would have to be Galaxy Express 999. It was a difficult time when I was still a salaryman, and it was my first movie. I was totally absorbed in it, and I was able to do a job that I was reasonably satisfied with.
With mecha, I was always pressed for time, so I wasn’t able to take the time to carefully create one thing, but if I had to choose, it would be 999. I really love steam locomotives.
Interviewer: What would you like to try in the future, or what direction would you like to go in?
Itabashi: I’d love to try designing a live-action film. For example, the designs for Star Wars, mechanical design, and other art. There are jobs in America that specialize in that kind of thing, but there aren’t any serious ones in Japan yet, so I’d love to try it.
As for anime, I like the world of Yamato. I’d like to draw something like that, with less gunfighting and more reality in space warfare. I’d like people to take their time to look at the mecha and the battle scenes. I’d like to make something that I’ve carefully created as well. I’d like to create a work that can stand up to scrutiny on a big screen.