A circle of friends connected by gootouchi! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On September 26, animator Sushio-san appeared, introduced by illustrator Kae Tanaka. We asked him how he became an animator, what works have influenced him, how he gets out of a slump, and what we ask about the appeal of supporting Idoru.
INDEX
I first encountered “AKIRA” in the 5th grade
Celeina (MC): Today we welcome animator Sushio-san. Nice to meet you.
Sushio: I am Sushio, the “Gentle Uncle,” and it is nice to meet you.
Celeina：Thank you for listening to yesterday’s broadcast. First of all, let me introduce Sushio-san’s profile. Sushio-san is an animator belonging to the animation studio “Studio Trigger”. He has participated in “Kill la Kill,” “Gurren Lagann,” “Promare” and many others. In addition to animation, he is also in charge of illustrations for artists such as Gen Hoshino and BUMP OF CHICKEN.
Takano (MC): You are a very active animator. Have you known Kae Tanaka, who introduced you to us, for quite a long time?
Sushio: It’s been 5 or 6 years now, I like WACK idols, and there is an event called “release event” held in front of a store, and we both came to the event as guests of the mini live, and that’ s how we met.
Takano: It is amazing that we met each other there. First of all, I would like you to tell us how you first became interested in painting.
Sushio: I don’t really remember how I got interested in drawing, but I have been drawing pictures since I was a child.
Takano: I guess it just came naturally to you. Did you watch cartoons and comics as a child?
Sushio: I watched anime, but I didn’t really dabble in manga.
Takano: I heard that one of your influences was Katsuhiro Otomo’s “AKIRA”.
Sushio: I met him when I was in the 5th grade, but before that I only knew about pictures from “Weekly Shōnen Jump” so when “AKIRA” suddenly showed me pictures with an adult sense of style, I was like, “Wow!”
Takano: My father also loved “AKIRA” and when I was in elementary school, he showed me “AKIRA” and I thought it was really scary. Didn’t you feel that way?
Sushio: No, I didn’t. The scene where Tetsuo’s character expands really made me cringe.
Takano: Wait a minute, I was so scared of that scene that I turned off the TV.
Sushio: It was the first time I had seen metamorphosis in a scene like that, so I thought it was really cool. From that point on, my mind was always on “Akira” until I was about 30 years old.
Takano: But I still feel the DNA of Mr. Otomo in your works.
Sushio: Yes, when I draw something, I always open the drawers of my brain that were influenced by Mr. Otomo.
Takano: The battle scenes and explosion scenes in Susio’s animations are very cool. It is deformed, but at the same time powerful and well-balanced.
INDEX
Getting out of a slump by believing “I can draw”
Celeina：Did you always want to make painting your career from your childhood?
Sushio: No, I didn’t.
Celeina： You just like to draw,right?
Sushio: I I finally decided that drawing was the only career for me, and I entered the animation industry at the edge of a cliff.
Takano: But, you have been so successful.
Sushio: No, it was hard work.
Celeina: You went to a technical school for animators, didn’t you? What was the reason for that?
Sushio：When I was hanging around at home after failing the university entrance exam, my sister sent me a pamphlet of vocational schools and I looked through it. Then it told me that Japanimation was about to start, and there was a picture of “AKIRA” on the brochure. That was the Animation Department, and that is how I ended up becoming an animator.
Celeina：I see, so your sister was the key.
Sushio: Yes, she was. I am grateful for that.
Takano: I would like to ask you about the work of an animator. I feel that drawing pictures and moving them are two different tasks. You do all of that, don’t you?
Sushio: But I entered the industry without really understanding it. I liked illustrations, but I was quite nervous when I found out that I had to move them.
Takano: What do you pay attention to when you move them?
Sushio: I don’t just draw the movements I want to draw. I am conscious of the character’s “unconscious” movements.
Celeina：Does it feel like the character is possessing Sushio and moving the pictures?
Sushio: Yes, that’s right. So I let them act, so it’s like being with an actor.
Takano: Interesting.
Celeina: I had never seen it that way.
Takano: It changes the way you look at anime. Maybe one of the ways to enjoy it is to pay attention to how each character moves.
Celeina：Sushio-san, you mentioned earlier that you are currently doing a great job and that you have gone through a lot of things, but do you have any tips for getting through when you are in a slump or feeling depressed?
Sushio：I get through it by believing that “I can paint.”
Celeina：I see. Believe in yourself.
Sushio: Yes, that’s right. Belief is quite important. When you believe you can do it, your brain works in that way. Then your brain softens and more and more ideas come to you. If you think you can’t draw something like this, your brain atrophies, and it won’t come up with ideas. Therefore, it is important to have a baseless confidence.
Takano: This is very important.
Celeina: You just gave me a power word.
INDEX
The appeal of supporting idols is that they can output the passion they received from their live performances.
Takano: It’s the same for us, and it’s important for everyone, including those who make things and those who work. Also, you mentioned Kae earlier, but you became friends through BiSH, so have you liked idols for a long time?
Sushio: I started with Momoiro Clover Z, then BiSH, and now I am following a group called GANG PARADE.
Celeina： There are many illustrations of GANG PARADE on your SNS.
Sushio: I draw so many illustrations that I have to stop working (laughs).
Celeina： So you draw a lot of illustrations with love.
Sushio: Yes, I wonder if it will ever become a job.
Takano: But it can be a way to make connections and so on. I would like everyone to check out Sushio’s Instagram account.
Celeina：We have talked about GANG PARADE, and I would like to listen to GANG PARADE songs. You chose the song, what kind of song is it?
Sushio：This song is a song that is filled with the history of GANG PARADE, and when this song is played at a live concert, I feel like I get a rush of energy.
Celeina：Then please tell us the title of the song.
Sushio： “INVOKE” by GANG PARADE
Celeina：Sushio-san selected the song “INVOKE” by GANG PARADE, and I would like to ask you about the appeal of GANG PARADE.
Sushio：I got into GANG PARADE when we became 13 members. But I had drawn jackets for a group called POP, which was the predecessor of GANG PARADE. From that point on, I was involved with them frequently, and when we became a group of 13, I felt like the family was solidified, and in my opinion, it was completed. From that point on, I started following the group in earnest, putting my work aside.
Celeina：So, you started out as a work-related person, but now you are a total fan.
Sushio: Yes, that’s right.
Takano: You have been going on their national tours, too.
Sushio: My savings account has been cut in half because of all the traveling I do. I was getting angry when I was skipping regular meetings and going to them, and I was told to cut it out (haha).
Takano: Do you feel more like a group than individual members of GANG PARADE?
Sushio: I love them all, and I feel like I’m watching how they live their lives.
Celeina：You mentioned that supporting idols started with Momoclo, but I’d like to hear about the real pleasure of supporting idols. Does that mean that supporting idols has positive emotional benefits for Sushio-san?
Sushio: I think it is quite fun to output the passion I receive at the live shows into pictures. Also, I don’t think people can imagine what the members tweeted, so I draw a lot of doodles in the hope that people will laugh at my drawings.
Takano: You draw pictures of what members tweet?
Sushio: Yes, I do. I draw pictures of episodes that are a bit screwed up, and hope that the members and fans will laugh at them.
Takano: Can I see them on your SNS account?
Sushio: Yes, you can.
Takano: I think some people might be interested in this, so I hope you will check it out.
1000 things I like about #Gyanpare pic.twitter.com/G87RQbRpqh
– Sushio (@sushio_) July 26, 2023
Celeina: You introduce your friends to us through “FIST BUMP,” a circle of friends connected by the “go-touch.”
Sushio: There is a person named Junya Suzuki, a researcher on Katsuhiro Otomo, who has a room full of materials on Katsuhiro Otomo. He has many pictures of Katsuhiro Otomo on the spines of his files, and he is like a stalker.
Takano: I’m curious about him.
Celeina: How did you become friends?
Sushio: I was invited to a party when Otomo-san received the Medal with Purple Ribbon, and that’s where we met.
Celeina： In a word, how would you describe him?
Sushio: A fake Katsuhiro Otomo.
Takano: Very nice catchphrase, thank you very much. Tomorrow I will connect you to Junya Suzuki, a Katsuhiro Otomo researcher.
Celeina: “FIST BUMP”, today we welcome animator Susio-san. Thank you very much.
GRAND MARQUEE
J-WAVE (81.3FM) Mon-Thu 16:00 – 18:50
Navigator: Shinya Takano, Celeina Ann
