INDEX
Apprenticeship with Koji Morimoto was a direct request
Celeina: How did you get into the world of otaku?
Yoshizaki: I really liked dance music, and in 1995, a friend invited me to join “Natural High! ’95,” Japan’s first outdoor rave party, at the invitation of a friend. I was really shocked when I saw the music video for “Extra” playing on Ken Ishii’s stage. It was completely different from the anime I had seen before, so my concept of anime changed drastically.
Takano: Is there any episode or story that led you to become an apprentice of Mr. Morimoto?
Yoshizaki: I was looking up Morimoto san in magazines and found a Thai restaurant in Hachioji that he frequented. Mr. Morimoto was not there, but the manager told me he would introduce me next time. I had been drawing illustrations that imitated Mr. Morimoto, so I kept saying, “Let me be your apprentice!”.
Celeina：Your energy is amazing. Where does your energy come from?
Yoshizaki: I don’t know, but at the time I felt like that was all I was looking at.
Celeina：So you were pursuing what you loved.
Yoshizaki: That’s right. You could say that I just didn’t want to do anything I didn’t like. When I narrowed it down, it was the only thing I could do, and I found it! That’s how I feel.
Takano: It all started when I saw the music video for “Extra. From there, I got into the world of techno, music, culture, and animation, and the way I got into it was very deep. Do you have any tips for getting into it?
Yoshizaki: I don’t know. I think it’s just the feeling of really liking it.
Takano: You still do when it comes to culture, don’t you?
Yoshizaki: I’ve become an old man, but I can’t get out of it.
Takano: You mentioned Anno-san’s name earlier, but I was deeply moved by the fact that you started working on “Neon Genesis Evangelion” because you liked it.
Yoshizaki: I am deeply moved. The first person I met at the Thai restaurant was not Mr. Morimoto, but Hiroyuki Yamaga, then president of Gainax, the company that produced “Neon Genesis Evangelion” at the time. I happened to be sitting with Mr. Yamaga, and when I showed him my drawings, he told me that they were interesting and that I should come work for him.
For me, Mr. Yamaga was the person who introduced me to the world of animation. At first, I thought it was just a company that made “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” but after more than a decade, I was picked up by Anno-san and involved in the production of the “Rebuild of Evangelion” series, which I feel is a real match.
Takano: It is a story of not only liking but also having your talent and abilities properly recognized. I’d love to hear more, but I’d like to send you a song here. Mr. Yoshizaki, I asked you to choose a song that you would like everyone to listen to at this time.
Yoshizaki: It’s “Extra (Video Edit)” by Ken Ishii, the music video by Master Morimoto that I mentioned earlier.
