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arataholic · 10 months ago

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Bijin Hyakka 01/2024 - IMP.

Khởi nguồn câu chuyện của chúng tôi

Lắng nghe các thành viên IMP. kể về câu chuyện của họ từ xuất phát điểm mới cho đến hiện tại.

7 người đã thành thật nói lên những suy nghĩ của mình, từ cảm xúc hiện tại của họ khi bắt đầu một khởi đầu mới với tư cách IMP. cho đến những ước mơ về tương lai. Với muôn vàn chủ đề khác nhau, cũng có những câu chuyện vòng vo khiến mọi người bật cười, tuy vậy, những suy nghĩ đầy nhiệt huyết của 7 thành viên đã được truyền tải trọn vẹn.

Dù đã debut nhưng mối quan hệ của 7 người chẳng hề thay đổi.

Motoi: Chớp mắt đã 3 tháng trôi qua rồi.

Kageyama: Khoảng thời gian đó thật sự rất phong phú. Nhưng mà em vẫn chưa thực sự có cảm giác mình đã debut đâu.

Taiga: Em hiểu. Em từng nghĩ c��m xúc trước và sau khi debut sẽ thay đổi nhiều lắm, nhưng cuối cùng lại chẳng thay đổi mấy.

Motoi: Cũng có thể là vì tụi mình chưa được gặp gỡ trực tiếp với fan. Đúng là phải nghe âm thanh sống mới thấy khác được.

Kageyama: Mình vẫn chưa có cái concert nào nhỉ.

Arata: Em muốn các fan có thể hò hét hết mình.

Kageyama: A~ muốn nghe tiếng reo hò của mọi người thật đấy.

Motoi: Đừng có buôn dưa lê như kiểu đang đi nhậu thế được không? (cười)

Khởi đầu với tư cách IMP. từ tháng 7, đến nay họ đã hoạt động được 3 tháng (thời gian phỏng vấn là tháng 10). Lần đầu tiên gặp 7 người, điều tôi cảm nhận được từ họ là cả 2 tố chất song hành: sự hồn nhiên và sự bình ổn. Điều này được thể hiện qua bầu không khí giữa các thành viên, mặc dù mỗi người đều trò chuyện thoải mái nhưng cuộc đối thoại vẫn rất trôi chảy. Tôi có thể cảm nhận được mối liên kết không thể lay chuyển một cách rất tự nhiên.

Yokohara: Có lẽ vì mối quan hệ giữa 7 người không thay đổi nên cảm giác bản thân đã debut nó cũng không thực tế lắm. Dù là diễn tập hay đi học thì cơ bản là lúc nào cũng vui vẻ hòa thuận, và cảm hứng của cả nhóm từ hồi là thực tập sinh đến giờ cũng không hề thay đổi.

Minato: Nhưng mà tụi mình đi ăn với nhau nhiều hơn rồi đấy nhỉ?

Motoi: Vì lịch trình giống nhau hết mà. Cơ mà anh thấy mối quan hệ kiểu, mỗi lần kết thúc công việc không giải tán luôn mà còn rủ rê "Đi ăn không?", nó rất tuyệt vời ấy. Đó cũng là điểm tốt của tụi mình ha.

Tsubaki: Mặc dù bữa nào đi ăn cũng chỉ có thịt nướng thẳng tiến. Tụi mình cứ đi ăn chung thì nhất định phải là thịt nướng nhỉ.

Nhân tiện thì, hơi ngoài dự đoán nhưng người ăn khỏe nhất là Sato-san và Motoi-san.

Kageyama: Đặc biệt là Arata, trông thế này thôi chứ bình thường phải ăn đến 2, 3 bát cơm ý chứ.

Arata: Nếu có thời gian ăn salad hay gì đó thì em sẽ muốn ăn cơm với thịt.

Tsubaki: Ngược lại thì, Yoko thì trông như này nhưng chỉ ăn kimchi với xà lách Hàn thôi.

Yokohara: Không có xà lách Hàn thì anh không ăn nổi thịt nướng. Chắc anh đang ở cái tuổi đó đấy.

Kageyama: Mặc dù mặt anh trông khôi ngô thế này? (cười)

Cứ khi nào có ai nhận xét gì đó là câu chuyện lại trở nên hài hước (cười). Tuy vậy, nhịp điệu lên xuống rất hài hòa khiến tôi không thể không bị cuốn vào nghe chuyện. Nhân tiện thì hiện tại các bạn có băn khoăn hay lo lắng gì không?

Taiga: Có chứ ạ. (Nhìn các thành viên khác) Ủa, không phải à? Thế thì không có gì đâu ạ.

Các thành viên khác: Chỗ nào cơ? (cười)

Taiga: À không, tui đã luôn nghĩ vậy á, nhưng mà giờ có rất nhiều nhóm nhạc nam, làm thế nào để tụi mình tạo ấn tượng bật hẳn lên so với họ là điều đáng băn khoăn mà.

Yokohara: Vì chúng tôi bán những màn trình diễn, nên phải không ngừng nâng cao kỹ năng hát và nhảy.

Motoi: Phải có sức thuyết phục, và cả tinh thần trách nhiệm đi kèm với nó. Từ khi debut tôi đã cảm nhận được điều này rõ ràng hơn nhiều.

Tsubaki: Vì vậy nên chúng tôi rất muốn mở concert.

Arata: Tôi muốn khuấy động không khí trên một sân khấu thật hoành tráng trong concert đầu tiên của chúng tôi. Tôi hay nghĩ đến mấy thứ nghe trẻ con kiểu như, xuất hiện từ một nơi thật cao chẳng hạn. (cười)

"Sự trẻ con" khi nuôi dưỡng ước mơ một cách thẳng thắn và thuần khiết chính là nhờ sức mạnh của việc quay về với trái tim thuở ban sơ mà không lung lạc cho dù có chuyện gì xảy ra. Có lẽ khả năng reset này đã góp phần làm nên sức hấp dẫn hiếm có của IMP. khi họ kết hợp được sự hồn nhiên và sự bình ổn.

Kageyama: IMP. vừa là idol vừa là artist, nhưng idol dường như chỉ mang một hình ảnh sáng chói khi còn trẻ. Tôi mong rằng IMP. có thể phá vỡ quan niệm đó. Dù mai mốt có già đi, đến tận 40, 50 tuổi thì vẫn có thể bước tiếp cùng fan. Hy vọng IMP. sẽ là một nhóm tiếp tục tỏa sáng như vậy.

Với việc phát hành 3 ca khúc, cuối cùng nhóm cũng có thể xây dựng được nền móng cho riêng mình.

Câu mở đầu của ca khúc debut CRUISIN' cứ lặp đi lặp lại và không ngừng vang lên bên tai tôi. Từ tháng 8 đến nay họ đã liên tiếp phát hành single nhưng tôi tin rằng rất nhiều người đã bị ca khúc này thu hút.

Kageyama: CRUISIN' là báu vật của chúng tôi đó.

Motoi: Bài hát này cũng là thử thách đầu tiên của chúng tôi trong việc quay một MV một cách bài bản. Biết được hậu trường MV cũng là điều rất tuyệt vời.

Yokohara: Xem MV khiến tôi một lần nữa nhận ra các thành viên nhóm mình tuyệt vời như thế nào, tôi đã phải cảm thán rằng "Đây chính là cách chúng tôi trình diễn."

Taiga: Biểu cảm của mọi người tuyệt lắm, tôi còn nghĩ "Nếu là mình thì làm sao nổi, thật không công bằng" cơ. (cười)

Có thể nói CRUISIN' là tác phẩm chủ chốt tập trung rất nhiều sức hút của IMP.. Tuy vậy, ca khúc thứ 2 có tựa đề giống tên nhóm - IMP. - lại mang một màu sắc khác.

Motoi: Lúc chúng tôi đi cắm trại để quay youtube, cả nhóm đã cùng đọc những lá thư bộc lộ cảm xúc của mỗi người. Những ý nghĩ đó của chúng tôi đã được đội ngũ sản xuất viết lại thành ca từ, và nó đã trở thành ca khúc mang theo quyết tâm của chúng tôi trong cả tựa đề, nội dung cũng như ý nghĩa.

Arata: Về phần nhạc thì nó là một bài hát rất J-pop, và chúng tôi cũng đang thử nhiều thể loại đa dạng hơn để phát hành toàn cầu. Ở đây chúng tôi đã mạnh dạn phát hành 1 bài hát đậm chất Nhật.

Motoi: Đó cũng là cơ hội để chúng tôi mở rộng thêm sự lựa chọn cho mình.

Minato: Bài hát này mà diễn ở concert chắc sẽ gây ấn tượng mạnh mẽ lắm. Tôi rất mong đợi đến ngày được hát nó trước các fan.

Và ca khúc thứ 3 - SWITCHing - lại hoàn toàn khác với giai điệu sôi động, tươi mới và đầy hưng phấn.

Kageyama: Tôi đã nghĩ "Tới rồiiii~" đấy. (cười)

Arata: Kiểu này bây giờ đang rất thịnh hành đó. Tôi đã rất muốn hát thể loại này nên lúc nhận bài hát tôi cực kỳ vui.

Tsubaki: Chúng tôi đã phát hành liên tiếp 3 bài hát và thể hiện được nhiều màu sắc khác nhau, có khi nó sẽ trở thành sức mạnh cho quãng đường sau này của nhóm chăng?

Nhưng điều đó chắc hẳn cũng liên tiếp mang đến những thử thách mới. Việc thu âm có lẽ đã gặp rất nhiều khó khăn...

Kageyama: Tôi bị choáng với thang âm cao chót vót trong đoạn điệp khúc của IMP.. Tôi không quen với thang âm cao như thế nên lúc đó khá khó khăn.

Arata: Phần lời tiếng Anh cũng khó nữa, tất cả các bài hát luôn. Tôi đã phải tập đi tập lại rất nhiều và được hướng dẫn rất chi tiết về phát âm, nhả chữ, hay làm thế nào để thổi cảm xúc vào câu hát.

Yokohara: Nhưng mà lúc được hướng dẫn rồi ngày càng tốt dần lên thì thấy sảng khoái lắm.

Minato: Đối với tôi thì cả hát cả tiếng Anh đều khó nhằn, thú thực là hồi CRUISIN' tôi suýt thì bỏ cuộc đấy. Nhưng tôi cũng đã nỗ lực hết mình nên có lẽ là vượt qua được bức tường đó rồi.

Vậy sau 3 ca khúc đã hoàn thành, các bạn đánh giá mức độ trưởng thành của bản thân là bao nhiêu phần trăm?

Arata: 10% chăng? Tôi muốn nghĩ rằng mình còn tận 90% để phát triển thêm nữa.

Tsubaki: Tôi mạnh dạn chấm 100%. Đối với tôi thì 100% chưa phải là đích, tôi sẽ dần dần trưởng thành thêm 300, 500% nữa!

Các thành viên khác: Ồ~!!!

Kageyama: Tỉ lệ tăng trưởng của tôi là 1%. Từ 0 lên 1 là khó lắm đó. Tôi đã được chỉ bảo rất nhiều về phát âm tiếng Anh hay cách thể hiện phần trình diễn của mình, và cuối cùng cũng đã tiến lên được 1%, tạo được nền tảng cho bản thân. Từ giờ tôi chỉ cần trau dồi kinh nghiệm để tiến đến 100% thôi.

Trong tương lai, họ sẽ tiếp tục thử thách thêm nhiều thể loại âm nhạc mới và những hoạt động mới "vượt ra khỏi vùng an toàn" (theo lời Taiga), khiến sự kỳ vọng của tôi cũng tăng lên đáng kể, không thể ngừng mong đợi về tương lai của họ được.

Kageyama: Đây là lần đầu tiên chúng tôi được lên bìa tạp chí với tư cách IMP., sẽ thật tuyệt nếu đây là một điểm khởi đầu cho nhóm. Tôi mong muốn có thể thu hút thật nhiều người quan tâm đến IMP., thật nhiều người biết đến chúng tôi hơn nữa. Hôm nay vô cùng cảm ơn mọi người ạ!

Chỉ riêng sự cống hiến của các bạn đã là một diễm phúc rồi. Các bạn đã tiếp thêm năng lượng cho tôi cả về thể chất lẫn tinh thần đó!

#IMP.#sato arata #kageyama takuya #yokohara yuki #motoi shunsuke #tsubaki taiga #suzuki taiga #matsui minato #bijin hyakka

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horse-girl-anthy · 8 months ago

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Ikuhara Collaborators

as fans, it's easy to attribute any given aspect of an Ikuhara work to its flashy director. he is indeed a showrunner, the one who provides the uniting vision for a project. however, that doesn't mean that he is "the creator." anime production requires a lot of teamwork, which ultimately determines the quality of a work. rather than being a lone auteur, Ikuhara's strength as a director stems from his ability to draw in talent and create synergy between members. this post will highlight the individuals who worked with Ikuhara to bring his shows to life.

a quick note before we start: there are countless workers involved in a single anime production. for my sanity and yours, I focused on the ones I could find detailed information about. if you know of any additional contributors, or have detail to add about any of those I've included, feel free to leave a comment!

Sato Junichi

the first person who should be mentioned in regards to Ikuhara's career is Sato Junichi, his mentor at Toei. Ikuhara worked under Sato for his first animation projects, including a children's series called Maple Town Stories. Sato was the lead director for the first two seasons of Sailor Moon, but over time, he allowed Ikuhara more and more space to flex his own creative muscles. Ikuhara eventually directed the Sailor Moon R movie and became lead director on the season Sailor Moon S.

Sato is known as a great mentor--he also helped Kōnosuke Uda, Igarashi Takuya and Hosoda Mamoru early in their careers. it's safe to say that Ikuhara learned a lot from him. his respect for his mentor is shown by the fact that he asked Sato to provide storyboards for the vital episode 34 of Utena, "The Rose Crest." although Toei animators often used pseudonyms when working on outside projects, Sato declined to do so, wanting to celebrate his work on Utena.

other notable work: Goldfish Warning (Series Director); Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R (Series Director); Sailor Moon S (Episode Director); Neon Genesis Evangelion (Storyboard); Vision of Escaflowne (Storyboard); Yume no Crayon Oukoku (Episode Director, Storyboard); Cowboy Bebop (Storyboard); Princess Tutu (Series Director, Storyboard, Manga); Sgt. Frog (Series Director, Storyboard); Aria the Animation (Series Director, Head Writer, Storyboard)

Enokido Yoji

a member of Be-Papas, Enokido was heavily involved in the writing and composition of Utena. he and Ikuhara attended the same high school, in the same year, but it is unclear how well they knew each other; but they were friends by the time Ikuhara was a film student. Enokido previously worked alongside Ikuhara on Sailor Moon, while also contributing to scripts to Evangelion. on Utena, he wrote roughly half the episodes: 1-5, 7, 9, 13-15, 22-23, 25-26, 30, 33-34, and 37-39, all crucial to the story. he handled every Miki episode and frequently focused on that character in interviews. while he did not handle animation composition on the film, he did write its screenplay.

if I had to say what Enokido brought to Utena, it would be articulation. he was able to understand Ikuhara's ideas and express them both in writing and in animation. my impression is that Ikuhara and Enokido got along very well and shared a vision, but Enokido balanced him out by injecting a bit of skepticism and realism into the work. it's hard to say how his visual style influenced Utena, but given that he was in charge of composition, he must have had a good eye and an ability to lead a team.

other notable work: Sailor Moon S (Series Composition, Script); Sailor Moon S: The Movie (Script); Redline (Composition, Script); Ouran High School Host Club (Series Composition, Script); Neon Genesis Evangelion (Script); Bungo Stray Dogs (Script, Series Composition); FLCL (Novelization)

Saito Chiho

a mangaka, her expressive and sensual art touched Ikuhara so much that he became determined to work with her. The Flower Crown Madonna, Saito's manga focused on the Borgias, served as an inspiration for Akio and Anthy's relationship.

along with the rest of Be-Papas, Saito created the Utena manga, starting it about a year before the anime aired. she later wrote and drew a manga companion for Adolescence of Utena, and in 2017, she honored the series's 20th anniversary by releasing the tribute After the Revolution. over the years, she's contributed a great deal to the Utena fandom. she also drew a ReoMabu piece for the Sarazanmai anthology.

of Saito, Ikuhara once said, "she's the most important woman to me, and truly understands me." it seems that they developed a strong relationship while working on Utena, which has lasted for decades. the two have collaborated on other projects, such as World of S&M, and done interviews together as recently as 2020.

other notable work (all as mangaka): Tenshi no Tattoo; Waltz in a White Dress; The Flower Crown Madonna; Kanon; First Girl; VS Lupin

Hasegawa Shinya

also a part of Be-Papas, Hasegawa was the principle character designer and art director for Utena, as well as a storyboard artist. he brought a sense of humor and eroticism to the project which suited it well, working closely with Chiho Saito to create Utena's artistic landscape. he was behind many little flourishes, such as Saionji crying in the opening credits. in addition to working on Utena, he also provided key animation for Penguindrum's first OP and final episode.

other notable work: Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon R (Animation Director, Key Animator); Neon Genesis Evangelion (Key Animation); A Certain Magical Index (Chief Animation Director); The Girl Who Lept Through Time (Key Animation)

Oguro Yuichiro

Be-Papas member Oguro is credited as series planner. Empty Movement note that he was likely the one who handled publicity and marketing for the series, but may have also helped out in other ways. it was important for Utena's success to have someone with connections involved, and what's just what Oguro brought to the table.

he is the editor-in-chief of the magazine Anime Style and has interviewed other individuals on this list.

other notable work: Gekigangar 3 (Script); Kemonozume (Research and Planning Assistant); Goku and Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei (Series Composition)

J.A. Seazer

though not a member of Be-Papas, J.A. Seazer, the composer for the duel chorus songs, left a huge mark on Utena. in fact, the series's very conception was influenced by him. Seazer worked with one of Ikuhara's greatest inspirations, the experimental theater/film director Tereyama Shuji. a few of the duel songs actually predate Utena, including "Absolute Destiny Apocalpyse," which was written for a theater production. most of the duel songs were written explicity for Utena, and Be-Papas have said that they matched each song to its respective duelist. without the esoteric and powerful music that Seazer provided, Utena wouldn't be the same.

in the years since show's release, Seazer has gone on to write three whole new Utena albums, as well as many remixes of the original duel songs. you can learn more about them on Empty Movement's audiology page; I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't already.

other notable work (all as composer): Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets; Moc; The Woman with Two Heads; Shintokumaru; Grass Labyrinth; Farewell to the Ark

Ohtsuki Toshimichi

speaking of J.A. Seazer, producer Ohtsuki Toshimichi is, according to Ikuhara, the only reason that he was able to get the composer on board for the project. producers often go unmentioned, but when considering a production, they are, naturally, essential. luckily for us, Ohtsuki was willing to take a chance on Utena (series and film), allowing the creative team total freedom. that willingness to go out on a limb taught Ikuhara the importance of taking risks.

other notable work (all as producer or exective producer): Metropolis; FLCL; Shaman King; Lorelei; Evangelion Rebuild Films

Kobayashi Shichirou

Utena's art director, Kobayashi, was and is a legend in the world of anime. known for his extensive work with director Dezaki Osamu, he was known for his beautiful backgrounds. known his hand-drawn paintings, Kobayashi helped to shape the look of many beautiful anime, including Utena.

it could be said that he was the one to help bring Ohtori to life. he was responsible for many of the backgrounds from both the show and the movie. his studio, Kobayashi Productions, was also instrumental in bringing the franchise to the screen.

other notable work: Moomins (Background Artist); The Gutsy Frog (Art Director); Lupin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro (Art Director); Ashita no Joe 2 (Art Director), Golgo 13 (Art Director), Urusei Yatsura 2 and 3 (Art Director); Angel’s Egg (Art Director, Layout Supervisor); Venus Wars (Art Director); Berserk 1997 (Art Director); Legend of Basara (Art Director); Simoun (Art Director)

Yamaguchi Ryōta

under the penname Noboru Higa, Yamaguchi wrote all Nanami episodes of Utena. he was not a member of Be-Papas and was asked to write her episodes in such a way that they would feel out of place. I think we can all agree that this had a positive effect on Utena. there isn't much information available about his work on the show, but it seems that his brand of comedy had a great influence.

other notable work: Sailor Moon S (Script); Sailor Moon Sailor Stars (Series Composition, Script); Ranma ½ Season 7 (Script); Vision of Escaflowne and Escaflowne: The Movie (Script); Medabots (Series Composition, Script); Kanon (Script)

Igarashi Takuya

Igarashi wrote Utena episode 19, directed episodes 9 and 19, and storyboarded many others, all under the pseudonym Kazayama Juugo. as he discusses in this interview, the staff members often had their own special character that they felt closest to and worked on the most, and for him, it was Saionji. he storyboarded Part A of Adolescence, meaning that he handled the Saionji duel.

Igarashi was another hire from Toei, having also worked on Sailor Moon. given that he storyboarded the crucial episodes 25, 30, and 37, he must have quite the artistic talent. however, if you read his interview, you'll see that he also has lots of great insights into Utena's themes as well. he talks a lot about the mood and tone, which often go undiscussed.

other notable work: Sailor Moon R and S (Director, Storyboard); Sailor Moon R: The Movie (Assistant Director); Cutie Honey F (Director, Storyboard); Mushishi (Director, Storyboard); Ouran High School Host Club (Director, Storyboard); Soul Eater (Director, Storyboard); Bungou Stray Dogs (Director, Storyboard)

Hosoda Mamoru

believe it or not, Hosoda worked on Utena before he ever directed a film of his own! having also been mentored by Sato, he met Ikuhara at Toei and came to work under him on Utena under the pseudonym Hashimoto Katsuyo. while Igarashi felt a kinship with Saionji, Hosoda's focus character was Juri. while he mostly handled storyboards and key animation, he wrote one script: the one for episode 29, the final Juri episode. he gave an interview about her two-episode concluding arc here. in addition, he storyboarded Part C of the Utena movie, which includes Juri's duel.

other notable work (all as film director): Digimon: The Movie; One Piece Movie 6; The Girl Who Leapt Through Time; Summer Wars; Wolf Children; The Boy and the Beast (also wrote); Mirai (also wrote); Belle (also wrote)

Mitsumune Shinkichi

Mitsumune composed Utena's beautiful background music, for both the series and film. I can't find much information about him, but I had to include him on this list because I adore every single track he penned.

other notable work (all as composer): FLCL; Yu-Gi-Oh (it looks like he more or less scored the entire franchise); Dragon Dive; Rocket Girls

Aizawa Masahiro

at last, we come to an entry that isn't confined to Utena! Aizawa worked on Utena, Penguindrum, and Yurikuma, all in the area of animation. credits include storyboards, chief animation director, key animation, and more. he seems to have taken on the most responsiblity with Penguindrum, being heavily involved in episodes 17 and 23.

it appears that he's another animator that Ikuhara met at Toei. he's still active in the anime industry and works under the pseudonym Aizawa Kagetsu. his notable work section might look short, but that's because he's made small contributions on a large number of projects.

other notable work: Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Mine Fujiko (Animator Director for OPs and EDs); One Piece Film: Z (Key Animation); Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge (Storyboard, Director, Key Animation)

Nakamura Shouko

Nakamura got her start at Production I.G and Gainax and is known for a feminine, sensual animation style. she codirected Penguindrum with Ikuhara, along with storyboarding many episodes, providing key animation, designing the settings, and working on the OPs/EDs. at least as far as visuals go, she may have been the most influential person to work on Penguindrum, and Ikuhara handed the crucial task of directing the final two episodes over to her.

Nakamura has had a long and successful career working on many projects. I'm not able to find any interviews with her on Penguindrum, but given how much she invested into it, she must have been just as determined as Ikuhara to see it made.

other notable work: Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Key Animation); Mushishi (Key Animation, Animation Director); Kimi ni Todoke (Key Animation, Animation Director, Storyboard); Kill la Kill (Key Animation, Director, Storyboard); Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (Key Animation); Doukyuusei (Chief Director, Storyboard, Key Animation)

Nishii Terumi

now a veteran of the anime industry, Nishii's first ever job was working behind the scenes on Adolescence of Utena. she later served as animation director and character designer on Penguindrum. when asked about working with Ikuhara, she said it was "very hard," because, despite the freedom he afforded his staff, "he changed his mind every week." in fact, she said that Penguindrum was the hardest project she ever worked on.

Nishii is a major critic of the anime industry's treatment of workers and is a member of NAFCA, an organization lobbying for better conditions for animators.

other notable work: InuYasha (Key Animation); Saint Seiya Franchise (Character Design); Mushishi (Animation Director, Key Animation); Death Note (Key Animation, Animation Director); Heartcatch Precure! (Key Animation); JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable (Character Design, Chief Animation Director); Jujutsu Kaisen (Chief Animation Director)

Hoshino Lily

a manga artist, she worked on Penguindrum as a character designer and also drew all the end cards. she's known for BL, including Naruto doujinshi and fan art. in 2013, she contributed to a Utena tribute book on Pixiv.

like Nishii, she mentions Ikuhara frequently changing his mind while developing Penguindrum. though multiple character designers worked on the project, it seems that Hoshino was the one primarily responsible for the looks of the main characters. apparently, Sanetoshi is meant to look like one of her "long-haired ukes."

other notable work (all as mangaka): Harem de Hitori; Boku dake no Ō-sama; Rabu Kue; Otome Yōkai Zakuro; Yumemiru Koto

Nakamura Chieko

like Nishii, Nakamura worked on Utena very early in her career and went on to be an animator for Penguindrum. she worked on the backgrounds and was the art director for many episodes, including the first and last; she also contributed to the "Crystal World" of episode 9. later, she would collaborate with Ikuhara again on Yurikuma as a background artist and art director.

other notable work: Eyeshield 21 (Background Art); Kids on the Slope (ED); Sengoku Collection (Art Director, Background Art); Doukyuusei (Art Director, Background Art); Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence (Art Director, Art Setting, Background Art)

Hayashi Akemi

a pattern is emerging: Hayashi also worked on Utena relatively early in her career as key animator (6 episodes and film) and animation director (8 episodes and film). later, she contributed to Penguindrum as a key animator--specifically, she is the one who animated the Princess of the Crystal transformation sequence!

Ikuhara said in an interview that she is "good at drawing small details" and thus asked her to handle Himari and Shoma's backstory. she storyboarded, directed, and provided key animations for episode 20, a major series turning point.

other notable work: Slam Dunk (Key Animation); Fruits Basket (Character Design, Key Animation, Chief Animation Director, Animation Director); Gurren Lagann (Animation Director, Key Animation); Banana Fish (Character Design, Chief Animation Director, Key Animation); Doukyuusei (Storyboard, Character Design, Animation Director, Key Animation)

Hashimoto Yukari

Hashimoto deserves to have her praises sung to the heavens for composing the OST for every post-Utena Ikuhara work--not only the BGM, but also the arrangements for the Triple H songs (originals by the band ARB) and the musical numbers from Sarazanmai. according to this staff article, "she's able to respond to any out-there requests Ikuhara makes." that's readily apparent on the Yurikuma OST, where she seemlessly blends a wide variety of musical styles to create a unique sound.

other notable work (all as composer/arranger): Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei (OP and ED); Toradora!; Poco's Udon World; March Comes in Like a Lion; Osomatsu-san (2020); Komi Can't Communicate

Ikami Takayo

Ikami "is a Japanese novelist, detective fiction writer and screenwriter born in Tokyo in 1975." she is credited as cowriter for all Penguindrum and Yurikuma episodes, as well as the Yurikuma novelizations. it seems that she may have been the one to come up with the phrases "Yuri approved" and "Is your love the real thing?" outside of writing, she has also dabbled in series composition.

other notable work: Thirteen Eyes in a Dark Sky (Short Story); Isolde's Garden (Novel); Watamote (Script); Beautiful Bones: Sakurako’s Investigation (Series Composition, Script); Otherside Picnic (Script)

Yamada Haru

Yamada is a big name sound director and the cofounder of Sound Team Don Juan. he's worked on many projects over time, including some blockbuster hits, but still found time to be the sound director of Penguindrum, Yurikuma, and Sarazanmai.

other notable work: Your Name (Sound Department); Shin Godzilla (Sound Department); Made in Abyss (Sound Director); Banana Fish (Sound Director); Suzume (Sound Director); Shin Ultraman (Sound Department); Skip to Loafer (Sound Director)

Shibata Katsunori

Shibata was relatively inexperienced as a director when Ikuhara took him under his wing, giving him a lot of responsibility on Penguindrum. he provided storyboards, directed episodes, created special effects, and drew concept designs. he was credited for the "bear dance" ED of Yurikuma and did storyboards/key animation for episode 4. on Sarazanmai, he directed episode 6, codirected the OP along with Ikuhara, and did storyboards for episodes 1, 6, and 10.

other notable work: Xam'd: Lost Memories (Key Animation); Sword of the Stranger (Key Animation); A Certain Magical Index (Key Animation) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Key Animation); Sengoku Collection (Storyboard, Character Design, Animation Director, Key Animation)

Kaneko Shingo

the more you look into it, the more it seems like Penguindrum, Yurikuma, and Sarazanmai were staffed by the exact same people. that's not true, of course, but there is a lot of overlap.

in this case, there's overlap with Utena too. a former Toei employee, Kaneko is the only person on this list who worked on all four Ikuhara works. he provided storyboards for Utena episodes 2, 11, 32, and 38, and was also assistant director on a couple others. on Adolescence, he served as a unit director and storyboarder for Part B. he provided the script for episode 16 of Penguindrum, one of my favorites. he directed the episode as well, along with 4 and 23 under Nakamura Shouko.

Kaneko additionally storyboarded and directed episode 8 of Yurikuma, but took on a bigger role with Sarazanmai, where he storyboarded the Kawauso Dance and directed episodes 2, 8, and 10. apparently, he's "earned a reputation as Ikuhara’s comedy chief." thanks, Kaneko!

other notable work: Slam Dunk (Assistant Director); Parappa the Rapper (Storyboard, Unit Director); Fullmetal Alchemist (Storyboard, Director); Soul Eater (Storyboard, Director); Sengoku Collection (Storyboard, Director, Key Animation)

Furukawa Tomohiro

after doing some key animation on Penguindrum, Furukawa went on to be a major figure in the production of Yurikuma. he did storyboards/key animation, acted as Ikuhara's assistant director, and took on the final, crucial episode 12 as lead director.

Furukawa is now a showrunner in his own right and still acknowledges Ikuhara as his mentor, though he doesn't want to be pigeonholed as his "follower." this article suggests that, based on comments Ikuhara has made, Furukawa's knack for euphony left its mark on his mentor's work. in return, Furukawa has joked about Ikuhara's "insincere grumpiness" and praised both his management style and gift at mentorship.

other notable work: Death Note (Key Animation); One Piece Film: Z (Key Animation, Assistant Animation Director); Kakegurui Twin (Director); Revue Starlight Franchise (Showrunner)

Morishima Akiko

a yuri artist, Morishima was inspired to become a mangaka at age 19 after she read an Ikuhara interview. she was afraid to accept his offer to work on Yurikuma out of fear that she would "ruin everything," but ultimately came onto the project to create the manga.

in the linked starting guide, Morishima and Ikuhara go into detail about the planning process for Yurikuma. it's revealed why Ikuhara likes to work with mangaka; he has them draw the characters first and creates their personalities based on their art. he specifically wanted to work with Morishima to give him some yuri cred. when asked, Morishima discusses her likes and dislikes when it comes to yuri. she apparently prefers writing about older women and doesn't care about how sexy a yuri is, but only about the strength of the romance.

Morishima has drawn tributes to Ikuhara's other works, including Penguindrum and Sarazanmai. she also wrote the Yurizanmai section of the Sarazanmai anthology.

other notable work (all as mangaka): The Conditions of Paradise; Hanjuku-Joshi; Renai Joshika; Onna no ko Awase; Motto Hanjuku Joshi

Kurosawa Masayuki

Kurosawa is a digital artist, editor, director, and storyboarder. I don't have a lot of information on him, but I decided to include him because he storyboarded Yurikuma episode 11 AND Sarazanmai episode 8 (along with 10). what does this mean? well, he handled both Lulu and Enta getting shot, of course! funny how these things work out.

in addition to storyboarding, he is also credited as Sarazanmai's editor.

other notable work: Wolf's Rain (Director); El Cazador de la Bruja (Editor); Revue Starlight (Editor); My Happy Marriage (Editor)

Takeuchi Nobuyuki

Takeuchi was working at Shaft when the studio picked up some outsourced animation for Utena. his work was striking enough to catch Ikuhara's attention, and so he was brought on to Adolescence as an animation director. as the 2000s began, Takeuchi saw success working at Shaft with director Shinbo Akiyuki. this article describes him as particularly talented at externalizing characters' inner struggles.

Takeuchi, though presumably quite busy, contributed to Penguindrum, specifically episode 9, acting as the sole director, key animator, and storyboard artist. he got a chance to shine with that episode, which is now a fan favorite.

the reason that Takeuchi is so far down this list is that he played a larger role in the production of Sarazanmai. he's credited as the codirector along with Ikuhara, as well as a storyboard artist and key animator. Takeuchi is noted for his focus on the Kuji brothers, having directed episodes 4 and 9. he gave an interview about his work on Sarazanmai, which can be read here.

other notable work: Spirited Away (Key Animation); The Cat Returns (Key Animation); Howl's Moving Castle (Key Animation); Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Key Animation); Bakemonogatari (Storyboard, Animation Director); Weathering With You (Key Animation)

Migi

a mangaka, she provided Sarazanmai's character designs, contributed to the anthology, and is still drawing the Sarazanmai manga. she's said that Tooi was the hardest character to design, and she argued with Ikuhara over Sara's look, since they apparently have different definitions of bishoujo.

Migi has an active Pixiv account where she still posts Sarazanmai art. she also did this lovely tribute for an Ikuhara exhibition.

other notable work (all as mangaka): Robot; Gelatin

Utsumi Teruko

Utsumi got her start "working as a production assistant at Brains Base and slowly inching towards writing via literature management duties." she's credited as the cowriter of all Sarazanmai episodes, working closely alongside Ikuhara. she also coauthored the light novels, wrote song lyrics, handled series composition, and acted as a manager. on top of all that, she is the one who created the model bridge which transports the Golden Trio to the Field of Desires.

other notable work (all as script writer): A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepherd; Enride; Cheer Boys!!; Kakegurui Season 2

#kunihiko ikuhara #ikuhara #revolutionary girl utena #mawaru penguindrum #yurikuma arashi #sarazanmai #commentary #theres tons of others i didnt include bc i just couldnt find anything about them.

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