My Producer's Diary - April 1987
Translated by: Harley Acres
Urgent Announcement! Urusei Yatsura Movie 5 is a New Development
A significant change has occurred in the production of Urusei Yatsura. [1] This "My Producer's Diary" should probably describe what the significant changes are first. And so for this "Diary"...
It was a certain day in February.
To be exact, nine days after I had a "particular" meeting with Rumi-chan (Rumiko Takahashi) at a certain restaurant in Jinbocho, which I wrote about in the last issue of this Diary, and the day after the "Urusei Yatsura: The Final Act Labor Party" held at the Hotel Metropolitan, the original author, scenario writer, storyboard artist, Shonen Sunday reporter, Kitty staff, and myself gathered at a certain Shibuya location. [2]
Rumi-chan stayed up all night drawing the manuscript of Maison Ikkoku and rushed to the meeting.
The purpose of the meeting was to review the script and storyboards (for movie 5). The storyboards were delivered to each of the participants by courier four days before the meeting. Before the discussion began, the atmosphere was relaxed. I had no way of knowing what was going through the members' minds. I don't know how long it had been since I got the script in my hands, or since the meeting with Rumi-chan, or since the words discussed individually with Tomoko Konparu (scriptwriter) and Motosuke Takahashi (storyboard artist) became one meaningful lump in my throat, and I decided to report the significant changes in my own way. [3] I will report about the significant change through what I'm writing here. Please understand what the change is. So I've changed the title.
There is nothing wrong with the storyboard that accompanied the script. It is all neatly put together, as is typical of Motosuke-san. Every single word of the people involved and the result of their work (was fine). Today's meeting was a meeting to discuss the storyboards. The obvious thing to do would have been to sign off on the project.
"How do you like the storyboards?" I asked.
"I read it, it was very interesting. It's just that I couldn't quite figure out what kind of character I wanted to portray... It would be boring if it was just a Western-style costume for a beautiful girl, and the scenery on the other planet has to be bizarre..." [4]
That was Rumi-chan's answer to my request for opinions at the beginning of the opening session. As she had declared her "commitment," Rumi-chan's opinion was very attentive to not upsetting the staff, but at the same time, she went to the heart of what she wanted the film to be like because it was Urusei Yatsura.
As long as I hear things smoothly, I can boil things down and get to the heart of the project.
After Rumi-chan's presentation, the room was quiet and still. No one seemed to want to say anything. It looks like I'll have to be the one to speak. I spoke up, "Yes, I'll do what I have to do." And, actually, after much hesitation, I did.
After a pause, I said, "I'd like to talk to each of you individually, one-on-one."
"What? Right now?"
No wonder everyone was surprised. It was a bolt from out of the blue that didn't seem to fit the mood. I was being watched with suspicious glares. Of course, I immediately thought to myself, "What a stupid thing to say." I then proposed that we start over from scratch with the script and storyboards. It's crazy even for me to say that I'm going to cancel the work on Urusei Yatsura 5 that we've been working on for half a year since the beginning of last fall.
Those seated were all dead silent. Since I, as the one who initiated the discussion, could not help but remain silent, I became the one to ask for suggestions and tried to elicit reactions from everyone... (Those seated were not silent for a long time after that, and we exchanged a few words, but let me skip that part. In this article, I would like you, the reader, to understand what happened by describing what I said and how I felt. It was my own fault that I had suddenly disrupted the meeting with such a request).
"We've been calling it Urusei Yatsura 5, but I'd like to take the '5' out and call 'The Final Chapter'... We've been making original screenplays for theaters from Movie 1 to Movie 4, we've been making original screenplays that are far from the flow of the original work... [5] This time, since it is the finale, I would like to request... that we adapt the final chapters of the original manga into a movie for the theater, Boy Meets Girl, which was serialized for eleven chapters, that will be our film."
The hard work of writing the script and storyboards up until now, the hard work of numerous meetings... forget all of that, and yet the sudden request left the troupe speechless.
"Konparu-san... Motosuke-san... Please give your consent, please..." [6]
Rumi-chan's consent would be the order of the day after the two of them agreed. For the two of you, it would surely be a perfect fit. After repeated meetings, and with the producer's approval each time, the film is finally approved and now we'll be starting from scratch again.
There is no "but I don't wanna" about it.
The Final Story of the Original Manga "Boy Meets Girl" Will Be Adapted For Film
I surrendered to Rumi-chan's final story, Boy Meets Girl. It's as if I was eating a pie that was baked first, and a pie just the same size was baked later, so I ate a bit of it too... then suddenly I cried and danced around and said I wanted the later pie instead... that's just me.
Konparu-san and Motosuke-san, I'm really sorry...
I was able to get out of the difficult situation and set the music tape I had brought into the tape deck and somehow managed to create an "vague" atmosphere.
I want to chase after him, chase after him, chase after him, and hang on to him, that fading bend in the rain...
This song is a fugue of love where happiness and memories are washed away. It is intended to be the concept image song (for the new film). [7]
Well, it'll be good to have the final story on film, but the problems are already piling up.
What is the production schedule?
How do you arrange the crew?
What about the theatrical distribution schedule?
What will happen, what will happen?
We had hoped to release the film in the summer, but now, I'm very sorry to say, it won't be ready in time for the summer. It will take us until the end of summer to complete the production.
We hope to have news in the next issue that will please our staff, our schedule, and our fans.
I am sure that I will be able to give a more detailed account of this change at another time. In fact, I was very hesitant to write such a thing here in the newsletter. But still, these days are making me sick to my stomach. I wish you all the best in your health.
Amplified My Producer's Diary
Kanno-san of Hyogo, I totally agree with what you said, "If you want to make the movie a hit, turn out the retired Urusei fans." It was my dream to bring all Urusei fans to the theater when I made the original version of this film. The number of copies of Sunday is a knock out, the reading rate is a knock out, what percentage of them are Urusei fans? If half of them come to the theater, it'll be a monster hit in the whole of Japanese cinema history.
- Will Movie 5 not just be used to promote idols?
- Will the staff be able to shake off any inertia and deliever a great film?
- Will there be enough publicity?
- Can it go beyond the limitations of animation?
- What will happen to Urusei after Movie 5 is over?
(2) We want to do Urusei, and we have the strongest staff available at this time. If there is someone shows signs of intertia, we will ask them to die.
The third point (3) is always the most frustrating part. But this time, we are thinking big in the summer.
(4) I believe that a hit is what will make people go beyond the limits of animation. One hit will definitely lead to the revitalization of enthusiasm.
(5) When we say Urusei Yatsura: The Final Chapter, we mean the final chapter of the series. There will never be a sequel or part 2 to the complete work, no matter how big a hit this winds up being. [8] Even if it surpasses South Pole Story. [9] If it becomes a big hit and someone wants to make it, then make it after they put the hit out on me.
(I hope that answered some of your questions.)
Saito-san of Mitaka, and all Urusei fans who are ronin, have you escaped from your ronin status these days?
Miyazaki-san of Chiba, I hope to have an opportunity to answer your question at some point. However, I have asked the editorial office to give me an appropriate response to "Minna de Tsukuru Part 5" (みんなで作るパート5) at an appropriate time. See you soon.
(Ochiai)
Footnotes
- [1] These "My Producer's Diary" articles are written by Shigekazu Ochiai (落合茂一) and published in Movement magazine, the official fanclub publication of Kitty Animation. Ochiai was a producer for Kitty Animation, who got his start as an assistant to Kazuo Koike (小池 一夫) and helped manage Gekiga Sonjuku, the training school run by Koike that Rumiko Takahashi attended prior to her debut. Eventually Ochiai left Koike and found himself working for Kitty Music as they transitioned into the anime business. Because of his connection with Takahashi prior to her debut he was able to use those connections to bring her on board with Kitty Animation. This proved to be a very fortuitious partnership as Kitty went on to produce Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku and Ranma 1/2.
- [2] The "Final Act Labor Party" Ochiai is referring to would be a party for the conclusion of the Urusei Yatsura manga. He states at the beginning these events took place in February 1987. The final chapter of Urusei Yatsura was arrived on newstands January 21, 1987.
- [3] Tomoko Konparu (金春智子) is the script writer Urusei Yatsura Movie 1: Only You, Movie 3: Remember My Love and Movie 5: The Final Chapter. Additionally she has also written a number of novelizations of Rumiko Takahashi's work including Urusei Yatsura novels, Mermaid Saga novels and an Inuyasha novelization. She also wrote a series of detective novels that Takahashi illustrated. Motosuke Takahashi (高橋資祐) worked on the Urusei Yatsura television series and then went on to direct the OVAs based on Rumiko Takahashi's short stories: Fire Tripper, The Supergal, and The Laughing Target.
- [4] Despite being fairly uninvolved in the anime productions of her work, Rumiko Takahashi has always designed the unique movie characters for all her films. Not only for Urusei Yatsura but for Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha as well. Hence what she is saying here would be in regards to a theoretical character that ultimately was never made for the proto-Movie 5. Nothing is known about this film, unfortunately.
- [5] Shigekazu Ochiai would eventually release a book later this same year (1987) entitled My Fledgling Producer's Diary (僕のプロデューサーかけだし日誌/Boku no Puroduusaa Kakedashi Nikki) where he describes his problems with Mamoru Oshii. His comment about the films deviating from the source material is perhaps a veiled criticism of Oshii. Oshii alludes to the producers getting on to him in interviews as well.
- [6] Tomoko Konparu did indeed wind up writing the screenplay for Urusei Yatsura Movie 5: The Final Chapter, however Motosuke Takahashi did not do the storyboards. Instead they were handled by Setsuko Shibuichi (四分一節子). Shibuichi was the character designer and director on many of the Urusei Yatsura OVAs.
- [7] An "image song" is a song that has the mood and atmosphere of an anime or film but does not actually appear in the film itself. In this case Ochiai is playing a song (he does not mention the title) in order to try to convey the mood and atmosphere of the new vision he has for the The Final Chapter.
- [8] This winds up not being true. A sixth film is eventually released to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the anime- Always My Darling. Both Shigekazu Ochiai and Tomoko Konparu are involved with it.
- [9] South Pole Story (南極物語/Nankyoku Monogatari), also known simply as Antarctica is a 1983 film about sled dogs that had to be left behind to fend for themselves in the harsh climate of the south pole. The film starred Ken Takakura (高倉健) and held the box office record for the highest grossing domestic Japanese film for 14 years until the release of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke. The film was remade in America as Eight Below in 2006.
ムーブメント 1987年4号
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