Movement, Chaki Tsuushin Vol. 5
Translation by Toshiaki Yamada
I was moved to tears at the last scene of “Urusei Yatsura The Final Act”… Lately I’ve found the anime of Maison Ikkoku is good and I watch every episode.
What’s your impression about the The Final Act of Urusei Yatsura?
Takahashi: I think it’s good because I was moved to tears at the last scene.
[1]
So, is the last scene your most favorite?
Takahashi: Yeah! It’s the last scene of Lum and Ataru rushing up to each other and embracing.
Please give us your thoughts on the enthusiastic fandom of Urusei.
Takahashi: I thank all of you for supporting me for such a long time. This is the last episode and I would like you to enjoy it very much. That’s all.
What do you think about the Maison Ikkoku The Final Act?
Takahashi: Every scene was connected with each other very well, and it kept me in suspense.
They will complete the TV anime of Maison Ikkoku on March 2nd as well. The TV anime was more true to the original stories than movies, wasn’t it?
Takahashi: I make it a rule not to compare my drawings with anime characters. It doesn’t matter if the anime characters look like my original characters. I think it’s good if they make attractive looking anime. So, I’m satisfied with the TV anime of
Maison Ikkoku and watch every episode. But I’m not talking about their character designs. I think that they understand the finer points of what I’m trying to convey well.
Do you have memories about Urusei and Maison?
Takahashi: It may be safe to say that all of the things are my memories.
All of your characters are very unique. How do you create them?
Takahashi: In most cases I create them in my mind. Of course I pay attention to the roles which they should play in the storylines.
I think Megane and Mr. Yotsuya are especially unique.
Takahashi:
Megane is a character who is better described in the anime than in the original manga. As for
Mr. Yotsuya, I liked someone like him and I found myself drawing him. He is, as it were, “the character that I made.”
[2]
Do you mean you like a person like Mr. Yotsuya? (laughs)
Takahashi: I don’t like him actually being around me (laughs), but as long as I draw him, I’m interested in him. Rather, I like him for some reason.
For now I am going to concentrate on Ranma.
What do you think about adaptating Ranma 1/2 into an anime?
Takahashi: I’m not the one who you should ask about it.
[3]
I think many fans want an adaptation into anime.
Takahashi: I know the impact of anime. I know anime adaptations increase a lot of fandom and I often think, “That’s great.”
What will your work be other than Ranma?
Takahashi: Well, short stories or serializations. I think it’s difficult to write another series other than
Ranma for practical reasons.
You mean you will write Ranma only?
Takahashi: For now, I’m going to write only
Ranma and consider its story seriously.
[4]
Footnotes
- [1] For a fascinating look at the making of Movie 5 please see producer Shigekazu Ochiai's production diary. Here he reveals that an entirely different film was planned, written and storyboarded before he decided to adapt Takahashi's conclusion to the series.
- [2] On Twitter Takahashi talks about Yotsuya's design and how she had always enjoyed the look of his character. She compared his character to Sekoi from Dust Spot!! both who who look nearly identical.
- [3] To give some context to this, in The Time We Spoke Endlessly About the Things We Loved (語り尽せ熱愛時代/Kataretsuse netsuai jidai) Rumiko Takahashi spoke with Kazumasa Hirai in 1984 about her feelings on the anime adaptations of her work and that she was more focused on her manga. Hirai suggests that if the two of them are frustrated with the adaptations of their work it would eventually reach of a point where they should handle the adaptation themselves and neither has the interest in working in live action film (Hirai) or anime (Takahashi).
- [4] The reason she is asked this question is because she published Urusei Yatsura (weekly) and Maison Ikkoku (initially monthly, and then twice monthly) simultaneously. Initially it seemed as if she might published Ranma 1/2 simultaneously alongside One Pound Gospel, but the latter series wound up being published very infrequently.
