"To an unknown and mysterious world

It broadened my horizons.”

Vol.7

Animation Director

"Three books"

Makoto Shinkai

Live comfortably. You will shine.
Lineart Charmant 15th Anniversary Special Interview Project

A person who is full of radiance is sure to have the best partner by their side.

When you become one with a wonderful partner, you can shine endlessly.

Line Art Charmant also wants to be a "partner" that is close to people and helps them shine even more.

From the stories of 15 professionals active in various fields

We will unravel the secret of the brilliance that comes from a sense of unity with your partner.

People who are full of brilliance are sure to have the best buddies by their side. When you become one with the perfect partner, you can shine endlessly. That is also the idea behind Line Art. We want to be close to people and increase their brilliance.

We will speak with 15 professionals active in a variety of fields and unravel the miracles that unity brings about and the secret of its brilliance.

Live in comfort. You will shine.
Lineart Charmant 15th Anniversary Special Interview Project

Vol.7

Animation Director

"Three books"

Makoto Shinkai

- Obsessed with anime and computers

Makoto Shinkai says the earliest animated work he can remember is "Anne of Green Gables" directed by Isao Takahata, which he saw on television.

"At that time, there was an article in a magazine my mother was reading that explained how animation is made. I remember being intensely intrigued when I learned that the production process involves overlaying characters drawn on transparent celluloid film onto a background painted on construction paper, and then filming the characters as they move while gradually changing the picture. So this is how the animation I saw on TV was made."

Animation wasn't the only thing I was crazy about when I was in elementary school. It was around that time that Nintendo released the Family Computer, which created a huge boom.

"I wasn't allowed to buy a Famicom, but we did have what would now be called a PC at home. At the time, each Japanese electronics manufacturer was developing and selling their own computers, and the one we had at home was an 8-bit Sharp MZ series. You couldn't download games from the internet or play them easily on your smartphone like you can now, so I would look through the many game magazines that were published at the time and try my best to input programs, create my own games, or modify them to suit my tastes and play."

He also said that he was heavily influenced by the Sharp computer manual that he used as a guide.

"It was a time when both manufacturers and users were exploring what people could do with computers. Unlike today's computer and home appliance manuals, it had a lot of pictures, making it easy for beginners to understand, but the first page I opened to made a strong impact on my young heart. 'Humans have always loved light from space...The young man in Greek mythology also wove dreams of light that spread across the cosmic seas in the same way. Eventually, he set sail in search of the Golden Fleece, aiming for the future...' was written on the page along with an image of a ship. This message, 'This book you have picked up is connected to the future,' is known among enthusiasts as a classic, and the catalogue is apparently still available for download today. It made me feel the infinite possibilities of computers, and made me think that perhaps I too could board a ship in pursuit of the golden sheep and explore the future."

- Independently producing animations alongside his job

Although Shinkai now has fans not only in Japan but all over the world, he says that when he was a student he had only vague ideas about his future career path.

"I didn't have any clear dreams or goals during my student days. Game programming was a hobby for me, but at the time I never thought I could make a living from it. At university, I joined a children's literature study group and enjoyed creating pictures and stories that I liked, but I also didn't know what I wanted to do. Even when everyone around me started looking for jobs, I was still vague about what I wanted to do. But when I entered my fourth year of university, I frantically applied to several companies, and luckily I came across a game development company."

The encounter was by chance. On the way home from an interview at a construction company with a view to one day taking over the family business, he happened to see a sign for a game development company. He walked in, picked up the recruitment information, and took a job interview.

"I was lucky enough to be hired and worked there for five passionate years. The year I started working there was 1995, the year Windows 95 was released and changed the world. Technology was advancing rapidly, and one of the attractions of working there was being able to use new computers and software. However, I soon began to feel that just making games was not enough. The company mainly produced fantasy role-playing games, but there was a gap between my own life, wearing a suit and taking the Chuo Line to work every day, and the world of games. I began to think that I wanted to tell stories that were not fantasy but that featured real modern Japanese life, such as trains and convenience stores, so I started making very short animations at home."

In 2000, he left the game production company to focus on anime production.

"It was a time when the computer-related industry was booming, so I decided to go independent with the feeling that even if I failed here, I would be able to make a living somewhere else."

Makoto Shinkai's three "partners" are "2010: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke, "Drawing with a Pen" by AL Guptill, and "MZ-80 Manual" by Sharp. He still picks up each of these books from time to time.

The glasses worn by Shinkai this time are his personal favorites, the XL11001 BK from the La Campanella collection. The round frame is made of titanium, cut to the extreme for a thin and slender look, and the seamless front design and matte black texture give it a luxurious feel. It is a limited edition item available only at participating stores.

- A world of dreams unfolding from three books

Everyone knows about director Makoto Shinkai's subsequent achievements.

"Even so, it took me a really long time to really feel like I was a professional animation director. When I was making 'Voices of a Distant Star', I still felt like I was making videos that I liked, not for TV or theatrical animation. But after I met the company that would become the predecessor to my current studio, CoMix Wave Film, and as the number of staff gradually increased, my feelings changed little by little with each production. It may have been around the time of 'Children Who Chase Lost Voices', when I was in my late 30s, that I decided I wanted to make this my job."

Among the many books that influenced his work, there are three that he feels particularly attached to.

"The first book was the Sharp MZ-80 Manual I mentioned earlier. Drawing with a Pen is, as the name suggests, a technique book that describes the basics of pen drawing and sketching. It's mainly a textbook on landscape painting, and even when drawing the same landscape, you have to decide where to focus and what shading to use. I bought it when I was in junior high school and was shocked to learn that the way the world looks changes depending on the mood of the person drawing it. I spent my teenage years copying from this book."

The origins of Shinkai's animation works, which are also highly acclaimed for their detailed and realistic depictions of landscapes, may have been found in this book.

The next book is "2010: A Space Odyssey."

"The more popular version is '2001: A Space Odyssey' by the same author, Arthur C. Clarke, but my favorite is the sequel. I first read the Japanese version when I was in junior high school, and it was the book that made me want to someday express the admiration and excitement I felt for space and the stars. I studied abroad in England for a while after '5 Centimeters per Second' was released, and I bought the English version during that time, and it was moving to be reading this book in the same country as the author. Arthur C. Clarke passed away while I was staying in England, and I also have fond memories of people on the subway reading the news about the death of this national author."

Just as Makoto Shinkai's favorite books have influenced him at various times in his life, his glasses are also his daily companions.

"Because I'm nearsighted, I started wearing glasses when I was in high school, and by the time I was a university student, they had become an essential part of my daily life. Part of my job requires me to see things closely, so glasses are extremely important to me. For the past few years, I've been using bifocal lenses."

- Characters who wear glasses are special

The glasses that Makoto Shinkai purchased at Charmant Ginza Namiki-dori were from the La Campanella collection, which is a line art brand that particularly stands out for its craftsmanship.

"I often have the opportunity to appear in front of people for interviews and stage greetings, so when I choose my glasses I want to make sure that the impression I give is not too far off from the work. At Charmant's store, I was able to find frames from among the many available that were close to the work I had in mind and my own tone."

Characters wearing glasses sometimes appear in the works he directs.

"The truth is, it's a bit of a hassle to have a character wear glasses in an animation (laughs). The amount of facial detail increases dramatically, and it takes time to make the lenses reflect, so when I make a character wear glasses I make sure I'm prepared for the character's character design. That's why I put a lot of thought into them. The glasses worn by Tomoya Serizawa in 'Suzume no Tojimari' have pale-tinted lenses to create a mysterious atmosphere. In the end, he's portrayed as a serious, good guy who worries about his best friend, so I made the frames round to express his kindness."

Line Art Charmant's greatest feature is its "Laser Micro-Joining" technology, which utilizes the springiness of its unique material "Excellence Titanium." The brand continues to send out glasses that are comfortable to wear and fit the wearer's personality from Sabae, Fukui Prefecture, to the world.

"I went to Fukui around the time 'Your Name.' was released to see a concert by RADWIMPS, who worked on the music for the film, and while I was there, I also went on stage to greet the audience at a local movie theater. At that time, the theater gave me a pair of glasses frames made in Sabae, and now that I think about it, those glasses might have been Charmant products as well."

Shinkai is currently preparing for his next film. Finally, we asked him about his vision for the future.

"I'm always so busy thinking about the project in front of me that I don't have a mission or specific dreams or goals like 'I want to do this someday.' But just as my favorite books once inspired me to explore unknown worlds, I would like to continue creating films that make people who watch my films feel that the world is full of unknown things, secrets and wonders."

What do these three books mean to you, Shinkai?

Just as Shinkai's favorite book is the "partner" that has guided his life, his works, and his future, Line Art Charmant will continue to be a partner that supports everyone and brightens their lives.

Photos: Yoshihito Sasaguchi (SIGNO)

Hair & Make-up: Yuri Ikeda

Realization: Tomoko Shimizui

INFORMATION

"Suzume no Tojimari," which was released in 2022 and was written, scripted and directed by Makoto Shinkai, is a road movie that depicts the growth of a young girl named Suzume who closes the "doors" of disaster scattered throughout ruins across Japan.

Blu-ray Standard Edition: 5,500 yen (tax included)

DVD Standard Edition: 4,400 yen (tax included)

"Sparrow's Door Lock"
Blu-ray & DVD on sale now Released by: STORY inc. / Comics Wave Film Distributed by: Toho ©2022 "Suzume no Tojimari" Production Committee

"Sparrow's Door Lock" DVD Standard Edition.jpg

"Sparrow's Door Lock"
Blu-ray & DVD on sale now Released by: STORY inc. / Comics Wave Film Distributed by: Toho ©2022 "Suzume no Tojimari" Production Committee

PROFILE

Born in Nagano Prefecture in 1973. Animation director. While working at a game company, he made his commercial debut in 2002 with his self-produced animation "Voices of a Distant Star." The film won numerous awards, and he continued to release works energetically thereafter, such as his first feature-length film "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" in 2004 and "5 Centimeters per Second" in 2007. His 2016 release of "Your Name" was a huge hit that sparked a social phenomenon, and his overwhelming visual beauty and delicate psychological portrayal have won him many fans both in Japan and abroad, including "Weathering with You" in 2019 and "Sparrow's Door Lock" in 2022.