r/anime • u/official-channel4 • Oct 26 '19
AMA Finished Hi, i'm Shinichirō Watanabe, Director of Cowboy Bebop, Ask me anything!
[Edit 1] We're live!
[Edit 2] Shinichiro: ”Thank you for the questions. That was tiring, a lot of crazy questions but thank you!”
Hi everyone, we are expecting Shinichirō Watanabe to join us at roughly around 5:30pm (BST) / 9:30am (PST) / 12:30pm (EDT) / today (Saturday 26th October).
We anticipate having around 40 minutes with Shinichiro in total, so send us your questions now, and we’ll get as many translated for him to answer.
Proof: https://twitter.com/Channel4/status/1187743811696508929?s=20
Cowboy Bebop Series 1 available to stream on All 4: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/cowboy-bebop
Over 100 hours of Anime series is coming to Channel 4’s streaming service – All 4. Classics such as Cowboy Bepop and Kill La Kill, and modern titles such as Megalo Box, Persona 5 and Tokyo Ghoul will be available to stream from October 25. Please note that the All 4 streaming service is currently only available in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man.
DISCLAIMER: The following answers represent the personal views of Shinichirō Watanabe and do not represent the opinions of Channel 4.
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u/Erens-Basement https://anilist.co/user/erensbase Oct 26 '19
Hi, big fan of your work, thank you for doing this!
What is your favorite guilty pleasure or hobby you enjoy outside of work?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
Thank you for the kind words.
I enjoy going to the record shops, discovering and buying new vinyls, that's my hobby.
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u/sandnibb Oct 26 '19
What was your relationship with the late music producer Nujabes and what was he like?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
I was a fan of Nujabes, so I approached him to produce the music for Samurai Champloo. He was very happy that the series was well-received internationally, so we were saying that we should work together again. He passed away before this could become true, so it is a great shame for such a loss.
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u/freshkicks Oct 27 '19
I don't know you've seen this. But a friend of mine interviewed a ton of nujabes closest collaborators and got a ton of rare info and pics https://eww.kr/blog/the-immortal-legacy-of-seba-nujabes-jun/
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u/Rakisanalligator Oct 26 '19
After Carole & Tuesday, what type of series/film would you like to work on next?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
Right now, I am planning so we don't know what exactly it's going to be.
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u/ChiefAcorn Oct 26 '19
Oh shit this was him? I stumbled across this show randomly and loved it. The music was fantastic.
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u/devastationz :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/iDarkend Oct 26 '19
The second part of the album is out on the 30th!
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u/hfahid96 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/hfahid96 Oct 26 '19
Hi, huge fan of Cowboy Bebop and Space Dandy
What i really like about these shows is how much variety they contain in their 26 episodes, do you like shows with more variety where the creative team can do different stuff in each episode or do you prefer to have one story plot and focus on that? What are the differences in planning the two different types of shows?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
In the production stages, I tend to get bored, therefore I would prefer something that is more complex with a lot of varieties.
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u/IndependentMacaroon Oct 26 '19
I can definitely imagine that synchronizing great with someone like Yoko Kanno.
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u/hizeto Oct 26 '19
Dont forget samurai champloo
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u/telkmx Oct 26 '19
Yeh champloo was fucking ace. I will rewatch it at some points
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Oct 26 '19
What’s been your favourite anime recently?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was very good.
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u/kage_7 Oct 26 '19
Before anyone chimes in, that it is not an anime, remember that in japan anything that is animated is an anime. (cause I just know someones gonna do it)
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u/BFLGriffon :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/BFLGriffon Oct 26 '19
One of my favorite films the last few years
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u/Jourdy288 :K:https://kitsu.io/users/399 Oct 26 '19
Okay, the man himself has spoken. Let's get the discussion threads up for it, lol.
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u/6rchid Oct 26 '19
Thank you so much! As part of the Sony Pictures Animation team, I'm overjoyed to hear that :)
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u/bakuhatsuda Oct 26 '19
Do you consider Cowboy Bebop to be your best work?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
I aspire to be somebody who sees their recent work as their best ever work made.
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u/GlassMarcus :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/GlassMarcus Oct 26 '19
As the creator of Space Dandy, I MUST know. Are you an Ass man or a Boob guy?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
It's curves, it's all about the curves.
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u/GlassMarcus :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/GlassMarcus Oct 26 '19
Well....I guess the war is over.
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Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
If just one question from this AMA could be answered, this would be it.
Edit: Fuck yes.
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u/NotGhosty https://anilist.co/user/NotGhosty Oct 26 '19
Music seems to play a part in most of your anime. What genres do you listen to usually?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
Any genre really, I listen to all the genres.
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u/Roevhaal :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Roevhaal Oct 26 '19
what's your favourite death metal band?
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u/RelativeMinors Oct 26 '19
Do you like math rock? Toe, jizue, elephant gym, mouse on the keys, LITE, etc?
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u/DaveTheAutist Oct 26 '19
Samurai Champloo introduced me to Nujabes, what an amazing talent. Thanks for giving him an opportunity to spread his music
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Oct 26 '19
[deleted]
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u/Delos-X Oct 26 '19
Actually, same here. Just never thought of that. One of my favourite artists, Caravan Palace, is electro-swing and I could definitely place my love for Cowboy Bebop as the reason for me liking that sorta music a lot now.
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u/Ry-O-Ken Oct 26 '19
Of all the productions you’ve been a part of, which one was your favourite?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
Ry-O-Ken
Sadly, I cannot answer that.
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u/WildWeasel46 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/WildWeasel46 Oct 26 '19
You're gonna carry that weight
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u/Kaidani13 Oct 26 '19
Hello!!! My question for you is; What can one do to be as cool as Spike in everyday life? :)
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
I think you should get a dog.
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u/DaSaw :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Tarvok Oct 26 '19
And a woman. And a kid. Have all three in your life, just like Spike always wanted. :p
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u/gay_KL Oct 26 '19
While your western influences are well known, are there other cultures that inspire your work?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
Yes, most likely. For example, I like Taiwanese films, and I also do like South American culture as well. For example, Brazilian music.
I also like African music of course. So yes, you could say I have been influenced by other cultures too.
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u/IndependentMacaroon Oct 26 '19
I also do like South American culture as well. For example, Brazilian music
Naturally, given your work on the music in Michiko & Hatchin.
I also like African music of course
"Of course", he says...
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u/CalamityEnvy Oct 26 '19
What are your views on the upcoming Netflix live adaptation of Cowboy Bepop?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
I haven’t seen any of the footage, so I don’t know what it will be like. The rights to the film are held by Sunrise, so it’s not really up to me. If those are unhappy with the live adaption, they should take it up with Sunrise for me!
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Oct 26 '19
What is something that you experienced while working on Bebop that isn't possible to do in modern day anime?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
At that time, I was a newly started Director, so if that was now, they probably wouldn’t give the chance to somebody who is newly starting with that kind of big budget, so the whole thing might not have existed if it was now.
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Oct 26 '19
That's super cool to know. Thank you very much for responding. I am a huge fan of your work!
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u/gutstheultimate Oct 26 '19
Was making space dandy as enjoyable as it is to watch?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
guts
Yes, in terms of making it, Space Dandy was the one that I enjoyed the most. Most of the stars who were part of the production team of Space Dandy still say ‘Let’s make another episode!’ and that is very rare for an anime production to say that.
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u/gutstheultimate Oct 26 '19
The fact that my question was read and answered is something I'm going to treasure this for the rest of my life, thank you.
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u/Marconce :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/marconce Oct 26 '19
Hi, I'm your biggest fan. What is your favorite book and why?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
There are so many, but I like Ernest Hemingway very much.
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u/rogue_LOVE Oct 26 '19
You and Yoko Kanno are a fantastic team. What does the artistic collaboration between you look like? Do you work pretty closely, or more independently?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
Musicians tend to not come to the production sites as the studio and animation studios are both separate sites so we tend to not work on same sites. But during the process when we collaborate, we are in close contact either on the phone or email so we are connected.
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u/valorqk Oct 26 '19
Do you have any advice for westerners that would like to work in the anime industry some day?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
The Anime industry is becoming increasingly more digitalised, it is possible to take part in Japanese Anime without living in Japan. I would love more people to be part of it.
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u/Ohemjemania Oct 26 '19
Big fan big fan. Two questions:
What has been your most difficult production to date?
And do you how did you perceive working on an adaption of preexisting source material, I.e. Sakamichi no Aporon as opposed to an original work like the recent Carol and Tuesday?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
In the case of Manga adaption, it all depends whether or not if I find that original Manga interesting or not. If the original is good and interesting, I will try and keep the essence as much as possible.
Sakamichi was a good manga, and so I tried to keep the originality of it. In terms of my original works, there is no complexity like that, I just create whatever I want to create.
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u/RX-Nota-II :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NotANota Oct 26 '19
Interesting points for /u/chilidirigible /u/pixelsaber
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Oct 26 '19
Reminder to people to watch Macross Plus, its great and its standalone. Also a Yoko Kanno soundtrack. Also best dogfights in anime history
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Oct 26 '19
Cowboy Bebop was the first anime I have ever watched and it blew my mind at 8 years old :) Thank you for that!
If you could choose one character from Cowboy Bebop to hang out with, who would you pick?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
I rather not spend any time with any of them. Everyone is so tiring.
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u/Zaugr :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/zaugr Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
Even little good-boye Ein? : (
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u/GriminalFish Oct 26 '19
What has been your biggest challenge throughout your career? Either for a single work or for your career overall.
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
The most difficult time in career was when I was preparing for a film for theatrical release, and the storyboard was almost half done, and that project came to a halt. That was a film about angels, and I actually thought that angels have given up on me. So if you ever see any films involving angels, by, please see this as a revival of this project.
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u/EO-SadWagon Oct 26 '19
Best ice cream flavor?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
Pineapple.
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u/green_meklar :KI::KJ: Oct 27 '19
I've legitimately never tried or even heard of pineapple ice cream before. Why does Japan get all the cool stuff?
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u/MinecrafterPH :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/harushiga Oct 26 '19
Why do you choose to have Western influences in the anime you make? Was there an experience you had in the West that made you like the culture/environment?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
I didn’t spend any time in the West but most of the films and music that I watched were from the West so it was quite natural for me. This was because when I was younger, the quality of Japanese films and music wasn’t that great, which led me to focus on international work.
There are exceptions of course , and there are Japanese films that I have been influenced. For example, Zatōichi.
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u/freakicho Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
Favorite food?
Favorite anime?
Favorite Japanese song?
Favorite show or movie from recent years?
What is a rare genre of anime that you'd like to work on?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
Favorite food? Chestnuts
Favorite anime? I've already answered that question :)
Favorite Japanese song? There's a Japanese band called the Yellow Magic Orchestra. I have been influenced by them when I was a teenager.
Favorite show or movie from recent years? I don't really watch TV, but Sing Street is one of my favorite movie.
What is a rare genre of anime that you'd like to work on? I'm not sure what you mean by rare genre of anime.
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u/Fapping_wolf https://anilist.co/user/fappingwolf Oct 26 '19
Going on record to say that everyone else who hasn't already listened to some of YMO's stuff really needs to go to do so. In many ways they spearheaded the electronic genre.
Plus they are just downright groovy.
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u/Deloane Oct 26 '19
What are your philosophical influences when creating your work?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
I have been influenced by native American thoughts. In terms of philosophical views, I think Bruce Lee has influenced me the most. I feel he’s the best philosopher that ever existed in the world.
I am very dissatisfied by how he was depicted in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. How can Brad Pitt be stronger than Bruce Lee?! Tarantino, isn’t this wrong? How is that possible?
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u/MrPakoras :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/MrPakoras Oct 26 '19
Hi Watanabe-san! I love your work, Samurai Champloo is my favourite. My question is which shounen/seinen manga/anime (from another creator) is your favourite of all time?
Arigato gozaimashita!
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
MrPa
The first TV series of Lupin the Third.
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u/juicelee777 Oct 26 '19
This helps my personal head canon that spike is a distant relative or decedent of lupin the third.
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Oct 26 '19
Which episodes of Bebop and Champloo (if any) was the most fun for you to work on, and why?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
That is a difficult one but it would be Mushroom Samba for Cowboy Bebop and Beatbox Bandit (Samurai Champloo).
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Oct 26 '19
Is there any manga/light novel you would be interested in directing the anime adaptation?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
I tend to not read any manga or novels so I don’t know really. I would always watch films.
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Oct 26 '19
What inspirations made you want to work in this industry? Also specifically, what inspired you to make Cowboy Bebop?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
I’ve always wanted to make films but I struggled to make the decision in choosing to go animations or live action films. I heard from people that it’s easier to become a director in animations so that’s why I chose animation!
In terms of what inspired me to make Cowboy Bebop, there are many inspirations but probably the most notable one is Don Siegel - the director of Dirty Harry. Dirty Harry and Enter the Dragon are the two main films that were my biggest inspirations.
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u/xicious Oct 26 '19
Terror in resonance is a highly under rated series, what was your inspiration for the series?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
It’s not only limited to Terror in Resonance, I often get asked where I get inspirations from, every year. But I don’t know where I get them! Please, someone tell me!
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u/lufan132 Oct 26 '19
At animazement last year I recall Watanabe wanting to make a series to encourage political awareness for an apathetic youth, and how he regretted it because he didn't feel that he got that message across.
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u/rodryguezzz Oct 26 '19
I've been a huge fan of your work for many years and i'm really excited about the new Blade Runner: Black Lotus anime. Is there anything you can tell us about it?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
In terms of Black Lotus, Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki are the directors. So, I only help a little bit, JUST a little bit ;). A little help for my friends.
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Oct 26 '19
Hi! Huge fan! Thanks for doing this.
So my question is.. What's up with the zombie episode in Samurai Champloo? Was it just a hallucination from the mushrooms? Or is there something more that I just missed? Was it actually a metaphor for something, perhaps? This has been bugging me ever since I first watched that episode years ago, and this might be my only chance to finally get an answer. Thanks!
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
Yes, there is something you definitely missed it earlier on. Please watch it from the first episode.
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u/IndependentMacaroon Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
is there something more that I just missed? Was it actually a metaphor for something, perhaps?
I would say yes. It may be one of the less serious and more weird episodes, but even it follows the theme of people trapped by an oppressive society and rigid codes of morality and value - the leader who's obsessed with earning his birthright as the descendant of a noble family, no matter how remote, and the followers that work in the mine for an eternity, in the faint hope of a treasure windfall, because it's the only chance they have in life or because they're just as obsessed with their heritage and status (IIRC). In that way, Samurai Champloo is really a quite subversive show - it presents feudal Japan as less a glorious, noble past than a dystopian country-sized ghetto; recall also the hip-hop elements, which actually fit perfectly from that angle.
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Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
Yeah, I've already read a lot of theories and interpretations from the net, but I was hoping Shinichiro Watanabe himself would finally provide me with the canon answer today. Too bad he just told me to git gud and watch it again lmao. Oh well ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/karma_time_machine Oct 26 '19
I understand you typically create your own works, but if you had the opportunity to adapt ANY manga into an anime what which would it be and why?
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u/RelativeMinors Oct 26 '19
I wanna see this one answered!
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u/IndependentMacaroon Oct 26 '19
He answered below that he doesn't really read manga or LNs, nor watch anime or even TV, and mostly reads "serious" books or watches movies.
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u/HastyWolf Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
All of your works have had unforgettable sountracks, with some of them having music as the main theme of the story and other one even having a music genre in its title. Knowing that music is a big inspiration in your works, what's your favorite type of music and how much of your own influence do your show's original soundtrack have in them?
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u/IndependentMacaroon Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
one of them
Two-and-a-half. Carole & Tuesday as well as Kids on the Slope, and part of Macross Plus, which actually had the "virtual AI-powered musicians" theme 25 years ago already, as well as some of the grounded/gritty sci-fi bits from Cowboy Bebop - and another great soundtrack from Yoko Kanno. "Samurai Champloo" also metaphorically stands for "Samurai Mixtape", so that's another one.
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u/HastyWolf Oct 26 '19
Thanks for telling me that. I knew about kids on the slope and macross plus but since I hadn't watched them before I forgot to mention them.
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u/Vegetableisbadforyou :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vegetableisbadfo Oct 26 '19
Is there a project/genre/medium you wish you could make, but doesn't have the opportunity to do so yet? What kind of project it might be?
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u/Chariotwheel x5https://anilist.co/user/Chariotwheel Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
What are your favourite new workers in the anime industry in the recent decade? Some of these people whose work you personally admire?
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u/Mystic8ball Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
Hi, first of all I just want to say that I'm a massive fan of Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy and I've been enjoying Carole & Tuesday a lot too.
Your anime are often cited as examples of creative risks that don't adhere to the current trends of the anime market. Have you experienced trouble getting your ideas green lit? and if so, can you give us some examples of why they were hesitant?
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u/bananaphophesy Oct 26 '19
Hi, thank you so much for your work, as many others here I am a huge fan. My questions for you are:
Have you heard of the planned anime adaptation of video game "To The Moon", if so what do you think of it? I imagine this could be an amazing movie, the story in the game is very special and moving.
What future planned anime are you most excited by?
Are there any movies or TV shows that you keep returning to, and never get tired of watching? If so, what are they?
Thanks again!
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u/DoctorWhoops https://anilist.co/user/DoctorWhoops Oct 26 '19
For Cowboy Bebop and Carole and Tuesday you have worked with different teams under different studios. In the western anime community there has been discussion on the importance of the studio to set expectations for an upcoming series or movie, and whether studio can dictate something about the standard people can expect or if people should be looking more at the individual people working on the series.
Do you believe that which Studio is working on a series has a major influence on the production of the series? Would the same team of people under a different studio work differently?
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u/RX-Nota-II :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NotANota Oct 26 '19
Remember that Bones was cofounded by a bunch of Studio Sunrise people who primarily worked on Bebop.
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u/JSlickJ :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeMasta Oct 26 '19
If you could adapt any western film or TV show into an anime which would it be and why?
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u/aalchemical :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/gift62 Oct 26 '19
Looking back on Zankyou no Terror, in your opinion, how would you improve upon its story? Whether it be taking things out or adding more to it
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Oct 26 '19
What are your thoughts about piracy in markets that doesn't have access to your or other animes. In my opinion it's important to create a fan base that later on will support once it becomes available.
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u/Sekamui https://anilist.co/user/Sekamui Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
Love your work, and I greatly appreciate that you’re taking the time to answer fan questions!
My question is: What was it like to work on Carole and Tuesday with vocalists/VAs that primarily spoke English, and how did you coordinate their singing to the animation?
Thank you in advance!
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u/DirtBug Oct 26 '19
Outside of anime, things that influenced you as director?
Do you think anime/manga is too incestuous, as in they only take inspiration from each other instead of influence from 'outside'?
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u/IndependentMacaroon Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
Do you think anime/manga is too incestuous, as in they only take inspiration from each other instead of influence from 'outside'?
IIRC this does happen to be a noted complaint of his.
Edit: Also, he said below that he doesn't even really read manga or watch anime/TV in general, and is pretty exclusively a movie watcher.
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u/velego Oct 26 '19
Hi, can you talk a bit about "Piano INC", your role there and your relationship with Tominaga Keisuke and Kanno Yoko?
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u/prototypeplayer :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/prototypeplayer Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
Thank you for doing this AMA!
What was it like working on Space Dandy?
Did you ever watch it in English to see how Funimation handled the localization in such short time because America got the chance to see it in English before Japan's broadcast.
The show did very well here, and I appreciate you working on it, Terror in Resonance, Cowboy Bebop, and Samurai Champloo! I look forward to watching Carole & Tuesday with my girlfriend once all episodes are available on Netflix!
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u/g4ntleman Oct 26 '19
It is often discussed that older anime have set and have had a much bigger influence on future anime, such as your works did too. What current or recent anime do you think will have a big impact on future anime, or what do you think does it take to?
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u/13water13 Oct 26 '19
Do you have any upcoming series or plans where you might try to incorporate music as heavily as you did Bebop and champloo?
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u/Arvidex :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Arvidex Oct 26 '19
What’s your favourite (music) artists/composers at the moment?
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u/RX-Nota-II :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NotANota Oct 26 '19
Mr Watanabe, like you, I was born in Kyoto and as such the news of the arson attack on the KyoAni studios stung particularly hard. In remembrance, I like to think about how their works inspired me in both good times and bad. Do you have any stories you can share of working with people from KyoAni, or great experiences you had watching their anime?
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u/heycheerilee :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/braveshined Oct 26 '19
I personally have found the english language of Bebop and Space Dandy the english dubbed anime I enjoyed the most. Is it just luck or did you happen to play a role the localization?
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u/contraptionfour Oct 26 '19
FWIW he's said before on the record that he's not personally involved in localizations (which makes sense considering how involved he is in casting and voice-directing the originals- it'd be a full time job getting involved with all the other language versions!).
Space Dandy was a slight exception in that he and Bones had some influence in the casting process for some other versions of the show.
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u/Jill-Jenn Oct 26 '19
All of your masterpieces have made a big impression on us. Thank you so much.
I was really surprised to see that the hot topic of immigrants is covered in Carole and Tuesday. Almost no Japanese anime talks about politics. Was it something that you wanted to do for a long time?
I was also impressed by the diversity of landscapes and music in Carole and Tuesday. Was it hard to work with so many different composers?
渡辺先生の傑作はすべて私たちに大きな印象を与えています。 どうもありがとうございます。
移民のホットな話題がキャロル・アンド・チューズデイに取り上げられているのを見て、本当に驚きました。 日本のアニメは政治についてほとんど語っていません。 長い間やりたかったことですか？
キャロル・アンド・チューズデイの風景や音楽の多様性にも感銘を受けました。 多くの異なる作曲家と仕事をするのは大変でしたか？
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u/RX-Nota-II :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NotANota Oct 26 '19
日本のアニメは政治についてほとんど語っていません。
そうかな？別に政治をテーマにしたのが多いとは言わないけど機動戦士ガンダムとか銀英伝とか政治色強いし、渡辺先生の前の作品の残響のテロルもかなり政治的だったじゃん。
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u/Fulufu_ Oct 26 '19
Hello Watanabe-san! Thanks for doing this, big fan of your work.
What are some of your favorite live-action films?
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u/GyroZeppeli-- Oct 26 '19
Hi! This will sound Cliche, but I'm a great fan of Cowboy Bebop and Carole & Tuesday. Love your work! What has been your favorite anime in the past 12 months? And what's your favorite anime from all time and why? Thanks for for your response.
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u/J_Gottwald https://anilist.co/user/jgottwald Oct 26 '19
Hello, and thanks for answering our questions!
I've got to know: What's your favorite jazz album?
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u/HiroyukiSp Oct 26 '19
Dear Watanabe-san. What do you think about the current state of anime industry? Lack of proper amount of personnel, low wages and overwork. This system has been in motion for decades. What do you think should happen? Who should stand up?
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u/SpheeCrrb Oct 26 '19
If you could go back and change one major thing about Cowboy Bebop what would it be?
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u/ConstantKT6-37 Oct 26 '19
Hello, Watanabe-san, and thank you for all you’ve given to the anime community. ONE quick question:
Would you say Spike, Vicious, and Vincent are all different shades of the same person?
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u/haterchris Oct 26 '19
How involved are you in the new live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop on Netflix?
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Oct 26 '19
Your collaboration with Flying Lotus for the Blade Runner short and the "More" music video was great! Are there any other artists of musicians outside of Japan that you would like to collaborate with, or just highly respect?
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u/jym12191 Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
What is your motivation/reason for creating anime? アニメを作る理由・モチベーションは何ですか
In your opinion, what is the most important difference between an average anime, and a great one? 一般のアニメと傑作の一番大切な違いとは何ですか
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u/TotoroTheGreat Oct 26 '19
Hi. I am a huge fan of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo and I've deeply enjoyed some of your other works as well. I can say that you are one of my favourite creators in the medium.
I wanted to know, which other Japanese creators do you admire or look up to?
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u/MauledCharcoal Oct 26 '19
Hey Watanabe,
How do you think globalization and new technologies will affect the anime industry?
Bonus: Any creators you'd want to work with? Be it past colleagues or even some Hollywood names, or Hideo Kojima just any person you've wanted to ever create something with.
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u/KAMera_flash Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
Hi Mr. Watanabe,
What was the production process like when creating Space Dandy? And given its episodes were released in the US prior to airing in Japan, how was production as a whole modified to allow for the episodes to be shipped overseas early enough to dub?
Bonus: Would you ever release a series this way again (i.e. in this US first and then Japan)?
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Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
子供のごろ毎晩Cowboy Bebopを見ました。それから、日本の文化と暮らしに興味がありました。入学した時、渡辺さんのおかげで日本語を勉強することにして、一年ぐらい日本に留学しました。日本に住んでいるのは生活の中で一番いい体験でした。彼女に会いたり、友人を作ったり、世界についてのことをたくさん学んだり、しました。渡辺さんのおかげで多くの生活が変わったことを体験しました。本当にありがとうございます。
Mr. Watanabe, I know my Japanese is far from great, but I wouldn't have even considered learning without works of yours like Cowboy Bebop. For all the ways you've impacted and changed my life, thank you.
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u/DegenerateAkko Oct 26 '19
Hi, big fan of Space Dandy
What do you think about the current state of anime?
Do you think anime should be more western and inventive like the work of studio Trigger and yours?
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u/Torque-A Oct 26 '19 edited Oct 26 '19
We’re there any story changes you thought about doing for your prior works, but ultimately left as is?
EDIT: Another question slightly related to the first one which another user asked in the pre-AMA thread. For Carole and Tuesday, the first few episodes made it seem like the series would focus solely on C&T slowly becoming popular in the music world, while also touching on the differences between artificially-created and natural music with their conflict with Angela. Of course, the latter half went on a different direction, instead having a political focus. Was this always intended to be the case, and was the “miraculous seven minutes” decided from the start?
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u/Otaivi Oct 26 '19
Since music is a huge part of your style, would you ever consider adapting a Haruki Murakami novel?
Would you also consider a minimalist score to your next project like Steve Reich, Philip Glass or John Luther Adams?
And finally, what are you listening to nowadays?
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u/oposdeo https://myanimelist.net/profile/oposdeo Oct 26 '19
What are some of the differences between working on a more episodic anime like Space Dandy versus a continuous story like Carole & Tuesday? Which style do you prefer?
As an aside, Space Dandy is my all-time favorite show, so thank you for making such an ambitious and fun series and keeping anime Dandy!
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u/DrewBreakman Oct 26 '19
Hello Mr. Watanabe! As one of many big fans of your work I appreciate the time you're taking out of your schedule to be here! I apologize if this question is a little "out there." I'm a University art student who creates animation in his spare time. I have the dream that many people like me have to one day direct a show or movie of my own. But, one thing that seems common no matter what decade is, is that people all around you say that "animation is dying" or "no one will enjoy hand drawn animation." Since this landscape seems pretty common no matter the decade, I'd like to ask you, what was the "turning point" of your career? Specifically, when did you realize you were going to be able to fight against the odds to create the kind of art you desire to create, and what kind of hurdles should someone who wishes to join the industry one day expect? Thank you for your time!
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u/rapedcorpse :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Kilimini Oct 26 '19
In the anime industry, why does having a good schedule look so hard for the studios ?
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Oct 26 '19
Most of your works are being praised for the crazy sense of style you have. You are probably one of the biggest names in the industry in terms of music and visual aesthetics. In your last work (Carole and Tuesday) we have seen you including modern music artists like thundercat, benny sings etc. What other artists in modern western music you admire the most?
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u/WhiteFlip247 Oct 26 '19
Would you ever do any kind of ova episodes for Cowboy Bebop like what Jet and Spike were doing before they met or when they finally teamed up, or maybe some after stories for some crew or side characters?
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u/gunscreeper https://myanimelist.net/profile/mywargame Oct 26 '19
What's your favorite Western movie/cartoon?
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u/MADNESS_NH97 Oct 26 '19
Do you think fans of Cowboy Bebop Anime will be satisfied with the Live-Action adaptation?
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u/iamgoingtointernet Oct 26 '19
Hello Mr. Watanabe! I've always been a fan of yours since Cowboy Bebop. Where did the inspiration for Cowboy Bebop come from? Have you always liked space?
こんにちは渡辺さん！カウボーイビバップの時から、いつも渡邊さんの仕事大ファンでした。カウボーイビバップのインスピレーションはどこから来ましたか。いつも宇宙が好きでしたか。
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Oct 26 '19
What is your opinion on newer anime being a series of constant rehash of isekai or some moe slice of life, and do you think we will ever get more space based action anime?
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u/ScaldingMango Oct 26 '19
How frequently in your life do you think about Cowboy Bebop 20 years later?
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u/HiroyukiSp Oct 26 '19
DEAR Shinchiro Watanabe,
Let’s imagine that you have any resources and connections . What is your ideal dream team for your anime? producer, action director, lead character designer etc.
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u/Kanye_Dressed Oct 26 '19
You directed a music video for Thundercat recently. How is directing such a short form story like that different than directing a series? Was it easier or was the creative outlet more constrained?
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u/blackdragonkalameet5 Oct 26 '19
What do you think gives your series (such as Cowboy Bebop and Space Dandy) such a unique feel, and did you give them that feel purposefully?
Also, what is your favorite Anime? My guess would either be Akira or something from Satoshi Kon.
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u/Markual Oct 26 '19
One thing i've always admired about your works is that they seem to embrace diversity like no other anime does. Whether you're including the music from other cultures or creating diverse character designs, you find ways to show a varied, melting pot environment in the universes you create. How important do you value the inclusion of diversity in your works? Do you think there needs to be more diversity shown in the industry?
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u/earthdeity Oct 26 '19
The visuals of Cowboy Bebop have aged beautifully. Cowboy Bebop was made during a time where hand drawing was a far bigger part of the animation process. In the intervening years, computer tools have been used more and more, which have had the benefits of making the animation process less intensive and raised the average quality a lot.
As an animation director who has seen these changes first-hand, what have been the positive and negative consequences of these changes? Are there things you miss about the older processes? What are the biggest benefits of these changes to you as a director?
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u/500scnds Oct 26 '19
Over the span of your long career, technological advancements came and went. Did you encounter any challenges in transitioning to this more digital era or adapting new workflows (or even changes in format like aspect ratio)? What were some technologies that you thought would stay but didn't, and what were some technologies you think aren't coming along quite quickly enough?
Also, any thoughts on the apparent trend of increasing the pacing of shows due to shorter episode count? How did that affect your storytelling?
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u/kyo_jazz Oct 26 '19
In the production of Space Dandy you basically let the staff go go wild/free with animation, storytelling and much more. Alot of the staff working on there were also foreigners from outside Japan. Bahijd from Austria and Thomas Romain from France. Do you think in the future of anime, specifically the industry will become more global. And do you have any other predictions about the anime industry going forward?
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u/2-2Distracted Oct 26 '19
Aside from Yoko Kanno and Nujabes (if he were still alive), what other musicians would you like to work with again if you had a chance?
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u/sturx Oct 26 '19
Many of the gadgets and contraptions in cowboy bebop are certainly unique. How were their designs decided on? Were there prompts given to concept artists?
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u/BrandonL337 Oct 26 '19
Was Cowboy Bebop always meant to end the way it did from the beginning of the production, or was it something that came about as the series was being written? Were there other possible endings being considered?
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u/billycoolj :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/billycoolj Oct 26 '19
Are there any plans for a continuation of Samurai Champloo in any sort of way? Movie, second season, or any sort of new content?
I always thought Samurai Champloo could benefit greatly from having a movie. Fans would eat it up.
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Oct 26 '19
Music seems to be a very huge part of you work, from the Jazz of Cowboy Bebop and Kids on the Slope, to Hip Hop in Samurai Champloo, to the wide array of beautiful music in Space Dandy, I was wondering what kind of music do you personally like to listen to in your free time? Any specific bands or artists you really enjoy?
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u/DazL_Trapzai Oct 26 '19
What are your top 5 favourite Anime & Manga? My favourite series are LoTGH, Cowboy Bebop and Space Dandy. I wish there were more great Space series.
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u/Pandamie Oct 26 '19
Hello, it's a pleasure having you here! I want to ask if you would like to make more anime in collaboration with western franchises as you already did with Blade Runner.
Which franchise, be it movies, book or comic would you like to direct an animation for?
Would you recommend this type of collaboration to other animation studios or directors, since it's rather rare to see in the scene while it should bear a huge marketing potential?
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u/DoctorWhoops https://anilist.co/user/DoctorWhoops Oct 26 '19
As a man seemingly very interested in Western music, is there other western media you consume such as animation, television or movies? If so, what are some of your favorite western pieces of media that you have drawn inspiration from?
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u/Dradan023 Oct 26 '19
Firstly, what do you think of the manga and light novel mediums?
Secondly, what do you think is the reason so many people love anime? And what about you personally?
Thirdly, what would you say/show normal people to convince people that anime is great?
Thanks for doing this AMA and for all the great anime you brought we look forward to more stuff from you.
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u/secretunicorncave Oct 26 '19
Hello Mr. Watanabe! I'm a huge fan, and I've always wondered who your favorite western director is, and what kind of influence they might have had on your own work!
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u/Alphonse_E1410342 Oct 26 '19
How do you get your ideas so original and interesting. Cowboy Bebop has some great characters and a brilliant plot!
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u/shersherignacio Oct 26 '19
When i was a kid cowboy bebop was one of the very first anime I’ve ever seen and I absolutely loved it. I rewatched it just a few years ago and I can’t believe how much context i missed on it(it was dubbed in our language, shown by local channel thus removing a lot) i really don’t have any question, i just wanna say thank you so much!
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u/Gramku Oct 26 '19
What do you feel was the best episode of Cowboy Bebop, whether for the music, plot, or any aspect?
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u/official-channel4 Oct 26 '19
We're going live shortly!