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pacificpikachuI've been wanting to do this post for a long time, so I hope some of you find it interesting and enjoy it. :D However, just note that it requires you seriously suspend your belief.
Okay, so here's the deal. Somehow, your incredible talent for storytelling is discovered by some big, influential anime people in Japan. Suddenly you're a huge sensation, and you're given a nearly unlimited budget to work with. Also, pretty much every person who has ever been staff in anime ever is eager to work with you. You don't have to worry about how much your project will make or who will go see it; everyone is eagerly anticipating your work no matter what it is.
So...what sort of anime do you create? And who is your staff?
Some questions to get the brain juice flowing, though you certainly don't need to answer all (or even any) of these:
- What demographic will your story be aimed towards? (Shounen, seinen, shoujo, josei, etc.)
- What genre or mix of genres will your story be?
- What format would you choose? A movie, a thirteen-episode series, an OVA, a twenty-six episode series? A neverending series (LOL)?
- What will your characters be like? What ages will they be? Are you drawn to a certain character type you think you'd use?
- What are the settings? What time period does it take place in? Any specific color palette or "look" you'd want it to have?
- What are the important themes of the story (such as: man versus nature, people in relation to tragedy, people and technology, etc.)? What is important to you in storytelling that you'd want included (ie, strong character background stories, an overpowering message, a complex plot, etc.)?
- What sort of tone would your series have? (Dark, nostalgic, crazy, silly, sweet, etc.)
- What are your goals in creating this project? Do you want people to laugh, to cry, to think about _____, to consider something they might not have before?
And in relation to the staff, who would you like to be your:
- Co-director (as a note, they could be involved as little or as much as you'd want. You would always have main control over all aspects of the story and how it is told.)
- Character designer (What do you like about their character designs?)
- Soundtrack composer (And what type of music would it be?)
- OP/ED performances (And what would you want them to be like?)
- Any animation staff you'd want to be involved
- Seiyuu you'd want to be involved
- Background artist(s)?
- Which studio(s) would you like to be involved?
- ...Anyone else of note for other roles in animation production? (There's no way I'm listing every job you could have within an anime project.)
Feel free to be as vague or as specific as you want, and to answer only the questions you feel like answering. You can invent other ones if you'd like, as well. If you want to ramble on for twenty pages--please do! I welcome it and would like to read it! If you want to write a paragraph or two--hey, that's fine, too! I'm just hoping for some thoughtful, interesting responses to this regardless of length. :) You can reply in comments or in entries if you prefer. I guess a silly response or two is okay, but like I said I would love some thoughtful comments. This is sort of a roundabout getting-to-know-my-f-list-and-their-tastes post, after all.
I'm typically fond of seinen myself, and those tend to be the sorts of stories I'd like to tell. Aimed at a mature audience, but sort of transcendent in that they can appeal to either gender and many different types of people, not just one set audience. I really don't like having to "dumb down" or censor my stories to pander to a younger audience, so they'd be more-or-less out. Not that I'm typically that foul in my stories, but they do tend to be rather bizarre, sometimes violent, and...well, not the sorts of things most kids or even young teenagers would generally enjoy. A bit too emotionally/philosophically/morally complex.
I like a wide mix of genres, and prefer my stories to have a good mix. An intriguing plot is a must, as are complex but endearing characters. I'd definitely want my series to be a drama series of some sort in that it focuses on the emotions of the characters, but it would probably have smudges of mystery/horror, action, romance, supernatural, and maybe even adventure in there fairly prominently.
I like twenty-six episode series myself. Thirteen episodes is also nice to tell a short story, but I think twenty-six is ideal for developing characters, delving into the plot, and so on.
Oddly enough, I tend to skew younger rather than older with my characters; I prefer a cast of around 12-17 for whatever reason. I guess it's just because it's a time of change and a time where nothing quite feels certain. That's always a bit fun to play with, though I'm not interested in teenage angst or the typical teenage issues in the slightest (so I tend to move towards stranger subjects in that regard). I guess I just like my characters to where they're very fluid and can grow into themselves during the story, and young enough that stupid mistakes and eccentricities are fairly common. I tend to like characters that are bit oddball; usually with some sort of weird supernatural ability (but not something cool or useful, just weird. Things like seeing ghost cats or whatever), and a quiet, sweet, but very unusual personality. Bizarre beliefs and ideals abound. :P I think another reason I like younger characters is because of the nostalgia factor. I always approve of nostalgia.
I prefer rural settings in a nonspecific time period, probably because I grew up in a rural setting and that's where I'm comfortable. Main or supporting animal characters of some sort are a staple, and they're easier to find in rural places, and the simple beauty of nature is very meaningful and important to me. I think I'd work with a color palette sort of like that of Makoto Shinkai--I just adore his use of color. In fact, I think he might be a requirement for background art, haha. The nonspecific time period is important because I tend to focus very closely on what the characters are doing, and generally everything is put in the scale of their lives. Therefore it's not particularly important what the government is doing, what the current global events are, etc., unless those have a direct affect on the characters. Because they're in their early/mid teens generally, they're paying more attention to their current lives than the macroscale of things. Also, I must admit I hate to do research but I'd also hate to be historically inaccurate... And I don't know if I'm too fond of working with future settings.
As for themes, I'm very fond of reality versus fiction, as well as the effect that beliefs have on the mind and the outside world. A lot of what I'm interested in has to do with the sometimes very vague line between what is actually happening and what the characters believe is happening. Weird religious cults are very interesting to me, and characters who don't believe normal things about the world (and how these beliefs affect those around them, the world around them in general, and so on). Nature is a natural theme for me as well (haha, very funny Kristin), with my strong beliefs about the unfairness with which humans treat other species and the environment as a whole. It has to be very subtle and carefully handled, though; as strong as my beliefs are on this issue, I think strong pushing of certain agendas can ruin a story quite thoroughly. (See: Arjuna.)
There always has to be something vague in my stories that leaves the viewers or readers wondering "Is that real? Or is it something the character is imagining?" I often bring in atypical, somewhat creepy supernatural forces for this role. I want my viewers to be slightly creeped out, but in a subtle way, and in a way that doesn't make them think "Ah, I've seen this sort of thing before." I also love urban legend or story-within-a-story elements.
In regards to tone, I love things that start out light and innocent and turn out bizarre, dark, and sometimes a little disturbing--but also emotional, beautiful, and very thought-provoking. I think the sort of tone Dennou Coil has going is a good example of what I mean. (Did they make that series for me? Seriously--look at how much it paralleled to this! Or at least it did in my head.) Tragic endings are a must for me, usually with at least one character death towards the end. I keep trying not to kill my characters for once, and I continually fail. XD
Like I mentioned before, animal characters are a must, generally as either main character(s) along with humans or as big supporting characters, and they deserve special mention. I'm extremely picky about animals in media. I like it to be apparent that they are intelligent, capable of communicating in some way, and have a personality. At the same time, however, I would demand realistic designs and animation on them and expect them to behave like the sort of animal they are. Talking is okay sometimes under certain circumstances (again, I'm very picky), but behaving and moving like the sort of animal they are is very important to me. I like them to be characters of their own as well with positive and negative attributes, not just pointless cute fodder. I don't want them to break out into song, I don't want them to act like wisecracking humans, and I want them to serve a relevant purpose in the story on their own merits. (Can anyone see why I'm not a Disney fan, and why I don't care for furries?)
I'd want my series to be the sort of series that makes the viewers cry a bit at the end, feel a tug of nostalgia and appreciate the beauty of the art and animation, creep them out, and also bring them to some important revelation and make them think about some aspects of life, reality, and so on that perhaps they didn't consider before. I'd want it to be the sort of story that makes a big impact on as many viewers as possible.
In regards to staff:
- Co-director: Satoshi Kon
Why? Because he's amazing at blending reality and fiction and I adore everything he's done. He has a brilliant touch that turns the most bland-sounding premise into gold, and I think he could bring a LOT to the project.
Mitsuo Iso would also be a great possibility, considering his work on Dennou Coil and RahXephon. He seems to be into the same types of storytelling as I do, apparently, and he does it extremely well!
- Character designer: Possibly either Range Murata or Yoshitoshi ABe, who both have soft, rounded-looking character designs that are also quite elegant. They're both great at drawing younger characters. Range Murata doesn't generally draw exactly the types of characters I have in mind, but he does have a great eye for costume and his work on Last Exile proves he's capable of drawing slightly more down-to-earth types of characters that aren't as fanservice-y as much of what he draws. This is a hard call to make, though, as I admire a number of character designers. I adore Toshihiro Kawamoto like crazy but don't know if he'd be right for this type of story.
- Composer: DO I EVEN NEED TO ANSWER THIS?
Yoko Kanno. Of course.
I'd want it to be...something sort of in between Wolf's Rain and Arjuna. Quiet, sweet, heartbreaking, poetic types of music with a lot of spirituality and life in it. Nothing super loud or epic.
- OP/ED:
Um. I need to think more about this. But one would certainly belong to Maaya Sakamoto. Possibly both. ♥ OP would probably be sweet and optimistic. ED...sad, haunting, gentle.
- Seiyuu:
I have too many I like and would want in the project. XD Mamoru Miyano and Maaya are a must, though, as my two favorites. I adore Paku Romi as well, and...so, so many others. Too many great seiyuu out there. All of the seiyuu I've met at conventions would be shoo-ins, because every seiyuu I've met has been insanely talented and great to be around.
- Makoto Shinkai gets to do all the background art for SUPER NOSTALGIA ATTACK and WHY IS THE WORLD SO BEAUTIFUL OMFG.
- BONES is my favorite studio and they seem to turn out great work the vast majority of the time. I'd love to be involved with them. (I love you all, GAINAX, and think you're insanely talented, but not for this sort of thing. XD) Madhouse might be a good fit as well.
I'm sure I'm leaving people out, but I'm too exhausted to remember who they might be. I'll go back and edit if I realize I left out anything significant.
Aaand it's 3 AM now. @__@
By the way, my wake up at 9 AM plan failed. Well, I did wake up at 9 AM, but I went back to sleep within about ten minutes and didn't wake until almost noon. .__.; I'm going to keep setting my alarm clock for 9 AM, however, and trust that within a few days I will actually start waking up at 9 AM! Yes, I am determined to get on this schedule, even thought my willpower in regards to sleep is very low.
Anyway, please respond to this prompt! I'm very curious what everyone has to say about their ideal anime project. :D
Off to bed with me. I can hardly keep my eyes open.
Okay, so here's the deal. Somehow, your incredible talent for storytelling is discovered by some big, influential anime people in Japan. Suddenly you're a huge sensation, and you're given a nearly unlimited budget to work with. Also, pretty much every person who has ever been staff in anime ever is eager to work with you. You don't have to worry about how much your project will make or who will go see it; everyone is eagerly anticipating your work no matter what it is.
So...what sort of anime do you create? And who is your staff?
Some questions to get the brain juice flowing, though you certainly don't need to answer all (or even any) of these:
- What demographic will your story be aimed towards? (Shounen, seinen, shoujo, josei, etc.)
- What genre or mix of genres will your story be?
- What format would you choose? A movie, a thirteen-episode series, an OVA, a twenty-six episode series? A neverending series (LOL)?
- What will your characters be like? What ages will they be? Are you drawn to a certain character type you think you'd use?
- What are the settings? What time period does it take place in? Any specific color palette or "look" you'd want it to have?
- What are the important themes of the story (such as: man versus nature, people in relation to tragedy, people and technology, etc.)? What is important to you in storytelling that you'd want included (ie, strong character background stories, an overpowering message, a complex plot, etc.)?
- What sort of tone would your series have? (Dark, nostalgic, crazy, silly, sweet, etc.)
- What are your goals in creating this project? Do you want people to laugh, to cry, to think about _____, to consider something they might not have before?
And in relation to the staff, who would you like to be your:
- Co-director (as a note, they could be involved as little or as much as you'd want. You would always have main control over all aspects of the story and how it is told.)
- Character designer (What do you like about their character designs?)
- Soundtrack composer (And what type of music would it be?)
- OP/ED performances (And what would you want them to be like?)
- Any animation staff you'd want to be involved
- Seiyuu you'd want to be involved
- Background artist(s)?
- Which studio(s) would you like to be involved?
- ...Anyone else of note for other roles in animation production? (There's no way I'm listing every job you could have within an anime project.)
Feel free to be as vague or as specific as you want, and to answer only the questions you feel like answering. You can invent other ones if you'd like, as well. If you want to ramble on for twenty pages--please do! I welcome it and would like to read it! If you want to write a paragraph or two--hey, that's fine, too! I'm just hoping for some thoughtful, interesting responses to this regardless of length. :) You can reply in comments or in entries if you prefer. I guess a silly response or two is okay, but like I said I would love some thoughtful comments. This is sort of a roundabout getting-to-know-my-f-list-and-their-tastes post, after all.
I'm typically fond of seinen myself, and those tend to be the sorts of stories I'd like to tell. Aimed at a mature audience, but sort of transcendent in that they can appeal to either gender and many different types of people, not just one set audience. I really don't like having to "dumb down" or censor my stories to pander to a younger audience, so they'd be more-or-less out. Not that I'm typically that foul in my stories, but they do tend to be rather bizarre, sometimes violent, and...well, not the sorts of things most kids or even young teenagers would generally enjoy. A bit too emotionally/philosophically/morally complex.
I like a wide mix of genres, and prefer my stories to have a good mix. An intriguing plot is a must, as are complex but endearing characters. I'd definitely want my series to be a drama series of some sort in that it focuses on the emotions of the characters, but it would probably have smudges of mystery/horror, action, romance, supernatural, and maybe even adventure in there fairly prominently.
I like twenty-six episode series myself. Thirteen episodes is also nice to tell a short story, but I think twenty-six is ideal for developing characters, delving into the plot, and so on.
Oddly enough, I tend to skew younger rather than older with my characters; I prefer a cast of around 12-17 for whatever reason. I guess it's just because it's a time of change and a time where nothing quite feels certain. That's always a bit fun to play with, though I'm not interested in teenage angst or the typical teenage issues in the slightest (so I tend to move towards stranger subjects in that regard). I guess I just like my characters to where they're very fluid and can grow into themselves during the story, and young enough that stupid mistakes and eccentricities are fairly common. I tend to like characters that are bit oddball; usually with some sort of weird supernatural ability (but not something cool or useful, just weird. Things like seeing ghost cats or whatever), and a quiet, sweet, but very unusual personality. Bizarre beliefs and ideals abound. :P I think another reason I like younger characters is because of the nostalgia factor. I always approve of nostalgia.
I prefer rural settings in a nonspecific time period, probably because I grew up in a rural setting and that's where I'm comfortable. Main or supporting animal characters of some sort are a staple, and they're easier to find in rural places, and the simple beauty of nature is very meaningful and important to me. I think I'd work with a color palette sort of like that of Makoto Shinkai--I just adore his use of color. In fact, I think he might be a requirement for background art, haha. The nonspecific time period is important because I tend to focus very closely on what the characters are doing, and generally everything is put in the scale of their lives. Therefore it's not particularly important what the government is doing, what the current global events are, etc., unless those have a direct affect on the characters. Because they're in their early/mid teens generally, they're paying more attention to their current lives than the macroscale of things. Also, I must admit I hate to do research but I'd also hate to be historically inaccurate... And I don't know if I'm too fond of working with future settings.
As for themes, I'm very fond of reality versus fiction, as well as the effect that beliefs have on the mind and the outside world. A lot of what I'm interested in has to do with the sometimes very vague line between what is actually happening and what the characters believe is happening. Weird religious cults are very interesting to me, and characters who don't believe normal things about the world (and how these beliefs affect those around them, the world around them in general, and so on). Nature is a natural theme for me as well (haha, very funny Kristin), with my strong beliefs about the unfairness with which humans treat other species and the environment as a whole. It has to be very subtle and carefully handled, though; as strong as my beliefs are on this issue, I think strong pushing of certain agendas can ruin a story quite thoroughly. (See: Arjuna.)
There always has to be something vague in my stories that leaves the viewers or readers wondering "Is that real? Or is it something the character is imagining?" I often bring in atypical, somewhat creepy supernatural forces for this role. I want my viewers to be slightly creeped out, but in a subtle way, and in a way that doesn't make them think "Ah, I've seen this sort of thing before." I also love urban legend or story-within-a-story elements.
In regards to tone, I love things that start out light and innocent and turn out bizarre, dark, and sometimes a little disturbing--but also emotional, beautiful, and very thought-provoking. I think the sort of tone Dennou Coil has going is a good example of what I mean. (Did they make that series for me? Seriously--look at how much it paralleled to this! Or at least it did in my head.) Tragic endings are a must for me, usually with at least one character death towards the end. I keep trying not to kill my characters for once, and I continually fail. XD
Like I mentioned before, animal characters are a must, generally as either main character(s) along with humans or as big supporting characters, and they deserve special mention. I'm extremely picky about animals in media. I like it to be apparent that they are intelligent, capable of communicating in some way, and have a personality. At the same time, however, I would demand realistic designs and animation on them and expect them to behave like the sort of animal they are. Talking is okay sometimes under certain circumstances (again, I'm very picky), but behaving and moving like the sort of animal they are is very important to me. I like them to be characters of their own as well with positive and negative attributes, not just pointless cute fodder. I don't want them to break out into song, I don't want them to act like wisecracking humans, and I want them to serve a relevant purpose in the story on their own merits. (Can anyone see why I'm not a Disney fan, and why I don't care for furries?)
I'd want my series to be the sort of series that makes the viewers cry a bit at the end, feel a tug of nostalgia and appreciate the beauty of the art and animation, creep them out, and also bring them to some important revelation and make them think about some aspects of life, reality, and so on that perhaps they didn't consider before. I'd want it to be the sort of story that makes a big impact on as many viewers as possible.
In regards to staff:
- Co-director: Satoshi Kon
Why? Because he's amazing at blending reality and fiction and I adore everything he's done. He has a brilliant touch that turns the most bland-sounding premise into gold, and I think he could bring a LOT to the project.
Mitsuo Iso would also be a great possibility, considering his work on Dennou Coil and RahXephon. He seems to be into the same types of storytelling as I do, apparently, and he does it extremely well!
- Character designer: Possibly either Range Murata or Yoshitoshi ABe, who both have soft, rounded-looking character designs that are also quite elegant. They're both great at drawing younger characters. Range Murata doesn't generally draw exactly the types of characters I have in mind, but he does have a great eye for costume and his work on Last Exile proves he's capable of drawing slightly more down-to-earth types of characters that aren't as fanservice-y as much of what he draws. This is a hard call to make, though, as I admire a number of character designers. I adore Toshihiro Kawamoto like crazy but don't know if he'd be right for this type of story.
- Composer: DO I EVEN NEED TO ANSWER THIS?
Yoko Kanno. Of course.
I'd want it to be...something sort of in between Wolf's Rain and Arjuna. Quiet, sweet, heartbreaking, poetic types of music with a lot of spirituality and life in it. Nothing super loud or epic.
- OP/ED:
Um. I need to think more about this. But one would certainly belong to Maaya Sakamoto. Possibly both. ♥ OP would probably be sweet and optimistic. ED...sad, haunting, gentle.
- Seiyuu:
I have too many I like and would want in the project. XD Mamoru Miyano and Maaya are a must, though, as my two favorites. I adore Paku Romi as well, and...so, so many others. Too many great seiyuu out there. All of the seiyuu I've met at conventions would be shoo-ins, because every seiyuu I've met has been insanely talented and great to be around.
- Makoto Shinkai gets to do all the background art for SUPER NOSTALGIA ATTACK and WHY IS THE WORLD SO BEAUTIFUL OMFG.
- BONES is my favorite studio and they seem to turn out great work the vast majority of the time. I'd love to be involved with them. (I love you all, GAINAX, and think you're insanely talented, but not for this sort of thing. XD) Madhouse might be a good fit as well.
I'm sure I'm leaving people out, but I'm too exhausted to remember who they might be. I'll go back and edit if I realize I left out anything significant.
Aaand it's 3 AM now. @__@
By the way, my wake up at 9 AM plan failed. Well, I did wake up at 9 AM, but I went back to sleep within about ten minutes and didn't wake until almost noon. .__.; I'm going to keep setting my alarm clock for 9 AM, however, and trust that within a few days I will actually start waking up at 9 AM! Yes, I am determined to get on this schedule, even thought my willpower in regards to sleep is very low.
Anyway, please respond to this prompt! I'm very curious what everyone has to say about their ideal anime project. :D
Off to bed with me. I can hardly keep my eyes open.
