Anime Expo - July 6 - Morio
Asaka and Masayuki Kojima
Card
Captor Sakura came originally from the Clamp group of female artists, but
the version best known in North America was animated by a team led by these
two men: Morio Asaka (left) who directed the Sakura TV series and movies,
and Masayuki Kojima. "Card Captor Sakura has a clear target and it's easy
when there's a specific audience in mind," Asaka said about the show that
has become a childrens' favorite. "I don't question if Card Captor Sakura
was intended for children. From the creators' intention it was intended
for a younger audience but it's turned out to appeal to a wider audience
- and it's great to have wide acceptance for your works."
The
producers of the animated Sakura had to please sponsors and the Clamp artists
in making their adaptation. Asaka said, "If i'm making an anime from a
manga, then there will be fans of that manga and we have to satisfy those
fans - and fans who haven't seen the manga. If there's an original work
I express myself in the story, and sometimes I'm embarrassed by revealing
everything inside myself. I've dealt with clamp and know what they want
to express in Card Captor Sakura, and there's no difficulty in knowing
what they want." The only changes that came from the translation to anime
was to not show the panties of the young girls. As for the changes that
were made in adapting the series for U.S. television, Asaka said he was
unhappy that some elements and episodes were cut.
The
Madhouse animation studio, known for stretching its animators among several
styles, created the Sakura anime. Kojima also worked as the chief director
of the Master Keaton series, unique among anime series in showing an ordinary
person doing extraordinary things while sticking as close to his regular
life as possible. "I think it is an unusual series and I don't think it
will have a young audience," said Kojima. "For Master Keaton, all we wanted
to do was to animate the manga so we are sticking to the original stories
as much as possible. Once I get started on a series I like it, because
if I didn't like a series I couldn't work on it."
Card
Captor Sakura came originally from the Clamp group of female artists, but
the version best known in North America was animated by a team led by these
two men: Morio Asaka (left) who directed the Sakura TV series and movies,
and Masayuki Kojima. "Card Captor Sakura has a clear target and it's easy
when there's a specific audience in mind," Asaka said about the show that
has become a childrens' favorite. "I don't question if Card Captor Sakura
was intended for children. From the creators' intention it was intended
for a younger audience but it's turned out to appeal to a wider audience
- and it's great to have wide acceptance for your works."
The
producers of the animated Sakura had to please sponsors and the Clamp artists
in making their adaptation. Asaka said, "If i'm making an anime from a
manga, then there will be fans of that manga and we have to satisfy those
fans - and fans who haven't seen the manga. If there's an original work
I express myself in the story, and sometimes I'm embarrassed by revealing
everything inside myself. I've dealt with clamp and know what they want
to express in Card Captor Sakura, and there's no difficulty in knowing
what they want." The only changes that came from the translation to anime
was to not show the panties of the young girls. As for the changes that
were made in adapting the series for U.S. television, Asaka said he was
unhappy that some elements and episodes were cut.
The
Madhouse animation studio, known for stretching its animators among several
styles, created the Sakura anime. Kojima also worked as the chief director
of the Master Keaton series, unique among anime series in showing an ordinary
person doing extraordinary things while sticking as close to his regular
life as possible. "I think it is an unusual series and I don't think it
will have a young audience," said Kojima. "For Master Keaton, all we wanted
to do was to animate the manga so we are sticking to the original stories
as much as possible. Once I get started on a series I like it, because
if I didn't like a series I couldn't work on it."
