Why are giant
robots such endearing characters in anime and so popular with fans, regardless
of culture? To character designer Norio Shioyama, best known for
his Votoms and Samurai Troopers series, it's because people never lose
sight of their childhood fascinations. "Next to humans or even more so
than humans, being a robot is intelligent and strong," said Shioyama. "Robots
are pretty much indestructible and strong, and it's a child's dream to
be like that. Robots connect to a child's wish to be strong." Votoms and
Samurai Troopers featured robots and fighting, but their main stories were
about people, more than battles. "In Samurai Troopers I worried about how
to show the characters' innocence and pure feelings, but the characters
in Votoms weren't quite as innocent. It was my wish that young people in
Japan would look at [Troopers] and take it on as kind of an ideal."
Shioyama started
his anime career two decades ago, long before the widespread use of computer
graphics. He's not certain that computer animation is best for the art.
have computers changed his work? "Computer graphics are great - you can
do almost anything - but there is a pitfall. It may take away from the
handcrafted feel of anime. That will go away from the new products and
it might take away from the joy of making an animation film - but it might
be inevitable. I've seen a lot of things change in the more than 20 years
I've been in the business, and I'm sure it will keep changing."
Stories equal
conflicts, and as much audiences may like seeing the heroes of Shioyama's
stories, the villains can be more compelling. "It's really fun to draw
bad guys. I get to look ahead to the way the character will be used. Even
actors enjoy performing bad guys more than the good guys - everyone wants
to be a bad guy once in their life." Shioyama compares all of the characters
he's designed to his children, and he doesn't like to choose favorites
- but he does have favorite stories, those which tell the adventures of
"young men who fight for justice in the world."
Why are giant
robots such endearing characters in anime and so popular with fans, regardless
of culture? To character designer Norio Shioyama, best known for
his Votoms and Samurai Troopers series, it's because people never lose
sight of their childhood fascinations. "Next to humans or even more so
than humans, being a robot is intelligent and strong," said Shioyama. "Robots
are pretty much indestructible and strong, and it's a child's dream to
be like that. Robots connect to a child's wish to be strong." Votoms and
Samurai Troopers featured robots and fighting, but their main stories were
about people, more than battles. "In Samurai Troopers I worried about how
to show the characters' innocence and pure feelings, but the characters
in Votoms weren't quite as innocent. It was my wish that young people in
Japan would look at [Troopers] and take it on as kind of an ideal."
Shioyama started
his anime career two decades ago, long before the widespread use of computer
graphics. He's not certain that computer animation is best for the art.
have computers changed his work? "Computer graphics are great - you can
do almost anything - but there is a pitfall. It may take away from the
handcrafted feel of anime. That will go away from the new products and
it might take away from the joy of making an animation film - but it might
be inevitable. I've seen a lot of things change in the more than 20 years
I've been in the business, and I'm sure it will keep changing."
Stories equal
conflicts, and as much audiences may like seeing the heroes of Shioyama's
stories, the villains can be more compelling. "It's really fun to draw
bad guys. I get to look ahead to the way the character will be used. Even
actors enjoy performing bad guys more than the good guys - everyone wants
to be a bad guy once in their life." Shioyama compares all of the characters
he's designed to his children, and he doesn't like to choose favorites
- but he does have favorite stories, those which tell the adventures of
"young men who fight for justice in the world."
