Hello and hello again! I’m the other part part of the “we” you’ve probably seen in Derpchan’s posts, in case you’re confused who I am.
Anyway. There was a sweet little interview in the July issue of Animage with Tamura Kazuhiko, Tiger & Bunny’s producer – and since he said a few interesting things, I decided to translate it.
Disclaimer: not a professional translator, doing this for fun, etc. Standard fantranslation rules apply.
Without further ado –
Q: How did you come up with the idea for a story featuring two characters from two different generations? It’s a pretty rare combination.
A: Well, in this day and age, you can easily notice there is a generation gap between youngsters and their elders. (laughs) We wanted to show that, we wanted to show how they begin to understand each other, how the bond between them grows strong.
Q: So basically, you based it on your personal experiences? (laughs)
A: Ah, yeah. This generation gap we experience daily – we wanted to show how the different generations mix. I thought it would allow the viewers to sympathize with the events more easily, which, in turn, would make the show more exciting. First we had this idea of a duo that always bickers, then we tried to add this difference in age to them. We have different character episodes, and during them, Tiger and Barnaby’s bond and mutural trust grow stronger. It’s one of the elements of the whole storytelling process. In the series’ ED, you can see them as if the strong bond was already in there, but you’ll watch the story and think, “When exactly they will reach this point?”. It makes me happy. (laugh)
Q: In the show, the story progresses through subtle hints, right.
A: Yes, while we reveal subtle hints, you slowly become aware of the progress, of how their trust grows stronger. Again, for example, the criminal behind the bomb incident appears again in the episode in which the convicts die, so even the characters considered criminals are not easily used and then thrown away by us. In the future, a character that is probably thought unlikely to reappear will do so, and here and there we’ll be planting small “traps”, so that even the events of the first episode are not going to get lost in the progress.
Q: Besides Kotetsu and Barnaby, other characters’ designs and abilities are also very unique.
A: The design was created for us by Katsura Masakazu-sensei, for which we are grateful. He created characters that attract attention with their charm, and accompanied us through the stage direction and scenario creating parts. We were inspired by his drawings, and adjusted the characters’ personalities and positions to them. The screenwriter, Nishida (Nishida Masafumi, the series’ creator) first asked every person on staff for ideas and then tweaked the charas a bit. [he proceeds to say something about Sky High’s airhead-ness, but the article scans I got are slightly cut so I can’t really read it]
Q: The series will now continue to feature serious battles, yes?
A: Episodes 10-13 are the climax of the first half, so the battles are also reaching it’s first peak. I think you can see them as a part that works as an extra edge for the series. Again, these eps are not only about Barnaby and Kotetsu, they also feature Origami Cyclone, Sky High and Rock Bison’s performances, so their fans should be satisfied, too. Again, in episode 10, Jake and Kriem and other new characters appeared, and they are connected to the Ouroboros Barnaby is pursuing. I think everything I mentioned will probably gather a lot of attention.
Q: What’s in next for Kotetsu and Barnaby?
A: Kotetsu will be doing well as Wild Tiger, and through all the incidents, their relationship will change. Barnaby… Well, not only some scenes, but rather, the whole story can be thought as a story of his growth. He had nothing but revenge, but since he met Tiger, the man started influencing him. Barnaby will make up for some things he lost, and will still be growing emotionally. He experiences Kotetsu’s sympathy, and communicates with him as a fellow human being, and will be learning from him what does it mean to “be a hero”. I’ll be happy if you will be there to watch it!
This is Sternbild 