Shopping Guide
We asked the director of Rage of Bahamut Genesis, Keiichi Sato, to tell us how he entered the world of anime.
TOM: Could you tell us in detail how you ended up working in the anime industry?
Sato: At first, I teamed up with a friend from school, aiming to become a comedian.
TOM: Comedian? So that’s why you’re so good at talking. But still, comedy and anime directing are two completely different jobs, wouldn’t you say?
Sato: It was in my high school years that I first saw MTV. Before that, I was watching Best Hit USA. I like western music, and watching promotional videos made me dreaming of making PVs myself. I didn’t know how I could enter the video world, so I was worried, then a friend invited me to do comedy. That was what started me on the road of comedy (laughs). The friend who invited me made a night flight, and just when I was struggling and not sure what to do, an acquaintance introduced me to a studio in Tokyo, which I went to work for. I worked behind the scenes, making variety programs and television dramas.
TOM: You had a very eventful life. But you still hadn’t entered the anime industry...
Sato: After coming to Tokyo, an acquaintance who makes anime asked me if I wanted to try out helping for a month. They were making an anime PV for “Take On Me” by A-Ha. Since I had a dream of making music PVs, I thought studying anime here wasn’t bad either. Even though I’d never thought of becoming a manga artist, I’ve been pretty good at drawing ever since I was small.
A year after I entered the anime industry, I was drawing original pictures for the opening act of the movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack. I drew more than 100 cuts for the mecha action in the beginning, all alone. Isn’t that amazing? I was able to do it because I had a sense for it (laughs).
After that, through introductions by acquaintances, I started to have more and more jobs outside anime, like music-related jobs and art design. Meanwhile, Japanese anime became digital, so more of the things I pictured in my head became possible to realize. From that time, I thought it might be good to genuinely take on the job of anime director, and I came to produce various works, including now.
TOM: Thank you very much for your story, it was very valuable. We’re looking forward to the release of Rage of Bahamut Genesis.
Sato: This is my first time working together with Mappa, and I think you’ll see something different from the things I’ve made until now. Together with a wonderful staff that has good judgement, we are making a dazzling anime through trial and error. Please look forward to it.
