I am anime director Hiroshi Nishikiori. Ask me anything! アニメ監督の錦織博です。何でも質問して下さい！

What do you think about the movie Predator?

Predator is by far my favorite movie. I have watched like 100 times.

That was a great question!

As a director yourself, what are your thoughts on Shirobako?

Everything from the studio itself, to the simplicity of the animation, to the fun way in which it drawn, makes it a favorite of mine.

Producing animation is very hard, but nevertheless, fun work.

Anime made by large groups of people will continue as they have, but I think there will also be more anime made with just a few people or a single person making the anime. I think those works will better find a place on the world stage. As we are doing with Chika Chika Idol, our animation team is very compact.

What thing about the way Western fans enjoy anime has surprised you the most?

Why, do you think, are some anime series popular in the West, but pretty much forgotten in Japan? (Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Shinsekai yori).

The biggest difference between Japanese and Western audiences is the scenes at which they laugh. I was surprised by that, and was a learning experience.

I think the differences in what is liked in Japan and abroad are becoming fewer. Animes like Cowboy Bebob are popular here in Japan. In the future I think those differences will shrink even further.

あなたのワイフは誰ですか？

Who is your waifu?

Also if you need help translating let me know!

Misaka Mikoto from Index.

What do you think of anime becoming more popular in the west?

I think it is wonderful that more people are getting interested. I look forward to making my next work, Chika Chika Idol while communicating and receiving feedback from Western fans.

Something I always wanted to ask an anime director,

If you are adapting something form a manga, how much can you deviate from the the original work's story? Do you focus on staying true to the original or do you prefer to add your own spin ?

How much change there is depends on the work and the author, but I always strive to have the anime preserve the same feeling as the original manga.

What scene gave you the most trouble as a director?

Scenes where the characters take a bath are always very fun, but also very challenging. Those are the scenes that give me the most trouble. Things like getting the water to look right, or in case of a girl bathing, how to make the naked girl look cute.

What would you say is the best anime bath scene of all time?

In "A Certain Magical Index: The Movie" that I did, there is one with Index and Arisa that we did really well.

And by the way, we hope to get a really great bath scene in CHIKA☆CHIKA IDOL. It will be awesome!

Hey Hiroshi! What were some of the difficulties involving Toaru Majutsu no Index? And how likely are we to see a third season in the future?

Between all of of who have been involved with the project, yes, we want to make a third. We are all hoping for the chance to get it going.

I actually Just read an article that states anime illustrators are severely over worked and well under payed. How true is that? and if it is why are animators treated that way?

It is certainly difficult for creators to receive full compensation for their work.The main problems are the lack of systems that allow for compensation to go directly from the fans to the creator, and the problem of who holds the rights of the created work. In order to solve these problems we have chosen to fund our next project through crowdfunding.

What anime that you did not work on (or are not working on) do you wish you could have been (or be) involved with?

I did a little work on Negima but I did not get to be very involved with it. I wish I could have done more with that one. The anime that I want to work on the most right now is Chika Chika Idol.

Any advice for a writer trying to break in with a studio?

Don't focus on getting into a studio, focus on writing the story you want to write. Once you get into a studio, you'll have your story ready to go.

What is your favorite anime that you did not personally work on?

I like "K-on!" and the "Tamako Market" movie.

Ahh!!! As the host of the Tamako Market/Tamako Love Story rewatch on /r/anime, this makes me very happy!

I know this is an AMA about you, but what is it in your opinion that makes Yamada Naoko's works so fantastic? (As yours are, too!)

All of Director Yamada's works contain very realistic characters. I think it is wonderful how all of her works look so movie like.

What makes Chika Chika Idol different from other anime about idols?

What sets Chika Chika Idol apart is that it is not about superstar idols, but about normal girls wanting to become idols.

What is your favorite meal?

I love Indian food. Curry and tandoori chicken!

What inspired you to work in the anime industry?

From early on I always loved two things; movies and drawing. Anime combines those two interests, so I chose to work in the Anime industry. Also I always found moving drawings a fascinating concept. Before I even got into art school I decided that I wanted to get into anime.

Who's best girl?

From the Chika Chika Idol girls, I like Sumi, who always tries to look cool but is always giving it her all. I also think the manager, Hisame is a very charming character.

How much time do people in the industry (like you) spend on watching anime? What are some of your personal favorites?

Everyday I make it a point to watch as many of the animes as I can that are broadcast on TV. There are just so much anime that are on TV, it is hard to keep up with them all. I really do enjoy them all, so I watch as much as I can.

A lot of Japanese anime fans do not want to pay 35,000 to 40,000 yen for a season of anime Blurays. Yet the anime industry's business model is based completely around selling extremely expensive BD boxes to fund most of their operations.

I thought CHIKA*CHIKA IDOL was a good move, but do you see any future opportunity for these kinds of alternative avenues of monetization to also arrive to Japanese anime fans? What about a model similar to Patreon.com?

For the Chika Chika Idol project, we do not want to just sell discs. Some people enjoy owning and watching like that, which is great, but we wanted to be able to create different ways for the fans to enjoy the work as well.

In the future, we hope to have theater releases, virtual live shows and real live shows.

Are there any anime directors or anime series that have inspired you at all?

I was inspired most by Rintaro's "Galaxy express 999". I also have a deep respect for Miyazaki's and Takahata's work.

As far as directors from my own generation go, watching works of people like Seiji Mizushima or Kenji Kamiyama never fails to inspire me.

Hello sir! Huge fan of your works. Here are some questions:

•What do you think of the current status of the anime industry? Do you think that it's getting better, worse or is it in a standstill?

•What are your current/next projects, care to share?

Thank you very much for your contribution! :)

Concerning your first question, I think that an enviroment is being put into place in which the individual can make more of a difference in the anime business is growing. The animation industry in general still has a lot of potential, and I am far from being pessimistic about its future.

For your second question, I have a project on Kickstarter for an original anime called Chika Chika Idol that is live right now! Everyone, please go check it out! The link is here: http://j.mp/cci-ks

Where do you see the anime industry (in terms of adaptations, animation, release, etc.) in 5 years? 10?

I think more people then now will be using various techniques and expressions to make fascinating works. I look forward very much to seeing this all happen.

Also I think more and more people will watch anime all over the world.

And of course I hope Chika Chika Idol is heading towards a bright future.

Are there any western Television shows or comics that you ever have taken inspiration from in your works?

I am influenced a lot by American Science fiction movies like Star Wars, Alien, Predator, etc. I think I watched almost every Western SF movie there is.

For you, what separates a good anime from a great anime?

An anime that looks like it is almost real by the small movements or actions that the characters make. Those movements you believe that character would make. Isao Takahata's work displays this often. I hope to do that in my work in the future and I hope to find it in the anime I watch.

I want to Chika Chika Idol to be that treasure chest for me. Filled with all of the brilliance of a group of young girls reaching for their dreams.

Do you think anime still has room to grow in terms of influence and audience? Also, what is an interesting fact the industry that most people don't know?

Connecting directly with people all over the world and getting feedback straight from them is will really bring it to the next level. The fans can have input and affect the story scenarios. With the fans behind us like that, we can really bring it.

Anime Industry Fact: It's a complete mystery how one becomes a director. I don't even know how I became a director. All I did is keep saying I wanted to be one.

If you didn't work in anime, what do you think your career would be?

I hesitated a lot between working with movies or drawing. So I think I would always pick something in either of those industries. Having the best of those two worlds working in animation makes my current job the best one for me.

What was your favorite show to work on?

I would say "Azumanga Daioh" and "The Doraemons", even though I liked working everything I did. Those two particular works both have very lively characters with very animated movements. It was very fun to put them in action.

Hi Hiroshi, I've been following the Chika Chika Idol kickstarter project since launch but it is currently not even 10% funded and there's only 13 days left for the campaign. What do you think are the reasons that other people are not backing it up and what will you do to fix them? (I personally think its a good project but it lacks a lot for me to actually back it.) Thanks!

The funding time might have been a little too short. Getting a brand new anime on the market is very difficult, but I do not intend to lay this project to rest after the Kickstarter has ended.

I want to do everything in my power to make it happen and I want to gather as much support for it as possible. Please keep following and supporting Chika Chika!

Also I would love to hear all of your opinions on how to gather more interest for Chika Chika Idol. Thank you!

What was your favorite joke/gag in milky holmes TD?

I really like the story I did about Curry Land, where all of the characters are making curry.

What is the biggest challenge for modern anime directors?

With animation, you have to show it all in one go. I think the challenge is to present it in a more mutual, immersive form.

I believe CHIKA☆CHIKA IDOL will realize that concept.

What inspired you take on this project and what was the idea that lead you to tell a story about idols? What do you hope the audience will take away from the idols in your project?

With Chika Chika Idol, I thought there were two main things. One was showing off the young girls trying their hardest to reach their goal. The other was relating the power of song.

Message from the Idols: "Hear our song! We want you to see us in us in action in our new anime! We know you'll have fun!"