#windaria

Psyco Gundam illustrated by Yasuomi Umetsu on the front cover of the 11/1985 issue of Newtype.

Lots of great looking mechs for the Layzner vs. Z Gundam articles. There’s also a production report for Windaria. Urusei Yatsura and Tobikage articles as well. What I can gather about the MTV article is that it focuses on the special effects and animation from the interesting music videos of 1985.

This issue is kinda short just like most of the 1985 issues. Newtype magazine started in April of 1985 and it was still trying to figure out the direction of the mag. But, Gundam is definetly the constant. These ‘85 issues have a good bit of sci-fi elements in them as well. You can tell Kadokawa Shoten really invested in the magazine from the start.

Behind the scenes look into Windaria in the 11/1985 issue of Newtype. Very interesting article. From what I gather it a lot of planning and pre-production to get this off the ground. I’m including excerpts in loosely translated by Google.

Loose translation on the paragraph of first page:

Do you know how an animated movie can be made? If it’s a TV anime, it’s easy to understand the story with sponsors such as toy companies, but is it an original work without a TV version or a manga original? Many people don’t really know how to make it, right?  We will show the inside story of the birth of an anime movie using the new spring work “Windaria” as a sample.

-page 2:

(picture) ↑ Mr. Shuuichi Onodera (executive producer) is happy to point out the just-finished poster of “Windaria” at the anime shop “Aiduru” (Idol?) in Kichijoji. Challenge this project with extraordinary fighting spirit 

(picture) ↑ Mr. Keisuke Fujikawa, who enthusiastically talks about the theme of “Windaria”. I thought that this work was a life work, and it was fun and unavoidable to talk about “Windaria” …

Kaname Productions in charge of production. Mutsumi Inomata character design, Keisuke Fujikawa, the master of anime and scenario writers. The eternal dream chase told us about the long-term path to the production of the feelings entrusted to “Windaria.”

“Windaria”, which is being produced steadily with the aim of being released in March 8th (actually released July 86), is expected to be one of the few full-scale original and theater animations in Japan, as well as a work featuring the staff who are currently attracting the most attention.

 -page 3:

The plan was realized and the scenario was drafted.  The next task is to show the character image in a concrete picture such as the character, mechanic, background, etc. This is Kaname: Rin Kageyama, Hayashi Rin, Inomata Mutsumi, Ohara Wataru, Toyomasu Takahiro. 

(picture)↑ Satoshi Nagao, the young president of Kaname Pro. In addition to “Windaria”, he is an energetic person who produces several original video animations.

(picture) ↑ Kunihiko Yuyama is enthusiastic about Kaname’s first movie director.  There is no upset as the director has made a decision from the beginning of the planning of “Windaria” currently in storyboard.

(picture) ↑ Mitsumi Inomata is working on the character design for the first movie version. Even after the design goes up, the work of drawing director is waiting after November

(picture) ↑ Mr. Rin Kageyama, who is in an important position to cover the entire screen as an animation coordinator. This role is unique to Kaname Pro’s work.

-page 4:

The completion of the film can be cited as proof that the project has been realized. However, prior to that, it will be the provisional bill of realization that we will reach out to the “production presentation”. In the case of “Windaria,” there was a “strike-in party” only for the relatives, not an official “production announcement.”

↑ From the left in the upper row, Takahiro Toyomasu, Isamu Senda (Victor Music Industry), Rin Kageyama. From the left in the middle row, Shuuichi Onodera, Satoshi Nagao, and Shuhei Ohara. From the bottom left, Keisuke Fujikawa, Kunihiko Yuyama, Mutsumi Inomata

Grayed out paragraph:

Why is it difficult to realize an original theater animation?

The subject of this report, “Windaria: Legend of Fabulous Battle”, is a completely original scenario work, which is rare in Japanese theatrical animation. Why are there few originals?  As I mentioned in the text, it is believed that without the manga original work or the original TV work, the audience would not be able to reach the theater. Therefore, the original works mainly consisted of video animation works. This is because if the video work is one that the character designers and directors are well known for, and the budget is sufficiently recovered, it is possible to work even if the work is not well known. "Windaria” is trying to tackle this situation.  It can be said that the original power of the animation is required if the audience can be mobilized with pure selling points such as “Keisuke Fujikawa scenario work, Mutsumi Inomata character work …”. It is also worth noting that the sponsors of this original work are the character product company “Idol” and the record company “Victor”.  Does this work give birth to the second and third originals?