Exclusive interview with Everlasting Heart creator, Shigeto Yamagara!

The creator of this self-produced Flash anime short, also known as 'Kimi to Boku', was kind and attentive enough to give an interview for this blog, in the middle of the March 11 Earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear crisis that followed. It was quite the challenge but it was well worth it.  Even in the face of the worst of adversities one has to get up and move on as if nothing, and that's what true strenght is like.

Photo from the set of 'Everlasting Heart': the kitten is incredibly freaking adorkable 

Born in Miyazaki prefecture, located in the south west region of Japan, in March 30th, 1965, Yamagara, also known as 'Shiget', is a self-taught artist who ensures there's always something new to learn everyday. "I am even learning from your questions at this moment", he indicates.


'Kimi to Boku', or Everlasting Heart was the very first flash online based anime, launched in 2001. It has garnered 4.8 million page views since, it was translated into English and the creator published a book version in 2009.


The live-action adaptation, which was made available this month, has Beck's Aoi Nakamura as the mangaka, and Maaya Sakamoto as the voice of the cat, as well as the performer of the theme song.

-What inspired you to become an artist?
There are lots of messages which I want to get out through my creation. My job is to take it shape. It is my lifework.

-What technical obstacles or limitations did you find when making Kimi to boku?
It is normal that there are technology obstacles when the work is produced. The problem is how to overcome it. It is a lifetime.

-What would be your advice for people that want to become better animators or artists?
Approach of productions are various depending on a person. It is accomplished sooner or later if you have a strong will that you want to pass it around through your work. The most important thing is not giving up. My motto is “Be what thou would seem to be.".

-Which are your current projects?
I finished filming “Kimi to boku” , and am getting ready for creating new animation.
This new animation will be about Animal Rescue and Pet Loss. Everybody needs to be saved. It will be completed by July 2011 that is 10th anniversary of “Kimi to Boku”, then it will be shown online. It has been scheduled to deliver English version within 1 month time afterward. I want you to look forward to it.

-Do you think that going the 'independent' route is the best way, rather than seeking employment in a studio? I mean, making your own projects and giving them internet exposure?
Business is the first priority for companies. I don’t prefer that way when I created my work. First of all, I publish my work and restructure it as commercial use if it is necessarily. I think it would be a great encouragement for young creators if it becomes successful as a business model. It is not only about your taste, technique and knowledge to make it success. You also need to have skills of producing and promotion. It is not easy but I am very confident that a great case example was made by making the world first film adaptation of a flash animation.

-Do you think that the situation with illegal distribution of manga and anime around the world could be solved? If so, how?
It is nothing unusual to get rip-off in in the capitalist society. However, we have the right to reform it. It would be for a while to get social selection. My job is creating works and I am not a politician but I am ready to help to reform our society.

Photo from the set of 'Everlasting Heart', in a scene of dubbing. "I was sometimes discussing with the director about the scenario and production on the set. The main characters, played by Aoi Nakamura and Maaya Sakamoto, met up the first time at the dubbing session. These two actors made the movie so great. I had joined since the movie was still at the planning stage and also got in to filming and dubbing sessions", Shigeto comments.

-What would you advise a graphic designer or digital animator to put in their portfolio (demo reel)?

There are two choices as to self promotion. Firstly a method that you get jobs directly. Another one is a method that you send your own image to as many people as possible. I believe it is the best way that those two methods get together and it becomes a professional artist (a creator) yet you might get nothing with just having passion and techniques.

However it would not be that difficult if this question meant just about getting jobs. You can just provide your technique which is just good enough for the job which you targeted. It is possible to be an employee if you have enough skills for the job.

Learning technique and expression means you expand your job, expression and ideas. If you work on it very hard, you will find a way. In addition, I say that the promotion is just a method and it is not “aim”.

Photo from the set of 'Everlasting Heart'. Shigeto Yamagara says: "I was really lucky that I could get involved in this process, taking a step into the new world of movies and having a view as the original creator for this animation and story. It may not be exaggerated to say that the deep understanding of the director and all the staff for the movie created a quality that even old fans of this animation will be satisfied with"

Kimi to Boku (You and I) is the story of an aspiring mangaka and his cat, told from the cat's perspective. It follows the friendship between the cat and the young man from when they first meet up to when they must part. The story is autobiographic, based on the creator's personal experience with his cat.

-Would you have a cat again in the future?
It is not going to happen. This is because ”Ginougou” the main character of “Kimi to Boku” is still alive in my heart although I love cats and dogs both. I am still with him.
However, I don’t disagree that other people getting new cats in to their lives. I will show my answer in the new cat animation.

-What book have you been reading as of lately?
I read modern literatures to gossip magazines when I was young. I don’t have much time to read books though I have never been lazy to read data or get photos for future creations. I also like reading portfolios of Japanese/foreign illustrators or some books about making of movies.

-What is your favorite manga and/or anime series?
I am currently reading “Mugen no Junin” “Historie” “JoJo Series” I have countless old favorite comics and I have repeatedly read those. I have read some of them at least a 100 times. I don’t have any commercial animations which stick out in my mind. The reason is that I actually don’t have good knowledge for current commercial animations. As an aside, I got a huge impact from Osamu Tezuka and Fujio Akatsuka as manga artist and Osamu Dezaki and Akio Sugino as animator.

-What do you think of life at this stage?
It is very difficult to face to all the things happening around me.
At the same time, it is also very difficult to live honestly. However, I wish I could and am trying to make it happen. This type of life might not be easy but it is very important challenge of life to accept the difficulties and get over it. It should be good if I could have good life with big confidence and then burn my life out at the end.

My only wish is to have time to say “Thank you” to the people who would be left behind of my death.

English translation by Saki Anderson.
http://on.fb.me/g6fi0u

The flash anime short and its live action version are both available on

http://universal-radio.jp/
http://universal-radio.jp/animation/EVERLASTING_HEART/

It was a great interview, and a great opportunity to get more insight on the process of self-producing digital work and marketing it online, a strategy or method that is slowly but effectively changing the anime and manga industry.

Link to previous news on 'Kimi to Boku': http://myanimemangafix.blogspot.com/2011/01/kimi-to-boku-flash-anime-gets-live.html