…Masanobu Hiraoka
Thanks to Aude Danset De Carvalho, who was kind enough to act as a translator from English to Japanese.
Hello everybody! Today I’m with Masanobu. How are you?
I am fine, thank you !
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Masanobu Hiraoka. I was born in Kyoto, Japan. I now live in Tokyo.
I am both an illustrator and an animator.
Do you think Tokyo is a nice place for creatives?
It is so stimulating, I think it is a great place !
But I personally think that Kyoto, my hometown, is an interesting and great place too.
When did you start dreaming to work as animator?
I created my first animations during graduation year at university. At that time, I just felt so much fun from it… So did I become interested in animation work.
What is the situation for animators in Japan?
I am extremely sorry. Since I have never belonged to any company (self-educated and free-lance), I am quite unfamiliar with other Japanese animators’ situation.
Do you think your works are somehow influenced by your culture?
Of course they are.. ! I have been into Japanese comics since my childhood. So I think they had a very strong influence on me.
I especially love Taiyo-u Matsumoto and Daisuke Igarashi’s work.
Would you like work in U.S. or Europe?
If I had the opportunity to, I would love to !
What is your own favorite animation?
There are so many good animations… The choice is difficult ! I love Studio Ghibli and STUDIO 4℃.
What is the best animation you ever see?
My favorite one is “Mimi wo sumaseba”. (Whisper of the Heart)
I think its story is awesome.
What are your plans for the future?
I feel my skills are still insufficient. I want to learn more and improve the quality of my work.
Furthermore, I am not limited to animation only. I would love to work on live-action films, illustrations, designs, etc.
Thank you, the interview is over! Is there anything else you want to say to our readers?
Thank you for reading me. As I cannot speak nor write current English, I hope my answers are not too poor !
I am currently working on new animation. As I want to release it fast, I’ll do my best !
Thank you so much again !
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