Nico Anime Character Seminar by Kazuo Koike
Translation courtesy of symbv of evageeks forum
On August 21, 2011, the highly respected mangaka and author Kazuo Koike held one of his Nico seminars on anime characters. This particular seminar featured his thoughts on the Madoka Magica anime. The combination of his reputation and his high praise for Madoka resulted in much discussion over this seminar by fans on 2ch.
Here are the highlights of some of Kazuo Koike's comments made in this Nico video, as reported by 2ch:
Kazuo Koike Comments
| Original text | English translation |
|---|---|
| 数十年描いてきた漫画生活の中で まどかのシナリオは考えられない、想像の上行った | In my decades of experience writing manga I have never thought about a scenario like Madoka. It went beyond my imagination. |
| まどかマギカを見ていてもジーンとなるようなことが何度かあります そのような感動を作っていくことがいいことだと思います |
There were many times I felt my heart rending when I watched Madoka Magica. I think it is a great thing to create such touching work. |
| 虚淵玄、その発想はなかったわ。負けた | Gen Urobuchi, I could not have such ideas. I admit defeat. |
| 初音ミクも好きだったけどまどかで吹っ飛んだ ここまでキャラにのめり込むのはそうそうない |
Although I love Hatsune Miku but Madoka just blew that off. I could not imagine I could get so deeply devoted to these characters. |
| エヴァンゲリオンの消化不良感を まどかマギカが決着つけたんじゃないかとまでぽろっと言ってるんだな | I could even say that with Madoka Magica the indigestion feeling of Evangelion has now finally ended. |
| 超能力や魔法設定が支持されるのは世間の閉塞感から生まれるメタモルフォーゼ願望の現れである | The fact that super power and magic settei got so popular could be a manifestation of a wish for metamorphosis born from the feeling of entrapment by the world. |
Creating a New Magical Girl story
From ANN
Acclaimed manga creator Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf and Cub, Crying Freeman) revealed on Sunday that he plans to make a magical girl story called Mahō Shōjo Mimitsuki Mimi no QED (Magical Girl Mimi Mimitsuki's QED). He said during the fifth installment of his live Koike Kazuo no Nico Nico Character Juku (Kazuo Koike's Nico Nico Character Cram School) net show that he was spurred by his excitement while watching the Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime.
The 75-year-old creator had said in August that he disliked the beginning of Madoka Magica, but added that the anime forcefully won him over. On Monday, he continued his praise, saying that watching Madoka Magica made his "blood boil [with excitement]" and inspired him to want to do something himself. "Will I be competing with Madoka Magica? That's my challenge at 75!"
Koike explained the concept of Mahō Shōjo Mimitsuki Mimi no QED by noting that with today's cutting-edge scientific advances such as neutrinos and nano-machines, "what once was magic is no longer magic, thanks to the progress of science and medicine." He continued, "And so, since the magical world no longer exists, it is a serious matter to send a girl gifted in magic to the human world." He also addressed the real-life issue of the number of females enrolling in engineering schools leveling off or dropping, and noted that the person who will be drawing his story is a female engineering school student.
On his live show, Koike discussed his magical girl story with his guest Takeshi Okazaki, the manga creator and illustrator known for Elementalors and Let's Lagoon. Okazaki happened to be a disciple of Akira Sakuma, who was a disciple of Koike — thus making Okazaki a "grandson" in Koike's school of gekiga (manga with serious storytelling) arts.
Dark Horse Comics publishes the Lone Wolf and Cub manga in North America, while Media Blasters licensed a Japanese live-action television series based on it. Previously, AnimEigo licensed a Japanese 1972 live-action film version and its five sequels. Both Viz and Dark Horse Comics published Crying Freeman, and Dark Horse Comics also licensed Koike's Lady Snowblood and Color of Rage.
See Also
- Nico chat with Kazuo Koike and Gen Urobuchi on Character Development
- Other translated sources
- Translated magazines
External Links
Kazuo Koike to create a magical girl story, inspired by Madoka