INTERVIEW

Q.This is the first World Collectable Figure to be sculpted on a large scale and to feature the Four Emperors. Could you tell us about the background that led to this concept?

Kota Tamai) Every year for "The Zoukeiou" battle, we've challenged ourselves to create something for the WCF series that we've never made before. Last year, the theme was ‘perspective,’ and we created a work with an incredible sense of perspective. This year's theme is ‘length.’ We decided to take on the challenge of creating a vertically connected sculpture that is the longest in WCF history.

Kato Ren) This year, I received an offer to participate even before the project details were decided, and I immediately accepted (laughs). When I first saw the initial illustration, it seemed like something that could only work in 2D. But I had the impression that if we just fixed the discrepancies that would appear during the 3D process, we could pull it off.

Q.So when you look at an illustration, you focus on where those discrepancies might occur?

Kato Ren) Not exactly. I've always seen flat drawings as three-dimensional objects. They just float in space for me. That's why when 3D glasses first came out, I wasn't that impressed; I was more concerned about the discrepancy between what I was seeing and what I was used to (laughs).

Kota Tamai) The design of this prototype was very complex, so we needed a lot of verification during the production process. I was convinced that STUDIO-REN was the only one who could tackle such a difficult task with us. I'm familiar with their work from last year's project and our everyday work together, so this project was planned with them in mind from the very beginning.

Q.How did you decide on the characters and their arrangement?

Kota Tamai) After the idea of ‘length’ was decided, we thought about which characters to sculpt. We discussed how we "wanted Gear 5 Luffy to be at the very top," which led us to the idea of using the Four Emperors. We thought that by connecting them vertically, we could also express the passage of time by featuring the old and new Four Emperors. Since the Four Emperors have varying sizes, the composition would have a powerful impact. We also thought that simply sculpting all four new and old Emperors would be exciting for our users.

Kato Ren) This project had a complex shape and a large number of characters, so the entire studio team worked on it. However, we also needed to work quickly, so we intentionally gave less information to the team members, excluding the leader, to allow them to focus on their assigned parts. We were able to make minute adjustments quickly and add new ideas on the fly, so I believe the benefits of digital sculpting really shined in this work.

Kota Tamai) For this unprecedented endeavor, they demonstrated incredible technical skill and speed. And from the very beginning, they were able to capture the 'ONE PIECE' characters exactly as we had envisioned them, so there was almost no need to make any adjustments to the characters themselves. We only had to make minor adjustments for balance, such as Luffy’s base and the ground under Whitebeard’s feet.
I believe that STUDIO-REN's greatest strength is their dedication to capturing the likeness of the original work. By thoroughly respecting the atmosphere of the source material, they've created a unique style.

Kato Ren) "Don't put your own style into it. The character comes first." This is a principle I inherited from my mentor, so I'm happy to hear you say that. For example, when someone wants a Luffy figure, they want "that Luffy" from the manga, not "my version of Luffy." I remember my mentor telling me when I was young, "First, make it look just like them. That's the hardest part. You try to arrange it because you can't make it look just like them, don't you?"

Q.With this size, there must be a lot of parts.

Kato Ren) Yes. Just the characters alone have over 100 parts, and with the base, it's a little less than 200.

Kota Tamai) In addition to the large number of characters, the diorama parts are also finely divided, resulting in about 10 times the number of parts as a normal deluxe figure. We typically use a soft PVC material, but for parts we don't want to bend, we use a hard ABS material. The total number of parts increases when we separate them by material, but this is a challenge that is only possible in "The Zoukeiou" battle.

Kota Tamai) It looks amazing from the front, of course, but when you look at it from the side, you can feel an even greater sense of power and motion, because everyone's eyes are looking forward as if they are facing off against each other. Although the characters already have a lot of colors, I believe this work can be enjoyed in various ways, including the effects for the lightning and clouds, the color of the Haki, and the difference in material textures.

Q.Starting this time, "The Zoukeiou" battle will include overseas voting. How do you feel about that?

Kato Ren) This particular vignette and composition seem like they'll be well-received overseas, don't they?

Kota Tamai) I think so too. Dioramas are more popular and seem to be well-received overseas. I'm looking forward to seeing the reactions this size gets from overseas.

Q.Lastly, could you tell us what you gained from participating in this year's "The Zoukeiou" battle, and if you have any future dreams or challenges you'd like to take on?

Kato Ren) This isn't exactly about the sculpting itself, but this project was a great opportunity for me to see the growth of the junior members of our studio. Last year, the veteran members handled the project, but this time I entrusted it to a team of five women in their mid-20s. They had some experience working on the WCF series before, so when I asked a young team leader to take on the project, she said, "I'll do it," which really impressed me. The final product turned out to be amazing, and I was so proud.

Kota Tamai)  I hope people who are knowledgeable about sculpting and figures will be excited about this unique composition. And for a wider range of people, I hope they can enjoy the figures just by seeing the new and old Four Emperors all together, as it's not often that you get a figure featuring all of them. In that sense, I think this work will be supported by a wide range of people.