INTERVIEW

Q.Koki Akiba, this time, you're entering "The Zoukeiou" battle with Figuarts ZERO, teaming up with Kenji Ando. Could you tell us about how this collaboration came about?

Kenji Ando) When I first received the offer, my honest reaction was, "Are you sure you want me?" My sculpting genre is so different, and I felt strongly that I didn't belong. I thought, "Is it really okay for someone like me to participate?" This was my first time sculpting a ONE PIECE character. Most of the characters I've worked on have been monsters or humans, and the majority of my work has been what you'd call "performance-oriented" three-dimensional expression. This is probably my first time seriously creating a comic-style Bishojo character with such clear lines for a commercial product.
I knew that the other sculptors' ONE PIECE figures have a perfect level of re-creation, where anyone can look at them and say, "That's exactly that character." Because I knew that, I was honestly very anxious when I got the offer. But then Koki told me, "We want you to add your unique style." If he hadn't said that, I probably would have declined (laughs).

Koki Akiba) When we made the offer, we proposed several characters who transform into their "Sulong" form after being exposed to moonlight, as they would fit Kenji's style.

Kenji Ando) When I saw that, I understood and thought, "Ah, they asked me because they are monster-like!" (laughs). Carrot was on that list, and they asked me, "There's a female character too, how about her?" I thought that Carrot was the character who would most break my existing image, and since I've done female characters before, I decided to take on the challenge.
So, I see myself as the j’oker’ in this "The Zoukeiou" battle, and I think it would be fun to create a little commotion.

Q.Could you tell us about the specific concept and details of this work?

Koki Akiba) Our concept for this work is to portray Sulong Carrot standing beautifully with the moon in the background. Instead of just a static figure, we added a new challenge with an articulated gimmick that allows the moon on the base to rotate around the figure. The gimmick is adjusted so that the moon remains behind Carrot even when the angle is changed. To link it to the scene where Carrot takes over the rudder of an enemy ship, we also designed the base to look like a rudder. We put a lot of work into the various details.

Kenji Ando) In the planning stage, I drew at least four versions of the rudder-shaped base, and I submitted a considerable number of other design proposals, including a much larger moon or a mechanical part to support it. I drew about twice as many designs as a normal project. In the end, we went with the idea that a rudder design would be interesting to make rotate, which led to the final product.

Q.How do you see the character Carrot?

Kenji Ando) Before she transforms into Sulong, she is very cute. But I felt it would be a bit difficult to portray her in my style (laughs). However, after her Sulong transformation, she goes from ‘cute’ to ‘cool,’ and she makes a scary face when she fights. I felt that her strength and bravery would fit well with my style. And she is a very charming character to begin with.
However, in my first sculpting, I focused too much on her coolness and strength, which made her look more like a monster or a creature. So I consulted with Koki and added some cute elements, and at the same time, we changed the method for her facial expression from sculpting to pad printing. Thanks to that, I think she turned out to be very cute.

Koki Akiba) With the perfect balance of Kenji's incredible creature sculpting and pad printing that allows for expressions that look close to the anime, he made a figure that is both cool and cute.

Kenji Ando) This time, I also adopted a ‘vignette’ approach, where the character and the background are one single piece. I thought about how to make the effects that support the figure look beautiful and fit into the world of the manga. I was also conscious of guiding the viewer's eyes as they look at the figure. We were lucky that this was a special project for "The Zoukeiou" battle, so we were able to spend a lot of time on the base, which would normally be too costly.

Koki Akiba) Since Kenji has worked on articulated figures like the "S.I.C" and "S.H.MonsterArts" series, he was able to add a ‘play value’ to this static figure, which is a unique strength. Normally, adding articulation makes the part lines stand out, which makes it look like a toy, but Kenji was able to seamlessly integrate the joints into the beautiful vignette sculpting. I want people to pay special attention to that part.

Q.I heard you also tried new things with the painting. Can you tell us about that?

Kenji Ando) I used a lot of clear parts for the smoke, lightning, and even Carrot's hair, so I challenged myself to use a different kind of coloring that's not typical ‘figure painting.’ I thought about how to use clear parts to create a more serious atmosphere. Painting on clear parts requires a ‘watercolor’ kind of approach where you don't put color on the parts you want to look bright, which is very tedious (laughs). Even so, I think that the painting, done to match the clear parts, makes the entire work shine.

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

Kenji Ando) Figures from overseas, especially in Hong Kong, tend to have a large and flashy base. I'm interested to see how our work will look to those with a discerning eye.

Koki Akiba) Overseas, the culture of creature sculpting has deep roots, so I have high hopes that Kenji's sculpting, since he has worked on a lot of special effects series, will resonate with fans overseas.

Q.Lastly, now that you've taken on this challenge for "The Zoukeiou" battle, what are your future dreams or challenges you'd like to take on?

Kenji Ando) I'm always thinking about new ways to present figures, including the background, not just the characters. This time, I was able to challenge myself to add a ‘fun-to-touch’ play value to a static figure. In the future, I want to further develop this attempt and pursue figures that are not only beautiful to look at but also fun to interact with.

Koki Akiba) This was the first time that Figuarts ZERO was given the opportunity to incorporate a new play gimmick, which was a huge step for the brand's evolution. I am so grateful to Kenji and to "The Zoukeiou" battle. I want to continue to add more play elements to the brand and evolve it even further.