INTERVIEW

Q.This is the HG Series's first time participating in "The Zoukeiou" battle. Could you tell us about how this came about and what led you to team up with Motoo and 502?

Yoko Nozoe) Until now, we haven't been able to make real, proportional figures in such a small size because of the high quality required. However, the existing HG Series was able to achieve a high level of quality, and we decided to take on the "The Zoukeiou" battle with the HG Series as a Gashapon toy at this opportune moment.

The reason I asked Motoo was because I was confident that his reputation for realistic sculpting would allow us to compete on a basis of pure quality. When I previously asked him to create a realistic ONE PIECE figure for the "Suwarase-tai Real" Gashapon Figure series, the result was so incredible that I decided I would definitely ask him to do the HG Series when the time came.
As for 502, I knew of his high technical skill from other projects, and I felt his painting was so beautiful that I wanted to ask him to paint the HG Series.

Motoo) My career as a sculptor is still quite short—only about 5 years—but the "The Zoukeiou" battle is a stage I've admired and watched since I was a junior high student. To be honest, when I got the offer, it didn't feel real. I'm still asking myself, "Is this really okay?" But just like Luffy, who plunged into a world of great pirates, I think that as a rookie, I can run wild and have more creative freedom. The pressure is immense, but I decided to take on this rare opportunity as a challenge.

502) My career as a painter is also short—only about 4 years. With that in mind, I feel so grateful to be able to participate in such a famous competition. I was worried, "Can we really do this?" but now, the excitement of standing on the same stage as our great seniors in this industry is much bigger.

Q.This HG Series features a classic lineup: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy (Gear5). Could you tell us about your intention behind choosing these characters and the specific details you focused on?

Yoko Nozoe) For "The Zoukeiou" battle, we often decide on the lineup by considering the sculptor's preferences, but since we plan to continue the HG Series, we knew we couldn't release too many main characters too early. However, the first release is extremely important... and so, after much internal conflict, we discussed the matter with Motoo many times and finally settled on these four characters that everyone could agree on. We had other ideas, such as a Luffy-only lineup, an Ace and Sabo lineup, or a "Worst Generation" lineup, but we decided we wanted this specific group for the first release of the HG Series' ONE PIECE.

Motoo) Since we were planning to continue the series, I felt the pressure of having the first three figures—Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji—be particularly crucial. Also, countless other figures of these characters have already been released, so I really struggled with how to differentiate our work. But as a sculptor, it's the highest honor to work on the main characters, so I was more excited about the challenge than anything else.

Yoko Nozoe) We especially wanted to add Luffy (Gear5) to the lineup as Bandai. However, deciding on Luffy (Gear5)'s pose was the most difficult part.

Motoo) In Luffy (Gear5) state, Luffy is usually not on the ground, but the HG Series has the constraint of needing to be able to stand on its own as a figure. The research phase was a struggle, but I referenced past figures and combined various materials to give him form. After seeing the final product, I think I was able to create something I'm confident in.

Yoko Nozoe) I made a tough request to Motoo and asked him to completely redo the pose he had already submitted from scratch.

Q.Since the HG Series is a small size, did the sculpting require special adjustments?

Motoo) That was the most difficult part. With digital sculpting, I can add as much detail as I want on the screen, but when I output it, the fine wrinkles either get overwhelmed with too much information or are too faint to see. I had to express the wrinkles with a slightly unnatural intensity in the data so that they would look just right when printed. I repeated the process of outputting, checking, and reflecting the changes in the data many times to fill that gap. By working with a size I don't normally handle, I feel I've gained knowledge that I can also apply to my larger-scale sculpting projects.

502) I consulted with Yoko (Nozoe), and we decided to add two spots for brush painting on each figure, making the final product look more luxurious than we initially planned. We were very careful in our color selection, adjusting the intensity of the shadows and the overall balance when the figures are lined up together.

Yoko Nozoe) At this size, it's difficult to express shadows in the same way as with a larger figure. However, even though they're small, they're fully expressed through the sculpting, and I'm confident that the painting will make them even better.

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

Yoko Nozoe) Gashapon have also been expanding overseas, and they're only going to get more popular. The quality of these figures at this size will surely amaze people when they see them, so I'm very excited about the reaction from overseas.

Motoo) I hope people overseas will be surprised by the precision of Japanese Gashapon culture, especially at this size.

502) Gashapon is a part of Japanese culture that we've loved since we were little, so I would be happy if people overseas become interested in them.

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

Motoo) I definitely want to continue making large-scale ONE PIECE figures that are all about ‘coolness.’ Personally, I love cool older characters, so I think it would be fun to sculpt characters like the legendary Roger Pirates or the Rocks Pirates.

502) I haven't had many opportunities to paint figures this small, so I want to continue to challenge myself with painting these small yet powerful and impressive figures like those in the HG Series.

Yoko Nozoe) Gashapon have a wide variety of figures, both realistic and deformed, all within the constraints of fitting into a capsule. Through this "The Zoukeiou" battle, I hope we can show the appeal of Gashapon to a wide range of customers. I want to continue to search for and release projects that are unique to Gashapon figures.