INTERVIEW

Q.This is the second time for the Niformation brand to enter the "The Zoukeiou" battle. This time, you're a team with Masashi Morooka and Keiraann. Could you tell us how this collaboration came about?

Im Youngsil) Both of you have been in charge of several of our Candy Division's products before. Their sculpting skills are incredible, so when I took over from the previous manager, I really wanted to ask them to take on this "The Zoukeiou" battle. This was my first time working with both of them, but over the last few months, they responded to my countless requests for revisions so earnestly, and I feel they've really created a magnificent work.

Morooka)  Actually, my previous job was in a shipping-related company. I loved boats so much that I would build a full-scale model of a cargo ship from scratch. I've only been a sculptor for a few years, and when I changed careers I thought there was "no chance I'd ever get a job building boats." And then, as it happened, this Going Merry project came along, and I thought, "I'm already getting to build a boat!" (laughs).

Im Youngsil) What?! This is the first I'm hearing of this! (laughs). It all makes so much sense now that you have knowledge of boats, and that's why the sculpture turned out to be such amazing quality.

Keiraann) I haven't been a sculptor for long either. When I was in university, I had the chance to talk to someone who created wooden sculptures of bears in nature, and that's what inspired me to become a sculptor. I had a strong desire to "create things," and I also loved anime and manga, so after returning to Japan, I enrolled in a vocational school for figures. I joined the production company I'm currently with after graduating.

Q.You both have very unique career paths. How did you feel when you were chosen to participate in "The Zoukeiou" battle, which is a dream stage for sculptors?

Keiraann) At first, I didn't think it would be a project with such a long production timeline. But I was determined to work hard to pack as much appeal as possible into this tiny size. Many of the other participants are veterans, and there were times when I felt intimidated, but I tried to use that pressure in a positive way and work so that I wouldn't "lose to myself."

Morooka) I did feel a bit of pressure from a "competition," but I also thought it would be a lot of fun because it was a candy toy that allowed for a lot of intricate detailing. If the request was to create a low-cost Merry, my knowledge of boats wouldn't have been put to good use, so I was really motivated by the idea of being able to "go all out on this one."

Q.Among the many famous scenes, you chose the "farewell to the Going Merry." Could you tell us why you chose this scene and what you focused on for the sculpting?

Im Youngsil) This is one of the most memorable scenes for fans.In the previous "The Zoukeiou" battle, we created figures of individual Four Emperors, but this time we wanted to bring this emotional scene to life as a figure to give more people a sense of wonder and shared feelings. While the Niformation seal only shows Luffy's back, we wanted to make it a 360-degree piece that would reveal a world you couldn't see in the sticker.

Morooka) At first, I felt it would be difficult to express a large structure collapsing at this size. The sticker only shows the Merry's face and the front of the ship's hull, but we also made the mast and posed it as if it's breaking and falling forward. By making a large object fall toward the front, my goal was to express the feeling of it collapsing.

Also, I used my experience in boat-building to make sure that the cross-section of the broken deck is visible when viewed from the back. In addition, the main cannon below the Merry's head is connected to a hollowed-out room when you look inside, and the anchor is divided into two parts to correctly recreate the anchor crown and the stock twisted. These are things that are often difficult to achieve with normal candy toys due to the constraints of the mold.

Keiraann) Of course, I reread the original ONE PIECE manga, but this time, I also referenced the front-facing illustration that the original seal illustrator specially drew for us. I paid close attention to the shape of Luffy's tears and made sure the plumpness came out well so that his emotions from the manga were conveyed, even in this deformed style. In addition to his expression, I also focused on the subtle posing, like his posture looking up at the ship and his clenched hands, to naturally convey his feelings. I believe that even with a deformed expression, you can convey a rich range of emotions through small details.

Morooka) For the Merry's expression, since it can't have a human-like face, I thought that giving it a blank expression would be more effective in conveying its sadness. To express the Merry being engulfed in flames, I made the lines on the eyes jagged, so that they look like scars, but also like heat haze from the fire. Furthermore, I recalled the image of Luffy and the others often lounging on the Merry's head, so by adding more scratches to the back of the Merry's neck and its head, I made it feel as though the memories of their journey are being brought back to life.

Im Youngsil) This project's concept is a character jumping out from a 52mm square sticker base. We paid meticulous attention to the figure's re-creation, including an effect paint job to make the sticker look like it's burning, and a metallic finish to reproduce the sparkle of the wafer stickers. Based on the manga, we also made many adjustments to the expression of the waves and the flames that Mr. Oda draws, so I believe the final product will bring back memories of that time.

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

Morooka) The figures from overseas manufacturers tend to have a more realistic style. In contrast, we are competing based on how faithfully we can reproduce the original artist's drawings and style. I would be happy if we can convey the appeal of Japanese figures and show people overseas that a faithful reproduction of the original style can be wonderful.

Keiraann) ONE PIECE itself is a work that is loved all over the world, so I hope this figure will be something that touches people's hearts regardless of their nationality.

Im Youngsil) I hope this work will be an opportunity for people overseas to learn about our "Niformation Sticker Wafer" series

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

Morooka) Items like these candy toys are a convenient size to display in Japanese homes. As a sculptor, it's sometimes easier to use more expensive materials to create intricate details and realism, but this project was a chance to show my skill by creating something that is both close to the original work's style and durable and fun to play with within a set of constraints. I want to continue to aim for a style of production that keeps costs low while still allowing me to utilize my sculpting skills.

Keiraann) This time, instead of a single character, we created a vignette that expresses a specific situation. I learned a lot about how to make something that focuses on a single "scene." In the future, even if I'm sculpting a single character, I want to expand my expression by imagining the situation that character is in. I want to apply this new perspective to my future work.

Im Youngsil) My top priority is to make sure "The Zoukeiou" battle product reaches all our customers. Of course, I also want to continue taking on new challenges with our ONE PIECE products in the Candy Division and aim to develop projects that will turn more customers into fans.