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Art Director Shichiro Kobayashi Discusses Work & Life Philosophy in French TV Program

posted on by Lynzee Loveridge

The French television program toco toco began streaming its interview with award-winning anime art director Shichirō Kobayashi on Wednesday.

Kobayashi started his career in anime art directing in 1966, and he founded the anime art studio Kobayashi Productions in 1968. Kobayashi's extensive anime series credit list includes art direction for Berserk, Nodame Cantabile, Blood+, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Legend of Basara, and Touch. He also worked on the anime films Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Angel's Egg, and Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer.

Recently retired, the 82-year-old took the crew to his favorite place in Higashi-Akiruno near the Akigawa river. He sketches a landscape and discusses the importance of nature in his upbringing and work before showing his atelier. There, Kobayashi shows the paintings he's worked on since retirement as well as his many collected artworks from his career.

He also spoke in detail on some of his philosophy about work and self-realization.

"I think I'm finally beginning to understand what I want to do, what I can do. I spent my life trying to know what I was capable of doing...Every time, we are influenced by rules, knowledge, all kinds of information. All those things are a disturbance, obsolete. The question is whether we are able to disconnect from those things in order to express our originality."

Kobayashi is also attending Japan Expo in Paris in July. The next episode of toco toco will follow Urotsukidoji manga creator Toshio Maeda.


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