Upclose with Yoshitaka Amano
Since the age of 15, Yoshitaka Amano has been creating fantasy comics, anime series and video games, such as the hugely popular RPG video game “Final Fantasy.”
HK Magazine: Does fantasy appeal to you more than reality?
Yoshitaka Amano: Science fiction is something that doesn’t exist in reality. The fantasy world is about creativity. Fantasy encompasses the present, the past and the future. In fact, even the world we are living in right now may become fantasy 100 years later.
HK: How would you describe your style?
YA: My anime is inspired by American 1970s pop art. In general, I don’t want to compare my work with others. I am what I am.
HK: Were you a manga fan when you were small?
YA: Of course! My favorite ones were boxing manga “Tomorrow’s Joe” and Osamu Tezuka’s works.
HK: Do you encourage your children to read manga?
YA: I think they are naturally attracted to it. I’ve never encouraged them. My two sons are in the art field and my youngest girl is going to art school. When they were small, they used to play my video games at home. I don’t mind telling you the truth now: they helped draw one of my monster characters.
HK: How would you describe yourself as a person?
YA: I’m quite rough. I am not a good listener. I don’t listen to other people’s ideas. In Japan, calling yourself an “artist” is a bit silly. I don’t want to call myself an artist. I want people think of me as a normal person. I don’t think I have anything that special.
HK: How has technology played a role in your art over the years?
YA: To me, technology is irrelevant. It is just a tool—the further technology progresses, the closer the end product comes to its original inception. But still, the most important thing is the imagination.