Interview: Anime Director Naoko Yamada on Science SARU and LGBTQ+ Inclusion

Dai said:
Good work getting this interview! Yamada is easily one of the best directors working today. It's a real shame that more people haven't had the chance to see Liz and the Blue Bird; that's my favourite of her works to date.
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I imported Liz and the Blue Bird years ago, but only got around to watching it the weekend before the interview. It might be one of the most best directed anime films I’ve seen. Yamada’s hallmarks are all over it, and its shot composition is stunning. The film is also adorable.
 
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Joshawott said:
Known the world over for hit anime like "A Silent Voice" and "K-On!", celebrated anime director Naoko Yamada sat down with us to discuss her recent move to Science SARU, LGBTQ+ themes in anime, and more!

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Thank you for conducting and uploading your 2022 interview with Yamada Naoko. I read it with interest and was recently reminded because of comments posted elsewhere. Lingering questions...

Was this interview conducted in English or perhaps in Japanese? Perhaps it is inappropriate for me to ask but I’ve been wondering if you might be willing to make parts of the interview transcript available online in Japanese - if the interview was originally conducted in Japanese?

I am curious which specific terms you used in your questions and the words Yamada used in her own language in response. I’m especially interested in the questions and answers which form the foundation for this paragraph:

“I don’t set out to specifically feature LGBTQ+ themes,” Yamada admitted. However, including characters who identify as such is an extension of Yamada’s goal of connecting with her characters. “It’s natural that if I’m trying to show characters’ thoughts and feelings [that] I want that to be a natural part of it,” she elaborated. “So, I don’t want to avoid these things or give them special treatment – but [depict LGBTQ+ characters] as a natural course.”
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VersoSciolto said:
Thank you for conducting and uploading your 2022 interview with Yamada Naoko. I read it with interest and was recently reminded because of comments posted elsewhere. Lingering questions...

Was this interview conducted in English or perhaps in Japanese? Perhaps it is inappropriate for me to ask but I’ve been wondering if you might be willing to make parts of the interview transcript available online in Japanese - if the interview was originally conducted in Japanese?

I am curious which specific terms you used in your questions and the words Yamada used in her own language in response. I’m especially interested in the questions and answers which form the foundation for this paragraph:
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Hi! Thanks for commenting.

The interview was conducted through an interpreter, with me speaking in English, and Yamada-san in Japanese. I still have my original questions and the interpreter's translation of their answers, which I've made available here (do let me know if there are any access issues). For that particular question, I specifically sought to retain as much of Yamada's answer as possible, but here is the excerpt from my notes:

AUKN: Some viewers have interpreted LGBTQ readings of your previous works such as Liz and the Bluebird, and of course there’s Midori Tokiwa in Tamako Market. I was wondering if you have any particular thoughts on the depiction of LGBTQ themes in anime, or any interest in pursuing them further?

Yamada-san: I don’t set out to specifically feature LGBT themes but I think it’s fair to say, even if I don’t call it that, that it’s natural that if I’m trying to show characters’ thoughts and feelings, I want that to be a natural part of it. So I don’t want to avoid these things or give them special treatment - but as a natural course.
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I don't have the Japanese language skills myself to transcribe Yamada's answers in their Japanese. I should still have the original recording somewhere, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to release it. Interviews are typically arranged with the format of the published piece agreed in advance, and Japanese licensors can be quite strict in particular. I'll have to check on that.
 
Joshawott said:
Hi! Thanks for commenting.

The interview was conducted through an interpreter, with me speaking in English, and Yamada-san in Japanese. I still have my original questions and the interpreter's translation of their answers, which I've made available here (do let me know if there are any access issues). For that particular question, I specifically sought to retain as much of Yamada's answer as possible, but here is the excerpt from my notes:



I don't have the Japanese language skills myself to transcribe Yamada's answers in their Japanese. I should still have the original recording somewhere, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to release it. Interviews are typically arranged with the format of the published piece agreed in advance, and Japanese licensors can be quite strict in particular. I'll have to check on that.
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Thank you for sharing your notes -no issues with access- and for taking the time to address the conditions for the release of the material. Much appreciated. Anything you might be able share beyond this would be like unexpected icing on the cake, so to speak.

To be clear, I'm not posting because I doubt the translation/translator but rather because these are very nuanced topics and in the interviews I've seen Yamada always seems quite reluctant to give rapid fire replies, always weighing which words to pick before responding. Merely curious which words she chose to convey her thoughts this time around. There are many ways to say the same thing.

For what it is worth, I like how you phrased your question. This was one of the clearer answers I've read from Yamada on this topic.
 
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