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Guest, Personality

Guest: Michinoku Toge

Animation Creator / Game Art Designer. Mainly engaged in animation production. Currently, I am producing and posting a short anime called “Michinoku Toge”.

MICHINOKU-TOGE ANIMATION

Personality: Yuuki Sakoda

After working for a telecommunications company and a comprehensive advertising agency, he started an anime planning and production company and produces music videos and films. In 2021, he moved to Kyoto and started working on promoting the entertainment industry in Kyoto. He is currently also working in the entertainment field of manga and audio. He is planning and producing audio dramas and webtoons. In addition, he serves as a producer and advisor for multiple entertainment companies.

Table of Contents

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#01

・From Kazunoko to Michinoku Toge
・The trigger for aspiring to animation
・Realizing that the quality of 3DCG is based on 2D animation
・The appeal of Disney Pixar storyboards
・The Japanese temperament
・Valuing the atmosphere in cuts
・Sources of inspiration from Brother Bear
・Wanting to create a Japanese version of Brother Bear
・Wrapping difficult themes in entertainment to make them easier to digest
・Enjoying depicting living things
・Wanting to create free and diverse things, which led to joining a game company
・People who can do things within the company, advantages of doing things, those who prefer freelancing, and what can be done
・The existence of the inner self
・The major failure of the graduation project

#02

・What I learned from my seniors at the company
・Don’t rush, mindfulness, don’t think
・Is there a trick to not thinking?
・Putting unpleasant things on the shelf, covering up unpleasant things
・Making things gray
・The inspiring MV of Airy Me
・The routine for generating creative ideas
・Researching thoroughly on the topic
・Making difficult things easier to convey through art and creativity

#03

・Experiencing crowdfunding
・Initially trying to do it all by myself…
・Anime that can’t be done smartly
・Where the essence of humanity and creation lies
・Through the arrival of AI, it has become clearer what we are seeing and seeking through our works
・The importance of context is becoming more prominent
・About the work “Michinoku Toge”
・Wanting to convey the identity and essence of Tohoku
・What I want to convey in episode 10 of “Michinoku Toge”
・The fact that constraints are predetermined from birth

#02 Begins

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Don’t rush, be mindful, don’t think

Don’t rush, be mindful, don’t think.

Sakoda

Yes. Um, there was always something that Michinoku-san wanted to do for your graduation project, but you never had the opportunity to do it. It bothered him for a long time, even during his five years as a company employee. So you decided to become independent because you had to do it no matter what. Well, looking back, it was a kind of experience of failure, but in reality, whether when working for a company in society or doing something on a project basis, there are many successes and failures, and you have to overcome them when facing something. What kind of philosophy or coping method does Michinoku-san have in such situations?

Michinoku Toge

Well, I think this isn’t just limited to the creative industry, but when I was struggling with my job, a senior at the company told me something important. First, it’s about always staying calm. Don’t panic, that’s what it means. When you panic, your head feels like it’s working subjectively, but it’s not actually turning. There was a story on TV about someone who was deceived because they had no money and lost all of their money. They were then deceived by the bad person and ended up in a negative spiral, and in the end, the person who was deceived couldn’t make rational judgments. When I saw the actual situation on TV, the judgments they made were really unbelievable.

So, I think that people who are in a tight spot can’t make really good decisions, so it’s important to not panic and stay calm. And when I was struggling, I saw something called mindfulness, which is actually about meditation. Meditation is an exercise to empty your mind and focus on your goals to improve your thinking. It’s like taking a deep breath. When you take a deep breath and calm down, the anxiety is reduced a little and you can get closer to making rational judgments, so I think that’s important to do.

The second thing is “not thinking.” This is the opposite of what I just said, but it’s like, I don’t know, when you’re insulted or your boss says something harsh that negates your personality, it’s a common story to go home and worry alone in your room. But that’s just spinning around the same thoughts and it’s not productive at all. I’m the type of person who tends to drag things from the past and I used to think that if I thought about it, I would see a solution and it would get better, but there was a time when I thought it wasn’t really helping me in a positive way. On the contrary, when I tried to think positively and not worry about it, it was surprisingly similar to what I just said. I was able to be calm and my mind was stable, and I was getting closer to making the right judgments.

So, it’s about not caring about it by “not thinking.” Stop spinning around with the same negative thoughts, distance yourself from them, and ultimately, I think the key to success is “not thinking” and always staying calm. Well, I’m currently feeling nervous, so I feel like I’m lacking in calmness. I think I need to take a deep breath.

Sakoda

Ah, let’s take a deep breath and then laugh a little. “Don’t panic” and “Don’t overthink” are the two senior colleagues’ advice that we should keep in mind when facing difficulties. However, I would like to ask more about this “Don’t overthink” part. Even so, it’s very difficult to “not overthink”, isn’t it?

Michinoku Toge

Well, yeah. It makes you think, doesn’t it?

Sakoda

Right. It’s tough because once you start thinking about it, your brain automatically goes that way, you know? There are various default mode networks and whatnot, but ultimately it’s what your brain naturally thinks about. That’s why I think everyone struggles with it, because they can’t stop it. In that sense, I feel like Mr. Michinoku has somehow been able to “not think” to a certain extent through some methodology, and I’m curious about what kind of techniques he uses.

Michinoku Toge

Well, even I still feel like I haven’t quite figured it out yet. But when you can’t help but think negatively, you have to consciously try to think positively. For me, I often use a secret Twitter account as a replacement for a diary to vent things like “something bad happened, ugh”. This way, I am putting my thoughts into words. So even if I try not to think negatively, by being conscious of it or putting it into words, I unintentionally bring negative feelings closer to my subconscious. Therefore, it’s important to try not to do that and focus on ignoring negative thoughts by putting them aside or covering them up, so to speak.

For example, in a peaceful family, there may have been a scary past that is taboo or unspoken. There is also the concept of “kotodama” where words can sometimes become energy. This can be explained scientifically or neurologically. Therefore, not being conscious of negative thoughts and not saying them out loud is important. When you feel down, you tend to think about the reasons why you are feeling down. As a result, you end up recalling negative experiences. So, it’s important to focus on the good things, even if they are small things like eating delicious food or going to a beautiful place.

Also, from a counseling perspective, people always think about the past and the future. For example, “this happened in the past, so I’m no good”. Conversely, we are often plagued by anxiety about the unknown future. But if we can concentrate on the present moment and not think about the past or the future, we can avoid overthinking. It’s important to immerse ourselves in happy moments and feel grateful for what we have. By doing this, we gradually nourish our hearts and minds and can distance ourselves from negative thoughts. So, focusing on being happy and soaking up happy moments is key to overcoming negative thoughts, in my experience.

Making Things Gray

Ambiguity

Sakoda

The word “mindfulness” was mentioned at the beginning, and I thought it was a story that was deeply rooted in that concept. In the end, the story that Mr. Michinoku talked about in this area is quite difficult to understand and accept, isn’t it?

Michinoku Toge

Oh, I just came up with a way of expressing it. When it comes to unpleasant or bad things, trying to come to terms with them or trying to find closure can make you feel negative. That’s why people often say that the gray area is the best, rather than trying to see things in black and white. This may be a bit of a digression, but in conflicts in the world, it’s often better to see things in shades of gray to maintain peace. So, I think that seeing things in shades of gray is what leads to mental stability. Instead of making assumptions, it’s good to find the best part in a middle ground, rather than in black and white.

Sakoda

That’s a really good point. After all, it’s important to always have some gray areas in international order and rules. The UN and others do the same thing, avoiding a situation where one place has complete decision-making power over something.

Michinoku Toge

Well, I see. It’s kind of confusing, but somehow it works.

Sakoda

Right. It’s tough because once you start thinking about it, your brain automatically goes that way, you know? There are various default mode networks and whatnot, but ultimately it’s what your brain naturally thinks about. That’s why I think everyone struggles with it, because they can’t stop it. In that sense, I feel like Mr. Michinoku has somehow been able to “not think” to a certain extent through some methodology, and I’m curious about what kind of techniques he uses.

Michinoku Toge

Well, even I still feel like I haven’t quite figured it out yet. But when you can’t help but think negatively, you have to consciously try to think positively. For me, I often use a secret Twitter account as a replacement for a diary to vent things like “something bad happened, ugh”. This way, I am putting my thoughts into words. So even if I try not to think negatively, by being conscious of it or putting it into words, I unintentionally bring negative feelings closer to my subconscious. Therefore, it’s important to try not to do that and focus on ignoring negative thoughts by putting them aside or covering them up, so to speak.

For example, in a peaceful family, there may have been a scary past that is taboo or unspoken. There is also the concept of “kotodama” where words can sometimes become energy. This can be explained scientifically or neurologically. Therefore, not being conscious of negative thoughts and not saying them out loud is important. When you feel down, you tend to think about the reasons why you are feeling down. As a result, you end up recalling negative experiences. So, it’s important to focus on the good things, even if they are small things like eating delicious food or going to a beautiful place.

Also, from a counseling perspective, people always think about the past and the future. For example, “this happened in the past, so I’m no good”. Conversely, we are often plagued by anxiety about the unknown future. But if we can concentrate on the present moment and not think about the past or the future, we can avoid overthinking. It’s important to immerse ourselves in happy moments and feel grateful for what we have. By doing this, we gradually nourish our hearts and minds and can distance ourselves from negative thoughts. So, focusing on being happy and soaking up happy moments is key to overcoming negative thoughts, in my experience.

Creative Idea Generation Routine

What is a routine for coming up with creative ideas?

Sakoda

I asked about the idea generation process and routine that Mr. Michinoku has while doing creative work, after hearing about the idea of “not rushing” and “not thinking” when faced with difficulties and failures as an essence. However, what is the process of generating ideas and what kind of things lead to inspiration?

Michinoku Toge

During my time as a company employee, I worked in game design, so I was doing the job of bringing ideas to life. Therefore, there are two things that I learned during that time: the methods I was taught and, in addition, my own life experiences. As for the methods I learned during my time as a company employee, when given a topic, I would research it thoroughly, looking for the most optimal answer for that topic. I might not find a 100% perfect answer, but I would find a close one. After finding an answer, I would then add my own thoughts on how to improve it and bring it to life. That’s the process of dropping an idea and developing it.

One method of dropping an idea is to research it thoroughly, but it’s not the only way. Normally, I would see and hear various things in my daily life, as well as my own hobbies and preferences. I also pay attention to things and keep them in stock as part of my own repertoire. While it’s important to pay attention to things that interest you and expand your antennae, relying solely on your own interests will only lead to biased ideas for a given topic. Therefore, when making something, I research the topic thoroughly. I’ve been writing down my own ideas for a long time, but surprisingly, they often don’t work when it comes to actual production. They tend to be shallow.

While they can contribute to the flow of ideas, the information gathered from thoroughly researching the topic is more useful. So, if you try to come up with ideas without relying on your own repertoire, you’ll get stuck in a quagmire and never be able to put your ideas into shape. Therefore, I always keep my antennae up and try to learn as much as possible. Even if you rush to learn more, it’s not always helpful. It’s important to look at things you don’t like, endure the work, and appreciate the good parts of it, rather than wasting time by not noticing the good parts. That’s why I think it’s important to pick up on your own hobbies and preferences while researching if necessary.

Sakoda

Regarding that, Michinoku-san has a stance of researching extensively during the process of coming up with ideas in response to a given topic. The information and facts gathered during the research serve as the essence, and by combining them with their own opinions, they elevate them into ideas.

Michinoku Toge

By choosing a theme and focusing on it during exercise, I think that the approach becomes closer, or rather more flexible ideas can be generated. When I think without a theme, I can reach parts that I couldn’t have reached myself. Therefore, deciding on a theme, or rather a concept, is important.

Sakoda

Well, that’s really true. Although using the term “concept” instead of “theme” feels more liberating, having some constraints or a framework is necessary to prevent ideas from dispersing and to strengthen them. By gathering a lot of facts and information to reinforce this framework, which becomes sharper precisely because there is a set theme, it becomes easier to incorporate new information that previously didn’t fit, and by incorporating our own opinions, the accumulated information, facts, and opinions combine to generate the best ideas for that theme.

Well, this way of thinking is similar to that of a creative advertising agency’s creator, I thought while listening. In the end, Michinoku-san probably has a strong desire to make difficult-to-understand things understandable through the power of art and creativity, and that’s probably why he follows such a thought process when facing creative work. Making difficult-to-understand things understandable is the power of art, creativity, and design, so Michinoku-san has a great sense for it and a strong desire to do so, which is why works like “Michinoku Pass” are produced.