Interviews with creators in the role of director (監督) or episode/ technical director (演出). I’ve divided these into two categories based on whether the discussion focused on the ‘showrunner’ role of the director, or on actual technical direction of the show in question. Some interviews do appear in both sections, especially when the work in question was a film or OVA.
Featured image ©MCM Buzz
(Back to Production Staff Interviews)
Director: ‘Showrunner’ (監督)
AKAI Toshifumi
AKANE Kazuki
On Noein and The Vision of Escaflowne, from Otakon 2016
ANDO Masahiro / 安藤 真裕
On Sword of the Stranger, Blast of Tempest and working with Mari Okada, by ANN
ANNO Hideaki
A dialogue with Yoshiyuki TOMINO, from Animage Jul 1994. Translated by @NohAcro.
AOKI Ei / あおきえい (TROYCA)
Aldnoah.Zero (Director)
1. Guesting on Aldnoah.Radio #14
2. Animedia Nov 2014 Interview
3. Newtype May 2015 Interview
4. Special Dialogue with Toshiyuki NAGANO, Animedia May 2015
Bonus editorials
The creation of Aldnoah.Zero
ARAKI Tetsurō
Putting the Breaks on Adapting to Direct?! A dialogue with Yoshiyuki TOMINO (Part 1, Part 2) (idango)
2016-12 On Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
CHOI Eunyoung
With Masaaki Yuasa on Kick-Heart, conducted by Animac at the Annecy Film Festival, Jun 2015.
DEAI Kotomi / 出合小都美
The Rolling Girls
1. With Chief Animation Director Hiroshi SHIMIZU, conducted by Grant White for Toonzone.
2. With Chief Animation Director Hiroshi SHIMIZU, conducted by Joe for Otaku News.
HARA Keiichi
HAYASHI Akemi / 林明美
On Gurren Lagann: Parallel Works 2. Translated by csakuras.
HIRAO Takayuki / 平尾 隆之
On The Garden of Sinners part 5
HOSODA Mamoru / 細田 守
On his new project, Mirai, by Elsa Keslassy for Variety.
IMAGAWA Yasuhiro / 今川 泰宏
On G Gundam, from Animage Jun 1994 (idango)
ISHIDATE Taichi / 石立 太一 (Kyoto Animation)
On his career as an animator, episode director and series director.
ISHIHARA Tatsuya / 石原 立也 (Kyoto Animation)
On The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, with Yasuhiro TAKEMOTO and Noriko TAKAO (ultimatemegax)
ITŌ Tomohiko / 伊藤 智彦
Interview with ANN, covering Sword Art Online and Silver Spoon, Mar 2014
On Sword Art Online, from Sword Art Online no Subete, June 2014 (ultimatemegax)
ERASED
1. discussion with mangaka Kei SANBE
2. other random translations
KATABUCHI Sunao / 片渕 須直
On In This Corner of the World, May 2017.
KAWAMORI Shōji / 河森 正治 (Satellite)
All Frontier interviews have been translated by me (karice67) unless otherwise noted.
Macross Frontier (Chief Director)
1. Newtype Jul 2007 Interview
2. On Creating Macross Frontier, with screenwriter Hiroyuki YOSHINO from Animage Original vol.1
3. Talking ‘story’ in Macross Frontier and his episode commentary from 2059: Memories, Oct 2008
4. On Conceptualising Macross Frontier, from the official fanbook, Jan 2009.
5. Macross Frontier TV Series Episode Commentaries (01, 10, 12, 25)
6. On bringing Frontier from TV to Theater (the Perfect Triangle guidebook)
7. Animedia May 2011 Article
8. Macross Frontier Sayonara no Tsubasa Official Complete Book Director’s Comment
9. Macross Frontier Sayonara no Tsubasa Official Complete Book Interview
10. Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~ vol. 1 interview
11. Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~ vol. 3 discussion with Kariko KOYAMA and Risa EBATA
12. Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~ vol. 4 interview
On AKB0048 (JPN, ENG: part 1, part 2)
On Arjuna, Macross ∆ and the new series he is working on for 2017
KISHI Seiji
Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace talk event—The Red Room
KOBAYASHI Osamu / 小林 治
Talk Event, December 2016, featuring Mitsuo ISO, Masaaki YUASA, Takashi MUKOUDA, Kiyotaka OSHIYAMA and C-san (Disgaeamad)
MATSUMOTO Rie / 松本理恵
With Yuki HAYASHI on Kyousogiga, from the artbook. Translated by SeHNNG.
On her career, with Toshihiro KAWAMOTO (Part 2), conducted at SakuraCon in Mar 2016.
MATSUO Kou / 松尾 衡
Interview from Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky Blu-Ray Box Set (idango)
MIYAZAKI Hayao
Interview from Animage Sep 1995, about On Your Mark. Translated by @kiirobon.
MIZUSHIMA Tsutomu
On xxxHOLiC – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
NATSUME Shingo
One-Punch Man
1. Interview by SnapThirty, at Madman Anime Festival 2016
2. With character designer Chikashi KUBOTA, at AnimeFest 2016
NISHIGORI Atsushi
On The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls, with Noriko TAKAO, (Part 2) (Disgaeamad)
OISHII Mamoru
Discussion on Ghost in the Shell with Masaki YAMADA (spinoff novelist), from 2003 (NohAcro)
OSHIYAMA Kiyotaka
On Flip Flappers. Translated by @HugBdrill.
SAYAMA Kiyoko / 佐山聖子
On Brave 10, conducted by CrunchyRoll
SHINBO Akiyuki (SHAFT)
On Kizumonogatari, from the Tekketsu pamphlet
SHINKAI Makoto
On 2D animation in a digital era. By Wesley Fenlon for Tested.
your name.
1. Interview by Michael Leader for Little White Lies
2. Interview for ANN
3. By Fiachra Gibbons for The Japan Times
4. Interview from Japanese edition of The Huffington Post (JPN, ENG). Translated by wickedfighting.
TAKAO Noriko / 高雄統子
On The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls, with Atsushi NISHIGORI (Part 2). (Disgaeamad)
TAKEMOTO Yasuhiro (Kyoto Animation)
On The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, with Tatsuya ISHIHARA and Noriko TAKAO (ultimatemegax)
High☆Speed! -Free! Starting Days- (Translated by @pen_dag.)
1. With scriptwriter Maiko NISHIOKA and Character Designer/Chief AD Futoshi NISHIYA (pamphlet)
2. Short comments on the characters (pamphlet)
3. Interview (fanbook)
Hyouka
1. Roundtable with series composer Shōji Gatō, Otona Animedia #5, 2002 (Part 1, Part 2)
2. Early Impressions, again with Shōji Gatō, from Newtype July 2012
3. 3. Final impressions, again with Shōji Gatō, from Otona Animedia #6
THOMAS, LeSean
“Saving Anime”: A Conversation with LeSean Thomas
TOMINO Yoshiyuki
A dialogue with Yasuhiko YOSHIKAZU from My Anime May 1981. Translated by @frog_kun.
A dialogue with Hideaki ANNO, from Animage Jul 1994 (NohAcro)
Putting the Breaks on Adapting to Direct?! A dialogue with Tetsurō ARAKI (Part 1, Part 2) (idango)
UTSUMI Hiroko / 内海紘子 (Kyoto Animation, freelancer from 2016)
Translated by ultimatemegax unless otherwise noted.
Free! (2013-2015)
1. Guidebook interview, Dec 2012.
2. Guidebook interview, with character designer Futoshi NISHIYA, Dec 2012 (Part 2).
3. Eternal Summer fanbook interview, Nov 2014.
4. On the entire franchise, with Masahiro YOKOTANI and NISHIYA, from Free! Creation Notebook vol. 2.
WAKABAYASHI Atsushi
Interview with on Guin Saga part 1 (NohAcro)
WATANABE Shin’ichirō
Cowboy Bebop
1. Interviews from DVD 1 & 2
2. On Knocking on Heaven’s Door
3. With Yoko Kanno and Toshiro Kawamoro at the Cowboy Bebop panel at AXNY, September 2002
4. With character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto and composer Yoko Kanno on the film.
General/Other
1. On The Animatrix
2. At the Detroit Film Theatre, 8 February 2006
3. From The Daily Texan from 2006
4. From AFA Singapore, 10 November 2012
5. Interviewed by Otaku News at London Comic Con, May 2013
6. Interviewed by ANN at Otakon, August 2013 (panel report)
7. Interviewed by Toonzone at Otakon, August 2013
8. On Terror in Resonance, from the Funimation website
9. Interviewed by Otaku News at London Comic Con, October 2014
10. Interviewed by Eastern Kicks at London Comic Con, October 2014
11. Interviewed by eldursvero at the Paris Manga & Sci-Fi Show , February 2016
12. With Dai Satō for Otaku USA, at Nan Desu Kan, September 2016
13. Interviewed by Lachlan Johnston and Mike Tamburelli for Otaquest, October 2017
14. Interviewed by Julian Rizzo-Smith for IGN, Madman Anime Festival Melbourne, November 2017
YAMADA Naoko / 山田尚子 (Kyoto Animation)
Translated by ultimatemegax unless otherwise noted.
K-ON!! (2009-2011)
1. S1 dialogue with Reiko YOSHIDA (Series composition, script).
2. S2 dialogue with YOSHIDA.
3. Movie guidebook interview.
4. Movie guidebook dialogue with YOSHIDA (Script).
Tamako Market / Tamako Love Story (2013-2014)
1. Interview from Animage Jan 2013, with screenwriter Reiko YOSHIDA.
2. Interview from Newtype, Mar 2014.
3. Interview from the official website (JPN)
4. Interview conducted for TAN, circa Apr 2014.
5. Interview conducted for Excite, Jun 2014 (JPN: 1, 2)
6. Interview from Tamako Memory’s Note, Feb 2015.
7. Stage Greeting, with judge Ryōsuke TAKAHASHI at the Japan Media Arts Festival, Feb 2015.
8. Interview conducted in relation to the Japan Media Arts Festival, Feb 2015.
9. Interview conducted in relation to the 18th Cultural Media Arts Festival, Feb 2015.
10. Stage Greeting, with Futoshi NISHIYA and Taichi OGAWA, Sept 2016.
Sound! Euphonium (2015-2016)
1. Fanbook roundatble with Tatsuya ISHIHARA and Ayano TAKEDA, Sep 2015.
2. Interview in Animestyle, Nov 2015, with Tatsuya ISHIHARA (Part 2).
3. Movie pamphlet roundtable with Tatsuya ISHIHARA and Shōko Ikeda, Apr 2016.
4. S1 Movie Stage Greeting, with Tatsuya ISHIHARA, Sep 2016.
A Silent Voice (2016)
1. Interview conducted for Comic Natalie, Sep 2016. (JPN)
General
1. KyoAni CTFK 2013 Directors’ Dialogue Event, Nov 2013.
2. Directors’ Discussion at 2nd KyoAni/Do Fan Event, Oct 2015.
YAMAMOTO Sayo
On Michiko & Hatchin and the Rawness of Women (Sep 26, 2008)
On Michiko and Hatchin and Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, from AnimeFest 2012
With Music Producer Naruyushi Kikuchi on the Music of Fujiko Mine, from Tower.jp (Dec 10, 2012)
With Hiroshi SHIMIZU on their careers, at AnimeNEXT 2013.
Yuri!!! on ICE
1. Anime Japan Presentation with Mitsurō Kubo, Mar 27, 2016 (JPN) (Laeza)
2. Interview from Pash! May 2017 (Pash!+ extra: JPN, ENG) (toraonice)
3. Interview from Febri vol.41, May 2017 (toraonice)
4. Interview by Dai Satō, on Otaquest, Part 1 (Jun 29, 2017) (＊) and Part 2 (Jul 28, 2017)
5. Interview with Mitsurō KUBO and Tadashi HIRAMATSU by ANN at AnimeFest, Aug 2017.
6. Interviewed with Mitsurō KUBO and Tadashi HIRAMATSU by Yatta-Tachi at AnimeFest, Aug 2017.
((＊) NB: I seem to remember most of this interview from other Japanese interviews I’ve read. For example, Yamamoto and Kubo talked about meeting the cosplayers in the Czech Republic in their Fanbook roundtable — though they said that it was the cosplayers who asked “Do you know of Yuri!!! on ICE,” and they just replied “We do,” without revealing their identities. Yamamoto basically said the same thing in her Guidebook solo interview.)
YAMAMOTO Soubi / 山本蒼美
On This Boy Can Fight Aliens, conducted by Ko Ransom for ANN, Mar 2012.
On Meganebu! (2013), interview from Spoon.2Di
YOSHINARI Yoh / 吉成 曜
On the Starting Trials of Little Witch Academia (idango)
YUASA Masaaki / 湯浅 政明
On Lu Over the Wall, from the official website (Part 1, Part 2) (bitmap)
On Devilman Crybaby, an interview by Haruna Yamazaki for Buzzfeed Japan.
Director: Technical Direction (演出)
HIRAO Takayuki
On The Garden of Sinners part 5
ISHIDATE Taichi (Kyoto Animation)
On his career as an animator, episode director and series director.
KAIZAWA Yukio
Inside Marie and Gali, from Dec 2015 (NohAcro)
KIKUCHI Yasuhito
Macross Frontier (Director, Episode Director)
1. On Directing Macross Frontier (interview from the Macross F fan book)
2. On Directing Macross F the Movie: The False Diva
OISHI Tatsuya (SHAFT)
On Kizumonogatari, with Mitsutoshi KUBOTA and Atsuhiro IWAKAMI from the Tekketsu pamphlet
“10 anime I watched repeatedly, and was encouraged by,” (NohAcro).
SHINBO Akiyuki (SHAFT)
On Le Portrait de Petit Cossette, from WEB Anime Style (frog-kun: 1, 2, 3)
TAKAO Noriko
On The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, with Tatsuya ISHIHARA and Yasuhiro TAKEMOTO (ultimatemegax)
UTSUMI Hiroko / 内海紘子 (Kyoto Animation, freelancer from 2016)
On the K-ON!! movie (2011) (ultimatemegax)
YASUDA Kenji
Bandai Channel Creator’s Selection Interview—2nd half on Macross ∆.
'White Box' Treasure 