Code Trainwreck

Taniguchi Interview from the Roman Album

Edit: It has been discovered that the 2ch write up of the interview which Mandoric translated from had a typo. Religion is not religion, but rather production. Both religious beliefs and production are shinkou - different kanji, same pronunciation. (Likely the 2ch anon input shinkou via waapuro then used the wrong kanji)

I found something that looked like the Roman Album Taniguchi interview from 2ch yesterday. Mandoric checked it against what Tamaki’s Girlfriend had written before, and translated by my request. I assume this is just part of it? Not sure without scans of the Album itself.

Taniguchi:
During production, to be honest, I wanted to finish it off. This was a personal intent, different from that of the production commitee.
So, although there were two recap episodes, these were not planned from the beginning. I wanted to go straight to 25 in one shot, but due to circumstances related to production, two eps were cut, and it became a 23-ep series.
I thought, as director, I’d have to take responsibility for this, and retire from the industry.
This was the toughest time, but at that time, I received sufficient support from the viewers, and was able to produce eps 24 and 25. With this I was able to finish it off the way I had planned. I was very grateful.
But then, another distressing time. Ep 25 was written completely under the premise “In half a year, I’ll be able to continue with ep 26 in the same timeslot.” But that was ruined. If I think of it now, there are good sides to it to, but at the time, I became useless to the viewers.
There was an event for eps 24 and 25, with a comment from myself in the pamphlet. To be honest, at that time, I was completely broken (hahahah). I didn’t know what to write. I couldn’t apologize to the fans who put in the effort to come, and I couldn’t write an explanation either. After the event, my associates told me of the fan reaction. “Everyone just went ‘Ehhhhhhh?’” Don’t sound so happy saying that, idiot! (Hahahaha.) That was a really tough time.

—- You really made it through some tough circumstances.
Taniguchi:
I was really broken after the first season. Around then, I had talked with the scriptwriter KURATA Hideyuki and director of Bamboo Blade SAITO Hisashi. After that, during “Bamboo Blade”, there was episode referencing me, with a “I will retire” gag, that made me wonder just how well they could read my feelings. (Hahahahaha)

—- We’d like to hear about the last scene of ep 25.
Taniguchi:
Whether it was to be 50 episodes or cut off, I’d always planned to end it like that.
During composition, I’d also kind of planned to use it as the opening of ep 1. By the way, I threw out ep 1 completely five or six times right before it reached final manuscript stage. I’m surprised Mr. OKOCHI wasn’t angrier. (Hahahahah)

—- In what points did this impact Lelouch’s development?
R2’s framework through to the last episode is “What happens here, what does that mean next…” The path to that, what are the most effective ornamentations, amusements, subcharacters, and so on are decided by the scriptwriter. There are miscalculations, and sometimes characters do unexpected things.
Like Villetta or Arthur, or Bartley or Tamagi. [Tamaki, NICE GOING MANDORIC] (Hahahahah)
If the lack of explanations this time seems to worsen the tempo, think of it as a paring down. For example, episode 8, under the old structure, would have taken three episodes. “What route would the JLF have used to bring the Raiko there”, “What occured at that meeting”, “A detailed following of Zero’s actions” were also considered. An escape route was even decided, and used in the newscast at the beginning of ep 9.
Just by explaining this all, will the viewers be pleased?

—- A word for the fans.
Taniguchi:
Everyone, for your reception of this work, allowing me to produce the ending I’d first envisioned, and allowing me, who really should be unemployed, to be here, thank you very much.
I don’t want to impose a way of enjoying it, but as a suggestion, view things in episode 1 from the perspective of other characters. Suzaku, in particular, has hidden his motivations and actions quite well, so this can give quite a different impression.
“R2″ still has production work left to go, so I’ll try my hardest to get it exactly right.

Original Japanese:

谷口
作業中、実はこの作品を終わらせようと思ったことがあります。
製作委員会の思惑とは別に、あくまで個人としてですが。
というのも、このシリーズは途中で2回総集編が入りましたが、当初から想定していたものではなかった。
25話まで一気にやるつもりだったのです。が、新興の都合上2話減って、23話になってしまった。
監督としてこの責任を取るにはここで打ち切りとして、自分は業界から去るしかないと思いました。
この辺りが一番キツかったんですが、実はこの時点で、お客さんから充分な支持をいただいており、24・25話を作れるということになっていました。
少なくとも最初に思っていたラストまでできる。本当にありがたかったです。
ところが、また苦悩の時がやってきます。「半年後に、同じ放送時間で26話以降をを（誤植）やれる」私の中で、25話のヒキはそれが大前提だったんです。
それが崩れた。今にして思うと良い面もいっぱいなのですが、当時の私にとってはあまりにお客さん達に申し訳ないことばかりになってしまった。
24・25話はイベントをやったんですが、そのパンフレットに私のコメントが載っています。正直言って、あの時の私は壊れてましたね（笑）。
もう何を書けばいいかわからなかったんですよ。わざわざ来てくれたお客さんに謝るわけにもいかないし、事情説明する事もできない。
追いうちをかけるように、イベント終了後に私の周囲の人間がお客さんの反応を伝えてくれるんです。
「みんな『えぇーっ！？』」って言ってましたよ」と。それをうれしそうに言うなアホ（笑）。あのときは本当にキツかった。

―――大きな危機を乗り越えて今があるんせすね。
谷口
一時期の私は相当壊れていたといいましたが、その頃に脚本家の倉田英之や「バンブーブレード」監督の斎藤久と話したことがあったんです。
その後「バンブーブレード」本編で私をネタにした回があって「引退する」だの何だの言われていますが、どこまでこっちの心が読まれていたのやら（笑）

―――25話のラストシーンについてお聞きしたいのですが。
谷口
全50話であろうと、打ち切りであろうと、当初からああすると決めていました。
構成としてあれを一話の冒頭に持ってくる案もあったぐらいで。ちなみに1話は、決定稿の直前まで進めながら全て捨てる、
ということを繰り返して5～6回は書き直してもらってます。よく大河内さんがおこりださなかったなと（笑）。
このお話のルルーシュに関わる起承転結のポイント―――
ここで何が起きて、次にどうなって……という流れの大枠は、「R2」の最終話まで決まっています。
ただそこに至るまでのルートや、より効果的な修飾、遊び、サブキャラの動きなどは色々あるわけで、脚本家にはそれを探してもらうわけです。
無論計算違いもあって、キャラが想定外の動きを見せることもあるんですよ。
ヴィレッタとかアーサーとか、パトレーとか玉城とか（笑）。
今回細かい説明をすることでテンポが悪くなるなら、そこはそぎ落とすようにしています。例えば8話ですと、今までの撮り方ならば3話分は使ってしまうエピソードです。
日本解放戦線がどういうルートで雷光をあそこに運んできたのか、その会議でどういうやりとりがあったのか、またゼロに関しては細かな行動まで迫ったタイムスケジュールも考えました。
脱出ルートも決まっていて、これは9話冒頭のシーンにあるニュース原稿として使われています。
ただこれら全てを説明してお客さんが楽しんでくれるか？

―――ファンの皆様へ一言。
谷口
この作品が皆さんに受け止めてもらえて、当初考えていたラストまで作らせていただけること、
そして本当なら今頃無職になっていた私がここにいられるのも皆さんのおかげで、本当に感謝しています。
この作品の楽しみ方をこちらから強制するつもりはありませんが、もし何かを提案するようなら、また一話を、今度は別のキャラクターの視点を通して見てください。
特にスザクなどは、根本の行動の動機をかなり隠していますから、違った印象を持っていただけると思います。
『R2』はまだまだ作業が残っていますから、皆さんには極力キチンとした形でお届けできるよう、頑張ります。

Tags: Interview, Roman Album

Serious Business | miasmacloud | August 22, 2008 3:28 pm

9 Comments

ShiChelle (August 22, 2008 @ 4:05 pm)

I’m not quite sure what to say but thanks for posting this. I was interested in what the man said himself.

[Reply]
Whocares (August 22, 2008 @ 4:17 pm)

This is a good read but the religion thing is too wtf even with the explanation…maybe it is not quite a joke in the funny hahahaha or lol ways, but just a colorful dodge, to avoid explaining said circumstances, which almost made him quit so he’s not fond of them.

This is also the first time such a thing comes up and mixing in the geass cult feels weird, since that doesn’t come up until R2 anyways…and sponsors complaining about a show that was already airing so late? They could just change the markings or clothings on the cult or cut the scenes, not scrap two eps.

[Reply]
John (August 22, 2008 @ 6:23 pm)

He doesn’t have any confidence in himself.

[Reply]
InfernoLiquifier (August 23, 2008 @ 12:26 am)

“Suzaku, in particular, has hidden his motivations and actions quite well, so this can give quite a different impression.”

He’s smart enough to have his own hidden agenda?

[Reply]
Nilie (August 23, 2008 @ 3:58 am)

OMG. Is this his way of saying “Warning guys, get ready to be gob-smacked?”
D:

[Reply]
Speeters (August 24, 2008 @ 8:19 am)

I glad to hear Taniguchi’s words:”Everyone, for your reception of this work, allowing me to produce the ending I’d first envisioned”.
I hope this will make the imperfect s2 perfect ending.

[Reply]
Shimei (August 24, 2008 @ 6:47 pm)

Just a note, in the part where Taniguchi talks about considering alternate viewpoints, he is actually asking the viewer to rewatch episode one in particular (”また一話を”).

[Reply]
miasmacloud (August 25, 2008 @ 1:21 am)
oh, thank you :3

[Reply]
Whocares (September 6, 2008 @ 12:44 pm)
One thing though…Turn 1, even if that’s what he’s emphasizing, doesn’t exactly do much with Suzaku, so it figures he is also speaking of what comes aftewards….

[Reply]