Going into the second panel, the by-this-time large group that I was with
(Some duellists.tj folks, some UMLers) had pretty much decided that we
were either going to ask only non-character related questions or if we
were to make those questions extremely simple and straightforward. They
also had changed translators for the second panel, oddly. 

(I) for Ikuhara, (C) for Chiho Saito. Again, Sailor Moon questions were
basically left out of my transcripting. A couple were asked, and the
general answer to the questions was always along the same line: "I don't
control that license, so I can't speak for it." 

Q: Why did Shiori have a large role in the movie? 
A: (I) Because I like girls, and not guys. 

Q: (Sailor Moon question/comparison to Utena, sort of rambly) 
A: (I) Tough question... I like situations of forbidden love, such as
between girls and fathers, or older brothers. 

Q: We've noticed that there is at least one scene in the movie trailer,
showing Utena and Akio, that is not in the final film. Are there scenes
that were edited from the movie and can you comment a little on what those
scenes might have contained? 
A: (I) Top secret. 

Q: How did Chiho-sensei come up with the imagery for the series? 
A: (C) Difficult to answer. It was collaboration and it's hard to say who
did what, but it's more in the form of how I went to work with Ikuhara. He
took lead and I was given ideas to develop in more detail. There's a lot
of give and take and this was a collaborative effort that worked out well. 

Q: Before Utena there was a series called Princess Knight, about a girl
who had the 'adventurous spirit of a boy'. Would you say that Utena has
that spirit as well? 
A: (I) Utena is rather different- one big difference is that Utena values
her femininity. 

Q: What's your opinion of the US version of Utena, have you heard it? 
A: (I) Rachael is very cute-looking (^^) but I don't hear good reviews
about it. There isn't any manga version yet- perhaps if you request it
from a publisher you trust the most. Enthusiasm reaches the publishers. 

Q: Is the intent of the Utena series always to surprise or be different? 
A: (I) Look at the fashion world, which is less gender-conscious. I think
it's becoming the same for how people live- we show people living in the
way they believe best. 

Q: What are your reactions to having work internationally based? Utena is 
popular in many countries now...
A: (I) I am happy about the encouragement here but, outside Japan, the
sales are not established yet. So we all know that we have enthusiastic
fans but the system's not in place yet. For me I would like to
campaign for a business environment where profit can come back to the
original creator- I'd like to make anime more mainstream.
A: (C) Ikuhara is an animator, but I am a manga-kai, and it's a solo
thing. So when I draw stories, I only have myself in mind when I do my
work. If as a result I see my work popular in other countries it's a
surprise, but I find there is a universality in acceptance of my work. So
I think that I will not be specifically conscious of other countries since
this is the only way that I can work. I do believe that each country has
its own environment, but human emotions are universal.

Q: Who influences you? 
A: (I) None really. 

Q: Are you enjoying your visit so far? 
A: (I) When I came in, I saw there were a lot of different clothes and
costumes. 
A: (C) I grew up in a neighborhood where there were many American
neighbors and they came to my house as well. So it brings back a lot of
memories and I don't feel like I'm in another country. When I was a child
America was the symbol of a rich country. So the fact that I'm visiting
here is both a mystery and a sort of surprise. 

Q: Does the movie backstory of Touga apply to the original TV/manga
version of Touga? 
A: (C) Would it make you happy if I say yes? 

Q: Do you have a perception that your audience doesn't understand your
work? 
A: (I) Yes. I think it's partly a question that what I do isn't
established as a kind of business (ed: 'branding'...) yet. 

Q: How much of the Utena movie is 3dCG and do you like working with that?
A: (I) Yes, the dance scene is CG- rendered in 3d and using a cel-shader
rendering package. About 1/4 of the film is digital. If there's going to
be another movie it will probably be fully digital. Each director has a
different idea of how to use CG and essentially I'm still experimenting
with it. 

Q: Are any of the characters based on people you know? 
A: (I) No, but I use myself as the model of many characters (smirk) 

Q: What is the relationship between Utena and Anshi? 
A: (I) Top secret. 

Q: What are the Shadow Plays supposed to be about? I don't understand
them.
A: (I) Sometimes they will give a straightforward digest of what's going
on or will become mysterious. They speak about the general theme of the
episode. 

Q: How did you hook up with Yoji Enokido? 
A: He was my classmate in college. He became a regular salaryman after
that at the same time as I started in animation. I thought Sailor Moon had
bad scripts so I made him quit that job and work for me on Sailor Moon,
and since then he's worked in the industry.