Hoshino Interview, Part 2
Continued from my last post, here is my translation of strike_kun's french translation of the second part of the interview with Hoshino.
I: Aiming for a career as an animator was the trigger, right? (this is the best way I can translate this, but if anyone knows a better way, please let me know)
H: Indeed. While I was reading a magazine about animation, I saw an ad for an animator job on the 4th page from the cover. (I think?) You needed to be 18 years old to participate and I was only 17, but I took a chance.
I: You were only 17 when you participated! That's amazing!
H: At the time, I wanted to attend an art school but was forced to go to a business school instead and really hated it: I kept rebelling against my parents. I would often tell them: "I'm going to quit studying and join an animation institute!" (laugh) Obviously, I never got their approval. I sent my application while thinking "If I send my application without telling anyone, mom will be surprised if I'm accepted". But in the end, I failed. (laugh) But the next year, I wanted to try again just for fun and I was accepted!
I: So you realized your childhood dream at just 18 years old.
H: However, because of my grades, I thought I would be repeating the year. (laugh) My teacher had told me "Before finding a job, you should have made sure to get your diploma." Thankfully, I was able to just barely obtain my diploma, and it was all thanks to people in the industry.
I: And so, you came to Tokyo to become an animator, right?
H: Yes. But after I had begun to work... I realized that if I worked this way my whole life, I would never be satisfied.
I: How did you reach that conclusion?
H: I realized that I didn't want to animate the drawings of others but rather create my own drawings. I was only 18-19 years old and constantly had thoughts such as "I have time to try a bunch of different things before making up my mind" And without telling my mother, I quit.
I: I see. And what did you do afterwards?
H: I was thinking of getting a job as an artist, but I couldn't find anything other than jobs as a picturebook illustrator. (this is the best way I can think to translate this, sorry) I tried to get one published but it didn't work at all. When I had spent all of my money, I decided to leave Tokyo and go back home to my parents. My sister, who was working in a Kyoto hotel, found it rather inconvenient to make the trip from my parents' house to her workplace, and so she decided to move to Kyoto. I went with her and tried to find work there...
I: So after Tokyo, it was Kyoto?
H: Yes. But in the end, I didn't find a job. I couldn't make up my mind about what I wanted to do. I would get a part-time job every once in a while, but I would always stop while thinking that I had to hurry up and find a real job. I thought it might not be too late to become an animator again, but I was undecided. At last, my sister yelled at me: "Work!! You rotten parasite!!" (laugh) I realized she was completely right.
I: She is really a strict older sister!
H: I therefore decided to seriously look for a job. In Tokyo, after having given up on animation, I did many little jobs that I would find in magazine ads. At that time, a friend suggested I draw manga, but I refused. She had a kid who adored manga. And so, I remembered: why not give manga a shot? That's what I told myself. In any case, I had to show my sister that I was serious and I therefore decided to try my luck with manga.
I: And from that point on, you began drawing manga.
H: I made a list of all the manga editors, and decided that I would try drawing for the simple pleasure of it and that I would never think of this job as a chore. My mother approved, thinking that this time, it was the right choice. So, when my sister worked, I would stay at home drawing manga all day. And after I got an appointment with an editing house, I decided to work on the first step of a manga: the storyboard.
I: You mean you hadn't yet completed this step?!
H: Yes. But in spite of that, I absolutely wanted to get my start in "Jump". And so, I called this editing house: I ended up speaking to a very nice man who set up an appointment for one month later... Well, I had already drawn this story in the fanbook. (laugh)
I: This really is a surprising story. Since you couldn't finish the manuscript, you felt like giving up but your sister came home and forcibly dragged you to the train station and you had to take the Shinkansen in your pyjamas. (laugh)
H: Yes, it was exactly like that.
I: To work from 5am for 11 days to finish in time for the appointment... so that was a true story. Knowing that, we realize that your sister really is an impressive person.
H: You're right, she's really impressive. (laugh) This story, since my manager advised me never to mention it, I didn't really feel like publishing it, but in the end, I had to confess. (laugh) The fact that I didn't have enough money to purchase a return ticket for the train was also true. With the 500 yen I had, I bought some pasta for 430 yen in a conbini(?) located next to Shueisha. I began eating in front of the store but an employee came out and told me "Please stop eating here."... It must have been around midnight. What's more, it was raining. (laugh)
I: Huh?! But then...
H: I muttered a "sorry" and took off with my pasta container in hand: I ended up spending the entire night underneath the porch of a library to take shelter from the rain. (laugh) But that day, my manager was really happy that I could make it, since he had thought that I wouldn't be coming.
I: In the end, you made it! And so, the editor became your manager.
H: Yes. But we kept a little under half of the manuscript I had brought, and I also had to draw him something in 3 minutes... I still wonder how he was able to read everything. (laugh) In addition, at the time, I was really wearing a pyjama and coat and looked like a monkey because of my messy hair and my face without any makeup on: I wonder what he thought of me when he saw me like that. (laugh) I think I must have seemed strange and I really wonder why he hired me. However, I'm very grateful to him for it.
I: Aiming for a career as an animator was the trigger, right? (this is the best way I can translate this, but if anyone knows a better way, please let me know)
H: Indeed. While I was reading a magazine about animation, I saw an ad for an animator job on the 4th page from the cover. (I think?) You needed to be 18 years old to participate and I was only 17, but I took a chance.
I: You were only 17 when you participated! That's amazing!
H: At the time, I wanted to attend an art school but was forced to go to a business school instead and really hated it: I kept rebelling against my parents. I would often tell them: "I'm going to quit studying and join an animation institute!" (laugh) Obviously, I never got their approval. I sent my application while thinking "If I send my application without telling anyone, mom will be surprised if I'm accepted". But in the end, I failed. (laugh) But the next year, I wanted to try again just for fun and I was accepted!
I: So you realized your childhood dream at just 18 years old.
H: However, because of my grades, I thought I would be repeating the year. (laugh) My teacher had told me "Before finding a job, you should have made sure to get your diploma." Thankfully, I was able to just barely obtain my diploma, and it was all thanks to people in the industry.
I: And so, you came to Tokyo to become an animator, right?
H: Yes. But after I had begun to work... I realized that if I worked this way my whole life, I would never be satisfied.
I: How did you reach that conclusion?
H: I realized that I didn't want to animate the drawings of others but rather create my own drawings. I was only 18-19 years old and constantly had thoughts such as "I have time to try a bunch of different things before making up my mind" And without telling my mother, I quit.
I: I see. And what did you do afterwards?
H: I was thinking of getting a job as an artist, but I couldn't find anything other than jobs as a picturebook illustrator. (this is the best way I can think to translate this, sorry) I tried to get one published but it didn't work at all. When I had spent all of my money, I decided to leave Tokyo and go back home to my parents. My sister, who was working in a Kyoto hotel, found it rather inconvenient to make the trip from my parents' house to her workplace, and so she decided to move to Kyoto. I went with her and tried to find work there...
I: So after Tokyo, it was Kyoto?
H: Yes. But in the end, I didn't find a job. I couldn't make up my mind about what I wanted to do. I would get a part-time job every once in a while, but I would always stop while thinking that I had to hurry up and find a real job. I thought it might not be too late to become an animator again, but I was undecided. At last, my sister yelled at me: "Work!! You rotten parasite!!" (laugh) I realized she was completely right.
I: She is really a strict older sister!
H: I therefore decided to seriously look for a job. In Tokyo, after having given up on animation, I did many little jobs that I would find in magazine ads. At that time, a friend suggested I draw manga, but I refused. She had a kid who adored manga. And so, I remembered: why not give manga a shot? That's what I told myself. In any case, I had to show my sister that I was serious and I therefore decided to try my luck with manga.
I: And from that point on, you began drawing manga.
H: I made a list of all the manga editors, and decided that I would try drawing for the simple pleasure of it and that I would never think of this job as a chore. My mother approved, thinking that this time, it was the right choice. So, when my sister worked, I would stay at home drawing manga all day. And after I got an appointment with an editing house, I decided to work on the first step of a manga: the storyboard.
I: You mean you hadn't yet completed this step?!
H: Yes. But in spite of that, I absolutely wanted to get my start in "Jump". And so, I called this editing house: I ended up speaking to a very nice man who set up an appointment for one month later... Well, I had already drawn this story in the fanbook. (laugh)
I: This really is a surprising story. Since you couldn't finish the manuscript, you felt like giving up but your sister came home and forcibly dragged you to the train station and you had to take the Shinkansen in your pyjamas. (laugh)
H: Yes, it was exactly like that.
I: To work from 5am for 11 days to finish in time for the appointment... so that was a true story. Knowing that, we realize that your sister really is an impressive person.
H: You're right, she's really impressive. (laugh) This story, since my manager advised me never to mention it, I didn't really feel like publishing it, but in the end, I had to confess. (laugh) The fact that I didn't have enough money to purchase a return ticket for the train was also true. With the 500 yen I had, I bought some pasta for 430 yen in a conbini(?) located next to Shueisha. I began eating in front of the store but an employee came out and told me "Please stop eating here."... It must have been around midnight. What's more, it was raining. (laugh)
I: Huh?! But then...
H: I muttered a "sorry" and took off with my pasta container in hand: I ended up spending the entire night underneath the porch of a library to take shelter from the rain. (laugh) But that day, my manager was really happy that I could make it, since he had thought that I wouldn't be coming.
I: In the end, you made it! And so, the editor became your manager.
H: Yes. But we kept a little under half of the manuscript I had brought, and I also had to draw him something in 3 minutes... I still wonder how he was able to read everything. (laugh) In addition, at the time, I was really wearing a pyjama and coat and looked like a monkey because of my messy hair and my face without any makeup on: I wonder what he thought of me when he saw me like that. (laugh) I think I must have seemed strange and I really wonder why he hired me. However, I'm very grateful to him for it.