Podcast 67: Adventure in Japan, and the Real Work Behind Anime

Part Two of a Two-Part Interview with Author Ariel Sarullo
In Podcast 67 (Part 2), we welcome back author Ariel Sarullo to talk about her life in Japan and her behind-the-scenes work at an animation company.

Ariel explains what “anime” means, how Studio Ghibli helped spark her love of Japanese storytelling, and what it really takes to relocate and build a life in another country. She also gives a broad look at the anime production pipeline, from scripts and storyboards to animation and voice recording sessions.

Ariel’s mystery novel, The Wild Rose Alliance, is available on Amazon (ebook, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited).

Transcript

Linda: Hello, and welcome to Two Crones in a Microphone. I am Linda.

Betty: I am Betty.

Linda: And our sister crone, Sally, had some technical difficulties, maybe due to weather-related events. So we want to welcome you, and we know she’s here in spirit. We want to welcome back Ariel Sarullo. You may recall she’s the author of The Wild Rose Alliance, and we did an interview with her earlier this month. We’re very excited to have her back for a follow-up interview.

Before we delve into this one, Ariel, what would you like to share about The Wild Rose Alliance? I think you have an Instagram account you’d like to make people aware of.

Ariel: Yeah, sure. The Wild Rose Alliance is a mystery novel that features mainly younger female characters. I won’t get too much into it here, but there’s another interview about the book itself. If you’re interested, you can follow the official Instagram account for the book, which will be linked down below, and also the link to purchase it on Amazon in various forms will be linked down below.

Linda: All right. Thank you. Well, the reason we have you here today is because, as we started to speak about in the prior interview, you’ve made some adventurous choices for yourself in life. That spark of adventure can influence and inspire someone of any age. We wanted to bring you back to talk about that spirit of adventure, specifically in relation to your life in Japan and the fact that you now work for an anime company.

Ariel: Sure. I guess I can explain a little bit about what I’m doing right now. I’m from the U.S., obviously. I currently live in Japan in the Tokyo metro area, and I’m working at an animation company in Japan that specializes mostly in anime. Not necessarily only anime meant for young girls and young women, but also some made for an older crowd. We do a variety of things. It was a long time coming to get to that point.

Linda: First of all, I’d like it if you could explain, for the older demographic that we have, what exactly is anime?

Ariel: Definitely. Anime is generally considered Japanese cartoons, or cartoons made in Japan. There are cartoons made in a similar style outside of Japan, and it’s disputed whether they’d be considered anime or not. Usually, it’s cartoons made in Japan with a specific style of character drawing, and they’re usually 2D animation. Traditionally, each frame was hand-drawn, but these days there are CGI options as well.

Some that the average American might have heard of are Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, etc. Cartoons from Japan made in that sort of style is generally what’s considered anime.

Linda: There’s a movie that’s become really popular, with a pop group. Do you know which one I’m talking about?

Ariel: Oh, K-pop Demon Hunters.

Linda: Yes. Now, is that anime?

Ariel: I wouldn’t say so. I think it’s 3D animation, and I’m not sure if it was made in Japan or not. I believe it’s Korean.

Linda: I think it’s Korean, right?

Ariel: Then I’d say it wouldn’t be considered anime.

Linda: Okay. Still trying to figure this out in my old brain. When you say cartoons, I go back to the Roadrunner.

Ariel: Right.

Linda: Or Disney.

Ariel: Absolutely. Disney certainly was a pathway to all of this.

Linda: Growing up, Ariel—and full disclosure, I’m Ariel’s mom—there was a point when we started watching Studio Ghibli movies. Studio Ghibli is known throughout the world for its full-length animation films. One of them, My Neighbor Totoro, is much beloved across the world. We went through a phase watching all those films. I wonder if you have any memories of that, or anything that ties back to where you are now.

Ariel: Absolutely. The first movie I watched that could ever be considered anime was a Studio Ghibli film, Spirited Away. That was the first Japanese animation movie I ever watched, and it’s the one that got me into my love of anime, and later my love of Japan in general. Definitely influential.

Linda: Was there anything about the characters, or the way it flowed, or the suspense that drew you in?

Ariel: First of all, the scenery. The backgrounds were beautiful. I’d never really seen a cartoon with so much intricacy in its backgrounds and character design. I’d mostly seen stuff like SpongeBob, simple shows made for kids.

Also, Spirited Away dives into serious topics that a lot of other cartoons didn’t, because they were made for kids. Ghibli movies are made for both kids and adults and often deal with challenges everyone faces, and they can be very serious. Even as a kid, I thought, “This is interesting.”

Linda: One thing I love about Studio Ghibli is that they deal with themes of humans’ integration with nature and other creatures in a world-affirming way. Now that you’re living in Japan, do you have a cultural perspective on that? Do you think that’s embedded in that culture?

Ariel: I would say yes. Japan, like most societies, was an agrarian society, and people lived off the land and still do, especially in rural Japan. A lot of people, after they retire, become rice farmers or start gardens and grow their own vegetables. If you live in the countryside, nature is all around you. People live based on the seasons more than city or suburban people do.

Even in more urban areas, people celebrate holidays related to nature and the change of seasons.

Linda: I know there are a lot of seasonal festivals—affirmations for the sea, the rice harvest, things like that.

Ariel: Absolutely. There are holidays like Marine Day, Mountain Day, and the equinoxes. It’s kind of similar to how in America we carry traditions forward—Christmas, for example—without everyone knowing all the intricacies behind them. In Japan, especially among young people, they might know it’s Marine Day or Coming of Age Day, but not necessarily all the significance.

Linda: When it comes to anime, that was the spark. What carried you forward? Our listeners won’t know this, but I know you have advanced Japanese language skills, in part because you dedicated time to studying the language. Was anime part of that?

Ariel: It definitely was, especially when I was younger—middle school and some of high school. I was really into watching anime. Surprisingly, I don’t watch it as much anymore, even though I work for an animation company. But I’m still very interested in Japanese culture and Japan. My interest shifted from anime to Japanese culture in general as I got older.

I always felt a calling to go back to Japan. I went for study abroad and Japanese language school. I mostly had good experiences, and I appreciated people’s attention to detail, the cleanliness, and convenient transportation. It seemed like a place I could live pretty comfortably, and I still think that’s true.

Betty: How old were you when you moved to Japan?

Ariel: I’d say 24.

Betty: That’s impressive. At age 24, I don’t think I would have had the chutzpah to pack up everything and move to another country. Japanese isn’t like learning Spanish—it’s a totally different alphabet. I’m impressed you followed your dream.

Ariel: Thank you. I’m not going to say it was easy. It’s still pretty difficult dealing with everything in Japan, especially as someone who wasn’t born there and isn’t at a native level of language. It’s not smooth sailing, but that’s okay.

Honestly, it felt less like taking a risk—even though it was—and more like I’d feel more comfortable in Japan than in America for various reasons: cost of living, public transportation, and so on. It felt practical, plus I like the culture.

My first job in Japan was as an English teacher far outside Tokyo, in the south, in a smaller city—Takamatsu City. I love Takamatsu. That was a risk because I didn’t know the specific place, the job, or the area. But it worked out. I knew I generally liked living in Japan, so I hoped it would be okay.

Linda: And it worked out because you’re still there. What sparked your move to the Tokyo area?

Ariel: Takamatsu is beautiful, but there isn’t much in terms of job opportunities. I wanted access to everything Japan has to offer—food, nightlife, more foreigners I could befriend. I wanted to try the big city.

The main reason, though, was Japanese language school. I wanted to improve my Japanese, and the school was in Tokyo.

After living in Tokyo for two years, I got tired of the fast pace, how crowded it was, and how little nature there was. So I moved farther out into the suburbs. I still have access to Tokyo, so it’s a good balance.

Linda: Tell us a little more about your anime experience. I think you’ve been there about a year and a half now. What kinds of things do you get involved with?

Ariel: It’s mostly project management. I’m not an animator or an artist; I’m not drawing characters. I’m doing the logistics side: emailing artists, collecting information, filling out spreadsheets—behind-the-scenes production assistant work.

At the same time, I do get to see the creative process and the steps required to create an anime, even if I’m not the one creating it.

Linda: I think our listeners would love a broad-brush overview of those steps. What does it take?

Ariel: It’s a little hard to explain on the spot, but in general: there are character designs, and then a script—like a movie screenplay—with dialogue and descriptions of what each character is doing.

A storyboard artist reads the script and sees the character designs, then creates a frame-by-frame drawing of each scene. The storyboard is like a script with pictures attached—almost like an illustrated book.

Then an animator looks at the storyboard and animates based on it, drawing the frames and connecting them with in-between frames. Then it goes to post-production for sound effects, lighting effects, and so on.

At our company, we have a lot of international animators working remotely. That part is in English, so me and a couple of other English speakers reach out to animators, make sure they’re okay, and help upload their work.

Linda: How does it get packaged and presented to the world? Also, I remember you told me you got to sit in on a voiceover session—Japanese spoken language, and then maybe an English voiceover?

Ariel: There was no English voiceover for this. A separate studio would do dubbing if they decide to do that. This was only Japanese, but it was really cool. It’s almost like eight straight hours sitting in a studio. The production assistants and directors have snacks and we’re on the other side of the glass, while voice actors record the characters’ lines in time with the animation.

Linda: That stood out for me. Betty, do you have other questions?

Betty: I do. Because this is a Japanese company, and Japan tends to deal more with Japanese artists and Japanese people, how did you break through that?

Ariel: You’re right. They mostly deal with Japanese artists and people, but this company was looking to expand into the international market of artists. I think that’s part of why I got hired: they wanted people who were bilingual, who could communicate with English-speaking artists and also speak Japanese decently well.

A lot of it was luck. I don’t have a background in animation. I’ve watched anime, but I didn’t know much about how the process worked before this job.

Linda: In the U.S., there’s Crunchyroll, which packages thousands of anime from Japan and across the world. Do you think some of the anime you’re working on might end up on Crunchyroll?

Ariel: It’s definitely possible. I don’t want to give away too much information about what we’re working on, because I’m not sure how the NDAs work.

Linda: Totally okay.

Ariel: Definitely possible.

Linda: Is your company a small startup company?

Ariel: I wouldn’t say so. It’s not huge, but it’s on the larger side—maybe midsized. There’s more than one office. It’s not the most well-known company ever—it’s not Studio Ghibli—but it has a good reputation. People who know anime have probably heard of it.

Linda: And there seem to be chances for growth there. You’ve mentioned training that might allow you to be a producer after some time.

Ariel: Potentially. My company is a bit free-form: people set their own hours as long as the work gets done. My boss is also interested in what we want to do in the future. He asked what I’m thinking of doing long-term, and I said I might be interested in writing scripts. I’ve written a book, but writing scripts in Japanese would be very different from writing in English, which I’m more comfortable with.

Linda: I like that there are chances for growth into different cross-functional areas. When you go to the office, does an animation office look the same as any business office, or is there something unique?

Ariel: It looks like any business office in Japan, except there are posters of the anime we’ve worked on on the walls. That’s the main difference. Also, there are lots of tablets—big drawing tablets—that you might not see in other offices.

Linda: We’re admitting Sally, who’s been able to come back on now. Sally, welcome. We’re about 25 minutes into our interview and we’ve covered a lot of ground, but we’re happy to have you here.

Sally: Thank you. Glad to be back. That’s a whole other journey. We won’t talk about wasting Ariel’s time.

Ariel: No, you’re fine.

Linda: We have about five minutes left. Ariel, is there anything else you’d like to share as a story or inspiration for anyone who might be interested in connecting interests to land in Japan, or to work in anime?

Ariel: I’d say: go for it. Educate yourself about what needs to be done to move to Japan, because it will be hard, especially if you don’t know Japanese already, but that’s okay. There are a lot of options to study Japanese. If you’re on a budget, buy a textbook online and start there. It’s better than nothing. There’s also language school, private lessons, and many other ways.

It’s definitely possible. A lot of people from other countries live in Japan, and the foreign community is growing. If it’s still challenging six months in, don’t give up. It’s not a quick fix. I still run into challenges all the time.

As for getting into the animation industry, I feel like I got this job largely out of luck—right place, right time. But for that, I would train: animation school, or teach yourself, and build your skill. Even if you don’t have an official degree, if studios look at your portfolio and it’s really good, there’s still a big chance you could be hired.

Linda: Excellent. A change of topic: Japan is featured in a lot of animes. Tell us about the food.

Ariel: Japanese food depends. In the countryside, you’ll probably get a lot of home-cooked food, fresh rice, fish, and produce. The rural diet is very different from the urban diet, which is mostly what I eat.

It’s actually harder to find fresh veggies in a prepared meal in Tokyo than it is in America. You can cook your own food and vegetables are available at the store, but for pre-made food it can be harder to find veggies and fruit.

The traditional Japanese diet is pretty different: rice, miso soup, usually fish or meat, and a side of vegetables. That kind of meal is very healthy—healthier than average American food. But western food is in Japan now, too, like McDonald’s.

Sally: Is McDonald’s food the same as it is here?

Ariel: A lot of it is the same—burgers and fries—but there are sides and sauces that are different for Japanese tastes. You might see different flavorings, like yuzu (a citrus fruit) mayo. The flavorings change more than anything.

Linda: What’s one thing that surprised you the most?

Ariel: There are a lot of things, but one is that in people’s homes there isn’t central heating. There’s an air conditioner unit for each room, and it also heats. People tend to hang out in one room and only heat that room, because they don’t want to pay to run it everywhere.

Linda: That’s practical.

Ariel: Yeah, electricity is expensive, so people have workarounds.

Linda: We’re just about at time. We’re so glad you joined us and came back for your second interview. Is there anything else you’d like to say about your book, or life in Japan, or anime?

Ariel: Life in Japan is definitely different than in America or other countries, but it’s worth it if you’re willing to constantly be challenged by new things, cultural differences, and things you might not understand right away. Expect challenges, but it’s possible to build a really nice life in Japan.

Linda: Wonderful. Betty, anything else?

Betty: Sally, you had a question before, and I’m sorry I stepped on you.

Sally: It’s all good. It passed the moment. For listeners: my computer went down in the middle, and it took me a while to get back on.

Linda: We said technical difficulties, possibly due to weather. We’re glad you came back and joined us.

Ariel, thank you very much. We do want to promote your book. Go ahead and give us another sentence on your book before we sign off.

Ariel: I recently published a mystery novel called The Wild Rose Alliance. It’s a relaxing, not-too-gritty mystery, and it’s a good one to read over a weekend when you have nothing to do. It can be found on Amazon. You can search the title, The Wild Rose Alliance, or search my name, Ariel Sarullo. It’s available as a Kindle ebook and as a paperback. If you have Kindle Unlimited, it’s free to read.

Linda: We encourage all our listeners to read that book. It’s really excellent.

Ariel: And if you read it, please leave a review. It doesn’t have to be 100 percent positive—just honest would be great.

Linda: Whenever we have a guest on, we’ll have a write-up on the Two Crones in a Microphone website with information about Ariel, and how to get her book.

Ariel: Sounds great.

Linda: It’s time for us to close out. We’re glad you listened in and found out more about the animation industry and life in Japan. Thank you for continuing to listen to Two Crones in a Microphone. We’re grateful you’re here, and we depend on you, our community, to help keep us going and reflect back to us what’s working. Remember we are also on YouTube.

Betty: When you go on YouTube, subscribe so you’ll be notified when our next video drops. You can also subscribe through our Facebook page and website. Those few dollars a month are more important than you think they are. Thank you to all who have subscribed.

Linda: Thank you, Betty. We sure do. Until the next time, go find your glimmer, Sally.

Sally: And don’t forget: we’re here to help you navigate the very, very muddy waters of our time.

Linda: Ariel, one last thing you want to say?

Ariel: Thank you so much everyone for watching.

Linda: Remember always to walk in beauty and kaddish day. Thanks. Till the next time.

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