Interview with developers of Transformers who have been loved by toys, animation, movies, etc. for 30 years

Toy released from Takara Tomy "TransformersSF action movie based on "Transformers / Lost Age"Was released on August 8, 2014. At such timing, Tomoya Miyake and Mr. Tomoya Miyake, who is involved in product development for overseas toys and transformers, and "Diacron"Since I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Mitsuhito Ohno who was engaged in toy development since that time, I have been hitting questions about toy development and transformers.

Transformers Official Site | TAKARATOMY
http://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/toy/

The interview was held at Takara Tomy headquarters in Tateishi, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo.


Although it is not decorated with decadeca and a logo, there is a commodity exhibition corner which can be seen from the outside on the first floor of the head office, and here we have found many lost age related products.


Small children were curiously staring at the transformers


At the entrance I found the logo of TAKARATOMY, I will try to break in.


The interview was held in the showroom located in Takara Tomy's head office. In fact it seems that more transformers are on exhibition, just as from August 9, 2014Transformers FairIs held so that most of the toys were on a business trip.


Mr. Mitsuhito Ohno (right) and Mr. Tomoya Miyake (left) who accepted this interview. Each of you is playing a transformer you made.


GIGAZINE (hereinafter, G):
Although Ohno is involved in toy development at Takara Tomi from the time of the deformation robot "Diacron", what was the reason for doing this work?

Mitsuhito Ohno (Large):
Takara at the timeSteel Sieg·Transformation cyborg·MicromanIt is a manufacturer making toys such as toys, so I entered with something interesting being able to do here. You were assigned to the Boys Toy department here as you wanted, and you were able to participate in the end of the microman and the rising of Diacron.

G:
How was it for Mr. Miyake?

Tomoya Miyake (hereinafter, "three"):
I joined the general in Takara Tomy and I was doing business with a feeling like a schooling period for the first year, but at the time of real assignment "I have such a thing, why do not you try it?" I came to the overseas transformer development department. At that time, the development team was divided between overseas transformers and domestic transformers, and the transformer team for overseas had no crown of "Transformers", so it was feeling like a development team for overseas. So, I did not know that Ohno was the leader of the team, I went to the department on that day and I felt like "what are you doing here?" I think that personnel has known that I liked toys, robots and boys figures, and I think that they belonged to me, but it seems like "I was a Transformer when I went there." I have been in this department ever since and it is my 7th year this year.

Q:
Transformers are transformed into robots, but what was the chance for this to be born?

Big:
Takara is a company that has been doing figures all the time, so there was something about whether the car could somehow become a robot, did not he? In such a situation, the thing called a Diacron was transformed into a robot was born. Daikuron is a world view of 1/60, it is a story that 3 cm small guy called Inch Man fights in various machines and a toy based on it. As in this series, it is very important for children to actually understand as "like a police car!" It is starting from the part that it is interesting if it deforms. There used to be deformation and coalescence from the SF tick place in the past,Magma AmbassadorIs transforming from a rocket, is surprising that "This will transform" by transforming from what the children can understand to a robot is a big factor.

Q:
Do you know what it means to be a vehicle?

Big:
It's fun to transform children from what they like or they are easy to understand.

Lost Age series battle command Optimus Prime is a transformer that can reproduce three modes.


Q:
From transformer toys to animation and movies are being followed one after the other, how do you think the place you hit abroad over Japan felt fascinating?

Big:
I am often saying, but it is delicious twice. Speaking at the time, it is delicious twice as toys can be played with cars and robots as well. Furthermore, it may be delicious three times because it can be enjoyed as a puzzle in the process of deforming to a robot. Those things that are interesting twice as such toys, I think that the part that makes car chases with cars and enjoying the actions of robots, even if they are visualized, is very attractive. Moreover, I think that the reason that everyone understands, the thing that I admire (car) is transformed into what I admire (robot) is also reason to be uke globally.

three:
I think that it is very close to what Ohno says, but after all I have been loved by various countries around the world, everyone got me playing and I was watching anime, there is not much content like that . I think this is due to the very important part that any child in any country knows and what you like becomes a robot. Is not it cool that we think the coolest American children are cool? Even though it is very popular in the United States, if we see it, "Eh ~ so?", Or the reverse pattern is also common. But all famous manufacturers all over the world got a lot of cars out there and everyone knew and the Transformers once became animals but since animals have the same animals in any zoo in the world anywhere, I think that everyone is cool, is not it? "I think that the Transformers have elements.

The first Optimus Prime was also exhibited in the showroom.


Q:
I think that there are numerous toy makers, but why do you think Takara Tomy realized the transformer in that?

Big:
I think that it became a strong point that the original was done with a boy's toy such as microman and transformation cyborg. While making stories and developing toys by themselves, when these were transformed into transformers, it became a shape spreading steadily all over the world. At first it is animationHasbroMr. picked up to do it together, but then I took Hollywood to pick it up and spread further. There are also stories that Mr. Spielberg 's daughter showed interest in Transformers, I think that there was such inheritance with the generation of three generations by the flow of such times.

three:
In the beginning I did not know because I did not know, but Hasbro came together all the time at the same time, it is a way of selling in it and skills and techniques to make things that children all over the world like There is no doubt that it will be accumulated, it can not absolutely be managed by others, and I think I can get something upgraded every year every year thanks to its accumulation. At first it was great.

Big:
Accumulation is a wealth. Some members have been old since there are deformations, so there are deformations of the same deformation, but there are things of the same deformation, but I am trying to make it different deformation as much as possible or not just deform it but also how the child should play like it I will. When we think about gimmicks and mechanisms, there are a lot of proposals to think about how this can be expressed in the image and so on, and there is something that we are going to summarize the concept of products each time However, when it is applied to the image well, it shows the maximum power.


G:
Do you have any difficulties in developing?

Big:
At first I was dealing with what my favorite things like cars and jet aircraft became robots, but I wanted to deform to what I liked, but I also want to make fans more and more interesting, so "three step deformation For example, thinking of becoming a space shuttle from the locomotive and becoming a robotTriple changerWe have developed. In addition, it is not interesting if we deal with six shapes of construction vehicles, or if it transforms into six shapes by one, I think about various new concepts with Mr. Hasbro with feeling "What will we do next?" As figures become heads, when the figures stick to the head of the robot, the indicator appears and the ability is displayedHead MastersAlthough there was also a series called, this was a series that can be continued for one year, I wonder if I had a hard time. "Always bring out new things" is very hard. In addition to the concept "human beings are pretending to robot"PretenderIt was also born, and this also had a hard time. It may have been better now, but when it was technology at the time it became a shell type to express that a human being became a robot, and if you open up as a human being in a human being, you can use a robot There was no choice but to summarize it in the form that it is contained, but if this is the case, the size of human beings and the size of the robot in the middle have become bigger and the robot really has to be stronger It seems that human beings are getting bigger.

three:
In line with Ohno's story, there is a feeling that it has quite done. I have been doing success and failure properly so far, so I'm working on development while thinking about what was wrong with seeing past concepts. In recent years, there are opportunities to work with different partners every year, such as new animations and movies, and it is different what kind of customers are making for each customer. Although it is the first time to decide whether this product is for children or whether they want children to play like this, since making themselves takes a long time like a marathon, "Where is the goal We are advancing while supporting it to become "?" It is not the same day by day, but problems and discomfort will increase rapidly. However, we also like to make things, I am glad when it comes to shape. At the stage before that, while fighting and fighting while stepping through various steps, it is hard or hard place.

Big:
Well, there are places where you can enjoy it.

three:
The night before making things is awesome already. There are times when you can finally "... finally ...", so it is quite difficult to go there.

Big:
Concept work.

three:
Yes, the concept work is painful.

Big:
Now that a lot of lines have expanded, there are many lines from pre-school to adult people, so we have to stick to each other.

three:
There are each series, and furthermore the character is for children or for adults, the target is different, the way of playing is different.

Big:
It was very difficult to put out that character, and I said that it is cool from the coolest ones, but it is very difficult to make that cool one.

three:
Well now I am having fun there. It's like "Dinosaur, Wah! Fun!" (Laugh)

Big:
However, both must be made cool.

three:
It is pressure and it is also a fun place.


Q:
What is going on like a transformer flow until it appears in the movie? For example, do you have a request to "make such a transformer because you want to make such a movie", or are things made with awareness of movies appearing in the movies? Plus, please give us your impressions when those characters actually appeared in the movie.

three:
Ohno was doing a movie until revenge.

Big:
It was not originally built into the staff of the movie, but there are original toys to the end, it is a feeling how the movie staff will use the movie staff. There, of course, I am telling you that it is a request via Mr. Hasbro, but I do not know if it is actually used or not. Because there was something about the final design of Optimus, so it was true to create a three-dimensional object, but something was doing. However, it is a creator's interesting how to make it, so how to show the original of a toy attractive is a place you want to leave to the Hollywood side as well.

three:
Somewhat different from your imagination there is that, we are making something and making a movie based on that. And, what the film staff thinks is how to become a movie as a movie. Since the content like a transformer by all means is inseparable from a toy by all means, if we make such a character as such character, I can do such a toy, etc. with a member of Hasbro to the staff of the movie in the studio together There are. But I do not say that there is honesty "thanks to you guys this and this!" However, there are several parts that may have been affected. After that it is feeling that it will make almost at the same time, so I can not show it, but a picture of Optimus and dinosaurs who came out and came and interacted with "like this". It will be so because of the sense of speed of business.

Big:
However, there is a tremendous relationship of trust.

three:
As time goes on, at first it seems like "I can not do it" There was also a husband but that kind of thing also disappeared, and beyond, "If Takara tomy and husband are Takara Tomy and Hasbro it will be able to be a soft toy so much" It looks like You are thrown without care. So, "When the tire deforms, the tire disappeared! It's alright, it disappears!

Big:
We also make impossible plans into toys. Then he said, "You can see it."

three:
It is such a strange way of making, I am building an evolved relationship.

Big:
I am doing it in a very good relationship. Also, as old characters come out quite often in the movie, it is also a very fun place to be a fan, and even though I made it, it seems like "Are you making this active in me? It is very impressive to me to say that such an activity in a design like that is very impressive. Even in the revengeDevastatorThe detailed design is slightly different, but it appeared in the movie while leaving the concept that the construction vehicles coalesce, and I was touched by the feeling with a very gigantic feeling. Regarding this time as well, it seems that if Grimm Rock is the current design it will be ah. It was very interesting and impressed that Optimus came along and DynoBots came out as the main. There is really fun as such a creator, and fans from old times also do that kind of view and I think that there are also ways to enjoy such things.

You can also see the Optimus Prime riding on the Grimm Rock even in the trailer of Lost Age.

"Transformers / Lost Age" Trailer - YouTube


three:
When you first saw the movie you support. I understand the rough flow, but there are many parts that I do not know as to what kind of activity it is, so I will be excited when making enemies. I know it will definitely die, but it looks like "Dead!"

Big:
It was a dinosaur robot that I started out of planning by myself as a dinosaur robot, so I was very happy that it became a transformer and active in the movie. It is feelingless, Optimus on board.

three:
It seems that my son once traveled came home.

Big:
It looks like I got clean and came back.

Grim rock appearing in Lost Age is a transformer planned and developed by Mr. Ono, this is the first Grimm Rock.


Q:
For the dinosaurs transforming and cars transforming, because the shape is completely different, I think there are some difficult parts, too?

Big:
I've been using cars and machines for robots all the time, but as a producer I also wanted to do the next challenge. The car also has a high awareness but there are living creatures all over the world, is that the dinosaurs are the most popular among such creatures, you seem to dinosaurs as robots. That is why we have to commercialize the five body, this is the endBeast WarsAlthough it also leads to, but also, "newness" and "how to surprise the user how" is also my mind as a maker, so I thought to the user that "If I thought this would come next time! Please do it.

three:
Just about the design and design of things, there are quite a difference between cars and dinosaurs. The car is beautiful from any angle in this state, and when it moves it moves only in the tire in this state, but the dinosaurs and animals move, the whole body is moving. This is the big difference between cars and dinosaurs I think. There are price zones that we are aiming for in Transformers, so how to make it looks attractive like how cool it is in a range that does not exceed that part is the most different part.

Because the car moves only in the tire, Miyake says "everywhere it is decided".


Also, it is difficult to make strange animals. There is a rabbit in us, a turtle like this, probably a dragon like this image, so it is hard to make something you have never seen before without bending it well. For example, when you make a shark transformer, you go to the aquarium and look at the sharks, check the skeletal specimens and buy models and figures as well. I do the same thing in the car as well, but I will make both the real car that appears in a real movie and the fantasy car toy that appears in animation, but in that case from this I'm studying various things such as there is no way for exhaust to go out. Pretty much everyone is detailed, especially battle weapons. Because tanks and airplanes or indeed Kore is actually in the UK, this is American, feeling.

Big:
The market is steadily becoming real.

three:
After all it is different from the old one.

Big:
This was the limit in the past.

First Grimm Rock (right) and Lost Age version Grimm Rock (Left).


Big:
In the past it was a dinosaur, but now it is like this.

three:
Recent things are made conscious of the attitude of Spinoosaurus of the lizard system.

Big:
Besides, I started playing with ball joints on the way, and the part like a posing as a figure came out.

three:
Well, I'm researching the robot's dinosaurs and cars as well.

Q:
I think that you said that you cooperated with Mr. Hasbro earlier, but what kind of advice would you actually give to the video?

three:
For exampleAnimatedIf it is animation work like "I like this kind of toy with such a promotion ~", I will also propose that, especially in the part of play "I have this weapon and I shoot like this" such part is in the past I have always suggested.

Big:
The movie is also a part of the movie that moves at the beginning when moving the legs together, it is a part that can be moved and deformed, a gimmick that opens a part of the chest as if he is living like a neck alive, or a weapon deformed in a moment I advise such gimmicks as things to do.

three:
There are places where we are better at gimmick parts. When we go into the content of animation, I propose that "It would be interesting to do this in three dimensions." I sometimes discuss in actual content and selection of characters, and I feel that I am doing quite well with Hasbro. The production team such as animation is doing earlier stage of concept work, etc. Hasbro designers are doing a cool American hero style design.

Big:
They are particular about it, because it is a country of Superman. It is quite often said that you are stuck with proportions for quite a long time and have a lot of proportions that tilt their heads a little bit and are quite different from Japanese hero statues, but their preference and their own commitment It is a feeling of fusing commitment. I think Transformers are figure figures, but this is a bit different from the Japanese Gundam and so on.

three:
The dinosaurs of this movie are images like a knight at the time of robot. Originally the design of the knight image came up from the studio side, so it was a knight like that with Husbro's toy designer and us, "It is such a weapon if a knight you have such a weapon", it comes out to the actual video Even though I do not need it.

G:
Do you have anything you can do better than you thought of in the toys that you have been making, or are there any memorable things?

Big:
It's full of drinks and it's alright, but as you go with the old guyProleIt is a police car like a robot. That is very good as a minicar, and I like it even after becoming a robot. At that timeStudio DairyI made it while doing something with my design, so I like the unity of the whole. Especially my favorite point is that the face is an autobot mark of Transformers. Another thing I said earlier was the triple changerBlitz wingWhenAstro TrainI think that I could do well. If you mention another one more, a huge robotFortress Maximus. It is what I got at the headmaster time, but I like the concept of becoming a base with a huge feeling. Although there are also places where each was hard.

three:
From making me a transformer now, I make it like a culmination every time, but the movie's Lost Age series has made pretty good designs. Regarding dinosaurs as well, I think that anything good made possible by mixing Ohno-san called Dainobot with the taste of the dinosaur we think now.

Grim rock of the Lost Age series


Also, I wonder if one has been accumulated in the history of transformers so far, it is a series that can be deformed in a moment for people who play with transformers for the first time. It made me quite mindful to have made this one more pillar.

Big:
As time goes getting harder and harder, people who like it will be in trouble, so it is likely that more users will be enjoyed by Transformers if it is difficult to sort them out in a good way with simple things.

three:
I feel like I will shift to more complicated places where it can not be done soon. Because there is something complicated with one touch deformation with the same character, you can buy it with your father and play with children. I think that my father says that one touch is better.

"Drift" of Transformers series that can be deformed with one touch.


Paccari with the back of the car body.


Then you can deform with one touch.


When I actually look at the movie it looks like this.

Drift deformation video - YouTube


Big:
That's right, in that sense, the Lost Age series this time was good.

In addition, at this Friday road showMovie Transformers BroadcastIt will be.

"Transformers / Lost Age"
From Friday August 8th, summer vacation 3D / 2D IMAX 3D national road show!
Official site:http://www.tf-movie.jp/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/tfmovie.jp
Twitter:https://twitter.com/tf_autobot
Distribution: Paramount Pictures Japan
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And all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.