Almost all Japanese animation is produced with hardly any basis taken from observing real people, you know. It's produced by humans who can't stand looking at other humans. And that's why the industry is full of otaku!

I'm not going to make movies that tell children, "You should despair and run away".

The principle I adhere to when directing, is that I make good use of everything my staff creates. Even if they make foregrounds that don't quite fit with my backgrounds, I never waste it and try to find the best use for it.

When I start creating a villain, I start liking the villain and so the villain is not really evil.

We depict hatred, but it is to depict that there are more important things. We depict a curse, to depict the joy of liberation.

You always have to appeal to your audience. You always have to consider how well your project will do in terms of admissions. I abandoned many stories because of that. But I don't get too down about it. It's something I accepted from the time I decided to work in films.

Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear.