#animage

[xanaxfarts]

Mamoru Oshii: Angel’s Egg 天使の卵 Music Edition Original Soundtrack CD (1986) album artwork: Yoshitaka Amano

[gabbyp09]

[arcadebroke]

[yoi-scans]

[mirai-e-jump]

Animage, June 2026 Issue ft. Amano Kousei Interview (translation below)

Publication: May 9, 2026

The Bringer of Bad Dreams

The new chapter begins with a shocking development……as the story of Kamen Rider Zeztz up until now had been a precognitive dream seen by Baku. As more shocking truths are revealed one after another, the "typhoon" that's been disrupting the battlefield is Sieg, also known as Kamen Rider Dawn.

Sieg is a criminal serving a 1,000 year prison sentence, and was once an agent who operated as Code Number One for the top secret defense organization CODE. However, after merging his own body with a Nightmare, Sieg was eventually viewed as a threat by CODE and even The Lady, who plans to destroy CODE. Sieg is being played by Amano Kousei, who's taking on the role of a Kamen Rider for a second time since Tachibana Sakuya (Garren) in Kamen Rider Blade. Playing an elusive, enigmatic character with a commanding presence, he commits heinous acts with a smile on his face, giving off the impression that there's an ulterior motive behind all of it.

Although Sieg's rampaging around like he runs the show, the wind has begun to shift directions now that Baku's grabbed hold of a new power and transformed into Kamen Rider Zeztz Exdream. When the time comes for these two to cross swords again, will Baku, who fights with the power of dreams, or Sieg, who fights with the power of bad dreams, emerge on top?

Amano Kousei

The resolve to take on a Kamen Rider's burden

-Contemplating the "justice" within Sieg-

"First, please tell us how you felt when you were asked to perform."

Amano: On the flip side, how about your thoughts? It was probably, "Guess this guy's back again," wasn't it?

"Not at all! (laughs). It genuinely made us happy that Amano-san was returning to the Kamen Rider series."

Amano: Ah, really? I'll be honest too, it made me incredibly happy. However, in addition to that, I also felt an intense amount of pressure to participate in a way that would surpass the works I've been in up until now, as I knew I couldn't approach things the same way I did when I was a newcomer.

"Please tell us your impressions of Kamen Rider Zeztz's production."

Amano: I was approached shortly before the broadcast began, so I watched it from the perspective that it was a production I'd be participating in from then on, but the first thing I noticed was that the visuals were really cool. And then, the action is fantastic. When I read the script I was given before the broadcast, the description of dreams and reality was complex, so I kept wondering, "How are they gonna depict this?" They didn't use Nem's dialogue in the actual story, but I was able to just go with it and think, "So this is the kind of world they've created," and felt like, "Kamihori-san is just amazing!" I found it entertaining even as someone in their 40s, and I think it's a Kamen Rider that adults can enjoy too.

"What are you conscious of when portraying Sieg?"

Amano: The Kamen Rider series isn't one where we receive a script that covers all the way up to the final episode. The first time I got to play a Kamen Rider, there were moments when I regretted things and thought, "If this development was gonna turn out this way, then I wish I had done that part alittle differently. To avoid that happening during Zeztz, I structure a coherent plan in my mind and make small adjustments based on the parts that are different each time a script comes in. Ultimately, there's been parts that've linked up with my vision, so there haven't been that many moments where I've thought, "I wish I'd done it this way."

"What's your impression of Kamen Rider Dawn?"

Amano: Everything about him is cool. I love his colors, and his design also properly captures a minimalist aesthetic that highlights key elements. If Zeztz was designed as an homage to the older Kamen Riders, then I'd say Dawn uses a modern take on that style. Equating him to a Rider from Blade, he's closest to Chalice.

"What kind of discussions do you have with Dawn's Takada Masashi-san?"

Amano: We'll talk about "doing this kind action during situations like these," and Takada-san in turn will ask, "I'm thinking of adding this little gesture before the Rider Kick, but what do you think?," so we're going over every fine detail together. This might actually be the most I've ever discussed a role.

"So you're taking a different approach compared to the past, huh?"

Amano: During my time as Garren, Oshikawa-san would always adapt to whatever I was doing on my own. At that time, I was just a newcomer who didn't have the skills to keep up with Oshikawa-san, so he was of huge help to me. During "Fourze," the one who played Libra Zodiarts was Watanabe-san, who's the Action Director for Zeztz, and we had talked to each other quite abit. In contrast, for "King-Ohger," I didn't discuss anything at all relating to my role with Muraoka-san, who took on playing Grodie's monster form.

"Why did you decide to communicate more closely this time around?"

Amano: I've pretty much been doing things my own way, so I guess you could say this is more like me reporting in and saying, "I'm doing it with this feeling," you know?……(laughs). There's been so many parts where he's really taken my portrayal of Sieg into consideration, and while I feel abit bad about that, I am truly grateful.

"For the villain roles that were just brought up, compared to Fourze's Hayami Kouhei and King-Ohger's Grodie, are there any differences in how you approached portraying him?"

Amano: I've given alot of thought into how to preserve the "Kamen Rider" aspect of Sieg's role. If Sieg's really just a villain who does nothing but hurt people, then I think it'd be best if he wasn't a Kamen Rider. If they don't grow within the story or carry some kind of burden, then I feel that they're not a Kamen Rider. Even if others see him as a villain, as long as he's a Kamen Rider, then there must be some kind of principle that resonates with him. It was like that with "Kamen Rider Outsiders," but ultimately, it's just a matter of perspective, as what might be seen as evil to Baku could be the opposite to Sieg. So, even when I don't fully understand the meaning behind the lines I'm given, I perform them with the mindset of making everything feel justified.

"It's because you've experienced playing the role before that you're taking great care to portray the essence of being a Kamen Rider."

Amano: Yes. It was mentally easier to portray pure evil villains like Principal Hayami and Grodie, as I could just do whatever I wanted (laughs). Still, Kamen Rider is a work that's changed my life, so being able to say "henshin" as a Kamen Rider holds profound meaning for me. In the past, I would just say henshin when I had to, but this time, I'm pretty particular on finding the right way to say henshin so that it conveys the emotions of the moment.

-Being inspired by the ideas of the Directors-

"Director Sugihara Teruaki was in charge of episode 27 and 28, where Sieg was properly introduced, and the most recent episode 33."

Amano: I've kept in touch with Sugi-san since Blade, and while I've had the opportunity to have Shibasaki-san, Yamaguchi-san and Kamihori-san, who I've known since their days as Assistant Directors, film me, I had never had that chance with Sugi-san. During filming of King-Ohger, I brought up that "I wanted him to film me someday," where it came to fruition at a time when we could closely coordinate various details, specifically, the episode that introduced Sieg. On my first day of filming, we filmed the scene with (Code Number) One, where I went into it full of enthusiasm, as I had come up with various plans. But then, Sugi-san simply summed it up by saying, "I don't think you need to do that." When I went to check my performance as One on the monitor after receiving that advice, I was able to comprehend it and think, "Ah, so that's the kind of person One is" and, "In that case, Sieg must be this kind of person." I think it was a scene that was only possible because we've known each other since we were young and are so comfortable communicating with each other.

"You've worked together with Director Shibasaki, who was in charge of episodes 29 and 30, on various other productions in the past, right?"

Amano: Shibasaki-san was Blade's Chief Assistant Director, and was the Director of "Super Hero Taisen GP" and Outsiders, so he's someone who's filmed Tachibana Sakuya alot. I wonder how Sieg appears through Shibasaki-san's eyes (laughs). Shibasaki-san has a good sense of balance, so while he basically tells me to "do whatever I want," he's also incredibly particular about important details. Because of that, I consciously try to comprehend exactly what those key points are.

"Director Kamihoriuchi, the main Director, was in charge of episodes 31 and 32."

Amano: Kamihori-san really helped me out during King-Ohger, but even though he's been calling me ever since then, he hasn't actually filmed many of the episodes I appear in. Since he inevitably ends up filming the lead actors most of the time, this old man gets pushed to the back (laughs). Still, when he does occasionally film me, it's alot of fun. With Kamihori-san, I often feel like "I can't figure out what's going on in his head," so when we're performing, I try to come up with ideas that would go beyond the Director's vision, but once I get on set, what happens there always exceeds my expectations. With a sly grin he'll tell me, "I never would've considered that" (laughs), which I think is truly amazing, as it really inspires me. It's not just Kamihori-san, as Sugi-san and Shibasaki-san are also seriously pouring their lives into creating these works. I couldn't fully understand it back when I was a newcomer, but I'm sure Director Ishida and the others behind Blade felt the same way as them. Now that I'm this age, I understand everyone's feelings and dedication regarding these productions, and that makes me feel like I have to give my all as well, and in a way, that makes me happy.

"Sieg has alot of scenes together with Baku and Nem, but how has it been working with Baku's Imai Ryutaro-san and Nem's Horiguchi Maho-san?"

Amano: Actually, my first involvement with Zeztz was playing the role of an opponent during the final audition. At the time, I had yet to be cast, but Kamihori-san reached out to me, which is also how I met Imai-san and Horiguchi-san. It was the same during the audition, but even after half a year, they've become much more confident and attentive, and it's been alot of fun performing with them.

"Are there any scenes where Imai-san and Horiguchi-san's performance have left a strong impression on you?"

Amano: In episode 33, during the scene where Nem cries after Baku's letter vanishes, she shed emotional tears from the test shot all the way through the actual shoot, and seeing that, I felt like I was going to cry too (laughs). There was a crying scene during the final audition when I played her partner, where she was crying with proper emotion, but at that time, she said something like, "This is the first time I've ever cried while acting." Seeing her there, sobbing uncontrollably while looking at a letter with nothing written on it, really drove home the approach to acting that she's developed over the past half year. In the upcoming episode 34, there's a scene where I face off against Imai-san, and I was almost in tears during this too. There was also a scene during the audition where I faced off against Imai-san, but the way his eyes looked at me then was completely different from how he looked at me in episode 34. I know this might sound abit arrogant, but it felt like, "He's looking me dead in the eyes while confronting me." Just as my seniors were the ones guiding me back when we were working on Blade, I thought I'd be in the position to guide them, but once I actually got on set, I found that I was the one learning from everyone else. I'm really being guided by Imai-kun and Horiguchi-san in particular.

"It seems that episode 34 will explore Sieg's background."

Amano: I can't go into too much detail yet, but I think this episode will give you a glimpse of Sieg before he became an agent. At first glance, Sieg doesn't seem very human, but I'm trying to make him as human as possible in my own way. If you've been thinking, "Why does this person seem so evil?" or "What's at Sieg's core?," then I think you'll enjoy the episode even more.

[kishigunpla]

Scan of Zeta Gundam (and SD Gundam) stickers that came with the October 1985 issue of Animage

[empty-movement]

It's December. It's 1997. You are watching the final handful of episodes of Revolutionary Girl Utena, and you are excited. You pick up Animage Magazine, and immediately become a victim of this set of two page spreads by Akemi Hayashi. You flip from one to the next, and begin to worry that this show might just choose violence for an ending.

But you persevere! Cool! Because there are plenty more magazine scans where these came from!

[rovbookshelf]

From Animage April 1980

After The Rose of Versailles film came out, little girls who couldn't read subtitles were saying "please make it into an anime..."

AM: I’d like to start off by asking about the process that led up to The Rose of Versailles being made into an anime.

Ikeda: Last year, I thought I’d like to make The Rose of Versailles into a movie, so I entrusted everything to producer Mataichiro Yamamoto. However at the time, I wasn't considering an anime. I had also turned down all the previous offers.

AM: Why was that?

Ikeda: There was a fierce amount of opposition saying, “Don’t make it into a movie or anime, it would ruin the readers’ image”

AM: So despite opposition you went ahead with the anime?

Ikeda: It ended up being made into a movie, didn’t it? After that, requests for an anime increased, little girls around kindergarten age couldn’t read my original work or the movie subtitles. So I began to feel that I wanted younger children to be able to watch it.

AM: So you consider the main audience of the anime The Rose of Versailles to be children from around kindergarten age to around third grade in elementary school?

Ikeda: Yes. I believe so, due to the time slot. If you look at the sponsor’s advertised products they’re things like little purses and dolls, you can tell by that.

AM: I see. Once the anime was decided and production began, how were you involved during that time?

Ikeda: I was not involved at all. I was not involved in the planning stage, they sent me the scripts but I didn’t really read them. I think an anime means that a completely new work is being born. So I think it’s best just to look forward to that.

My work is becoming an anime. This is not something that happens often in one's life. I think I am very fortunate...

AM: I'd like to ask what your impression of the anime is, based on what you've watched...

Ikeda: Every week I record it and watch it with my assistants. If I am working, I will take a short break. So, I am just jumping on the bandwagon and watching for the fun of it.

AM: Just following the trends?

Ikeda: Yes. For instance, the anime version of Girodelle is very cool and handsome. In the first episode he duels Oscar for the position of commander, right!?! That scene was very intense. I thought "Wow, he looks so grown up! He looks so cool, with his hair’s blowing in the wind…He looks much cooler the the original (laughs)"

AM: Was there anything else that stood out like "Wow!"?

Ikeda: So far, more than any specific scene, it is the gorgeous backgrounds that leave the greatest impression on me. Things like the buildings in the background.

Back when I was drawing The Rose of Versailles, I had not been to the Palace of Versailles. I was drawing by looking at photographs...and even those reference materials were not sufficient...This time they also have the film The Rose of Versailles to refer to, and I think the backgrounds are very well developed.

AM: It is indeed very detailed.

Ikeda: It really is. My grandmother watches it too but she thinks the backgrounds are real. Like the Palace of Versailles. She is getting old, her eyesight probably isn't what it used to be (laughs).

AM: In episode 8 there is a scene at the Jarjayes mansion with the sunrise, it was very beautiful, the colors changing to show the passage of time...

Ikeda: Yes, it was. I don't really understand the technical aspects, but I was moved and thought "very beautiful!!"

AM: I see. So, there are some differences in the story and setting, between the original work and the anime.

Ikeda: The introduction of episode 1 was different, wasn't it? As for myself, I thought I had put equal effort into all four of them. Antoinette, Fersen, Oscar, and André. However originally what I wanted to depict the most was Marie Antoinette’s life.

AM: Oh, is that so?

Ikeda: Correct. That is why the beginning of the original story is about Antoinette. I had intended for Oscar to be a supporting character. The thing is, historical figures are surprisingly hard to move around a story. So inevitably, I became more invested in and favored the fictional character, Oscar.

AM: And for creating interesting drama too...

Ikeda: That's right. Besides with anime, the audience consists of younger children, it is much easier for them to follow the story if you establish early on who the protagonist and heroine is. So I think Episode 1 was fine. It was very straightforward...

AM: Is there anything else that stood out to you that is different from the original, what have you noticed?

Ikeda: The Duke of Orleans appearing as a villain from the beginning. In my version he was more the type of person who schemes behind the scenes...I think, because of the same reason as before, the viewers' ages being much younger, It is better this way. It helps make the story simple and clear, if we know that the Duke of Orleans is a bad or good person.

AM: So you and the production staff have a mutual understanding.

Ikeda: That's right. It's not as though I put in any specific requests.

AM: How do you think the main themes are being handled?

Ikeda: As I said before, one of the things I wanted to portray in this work was the life of Marie Antoinette. And then there is Oscar's way of life. The story of a woman who is forced to live as a man, she lives a life no one else can, and in the end accepts it and chooses that way of life for herself....

AM: Is this depicted in the anime?

Ikeda: Not yet, it is still a work in progress....Though, as long as Mr. Yamamoto is the producer, I think it will be fine.

AM: Are you worried that "Oscar's way of life as a woman" may be too difficult for kindergarten and elementary-school children?

Ikeda: I think there can be certain limits due to age, but it is all dependent on the way it is portrayed. When I was in middle school, I heard an interview with an unmarried twenty year old female professor. At the end they asked her "do you have plans to get married" and she said "Huh? Well no". She answered "I had forgotten about that".

I was moved at that moment, to think that there are careers for women out there that are fulfilling enough to make them forget about marriage. I thought that, even though I was still a child.

They have reproduced my clumsy characters from early serialization, in great detail. It is very embarrassing.

AM: What do you think of the character design?

Ikeda: I think they are quite close to the original. Personally, I really don't like the drawings I did right after serialization began. I was not very good. These too have been reproduced to look like my originals, and it is very embarrassing, I don't like it....

AM: Not good?

Ikeda: Yes, how Oscar and Andre look chubby when they are young. And as they get older their cheeks start to hollow out. You know, that was not something I did intentionally. Even the early round faced Oscar, I was trying to draw her as cool and mature looking as she is just before her death. But my drawing skills were poor....and I don't want to see those old drawings again...

I have known of Tarō Shigaki since he was young, but I didn't know he was so talented.

AM: What do you think of the voice cast?

Ikeda: Fersen is voiced by Nachi Nozawa, right? His character is supposed to be 18 years old, just like Oscar, his voice really makes you feel the age difference. He sounds more like someone who is around 32 or 33. But I think his personality suits the role very well. I feel that he talks a little fast though.

AM: What do you think of Reiko Tajima in the role of Oscar?

Ikeda: Right now she is ok, but I am worried about what will happen down the road. Same with Antoinette. Miyuki Ueda's voice suits the young Antoinette. But I don't know how her voice will work for her when she is in her 30s, I am a little concerned about that.

AM: I understand.

Ikeda: I knew that Taro Shigaki, who plays André, had been on TV since he was young, but I had no idea he was so talented. I had thought of him as the type of actor who was known for his looks rather than his acting. So I thought of acting with dialogue only....but I ended up being surprised at how good he was (laughs).

AM: What about the narrator?

Ikeda: First of all, it really makes an impact. For younger children, I wonder if that voice will be a little scary though.

AM: I see.

Osamu Tezuka said, “Animation is great.” He said "you should make one". Maybe I should become an apprentice at Tezuka Productions…

AM: From what you have told us so far, it seems that you are quite satisfied with The Rose of Versailles anime.

Ikeda: Yes, I'd say so. Or rather, there isn't anything I have to compare it to, I am the type of person who is generally pleased with things. People say all sorts of things, but I just want to tell them, “think about it for a second.” Just seeing something I worked so hard on end up on TV, and with famous voice actors voicing it, that’s not something that happens every day.

AM: Pretty lucky?

Ikeda: I think so. I am really lucky, aren't I? So, I don't really think in that way of “I didn't like this part” or “I didn't like that part.”

AM: And, if there were an offer to adapt any of your other works...?

Ikeda: Yes, if there was someone who understood what I wanted to express in my work and who my characters are, I suppose I would let them. I myself created The Rose of Versailles using the book Marie Antoinette by Zweig as inspiration. If Zweig had said, "I would be bothered if my work were made into a girls manga," then I would be bothered too. (laughs)

AM: The readers would also be bothered.

Ikeda: I choose to see Zweig respecting my autonomy as a creator and saying "Well then, why don't you try drawing it?”. Besides, Zweig was no longer alive....so I drew it.

AM: The same can be said about the anime.

Ikeda: Right.

AM: But it took you a long time to give permission for an anime adaptation.

Ikeda: There was very strong opposition from the fans, and I was afraid of that. Personally, I thought it could be interesting to do.

AM: Interesting?

Ikeda: Yes. I mean, in the sense that I could see the characters I created actually move. Is that not the dream of every artist who draws?

AM: I would like to ask you some questions about anime other than The Rose of Versailles.

Ikeda: This is a problem. Because I am a novice anime fan (lol).

AM: Do you watch anime often?

Ikeda: No. I haven't even seen Space Battleship Yamato or Galaxy Express 999.

AM: Is there anything you are looking forward to watching?

Ikeda: Well, I would like to see Phoenix, the series Osamu Tezuka is currently working on. Oh, that reminds me, I just saw a Soviet animated short film that was about 10 minutes long, it was at an independent film screening. It didn't have much of a story, just an animated film about a butterfly flying around. But I really liked it.

AM: So you are interested in anime.

Ikeda: Yes, I just arrived late. Osamu Tezuka said, “Animation is great.” He said "you should make one. It wouldn't be something that makes you money like The Rose of Versailles, but something about 10 minutes long, drawn all on your own. For example, a boy and girl meet in a park, exchange a tender glance, and then quietly go their separate ways." He told me "that sort of thing, a really good 10 minutes long, you could draw it in about a year and a half"

AM: That's a wonderful idea.

Ikeda: I think it would be great just to draw something like this for fun!!!

AM: Do you know anything about the technical aspects of animation?

Ikeda: I don't know anything. I told them, Maybe one day I'll apprentice at Mushi Productions (laughs).

AM: Finally, could you give us a few words on anime as a medium.

Ikeda: As you know, I studied philosophy in college. My junior high school teacher was very pleased with that, to have a former student go on to pursue academic scholarship. When I told them I was leaving university to become a manga artist, I got a letter saying "“If you have time to draw something so foolish, you could at least learn one word in German" I thought "do not underestimate me". Really.

A girls manga, something that has been looked down upon, has finally become an anime! This is how I see anime.