Cowboy Bebop Panel
Anime Expo New York 2002
By Andrew Tei
Note: This is a rough translation as I was transcribing during the entire panel, plus any mistakes that could happen during translation.
YK - Yoko Kanno（注——音乐：菅野洋子）
SW - Shinichiro Watanabe（监督：渡边信一郎）
TK - Toshiro Kawamoto（人设：川元利浩）
M – Moderator
A- Audience
Moderator: We will start out now by having everyone introduces themselves.
Toshiro Kawamoto: Hello to everyone in New York. I am Toshiro Kawamato and I am the character designer for Cowboy Bebop. I was invited as part of the premiere of the movie version, but I would also like to answer any questions you have concerning the TV series. There are definitely a lot of questions only the director can answer, so you can ask him.
Shinchiro Watanabe: Hello New York, I am Shinchiro Watanabe. I am the director. I don't know much about the series either, so you have to ask Miss Kanno.
Yoko Kanno: You're too cruel!
Shinchiro Watanabe: Ask anything, and I will answer everything.
Yoko Kanno: My name is Yoko Kanno. I am the composer for Cowboy Bebop. (*lots of applause*). I love New York.
Moderator: Now we will open the forum up for questions.
Audience: To Ms. Kanno, a lot of the music from the series was from several languages, including English, Japanese, and French. In the movie though, it seemed like you only used English. Why the switch?
YK: There is some Arabic also, but there wasn't much consideration as to why it’s just English.
A: Will there be any future Cowboy Bebop?
SW: I’ll answer this the same way I did last night during the premiere. I'll think about it if the movie raises a million dollars in the United States.
A: This question is for Yoko Kanno, where does the inspiration for your music come from?
YK: I have no idea where my inspiration comes from. I'm just waiting for something to fall onto me.
A: This question is for everyone. What did you learn from making Cowboy Bebop? What can others learn from you?
TK: I learned that good things come to those who wait. And that's because Cowboy Bebop took longer than the budgeted time. Especially for the movie, we took much longer than usual, which is how we got to that quality. And to the people who are following in our footsteps, if you wait too long you will miss your opportunity.
A: In the construction for the finale of the TV series, the final fight in the finale is much shorter than in Ballad of Fallen Angels. Was this intentional on your part?
SW: I didn't have enough time. *much laughter*
A: I'm honored to meet you all. For the series, you used jazz, opera, and cowboy western. What is your favorite style?
YK: My favorite is Ed's song.
A: This question is for Ms Kanno. I hear you can see colors in music, what color do you see in each note?
YK: I want to keep it a trade secret.
A: Ms Kanno, your music is incredible, and eclectic. My two favorite secondary characters in the series are Jet and Faye. What went into their design?
TK: I really like that someone likes Jet. I haven't had too many people ask for sketches of Jet compared to other characters. Since Jet was Spike's partner, I wanted them to be opposites. Spike is light, while Jet is heavy. Spike wears a suit and tie, and Jet wears very casual clothing. The characters opposite the main character help contrast Spike . I didn't base Faye off anyone.
YK: Why are Faye's breasts so big?
TK: Because I have a fetish for that kind of stuff.*laughter*
A: What were you reactions to Cartoon Network asking for a second series of Cowboy Bebop?
SW: Really? This is the first time I’ve heard of it?
TK: We really don't know about it.
A: Because Cowboy Bebop just oozes cool, how have you felt the influence Cowboy Bebop has had? Is there any chance that the Seatbelts will tour America again?
SW: I guess the influence is a lot of Welsh Corgis are now named "Ein".
A: A lot of anime thrives off an everlasting storyline. And the ending to Cowboy Bebop has a lot of finality is. It would seem that you wanted the series to end when it would be in your financial interest to keep it going. Why did you choose that ending?
SW: I knew it would be a hit. And that it would be a really big hit. I thought people would ask for more, and it would end up being something like Star Trek. I thought it would be a problem if I kept creating a new Cowboy Bebop series for the next thirty years until I'm an old man. So I thought if I finished it, I wouldn't have to draw anymore.
A: Which ones are your favorite characters?
TK: Ein is my favorite. I don't have any character I want to get rid of. All the characters for me have a good aspect.
YK: I love Spike. I hate Julia. *much clapping*
SW: I love every character. Every character is perfect. My favorite characters are the three old men.
A: To Ms. Kanno. Being a fellow musician, I write with a specific instrument in mind. What did you start with?
YK: I started with New Orleans Street Bands.
A: Why did Spike lose his left eye?
SW: I don't remember myself. I personally prefer characters to have some flaws, so that they are not perfect. At first, I was going to have Spike with an eye patch. The producers didn’t want to air a series with an eye patch on the main character.
A: Do you listen to any other composers?
YK: I don't listen to others.
A: What question have you ever wanted to be asked, but never was?
SW: Every question I want to answer has been asked
YK: What's the name of Toshiro Kawamoto's dog?
TK: Coline. Her original name was Colin. But the dog is female, and I didn't realize that the name was male until recently. I added an 'e' recently to make it female
A: Did the movie really take place, or is it just a dream?
SW: What did you think?
A: Ime desu. (I don’t know)
SW: For people who say it’s a dream, I say it’s not a dream. If they say it isn't a dream, I answer it’s a dream
A: I play the French horn, so I was thinking of becoming a musician. Do you have any advice for someone aspiring to be a musician?
YK: I think you'd be better off finding a different job *joke*. You should still strive so that music is borderless. You can communicate through music, so you should continue.
A: Why did you release the sound track on so many albums? Why did you choose different keys for the same melody?
YK: Not all the songs were on the original OST due to runtime. Different keys differentiate each character. It’s more of a feeling than some type of logical progression:
SW: And she made a lot more songs than what was requested. If I order ten, she sends twenty. That's why all of them couldn't fit on the sound track.
The person asking the previous question had a saxophone with him. Yoko Kanno asked him to play, and he belted out the opening to Cowboy Bebop TV series for her. There was a lot of clapping.
YK: You’re the next Seatbelt!
A: How did you come up with all the moves? Does every one fight in the studio fight? Do you watch a lot of Kung fu? Also what's your favorite beer?
SW: Yoko Kanno and I are always fighting. Kirin beer is my favorite
YK: I don't drink alcohol.
TK: Most of the staff doesn't drink or smoke.
A: This question is pretty much for every one, which session of Bebop did you have the most fun making?
TK: I was most satisfied when the director was happy with what I turned in. I was even happier when the director showed a little more love for dogs.
A: Is there a style of music you'd still like to try?
YK: I don't think in particular styles. Some day though, I'd like to perform with Sting.
A: This question for Mr. Kawamoto, or whoever can answer. In Ballad of Fallen Angels, who's the third person in the picture in Annie's store?
All Consulting: Annie, Mao, and Annie's husband.
A: One of my favorite characters in the series is Gwen, and no one knew his secret? What kind of reaction were you getting with what Gwen was?
SW: Every character in Bebop is an outlaw in my mind. So there are a lot of people who have fallen out of society who don't fit into this world. So for Gwen's character, he's just another character who didn't fit, so I don't really find a problem with it.
SW: Ahh, Vicious.
A(Vicious cosplayer): Why do mutilate the left side of the characters? Jet's arm and Spike's eye in particular.
SW: I just realized it was all on the left side. You have a good point.
TK: I don't think it has any deep meaning. It wasn't a specific request for Jet's case.
A: This for all of you. Do you have a favorite episode?
TK: People have heard me say Mushroom Samba enough times, so I'll say Cowboy Funk.
YK: I like every episode.
SW: I hate every episode. *joke*
A: Ms. Kanno, will you be composing any more game soundtracks in the future? Do you have a favorite?
YK: I will do it if I get an offer to. I don't look back, so my current project is always my favorite.
A: For Ms Kanno, are you planning to come to the Karaoke contest tonight, because a lot of people have planned to sing your stuff tonight.
YK: I'll disguise myself and sneak in.
A: When we are first introduced to Faye, she is referred to as Poker Alice? Can she really be Poker Alice?
SW: Poker Alice is a character who existed in the Western Era. I used her because her predicament was familiar to Faye's. You can probably look her up.
A: Who came up with Ed's name?
SW: I did.
A: What was the inspiration for Ed?
SW: (looking at Ms. Kanno) Before Cowboy Bebop, I met this composer. And the composer was female and every eclectic. And during the production, she would kinda just roll around on the floor and do very strange things. And on occasion she would make strange noises. I thought it would be interesting if I could put her in as a character in my next series.
A: How did you come up with the episode about the fridge?
SW: The producer for the series. I went to help him move once. And in the process, I found out his fridge had not been opened in six months. And when I tried to open it, he was told never to open that fridge.
A: I have listened too many of your different OSTs, do you like instrumental or vocal better?
YK: Both
A: What was your main inspiration for the way you styled Cowboy Bebop?
SW: I guess we're all stylish.
A: Some episodes seemed very well planned, like the ones with Spike and Vicious. But some like Cowboy Funk, and Toys in The Attic just seem thrown together? Could you comment?
SW: We really didn't think much out for those episodes. The more comical episodes are harder to create. Making an episode on the fly, would be much harder, so we planned a lot. Mushroom Samba looks random, but it is very planned out
YK: So have you eaten mushrooms?
SW waves away
A: What are you all working on next? Why does some of your staff call you Nabeshin (address to Shinchiro Watanabe)?
TK: The production company, Bones, is now working on a new TV series called Wolf's Rain. I am the character designer and animation director.
SW: I am working on Ani Matrix, which is a series of nine ten minute shorts. I am working on two of the shorts. I would like to tell you more, but there may be a spy for Warner Brothers here. Everyone started calling me that one day. But in Japan, there is a fake Nabeshin, so please be careful!
A: In Feng Shui Boogie, who came up with the galactic calculator? Down the line, could you do the further adventures of Ein?
SW: It might seem more like a con. So it’s a very futuristic Feng Shui since it was a lot of new twists.
TK: I would like to draw more about Ein, but the director doesn’t care much about dogs.
YK: So he is crying about it, and doing a series about wolves.
A: Do you have anymore scheduled appearances in the United States for the rest of year?
SW: If someone invites us.
A: Why was Knocking from Heaven's Door removed from the title of the movie?
SW: You have to ask Sony that. They said you can't do it because it’s a title for a Bob Dillon's Song. Instead of having a new subtitle added, we just went with the movie.
A: Why does only Vincent lose his memories in the movie? Since everyone else who got the antidote didn't.
SW: He doesn't have his memory due to all his traumatic experiences in the desert battlefield afterwards. So he subconsciously buried his memories.
A: The round up show is canceled near the end of series, but the host is brought into the main story line at the end. Why?
SW: The screen writer was really in love with Punch, and tried to get him back on screen after Big Shot was canceled. I didn’t want to put him on screen, so she just went ahead and wrote that scene herself. And she told me this was the most important scene in the episode, so I couldn't cut it.
A: There is a character that looks like "someone” (I missed the name), can you comment? What was the meaning of the phrase at the end of the last episode?
TK: Because Bebop is created by a group of characters, it is everyone's fashions. The series organizer so he was kind smuggling his favorite celebrity in the series, and he had a different idea about the sessions than everyone else.
SW: In the last album by the Beatles their last song, and that's why I used it. That song was created by the Beatles to tell their fans they would disband. The meaning behind that phrase, since the Beatles took a lot of weight from the fans, the fans had to now carry that weight. So basically, in terms of Bebop I would be really happy if the fans who saw the series would carry the weight of the series with them in life.
A: What are you favorite US productions?
TK: I like the Jack Ryan Movies
YK: Sesame Street.
SW: I have watched a lot of old American movies, probably more than any of you. Like old westerns, and cops and robbers. My favorite has to be Dirty Harry.
A: This question of for Toshiro Kawamoto, as I have seen a lot of your animes. Your designs seem to be more realistic, are you trying to distinguish yourself?
TK: I really think I have the ability to make realistic characters.
A: Have you thought about designing yourself as one of the characters?
TK: I actually have one, where I appear, Golden Boy. There is a character named Mr. Wakamoto in one of the episodes. But I felt really strange about seeing myself.
M: That’s all the time we have, thank you for coming.
This convention report was posted on AnimeOnDVD.com on: 2002-08-31 09:48:36
原文地址：
http://www.animeondvd.com/conitem.php?item=177太长，这种对话英语又很容易懂，不翻译了。大家都很幽默，其中的爆料自己细细品味。
（菅野最喜欢的人是SPIKE，最讨厌的人是JULIA，她说这句话的时候还引起了“MUCH CLIPPING"－。－，怪不得GOODNIGHT JULIA这首经典的SAX沦为未发行曲。。。）
