Making "Misunderstandings" More Interesting

Introducing "Ideas to Make XX More Interesting" from young art directors at Dentsu Inc. This time, it's "Making Misunderstandings More Interesting" by Nao Karakida.

"Mosaic" as an Expressive Motif

──Why did you choose "misunderstandings" as your theme?

Karukida: I've always found mosaics interesting as a motif for expression. Abstracting things creates a simple sequence of colors, often more beautiful than the original photo. The role of a mosaic is to obscure the subject. I wondered if I could express something without straying from that. Applying a mosaic filter to make completely different things look similar seemed like it could be fun, and that became this theme.

Choosing the motifs was quite a struggle. I felt it needed that element of surprise when you recognize it. Initially, I considered "fried chicken" and "poodle." They were interesting, but when mosaic-ed, they just became a brown blob (laughs). Others included "Mount Fuji" and "shaved ice." Visually beautiful, but lacking that wow factor. Ultimately, I settled on this "panda" and "daifuku."

Learning the importance of detail from densely animated works

──Tell us about something you're interested in lately.

Karaki: I've been watching a lot of animation lately. Both TV shows and movies, from new releases to older ones—I think I've seen over 30 titles in the past year or so. Especially in 2016, so many high-quality animated films were released, and I was amazed all over again by how incredible anime is. You can feel the soul poured into every single corner of every scene, and the creators' passion really comes through.

Among them, the one that recently struck me the hardest was "My Neighbor Totoro." It happened to be airing in reruns. I'd watched it countless times as a child, so I wasn't expecting any new discoveries or surprises—I just watched it casually. But seeing it again, I was completely blown away. The depth of the character designs, the natural, childlike movements and phrasing of the dialogue, the thrilling scene compositions... It's just incredibly meticulous, like high-definition. You could call it dense.

Of course, it's a masterpiece that needs no introduction, and I'm sure many people already know this. But my past self didn't truly grasp its brilliance. I think my "receptive ability" has improved significantly now, probably thanks to having watched so much anime.

This dedication to detail is also a crucial part of our work. I hope to carry this feeling of awe forward and apply it to our daily production, so I never forget it.