Shinichiro Watanabe

Usually, the things that are quickly slapped together become the big hits, rather than the ones you would painstakingly deliberate on.

— Shinichiro Watanabe

After I began in elementary school, I was able to go to the movies, and that was how I would spend my…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

National borders have always been arbitrarily drawn by people, and in ancient times there was a lot of exchange of people and…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

With 'Space Dandy,' you've obviously got your image of the space and 80s music, and blending them together is how I created…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

I loved 'The Matrix,' so when they asked me to do some animation relating to it, I was thrilled.

— Shinichiro Watanabe

I wanted to have lots of characters in 'Bebop' without white skin, and if people weren't used to that, well, maybe it…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

I believe samurai in the Edo period and modern hip-hop artists have something in common. Rappers open the way to their future…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

Some people compare Spike Spiegel to Dirty Harry, and they're both antiheroes. But Spike is an extension of myself.

— Shinichiro Watanabe

When it was released in the 80s in Japan, 'Blade Runner' was actually a series that influenced the Japanese media very much…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

When I was very young, even before I went to what you call elementary school, I used to read and watch Japanese…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

When you're making anime, if you get all of your inspiration from anime... it's going to lack originality and creativity, so I…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

Lots of times when you watch anime, the characters all have white skin - all the characters in fantasy stories all have…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

In 'Space Dandy,' I'm trying to challenge myself and do stuff I haven't done before. I'm aiming for a really funny, cool,…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

I feel like I want to make anime that destroys the norms, something that would be strong, even if it is unconventional.

— Shinichiro Watanabe

I've been interested in hip-hop since it first appeared: the fact that it was born not in the music industry but on…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

When creating 'Cowboy Bebop,' I thought it would be more interesting if I added different types of elements together to create something…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

The anime that inspired me the most and one that I probably have influence from is the very first series of 'Lupin…

— Shinichiro Watanabe

The work that has influenced me the most in my anime profession would be, of course, 'Blade Runner.'

— Shinichiro Watanabe

I was influenced by American movies of the '60s and '70s, especially Don Siegel's 'Dirty Harry' and the films of Sam Peckinpah.…

— Shinichiro Watanabe