On November 14, 2001, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosted the 7th Annual Marc Davis Lecture on Animation. Entitled "Drawing from Japan," its subject was anime and its influences. It was a lively review produced for the Academy by Randy Haberkamp, hosted by Jerry Beck and featuring a gallimaufry of clips and an international handful of guests. An audience favorite was Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, the founder and President of Tokyo's Production I.G., Inc. His company produced Blood: The Last Vampire, a stunning film which was ineligible for Academy consideration due to its less than 70-minute running time.

Mitsuhisa Ishikawa. All photos by Justin Leach.

Mitsuhisa Ishikawa had several provocative and amusing comments, which surprised and delighted the audience regarding the "harmfulness" factor of anime and the "weirdo" nature of some of its practitioners. A follow-up conversation seemed to be in order, so I caught up with him at a restaurant near the Los Angeles airport shortly before his return to Tokyo.

Our conversation was made even more delightful by the presence of Maki Terashima-Furata, Production I.G. USA's international representative, who acted as our interpreter.

Will Ryan: You got quite a reaction from the audience at the Academy with your blunt statement that, while American animation is harmless to children, at Production I.G., you make films that are harmful to children.

Mitsuhisa Ishikawa: In Japan, there aren't any "harmless" shows that do well commercially. And by "harmful," I don't mean 100% harmful.

WR: You mean, a narrative, which contains material suitable for adult sensibilities.

MI: Yes and this may be only 1 or 2 percent of the show.

WR: I suppose we might get philosophical and suggest that the supposedly "harmless to children" American animated productions are harmful in a more subtle and insidious way, in that they may turn children into mindless zombies of consumerism.

MI: I agree.

WR: So maybe we should all get out of business.

MI: The argument for that would be to point out that the very act of living in this world puts each of us in harm's way.

WR: You mean there is the potential for danger everywhere and yet we persevere?

MI: Yes.