A talk event featuring Haruhiko Mikimoto, an illustrator and other artists, was held on July 25th at Subway Gallery M (Nishi-ku, Yokohama), where the exhibition "Haruhiko Mikimoto Art Book 'MACROSS' Exhibition - Chorus" is being held. Mikimoto gained attention for his character designs in the TV anime "Super Dimension Fortress Macross," which aired from 1982 to 1983. He spoke about his feelings for Lynn Minmay, a popular character from the series.
Regarding Lynn Minmay, he revealed, "When I got involved with 'Macross,' I wasn't in a position to make any statements myself. But when I drew the girl in a Chinese dress, they said, 'Let's use her!' I had planned to keep her hair in a bun, but I also wanted to draw a version with her hair down, as she wears everyday clothes. There were some objections, too, as that would have been a burden for the animators. But with the approval of Kawamori (Shoji) and the younger people, I was able to draw her. I'm really glad they got their approval."
When the topic of "Are you a Minmay fan or a Hayase Misa fan?" - a topic that is often debated among fans - came up, he smiled and said, "If there was a girl like Minmay, I'd be led around by the nose. Misa is scary... I guess I'm neither," and when asked which female character in the "Macross" series he is most attached to, he said, "It's difficult. I can't narrow it down. But Minmay's the first sketch I drew was the one that was used, so she has a big presence."
As technology advances, he has begun to use both analog and digital methods to create his works. "I'm not saying that analog or digital is better or worse, but personally I want to maintain a hand-drawn feel. I draw the lines by hand and finish them with CG. I haven't studied CG, so I'm trying to see if I can create a hand-drawn look using an analog approach. When I see people who draw skillfully using CG, I think it's great. Depending on how you use it, CG can also be appealing as an image. I don't have any kind of policy. But doing the same thing over and over again gets boring. I feel it's healthier when I'm trying to change things up."
This is a special exhibition to commemorate the release of Mikimoto's first "Macross" series art book, "Haruhiko Mikimoto Art Book 'MACROSS'" (KADOKAWA) in March, and metal canvas art works are on display and for sale. The exhibition will run until the 27th. "Haruhiko Mikimoto Art Book 'MACROSS' Exhibition ~Choir~" will be held at Namba Marui (Chuo-ku, Osaka) from August 13th to September Getsuku.
Regarding the art book, Mikimoto said, "Some people say that it would be better to include the original artwork as is, but since it's a 2025 edition of the art book, I've made some changes to it so that I wouldn't be embarrassed to release it now while retaining the same atmosphere and style. I've made so many changes that you can't tell unless you line them up."
