TRIGGER动画史
A History of TRIGGER Animation

大塚雅彦×今石洋之谈TRIGGER历史
Masahiko Otsuka × Hiroyuki Imaishi Discuss TRIGGER’s History

Broadcast|lll4月15日 6时30分
Broadcast | April 15, 6:30


《月刊MdN》2017年5月号刊登了TRIGGER特集,本期封面由今石洋之绘制,有很多涉及TRIGGER历史和成员的内容,这期先介绍一下大塚雅彦和今石洋之的访谈,谈谈5年来那么多作品的来龙去脉。
The May 2017 issue of Monthly MdN featured a special on TRIGGER. The cover for that issue was illustrated by Hiroyuki Imaishi, and it included a great deal of content about TRIGGER’s history and its members. This article first introduces an interview with Masahiko Otsuka and Hiroyuki Imaishi, discussing the background and development of the many works created over the past five years.


这两人应该不需要过多解释,大塚雅彦是TRIGGER的社长,有的时候会负责作品的监督、演出、分镜、脚本等等的现场工作,今石洋之则是TRIGGER最核心的监督,提到TRIGGER首先想到的人物。
These two probably need little introduction. Masahiko Otsuka is TRIGGER’s president, and at times he also handles on-site work such as directing, episode direction, storyboarding, and scriptwriting. Hiroyuki Imaishi, meanwhile, is TRIGGER’s central director—the first person many people think of when TRIGGER is mentioned.


TRIGGER的诞生
The Birth of TRIGGER

正如大家所知是TRIGGER最初是GAINAX分出来的,TRIGGER的核心人员基本都是《天元突破》的主创,所以要说TRIGGER还需要从《天元突破》说起,今石说自从《EVA》火了之后机器人动画的主调都是阴暗现实的,缺少热血王道的复古风格机器人动画,所以今石想做这样的动画于是有了《天元突破》。
As everyone knows, TRIGGER originally split off from GAINAX. TRIGGER’s core staff were basically the main creators behind Gurren Lagann, so to talk about TRIGGER, you really have to start with Gurren Lagann. Imaishi says that after Evangelion became a hit, the dominant tone of robot anime turned dark and realistic, and there was a lack of hot-blooded, classic-style super robot anime. He wanted to make that kind of show, and that led to Gurren Lagann.


当时今石还不算名监督,大塚怕《天元突破》风格太偏激卖不出去,于是让锦织敦史来做人物设计平衡一下。《天元突破》成功之后,GAINAX还叫他们做了剧场版,一开始还是拒绝的,因为制作过程太辛苦了,不过今石本身还是非常想继续做这部作品,最终还是做了,只是稍微还有一点遗憾。而后来的《吊带袜天使》企画方向和《天元突破》完全相反。
At the time, Imaishi was not yet a famous director. Otsuka worried that Gurren Lagann’s style was too extreme and might not sell, so he brought in Atsushi Nishigori to do the character designs and balance things out. After Gurren Lagann succeeded, GAINAX also had them make theatrical films. At first they refused because the production process had been so exhausting, but Imaishi himself very much wanted to continue working on the series, so they ended up doing it—though with some lingering regrets. The later Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt went in a completely opposite direction from Gurren Lagann in terms of planning and concept.


《吊带袜天使》算不上一个经过深思熟虑企画,开始的时候制作团队还是怀疑“这种东西真的可以做吗?”,而实际制作的时候更多是主创核心人员拉着其他人员的感觉,没有《天元突破》时候全员往一个方面用力的状态,所以主创人员觉得该换个环境了。
You couldn’t really call Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt a deeply thought-out project. At the start, even the production team was doubtful—“Can we really make something like this?” During actual production, it felt more like the core creators were dragging the rest of the staff along, rather than everyone pushing in the same direction the way they had on Gurren Lagann. So the main creators felt it was time for a change of environment.


从GAINAX到TRIGGER,“原创作品多”这点是遗传过来了,这点同时也是TRIGGER最重要的武器,虽然做起来比改编作品幸苦,但是也是TRIGGER独特之处。
From GAINAX to TRIGGER, one trait that carried over was “making lots of original works.” This is also TRIGGER’s most important weapon. Although original works are harder to make than adaptations, they are also what make TRIGGER unique.


TRIGGER另外的优势是核心成员都有超过其职位的能力,在做《天元突破》的时候印象板、角色设计、机械设计,每个人都会做一份,最后一起讨论谁的最好,节省时间同时能激发新的可能性,多出几种方案。
Another strength of TRIGGER is that its core members all have abilities that go beyond their formal roles. During the making of Gurren Lagann, everyone would produce their own version of things like image boards, character designs, and mechanical designs, and then they would discuss together which was best. This saved time while also opening up new possibilities and generating multiple options.


另外大家可能感兴趣,一些TRIGGER专属的演出方式,比如在《斩服少女》中经常出现的大红字,今石洋之的作品经常把字大大的写在画面上。这点今石说是在GAINAX时,受鹤卷和哉的影响,鹤卷在做漫画改编动画的时候,不希望完全失去漫画的味道,漫画是这样的动画也应该是这样,于是有把字原原本本放到动画画面上的手法,比如《他和她的故事》中就有这样的手法。
Something else readers may find interesting is certain presentation styles that feel distinctly TRIGGER—for example, the large red text that often appears in Kill la Kill. Imaishi’s works frequently place big lettering directly onto the screen. Imaishi says this came from the influence of Kazuya Tsurumaki back at GAINAX. When Tsurumaki adapted manga into anime, he didn’t want to lose the flavor of manga entirely; if the manga was like that, then the anime should be like that too. So he used the technique of placing the text directly into the animated frame, as seen for example in His and Her Circumstances.


TRIGGER最初的动画作品是《地狱刑警(Inferno Cop)》,因为是在youtube上公开的短篇连载,每集只有3分钟,内容又是各种乱来(《忍者杀手》的精神前作,非常魔性的风格,有兴趣的可以找来看看),所以名气不大。做这片的时候《斩服少女》的前期制作已经开始了,所以今石并没有太插手制作,只是每集参与一小时的会议,实际导演是雨宫哲。
TRIGGER’s first animated work was Inferno Cop. Because it was a short serialized work released on YouTube, with episodes only three minutes long and filled with all kinds of absurdity (a kind of spiritual predecessor to Ninja Slayer, with a very bizarre and addictive style), it never became especially famous. By the time it was being made, pre-production on Kill la Kill had already begun, so Imaishi was not deeply involved in its production. He only participated in about an hour-long meeting for each episode; the actual director was Akira Amemiya.


之后的主要作品是《小魔女学园》OVA版,也是动画未来(培养新人动画师)的项目,是《斩服少女》之前TRIGGER的代表作。吉成曜监督是一个对画面不妥协的动画人,丝毫不因为这是新人育成项目就放松要求,今石称最后成片是“画力的暴力”。动画未来项目都是定额的,并不会因为TRIGGER做得好加钱,所以从最终结果来说公司并没有什么收益,只是觉得难得做出来了,不如让更多人看到,于是加了英文字幕放youtube上了,没想到《小魔女学园》在海外的人气远高于国内,甚至出现了“shut up and take my money”的声音,之后在kickstarter开展了众筹,最终筹得了62万5518美元(约7400万日元),制作了剧场版。
The next major work was the OVA version of Little Witch Academia, which was also part of the Anime Mirai project (for training new animators). It was TRIGGER’s representative work before Kill la Kill. Director Yoh Yoshinari is an animator who never compromises on visuals, and he did not relax his standards in the slightest just because it was a training project for newcomers. Imaishi described the finished film as “violence through sheer drawing power.” Anime Mirai projects have fixed budgets, so TRIGGER did not receive extra money just because they did especially well. As a result, the company did not really profit from it. They simply felt that since they had made something so special, more people should see it, so they added English subtitles and uploaded it to YouTube. Unexpectedly, Little Witch Academia became far more popular overseas than in Japan, even inspiring reactions like “shut up and take my money.” They later launched a Kickstarter campaign, which ultimately raised $625,518 (about 74 million yen), and used that to produce the theatrical sequel.


《斩服少女》是TRIGGER第一部TV动画,可以说是一步决胜负的作品,如果成功TRIGGER以后的路肯定会好走很多,按照普通商业思维,一家动画公司的第一部作品往往会去做原作有一定名气的改编作品,因为肯定有原作粉丝会支持,不至于惨败,相对安全一点。而且TRIGGER一上来就是原创动画,必然需要很大的勇气和信心。《斩服少女》本身有很多的创新点,比如水手服作为战斗服,变身之后反而身上的布料减少等等,设计方面艺术指导(Art Director)小山重人功劳很大,整体色调上指示较多。
Kill la Kill was TRIGGER’s first TV anime, and you could say it was a make-or-break work. If it succeeded, TRIGGER’s future path would become much easier. Under ordinary commercial logic, an animation studio’s first work is often an adaptation of a somewhat well-known original, because existing fans of the source material will support it, making total failure less likely and the project relatively safer. But TRIGGER began with an original anime, which obviously required a great deal of courage and confidence. Kill la Kill itself had many innovative elements—for example, sailor uniforms used as battle outfits, and transformations that actually reduced the amount of clothing on the body. In terms of design, art director Shigeto Koyama contributed greatly, especially in giving many of the instructions regarding the overall color palette.


除了上面提到的原创作品,TRIGGER还接过一部轻小说改编动画《日常系的异能战斗》,大塚透露其实这部的制作在《斩服少女》之前就决定了,企划方指名让TRIGGER来做,相对原创作品从0开始改编还是相对轻松一点。同样的《忍者杀手》也是指名,不过当时真没有什么人员时间腾出来做这个片,成片效果只能那样,以此原因拒绝过了好几次,雨宫哲也是不太想做,不过最后还是做了。另外大塚还是盛赞雨宫哲演出的水平比他强。
Besides the original works mentioned above, TRIGGER also took on a light novel adaptation, When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace. Otsuka revealed that production on this had actually been decided before Kill la Kill, and the planners specifically requested TRIGGER. Compared with starting an original work from zero, adapting something is relatively easier. Ninja Slayer was similarly a commissioned request, but at the time they really didn’t have the staff or time to spare for it, so the finished product could only turn out the way it did. They had actually turned it down several times for that reason, and Akira Amemiya was not especially eager to do it either, but in the end they made it. Otsuka also highly praised Amemiya, saying his ability as an episode director is better than his own.


为做自己想做的动画而开创的公司
A Company Founded to Make the Anime They Wanted to Make

另外还有日本动画人展览会的4作短篇,《電光超人グリッドマン boys inevent great hero》(以下简称《电光超人》,雨宫哲监督)、《POWER PLANT No.33》(吉浦康裕监督)、《Sex&VIOLENCE with MACHSPEED》(简称《SVM》,今石洋之监督)、《ヒストリー機関》(《历史机关》,吉浦康裕监督)。
There were also four short works for the Japan Animator Expo: Denkou Choujin Gridman boys invent great hero (hereafter Gridman, directed by Akira Amemiya), POWER PLANT No.33 (directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura), Sex & Violence with MACHSPEED (abbreviated SVM, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi), and History Machine (directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura).


《SVM》是小山重人、若林广海、今石洋之三个人的企划,算三人个性全开的作品,他们专门为三人团队起了个名字——GEEK BOAT。
SVM was a project by three people—Shigeto Koyama, Hiromi Wakabayashi, and Hiroyuki Imaishi—and it was very much a work in which all three let their personalities run wild. They even gave their trio a special name: GEEK BOAT.


其实做这片今石还是很有压力的,因为日本动画人展览会是khara提出来的,那些人都是在GAINAX时候的大前辈,所以基本上都派出来主力去做片,同时预算也比较充足,不在电视上公开,大家都是放开手去玩,什么黄段子都敢加进去,所以有了这样一部突出的作品。今石直言TRIGGER是为了做自己想做的动画而开创的公司,所以做别人做不来的东西才是TRIGGER做动画真正的奥妙所在。
In truth, Imaishi still felt a lot of pressure making this piece, because the Japan Animator Expo had been proposed by khara, and those people had all been his senior colleagues back in the GAINAX days. So TRIGGER basically sent out its strongest staff to work on it, and the budget was also fairly generous. Since it was not being broadcast on television, everyone could really cut loose and have fun, even including dirty jokes without restraint. That is how such a standout work came about. Imaishi frankly stated that TRIGGER was founded in order to make the anime they themselves wanted to make, so the real essence of TRIGGER lies in making things that other people cannot make.


《SVM》画面只有五种颜色,黑白红黄橙,稍微有美漫的感觉,这点也是小山重人的设计。
The visuals of SVM use only five colors—black, white, red, yellow, and orange—giving it a slight American comic-book feel. This too was part of Shigeto Koyama’s design.


之后是《宇宙巡警露露子》,这片是今石很久之前的想法了,但是一直没机会做,因为母公司的ULTRA SUPER PICTURES有一个ULTRA SUPER ANIME TIME的档,TOKYO-MX的30分钟,一般放泡面番,每集8分钟左右,比如《若叶女孩》《黑白小姐》《骇客娃娃》等等都是这个档,当时这个档缺片子,于是ULTRA SUPER PICTURES请求让TRIGGER把这部片做出来,今石是打算做52集的,但是当时的委托只有12集,如果保留想法只做四分之一感觉有些无聊,于是今石把52集的段子全塞在这12集里面了。
Next came Space Patrol Luluco. This had been an idea of Imaishi’s from a long time earlier, but he had never had the chance to make it. TRIGGER’s parent company, ULTRA SUPER PICTURES, had a programming block called ULTRA SUPER ANIME TIME—a 30-minute slot on TOKYO MX that usually aired short anime of around 8 minutes per episode, such as Wakaba Girl, Miss Monochrome, and Hacka Doll. At the time, that block was short on content, so ULTRA SUPER PICTURES asked TRIGGER to make this show. Imaishi had originally intended it to be 52 episodes long, but the commission was only for 12 episodes. He felt it would be boring to preserve the idea and make only a quarter of it, so he stuffed all 52 episodes’ worth of ideas into those 12 episodes.


《宇宙巡警露露子》中今石担任监督,雨宫哲担任第二监督这个奇怪的职位,雨宫哲负责的是男主AΩ·诺瓦的造型、台词、演技等等的设计,这方面基本今石完全没有插手,所以诺瓦在本片中的存在非常独特。
In Space Patrol Luluco, Imaishi served as director, while Akira Amemiya held the unusual position of “second director.” Amemiya was responsible for designing the male lead, AΩ Nova—his appearance, lines, acting, and so on. Imaishi was basically not involved in that aspect at all, which is why Nova has such a uniquely distinctive presence in the series.


在做《黑岩射手》(制作公司Ordet和三次元,都是ULTRA SUPER PICTURES旗下,三家工作室都在一个楼里,Trigger负责部分外包工作)的时候,大塚社长借此认识了脚本家冈田麿里,两人关系不错,打算有机会做一个原创动画,另外当时《黑岩射手》的演出就是《羁绊者》的监督小林宽。
While working on Black Rock Shooter (produced by Ordet and Sanzigen, both under ULTRA SUPER PICTURES; all three studios were in the same building, and TRIGGER handled part of the outsourced work), President Otsuka got to know scriptwriter Mari Okada. The two got along well and planned to make an original anime together if the opportunity arose. Also, the episode director on Black Rock Shooter at the time was Hiroshi Kobayashi, who would later direct Kiznaiver.


《羁绊者》这片和《宇宙巡警露露子》基本是同期的,本身都打算是训练新人用的片,结果是新人都去做《羁绊者》,《宇宙巡警露露子》的制作人员意外都是老手。
Kiznaiver and Space Patrol Luluco were produced at roughly the same time. Both were originally intended as projects for training newcomers, but in the end all the newcomers went to work on Kiznaiver, and the production staff on Space Patrol Luluco unexpectedly ended up being all veterans.


现今工作室全体成员合力绘制的画,每张画旁边都有签名,TRIGGER粉丝可以尝试辨认一下,看看能认出多少人。
There is also a collaborative drawing made by the entire studio staff, with signatures next to each drawing. TRIGGER fans can try identifying them and see how many people they recognize.


越走越广
Expanding Ever Further

TRIGGER创立五年半,大塚社长也借此抒发一下感受,作为管理者来看日本动画人很多都很乱来,或者说在想方设法表现自己,不过作为艺术家表现自己是必须的,不表现没人知道你的才能。同时表现自己的制作者也在逐渐感染观众,有不少人是受这方面的影响而进入业界的。
Five and a half years after TRIGGER’s founding, President Otsuka also took the opportunity to share some reflections. From a manager’s perspective, many Japanese animators are pretty unruly—or rather, they are constantly trying to express themselves in every possible way. But as artists, expressing themselves is essential; if they do not, no one will ever know their talent. At the same time, creators who express themselves are gradually influencing audiences, and quite a few people have entered the industry because they were inspired by that very spirit.


另外大塚也谈到在以后TRIGGER做动画不仅仅面向日本,更多是面向世界。能把自己的作品推广到全世界也是他们的目标之一。在很多年以前只能通过电视看动画,当时如果想看播过的动画只能等电视台的重播,而现在通过手机App就能随时随地观看,虽然对于动画人来说并没有赚到钱,但是能让观众更容易看到自己的作品,还是非常开心的。
Otsuka also said that in the future, TRIGGER’s anime would not be aimed only at Japan, but increasingly at the world. One of their goals is to spread their works across the globe. Many years ago, anime could only be watched on television, and if you wanted to see something that had already aired, you had to wait for a rerun. Now, however, people can watch anytime and anywhere through smartphone apps. Although that has not necessarily meant more money for animators, it still makes them very happy that audiences can more easily see their work.


另外动画更容易传播了,更容易让人们看到了,所以工作室也经常收到全世界各地公司的请求,而且往往能出比国内更高的制作费用。 同时TRIGGER人也更加希望做出能让全世界各地的人都能欣赏喜欢的动画。
Anime has also become easier to spread and easier for people to discover, so the studio often receives requests from companies all over the world, and those companies can often offer higher production fees than domestic ones. At the same time, the people at TRIGGER increasingly want to make anime that audiences all around the world can enjoy and love.

Edit

Pub: 20 May 2026 14:42 UTC

Edit: 20 May 2026 14:51 UTC

Views: 25