As you probably already know, the show started in Japan
before making it's way over to the U.S., which tells you
right away that tons of work goes into each episode before
we even see it. Not only is the cartoon made, but then
dubbed for the English Audience.
There are 100 episodes total.
Yoshikawa is the head
director of the cartoon and leads the Kirby animation team
with his long list of past animation experiences. A huge
lover of animation, Yoshikawa has been animating since the
late 70's.
Working on the animation, it was important to study
Kirby's looks, movements and vitals from the video games.
Making a smooth transition from video game to animation,
Kirby keeps his trademarks while seamlessly entering a new
dimension.
As a matter of fact, not only is Kirby animated, but
he's animated with 2D animation technology. This allows
Kirby to stay true to his 2D roots, but with computer
graphics and enhancement, this brings a slightly cutting
edge, a 3D edge, to the animation. This allows the
animation to have depth and shadowing, while not being
full blown 3D.
Thousands upon thousands
of frames must be sketched, colored, animated and/or
glossed for each cartoon story. Overwhelming? Maybe
sometimes, but with a talented and experiences team, it's
all part of the job.
Tsuji is one of the computer
graphic designers, and finds that while working to get the
cartoon flawless is challenging, he also takes pride in
the finished product. Tsuji is partly responsible for
Kirby glancing around the screen gracefully and
flawlessly.
The inside of the animation
building, where the magic of making the Kirby cartoon
takes place.
The outside of the building.
Impressive!
Kirby has
come a long way! Not only through the years, but even when
it comes to making one episode (which can take up to 3
months!).
