We asked Masayuki Ozaki, Tiger & Bunny ’s executive producer, to share some insight into Masakazu Katsura!

Q : Why was Masakazu Katsura chosen as the character designer of Tiger & Bunny?
Ozaki: Tiger & Bunny is anime original series that was unknown when it started. We needed someone famous to get the general audience’s attention, so we wanted a manga artist. We felt that nobody outside of Katsura could come up with such a wide range of awesome hero designs.

Q : Is it true that Masakazu Katsura is really into superheroes?
Ozaki: Katsura is famous for being a big superhero fan. Including his first major series Wingman and his current series Zetman, Katsura has done many superhero series. To him, this project was a surprise because most clients who approach him usually ask him to design cute girls. We were the first team to ask him for hero designs. So he kept asking, “Seriously?! You chose me?!” Of course, we wanted him to draw cute girls, but we mainly wanted him to draw heroes.

Q: Which came first: character concept or design?
Ozaki: We had character concepts when we started, like their superpowers and animal motifs. But their abilities and personalities were vague until Katsura started the designs. When we saw his initial sketches, it gave us more inspiration. Then we went back and forth to revise and finalize the character details.

Video Interview

Want to learn more about the exciting anime series Tiger & Bunny? Check out our interview with Masayuki Ozaki below!

Name: Masayuki Ozaki
Bio: Anime producer for SUNRISE, INC. He’s known for producing series like Tiger & Bunny, Sgt. Frog and the Gintama theatrical releases.
Follow him on Twitter @masa_ozaki!

Read our in-depth look at the amazing career of manga legend Masakazu Katsura!

Want more great Tiger & Bunny coverage? Pick up SHONEN JUMP for our special Read & Watch Issue!

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Interview by Misaki C. Kido (@Onnabancho_J)