Akemi Omode: Origins
Twitter - @OmodeAkemi
From April 5th 2014:
I don't know if this will be helpful, but here's the path I took to become a screenwriter. As a kid in grade school, I loved anime. But back then, anime was seen as something only children watched, so I was often told, "Shouldn't you grow out of it already?" Thinking about how to create a situation where I could watch anime even as an adult, I came up with the idea: "I should get a job in the anime industry!"
At first, I aspired to be a voice actor and promptly joined the broadcasting committee and drama club... but I quickly realized my voice had zero appeal (I was a kid who gave up on things surprisingly fast). I found reading scripts more enjoyable than acting them out. I graduated with a yearbook entry declaring I'd work in anime.
In junior high, I admired animators next, but quickly realized I had zero artistic talent (again, kid who gave up on things fast). Reading articles about Shimada Michiru and Fujikawa Keisuke in anime magazines introduced me to the job of screenwriting. Learning there were female screenwriters too, I decided I would become one (not "want to become," but "become").
I attended a high school geared toward liberal arts universities, but decided to go to a vocational school instead, thinking I could build my career faster by entering the workforce sooner than going to university. However, I worked for two years after graduation to save money.
At the time, I couldn't find a school specializing in screenwriting. I enrolled in a technical school that offered screenwriting classes, only to be shocked to find they were held just twice a week. That's when Toriumi Jinzou, who was teaching there, invited me to join "Ohtori Koubou" (Phoenix Workshop). While still a student, I made my screenwriting debut on a fairy tale video tape. Six months later, introduced by Toriumi, I got a job at Eiken as a literary staff member for Sazae-san.
Within a month of joining the literary department, because I'd mentioned aspiring to be a screenwriter, someone casually said, "Well, why don't you try writing one?" They let me write it, it got approved, and I was allowed to participate in writing scripts for Sazae-san. However, after about two years, the strain took its toll and I collapsed (balancing literary supervision and scriptwriting was incredibly tough), requiring a week's hospitalization. I decided to go freelance.
Later, Sumisawa Katsuyuki, who remembered my constant talk during the Sazae-san days about wanting to write mecha stories, invited me to join Ryuu Knight. There, I was introduced to Hoshiyama Hiroyuki, the story constructor. That's pretty much how it went, but I really think it was all about good connections with people.
While Toriumi Jinzou was the only one I formally apprenticed under, I consider Shudou and Hoshiyama my scriptwriting mentors too. It's deeply saddening that all three have passed away. What's more, these three mentors had completely different approaches to scriptwriting. I received all sorts of teachings, including some that were polar opposites (lol). Each one is a precious asset I'm grateful for.
From December 17th 2021:
When it comes to screenwriting, you first receive a commission (the series constructor and director decide which episodes will tell what stories), and then you create the plot outline. This process varies greatly depending on the individual writer. Some write almost everything down in detail, including scenes and dialogue, creating a rough synopsis laid out scene by scene. Others just need a general idea of what happens, written in a more cursory manner.
I tend to lean toward the latter approach, but I write in a way that makes the characters' psychological trajectories clear. I also include scenes that are visually or directorially easy to grasp. My goal is to get the staff excited, thinking, "This seems interesting!" And crucially, I deliberately avoid writing scenes or lines that I personally think are the "big moment!"
I want to deliver that bang when it becomes the script lol. That's why the first draft, where I see their initial reaction, always has me on pins and needles. I worry, "Did I miss the mark?"
I feel like how scripts are written now is different from when I first entered the industry. Back when sponsors were companies, we had to include things to sell toys or related merchandise (like new models debuting to match release dates). Later, when we started including things to sell videos or DVDs, and the production committee system became mainstream, we didn't get such detailed specifications anymore. Instead, the script got checked everywhere, and nothing could move forward until everything was okayed. Once it became the final draft, it became difficult to easily change the content through directing or storyboards. Because we had to get the whole thing confirmed again.
I got furious a few times when the content was drastically altered in the storyboards without my consent, so it's nice not to have that stress now lol. Man, I used to fight with episode directors all the time back then. I was young, you know.
People tend to think I've always been quiet, but directors I've worked with often say, "Omode is scary" ↠When I'm silent, they wonder if I'm angry lol. Well, I'm the type who gets angry quietly. Even back when there were few female staff members, I was strong-willed enough to go into meetings full of men and hold my own.