Akira “Akiman” Yasuda, the birth of Chun-Li

GUEST
Akira “Akiman” Yasuda, Illustrator

PLACES WE WENT TO
Piman, Shinjuku Area

ゲスト
安田朗（あきまん）、イラストレーター

訪れた場所
ぴーまん、新宿周辺

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Akira Yasuda is a renowned illustrator and character design, known under the pen name “Akiman”, standing on a 30-year career working in the game and animation industry and as a freelance illustrator.
He is known as the father of iconic characters such as Chun-Li, Guile or Cammy from the Street Fighter series and his work on other classic Capcom titles such as Final Fight or Darkstalkers. His work in animation includes character design on Turn A Gundam and mecha design on the Code Geass series.

This episode focuses on Akiman’s career and his countless contributions to the industry - he will also give us his viewpoint on the Shinjuku area, and introduce Piman, a 30-year old cold-press vegetable juice shop ahead of its time.

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Akira Yasuda on Twitter

[niclasbelrra]

15:15
"Honestly, being praised from others is also important, but I feel that being able to accept oneself is essential"
10/10 quote right there, pal.

[omgcandyKimicari]

"If the character's moves didn't make people laugh, then they weren't good" is an interesting comment on Street Fighter II's character design that I've never read before. Fantastic feature.

[_pulyx]

This man practically defined my art career when i was 7 years old and discovered street fighter 2.

[musashi]

This is great. Not only you guys interview my favorite japanese artists but they way this documentaries are filmed. The shots, the music, edition, amazing. For example when Akiman says he's liking games again and the music starts escalating, the feels... Anne Ferrero is my favourite documentary director by far.

[Enthcreations]

This guy made Capcom rich and determined the fortune of the software house during its golden age. 90% of what we remember about Capcom's contents and characters was drawn by this guy. So much respect.

[ArchipelDocumentaries]

English, French and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles are available under the “CC” menu. Chinese (Traditional), German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish subtitles have also been made available through Community contributions, which are also open for additional language submissions. Thank you for following toco toco!

[petertromp]

Akiman's contributions to video games and popular culture overall cannot be overstated. Video games would literally not be what it is today without him. The man is an absolute legend - an international treasure - and I really appreciate this video that gives one insight into his life and his artistic philosophy. Character design for me is the most important aspect of video games, because it serves as the entry point that gets people interested in the first place in a game, yet it often feels as if it is the least prioritized. No wonder Akiman gravitated towards Overwatch - it's because of the characters that instantly capture one's imagination.

I truly hope the likes of Akiman become valued in their own time, especially by the companies who hire them. Capcom wouldn't be Capcom if it wasn't for Akiman, and he deserves an honorary position in that company for his past exploits alone. I truly hope there's lots more to come from him. I hope he realizes just how much he is beloved all across the world. I'm from South Africa and I've been worshiping this man since the 90s. A friend of mine was absolutely besotted with Akiman and Bengus and imported Capcom art books at tremendous cost to pour over aspect of their works.

[lucaskane]

Incredible artist and a humble person... The subtle music and the camera work raised the bar..Thanks again TOCO TOCO..This episode was truly inspirational...

[EckosamaGhostTsushima]

he said he cant draw characters facing right, but he also drew some of the most famous characters of all time to date!

[gobuell]

仕事としても絵を描く人の語りは自分にとって大事だと思う､ だからこのチャンネルはたまに見に来る

[signalexperiments]

Just imagine how the world today would have been different if Chun-Li wore pants.

[BanjoFrog]

It’s seriously so refreshing to hear these masters of their respective crafts always talking about what they want/need to improve on. It really drives home the idea that the artist’s journey is never truly over.

[sur-shiner]

I really love the way Akiman designs his characters. I'm especially fond of how his & Capcom's early designs where simple, visually appealing, recognizable & functional. Though later on his art style evolved to become a lot more unique & appealing in a new ways to me. His use of colors look soft, dream-like but is still bright & catches the eye. His line work stands out only as much as it needs to, even though its thin, it still has a sense of boldness to it. I even enjoy the more complicated designs he does, because his line work is so good. He's definitely 1 of my favorite artists around!
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When I started to understand the concept of Overwatch, I also thought that it felt like seeing a modern fps equivalent of Street Fighter as well. Unique characters from around the world with unique abilities, a somewhat present story with an undefined direction, a serious premise that doesn't always take itself seriously. It's cool to see that 1 of the artists that helped make Street Fighter 2 happens sees it to. I get notifications of when he streams it, to.

[point-xntu]

And I still play Street Fighter II just about every weekend with my kids. They love it. Great games never die.
It's a pleasure to learn the backstory of one of the artists who worked on it.

[rmonk]

Akiman and Bengus are the reason the characters of Street Fighter are so loved. Their art is superb and timeless!

[sudacagamer]

Fascinating. Finally an interview with this living legend. And thank you so much for the subs!!!
Shinkiro, Bengus and Nishimura would be great too. Specially Shinkiro.

[SolitaireZeta]

While I love this man's art, and am happy that he has survived and adapted over the years and is continuing a successful career in one of the most challenging forms of illustration: freelance, am I the only one that got a sad and depressing feeling from this video? I don't know if it was the music, or Akiman's vibe or whatnot, but there was this extreme sense of loneliness and isolation that seemed to be conveyed, intentionally or unintentionally by this mini-documentary. It made me wonder if he keeps up with friends and family, or if he just spends all his time drawing, playing video games, and occasionally taking walks outside but not really interacting much with anyone. It made me feel really sad and worried.

[Hoykoy]

That is so touching that Akira, someone who had been so impactful in my life through their artwork on Street Fighter had been reinspired to get back into video game design after seeing the release of Overwatch. Seeing this video capturing these moments and documenting this little snippet of his spoken summary of his current life...truly has inspired me as well to continue working on my visions too. Thank you

[addereal]

i like how he adds his vegetable juice diet into the interview; its good knowledge to eat healthy and exercise as many artists in this industry don't take good care of themselves

[HyperXcube]

The atmosphere of the documentary made me concentrate on the content throughout the whole thing. Hats off to whoever made this. Excellent job.