Golgo 13: Queen Bee (ゴルゴ13〜QUEEN BEE〜)

My name is Osamu Dezaki. I'm the director.

I'll talk about anything as a creator behind the scenes.

I'm Mataichiro Yamamoto. I'm the producer.

I'll be talking with Mr. Dezaki today. I haven't seen you in a long time.

Yes.

Well, it's already past two years since we made this.

Yes... 2 years.

- This was released in 1998. - Yes.

But this is the first time we've watched this movie together.

Yes... This is the first time.

We don't really talk to each other after we finish a project.

What do you mean by that?

However, we have many things to talk about.

We have many stories related to this project.

Memories and recollections.

- This project... - Yes.

- Fifteen years after(the first Golgo movie) - Yes.

People often ask me why it took so long.

One of the reasons is that. The media kept changing.

We considered creating a sponsored TV series after finishing the first film.

But we couldn't make it (just like the film) ...a violent story about an assassin.

So it wasn't easy to put it on TV.

But we weren't sure if this could be another big hit in theaters...

after we spent a lot of money.

The manga version of Golgo 13 is a realistic narrative world...

that Takao Saito created. It was still deep in my mind.

I strongly wanted to make this again.

- I can relate to that. - Can you?

These days, you have to make animation projects very entertaining.

But Golgo created a specific culture under these circumstances.

I think people wanted us to make this into a movie and go see it!

I think so. The comic book is nearing the 120th volume. Right now it's at 118.

It's a great achievement for Takao Saito and Saito Production.

It has over 400 episodes.

Of course, Shougakukan has supported it for a long time. It has over 400 episodes.

Of course, Shougakukan has supported it for a long time.

I think Big Comic Magazine is great, too.

His art even appeared in the Guinness Book of world records.

I would like to continuously make more Golgo 13.

I planned in my mind that you and Mr. Sugino would work together...

to make this project, otherwise I couldn't do this.

But, you and Mr. Sugino were not always working together.

Sometimes, you were working by yourself.

And Mr. Sugino was also working at his own pace... Sometimes, you were working by yourself.

And Mr. Sugino was also working at his own pace...

under those conditions... And Mr. Sugino was also working at his own pace...

under those conditions...

all the timing had to match, otherwise we couldn't make this project.

So, it took 15 years.

But I wish before people ask us why it took so long to make it...

I want them to understand our passion to make this movie, even 15 years later.

I want people to understand Mr. Dezaki's and my enthusiasm towards Goglo 13.

I made the theatrical version of Goglo 13 more than fifteen years ago.

Before I got the offer for this project, I made "BlackJack".

Yes, that's true.

I made BlackJack based on Golgo 13, in some ways.

Oh, really?

BlackJack is a story about an underground professional doctor.

So, when I was making BlackJack...

I thought about how I made Golgo 13.

Although, Golgo 13 is more hard-boiled. I thought about how I made Golgo 13.

Although, Golgo 13 is more hard-boiled.

Under those circumstances, when I got the offer to make a new Golgo...

I accepted without hesitation.

Oh, I see.

No matter what, I thought that unless you and Mr. Sugino's schedule opened...

I couldn't do this.

That means...

I consider Mr. Takao Saito as my master in some way.

I learned the meaning of storytelling from him.

I considered making this with a different director...

But we made the theatrical version together.

We spent lots of time and effort to finish it.

And it's one of my favorite projects.

So, I couldn't think of changing directors.

I want people understand that this is the reason why it took 15 years.

Now here's the Golgo we made after a long interval.

- We were very enthusiastic! - Yes. Look at this opening!

- When we made the theatrical version... - I know. I know.

- We used CG to make a skeleton. - I see. You had to do it again.

First, we drew this and played with a computer generated copy.

I see.

- And it metamorphoses into the metal. - I see.

- Isn't that great? - Well, I can tell you tried a lot.

I think Golgo must have...

a skeleton.

It's the trademark of Golgo.

Yes it is. About this building...

we played with it a lot.

Mr. Fujimaru Yoshino... Music.

We needed some jazzy elements.

Just like the previous theatrical version...

We stuck with Jerrry Macy when we made the theatrical version.

I thought I shouldn't make this sound too Japanese.

Seeing Mr. Utagawa's credit reminds me that I gave him a hard time.

- He's still talking to me. - Is he?

He said Golgo's video was still in the red.

Really?

I guess the whole production was in the red.

Do you remember we argued very strongly about the character of one woman?

I remember.

We created the character Queen Bee.

She's different from Leonard Dawson.

And, she's different from Laura

Yes... different from Laura.

We had a strong will to create and develop this new female character.

I thought my view of women had also changed a lot after I did this.

Really?

Yes... Sonia... you will know when you see this. She sleeps with so many men.

Her life and sex have a strong connection.

Why shouldn't women sleep with a lot of men?

I don't think like that.

Public opinion has it that men are irrational...

and can sleep with lots of women. But women shouldn't be like that.

I think that theory is an illusion.

I think men and women should have lots of sex until they die.

- Though, I think that's too much to say. - Yes, it's too much to say.

I know it's too much to say... but...

I think the meaning of sex is very important for people's life and soul.

If you want to feel another person, you don't need words or logic.

- Especially between men and women. - Yes.

We argued about these things before we made this movie...

so I want to explain it now.

We discussed how the idea of a woman who sleeps with so many men...

is considered dirty and how that all got started.

We couldn't develop Sonia's character unless we discussed these topics.

We told you that Sonia is a very beautiful woman.

Yes, I think she's beautiful. She's cool!

Yes, she is cool.

We thought there should be a woman who sleeps with many men...

and still, she remains very cool.

We argued that only men create fantasies about women...

who don't sleep with lots of men. We argued that only men create fantasies about women...

who don't sleep with lots of men.

Since then, I thought that a woman...

even if she sleeps with lots of men, can be portrayed as strong and stable.

When I talk about sex itself, the number of men and women...

who are having sex in this world is exactly balanced.

Isn't it? Except when it's men with men or women with women.

The number of men and women who are having sex is the same.

Yes.

After we understand this basic idea, we can observe Sonia's character.

Now, somebody from the booth is telling us "don't carry this sex talk so far".

Young people might think this kind of talk is dirty.

I don't mean to talk dirty.

I want people who watch this DVD to understand...

when I talk about Sonia's character, women and sex...

I mean we couldn't create Sonia if we think of sex as a dirty issue. when I talk about Sonia's character, women and sex...

I mean we couldn't create Sonia if we think of sex as a dirty issue.

But I can't ignore the director of this commentary track...

they will cut this out if I continue to talk about sex too much... but...

especially to create Sonia's character, we had to make her view of sex open.

That also allows her mind to be free.

It was very important to give her some sexual freedom.

I didn't want to create her image as so simple.

I didn't want to make her character as most men would easily think of.

That's more of an issue of soul rather than body.

If Sonia starts to loose her soul, then I think it's different...

but she doesn't (Iose her soul).

Her soul gets stronger and stronger.

I wanted to explain these things first...

so people could watch Sonia and make this story much more clear.

I want to people to understand.

I was in love with her when I made this.

- Were you? - Yes.

Although, her breasts are a little too big.

That's brings up another controversy.

The commentary track director, Yamashita, might be worrying because...

we might talk about women and sex with a middle age man's dirty thoughts.

No we won't.

- We might do that a little bit. - Maybe.

Being the middle age men that we are...

Now I see them holding a card saying "I don't think you'd do that"...

Well, anyhow...

There's a big enemy in this story, just like any other in the Golgo world. Well, anyhow...

There's a big enemy in this story, just like any other in the Golgo world.

There are some bi-sexual characters who appear in here, too.

- We argued about that, too. - Yes we did. I didn't know what to do.

The reason why some sexual problem is always surrounding to Golgo is...

well for example, in the movie we made fifteen years ago...

there is a scene where Laura is raped by a brute named Snake.

I think it's because, sex represents peoples' views of life is in the story. there is a scene where Laura is raped by a brute named Snake.

I think it's because, sex represents peoples' views of life is in the story.

I think it's true. Golgo represents death, doesn't he?

If we want to describe death, we have to define life clearly, too. I think it's true. Golgo represents death, doesn't he?

If we want to describe death, we have to define life clearly, too.

- I said something too cool. - It's all right.

The reason why bi-sexuality shows up in the Golgo world...

is because there's a strong deduction. I feel deduction of the human mind.

In other words, I feel these characters are people...

who think of everything very deeply.

Therefore, I think I should accept people who are living as bi-sexual. who think of everything very deeply.

Therefore, I think I should accept people who are living as bi-sexual.

They are just living individual lives doing all the things that exist today.

Any character could be this way because Golgo is not a simple action story.

So many burning emotions and passions are inside of people.

We wanted to create a drama with those elements.

That's the style we tried to create.

We couldn't make this story without these elements.

In the beginning, I didn't understand why.