Series No. 13: Hsieh I-Cheng

From Taipei, Taiwan.

Hsieh I-Cheng who is now 24, came to Japan in April 2009. After studying Japanese for one year at a language school, she entered the Digital Animation Department at Toho Gakuen Film Techniques Training College.

Ever since she was a child, Hsieh has been crazy about Japanese anime. When we asked her what her favorite film was, she answered instantly "Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away," adding, "I love all Studio Ghibli movies. They have such wonderful yet simple stories."

Hsieh decided to study in Japan during her fourth year at university in Taiwan. Originally planning to study design, she enrolled in a communication arts course, but her interests soon turned to film and her final graduation project was on anime production. Hsieh came to realize that she didn't just want to watch anime, she wanted to be part of making it too. It was around then that a friend told her about Toho Gakuen Film Techniques Training College.

Her eyes sparkled as she told us about her first experience of arriving in Japan. "I was so surprised to see that towns and the students were exactly like those I had seen in anime back in Taiwan."

Before entering Toho Gakuen, Hsieh studied at a Japanese language school for one year. That wasn't enough to prepare her for the many technical terms used in anime production, and to catch up she continues to study Japanese on her own, struggling to balance her time between anime and language studies. She still has a hard time following the slang of her Japanese classmates.

First semester classes include 3D Computer Graphic, Creative Idea of Character, and Color Coordination. A big fan of 2D animation, Hsieh's favorite class is Animation Generation.

Even in her free time Hsieh's life revolves around anime. "This weekend I'm going to see the new Studio Ghibli movie, The Borrower Arrietty."

Hsieh's dream is to work as an animator in both Japan and Taiwan. "I want to draw characters and to try my hand at script writing too. But first I want to work in Japan. Back home, 3D animation is all the rage now, but I want to bring 2D animation back to Taiwan."

Hsieh was a little nervous at the start of our interview, but her face lit up when we talked about Sho Sakurai, the singer of her favorite group Arashi.

By the time she graduates, Hsieh hopes to be confident in all the technical terms of her chosen career and also to have mastered the youthful slang of her Japanese classmates. With her talent and enthusiasm, Hsieh surely has a bright future in the world of anime.