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Alex Torres: Talented Mexican animator working on various Japanese animation projects

The animator grew up watching 'Dragon Ball Z' and 'Saint Seiya' with his brothers. (Supplied)
The animator grew up watching 'Dragon Ball Z' and 'Saint Seiya' with his brothers. (Supplied)
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07 Dec 2024 07:12:21 GMT9
07 Dec 2024 07:12:21 GMT9

Amin Abbas

DUBAI: Alejandro Torres, known as Alex Torres, is a skilled Mexican animator who has participated in different iconic Japanese works throughout the years, such as ‘One Piece,’ ‘Jujutsu Kaisen,’ and ‘Bucchigiri’. 

The animator shared with Arab News Japan that he grew up watching ‘Dragon Ball Z’ and ‘Saint Seiya’ with his brothers. “At the time, in Mexico, not many anime shows were broadcast. Only the most popular were,” he said.

“I greatly admired the drawings, character design, and action scenes. I remember that we would lie on the floor to draw the characters. As for manga, my favorite is ‘Berserk’. I was very taken by the psychology of Guts, Griffith, and the detail of the manga drawings,” he added. 

Torres secured his first job after graduating as a video editor until he gained enough experience to work as an animator. 

“Thanks to Mochoko, an artist that I met on Instagram, and with books I bought about anime, little by little I could study on my own and improve my skills. Until one day, the studio Tonari Animation gave me the opportunity to start in the anime industry for the first time, which later opened doors for me in ‘Jujutsu Kaizen’, ‘One Piece’ and now, in ‘Dragon Ball’,” he said. 

“My first project was by one of the few animation studios in Mexico. They produced animated films, and I had the opportunity to participate in one of them. The name of the film was ‘Marcianos vs. Mexicanos’ where I participated as a 2D character animator,” Torres shared. 

About the differences of animation style and working conditions between Japan and Western countries, in his opinion, Torres said: “There are many differences; the ones that stand out the most are that in my country the way of doing animation is usually very closed-minded since all schools teach a single way of animating. On the other hand, I like the style of Japanese animation more because it has that creative freedom; each artist manages their own animation style.” 

Regarding his upcoming projects in the near future, Torres said, “I’m working on a project called ‘Tattooani’. This is a shonen inspired by the pre-Hispanic culture of Mexico. Also, I had the opportunity to form a studio, Kaiser Animation, whose goal is to start creating an anime-style industry in Mexico while continuing to collaborate with different Japanese studios; all this to be able to eventually create our own content.” 

About his recommendations for those who want to work on animation projects, Torres said, “Practicing a lot to improve your skills and consuming a lot of content. Also, always share your work to receive feedback and keep an open mind about it. The key to everything is perseverance.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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