“Excerpts from the Hideaki Anno/Yoshiyuki Tomino Interview from the Char’s Counterattack Fan Club Book (1993_31ya) § Pg4”, Hideaki Anno, Yoshiyuki Tomino, trans. kohdazat1993 (anime)⁠:

• [Hiromasa] Ogura [?]: Usually he’s [Mamoru Oshii] very critical of other people’s works. Did you hear what he had to say about Porco Rosso?
• Hideaki Anno: Oh, I’m critical of Porco Rosso, myself.

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• Yoshiyuki Tomino: What was wrong with Porco?

• H. Anno: As a picture, nothing. But because I know Miyazaki-san personally, I can’t view it objectively. His presence in the film is too conspicuous, it’s no good. In other words… it feels like he’s showing off.

• Y. Tomino: How so?

• Anno: He has the main character act all self-deprecating, calling himself a pig… but then puts him in a bright red plane, has him smoking all cool-like, even creates a love triangle between a cute young thing and a sexy older lady.

• Tomino: Ha! I see what you mean. He and I are around the same age, though. So I get how he feels, unconditionally. So I may think, “Oh boy…” but I can’t stay mad at him (laughs).