I was thinking, “I really need a miracle to happen!”
Urasawa Naoki
With my own abilities I didn't think I'd be able to go that far,
so I was wondering if a miracle might happen while I was working on it.
This is the manga author, Urasawa Naoki-san.
He's a hit maker who's given birth to numerous works, such as “Yawara” and “20th Century Boys.”
This “Manben” is a project that same Urasawa-san started.
Mangaka give birth to expansive dramas from the tiny tips of their pens.
Normally one wouldn't be allowed to enter their place of work,
All Access to Where Manga is Born
but as it happens we've been allowed to film it for today.
His Current Serial, "Billy Bat"
It's like they say, “Originally it was just a blank piece of paper,”
but the mangaka, by drawing on it,
causes a world to appear, people to appear...
Manga artists, you see,
might actually be putting on an amazing performance here.
When I thought of it,
nobody's watching them do all this immense work.
Manga has no particular orthodox method to it.
Each mangaka's completely different approach brings out their own characteristics.
Urasawa-san wanted to reveal these secrets from the viewpoint of a manga artist.
We're seen as having the same type of occupation,
but each person is like, their own sector, their own genre.
It'll feel like looking at something that's in a totally different genre.
Manga artists put their hearts and souls into drawing the expressions of their characters.
Hmm...
This face in the storyboard, you see,
Name - a Plan Drawn for the Story
I look it and think, “Oh, I can't draw this.”
I already drew it the best I would here.
I'm getting crushed by the me from the storyboard.
Though all I'm doing is pulling the pen geeently along like this,
somehow, emotions really do come to dwell in those lines.
And that moment when the emotions like, inhabit it,
is something that takes your breath away.
Urasawa Naoki's Manben:
in this first episode, we were able to capture footage of a mangaka who depicts characters with rich expressions.
When I draw a character's face like, woosh, in one go,
Higashimura Akiko
that's when I have the most fun.
It's like...
there's this moment when you get the face how you want it, like it just fell into place,
and when that happens I think, "Ah, I won't ever be able to give this up."
The Female Mangaka
Higashimura Akiko
“Omoni Naitemasu” (2010-2013)
“Kakukaku Shikajika” (2012-2015) Manga Taishou 2015 Winner
Higashimura Akiko-san, winner of the Manga Taishou this year.
She came out with hit works like “Mama wa Tenparist,”
“Mama wa Tenparist” (2007-2011)
“Kuragehime” (2008-Current) Kodansha Manga Award Winner
and “Kuragehime,” one right after the other.
Characters with appealing personalities pop out of her works one right after the other.
The drama with a comedic touch that unfolds on the stage of their daily lives
has elicited a response out of many readers.
At present, she's a popular manga artist who shoulders five serializations.
A Close Look at Deadline Day
This time, we've been able to document the day of a deadline for her latest work.
What we discovered there was fearsome pen speed and a high standard with respect to drawing characters.
Fearsome Speed
High Standard for Characters
1 Month After Filming
One month later:
while watching the visuals we shot,
Urasawa-san and Higashimura-san will provide commentary.
Today's the day. It's someone really strong.
If I say something wrong, I'll get seen through.
The place we came to was a bar where Takarazuka fans gather.
A Bar Where Fans of Takarazuka Gather
It's a shop that's produced by Higashimura-san herself.
Welcome! Sensei, welcome back!
Uwah!
She told me, “Welcome back!”
Welcome!
This is your true form, right?
This is my true form.
My identity as a mangaka is just cover to avoid public notice.
That sloppy me is another me,
and this is the real Higashimura.
Urasawa-san is a god.
It feels like he's THE god.
Especially for my generation. For real.
Because we grew up on his manga.
Oh no, you can't say something like that.
They Talk While Watching the Video
Higashimura Akiko-san, who boasts one of the highest page counts in the world of manga.
The secrets of her creative work will finally be made clear.
Workplace is in Harajuku
Sneaking into Where the Fearsome Amount of Work is Made
Did you move to Harajuku?
That's right. I must have lived there 5-6 years now?
5-6 years already?
This day is the date of the deadline for her new history manga.
Deadline Day for Her History Manga, “Yukibana No Tora” Finishing Touches for 38 Pages
They're putting the finishing touches on a 38-page manuscript.
While working, she always wears a tracksuit.
With fixed cameras that we've placed here and there,
Fixed Cameras to Not Get in the Way
we film her at work, trying to disturb her as little as possible.
Assistants Start Arriving
11:00 AM
In order to finish up a huge manuscript in one go, assistants continue to arrive.
Sneaking into Where the Fearsome Amount of Work is Made
This is amazing.
Mmm.
How many people are there?
Eh, well, I suppose I must have around 10 people?
She Uses More Than 10 Assistants
On deadline days, we always end up calling more than 10.
That's impressive.
I do it all in one go.
The Main Attrac- tion
It's this chapter's main attraction, the two page spread.
To start, she draws a rough sketch of the characters in pencil.
Sneaking into Where the Fearsome Amount of Work is Made
Character Sketch
Overhead cameras sure are amazing.
It's the first time I've seen the top of my desk in this way...
Hey, isn't that... the shadow from your hand?
Don't you have one of those? Like, a light?
Nope.
Yeah, that's a shadow. I just thought of that.
Um, isn't there's always like a light stand that's there?
Normally.
You don't have one?
Nope. I've never given it any thought.
You've never noticed it?
I've never noticed it before.
So you draw with the shadow.
Yes, and also I switch locations a lot, see?
I'll be drawing in the living room or at the kotatsu, so I don't notice it.
You've got that thing that nurses carry around, that you can clip.
Clip- board to Keep the Art Steady
I recommend this.
It's nice.
I didn't want to hold down the paper with my left hand,
because it's tiring, so if I just clip it up top...
And you can turn it all around with this, right?
Right, Right.
Also, with this, like, even if I got invited for a drink,
I could take it with me, and, well, do a little sketching at the bar.
So you take it with you.
Like when someone says they're going to be a bit late,
I think like, "I could do 3 pages of sketches."
The rough sketches have been completed.
Next, she'll ink the lines in with a pen.
Inking
Fast! That's fast!
No, no. You're just saying that.
But isn't (Urasawa) Sensei also the fast type?
I'm told that I am fairly fast. But I can't match that.
Amazing! This speed surprises Urasawa-san too!
A Young Uesugi Kenshin
“Yukibana No Tora”
Her First History Manga: A Female Uesugi Kenshin
The series she's working on right now is “Yukibana no Tora,”
her first foray into realistic history manga.
Using the premise, “What if renowned commander Uesugi Kenshin were a woman?”
it depicts the Warring States era with a fresh hook.
Foremost in the Manga World for Her Fearsome Speed
These lines that you just slide into...
Mmm.
I'm certain that for those around the country who aspire to manga,
this is sending signals to the inside of their heads right now.
It's going, “Bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt!”
Really?
You know, that urge where you're like, “I want to draw!”
Right. It feels good watching it.
Foremost in the Manga World for Her Fearsome Speed
This... speed is really amazing.
-----
So long as I draw in the main lines and pass them around,
The Main Lines - Outlines of the Characters
if the worst case happens, well, I can at least publish something.
That's right.
That's the way I think.
I've always had my serials going while raising my kid,
Became a Mother When She Was 29
so sometimes they'd get sick, or the school would call me to come,
and that'd be the day of the deadline.
In the end, I think the number one thing is to not drop an issue.
Drop an Issue - When the Manuscript Isn't on Time so It Doesn't Get Printed
For me, too, I've always tried not to miss an issue.
It's that way of thinking,
that's how you maintain multiple serializations.
That's right.
Once the vital outlines for the characters are finished,
Once Main Lines for Characters Are Drawn, It Goes to the Assistants
she passes the manuscript to her assistants,
and begins supervising the backgrounds and effects.
Higashimura-san draws characters one after another!
She Keeps on Drawing Characters
A Young Uesugi Kenshin
G pen
Foremost in the Manga World for Her Fearsome Speed
Have you always used a G pen?
I've used a G pen from the start.
Umm, putting ink at the tip of your pen
Yes, yes.
is something most people do more frequently, I think.
It might be that I don't do it relatively often.
It's like you dip it once and just draw the whole thing.
Yes, pretty much.
I give it quite a large amount.
You do give it a large amount.
Art drawn with a swish like this is beautiful.
These are lines with speed to them.
Right. It feels like, “This is what manga should be!”
When I saw Higashimura-san's published art,
I thought the lines must've been drawn considerably fast,
but this is beyond what I expected.
This is good!
1 Week Before Deadline
Higashimura-san has, for the past 10 years,
drawn roughly 100 pages per month.
That sounds like a fearsome number of pages!
Just how does she give birth to so many stories?
Name - The Plan for a Manga, Drawn When Planning the Story
Let's take a peek at the story-building process known as the “name.”
Where the Story Is Made
You just dive right into drawing (the real thing)?
I dive in.
Umm, in my storyboards, well, I don't write detailed sentences,
or draw tiny little panels at all. I just dive right in and do it.
Why do you draw your storyboards so properly?
I put fairly proper art in the storyboards, relatively speaking.
With the expressions, too. I don't really do circles and crosses.
I'm the exact same way.
Eh, is that so?
But, I don't do it as properly as this.
Ehhh?
What I end up drawing...
Yes.
Drawing circles and making crosses,
I don't really think of it as drawing, so...
it takes a lot of the fun out of it.
I get that. I really enjoy drawing, like with the name.
When I'm doing this task, I don't really think of it as work.
Right, right.
What's this? Higashimura-san's leaned over now.
Is she asleep?
Where the Story Is Made
You do get sleepy doing storyboards.
They do. I wonder why.
They make you sleepy to an astounding degree.
It happens to sensei as well?
Somehow, it's really like you're drawing them half asleep.
Yeah. You can do storyboards while dreaming, right?
While you're dreaming. And when they're done you sleep for real.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm already sleeping.
You sleep and then it's done when you wake up, right?
They can create stories in their sleep!
It's quite a surprise if you think that their series begin like that!
Where the Story Is Made
...Even so, you keep on gliding along.
Even though I'm doing it while I'm thinking, “I'm sleepy...”
Welllll...
These are... the movements of a master.
I guess so...?
See there. It's just spilling out.
That's right. There's like, no ambiguous hesitation there. None at all.
It's amazing. It's like it's flowing out.
It's like, there's a story in my head,
and I'm just like a “spiritual medium,” letting it out onto the paper.
There's not much of an impression that I'm actively thinking.
It's just like I'm drawing the characters talking on the paper.
I'm not thinking, “Let's do this, let's do that,” at all.
The Finished Name
With the characters of the world able to act freely,
Higashimura-san's stories spin their own threads.
One of the big draws of those works are the gag scenes.
There are times when chaos suddenly sets in,
and the story goes progressively off the rails.
Furthermore, high-tempo conversations are stuffed into single panels.
Next up is the gag scene no Higashimura manga can be without.
Oh, it's here!
The thing where you shove a bunch of stuff into one panel.
Yeah, yeah!
I hated this page! It's full of dialogue, full of characters,
The Gag Scene - Higashimura Style
but if I don't stuff a bunch of things in here...
This right here is the “Higashimura World.”
Is that so?
Without this, you see, somehow,
I get the feeling you'd get done reading in no time.
Even though it's a huge panel.
But there's this art you're tossing in without much thought, right?
This degree of inattention to detail is actually just right.
This would be no good if you drew it properly.
When I draw it in thoroughly, it's somehow lame.
I wonder why?
The signs that you “don't really care” are all there.
That's right.
You can't draw it the properly?
Gag scenes are actually pretty deep!
The Gag Scene - Higashimura Style
There's actually a lot of meaning to having it all in one panel.
It's like... you're cutting in while someone's speaking,
so you've got to make sure you wrap it up in a single panel.
That's right.
I really liked “Macaroni Hourensou,” the gag manga...
“Macaroni Hourensou” (1977-1979) Kamogawa Tsubame
That catch phrase, “Cut it out!”
Yep. That was a really strong influence. Its gag scenes were.
Everyone's in a jumble doing whatever they like,
and it's spread out in a scene like, “Waaa!”
Kamogawa Tsubame-san's “Macaroni Hourensou,”
Eguchi Hisashi-san's “Susume!! Pirates,”
“Susume!! Pirates” (1977-1980) Eguchi Hisashi
and Takahashi Rumiko-san's “Urusei Yatsura.”
“Urusei Yatsura” (1978-1987) Takahashi Rumiko
They all influenced me in their own way.
They were the ones that came up with that in Japanese manga,
The Gag Scene - Higashimura Style
how it'd suddenly screech to a halt, cutting to something else.
I'll do this later.
Higashimura Akiko-san was born in 1975,
Born Shouwa 50, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kushima City
Higashimura Akiko - Origins of the Mangaka
in the Miyazaki prefecture.
From a young age, her dream was to become a manga artist.
The Manga She Drew in Elementary School, “Tantei Puttsun Monogatari”
The manga she drew when she was in the 5th grade,
was a slapstick comedy featuring a child detective.
“Chibi Maruko-chan” by Sakura Momoko
This was the era of “Chibi Maruko-chan,”
and Okada Aamin-sensei,
and also I read “Ribon” magazine, so I was a regular “Ribon kid.”
But in the end, I liked comedy, I think.
Higashimura Akiko - Origins of the Mangaka
She Was in the Art Club in High School and Went on to Kanazawa College of Art
In school, she was a member of the art club.
Eventually, she enrolled in an arts university.
The story goes that when she was a student,
she observed an interesting teacher,
drew their portrait, and got laughs from those around her.
There was one of them that looked shockingly like the teacher
and it got spread around.
That teacher got really mad,
and the art club's adviser was getting raked over the coals
everyday at these dreadful faculty meetings for it.
“Portraits are art, too!” we said, asking him to hang in there,
and he covered for me. It was cool.
Debuted as a Mangaka at the Age of 23
At 23 she debuted as a manga artist.
She Observes and Draws Interesting Parts of Personalities Near Her
“Himawari - Kenichi Legend” Her Own Father Is the Main Character
When she was 30, she made her own father a protagonist.
This work with its powerful characterization became a hit.
“Mama wa Tenparist”
With her sharp eyes, she observes and draws those around her.
“Kuragehime”
In that fashion, she has used her son
“Meronpon Dashi!”
as well as her female otaku friends as models,
churning out a streak of hits.
“Tokyo Tarareba Musume”
“Yukibana No Tora”
A History Manga with a Female Uesugi Kenshin
And what she's tackling this year is...
a series featuring a female Uesugi Kenshin as the protagonist.
It's her first time challenging the depiction of historical figures.
Visiting Uesugi Kenshin's Birthplace, Niigata, to Collect Data
By visiting Niigata's Katsugayama castle,
where Kenshin lived, Higashimura-san was able
to solidify her image of Kenshin's character.
Capturing the Charm of Historical Figures
If you see a person's room, you can understand their personality.
It's a little bit more vague than that,
but you can somehow understand it.
The size of their lifestyle.
Yes, the size of their lifestyle.
And also, I have a kid, so, how do I say this,
like, thinking if I were them, I'd do this and that,
it's easy for me to see that sort of thing.
You've got a head for quick deductions.
I might have good intuition, somehow.
You deduce things quickly.
I'd know where people kept stuff hidden in their houses right away.
That was the kind of kid I was.
By observing and empathizing, she gives birth to the characters of her manga.
How will their appeal be expressed through art?
How to Express Character's Appeal Through Art
Higashimura-san is very particular in that regard.
The face is the one thing I always draw myself.
Just the face?
Right, right!
The face is the first thing you have to get absolutely correct, right?
Exactly.
I think backgrounds aren't actually needed for manga.
Drawing through “Subtraction”
Isn't everyone drawing too much right now?
Manga in the past had backgrounds that were just plain white.
Your manga has a large amount of panels with lots of effect lines.
They won't even have a background sometimes, it's just effect lines.
I really tried to copy that, after seeing at it.
If you just stick a broad background in one panel...
Then people should be able to just fill it in inside their heads.
Right, right. If you don't ask the readers to imagine it,
then there's just too much information.
The question of what not to draw from the point of view of subtraction is quite important as well.
Drawing through “Subtraction”
Um, I may regret saying this, but...
Higashimura-san, the more I look at this,
Yes? Yes?
the more I get a sense of Yokoyama Mitsuteru.
Yokoyama Mitsuteru (1934 - 2004)
Ah, that's right! It's exactly that, you're right!
Lately, I feel like his art might be my favorite.
Seriously!?
Drawing through “Subtraction”
When I was imitating “Sangokushi” in “Himawari,”
“Himawari - Kenichi Legend”
“Sangokushi” Yokoyama Mitsuteru
I'd think, “This is really good art,” and wanted to copy it.
And from there, he became a strong influence.
Just what I'd expect from you, sensei!
Really? Woo, I did it!
You did well to get that.
As for Yokoyama-sensei's pictures,
you know how I fill the hair in my characters in completely,
that was Yokoyama-sensei's influence.
“Sangokushi” Yokoyama Mitsuteru
Guan Yu
Zhang Fei
Liu Bei
Cao Cao
I thought, “Is there any other manga where
the guys looked as hot as they did using as few lines as it used?”
So that was it after all.
Just as expected!
It's the first time someone noticed.
4:00 PM (3 Hours Till Planned Finish)
Um, for Takeda Shingen's father's kimono,
I'll draw that in, so pass those to me.
In addition to people's expressions, Higashimura-san places value in illustrating the clothes they wear.
Felt Pen
A mean-looking person should wear a mean looking design,
whereas an innocent person calls for an innocent-looking design.
I think that sort of thing is really important...
Fixation on the Modeling of Characters
Takeda Harunobu (Later, Shingen)
Father: Nobutora
That's a nice design.
It seems like something this old man would wear.
Somehow, he seemed kind of like an unpleasant person.
Yeah.
But you see, it doesn't appear like he's an idiot.
That's what this old man likes, right?
Yeah.
Let's see, he's an unpleasant person,
but, it's not like he doesn't carry a fair amount of leadership.
You see, I really do... How do I say this...
The design of this kimono is something I have to think about,
normally down to the details of who dyed it, and how,
it's not like I can actually do that in real life, but...
I guess I might be pretty fussy about clothes.
I am a woman, after all.
Ah, but I definitely feel that that's the right idea.
Fixation on the Modeling of Characters
Among those who have come from the field of shoujo manga,
there aren't that many people who could draw this old man.
Fixation on the Modeling of Characters
Ah, in shoujo manga, the faces of old men and grandfathers,
they really don't draw them. I agree.
For these sorts of older man characters, these mob characters,
Mob Character - Nameless Characters in Backgrounds and Crowds
the page I've relied on most to depict a large number of them at once
is that intense part in 20th Century Boys with Kanna in the church,
and then, boom, Occho busts his way in.
In that scene, a bunch of homeless-looking men arrive at the church.
Loads of 'em.
Yes, loads of them. Your mob characters are a great reference.
I'm done inking things in with my pen,
so I guess I'll go put some pressure on people...
There is now little time left until the planned deadline.
From now on, it's time for the finishing touches.
Another...
2 and a half hours and we'll send out the manuscript,
so we'll be finishing it all up in a flash with everyone here.
4:30 PM (2.5 Hours Till Planned Finish)
Giving Instructions to Assistants
She feeds instructions to one assistant after another.
Paste some plants on there, and then the rain should be like, “Baaa!”
Like the plants are being hit by the rain like, “Baaa!”
I want you to make it in the middle of a dark night,
with a lot of rain falling. In white.
Many Young Members
Most of the assistant staff are quite young.
Higashimura-san places great value in their fresh ideas and sensibilities.
What I fear the most, I guess, is becoming old-fashioned.
It's fine if it's bad, but I'd hate if it didn't feel fresh.
On How the Final Scene Will Play Out
The rain stops and then *bam*
the moon comes out.
That's good! We'll go with that.
On the last page, we slam the moon up there.
You have it, right? The moon tone.
All right. It's decided.
The moon is a symbol for women, after all. Isn't it?
It's the symbol of a woman, right?
I just thought of that!
I just thought of it, that kind of theme.
Making Use of the Sensibilities of the Young
The Last Page
You weren't going to stick the moon in?
We weren't. There was nothing there in the storyboard,
and the theme just suddenly emerged.
That's a big theme that came out of it.
Yeah, that's right.
This theme that could persist until the final chapter,
just plopped out now from an assistant.
But, well, that's what manga production is like.
Yeah. This is why I haven't gone digital, really.
It's definitely better to have people come, and to get ideas from them.
Starting with the pages the assistants have completed their tasks on,
she puts the finishing touches on the characters.
Final Touches for Characters
Fixation on Details of Characters
This white...
Yes?
Is it white ink?
It is.
So you can use white ink in this kind of way...
Eh? You don't do this?
I'll copy you.
Really?
For me, white ink is, somehow,
a tool of addition, or a tool to augment the art,
so rather than using it to erase mistakes...
You can use it to create subtle expressions.
That's right.
But, when I draw, I really, I just thought of this while watching...
What I pay attention to is, call it the “heaviness of things,”
like, for example, the heaviness of hair.
Like a floaty kid should have floaty hair, and with kimonos too,
like the weight of a yukata is different than a kimono for the winter,
so I think I'm drawing while thinking about the weight of things...
When you can depict that, it makes you think, “I did it!”
That's true.
I get that sense of happiness when I can depict it too.
Like, “Yeah, this is the way I wanted to draw it.”
Maru Pen
You do the insides of the eyes with a maru pen.
The last thing Higashimura-san seriously evaluates is the characters' eyes.
Checking All the Eyes in Each Panel
She gives each page another look, and checks the eyes of every character.
In doing so, she adds minute, expressive details.
It's like you're finishing by breathing life into them.
It's a task I quite enjoy,
so, at the end, how do I say this,
it's like I save the best task for last, I guess?
The foundations of Higashimura Akiko-san's art date back to her days as a student.
“Kakukaku Shijkajika,” which won the Manga Taishou this year,
follows her path in life up to the point where she became a manga artist.
While in an art classroom during her high school days,
Hidaka-Sensei
she meets her mentor, Hidaka-sensei.
And then, she receives his harsh guidance.
His Strict Teachings Became a Foundation
It really is thanks to those years that sensei was pushing me.
Well, really, at that time I was drawing so much it felt like hell.
I read “Kakukaku Shikajika” and...
at first, I saw it and thought, “This person is a genius,”
and I thought it was amazing, but, it was like...
“Oh, so that's what was happening in the background.”
Instead of someone who could suddenly draw art like, “Bam!”
there was actually all this going on, which makes it more impressive.
I do think, well, it's not really like the “darkness” in my life,
but I had been hiding parts of my life leading up to my drawing manga.
Well really, to put it blatantly, my like, lame past... Like...
I had actually planned to go with a character that was just like,
“I'm not really trying that hard, I'm just sort of doing whatever.”
But if I did that, it would've been like... It would've felt like a lie.
so I just decided I'd draw the real thing, and I did.
It's been 16 years since she became a pro manga artist.
She continues to challenge new subjects,
giving birth to new works.
There is a phrase which stirs Higashimura-san to action.
It is a phrase Hidaka-sensei spoke repeatedly.
“Draw!”
Her Teacher's Words - “Draw!”
In the end, you have to draw.
That's right.
In the end, it's, um, the same as calligraphy, or pottery.
Pictures are something you really have to draw.
Right.
I'm teaching at a school right now, but,
at any rate, if you don't draw the story won't start.
That teacher really was amazing though.
He was.
I do think he's a rare type. I haven't seen any others, since then.
I've met a lot of people of all stripes, but what was it?
He was so stoic and without lies, how should I put it...?
He was really somehow sort of cool... Yeah.
Made you feel like there wasn't anyone else like him.
6:00 PM
Just one hour left till the deadline.
There's still a panel for which the art hasn't been done.
I'll draw it in one go.
Using her felt-tip pen, she started drawing in a panel with no outlines.
Drawing Without Sketching, All in One Go
You're smooth.
This is, somehow, one of those “the retainers have their doubts...”
A depiction of the impression.
Yes, the impression.
And they're sort of talking in the shadows, maybe?
You're really going. This is great.
This, too, is unexpectedly, um...
You're making use of a shape that came coincidentally, right?
Right. Mm.
Rather than having something in mind, you're going with feeling.
Right, right. Mm.
That's a master right there.
Drawing Without Sketching, All in One Go
I sorta, watched this footage before the recording today,
and afterwards, with my work...
Yes?
my own pen got a little bit faster.
Is that so? Wow! Amazing. For Urasawa-sensei to...
It may have made my art a little bit rougher, though.
But that's Higashimura-san's influence.
Well, maybe I'll brag about that. It'd be a bit brazen, though.
She takes up the task of finishing this chapter's showcase, the two-page spread.
What's this? Protagonist Uesugi Kenshin's face is suddenly being erased!?
She Erases Uesugi Kenshin's Face
You're totally redrawing the whole thing.
The expression was somewhat different from what I wanted...
She takes up her felt-tip pen, and changes her approach on the lines.
Felt Pen
This scene is a heartrending one in which Kenshin's older sister
The Scene When Kenshin's Sister Leaves to Be a Bride
parts with her family at the young age of 13, and becomes a bride.
There is no dialogue, and the facial expressions alone convey those complex emotions.
This is no good. I'll redraw Aya's eyes.
White out Aya's eyes for me.
Kenshin's older sister's face is also being redrawn.
This is a tricky scene, here. It really is.
When I was doing the storyboards, I could get by with the flow,
but when it comes to the actual manuscript, it doesn't go that well.
At times like these, I do it through trial and error.
Nearing Completion Time, Still Focused on Expressions till the End
You're playing around with the edges of the eyes right now,
but this, what is it, this “tear sac line” is,
Ah, those?
the ones you're filling in right now.
Tear Sac Line
These really make the expression.
They're really important.
That line for the bottom of the eye in manga,
a .1 mm difference can change things significantly.
When you dab it in, the expressions totally change.
You can express sorrow and such,
or it could be just an ordinary happy face.
After repeated trial and error, she's drawn an expression she can accept.
Ah, it's totally different.
It makes me think, “Did it really take me that long?”
To me, that felt like it took only a moment.
I thought I was rushing through it like, “Gwaaah!”
but it was actually a whole lot more slow than that.
It's because you're chasing after your own internal vision.
I don't have an innate sense of time.
Looking in from the outside at all of this, it's amazing.
It's a surprise, I learned something, and I'm glad.
7:00 PM Manuscript Complete
8 hours since we started.
With fearsome speed, they've completed 38 pages.
A female Uesugi Kenshin.
The manuscript that features her is complete.
The eyes and hairstyles, and even the kimonos,
are packed with small, detailed expressions of character.
Dense gag scenes, contrasting the story's seriousness.
Panels where her skills of sketching shine through.
And lastly, delicate expressions born of repeated trial and error.
It's stuffed with the appealing points of a typical Higashimura manga.
There aren't many that you would call “masters” these days.
Well, I may not be one to talk.
But that feeling of aiming to become a master is really nice.
You're right. Mmm. I want to be one.
“I want to become a master,” that's a good thing.
I'd like to go to a world where
I could draw a picture with just a single swish of my pen.
Not really as a way to cut corners or anything,
but if it were like that, I feel like manga would be better.
This story that asks, “What if Uesugi Kenshin was a woman?”
somehow it's about Higashimura-san herself in the world of manga,
like... sort of as a female artist, I guess.
It's like you're saying, “I'm going to conquer the nation!”
Like, “Just you wait, I'm going to do it!”
But, that's true, somehow...
That sort of thing is cool, and I look up to it.
Rather than like, “I want to have fun doing something I love,”
well, because I came from the countryside,
I like people who are like, “I'm going to be number one!” more.
Myself included.
Subbed as a gift for the best, most amazing person in my life, who is a huge Higashimura fan. If these subs helped you enjoy Manben, consider leaving a simple "thank you" comment on my blog, animetics.net.