If your mindset is like, “I'm going to screw with the world and bring it all down!”
Urasawa Naoki
And you have that kind of mischievous attitude,
like you're messing with people, or like it's a prank
when you're aspiring to create manga,
then I think that'd be pretty interesting, wouldn't it?
If you're able to draw things that like,
Asano Inio
nobody has seen before and stuff,
then it's more fun for the person doing it, and it's worth doing.
But it's incredibly tiring.
Continuing to Challenge
I overdid it a bit.
Sometimes I think like, if I just drew it normally,
New Gen Mangaka
then it'd probably be faster, wouldn't it?
You're not using the computer to cut corners or make things easy.
That's almost painfully clear.
That's good to hear.
Creator of many hit works, mangaka Urasawa Naoki-san.
His newest project is this program, “Manben.”
Mangaka create grand dramas from the tiny tips of their pens.
Usually entry is not allowed to where they work, but we've been granted full access to film there.
Full Access to the Place Where Manga Is Born
On this day, Urasawa-san planned to use the computer to do work.
Work on the PC
But for some reason... the computer has broken down.
It's like, it'd really be great if this didn't have to happen right now,
and so it goes out of its way to make sure it does.
It makes you feel like the computer's got a mind of its own, right?
But that's how it is.
This is how it's like to deal with a computer for work.
Is it working?
Yeah. It's working.
Did you shake it?
I rocked it a little while booting it up
and that got it to start up.
What a moody computer! But thankfully it's working.
Since approximately 10 years ago, Urasawa-san has been doing the coloring process on the computer.
Adding Colors on the PC
It's goes by very quickly. It really takes shape fast.
He's particular about getting it to look like watercolors on the computer.
“Did he paint this with watercolors?”
That's the sort of thing I'd like for people to think.
I don't really like when it's got the appearance that says
that it has been processed on the computer.
Also, he makes images that have impact using techniques available since he's on the computer.
Techniques for the Computer
You can't draw it in like this with watercolor paints.
And so I continue to repeat this kind of process and
whoosh, this is what I end up with.
For this episode we were able to record
a mangaka who uses the computer to come up with novel ways of expression.
Asano Inio
“Solanin”
“Oyasumi Punpun”
Popular New Gen Mangaka
Asano Inio-san, who has given us much-discussed works,
such as “Solanin” and “Oyasumi Punpun” one after another.
He's known for his meticulous drawings.
The scenery of daily life familiar to us is expressed in detail,
and the characters within that, drawn with realistic emotions.
With his focus on the world of the young,
he has struck a chord and is gaining overwhelming support.
In this episode we filmed him closely at work on his latest series for 2 days.
Closely Filmed Over a Span of 2 Days
What we found was him challenging himself with something to astonish his readers with,
Challenge
and also his intense fixation on the details.
Fixation on Details
10 Days After Filming
10 days later...
Hello there. Nice to see you again.
Hello, it's been a while.
Sorry for all the fuss.
Sorry to make you come out.
The two will talk while watching the footage that was filmed.
They'll Talk While They Watch the Footage
Oh, this place is cool!
This is where I work...
The Work Space
It's totally “now,” as expected.
First we visit the place where Asano-san works.
Now this place makes you feel like, “Guess I'll do some work!”
Yeah, if I don't force it to feel that way,
then I'd just laze about.
So these are the must-have tools that we've heard about.
A Desk with 2 Monitors
I basically complete things with just what I have here.
But for a mangaka what you have around your desk is pretty simple.
Oh, really?
I'm pretty sure we differ in age by 20 years, right?
55 Years Old
That's right.
Monster was happening around when I was in high school.
34 Years Old
Those young people who give off the sensation of what's to come,
it really appears like you're representative of that sort of thing.
You know, like you're part of a new beat.
They Talk in His Room Filled with Books and Goods
Asano Inio-san has received much attention as a mangaka of the new generation.
Here, the secrets of his works will be revealed.
The Popular New Gen Mangaka at Work
He Only Has 2 Assistants
Starts Work at 2 PM
Filmed with Fixed Cameras to Not Get in the Way
With the fixed cameras we set up all around,
we film him at work trying to disturb him as little as possible.
Character Sketch
First comes a rough sketch of a character.
He places an outline of the character he has drawn on a light box,
Light Box - Shines Light from Below Making Things Transparent
and uses it as reference for its position.
The Popular New Gen Mangaka at Work
Is that a blue mechanical pencil?
That's right. It's a light blue lead.
I see. So that's all you need.
In case you don't erase it, it apparently won't show up in the print.
It looks like it wouldn't.
Inking
Next comes the process of using a pen to ink the lines that will actually be used.
Have you always used G pen nibs?
Yeah, as far as nib pens go, that's what I've always used.
Uhmm, you're holding it at a very unusual angle.
Like your thumb is almost coming off the back of the pen.
Urasawa Naoki's Grip
Asano Inio's Grip
You're right.
I was watching this and thinking to myself,
it's quite a feat that you can control the nib like that.
I've thought that it was hard to draw with a nib for a while now,
The Popular New Gen Mangaka at Work
maybe it's an issue of the angle I hold it at.
This is a bit of a, you know, shock to me.
So depending on the mangaka, there are various ways to hold the pen.
He's switched to using a brush pen.
Brush Pen
He adds lines that are somewhat thicker.
Tech- nical Pen
Now he's switched to using a technical pen,
and begins to add lines that are quite fine.
How many mm is that?
It's probably the .05 mm technical pen.
When I want thin lines I use that, or a ballpoint pen that's .25 mm.
By adding lines of differing thickness, the picture becomes incredibly intricate right before our eyes.
The Pursuit of Detail / Expressing Texture
Now that's the hair I'm talking about!
Whenever I see the hair you draw, that flow it has to it,
I always think, “Ah, it looks so beautiful.”
So those are the pens that you use.
That's right.
Asano-san has a very strong fixation with expressing the texture of things.
He continues to fill the picture with details.
The Pursuit of Detail / Expressing Texture
This detailed work you're doing here, it's amazing.
I'm completely fine doing this kind of work.
This kind of work of filling a determined area with details,
it's not difficult at all for me. I could do it forever.
I want to make it as detailed as I possibly can, and then some.
Being fixated on the details until the very end, that's the Asano way.
By filling in details with a fine pen he adds texture to the parts of the character as well.
30 minutes have passed with him doing nothing but layering lines.
A single panel is finally complete.
The mouth and eyes, the hair and clothes...
A character with each of those parts drawn incredibly intricately comes to life.
What Asano-san is tackling right now is the first Sci-Fi work he's ever attempted:
“Dead Dead Demon's DeDeDeDe Destruction.”
The stage is Japan, at war with invaders from outer space.
He depicts the mundane daily lives of these high school girls while they are in this state of emergency.
It's not just the characters for Asano-san,
Fixated on Details and Texture in the Background as Well
he also draws backgrounds with great attention to detail and texture.
In order to do that he's incorporated a technique to make backgrounds using photographs.
Back- grounds Made From Photos
Next he will make the background that depicts the everyday scene that takes place on this page.
Name - a Plan Drawn for the Story
Self Shot Reference Photos
First he selects a photo that fits the angle and scene from the large collection of photos that he has taken himself.
Monochrome and Arrangment
He changes the photograph to monochrome and arranges it.
He removes the mid ranges using image editing software.
Removing Mids
Then, he adjusts it to the perfect levels so it's easy to turn into a picture for manga.
This photo was also processed in the same way.
With this he has created the base for his background.
Print out and Draw in Pen
From here he begins filling it in with pen.
He fixes the parts of the outline that have blown out and once again adds texture.
Fix the Outlines and Add Texture
If the only thing I did was photoshop it, it wouldn't really feel right,
so I muck up the spots that stand out on purpose for that rougher feeling that analog has.
By meticulously filling in the base that was created using a photo,
he creates a manga drawing that looks like it was drawn by hand.
Create Manga Drawings that Look Hand Drawn
For over 10 years Asano-san has developed this technique,
changing the proportion of what is hand drawn in each work.
So now I'm seeing how much I can get this photo to look like an ink drawing.
When... “Dededede” began its serialization,
Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction
Oyasumi Punpun
Adding That Hand Drawn Feel
I thought, “Hey, the lines look more analog now.”
Your older work, “Oyasumi Punpun,” looked a lot more digital.
The way you're blending analog and digital is really different.
Yes, the ratio has changed a lot.
Yeah, I did feel a bit like I wanted to add a little more of that
component of imperfection or analog-ness to it.
To like, make an opening?
Yeah, yeah.
An opening where the reader can enter through.
Yeah, having an opening is really important after all.
An Opening That Draws Readers In
When you have something that's too high quality,
that's actually not what most people are after.
An Opening That Draws Readers In
With lines that make you think about how tough it is to use a nib,
that you have to labor to draw, it actually gives it personality.
If these great lines just come out way too easily,
then you can't tell who did it, and it ends up feeling anonymous.
Yeah, because with digital, you can draw perfect curves,
but those are lines that you get from calculations and formulas,
so they're lines that anybody could reproduce.
So it's those parts that are uneven, or where there's a mistake,
that gives each of those pictures their personalities.
He has finally finished filling in the drawing.
Before Drawing
After Drawing
He has diligently drawn in outlines and textures to the photo that was made black and white.
Furthermore, he has taken the time to add a rough touch to it.
Thus the photo has been transformed into a manga background with a hand drawn feel.
The 2nd Panel
Next comes the second panel.
He begins to draw the characters from the scene with the river bed from before.
Asano-san is immersed in making the backgrounds intricate.
When he draws his works, the location and its landscapes are starting points for its production.
If I don't first decide on what kind of place the story is set in,
then I can't imagine anything at all.
Like if it's in Tokyo or somewhere rural.
With characters living in Tokyo, what district they're living in...
because that will change their nature as people.
So for you, you approach it from the material you've collected,
and the scenery within that weaves the story.
Scenery Weaves the Story
That's right.
It starts with a city or town,
and it doesn't have to be one that actually exists,
but as far as a setting, you have that first,
and then comes the people living there.
So the scenery or background comes first in the order,
and one could actually consider them the main focus, as well.
Asano Inio-san was born in Ibaraki prefecture in 1980.
Born in 1980, Ibaraki Prefecture, Ishioka City
Origins of the Mangaka Asano Inio
He was frail, and as a young boy,
when there was much to be sad and gloomy about,
he came across the work of a certain mangaka.
Sakura Tamakichi, "Shiawase no Katachi," "Mantama Nikki" Series
It was Sakura Tamakichi-san,
who drew the realistic emotions harbored in everyday life.
Sakura-san's manga, which expressed the way he felt indirectly,
became a source of support for him.
When He Debuted
He made his debut as a mangaka at 17.
Now he could draw manga that was composed of everyday drama himself.
He drew the anger, the despair... and also the hope that's found in life,
and tried to deliver a drama that the reader could relate to.
In order to do that, Asano-san believed it was necessary to depict those scenes realistically.
So what he came up with to do that was a technique to create backgrounds using photos.
♪♪～
He has finished drawing the characters.
Drawing In Background Details
He adds details to the background of this panel as well.
Scenery Weaves the Story
Among those authors whose backgrounds are like main characters,
for people of your generation, who would those be?
Back when I was a student, it was just by chance,
but I happened to read Tsuge Yoshiharu.
Tsuge Yoshiharu, "Nejishiki," "Gensenkan Shujin," etc.
And that instantly had like, a huge influence on me.
Yeah, it definitely has that effect.
Also, when I look at your recent work,
The Mizuki Shigeru Vibe
Mizuki Shigeru, "Gegege no Kitarou," "Akuma-kun," etc.
I can see a good amount of Mizuki Shigeru peeking in and out.
Yeah, like in Kitarou and stuff,
he's got really deformed characters with realistic backgrounds.
That balance is something that's irresistible for me.
Like with that extra that came with “Hibana,”
"Hakaba no Kitarou"
"Heroes"
how you had those little characters tucked away in those bushes.
The way that you put those bushes in
really gave off the vibe of like, “Oh, a Mizuki manga!”
You approach that analog look you like so much from the digital side.
Yeah, those backgrounds.
"Kinokotake no Ko"
With Mizuki-sensei, like how he draws like... those alleyways,
or how he puts in those vertical lines under the eaves and so on.
For backgrounds that really have a sense of life to them,
or ones where you can really feel the mass of the objects,
there's really something there that you can only express in analog,
using crosshatching and such, that you wouldn't be able to otherwise.
And that sort of thing is something I'm very fond of.
The everyday scenery that Asano-san is so concerned with has been drawn.
Drawing The Girl in the 3rd Panel
Now he draws the girl who stands in that scenery.
"A Girl on the Shore"
The characters he draws seem like people you can find anywhere,
but with shadows lurking somewhere within them.
"Oyasumi Punpun"
They are normal people that you can feel an affinity with.
"Solanin"
Their joy and sadness are depicted and readers can see their own feelings overlap with that.
"Oyasumi Punpun"
Tanaka Aiko
Main characters just grow up so fast,
and I do think about like, if I should make them girls and such,
Satou Koume
but it's too embarrassing, I can't do it.
That sounds like such a lie.
Drawing Characters That Readers Can Get Close To
As for how much to allow personalities of characters not to be set,
like, I've had times where I don't even want to pick a name.
Yeah, the work of having to name characters is such a drag.
Yeah, it is.
When I was drawing “Happy!”
and the characters of the “3 hopeless coaches” showed up,
Fuda
Koku- ryou
Shiba- saki
I named them “Fuda,” “Kokuryou,” and “Shibasaki,”
after train stations that are on the Keiou line.
It was a joke that only people from a certain area would laugh at.
It's like... don't think about it too deeply.
Yeah, it feels like the more simple it is, the better.
As for the story, it's about how much the creator should interfere, right?
If the creator shows up way too much in the story,
then it's something that's like, gets in the way for the reader.
He's drawing in details again.
Drawing Characters That Readers Can Get Close To
"Solanin"
I drew this manga called “Solanin” a while ago,
and I drew freckles on the girl that was the heroine.
Inoue Meiko
It was supposed to be like a statement from me in a way,
that I wasn't going to draw a proper pretty girl.
But people were telling me that was actually better.
Well, drawings are a declaration of fetishism.
It's been like that everywhere since long ago.
The pictures that an artist draws is asking like,
“Do you sense any sort of eroticism there?”
and it's like, “So you noticed! I've thought that was nice for years.”
It presents the question of like, is that what it is there?
As a reader, it speaks for you on things that you hold close,
and that's something you can really take comfort in.
"Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction" Ontan
The girls in the manga I'm drawing now basically all drool,
and there are people that say they're still cute, despite that.
I mean, I think so too, but it's like...
this is the breaking point of whether you'll be into it.
If you're not into it, then you're just not.
Yeah, that's pretty much the limit for me.
I remember you stating in an interview once that
you didn't really want to draw pretty young girls.
It's because then they ask me if that's what I think is cute,
"20th Century Boys" Endou Kanna
and that's embarrassing.
I really get like, shy about that sort of thing.
"Yawara!" Inokuma Yawara
I keep it a bit off from my own tastes.
That's how I know you're definitely a seinen author.
When you're dealing with that sort of thing in shounen magazines,
it may be better to just be direct about what's like cool or cute.
There's something there to being deceptive about those things.
He's finally finished drawing in the details of the girl.
Finishing Touches on Computer
He scans the manuscript and begins adding finishing touches on the computer.
He puts in effects like shadows into the picture.
Finishing Touches on the Computer
That's actually gray you're using, right?
Yeah, it's gray.
A 10% gray has pretty much the same darkness
that is equivalent to a 61 screentone.
Home Made Screentone From Drawing
This is a handmade screentone.
It's like a homemade hybrid tone that you've made by yourself.
That actually makes it look a lot more analog-like
Finishing Touches on the Computer
than doing it poorly in analog does.
I'm sure that for the people that use the computer to draw
this must be a very exciting scene to see.
You've really given us a no holds barred look at things this time.
With this the page is complete.
An everyday landscape, based on a photo, born from details drawn in with a pen,
and the simple characters there that evoke a sense of familiarity.
It is a single page of the familiar drama that Asano-san is so absorbed in.
He starts on the next page.
To The Veranda
But before that, Asano-san headed out to the veranda.
He's brought something strange out.
Free Thinking Creates New Ideas
A wooden fish block?
That's right.
I'm using it as a stand-in for the spaceship that's going to show up.
A wooden fish block becomes a space ship?
Asano-san doesn't only use photos for backgrounds,
he also makes use of all sorts of them to draw various objects in his works.
Uses Photos for All Sorts of Objects
Excuse me,
I've got something I want to ask.
The Filming Gear
Would it be okay to take a picture of this for reference?
Of course.
I've got this scene right now where they're shooting a missile.
Free Thinking Creates New Ideas
That's the filming staff's equipment.
They've got all these machines crammed in there.
It's definitely not that kind of equipment at all, though!
But as long as it seems real to me,
it's like that's all that I really need.
Yeah, it is a scene that you don't really see.
It totally looks just like it.
For Asano-san, this is the first Sci-Fi work he has attempted.
Many giant mechanical objects, which he had never drawn before, appear in it.
Ashtray
Asano-san does not adhere to established Sci-Fi sensibility and comes up with ideas freely.
Wooden Fish Block
He hopes to entertain readers with the novelty of the shapes he has come up with doing that.
Editing on Computer
He imports the picture right away and begins turning it into manga.
What he's making right now is a gigantic weapon.
♪♪～
The Lid for a Mosquito Coil
It has a strange shape, something never seen before.
Free Thinking Creates New Ideas
I pretty much haven't done anything Sci-Fi or fantasy up to now,
so when they told me to produce it, that I should design it myself,
I was sort of like, hesitant.
I get how you feel.
You've got a complex about it, right?
Yeah, I do.
It's like, I don't think I'm really suited for it.
It's like, there are people who specialize in doing that,
designing robots and stuff.
Free Thinking Creates New Ideas
"Pluto" Urasawa Naoki X Tezuka Osamu
That's how it was for me when I was doing the robots for “Pluto.”
They asked me, what are you doing about the robots?
Yeah, and I got really neurotic about that.
But then I was like, whatever!
I used to draw “Tetsujin 28” back when I was in grade school.
"Tetsujin 28" Yokoyama Mitsuteru
"Pluto"
I was defiant and decided that I'd just go with that.
I'd design it to look like that and get a few laughs out of people.
It sorta ends up as a punchline, right?
Yeah, if you're not going to keep a sense of reality,
then it's way better to just go completely crazy with it.
Adding Lines By Hand
Just like with backgrounds, he creates the manga picture by drawing in an abundance of details.
The Desire to Create New Expressions
Sometimes I think like,
if I just drew it normally then it'd probably be faster, wouldn't it?
That's what you thought while watching this replay?
But I'm sure that all this work you're doing,
you're enjoying it while you're doing it, like you're having fun.
Yeah, you're right.
If I can come up with some new way of drawing by doing it digitally,
then it's pretty fun, isn't it?
As for the extra effort it takes, I don't really loathe it.
All these things that I'm doing in analog are strange though.
Words on Screen Drawn by Hand
Why am I writing that out by hand?
Yeah, yeah.
He has finally finished drawing it in.
He want to create new forms of expressions that entertain the reader.
A page crammed with Asano-san's feelings has been complete.
Lastly, he begins the page that will be the climax.
For this page, Asano-san has decided to challenge something new.
A New Challenge
Challenging a Spread that will Astonish
At last...
I've always wanted to try a 2 page spread that you view vertically.
A Scene with the Invaders Falling
It's a scene with a huge amount of alien invaders falling from the sky.
He's decided to express it using a vertical 2 page spread.
I think the best way to really make it feel like they're falling
would be a vertical 2 page spread.
It feels like it's gonna turn out really plain, this is so scary.
Making the Background
First he makes the background.
He uses an aerial shot and creates the background the same way as the other pages.
He carefully draws in details by hand here as well.
With 2 hours spent, the background is complete.
Drawing Invaders
Next, he draws a bunch of invaders in different poses.
How many patterns did you make?
I made around 30 of them for then.
30 patterns for the biggest.
And then after that, I had my staff draw about 60
Challenging a Spread that will Astonish
that were even smaller and used them as well.
So few and you did all that.
This is really something drawn especially for this.
Arranging the Invaders
He imports the invaders into his computer and arranges them.
Challenging a Spread that will Astonish
Now this is the kind of thing that you would use a computer to do,
but it's not something that's actually like, very tough to do.
It does really takes a lot of time, though.
I'm sure that back when you could only do things analog,
whether you'd think about making this picture
just wouldn't have ever come up.
Figuring out if you can do something new using a digital tool,
or seeing if you can do something using a specific function,
the moment that you establish you can, is really a fascinating one.
Asano-san has always tried to find astonishing ways of expression that surpass the reader's expectations.
When he was a child he related to manga as a reader and was saved by that.
He wants to draw works packed with fresh ideas that leave an impression in the reader's mind.
That desire has sparked Asano-san on to take on new challenges.
Wants to Entertain the Readers
Testing if something works or not using the reader's reaction,
that is, in a way, when it's most interesting to me.
Like, “Ah, so that makes them shy away,” and stuff, right?
Because it's really just about making your readers gasp.
In the end, if the reader finds it interesting, that's all you need.
There are so many of them now!
I overdid it a bit.
But it's so fun I can't help it. I can make a ton of them in an instant.
How dense should he place the invaders?
Searching for the Right Balance
He puzzles over the balance as he hunts for an answer.
How Dense to Make the Picture
For manga the manuscript paper you use
is generally 270 mm by 180 mm.
You draw at 120% the size of how it'll be in the magazine.
How Dense to Make the Picture
And you take that into account when you're thinking about
how dense to make your drawings.
But when you're on a computer, you can zoom in and out all you want.
One thing I've noticed recently is that the drawings of digital creators
have been getting bigger and bigger.
If you draw like faces or panels on a really scaled down screen,
when it's actually in books or magazines, it's crazy zoomed up.
You won't know, since you're drawing a small picture.
I was thinking about when you draw a small image zoomed in,
and it looks like you've drawn too much in of the mob far away.
Mob - Nameless Mob Characters
Yeah, that happens, but the complete opposite happens as well.
But there are people nowadays that read ebooks,
and you're free to decide the way it looks or how big it'll be, right?
So it's like, you don't know what the standard is anymore.
He searches for the exact balance in density for the final touches that won't feel unnatural.
I'll put some tones on the invaders that are far away.
If I don't make them darker to give them depth,
then they might seem too convoluted.
He carries out a last set of adjustments to give it a sense of depth.
5 hours have passed since he started the scene on screen.
5 Hours Later...
Challenged Page / Fixated Till the End
Can't find an answer, huh?
It wouldn't matter too much when to decide this work is done,
the result wouldn't change too much from that,
but I'm probably just thinking people will say I'm just copy pasting.
No, not at all.
I think the sense that like, “Is he drawing all this?” is stronger.
From watching you use the computer like this we can see,
you're definitely not using it to cut corners or make things easy.
That's almost painfully clear.
That's good to hear.
It seems that he finally has a picture that he's satisfied with.
Challenged Page / Fixated Till the End
I wonder how this will look in the volume.
I'd really like to take a look at it bigger.
A technique combining analog and digital which he has cultivated,
an unfettered way of thinking,
the desire to astonish the reader,
Asano-san's latest challenge has taken form.
When you have this toy we call a computer in your hands,
and you're experimenting to see what you can do with it,
you think about things like, “Oh, that might be fun to do.”
That's why I try my best to avoid being taught how to do something.
Because if you're taught how to do it, it becomes boring, right?
Yeah, that's how it feels.
You want to be like Jimi Hendrix,
when he took a guitar and suddenly started playing it with his teeth.
It's like wanting to do something like that.
Yeah, yeah. If someone tells me to use a tool a certain way,
then that's not how I'd want to use it.
I get you.
It's like, it feels like a waste to say that.
There's something that's like, there to discover,
and that's why I'll still try and draw the next picture.