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Developing a Diverse Cast in Kia Asamiya's Silent Möbius
Kia Asamiya has been writing manga for nearly 40 years. His most famous work, Silent Möbius, is an explosive mashup of genres: taking place in a cyberpunk Blade Runner-esque dystopia, it depicts the plight of AMP, an all-woman team of sorcerers, psychics, and even cyborgs.
― Kia Asamiya has been writing manga for nearly 40 years. His most famous work, Silent Möbius, is an explosive mashup of genres:...
Crafting a Hell in Heaven with Heavenly Delusion Creator Masakazu Ishiguro
We spoke with Ishiguro about the hazy edges of his sci-fi series' themes and the message he hopes readers takes away from the series.
― Manga creator Masakazu Ishiguro's work spans multiple genres, from the unexpected maid café workers in the comedy manga And Yet the Town Moves to the labyrinthian detective story Skygrazer. Of these works, Heavenly Delusion stands apart as a concoctive blend of body...
Crafting Psychological BL Manga with Kyoko Aiba
Manga creator Kyoko Aiba discusses Derail, a compelling portrait of two men attempting to hide their vulnerabilities while simultaneously pulling the other one into closer and closer intimacy.
― Kyoko Aiba has been making moves lately. Her first work in English, I Love You Enough To Tie You Up (from Juné Manga), is a series of steamy and erotic BL short stories about dysfunctional couples pushing ea...
Writing Relatable Villains with Bungo Stray Dogs Author Kafka Asagiri
We went straight to the source to find out what makes Sigma and other villains in Bungo Stray Dogs so easy to like and why Osamu Dazai keeps getting put into anime.
― Hot on the heels of the world premiere of the fifth season of the Bungo Stray Dogs anime at Anime Expo, we had the opportunity to sit down and speak with the original creator, author, and novelist Kafka Asagiri. Asagiri, whose love for...
Vinland Saga's Makoto Yukimura Shares Opinion on Violence: 'Consider Attack on Titan'
Yukimura opened up about his hope for a world without war and his antipathy toward violence.
― 2023 marks the fourteenth year since Makoto Yukimura debuted as a manga author, and he's shown no signs of slowing down. His current ongoing work, Vinland Saga, achieved high praise worldwide for its messaging on war and violence coupled with compelling storytelling and character development. Although many...
The Quiet Terror of PTSD Radio with Eisner-Nominated Horror Manga Creator Masaaki Nakayama
Horror fans, Masaaki Nakayama is a name you need to know. Enter his disturbing world of evil spirits and curses and learn how the slightest tweak of the human face can create an entity that lingers in your nightmares.
― Horror manga is having a moment. This is in no small part due to a newfound appreciation for the works of Junji Ito, who has become a critical darling after multiple Eisner nomination...
After the Rain and Kowloon Generic Romance Manga Artist Jun Mayuzuki
Manga creator Jun Mayuzuki shares her inspirations for Kowloon Generic Romance, the research that went into creating it, and her feelings about categorizing it as sci-fi.
― Jun Mayuzuki is an acclaimed manga artist best known for the coming-of-age drama After the Rain. Her latest series, Kowloon Generic Romance, ranked third in Takarajimasha's This Manga is Amazing! ranking in 2021 and was also a pr...
Centaurs Manga Creator Ryo Sumiyoshi on Fantasy in Feudal Japan
Although we often think of centaurs as strictly Western creatures, manga has its fair share of centaurs. Even within that body of work, Ryo Sumiyoshi's Centaurs stands out for its art, worldbuilding, and story.
― From Greek mythology to Disney's Fantasia to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, centaurs, mythical half-human, half-horse beings, have been a fantasy mainstay. Although we often think of ...
Marry, F---, or Kill with Alternative Manga Artist Shiu Yoshijima
Shiu Yoshijima, an illustrator and manga artist who specializes in drawing cute yet edgy “poisonous” women, so we had to ask her the age-old question: marry, f---, or kill?
― Anime Boston's one Japanese guest this year was Shiu Yoshijima, an illustrator and manga artist who specializes in drawing cute yet edgy “poisonous” women, typically incorporating fantasy elements into her work. Yoshijima parti...
Attack on Titan Creator Hajime Isayama at Anime NYC
The manga's controversial ending loomed heavily over the hit manga creator's appearance in NYC, culminating in an apology and cheers of reassurance from fans.
― It's no exaggeration that Hajime Isayama was a huge draw at Anime NYC. The event marked the Attack on Titan manga creator's first-ever appearance in the United States and while enthusiasm for the anime is still going strong, it was hinted bef...
The Pioneer of Shojo Style, Macoto Takahashi
87-year-old artist Macoto Takahashi began his artistic career in 1953 and would become an establishing force behind what we now know as the shojo (girls) comic art style.
― 87-year-old artist Macoto Takahashi began his artistic career in 1953 and would become an establishing force behind what we now know as the shojo (girls) comic art style. His works popularized ballet in the shojo scene and his cha...
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: The Dangers in My Heart Manga Artist Norio Sakurai
The award-winning manga is getting an anime next year! ANN spoke exclusively with creator Norio Sakurai about their romcom series.
― The Dangers In My Heart is a charming romantic comedy manga starring an introverted teenage boy and his burgeoning relationship with his beautiful classmate. The manga took the top spot in the web category of Next Manga Awards 2020, and it will be getting a TV anime in ...
Ryuko Comic Creator Eldo Yoshimizu
Eldo Yoshimizu is as lively in person as he is on the page, channeling his real-life experience tussling with a yakuza into his femme fatale's fight scenes.
― Eldo Yoshimizu is as lively in person as he is on the page. His action comic, especially Ryuko, about the titular yakuza heiress and her fellow fighting females, have combat scenes that feel like deluges of black ink, violence drawn as a fever ...
Interview: SPY×FAMILY Manga Editor Shihei Lin
We spoke to the manga's editor Shihei Lin about his collaboration with manga creator Tatsuya Endō, and how they worked together to bring this manga to the world.
― SPY×FAMILY's goofy and heartwarming tale of found family has captured hearts the world
over. We spoke to the manga's editor Shihei Lin about his collaboration with manga creator
Tatsuya Endo, and how they worked together to bring this mang...
Interview: Unico: Awakening Writer Samuel Sattin
A collaborative effort between acclaimed writer Samuel Sattin discusses his and Eisner Award-winning artist team Gurihiru's revival of the Tezuka classic.
― The Unico: Awakening manga is a collaborative effort between the Eisner Award-winning artist team Gurihiru and acclaimed writer Samuel Sattin to reboot Osamu Tezuka's Unico for a new generation of readers. With the launch of Unico: Awakening's Ki...
The Anime Staff and Creator of Requiem of the Rose King
We spoke with manga creator Aya Kanno, director Kentarō Suzuki, and series writer Hiroki Uchida to learn more about the series' unique setting, Shakespearean influences, and how it was adapted to screen.
― Inspired by Shakespeare plays, Requiem of the Rose King tells an intriguing story about the tortured life of Richard III. In Aya Kanno's inventive telling, Richard struggles with his love and gende...
Sasaki and Miyano Manga Creator and Director On Crafting the Ideal “Boy's Life” Series
ANN spoke to manga creator Shō Harusono and anime director Shinji Ishihara on how they crafted this sweet and mellow series.
― Sasaki and Miyano is a “boy's life” series about two high school boys falling in love within their everyday lives. The series has earned high praise since its web manga serialization days, and now it has become an anime. ANN spoke to manga creator Shō Harusono and anime direc...
How The Staff of Love of Kill Brought the Action Romcom Manga to Life
ANN spoke to original creator Fe, director Hideaki Oba, series composition writer Ayumu Hisao, and character designer Yoko Sato about how they turned the manga into a thrilling anime.
― Love of Kill first began as a Pixiv manga with the premise of “two assassins find love together.” ANN spoke to original creator Fe about how the story evolved in its transition to a print serialization. We also spoke ...
The Staff of Orient
Orient is a bold new anime that tells the story of the warriors fighting against demon invaders. ANN spoke to manga creator Shinobu Ohtaka, director Tetsuya Yanagisawa, and series composition writer Mariko Kunisawa about the making of the series.
― Orient is a bold new anime based on Magi creator Shinobu Ohtaka's manga. It tells the story of the warriors, who are the only people to fight the demon in...
Interview: Captain Tsubasa Creator Yoichi Takahashi and Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team Producer Ooki
Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team received a brand new story installment titled NEXT DREAM that is penned by none other than Captain Tsubasa's creator Yōichi Takahashi himself.
― Back in September, the football simulation game Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team received a brand new story installment titled NEXT DREAM that is penned by none other than Captain Tsubasa's creator Yoichi Takahashi himself. Anime News ...
Interview: The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window Manga Creator Tomoko Yamashita
ANN spoke to the manga creator Tomoko Yamashita about her approach to creating manga, her feelings on The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window as a BL story, and her intentions behind the seemingly dysfunctional romance.
― The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window is a supernatural BL manga which recently inspired a television anime. The series stands out because of how it combines elements of mystery, ...
How Self-Proclaimed “Scaredy-Cats” Created MIERUKO-CHAN
Manga artist Tomoki Izumi and anime director Yuki Ogawa both describe themselves as “scaredy-cats.” ANN asked the two about their work crafting this unique series.
― The MIERUKO-CHAN anime and manga series offers a unique blend of horror and comedy. Ironically, however, manga artist Tomoki Izumi and anime director Yuki Ogawa both describe themselves as “scaredy-cats.” ANN asked the two about their wo...
Interview: Ranking of Kings Manga Creator Sōsuke Tōka
ANN spoke to the Ranking of Kings manga's original creator Sōsuke Tōka about the story's inspirations and the artist's own unconventional path to success.
― The uplifting story of Ranking of Kings, which recently received an anime adaptation, has been a delight to fans across the world. ANN spoke to the manga's original creator Sōsuke Tōka about the story's inspirations and the artist's own unconvent...
Hana-chan and the Shape of the World Manga Creator Ryotaro Ueda
In his first ever interview, manga creator Ryotaro Ueda goes into detail about the thin veil between the living and the dead, and the in-between world as Hana-chan experiences it.
― ©Ryotaro Ueda 2019 / KADOKAWA CORPORATION In his first ever interview, manga creator Ryotaro Ueda discusses his premiere manga Hana-chan and the Shape of the World. The unique volume follows the imaginative Hana-chan, a ...
Kageki Shojo!! Manga Creator Kumiko Saiki and Anime Director Kazuhiro Yoneda
Manga creator Kumiko Saiki and anime director Kazuhiro Yoneda share the inspirations behind Kageki Shojo!! from the Takarazuka Revue to the classic series The Rose of Versailles.
― The story of Kageki Shojo!! tells the story of aspiring opera actresses attending a school dedicated to refining their talents. It is strongly inspired by the Takarazuka Revue, the famous all-female theater group. ANN spok...
French Artist Jérôme Alquié and Captain Harlock - Memories of the Arcadia
Jérôme Alquié has a uniquely enviable position. The story is Alquié's very own series starring iconic Captain Harlock, and it comes with all the approvals of the manga's originator.
― Jérôme Alquié has a uniquely enviable position. The comic artist has the distinct honor of getting to work alongside one of Japan's most eminent creators, Leiji Matsumoto. In 2019, with assistance from French publisher ...
The Art of Pain: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness Creator Kabi Nagata
In her first North American appearance at the virtual Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Harvey award-winning comic creator Kabi Nagata shared intimate anecdotes about her experience writing and drawing her famous series.
― Harvey Award-winning manga author Kabi Nagata made her first on-screen North American appearance at the virtual Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Her works include My Lesbian Experience with...
Interview: Chainsaw Man Creator Tatsuki Fujimoto
Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man shocked and delighted audiences around the world. With the conclusion of the manga's first part, we interviewed Fujimoto about the manga's creation and got his thoughts on the upcoming anime.
― Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man shocked and delighted audiences with its stylish aesthetic and storytelling. With the conclusion of the manga's first part, we interviewed Fujimo...
Uncovering Tephlon Funk With Creator Stéphane Metayer and Samurai Champloo's Fat Jon
Dive into a story of music and hope set against the backdrop of New York's boroughs. Tephlon Funk has a whole world to discover and a dope soundtrack, too.
― Tephlon Funk, a comic written by Stéphane Metayer and illustrated by David Tako, is both a fusion of anime and hip-hop influences and a giant love letter to the five boroughs of New York City. Set in Queensbridge during the mid-90s, the story ce...
Interview: My Broken Mariko Creator Waka Hirako
Centering on Tomoyo Shiino as she deals with the fallout of the abrupt loss of her best friend Mariko, MY BROKEN MARIKO offers a poignant and unflinching exploration of suicide and its devastating impact on those left in its wake.
― Centering on Tomoyo Shiino as she deals with the fallout of the abrupt loss of her best friend Mariko, MY BROKEN MARIKO offers a poignant and unflinching exploration of s...
Interview: TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You Creator Kenjirō Hata
Manga creator Kenjirō Hata spoke to Anime News Network about the inspirations for the story and its relationship with his previous work, Hayate the Combat Butler.
― TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You is a currently airing anime about the sweet everyday life of a young married couple. In anticipation of the anime's premiere, manga creator Kenjirō Hata spoke to Anime News Network about the inspirations fo...
Mini-Interview with Master of Horror Junji Ito
Now, with an Eisner award under his belt, Anime News Network caught up with Ito to discuss pets, fashion, and the spine-tingling inspiration behind some of his most haunting tales.
― Junji Ito was a guest at this year's Virtual Crunchyroll Expo to talk about his manga Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu, one of the acclaimed horror artist's many licensed manga. Ito is horror manga mainstay in both Japan...
Interview: Horror Manga Mastermind Junji Ito
Prolific horror manga artist and writer Junji Ito has created some of the world's most popular scary stories - and we had the chance to speak with him.
― The master of contemporary horror manga, Junji Ito, took time out of his busy schedule to come to San Jose for Crunchyroll Expo 2019. As one of the most ground-breaking, popular manga artists to put pen on paper, Ito has published works that scare a...
Interview: Square-Enix's Manga Manager Masaaki Shimizu
Square-Enix is getting into the American manga game in a very, very big way - our interview with their department manager has all of the details you need.
― In mid-May 2019, the manga publishing landscape in N. America shifted a bit, as Japanese game and book/magazine/manga publishing giant Square Enix announced that they would start their own dedicated English language publishing division, with prod...
Interview: Creating Manga Art with Rena Saiya and Danica Davidson
The two women behind the twin volumes Manga Art for Beginners and Manga Art for Intermediates get in-depth on what makes their books so different from the rest.
― Creating manga requires more than just the ambition to do it – you also need a good grasp of storytelling and artwork to carry that ambition through. While there are many books on the subject, we readers don't always know which are going to...
Interview: Boruto Manga Artist Mikio Ikemoto
The hard-working illustrator behind the adventures of Naruto's son Boruto answers a few questions about their incredible career.
― Mikio Ikemoto has been involved with the Naruto almost from the very beginning; he was an assistant on the manga for fifteen years. In 2016, he began drawing the artwork for the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga, which is written by Ukyō Kodachi and supervised by Naru...
Weekly Shonen Jump Editor-in-Chief Hiroyuki Nakano
Get the inside scoop on exactly what it's like to be the editor of the most powerful manga magazine in the world - Weekly Shonen Jump, home of One Piece, Dragon Ball Super and more.
― Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an editor for Weekly Shonen Jump? Like a lot of manga fans, I've read Bakuman and was touched at how the editor Hattori was like a mentor to Ashirogi Muto from the time they w...
Interview: Goodnight Punpun Creator Inio Asano
The widely-acclaimed mangaka behind Goodnight Punpun and Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction dives deep on his intense career, the intense feelings in his intense manga, piracy, millennials and a whole lot more.
― Inio Asano is the renowned artist and writer behind a small library of emotionally complex manga that have been embraced and celebrated by audiences in Japan and around the world. Asano ...
Inside The Manga Industry with Felipe Smith, American Mangaka
One of the only American artists to ever serialize a manga in Japan, Part I of our interview with Peepo Choo mangaka Felipe Smith goes in-depth on the manga industry and his incredible career.
― “Unlike most manga-inspired artists I know, I wasn't so much wowed by the [style of] manga as I was by its incredible abundance of ordinary, lifelike, slice-of-life scenarios and characters.” Inspired by that...
Interview: Food Wars author Yuto Tsukuda
The writer of smash hit cooking manga Food Wars spills his secrets, and answers the all-important question: Megumi or Erina?
― Cooking manga and anime have become their own genre, but the ongoing Food Wars! Shoukugeki no Soma is inarguably one of the top titles in recent years. With a third anime season upcoming, Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki's competitive cooking manga has garnered praise for its art,...
Q&A: Legendary Mangaka Kenichi Sonoda
The man behind Gunsmith Cats, Riding Bean and some of the most iconic designs in anime & manga candidly discusses his life and career in a Q&A session at Sakuracon.
― Manga creator and character designer Kenichi Sonoda is well known to anime viewers who joined the fandom is the late 80s and early 90s. His signature style touched some of the era's most popular works including Bubblegum Crisis, which i...
Interview: Dragon Ball Super's Toyotarou
First he was a super-fan of Dragon Ball - now he's drawing the official manga adaption of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball! Find out what makes mangaka Toyotarou tick!
―
Dragon Ball Super is a big step for Akira Toriyama's vast and influential action series. It's the first major follow-up to the original Dragon Ball Z storyline in a long time, and it's the first Dragon Ball TV anime series since Dragon ...
Interview: Assassination Classroom's Yusei Matsui
The creator of Korosensei, that iconic grinning yellow face from the smash hit manga and anime Assassination Classroom, sits down to discuss his career, his influences, and his thoughts on classroom bullying.
― Yusei Matsui does wonders with weird creatures. His widely successful Assassination Classroom poses an inventive battle: misfit students take on a Koro-sensei, a grinning yellow alien who thr...
Interview: Nami Sano, Author of Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto
The mangaka behind the smash hit comedy Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto speaks out about her influences, how she got her start, and what she thinks of the recent Sakamoto anime!
― Nami Sano, the manga creator of Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto made her first visit to an overseas comics convention at Anime Expo 2016 in Los Angeles earlier this summer, as a guest of BookWalker Global. While she didn't ...
Interview: Knights of Sidonia Mangaka Tsutomu Nihei
Deeply influential sci-fi mangaka Tsutomu Nihei talks about his incredible career, and goes in-depth about his most famous creations: Knights of Sidonia and Blame!
― Mecha suits, space motorcycles, morphing space aliens, epic futuristic cities, and talking bears with guns – this and more are the product of the imagination of manga artist Tsutomu Nihei. The creator of mind-bending science fiction seri...
Interview: Okayado, The Father of Monster Musume
The man behind the smash hit manga Monster Musume opens up about his career, what inspires him, and just how much fan input influences where his beautifully bizarre creation goes next.
― Anime Expo 2016 in Los Angeles attracted an all-star array of top talent from Japan, including several manga creators. One notable guest making his first visit to a N. America comics convention was Okayado, the creat...
Interview: Akira in Color with Steve Oliff
The man who brought full color to the Akira manga at Marvel Comics so many years ago has unearthed his original pages for sale. Deb Aoki talks to the artist about his experience working on a classic.
― In the 1980's and early 1990's, there was no bigger manga series than AKIRA by Katsuhiro Otomo. Otomo's dynamic, detailed artwork and mind-blowing post-apocalyptic story was a game-changer in Japan, an...
Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto: The Anime News Network Interview
The creator of one of the most famous and successful manga of all time visited the US for the first time, and we were there. Catch up with Masashi Kishimoto's panel from New York Comic-con and dive deeper with our exclusive interview!
― For manga fans, Masashi Kishimoto and Naruto needs no introduction. It is simply one of the most popular manga series ever created, not just in Japan, but throughout ...
Interview: The New Ultraman with Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi
One of Japan's most recognizable and popular superheroes received a major reboot, courtesy of two artists with some wildly creative ideas on how to bring Ultraman into the 21st century. Deb Aoki chats with both artists and their editors for some real insight.
― In N. America, superheroes are synonymous with comics; they represent what most Americans think about when they talk about comic books. In Ja...
Interview: Kodansha Advanced Media on the Future of Manga
Several top-level executives from the largest Japanese publishing house discuss the future of the manga industry, simulpublishing, fighting scanlation piracy and more in this wide-ranging, eye-opening interview.
― In early August 2015, several top executives from Kodansha, one of Japan's largest publishing companies came to Northern California to celebrate the opening of the Kodansha Advanced Media o...
Interview: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches creator Miki Yoshikawa
The creator of the hit manga, recently adapted into a popular anime series, talks about her inspirations, how she got her start, and what it's like to watch your manga become a TV show.
― As you might guess from the story, the main character of the story is a high school roughneck named Ryu Yamada. Yamada meets cute, quiet, and studious Urara Shiraishi, who is his complete opposite in almost every wa...
Interview: Kamisama Kiss mangaka Julietta Suzuki
The mangaka behind the hit shojo series Kamisama Kiss answers a few questions about her life, her career, and her favorite movie.
― Julietta Suzuki is the mangaka most known for the smash hit shojo fantasy Kamisama Kiss, which has developed an international fanbase and was subsequently adapted into a 2-season anime series. She's also responsible for Karakuri Odette, the tale of an android girl who go...
Interview: Aya Kanno
The talented illustrator and writer behind Otomen and Requiem of the Rose King answers a few questions about her inspirations, the historical implications of her newest hit manga, and more.
― Aya Kanno is the successful mangaka behind the gender stereotype-skewering hit Otomen, which concluded its run a few years ago. She's back now with Requiem of the Rose King, a big shojo-flavored melting pot that...
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