Abe Miyuki Interview in October 2006 Pafu

[insaneneko]

Abe Miyuki is, of course, most famous for her long running series "Komatta toki ni wa hoshi ni kike!" She is currently doing a fantasy series (loosely) based on the extremely famous "Hakkenden" (which, incidentally, I knew virtually nothing about and thus had a joyous time researching in order to translate this interview), and this interview is mostly about that. Does anyone follow Hakkenden? I love the art (my default icon is of the main character, Shino) and the story and characters are interesting (though so far it feels more like set-up than anything else, so it's hard to say...). See my previous pimp post for a bit more info.

Just a warning: The interview does contain some spoilers for things past volume 3. Also, my translation is looser than usual. Man, is Abe-sensei waaay too colloquial in the worst way. -_-


To start with, creating the visuals

Q: Who came up with the idea of using "Hakkenden" as the subject [of a new series]?
A: I thought you'd definitely ask that, but I can't answer! (laughs)

Q: (laughs) You had written "It's because I love dogs" in the manga.
A: Yes, that's about it. (laughs) Regarding "Hakkenden," I only knew the Kadokawa movie.

Q: Then was it a suggestion by the editorial department?
A: I had decided from the start to do a fantasy for my next series because I didn't want to do something set in the present for a while. When I told them that they asked me, "Something like 'Hakkenden' might be fun, don't you think?," and it made me go "hmmm"...Kind of like that.
Editor-in-charge: It was initially brought up on the spur of the moment, but we decided to go ahead with it because we felt it might be possible.

Q: When did you begin thinking about the plot of "Hakkenden?"
A: It had been settled that I'd be doing something with "Hakkenden" as the motif back when I was drawing "Komahoshi," but I hadn't thought of anything concrete. I worked double time after "Komahoshi" ended, putting together the plot and doing the character design in about a month. In any case, I figured things would work out if I at least created the characters.

Q: Do you tend to create characters before coming up with the story?
A: It varies, but in the case of "Hakkenden" I was asked to create the characters first by the editorial department so I said I would.

Q: Is that including their personalities and backgrounds? Or only their appearance?
A: Only their appearance. The rest was left to develop along the way (laughs). As the story progresses, the personality will gradually take shape...Probably.
Editor: We wanted to know what Abe-sensei was going to do visually with "Hakkenden" as a motif.

Q: Wasn't it difficult to study and do research on the longest work of classical Japanese literature in a short time?
A: It was hard. To start with, the original was hard to read (laughs). I gave up on the Bakin and read a modern Japanese translation, but even that was...That's how it was (laughs). In any case, the story was too broad and hard to understand. But this year was the year of the dog so there were various specials on TV, some of which were useful as references. In that sense it was good timing.

Q: This series is essentially an original story with Bakin's "Nansou Satomi Hakkenden" used as a motif. About how much did you incorporate from the original work?
A: The characters and how they are connected. The rest, including the historical era, is completely original. The general idea for the setting is Japan around Meiji or Taisho. But it was hard researching these eras as well...

Q: They would seem to be easier eras to research, with the relatively abundant amount of information.
A: That's true, but I didn't want to just accept them as is. Then I found a photograph that I felt was close to the image [I wanted]. But the location of the photograph was deep in the mountains of China, basically next to Tibet, and I didn't want to go there...But I was made to go.

Q: Was Shino the first character you created?
A: It was Shino and Kyousuke.

Q: Have you done character designs for all eight dog warriors?
A: They have been tentatively created, but I never proceed as planned so they will be different when they actually appear [in the manga].

Q: Like Takara from "Komahoshi," Shino also cross-dresses. Do you enjoy drawing men dressed as women?
A: Not particularly. In Shino's case he already did in the original work.

Q: Asakeno (Inuzaka Keno), who has recently appeared in the manga, also dresses as a woman. Is this character also actually a man as in the original work?
A: Yes. Frankly, I wasn't interested in Keno when I read the original work. But I was surprised to hear that Keno was pretty popular [2]. I had made him more of a regular guy, but I was told, "Keno has to have long hair, right?" I don't have a thing for long hair, you see, so I was all "What, long hair!?" I'm not very knowledgeable about "Hakkenden, " so when every so often I receive a letter from an enthusiast I feel really apologetic.

Q: Were you mindful of something in particular with Shino's character design?
A: I love child characters. I love Conan from "Meitantei Conan" (Case Closed), so that's the image I used. A character who thinks, isn't cute and is rather cheeky (laughs).

Q: So you decided to stop his aging?
A: I thought he might be cuter if he remained a child. It's also easier to draw. It's easier for me to draw rounder faces, so I have a hard time drawing old guys and businessmen. It's probably because it's not my thing. I also wanted to bind (limit) an invincible main character, so I thought making him a child might be good for that, too.

Q: Then the easiest character to draw is Shino?
A: Yes, I think it's better when the main character is easier to draw. Shino is also the character I move around the most. I can empathize [with him] as well.

I get excited at cruel scenes

Q: Are you the type to draw by empathizing with the characters rather than moving them about from a god-like vantage?
A: Not all the time, but I do when I draw the storyboards. If I don't empathize [with the characters] the storyboards don't go anywhere. I can't get interested. And if I stress the story I become very cruel and it becomes boring. Though I don't realize it at the time (laughs).

Q: When did you realize it? (laughs)
A: After I started "Hakkenden." Until then there weren't many cruel scenes in the stories set in modern times.

Q: There was the action story called "Whiz Kid."
A: Oh, yes (laughs). It was around then that it got chancy, so I thought I should stick with the characters. The editorial department advised me that "Our readers might not enjoy scenes this cruel," and I agreed.

Q: You had said in the previous interview [by Pafu] (June 2004 issue) that your emotions heighten when you write dark stories.
A: It's...probably not a good thing, is it? (laughs) I get excited when the main character suffers. I thought it might be just right if I bear that kind of thing in mind while still keeping it in moderation so I won't get a "Huh?!" reaction.

Q: Since revenge and karma are big themes in the original work, it'd seem that you'd be able to include as much dark parts as you like.
A: That probably won't be a problem. I was taken aback when Hamaji died suddenly in the beginning of the original work. (laughs) Though I like cruelty, it seems revenge isn't something I care for very much.

Q: I see, in that case it should be a relief [for you] (laughs). Then who is the most difficult character to draw?
A: Satomi. Beauties are hard to draw.

Q: Though your image of fantasy that you wrote in your manga included "beauties" and "long hair."
A: Yes, it seemed like I'd be frustrated [on those points] from the very beginning. But I figured I'd at least give it a try.

Q: What do you personally like?
A: First of all, "children and high school students." And "siblings" and "childhood friends," so I figured this time it'll be siblings and childhood friends. Yeah, let's put them in (laughs). It's not fun if I don't have my own moe points in the story.

Q: Isn't "dog" a moe point for you?
A: Ah, that's true (laughs). I've always had a dog around so I'd thought my love of dogs was normal, but this industry has quite a lot of cat lovers...So I fight with the cat lovers quite often.

Q: Speaking of which, why did Shino call for Yoshiro rather than Sousuke when he was attacked by Asakeno?
A: Though Sousuke is the servant he doesn't listen to Shino. Yoshiro always follows his master's orders. Also...if I talk too much I'll spoil the story (laughs).

Q: One more thing in connection with Sousuke...Satomi had asked Shino, "Had anything changed in Sousuke since that day?" Is "that day" the day they chose to live?
A: Yes, it's as you say. Anything more will be a spoiler...

Q: There's quite a lot of foreshadowing to be anxious about.
A: That's right. I've put in too much foreshadowing (laughs). I feel like I might not be able to understand it all, so I plan on tidying things up little by little pretty soon.

Q: You've said that you don't write the plot out from the start. Did you write out the plot this time because of the problem of foreshadowing?
A: I wrote one this time. Plot is necessary, isn't it? (laughs) Though the story isn't going to develop according to the plot, I wrote a detailed plot in the beginning. I also wrote an intricate interrelation map for my own corroboration. When I don't know something I check that.

Q: Intricate?
A: I wrote a map of how people are related to each other for each character up to their parent's generation, incorporating things from the original work. So those kinds of relationships are essentially the same as in the original work.

Q: Weren't there things you wanted to change?
A: Anything I wanted to change I figured I just change. For example, though this isn't really related to that, the character "suke" of Sousuke. I could not stand the "suke" in the original work. Though looking at his position it certainly should be "suke" (means help, save), but why refer to it in his name too? I also find Shinbei troublesome, so I might change his name. I'm deferring on that (laughs).

Q: Shinbei is the main character of the latter half, so he'll probably be hard to handle.
A: That's true. I'll be careful not to let him overshadow Shino.

The main character must be loved!

Q: Have you determined the order of the appearance of the rest of the eight dog soldiers?
A: It's set up till Asakeno, but the rest hasn't been.

Q: You brought up "things that aren't human" in your image of fantasy besides "beauties" and "long hair." Was that why you had ayakashi attached to the eight dog soldiers?
A: Actually, I love "Gegege no onitarou" (Mizuki Shigeru)! It's fun to draw ayakashi, isn't it?

Q: Shino had chosen to live because of Satomi, but Douseki had done so through Yukihime. Does that mean that "Satomi" has nothing to do with the eight dog soldiers "choosing to live?"
A: Satomi is involved only with Shino, so yes. Basically I am thinking of [the story] with Shino in the center, so I wanted to have people gather around him. Satomi is one of the people who has gathered around Shino.

Q: Not to Shino who holds Murasame, but to Shino himself?
A: Yes, to Shino himself. The main character should be loved, right? (laughs)

Q: How did you chose the beasts attached to the Four Houses?
A: I figured Satomi was a dog. For the rest, I thought maybe a snake and a fox. I wasn't sure what to chose for the last one, but that's still a secret.

Q: Besides ayakashi there are insects, as well.
A: It was really fun drawing insects! But when it escalates they tell me "It's gross so let's stop" and brings things to an end...Though my soul is totally thrilled (laughs).

Q: Murasame is a bit grotesque when it's attached to Shino's arm as well.
A: Though I do momentarily wonder if it's appropriate for a shojo manga, they've got to let me do at least that much (laughs).

Q: How about that one creature called "kuromedama-chan" (black eyeball chan) on the Tosuisha blog?
A: The more disgusting and cute something is the more I love it, so I enjoyed having it appear in the beginning. But maybe because the art is simple, lately I'm not so excited about it. It has a name, but I missed the timing to name it [in the manga](laughs).

Q: Then do you call it by its unpublished name normally?
A: No, I don't call it out. An eyeball is an eyeball, isn't it? I don't seem to have any interest in names because I have a hard time naming things all the time.

Q: You can use the names from the original work for the eight dog warriors, but how did you name the other characters?
A: Whatever comes to mind (laughs). Or I'll pick out the sound and look for pretty kanji.

Q: Which character did you have trouble naming among those who have already appeared?
A: Satomi. I thought "Rikuou" was unbelievable...

Q: I thought Rikuou came from "Rosario."
A: No, there's a different origin but it's a secret (laughs).

Q: Which characters are popular in the reader surveys?
A: Shino is the most popular, as to be expected, but lately Sousuke's popularity has risen. Genhachi is also popular. There are Sousuke fans who write specifically whether they like the human version or the dog version.

Q: How do you feel about that?
A: I am glad the main character is popular (laughs). In the beginning Sousuke definitely wasn't popular. Genhachi's popularity went up. I didn't think that was such a good thing, so I tried to bring everyone up...The reason his popularity has risen recently is because people find that he's a servant who isn't a servant! I personally prefer those who are cold to the main character (laughs).

Q: Is it fun drawing when Sousuke is sometimes severe with Shino?
A: Yes! But if he's too severe...It's apparently not good for the main character to suffer too much, so I've been told to stop before going too far. Though it's not like I'm planning on making them suffer and leaving them down.

Q: You certainly can't leave out the eight beads when it comes to "Hakkenden." Is there anything you can tell us about their creation?
A: Actually, I hadn't attached high importance to the beads in "Hakkenden," so in the first part I didn't touch on them at all. I was told midway "When you mention 'Hakkenden' it's about the beads, isn't it?' I was suprised. "Huh? The beads?" (laughs) Initially I was only conscious of the birthmarks and added the beads in the middle, so I have to build up their importance (wry laugh).

Q: (laughs) The writing in the beads is symbolic of Confucianism, but this story includes Christianity. Where did that come from?
A: I wonder...I figured it'd be good to have a big organization and picked the Church (laughs). I wanted to make it so that the Four Houses and the eight dog soldiers were the antithesis [of each other]. Not just antagonistic, but total opposites, sort of like East and West. I didn't want to say anything clearly religious, but thought that something flashy would be good. And I figured someone from the eight dog soldiers would do Japanese clothing, but for the Western clothing it'd be the Four Houses.

Q: What a showy Western-style house [they have].
A: Yes, I expressly went to the Kyu Iwasaki-tei [1] to take pictures. I've always loved that building, so it seemed perfect to go and take pictures of it secretly. The accessories were Victorian in feel, too.

Q: Though she's not of the Four Houses, it suits Hamaji's clothing as well.
A: That's true. I wanted to draw a girl. I wanted to draw a cute girl, so I did! (laughs)

Q: Do you consult something for Takara from "Komahoshi" and Hamaji's clothing?
A: I use the shop I always go to for "Komahoshi," and for Hamaji I use magazines. When I buy the magazines I tell everyone around me that I'm not going to be wearing the clothing (laughs).

Q: "Komahoshi" had incorporated the trivialities of daily life, but in fantasy you have to create things from scratch a lot. How is it?
A: When I think about "Komahoshi" now, I realize it was easy, wasn't it? But this time it isn't the creation but the increase of details to research that's hard. I didn't know anything about the Church, so I researched such things as events and terminology. It's a mix of Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox for now.

Q: What would you like people to pay attention to in "Hakkenden" hereafter?
A: That's difficult to say...Each chapter is crammed full (laughs). I've done too much foreshadowing/set-up, so I'm wondering where to start tidying things up. There's lots of riddle solving. I think things will slowly be revealed, so please look forward to that.

Q: Are there plans for a character that will be equivalent to the "Fusehime" that birthed the eight dog warriors?
A: I think there will be a character that will appear instead of her.


[1] Remnant of a large estate in Tokyo built in the Meiji era by the Iwasaki family, founders of Mitsubishi group. Pictures (and information in Japanese) here.

[2] I'm guessing this incident is what makes him popular: "The incident involves an elaborate masquerade in which Keno, disguised as a seductive dancing girl named Asakeno, infiltrates the household of his sworn enemy, the warlord Makuwari. After bewitching his host with a seductive performance, Keno slaughters the entire household." (From here)



Er, there's a bit more to the interview that is more about Abe-sensei herself which is...actually kind of interesting, but I had to push myself to get this far and can't go any further. :P

Oh, and Komahoshi fans? When Abe-sensei was asked to comment on it, she mentioned that she has permission from the publisher to do an extra volume if she wants to. She makes no promises, but at least she has the go ahead! XD I personally hope if she does a side story it will be focused on Takara and Kiyomine and not on, say, Okuno and Reiichi. Maybe with a baby brother or sister for Takara?

I'm planning on checking out Abe-sensei's previous interview, which I assume must be about Komahoshi. Hopefully it'll have some interesting tidbits worth sharing. ^^

Comments

[flyby311.livejournal.com]

akjskhdfjasdf, extra volume *____* I hope she does it and yeah, if she does I want her to focus on Takara and Kiyome as well :3

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

I really, really hope she does get into the mood and draws more, and isn't just teasing us.

[chrysan.livejournal.com]

I am looking forward to the (possible)extra volume of Komahoshi too. And much as I love Takara and Kiyomine, I want to know more about Okuno and Reiichi too! ^^

Thank you for translating the interview~! I was rather amused by some of the answers given. And it's kinda easy to tell what Abe-sensei likes to draw - she really draws them with lots of detail...(like clothes and the insects)...XDXD

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

I'd love to know more about Okuno and Reiichi, too. I just don't want the entire volume on them (or some other characters).

Glad you enjoyed the interview!