drip drop drip drip drop

Until now there have been many frightening characters in body and soul, but who are also good-looking. (laughter) How are Sensei’s children born, and which delivery was the hardest??

Minekura: Well, to start with myself… good-looking (laughs), I’m really lacking in that department. And drawing beautiful characters always is like a very difficult delivery! The beauty (as seen in the works) of these characters is very expensive, I need to redraw them over and over and it takes a long time… Drawing Sanzo, Hakkai, and Mishiba with anguished expressions makes me vomit blood, it’s not very fun, because an expression should fall apart according to the scene. Knowing me, I like “hidden and slitted eyes”, Kubota, Houmei, Tenpou, Nakajou, and Onda are very easy to draw.

As for a character’s personality… giving birth to that isn’t difficult at all, in fact. The delivery is easy. Raising all of them is very hard, but it’s also a lot of fun.

The only… the only problem I think is when the anime staff requests original characters, like the Homura group in Gensoumaden Saiyuki. All hesitation dissipated as soon as I drew the characters, but the names of all three had not been decided at all… (since all the story had been entrusted to the anime staff, the personalities hadn’t been fully set and the names hadn’t been fully decided). If a deadline passes and a firm decision hasn’t been made, the cooperation of several people from the publishing department becomes necessary, everyone gathers together in a conference room for a few hours. Kanji are quickly scribbled on the board with a dictionary in hand. But I really enjoy how everyone brainstorms for this, that can be really fun too.

By the way, Hazel and Gat were created as original anime characters and while I was in the process of deciding on their names and personalities, I couldn’t help but draw them for the manga too.

There are different relationships across the numerous characters. Minekura-sensei, which relationships do you like best?
For example: Gojyo and Hakkai are best friends, Konzen and Goku are like parent and child… (laughs)

Minekura: This is an anwer I hadn’t thought about… Drawing the relationships between characters is a lot of fun; when it comes to their interactions with new characters I get a very fresh and fun feel, but the fact that their friendship has become so deep and harmonious is something I love, as well.

But, anyway! With Kenren and Tenpou. They have a wonderful verbal communication, I feel very at ease drawing them. In the story there are characters who have close companionships but who have differences in opinions and ideals and the situation can become turbulent frequently. Kenren and Tenpou have a joyfully tense atmosphere, it’s difficult to explain…

Contrary to this tension that also brings joy, it’s wonderful when the tension in a relationship is constantly floating, which is why I also like Koumyou and Ukoku.

Also, there are those who cannot compromise on anything, but are good at understanding each other, like Nakajou and Mishiba.

… Mmh, drawing duos, trios, and quartets is a lot of fun of course, ah, I also really loved Hazel and Gat…