The new original theme "M3 ~ That Black Steel", which was suddenly announced in March this year, is currently attracting more and more attention from the audience. This work has become a topic of discussion for a luxurious production team consisting of Junichi Sato (director), Mari Okada (series composition), and Masaharu Kawamori (mecha design), and the creative fusion of two previously unrelated elements, horror and robot action.

The work shows us a dark world where "no one knows when the road will die", and the uneasy fate is endured by the young girls led by the protagonist Akaji Waganuma. The person who provided the characters for these characters was manga artist & illustrator Ghost String Cao. Ghost String Cao has always been praised by many readers for his sharp painting style and fashionable character design, so what is the ins and outs of his path to becoming a cartoonist? What kind of opportunity did you get involved in this large-scale animation project? Recently, some Japanese media conducted an exclusive interview with him to explore the truth.

■ The path to becoming a manga artist

Q: Can you tell us about how you started painting and what happened after that?

Aki String Cao: I first became interested in drawing when I was about 5 years old. If I want to talk about the opportunity, I think it is probably because others praise me for my good level of painting.

I have older sisters and younger sisters, and all of them are very fond of doodling. My sister often brought her friends over to hold events such as drawing competitions, so I thought it was a lot of fun to draw at that time. However, when I became a manga artist, I was in the fourth grade of elementary school.

Q: What happened at that time?

Ghost String Cao: On my birthday in the fourth grade, my parents gave me a complete set of drawing tools, which is called a "manga beginner set". At that time, I used my classmates as the characters in the class, and I drew a manga with a pencil, and everyone in the class passed it on. Although I started drawing because I was patted by everyone (laughs), my parents also knew about it. So they thought, "This kid must like to draw comics, right?" So he gave me the drawing tool as a birthday present. And when I first came into contact with these tools, I decided, "It looks like I'm going to have to be a cartoonist!" (laughs)

Q: But the real transition to becoming a manga artist came after I went out into society.

Ghost String Cao: Yes. When I was about to graduate from university, the painting submission site "pixiv" was launched. So I took up painting as a hobby and started posting there. But when I first started working, a publishing house called MagGarden saw my picture on the P station and contacted me. In fact, before I went to P station, I also drew some recreated comics on the blog.,And the publishing house seems to have learned about this.,So they discussed with me whether to draw a spoof version of a certain work.。 Since it's a spoof version, then there's the original, and I just need to draw a picture based on the content of the original. The publisher originally wanted me to do something about it part-time while I was working. At that time, I had already set my goal of becoming a manga artist, so I wanted to try my best, but for various reasons, the collaboration ran aground. Afterwards, the publisher told me, "Well, let's just draw something original" (laughs).

Q: This kind of plot development is really full of twists and turns.

Aki String Cao: But after I started drawing originals, I couldn't cope with the company's work. So I thought, "I don't think I can do both." "At that time, I made a big mistake in the company, so even though I was a newcomer, I was called directly to the president to give a lecture. That's when I said, "Anywhere, let me escape!" He said, "I want to start drawing comics seriously!" I'm going to resign from the company! (laughs)

■ Titled "I want to draw this!" The source of power

Q: Is there anything you pay special attention to when painting?

Ghost String Cao: I should say that "drawing what I want to paint" is the driving force behind my paintings, and I work with this motivation. Of course, there are some more detailed ideas, such as: I want to draw cute girls, I want to draw handsome boys, I want to draw the folds of clothes...... I feel like having a "I want to draw this!" "Heart is the biggest source of motivation for yourself.

Q: If this motivation declines, how can you rekindle your passion?

Ghost String Cao: If the motivation drops, I will throw my work out of the clouds and become lazy. As the deadline approached, I realized that if I didn't hurry up, I would be in trouble. At this point, I ask myself, "What do you want to draw!?" Then I thought, "Let's start with this character's expression this time!" ”…… That's what it feels like anyway. It was like some kind of theory to exercise perseverance (laughs).

Also, I'm a person who is very impressed, and when I can't draw anything and I'm lazy, I watch TV dramas, movies, trailers, YouTube videos, etc., as a stimulus to keep swelling stories in my heart. As a result, I felt like I wanted to start writing.

Q: During the interview, I felt that the drawing skills that I had cultivated since elementary school through graffiti had a great influence on your career as a manga artist. Do you really feel about this?

Ghost String Cao: I still can't grasp exactly what kind of fruit those graffiti works have produced. In particular, how much did your drawing work before the manga artist debut give me? I don't know. The job of a manga artist who draws the original manuscript before the deadline and then earns an income is different from the mentality that he had when he was playing casually in the past. If you are playing with a casual drawing, there is no time limit at all, but the original manuscript must be completed within a specified time frame and be of high quality. As a result, I was faced with both efficiency and quality. But through this kind of exercise, I have also grown.

After becoming a cartoonist, I also learned to make trade-offs. That is, under certain limitations, I need to give up some unnecessary obsessions...... When I was drawing, I had to pay attention to the issue of "strictly adhering to the deadline or delivery date".

■The "roots" hidden in the drawing line

Q: The sharp and slender lines can be said to be the biggest feature of Mr. Cao's works. Is the root cause of this style of painting being influenced by someone else?

Ghost String Cao: There are many writers who have influenced me. One of those who has been deeply influenced since I was a child is the manga artist Tetsuro Ueyama. In addition, most of the roots of my current fashion style come from Mr. Shirou Miwa.

My lines became sharper when I was in junior high school and high school. At that time, I compared the lines drawn in the comics and found that the lines under my pen were thicker and dirty. After a while, I started to practice drawing extension lines in order to better outline the lines. But then I realized that the lines of other manga artists were similar to mine, but it was only because the size of the original was reduced in the finished product that the lines were very beautiful (laughs).

Q: As a general rule, when you turn the actual drawn manuscript into a magazine size, you have to reduce it to 83% of the original size

Aki String Cao: Yes (laughs). But I've become a habit after practicing. So when my lines are reduced, it gives the impression of being sharper and harder.

Q: I feel like I've put a lot of effort into the shadows in your work.

Aki String Cao: Because I like to watch movies, especially when I have a deep impression of Western paintings. I appreciate the clear and distinct contrast of lines in Western paintings.

Q: Have you been influenced by other writers?

Ghost String Cao: Misato Mumisato-sensei. I used to draw muscular male characters until I was in high school. That's when I saw the game cards drawn by Misato Mumisato. In an instant, I fell in love with her work and took the card to the cashier to pay (laughs). After that, he vigorously imitated the teacher's painting style.

When it comes to the opportunity to draw the role of a girl, I think it was a relationship that was greatly influenced by Misato Mumisato. Because of her, I realized how cute girls are.

Oricon reports on "Friends of the Week" voice actor Amamiya Ten

In April's new anime "Friends of the Week", Amamiya Tian, who voiced the heroine Kaori Fujimiya, can be said to be one of the most talked about rookie voice actors recently. She passed the audition in the 2nd MusicRay'n Super Voice Actor Audition in 2011 and voiced for the online game version of "THEIDOLM@STER", and "Friends of the Week" was her first time as a heroine. At present, among the Chinese animation fan group, Amamiyatian's popularity is also rising, and the calls for "Amamiya Dafa is good" are rising one after another.

When talking about this new episode in April, Amamiya said: "It stands to reason that when dubbing "Friends of the Week", I had to face a huge number of lines that I had never experienced before, and at the same time I felt responsible. That's why I don't even care about what I'm wearing, and I concentrate all my energy on voice acting. This is also a major change that has happened to me. I can say that "Friends of the Week" will also be an unforgettable work in my heart. ”

This work tells the story of Kaori Fujimiya, a high school girl with short-term memory impairment who "only lasts for a week with memories of her friends". And Yuki Hase, a classmate who is very concerned about her, tries to be friends with her every week. The subject matter belongs to the youth campus works. The manga is currently being serialized in the monthly magazine GANGANJOKER.

The relationship between Kaori and Hase-kun slowly becomes harmonious, and the relationship between the two will be cleared by the following Monday. It's very difficult to set this switch. But because of this, I felt that the distance between my heart and Hase-kun was shortening during the dubbing. I myself was afraid of life when I was in high school, and I wasn't good at keeping a proper distance from people, which is very similar to Kaori. So I looked at myself while doing the dubbing with a very natural mindset. ”

In addition, Amamiya also served as the singer of the ending song. This "Song" is a cover of the popular group Infinity Switch. And it was made public as the nature of Kaori Fujimiya's character song. "I've always liked the song "Performance" by Infinity Switch, and when I read the original "Friends of the Week" and listened to it again, I felt that the song and lyrics matched perfectly. When I was practicing singing, I had various episodes in my mind that caused me to over-engage myself and cry while singing. I put a lot of thought into it so that I didn't cry when I was recording. ”

At present, the plot of the animation has gradually improved, and the development of the story is very worrying. "On the basis of Kaori and Yuki's friends, Yuki's friend Kiryu Shogo and Saki Yamagishi, a classmate of the Department of Nature, were added. There will also be new characters. I hope that the new side of the characters will also make everyone happy. In the next plot, there are a lot of heart-pounding and worrying content waiting for everyone. ”

◆A small interview with Amamiya Ten

Q: What was the motivation for Amamiya to become a voice actress?

Amemiya: I saw the anime character set of Miss Miyuki Sawajo on an anime website. It was very touching to hear that she had played such an astonishing number of roles. I think Miss Sawajo is very handsome, so I want to be like that.

Q: Ms. Amamiya has already confirmed that she will play the lead role in a series of works in the future. So what are your goals?

Amemiya: I hope that I can have acting skills that can adapt to any role, and I can express a variety of emotions through the way I speak and my voice. That's my goal as a voice actor. I will pay attention to each work and perform it with my heart.

Q: Ms. Amamiya showed us a beautiful voice in "Sonata", so what kind of music do you like the most?

Amemiya: I like the melodies that ALIPROJECT and AIKO often use semitones to give you a restless feeling. If necessary, I would also like to try to do that while singing.

In addition, on May 21, Amamiya Tian's cover version of "Song" will be officially released. And on the day of the sale, the relevant stores will also distribute "Kaori Fujimiya's 'weeping tissues'". If someone is moved to tears by the sad atmosphere of animation and music, then this tissue is probably the best consolation. On the tissue, there will be a visual drawing of Kaori Fujinomiya and a representative line. In addition, on the back of the tissue, there is a part of the "Kaori Diary" that is currently being serialized on the official anime website.

And on the same day, the theme song "Fragments of the Rainbow" sung by Kun Xia Mei will also be released. At present, some of the MVs of this song can already be seen on the Internet. Kun Xiamei is well-known as a musical artist, she sang the theme song for the TV animation "Galaxy Attack Team Solemn Prince" as early as 2013, and is now gradually establishing her status as a popular singer.

"Fragments of the Rainbow" is a song written and composed by Ai Kawashima. In the MV announced, the early summer scene of the timeline of "Friends of the Week" will be continued, with a fresh voice and soothing pictures, which makes people have endless memories.

Women's Sutra! Japanese media revealed that "Frozen" contains philosophy

Although it has been released for a long time, "Frozen" is still popular around the world, and Japan is not immune. Recently, a Japanese media outlet analyzed the philosophy contained in this work, looking at the message that the work wants to convey from the perspective of a modern woman.

[One] There are two kinds of love when you are young

Anna meets Prince Hans in the story and falls in love. The meeting between the two is full of fate, and the two sides can be regarded as a handsome man and a beautiful couple. Anna praised Hans as "so tall!" It's a symbolic expression. And Hans himself is very good at dealing with the opposite sex, and naturally there are endless topics to talk about with Anna. However, in modern society, many girls who are in love will feel overwhelmed in front of such sophisticated men, and if they fall in love with such a man, the relationship is often difficult to last.

Later, Anna met Kostov again, and for him, Anna was not at all impressed. But when she was desperate, Kstorf's care made Anna realize his tenderness. Young women often encounter both of these patterns of love, and Anna's story also tells us a truth: true love does not ignite at a moment's notice, but gradually.

[Second] a girl's ability is sometimes wasted

Anna's sister, Elsa, has the magic to turn everything she touches into ice. And because of this magic, she can't be treated as an ordinary girl, which also leads to the fate of being locked in the house by her parents. This is also a reflection of the current state of society: girls are increasingly being asked to show their "girlish side", and their own talents are often not available, and as a result, their abilities are wasted. When office women are under the company system, because their status as a woman has become an obstacle, no matter how good their ability is, they will be ignored.

[Third] it is not that there is a prince charming, and life can be smooth sailing

Anna is hit in the chest by the ice released by Elsa and falls into a near-death state. And in order to save Anna, the true love of the prince is needed. This setting is the same as what was told in previous fairy tales such as "Snow White".

However, in this movie, the previous story routine did not work. In modern times, good things that women count on "the sudden appearance of Prince Charming to settle everything" usually don't happen. ALTHOUGH FAIRY TALES OFTEN END WITH A "HAPPYEND" IN WHICH A WOMAN LIVES WITH PRINCE CHARMING, THE REAL LIFE DOES NOT END THERE, AND EVEN IF YOU LIVE TOGETHER, THERE IS STILL A LONG WAY TO GO IN THE FUTURE.

[Fourth] it is better to choose a man without appearance and economic strength

Anna met two men, Hans and Kstorf. None of them are perfect men, though. If it is a princess fairy tale in the past, then the men that the protagonist meets are often the promising princes. But in reality, there are not so many men with perfect conditions. When choosing a male partner, we should not only look at economic conditions and appearance, but also look for a man who can feel comfortable living together. This is what the movie wants to tell.

Fifth, we should pay attention to the friendship between sisters and women

In the previous princess fairy tales, it was often animals that had a good relationship with the protagonists. Human women, on the other hand, are usually witches who hinder the happiness of princesses. However, there are two princesses in Frozen, and the story between the princess and the witch is not depicted.

In modern society, the divorce rate is rising, and the economy is not very good, so the old days of "as long as you have a husband, you don't have to worry about anything" are gone. Instead, the relationship between friends and sisters of the same sex is more important than ever.

[Sixth] make full use of capabilities

If Aisha's abilities are not properly used, if she does not know how to measure, she will be turned into a murder weapon. But the other way around, it can contribute to everyone's happiness. Women should not work their own while keeping their heads down, but should maintain cooperation with the people around them, so that the problem of lack of competence mentioned in Article 2 may also be improved, and it is possible to emerge in the workplace.

Two stars join the live-action version of "As God Says"

The manga "As God Says", originally written by Kaneshiro (**) and illustrated by Fujimura Koji, will be made into a live-action film by Takashi Miike, supervised by Kikiki. The previously announced actors include Fukushi Sotai, Ryunosuke Kamiki, and Hirona Yamazaki, and now the good news that the cutting-edge actress Yuki Miqing and Someya Shota, who starred in "Mediocrity", have been exposed in this film.

"As God Says" tells the story of a very ordinary high school student, Takahata, who suddenly gets involved in a survival game of "if you lose or die" with her classmates at school one day without warning. Fukushi Sotai plays Takahata, Hiroshi Yamazaki plays Akimoto's childhood friend Akimoto Ichika, and Ryunosuke Kamiki plays the violent and bloodthirsty student Takeshi Amaya.

In this work, Yuki Miqing plays Shoko Takase, a schoolgirl who has a crush on Instant because she was saved her life. She won the championship out of 29,521 people who participated in the 37th HORIPRO Idol Scout Team. In last year's broadcast of "Kokai Maime Tokyo Chapter", she starred as Kaoru Onodera, a member of "GMT47", so this is her second collaboration with Fukushi Sotai.

Regarding the cooperation with Fushi Cangtai again, Yuki Miqing said: "I am very happy to be able to film together. He taught me a lot of acting skills! Tanichi Senpai (Fukushi Cangtai's role in "Little Sea Girl") is a small sea girl, so he won't like Onodera. ”

Regarding the role she played this time, Yuki Miqing said, "I feel a little similar to me. Shoko loves Instant with all her heart, and I love Conan with all my heart ("Detective Conan")! So I resonate with her a lot. ”

In addition, he has starred in "Kiyosu Meeting", "Forever 0", "Snow White Murder", "WOODJOB! Someya Shota, who works on topics such as "Ahhh

The live-action movie "As God Says" will be released on November 15 (Saturday) in Toho nationwide.