"Attack on Titan" editor-in-charge interview with Shintaro Kuwa

Source@和evil society

In other words, this interview, (はなし変じゃ?) どんだけ漫画好きなんだよ、ていうか人duoであんな事ありえないだろう...... とうとう我慢できなくなってしまった、俺) I feel that this place is enviable!

The anime "Dream Eater" has given everyone a lot of knowledge about the Japanese manga industry, and the latest "Manga Artist and Assistant" has made everyone understand that there is a very important editor behind the manga artist to support the serialization of manga works. Last year, "Attack on Titan" became a hit after the animation of "Attack on Titan", and Isayama became a representative of the Japanese manga industry in one fell swoop. The protagonist of today's interview is not Sou Isayama, but Shintaro Kuwa, the editor in charge of influencing this work behind the work. (Special thanks to Immortal for the translation and the authorization of the title image Cga).

In the first half of 2014, the manga "Attack on Titan" ranked first in sales on the Oricon chart. However, when the author Isayama was still a newcomer, he showed the original manuscript to several publishers, but none of them were taken seriously. And Isayama-sensei's Bole is the editor in charge of making "Attack on Titan" go serialized in the first place-Shintaro Kawakawawa. Mr. Kawakuwa's proper attitude as an editor is approaching. (Taken by Kenya Watanabe, photo by Katsutaro Watanabe)

Looking for what you want to draw - the experience of editing

-- What is important to you as an editor-editor

After working as an editor for about 9 years, I think the most important thing as a manga artist is not how good you are at drawing, but what you want to draw. Comics are nothing more than a means of expressing xiàn. If you sing well, just use the song to express xiàn. I've seen a lot of manga artists along the way, and it's hard to develop a manga artist who wants to draw because she's a good artist.

When I consult with the manga artist in charge of my job, I also read the original manuscript while imagining what the author wants to draw. After reading it, I will say that my understanding of this aspect is not in line with what the cartoonist wants to express, and I will mention some suggestions.

Of course, Sou Isayama, the author of "Attack on Titan", also wants to draw something, but it would be a shame to say it clearly. Readers should be left to think freely. It's just that when I came into contact with him, I felt that he was letting go of the theory of a cartoonist. For example, other shonen manga will also have many brutal scenes.

Working with manga artists to find what they want to draw is also my job as an editor. Veteran manga artists know what they want to draw, but many newcomers don't even know what to draw. The first thing to do is to think with them and help them figure out what they really want to draw.

Specifically, it's important to talk to the manga artist about something other than manga. I usually think about what I like, what I hate, and so on, and listen to some topics about what he is a human being. As he spoke, there were manga artists who realized what they wanted to draw. It's also a very difficult job, and I don't know if I'm guiding it well. Every time I try and fail, I do it.

-- What is your main job?

The main job is to hold consultations with manga artists.,Recently, because of the relationship between "Advance Giant", there have been more consultations with people from other companies.。 I'm thinking about how to sell Attack on Titan in the industry other than manga, such as animation, collaborations with companies, etc.

The premise of the big sale of "Attack on Titan" is that it is important not to make "Attack on Titan" too popular. The serialization is scheduled to end in 3 or 4 years, but I think "Attack on Titan" is a work that will be talked about in 10 or 50 years. If you can see it everywhere, I'm afraid it will end up just as a consumer product. Of course, it is also distressing to find a balance so that the work can sell more well.

This is the same opinion that Isayama-sensei and I have, but in the plan to cooperate with the company, they wanted to make "Attack on Titan" interesting. It's not just about riding the wave of popularity, but also giving full play to the characters' personalities and stories to keep the work alive, and the collaboration is being established.

During working hours, manga artists are mostly night owls, around 2 o'clock in the daytime. It is normal to leave work around 2 p.m., but there are also times when consultations are held until dawn. I go to the company 2 or 3 times on weekends. Other than that, it's time to rest.

I felt feelings from the manuscript -- I met Mr. Isayama

――Tell us about your encounter with Mr. Isayama, the author of Attack on Titan

When Isayama-sensei was a newcomer, I brought the original manuscript into the Kodansha, and I started by reading the manuscript. Extraordinary feelings, or thoughts, from the original manuscript remained, in the eyes. It's just that the painting and plot are still average, so he practiced painting for 2 years, and from time to time he called the editorial-compilation department to build him yì.

Although I was a bit self-righteous to say this, I had always thought that "Attack on Titan" would be a big hit, and before the serialization, I told Isayama-sensei that the first edition would be 1 million copies. That's the goal of becoming a super popular manga. Isayama was surprised, but after reading the storyboard for the serialization, he felt that it was fun anyway, so he thought it would work.

――How do you interact with Isayama?

Because "Attack on Titan" is serialized in a monthly magazine, a consultation meeting will be held about 1 week to 10 days at the beginning of the month. Mr. Isayama is drawing a storyboard at Kodansha, and when he finishes drawing, he will take it to the editorial department to show me.

The process of interfering with the work is also different each time according to the situation, and last month's consultation was very interesting because there were few revisions. At the beginning of the serial, I said that I wouldn't use it at all.,It's a thing to ask him to redraw it all.,But it's not going to be in the last 1 or 2 years.。

After the storyboard was completed, Isayama-sensei was indeed working on the progress of making the manga, so we basically wouldn't meet. It's just that there are matters other than comics to discuss.,2,3 days to contact guò by phone.。

――What is your favorite scene in Attack on Titan?

I love the character of Ani Leonard, the scene where the protagonist Alan Yeager shows his true face in front of them. Originally, Arnie was Alan's partner, but he was aware of his original form. So Ani began to tell the secret in his heart with the words "really, it will hurt", it was really handsome. Arnie killed many of Allen's companions. Even though he was such a betrayer, I was amazed by the lines "yes, it hurts".

――What kind of person is Isayama-sensei?

Humility, really great people. Isayama-sensei drank no matter how many nutritious drinks he had at Kodansha, and he wrote the storyboard until late. Even so, when I go home in the morning, I bow my head deeply and say, "Thank you for staying with me so late."

Isayama-sensei is now a best-selling manga artist, and he has the influence to make the entire Kodansha panic if he changes society. Even so, he was so humble that one wanted to learn from him.

Student life as a comic artist until he became an editor-editor

-- What kind of life did he live as a student at Tokyo?

It was a life with only comics. I stayed in the hometown of my girlfriend at the time, and she also likes comics, and often reads comics and novels together. Get up in the evening, read comics together, go to the game hall together, go home and read comics until the morning and then go to bed...... I've been repeating that life all the time. The two of them also often read manga all night at the manga café. (はなし変じゃ?) どんだけ漫画好きなんだよ、ていうか人duoであんな事ありえないだろう...... とうとう我慢できなくなってしまった、俺)

I read all manga, and the story of the magazine is Shueisha JUMP, Shogakukan Sunday, Kodansha Magazine, YoungMagazine...... 15 magazines. 150 novels a year. Especially because I like Haruki Murakami, and his works have been read over and over again.

The club dropped out halfway through, and the course was not taken seriously. I'm not a serious student.

――Did you want to be a publisher in the first place?

I didn't want to work like this (laughs). Just because I can't live a good life, I thought about "under what conditions I can continue to work". The conditions taken into account are (1) no job change, (2) no need to wake up early, and (3) being able to wear civilian clothes to work - these three points. Kodansha is the one who satisfies these three points. Because of my economic background, I have also found a bank or a trading company, but I won't go until I meet all three points. If I had only interviewed for that kind of place, I don't know what I would have done until now (laughs).

Now, I don't want to go to the company, and I work happily every day. There will be no chance of participating in popular works that have sold tens of millions of copies in the future, so I think it's worth it.

――Mr. Kawakuba's own future and the future development of Attack on Titan

To be honest, there is no goal of the sea and sky, but I want to make the comics in charge of long-term serialization. Just like Isayama-sensei spent more than 3 years serializing "Attack on Titan", the manga had to be prepared for more than 1 year before it was serialized. But it's just a moment if it's going to end.,If the popularity of the first episode is at the bottom, it's going to be cut in half.。 It is difficult to serialize 1 out of 10 works that can be serialized for more than 1 year. I've seen a lot of manga artists who have gone down because of the slash, and I want to be a force for manga artists.

"Attack on Titan" has been serialized for nearly 5 years, and the foreshadowing has been buried. I told Isayama-sensei that the next step was to reclaim the foreshadowing towards the ending. I didn't reveal any of the secrets that I thought were interesting when I first serialized them, so stay tuned.

Mr. Shintaro Kawawa (かわくぼしんたろう) Weekly Shonen Magazine Editor-Editing Department Resume:

Graduated from the Faculty of Economics in 05. Joined Kodansha in '06. In the first year of joining the company, I met Mr. Isayama Sou, and began to be the editor of "Attack on Titan".

This article was reprinted from the summer special issue on August 5, 2014. This newspaper also has an independent report.