Did this like 3 years ago desuarchive.org
Got a few questions from Anon Babble in this one so thought I post it here.
Second Q&A with Ishiguro-sensei from Soremachi
Sexy
Full version here: soremachi.wordpress.com
From Internet Lurker:
Hello sensei. Soremachi is one of my favorite slice of life manga along with Yotsubato and Girls’ Last Tour. I always wonder if you ever read other fellow mangaka’s works? if so what are your favorites. My first time experience with Soremachi was on Twitter, I randomly stumbled upon a fan account of your work which shocked me. The fact that there are people outside of Anon Babble who know of your work really was unexpected.
(The reasons for my surprised was that not many people in western sphere care much for obscure manga with exception being Anon Babble). Anyway I was kinda curious if you ever look around internet community outside of Japan before? Sites like Anon Babble for example have dedicated people who love manga from many kind. You could see people talk about Yokohama Shopping Trip, Yotsubato, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei to popular stuff like HxH, Berserk, Mushoku Tensei, Pretty series and Aikatsu and even old anime from 80s-90s! Sorry for the long post though, I hope you have fun reading it.
Ishiguro-sensei:
Hello. I’m the type of person that doesn’t really read other authors’ works that often, instead I keep re-reading the titles that had an influence on me when I was little. One of them is Hirohiko Araki-sensei’s JoJo, which is still running today and I’m following the release of the tankobons.
As for internet communities, I don’t really look into and interact with Japanese ones, let alone overseas ones. You could say I try not to.
However, when the anime adaptation of Tengoku Daimakyou was airing, I did watch some of the reactions overseas viewers would upload.
From Lily, USA:
Hello, Ishiguro-sensei. Thank you so much for creating Soremachi, which is one of my all-time favorite manga. I have to ask: it seems like there were a few moments where you teased a romantic attraction between Kon and Hotori (for example, the chapter where the latter walks in on the former sleeping and the paneling fakes you out into thinking she’ll try to kiss her). Did you ever think of taking this possibility more seriously? Or, underneath the gags, did you only ever conceive of them as having a deep, but platonic friendship?
Ishiguro-sensei:
Currently, although they have an intimacy that goes beyond that of simple friends, I don’t think there are any romantic feelings between them. Still, there’s a possibility that in the future they’ll develop such feelings.
I can see Kon-senpai developing a romantic feeling for Hotori, but I cannot even imagine Hotori doing the same for Kon.
From Sarah G, USA:
Thank you for responding to my previous question! It was really exciting to hear from an author that I like so much.
1. Do you have a favorite chapter of Soremachi? How about a favorite episode of the anime?
2. I noticed that in your works you have a lot of very unique alien designs (which I like a lot). What is the process of designing something like a Hiruko?
Ishiguro-sensei:
In the manga, I like chapters like volume 15’s “School Trip” or the one where Hotori plays online games. As for the anime, I like the “Bechikoyaki” episode.
For the Hiruko designs, I use things like ancient animals, microbes, or marine creatures as a reference and try to make them look like them. I browse through those kinds of illustrated reference books and sketch the shapes that I find creepy, then keep them as part of my stock. I also use Jōmon period pottery as a reference.
From T, USA:
I understand that the first epilogue chapter was more than a joke than anything, but hypothetically how accurate was it? Would a grown up Tatsuno actually get fat and marry Sanada?
Ishiguro:
It’s a realistic future that Hotori seriously thought through in her own way, so I guess about half of it might actually really happen. Tatsuno-san might also really gain weight if she ever let her guard down.
From whonever, Chile:
It’s a pleasure to be able to ask you something!! Soremachi was an incredible journey, I recently decided to give it a try and it always made me smile, I’ve been wondering if Ishiguro-sensei has any moment that made him smile while working on Soremachi! THANK YOU!
Ishiguro-sensei:
When I’m drawing the characters, I end up using the same facial muscles as them, so when the character is smiling, I’m smiling too, and when they’re angry, I’m frowning too as I draw.
But the gags inside the manga almost never make me laugh.
From Alaino, Brazil:
Hello Ishiguro-sensei, I’m a big fan of your work
Was the “Masked Liger” show from Soremachi inspired by any specific rider show or is it just a general idea of one, I loved your suit designs so that always made me curious.
Ishiguro:
My main inspiration when drawing that is the series called “Heisei Rider”. I think the design is especially influenced by “Kamen Rider Kabuto”.
From Boat, Argentina:
Is the usage of teenagers over adults intentional in Heavenly Delusion despite being written in a seinen magazine?
Ishiguro:
There really isn’t any deep meaning to it, in Japanese manga, the protagonists being around 15 to 18 years old is the most common, so I just went with that too.
However, I always think “If I were the protagonist, would I act like that if I were the same age as him?”, so I always pay close attention to make sure their behaviors don’t deviate from what would be appropriate for their age.
Thank you so much for doing this. Tengoku Daimakyou is one of my favorite manga. Really happy to hear from the author and to see him receive praise from fans overseas. I really do need to read Soremachi...
From Shayb, USA
Who’s your number 1 favorite character from both a series you are a fan of and your own series? And for the character in a series you’re a fan of specifically, did they influence your own original characters at all?
Ishiguro:
My favorite character within my own works changes from time to time, but right now it’s Kiruko. As for my favorite from works other than mine, there are so many it’s very hard for me to pick just one. JoJo Part 4’s Josuke, Mamo from Lupin the Third: The Secret of Mamo, Kaneda from AKIRA…
from J, USA:
Ishiguro-sensei, I have heard that you are a fan of mystery novels. Have you read any works by the authors Seiryōin Ryūsui (清涼院 流水) or Maijō Ōtarō (舞城 王太郎)?
Do you think Hotori prefers Shimada Sōji (島田 荘司), or Ayatsuji Yukito (綾辻 行人)?
Ishiguro:
I’ve read some of the works by Seiryōin Ryūsui-san and Maijō Ōtarō-san. Back 20 years ago, I used to read an insanely wide amount of mystery novels, but now I read much less.
I think Hotori likes Shimada Sōji more.
from Poko, USA
Both Soremachi and Heavenly Delusion have a lot of complex story lines and details. How do you keep track of it all?
Also, we saw the beginning of Hotori’s writing career but what kind of career would Kon get into after graduating?
Ishiguro:
I made a rough timetable for both works, and then adjust the details as I develop the story to ensure consistency.
This method is mentally exhausting and confusing, so I just want to be freed from it.
About Kon’s future… she went to university, and then I have no idea…
from Airship, Australia
Hello Ishiguro-sensei! Congratulations on 20 years of Soremachi! I really loved Murofushi Ryou appearance in Soremachi. She was a very chaotic character and added a different energy compared to Hotori, Tattsun, Kon and more.
What did you wanted to do with her addition to the story?
Were there more stories planned for her as she only appeared in a few chapters in the second half of the story?
What was the inspiration for her character?
Ishiguro:
To put it simply, Murofushi Ryou is a character I added to the story to be a potential future enemy or rival for Hotori.
I wanted to make a character similar to Hotori on the surface, but fundamentally different, one who would make Hotori feel overwhelmed. So I feel like I put more effort than usual into making the character really stand out.
Her role in Soremachi was to inherit the ‘evil’ within the story, so there are no plans for her to appear again, but if I ever draw a chapter set in the future, she might show up again.
from zabuzabuzazaa, Australia
When was the last time you cried?
ishiguro:
I believe the last time I cried to the point of shedding tears was when my child was born.
from Danny, Germany
If you were to start Soremachi today, but with all of your current knowledge, would you change something?
Ishiguro:
I would change the tone a the beginning. I would probably make it start off more subdued.
Also, I would introduce Murofushi Ryou at an earlier stage.
from Majin Hotori, USA:
Hello, Ishiguro-sensei. Recently, I finished the Soremachi manga and absolutely adored it. I really appreciated the mid to late 2000s vibe the series has throughout, from bulky, portable DVD players to original DS systems. Did you ever struggle with accidentally putting anachronistic elements as time passed?
Additionally, thank you for creating Kon-senpai. She has some of my favorite expressions drawn to a manga.
Ishiguro:
From the time I started drawing Soremachi to the time I finished, many many things have changed in the world, like CRT TVs being replaced with LCDs, and broadcasting fully transitioning to digital…
Since I create the chapters basically from memory, I’ve never accidentally drawn anything anachronistic, but to leave the time setting unclear and undefined, I introduced smartphones in the second half of the story.
from Danny, Germany:
1. What is your favourite character that only appeared for a single chapter?
2. Is there a character you wish you would have used more?
3. Have you ever abandoned a story line you planed on making?
Ishiguro:
1. In Soremachi, it’s the Jovian [note: the Jupiter aliens from Chapter 7: Space Adventure Romance], and in Tengoku Daimakyou it’s Helm.
2. Tengoku Daimakyou’s Michika.
3. I have. There are some chapters for which I went as far as writing the whole rough and even have it approved by the supervisor, but ended up discarding and drawing again from scratch.
from のつ, 日本:
Hotori occasionally recalls things that happened when she was in elementary school, or stuff that happened at the Seaside when she was little, and she seems to remember them pretty vividly (she’s like, re-living those memories?), I wonder if you too Ishiguro-sensei, are capable of doing this.
The way the elementary school boys are portrayed in Takeru’s episode/chapter is incredibly realistic, and even though I couldn’t remember those things myself, I kept finding myself thinking, “Ah yeah, this definitely happened” so it was really interesting.
I was reminded of things I too used to do or say back then, like “if you play with the girls then you are a girl!”. I felt really nostalgic.
Ishiguro:
I thought recalling memories from the past or talking about them with someone was a normal thing… Yeah, I believe everyone can do that.
I think you normally just don’t need to remember them so you struggle with it, but I’m sure if you’ll (Notsu-san) ever feel the need to, you would be able to recall those memory too if you had the right occasion.
Cute...
from Nichole, Hong Kong:
You are my favourite mangaka of all times! Soremachi ended around the time I was graduating and I still remember how I felt after reading Soremachi for so long. How did you decide that Soremachi was going to end and how did it feel when you finally finished the work? Do you think you will feel the same way for Tengoku Daimakyou?
Ishiguro:
Thank you very much!
I think the reason I decided to bring Soremachi to an end was because, in my mind, it had reached the peak of its performance.
When it ended I was deeply moved, but I also was quite worried about what my next source of income would be.
I’m pretty sure that when Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyo) comes to an end, I’ll end up feeling anxious about what comes next the same way, I can already see that happening.
Bacassu:
Thank you for creating manga, Soremachi is currently my favorite manga and possibly story ever, with Tengoku Daimakyou in second place. I have a few questions:
1. Do you still plan to make more Soremachi content of any kind? If not, how do you see the relationship between Hotori and Kon evolving after the manga, could they really end up working together in a detective agency? What about the relationship between Hotori and Shizuka? I would love to see more content of the 3 of them, they’re my favorite characters.
2. I noticed that, in different chapters of the story, Kon picks up a stick from the ground and carries it with her, which I think is amazing because it’s a mundane detail that adds consistency and realism to the character. How did you keep track of these small details when building such a complex and rich story that took years to complete?
3. What is your favorite Soremachi chapter?
4. What are your favorite mystery and detective novels?
5. How do you feel knowing that, despite not being very famous, your story manages to deeply captivate and inspire readers even overseas? Did you expect something like that when you started creating? Were you at any moment surprised by the emotional depth of your own story?
Ishiguro:
1. As of now, I have no plans of making new chapters of SoreMachi, but if the opportunity comes up, I might draw something. However, I believe Hotori won’t become a detective in the future.
2. Each character has a part of myself projected onto them to some extent, and they exist in my mind as real, actual people, so they just acted the way I thought it was natural for them to. I don’t feel like I particularly “managed” or “kept track” of them consciously.
3. It’s very hard to pick one, but I’d say volume 10’s “Hotori’s War”.
4. Soji Shimada’s “Ihō no Kishi” (異邦の騎士).
5. I totally didn’t foresee or expect overseas people to read my works, but I’m very happy if they enjoy them too!
from eita, 日本
Although a lot of eggplant food comes out in Soremachi. Does Mr. Ishiguro like eggplants?
Ishiguro:
I like eggplants, but not so much so that I’d say they’re my favorite food.
The reason eggplants appear so much in Soremachi is because I thought it’d be funny if they were used and processed as commonly as potatoes or corn.
from whonever, Chile
Hello, Ishiguro-sensei! Hotori sure prefer books, but do you think she’d also enjoy the internet if given proper tools and instructions? What kind of stuff would she search for? Thank you!
Ishiguro:
I can totally picture Hotori looking up things like “unsolved cases”, “urban legends” or “scary stories”, and all sorts of silly trivia.
from Twig, USA
Ishiguro-Sensei, what kind of job do you think Kon will end up getting in the future?
Ishiguro:
I get asked this a very often, but I just can’t figure it out. She went to a fashion-related university, so I believe if things went well, she would just pursue a job in that career path.
from gubber, Panama
What does Hotori smell like?
Ishiguro-sensei:
She’s a very down-to-earth girl, so I imagine she carries the scent of the soap or shampoo she used the night before.
He likely watched Jarman's videos so he probably saw my dumb posts.
from DonMayo!, USA:
I had a few questions regarding the anime production for the series! With the huge amount of staff behind the production, was there any conflicted/changes you told the head staff?
The anime opening movie had a ton of great key animators, like Nozomu Abe, was it a joy to have Yasuomi Umetsu direct the opening!?
Final question, what was your thoughts of the staff behind the anime Soremachi! You had the great people at studio shaft to create another banger! With my favorite being Ryo Imamura!
Ishiguro:
Anime as a medium has it’s own way of showing and depicting things, so I just left it up to the anime staff, and for Soremachi I often participated in the meetings so there weren’t really any conflicts or differences in approach at all.
Yasuomi Umetsu-san is an animator I really like so I was very happy to have him direct the OP, and I think it’s a fantastic OP.
I feel nothing but pure gratitude towards the staff that worked on the anime.
from Mayday, Malaysia
Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of Soremachi! You had mentioned that Soremachi was initially planned to run for just 4 volumes but it went on to go for 16 volumes.
When did you realize that Soremachi was going to be a successful series? Was it the anime announcement, the volume sales, more people recognizing you or something else?
And how did that change your approach to writing the rest of the Soremachi manga?
Ishiguro-sensei:
I felt like Soremachi really found its stride as a serialization around volume 4, when I wrote the treasure hunting story, and I started thinking it was really successful as a work around the release of volume 7.
Whether or not I could continue the serialization of Soremachi mainly came down to whether I had the mental space for it.
In that sense, I think the proposal for the anime adaptation gave me a sense of mental breathing room.
This makes sense. Kon is pretty childish and fairly lonely so would probably misinterpret her own feeling to something romantic.
from Ringo Arashiyama, 日本:
1. The chronology of each episode of SOREMACHI is backwards and forwards. Was that your intention from the beginning of the series?
2. How far in advance did you think about the story when you started serializing it?
3. Please choose your favorite episodes as if you were compiling a masterpiece selection.
Ishiguro:
1. I vaguely had in mind to shuffle the chronology of the events in a way that would differ both from “Sazae-san” looping and the real-time of “Azumanga Daioh”, but I think I really refined and put it into practice halfway through volume 1.
2. At least, the chapter with Hotori coming back from heaven, the one about the arsonist, the chapter about the dice drawings, and the Mizoguchi Nameko incident were planned from the start.
3. I won’t answer precisely since they change from time to time based on my feelings, but I really like the chapters where they go on trips.
from Kirashura, USA
How do you combat lack of motivation and laziness? I imagine with manga being a job for you the obligation is a push but I’ve been quite curious how someone in the industry, especially one of my favorites, battles such.
Ishiguro:
It’s “impatience”. What drives me to draw is the responsibility of providing for my family through work, and the fact that my position in society depends on continuing to draw.
That, and coming up with stories that I’m personally satisfied with. There’s nothing more painful than having to refine and finish up stories I don’t like or find interesting myself. When I like the story, that becomes my motivation to complete it.
I also use Jōmon period pottery as a reference.
Jomon anon can't stop winning.
Best thread currently on Anon Babble. Thanks, OP.
from poko, Singapore:
Hello Ishiguro-sensei, I’ve been reading Furutto recently and enjoy the simple but relaxing gag comedy of it. It made me realize that I would want a spinoff Soremachi 4koma manga with Josephine as the protagonist!
What do you think of the idea? How many volumes do you think you can write about it and was the idea of Furutto inspired by Josephine in some way? I always wondered what Josephine do when no one is at the Arashiyama household.
Ishiguro-sensei:
As long as Furutto is still ongoing, I don’t think I’ll write a manga about Josephine, but supposing Josephine was the protagonist instead of Furutto, I believe it would probably end up being a 15-year long serialization.
When nobody’s home, I think Josephine would just sleep. When she was a puppy, I think she would do things like munching the tissue box and scatter them all over the place, or destroy books and make a mess. That’s because that’s what my dog used to do.
You absolutely have to if you like Tengoku. I consider Soremachi his best work.
And that's it. Full post here soremachi.wordpress.com
Thank you again for sending in your questions as always.
I always think of this stuff as repaying Anon Babble for getting me into Soremachi via the dailies. There's also an ongoing Soremachi daily right now so check that out!!
Also hotori's birthday in 7 days!!
hotori is 20 years old
HAG
Hey, there I am. Lots of Kon questions this time.
Yeah, it felt like he did a significant shift from the early chapters. And it definitely felt like he wanted to use Ryou more.
Hotori browses Anon Babble
Well she certainly knows how to dress the part
This is always what I thought. Volume 4 feels like a turning point in the writing. It starts to feel much more clever after Arashiyama Treasure Hunters.
Thanks for organizing this. I should really think of better questions if there's another one.