Category: Events

Narutaki & Hisui VS. 2008

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Ah, our first full year of blogging, blogging, and more blogging. With that year came a face-lift for the site and also a new schedule for posts. I also graduated from college significantly helping my own schedule for this blog and I have attempted to make it a priority. We saw a significant rise in readership in the later half and have since become immersed in the community of anime bloggers. All in all not a bad time indeed, many thanks to all of our readers. Anywho, this is pretty self-explanatory, we are looking at what we loved or hated from our year of blogging in 2008. No matter what state the industry is in, there are always great things to watch, read, and buy! Oh and I’ll just point out that this is what WE have personally encountered in 2008 so everything on this list may not have come out in 2008 specifically.

As opposed to Narutaki the more things change in my life the more they same. The bad economy has been effecting everyone and everything and I am sure that the seeds planted this year will have large ramifications on 2009. I think things are only going to be worse before they get better. I hope all our readers are doing well and anyone who is experiencing some dark times gets through it quickly. But as always this too shall pass. I am glad to see an increase in readership and interest in the blog. Narutaki and I will continue to work hard on making the blog a better place to visit so I hope you all continue to come.

Losers don’t like 70’s manga. You don’t want to be a loser do you? or Favorite Classic Manga Release:

Black Jack
What can I say, Tezuka is great enough to make me like a medical based drama! Though I am eternally grateful for the black and white imagery. All of these short stories are odd but loosely based on something you wouldn’t be too surprised about happening. The release by Vertical is wonderfully cared for and is in the same order as the current Japanes release. My favorites from the first volume include the talented woman doctor in Black Queen, the sushi chef in Two Loves, and the ill computer in U-18 Knew. Black Jack is super cool under pressure, almost completely self-sufficient, and totally bad-ass. Rock on Tezuka.

Dororo
Dororo is one of Osamu Tezuka’s classic series and an inspiration for countless series including Fullmetal Alchemist. Dororo starts when Hyakkimaru’s father sells his son’s body parts to demons for power. Hyakkimaru is barely born alive and taken in by a doctor who gives him artificial organs. When Hyakkimaru becomes of age he sets out to defeat the demons who have his organs to gain his original body back. Along the way he meets a young thief named Dororo who accompanies him on his journey.  It’s a shame that Dororo was wrapped up so quickly and some what incompletely. Still it is a classic adventure manga that will delight readers of all ages.

The Boring, Incestuous, Lesbian, Pedo Hour or Worst Thing I Watched:

World Destruction
Anime based on video games are almost always universally bad. World Destruction is an anime that shows just how bad video games based anime can be. The characters are unappealing and downright moronic at times; the plot is muddled, cliche, and boring; and the first episode has horrible inconsistent animation. At one point Narutaki did not realize that one of the characters on the screen was not a new character but a poorly drawn version of the main character. Since the first episode is usually the best animated episode I would hate to see what the middle episodes look like. Shame on you Production I.G. I am very disappointed in you.

Minami-ke
Let me just say up front that I don’t like slice-of-life shows in general, but I am always looking for another Azumanga Daioh. A show that really goes nowhere but that is too hilarious to pass up. That was not this show. I kept hoping this show would be good, I made it through 3 episodes because I couldn’t decide how I felt about it. But frankly I found most of the jokes to fall flat, like it was trying too hard to be wacky. And the whole episode of one of the sisters trying to kiss the other…no. Though I did like the littlest sister and her classmates, that wasn’t exactly the whole show. It does nothing to really separate itself from its genre so I was bored.

Fate/Zero the TV series or Best News of the Year:

D.N.Angel manga back from hiatus
Thank the lords! This series had been on hiatus since 2005. 2005! And the series stopped in the middle of a storyline. I, along with a great deal of fans, are more than ready to see this series wrapped up soon.

One Piece is re-licensed by Funimation
4kids was infamous for it’s edits to One Piece while it held the license. Marines with water guns, Sanji’s bizarre accent, vital arcs removed, and of course the One Piece Rap all contributed to anime fans hate for their localization. When when most people had given up all hope, Funimation picked up the One Piece license and so far has done a stellar job with it. I love my 13 episode box sets which are thankfully unedited and have a far superior dub. I really hope they can keep putting out One Piece despite the troubled anime market.

World Destruction Season 2 or Worst News of the Year:

ADV going onto life support
When Geneon left the US anime market everyone was speculating who was the next to go. ADV seemed untouchable as the company that competed with Funimation for #1 anime company in North America. There were warning signs that ADV was not doing great but most people felt like the deal with Sojitz was going to save them. After it fell through it was one of the clearest signs of impeding doom. Then Sojitz took back all their licenses and people have been speculating when exactly ADV was going to die. So far they are still hanging in with a fresh new deal with Sentai Filmworks that might signal a turn around for the company. But ADV is still in danger in many peoples minds and is almost assuredly not in any position to regain it’s former glory any time soon.

Tonari no 801-chan anime plans canceled
I was really looking forward to this funny and satirical story about a BL loving girl and her otaku boyfriend. Plus the studio that animated Haruhi Suzumiya was going to be creating it. However, just two weeks after its announcement the plans were dropped without much of an explanation.

Did I tell you about my venereal disease? or Thing I Wish People Would Stop Talking About:

CLANNAD
And how it is the greatest show ever, ever, evers.

The Shonen conspiracy
There is this pervasive conspiracy theory on the Internet that shonen manga and Shonen Jump in particular has become nothing more than a magazine for fujoshi. Some seem to think that all the modern shonen manga have decided to forget their primary audience and cater specifically to BL fans. That is madness pure and simple. Everyone knows all true fujoshi are delusional and don’t need to be catered to in the least. Plus adding a few pretty boys does not make a manga “gay.” We at Reverse Thieves have our own tin foil hat theory in regards to what has caused this conspiracy theory but that is for another article.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes or Anime/Manga I Unexpectedly Liked:

Karin
I assumed that Karin was a horrible fan-service anime with vampires and boobies. Then I learned that the Karin manga under the title of Chibi Vampire was one of Tokyopop’s best-selling titles I decided to give the anime a chance. It turned out to be a rather cute little romantic comedy with a misleadingly fan service filled opening. Karin herself is quite the sweater girl as the opening is quite quick to point out but they don’t play up the fact to any abnormal degree for a shonen anime.

Dear Myself
This was a book that was handed to me at Yaoi Reading Day (which you can read all about in our article). I can’t say exactly what I was expecting but it pleasantly surprised me and made me stand up and say, I would read more like this! It is a one book story about a boy who loses his memory and then finds out about his relationship with another boy who he can’t remember. So he is trying to learn who this person is all over again while simultaneous falling in love. It was a cute story that only went as far as kissing.

“Play it again, Sam” or Favorite Opening:

“BORN” by Miwako Okuda (Le Chevalier D’eon)
Can’t. Stop. Listening. For about a week I just listened to this song over and over because no matter what I did I couldn’t get it out of my head anyway. And the opening itself is beautifully animated and does a good job of syncing with the music. It also has spoilers that you don’t realize till later! A close second was “endscape” by UVERworld (Toward the Terra). Also with spoilers everywhere!

Yuusha-oh Tanjou! (GaoGaiGar: King of Braves)
GaoGaoGar is a show were a manly cyborg fights along side manly robots who use courage and guts to defeat their enemies. A show like that needs an equally manly opening filled with courage and guts as well. Oh and since it is a giant robot show it also needs to have the name of the main robot in the opening show as many times as humanly possible. The King of Braves is Born! delivers all of this this in spades. Try and get the catchy repetitive theme out of your head. It’s impossible. The fact that the song is performed by the Masaaki Endoh of the Jam Project should come as a surprise to no one. The animation also syncs well with the song as is periodically updated to incorporate plot developments and revelations.

If 2D love is wrong I don’t want to be right or Hottest Character:

Balsa (Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit)
Strong warrior women are just plain sexy. You can keep your moe waifs who need their big strong men (and their milquetoast men in harem manga) to protect them. Give me a lady who wield a spear and has a bonny boom boom body. I think I am getting to the age where I am more and more attracted to the older characters in series. A mature women who can take care of herself and others, be a realistically capable fighter while still remaining sexy, and have a interesting but agreeable personality in all right by me.

Tamaki (Ouran High School Host Club)
On the surface this seems exceedingly obvious, especially if you know me. Tamaki is tall, lean, and blond. But funnily enough, there is a greater depth to my love for this character. Yes, he is charming but he is also incredibly goofy, loyal, and optimistic despite his family situations. Being an optimist myself, I see it often equated with naivete about the world, but it is really about being positive despite your past. And that very optimism that Tamaki exhibits puts him over the top for me. Oh, and he plays the piano. HOT.

I slap you with money so give me my DVD or Best License Announcement:

Relicense of Story of Saiunkoku
At the Funimation panel that recently ran at NYAF, I almost dropped down on my knees and thanked them for picking up this series from the ashes of Geneon. Even though it will probably sell very few copies. It is just a plain good show that I am desperate to own and watch over again.

Hayate the Combat Butler
I was a little worried that Hayate’s size and sometimes rather obscure otaku humor would destined it to be the title everyone talks about but never gets licensed. Hayate and Nagi’s story would be forever trapped on fan-sub. But Bandai stepped up to the plate and saw the amusing comedy series that has potential. I for one hope people go out there and buy the DVDs so I can get merchandise and the second season as well. Who knows. Maybe sales of the manga will pick up, too.

Small isn’t bad at all or Best Short Manga:

Sexy Voice and Robo
Sexy Voice and Robo is closest in tone and style to that of an American Indy comic in manga form. It stars Nico Hayashi as a 14 year girl who can imitate any voice. She usually uses her ability to mess with and observe men over telephone dating services.  One  day an old man observes her activities and begins to hire to perform various missions for him including saving kidnapped children and stopping assassins. Along the way Nico ropes in Iichiro Sudo a robot otaku to join her in her escapades. The stories are story of quirky and the art while still in a recognizably manga style is still very unique.

Two Flowers for the Dragon
It makes me so happy to see Nari Kusakawa’s manga being licensed left and right by CMX. I always enjoy her romance stories that are crafted with a little magic and a world outside of the love aspect. This one is no exception as a princess who possess the soul of a water dragon must deal with her kingdom, her family issues, and two suitors vying for her attention. Just a short 4 books for this delightful tale.

It belongs in a museum! or Favorite Piece of Merchandise:

Exclusive Convention Only Ouran High School Host Club pencilboard
I love pencilboards and have a very minor collection of them. When I saw this exclusive I just couldn’t pass it up. Large with the entire cast and shiny foil title treatment! I am really hoping for more Host Club merchandise as the DVDs come out with significant fanfare.

One Piece – 1/8 Usopp PVC Figure
On the Sniper Island
Where I was born
100 shots, 100 hits
Lu lu la la lu

Even on a mouse’s eye
LOCK ON!!
Even on your heart
LOCK ON!!
The man that came from Sharpshooter Island
Lu lu lu lu lu la la
You better run and hide
Sogege Sogesoge
SOGEKINGU!!!

Please put your signature anywhere on my body or Favorite Convention Guest:
Ryu Moto
I have to say I finally feel that Reverse Thieves became I was proud of when we first interviewed our first Japanese guest. I don’t think Ryu Moto is an extremely influential or world shattering guest like Tite Kubo, Noboru Ishiguro, or Rie Tanaka but he was a fascinating and talented man. He was very gracious in granting us an interview and I think Narutaki and I learned a little bit more about the anime and manga industry thanks to him. I hope that our readers enjoyed learning about him as much as we did.

T.M.Revolution
Thank you, New York Comic Con, thank you forever! While his panel and radio interview left me with disappointment, his shear presence on stage did not. The concert was really well run and there were no major delays or horrible people ruining the fun. He also performed for a good amount of time. I thought the sound was pretty good in the theater and hope that NYCC and NYAF decide to keep/bring back concerts there!

“Vestis virum reddit” or Best Packaging:

Death Note: Another Note
I am addicted to books so when I see a really nice one I always take note (no pun intended!) of it. I grabbed up this title as soon as I saw it on the shelf at Kinokuniya. It has a black cloth cover with silver ink stamping, then a white bellyband, inside is a semi transparent page that leads into a full color piece, the paper is high quality and smooth, and top it all off with a cloth book marker. Sweet! What a treasure. Though with such expense it makes me wonder if they made any money on it.

Code Geass Part 1 Collectors Edition
Bandai decided to go all out when the released the Collectors edition of Code Geass. They threw as much as they could that was awesome while not throwing in Pizza Hut coupons and a fully functional Zero mask. With the first 2 DVDs, the first OST, the 1st drama CD, and the first manga all in one gloriously designed box. The DVDs themselves also have gorgeous booklets, the picture drama episodes, and Japanese commentary tracks as well. Everything in there is designed to make sure that you throw away your fansubs and buy the legitimate version. Nice Job!

Show me the funny! or Funniest Manga:

One Piece
One Piece has just been an excellent blend of action, story, and comedy this year. The Thriller Bark arc had some hysterical moments every chapter while still providing plenty of action and important plot revelations. Sanji’s fight with Absalom, Usopp and Perona, and anything with Brook actually made me laugh out loud at work and that is quite the accomplishment. Giant Robot Warrior: Big Emperor! Duval and the iron mask took quite a bit of setting up but the punch line was priceless. The current arc with Luffy and the Amazons has been pure comedy gold (golden balls in fact) as well. Well done Mr Oda. Well done.

Gakuen Alice
Oh the hilarity that is Gakuen Alice. I think I previously described it as Kodomo no Omocha but with super powers. Mikan certainly isn’t the brightest bulb but she has a fiece spirit and a true dedication to friendship! Everyone in her class has their own hilarious quirks from her best friend who invents some very strange objects, to a boy who attracts animals through pheromones, to their teacher who puts his spells of love to good use. There is very much a sad under story and many mysteries surrounding the school but it is so hilarious that it is balanced out nicely. 

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend or Best Light Novel

Gosick
We reviewed this so clearly we thought it was good. As more and more light novels hit the selves, one still needs to be discerning. Gosick is quite a well-plotted mystery and was able to surprise me and to trick me. Victorique and her charming Sherlockian style combined with Kozuya’s naivete makes them fun and engaging to follow. It is extremely sad to think we may never seem more of their exploits stateside.

Boogiepop at Dawn
After a hiatus Seven Seas Entertainment has restarted the Boogiepop book series. After several months I finally tracked down a copy of Boogiepop Returns: VS Imaginator Part 2 and I was worried that they were going to end the series there. But recently Seven Seas has announced it’s revamped novel line with Boogiepop being one of it’s first relaunched titles. Boogiepop at Dawn is an excellent explanation for many of the events and mysteries that take place during the Boogiepop Phantom anime while still being it’s own well told story. We get insights into all the regular cast and explanations and introductions to some of the movers and shakers in the Boogiepop universe.

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? or Manga I Like but Wish Would End

Bleach
Bleach is a generally fun shonen manga and I still enjoy it but I Narutaki and I both feel that the whole Hecto Mundo arc seems tacked on to the story. Our theory is that Bleach was doing so well they had him throw this arc on to keep the best selling series running. Think about it. Did anything truly significant actually happen in Hecto Mundo? It seem more like a filler arc than actually story. When we finally got back into the real plot aka the Urahara flash back arc it noticeably picked up. I feel like the sooner we finish up this current arc the sooner we can get into the final arc. The shonen jump editors could easily throw in several more arcs to keep this going but I would hope they will let Tite Kubo tie up loose ends in Bleach and move onto his next manga.

Berserk
Oh I do love you Berserk, I do. Especially now that your art has gotten somewhere near the realm of good. I have a feeling I won’t see the end of your until a book somewhere in the 60’s and that is really too much since that is like 20 more years of writing. All things take forever to happen after the first arc wrapped up. There is a lot of random wondering around that could easily be condensed. Heck Casca still has yet to become herself again though they are getting close. I’m not saying Berserk has these horribly dull moments but it could be shorter. This what we get from a guy who was influenced by Guin Saga.

That plushie looks so nice on top of my computer or Best Mascot Character

Tachikoma
How can one resist the juxtaposition of the Tachikoma’s cuteness with their bad-assness? They want love and attention, they are loyal and excitable, they are like dogs that have machine guns. Except, ya know, a lot bigger. I know one certainly wouldn’t fit in my apartment but it could live on the roof and follow me around in stealth mode.

Ai-kun
Ai-Kun is Ranka Lee’s little alien pet from Macross Frontier. He (?) is an adorable little green squiggle with the potential to be the cutest line of plush toys. Also as the following mathematical forumla [Ranka cute X Ai-Kun cute = Mega Omega Cute] clearly shows the Ranka/Ai-kun team-up is unstoppable. Plus he takes down a paper airplanes like nobody’s business.

Special Screening: Death Note the Last Name, aka The True Ending

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With the love-love that is nigh palpable from Narutaki, there was no way were going to miss the big screen showing of the second Death Note movie. Instead of going to the theater in Union Square we went to Clearview’s Chelsea which was significantly less crowded. If they continue to get anime movies at that theater, I think I will go there from now on. It was a nice place and they had an awesome waffle shop across the street. I myself had some good chai bubble tea. There was a closed shop called Burgers and Cupcakes which I am sure could have been saved by Narutaki if only he knew of its existence before.

Wow, what a big difference between two theaters that are just a few blocks from each other. Our experience at Union Square, while not sold out, was still packed and we were stuck with crummy seats. This was a whole other story, sadly there were only about 10 to 15 people besides us at the screening. However, compared to the number of people in total at this theater that night, that doesn’t seem like bad numbers. The theater was really nice and clean, I will definitely be picking this place over Union Square.

The first Death Note movie ended with L and Light meeting face to face for the first time. The second movie then takes the remaining books and and combines them into 1 movie. This means a whole bunch of extraneous characters, plot lines, and one very controversial plot point got the ax. We get a greater disparity between the movies and the manga than the first movie. I know this leads to some rather strong opinions towards either the manga or the movies.

While the first movie was different from the manga, it still kept some of the major plot lines and interwove them just a bit differently. The second movie starts pushing it in a very different direction. Where the manga stumbles through some of its shifting plot, the movie removes altogether. Afterall, there is only this one movie to wrap up the story so inevitably a lot of things will go missing. To create a solid ending for a series like this in just 2 hours was a challenge that was handled really well.

The movie begins with Misa Misa gaining her own Death Note and becoming the second Kira. L tries to prove that Light is in fact Kira while also trying to catch the second Kira. Light is as always trying to kill L and mold the world to his vision. The plot then follows the manga in a condensed manner up until the Yotsuba Arc. We get a thankfully short version of the arc and deals with one other new Kira. Of course, no Death Note adaptation would be complete without the most infamous line in the series, “exactly as planned.”

The cast carries over from the first film and that is much to its credit. These actors, especially Kenichi Matsuyama, really brought great things to these characters in the first film and continue at the same pace here. You read an in-depth view in our review of the first movie. But we have a few new additions to discuss, namely Misa Amane, Rem, and Kiyomi Takada. Misa starts off our tale and follows rather closesly to her path. Light proves how easily he can manipulate women though never to the misogynistic extent of the manga. Kiyomi is sort of a mish-mash of characters from the manga. She helps exhibit that desire for power present in Light but not seen in Misa. I thought she did an excellent job portraying how easily one can fall into it. The character also solidified my feelings that Light, while a genius, doesn’t have ideals that are new or even unique.

The original Kiyomi Takada from the manga was Light’s girlfriend in college that eventually becomes Kira’s mouth piece as a news announcer. In the movie she is an aspiring news anchor who is a closet Kira supporter. She eventually becomes more involved with the Death Note due to Light’s schemes. Kiyomi Takada works fine in her role. I can’t say that she was extraordinarily gripping but I don’t think she was supposed to be. She is supposed to be a person who feels she has grand designs but really just has very petty schemes especially compared to the machinations of Light and L. Misa Misa is now is now fully integrated into the movie so her full force of annoying is apparent but thankfully has a shortened appearance. Less Misa Misa is always better. Rem is generally the same as she was in the manga but they never make note that Rem is in fact female.

The dub as per the first film makes people giggle at inopportune times. Though Ryuk didn’t seem nearly as out of control. Once again we talked a bit about this in the first film review. Everyone basically stays on target. Though I always miss not hearing Kenichi’s voice just because I like him so much.

I don’t really think about dubs anymore being a subtitle person. I don’t hate them but I just don’t think I pay attention. Therefore someone has to stand out as being really good or really bad for me to notice. The Death Note dub did not have anyone standing out for better or worse. I, like Narutaki, did notice that people were sometimes laughing at the wrong times but it was not anything that negatively effected my viewing experience. Then again I wonder if I really notice anyone being anything other than extraordinary for better or worse in Japanese.

Well, thank goodness someone realized how crappy the extras for the first movie were. They certainly stepped it up a notch with this release and had the actors talking about their roles and working together. It also had some fun scenes of each one performing their final lines for the film and then being given flowers!

I also think the directors insights into the movie were a little more interesting because he was doing more than simply adapting the manga. He was making it his own. It was interesting to see what all the principal actors thought of their roles.

A lot of things about this shorter version appealed to me. Biggest of which was the intensity, the manga became so enormous that it couldn’t hold on to that edge. It started to become too sensational, but with the movie you stayed glued exactly as long as a person can. L also always stays a focus, as he should. He is the perfect foil to Kira and the only one suitable for this life or death game with Light. Plus, strangely, I don’t have enough time to hate Misa in the movie because she is never there for any exorbitant amount of time bumbling things. And if you couldn’t guess it has the ending as I always wanted it.

The Death Note movies are the definitive version of Death Note for me. The second movie takes the best of the middle and end of the manga and condenses it into a climatic ending. The director has the ability to use 20/20 hindsight and take the best while tossing away the chaff.  I felt the manga went on for far too long due to its popularity and lost much of its focus in the middle.  The movies also have the ending that I feel a majority of fans wanted from the start. I know it has the ending I much prefer. You could say they basically ended up in the same place but I feel both conclusions leave a different taste in your mouth.

Top 5 L quirks
5. No shoes
4. Great tennis player
3. How he holds a phone
2. Making pastry shish-kebabs
1. Crouched sitting position

NYAF 2008 Ryu Moto Interview

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Not only was the NYAF the first convention your lovely gumshoes attended as press, it was also the place where we did our first interview. From the point of view of my mind-numbing, I-can’t-eat-or-I-will-lose-it, state before the interview I felt it came out okay.

Ryo Moto is probably best know for his character designs for Petite-Evangelion. Petite-Evangelion is a franchise in which all the Evangelion characters and some of the mecha have SD forms that all go to the same school. It has countless pieces of merchandise based on it including a calendars, figures, and a DS game. He has done other collaborative projects with GAINAX including a Gurren Lagann doujinshi anthology. Ryu Moto has not just limited himself to the Japanese market as he recently worked with Image Comics in the U.S. and is looking to do more work abroad as well as in Japan.

I first encountered Petite EVA through toy shopping with some friends in NYC. As many an anime fan can tell you, the Evangelion franchise has a staggering amount of merchandise, but these stuck out as something new and exciting. Ryu Moto’s work is both stylistically appealing and incorporates a lot of humor. He likes to play around with licensed characters and his own creations to make it fun for the audience. If you don’t know him yet you are surely missing out on his vibrate, sharp imagery. You can see much of his work on his deviantART account.

Ryu Moto was very accommodating and delightfully charming. He even gave us free singed copies of his latest sketchbook after the interview. I then bought an older sketchbook as well. We totally forgot to take a peek at his latest sketchbook. I really wanted to see if he drew Hisui. I hope he comes back to the U.S. so I can buy the sketchbook he did while at NYAF.

Reverse Thieves: Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Ryo Moto: I am Ryo Moto. I’m from Japan. I’m [a] manga artist. I am working mainly in Japan but I have also started working overseas and am looking for other opportunities in the work field outside Japan.

RT: We read you got your start in doujinishi and were then asked to do Petite EVA is that right?

RM: Actually I was a professional in college, while in school I did illustration and manga work for publishers in Japan. And while I kept doing work I was then asked to do character designs for Petite EVA. Actually I started my doujinshi work after I became a pro. More for self-promotion.

RT: Wow, that seems rare.

RM: I’d say so. [laughs]

RT: Continuing along the line of doujinshi, since many Americans don’t know a lot about it. . . . Have you sold stuff at Comic Market (Comiket)?

RM: Yes. Some of the books I brought for New York Anime Festival are ones I have sold at Comic Market.

RT: Can you tell us what Comic Market is like? Do you like winter or summer Comiket better?

RM: It’s about ten times the people as the San Diego con in three days. It is really crowded all over. I prefer the winter . . .it’s not hot. I hate hot. Many people come to Comiket in summer time and it is so hot. Because there so many people in the summer their sweat vaporizes and makes a cloud inside!

[laughs]

RM: Well, it is foggy!

RT: Have you noticed any major trends emerging in the modern doujinshi scene?

RM: I think it is basically right after a new anime comes out it will be at Comiket. It doesn’t keep going and going. There is not a phenomenon like Sailor Moon or Haruhi. It is always changing now. [There are] not as many big shows that stay. Probably for next Comiket it will be Gundam 00, Code Geass, Macross Frontier, oh and maybe Hatsune Miku. Have you heard of that? It is a computer program, a vocal program, with a girl’s voice, she has long green hair. It is not the software but the illustration on the package, in a way a virtual idol. The image of the girl has lots of merchandise.

RT: Do you have a favorite circle?

RM: Right now I’m not doing doujinshi. But I really liked Chocolate Shop, he is the designer of Xenosaga. His mecha designs are very good. His doujin quality is very high with glossy paper and high design. I also liked Mine Yoshizaki’s [Manga-ka of Sgt. Frog] circle. He has quit for about three years but he used to do a lot.

RT: You mentioned how you got started with Petite EVA but how is it working with GAINAX? EVA is such a huge franchise, what kind of creative freedom do you have with it?

RM: So far I have felt pretty comfortable working with GAINAX. The reason is, there aren’t many limits from GAINAX at this point. But when I’m working with Petite EVA I try not to be too off from the original characters. I respect the characters first, then I do Petite EVA.

RT: Having worked in both the amateur and professional markets, what are the biggest differences?

RM: There are no editors! The editors don’t yell at you. [laughs]

RT: So how influential are editors?

RM: Well, from what I have [seen], editors are individuals. So even if they are in the same company there are editors that like me or some that yell a lot. But it depends on the editor. From the people I have worked with, of course there have been ones that didn’t go well, but basically I have worked with editors who like my artwork and like me as an individual.

RT: So you’ve mentioned starting working abroad, and I know from your blog you like American comics a lot. Anyone in American comics you would really like to work with?

RM: Mike Mignola [creator of Hellboy]. He has been an inspiration. I have always admired him.

RT: How much professional training have you had?

RM: I was going to art school but I was learning design so I actually haven’t had any training in drawing.

RT: What was your first work as a professional artist?

RM: I think my first word as a pro was an illustration for a novel. It was published in 2002 through Tokuma Duel Bunko (Tokuma Shoten). The author was Sara Yajima and the title was Kero Kero Midori no Chikai. My first manga as a pro was published in 2004 titled Gyu-Nabe Damussu. It was an original title by myself. I drew a manga for my web-site using one of the character that appears in the afore mentioned manga. It was done in 2006.

RT: Can you tell us about your original works?

RM: One of my comic books that has come out is called White Chaos. It is about a girl whose former life was very pure, she didn’t do anything bad. So in this life the devil comes and makes her a devil, then asks her to do something bad. It is mostly comedy. This is one of my favorite works so far.

RT: Has any of your work been animated?

RM: Petite EVA is coming out on DVD in the spring. It is a 3D CGI production. I have samples at my booth. You can search it on YouTube. [laughs]

RT: So how much were you involved when they animated it?

RM: Basically I just do the character designs. But once they finished I do package illustrations and publicity art as well.

RT: Can you tell us about the work you have done overseas?

RM: My first official work overseas is COMPASS published through Image Comics last year. But before that I did an art piece for a book called Comic Artists Asia. Which was sold in English speaking territories. The book focused on introducing Asian artists [to overseas audiences] and I was asked to do a piece in Japan. I was surprised to know that many people at overseas cons knew about this book. Of course I was happy about that!

RT: Having been to New York Comic-Con and New York Anime Festival, have you notices any differences between American fans and Japanese fans?

RM: I don’t see a big difference, but what I like about American fans is that they speak out about what they like. Japanese fans are more shy.

RT: Are there any anime or manga you think Americans should know about?

RM: One of the titles is called Noramimi it is based on a manga but I recommend the anime. It is very Japanese oriented, Japanese cultural things. I would like to see what Americans would think of it. It is like a sitcom. Like Doraemon. For manga, I would say Yotsuba. I think it is one of the manga Japan can be proud of. It is for everybody.

RT: How was New York Anime Festival?

RM: It was fantastic! I have participated in other overseas conventions in the past, but it was my first anime con and was actually a bit nervous. But I was able to meet a lot of people and had fun.

RT: Is there anything fans should take away from your work?

RM: In my work I always do exactly what I want to do. So if I do that the fans will follow. You don’t have to do what is a trend. You should do what you think is good and your fans will come with you. When I just started in the industry, the editors scolded me and told me my art wasn’t very good. They told me to imitate other popular artists, but I never listened to that. I always tried to do what I wanted. When I found my own way in art, then the work came, too.

*Special thanks to Akihide Yanagi for helping us by translating.