The Maker Speaks
■ You have made manga with Mayumi together since teenage days. How do you feel about your older sister?
M: I believe Mayumi has basically been patient. We discuss to make a plot, and I am in charge of storyboards. Mayumi objects when she is not satisfied with that. But I am basically in charge of a rough sketch. Maybe she is making some complaints, but we have to make it in time and I think she is surprisingly patient.
■ Mariko is in charge of a design and Mayumi is in charge of main lines?
M: Yes. My older sister fixes some strange points at details like fingers. We have been together for a long time and it is so natural. I say “You draw main lines and it is reasonable that you set it to rights.”
■ Your original harmony is it.
M: When we were just beginners, we made separate each other as I built one character and Mayumi illustrated another one. Then, we abused each other and it never made our way at all. We fought and went out from an office together. We went down at each tearoom and soon we had to face a deadline. Serious trouble in my beginning days is that.
■ That sounds like it was no going on, ma’am.
M: But the deadline comes closer, and we can do nothing but compromise each other. Closing is, especially to the young, absolute, isn’t it? We guessed we were going to lose our livelihood when we broke the closing limit, and thought trash was someone who kept no closes. No room for us since we had got a lot of works and their deadlines. Then, our fights invited just feeling tired. We naturally found how to compromise each other.
■ Has a chance of solo activity ever called either, Mayumi or you?
M: When we were young, we often discussed one had to work alone if another had decided to get married. Now both are still singles.
■ Haven’t you try to leave Mayumi for hatred?
M: Both are too slow to complete alone. In my case, my pen touches are very grubby. I have never drawn the main lines for our longtime activity.
■ I heard, Mayumi got injured on right hand and you had to draw the main lines in 2011.
M: For just a story. My pen touches are so dirty and slow. I hated using pen though I could illustrate backgrounds. So I don’t think I will try to work alone anymore.
■ Now, tell me about the changing at your office. In these two decade, increased manga artists who use digital tools like Photoshop.
M: Ah, increased the ones who don’t use ink and screen tone, I know. But we are truly poor at machines as we seldom use PCs. In that sense, we feel kind of uneasy. LOL Well, it is not that everybody uses digital tools.
■ Does it mean it has been analog at your office?
M: Yes, it has been since the beginning until today. Moreover, we don’t use any assistants. It was very short term which we used someone.
■ No assistants, it rightly means you work only with Mayumi.
M: We only two work rustling and rustling. LOL We originally dislike to find lines drawn by others in our works. And manga artists usually eat with their assistants, don’t they? Mayumi and I are unable to have any kinds of meat, so we feel sorry for an assistant.
■ I see. You and your assistant must give a lot of consideration each other.
M: That is what I mean. I think assistants are necessary when I work alone. But we don’t need any because we are two professional manga artists in short. For example, a manga artist has to direct his assistants, doesn’t he? In that respect, we don’t have to. That’s so efficient saving some impalpable times.
M: I believe Mayumi has basically been patient. We discuss to make a plot, and I am in charge of storyboards. Mayumi objects when she is not satisfied with that. But I am basically in charge of a rough sketch. Maybe she is making some complaints, but we have to make it in time and I think she is surprisingly patient.
■ Mariko is in charge of a design and Mayumi is in charge of main lines?
M: Yes. My older sister fixes some strange points at details like fingers. We have been together for a long time and it is so natural. I say “You draw main lines and it is reasonable that you set it to rights.”
■ Your original harmony is it.
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Mayumi," With Her 2 Years Younger Sister. Having A Tongue Too Sensitive To Heat. |
■ That sounds like it was no going on, ma’am.
M: But the deadline comes closer, and we can do nothing but compromise each other. Closing is, especially to the young, absolute, isn’t it? We guessed we were going to lose our livelihood when we broke the closing limit, and thought trash was someone who kept no closes. No room for us since we had got a lot of works and their deadlines. Then, our fights invited just feeling tired. We naturally found how to compromise each other.
■ Has a chance of solo activity ever called either, Mayumi or you?
M: When we were young, we often discussed one had to work alone if another had decided to get married. Now both are still singles.
■ Haven’t you try to leave Mayumi for hatred?
M: Both are too slow to complete alone. In my case, my pen touches are very grubby. I have never drawn the main lines for our longtime activity.
■ I heard, Mayumi got injured on right hand and you had to draw the main lines in 2011.
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■ Now, tell me about the changing at your office. In these two decade, increased manga artists who use digital tools like Photoshop.
M: Ah, increased the ones who don’t use ink and screen tone, I know. But we are truly poor at machines as we seldom use PCs. In that sense, we feel kind of uneasy. LOL Well, it is not that everybody uses digital tools.
■ Does it mean it has been analog at your office?
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■ No assistants, it rightly means you work only with Mayumi.
M: We only two work rustling and rustling. LOL We originally dislike to find lines drawn by others in our works. And manga artists usually eat with their assistants, don’t they? Mayumi and I are unable to have any kinds of meat, so we feel sorry for an assistant.
■ I see. You and your assistant must give a lot of consideration each other.
M: That is what I mean. I think assistants are necessary when I work alone. But we don’t need any because we are two professional manga artists in short. For example, a manga artist has to direct his assistants, doesn’t he? In that respect, we don’t have to. That’s so efficient saving some impalpable times.
