- Manga-ka Voice
- In this corner, we
interview popular Nakayoshi manga artists.
- Here we get the inside
story on creating manga, the artist's private
- life, and here we can
listen to what they have to say.
-
- #1 Tachikawa
Megumi-sensei
- Born: February 22, blood
type B, Astrological Sign: Pieces
- Her works include "Cyber
Idol Mink", "Dream Saga Takamagahara",
- "Kaitou Saint Tail" and
others.
- Please see the "Manga
Artist Data" page for a full profile!
-
- A new manga -- the
dream-filled digital idol story "Cyber Idol Mink".
- We dropped in on
Tachikawa-sensei at work, to ask her all about
this
- fun story.
-
- o Tell us how you came up
with "Mink"
-
- --"Cyber Idol Mink" is
about an idol created with a computer. How did
- you think of a futuristic
story like this?
- ---Whenever I'm trying to
think of a new story, I have to think of
- lots of ideas so that they
aren't anything like others I've drawn. So
- this time, I wanted to
draw something completely unlike anything
- before. So I thought,
"This is the year 2000, I want to draw something
- new and
futuristic!"
-
- --But isn't it hard to
write a story revolving around computers?
- ---Yes. The truth is, I'm
not good with them at all. But I thought it
- might be a good idea to
not use a lot of technical jargon, so that
- anyone could understand
the story.
-
- --The name "Mink" is
really cute!
- ---I'm glad. I thought
that I really wanted to give her a cute name. I
- tend to use names starting
with one of the "ma-mi-mu-me-mo" sounds to
- give a name a really cute
feel... (like "Meimi" from Kaitou Saint
- Tail) and now
"Mink"~!
-
- --Hmm, so that's the
reason...as the story develops, Mink-chan will
- steadily become a super
idol...did you have a model for her?
- ---Yes. For her image, I
used Vivian Hsu-chan as a kind of model.
- [Inset:
Tachikawa-sensei drawing a page of "Mink". A
fantastic world is created from her
hands!]
|
|
- --Then for
Motoharu-senpai?
- ---For his image, I used
Inohara-kun from V6....
-
- --I see! Then what about
Illiya?
- ---For his appearance, I
used people from all different bands! But I
- made him like Hyde-san
from L'Arc-en-Ciel in places, but their looks
- are sometimes different
because I was checking it out, and thought,
- "This might be kind of
risky..." by making them too similar...
-
- --What characters are the
most fun to draw?
- ---Kanoka and Mahoko are
really fun to draw. Because the heroine is
- sort of ditzy, they sort
of play the more serious parts compared to
- her. And I try with all my
might to draw Illiya to make him very cool!
- I try to make my power
come out in my drawing...
-
- o How about Work and
Private Life?
-
- --What does it take to
produce a story every month?
- ---First, I arrange things
with my editor. Then we decide on content
- and plot (storyline,
dialog, and other details) and that takes two to
- three days. After I have
the OK, next I work on naming (checking on
- continuity, and deciding
how many words to a page). At the latest, I
- can do this in about five
days. Then I do my first draft, which takes
- about five days. It takes
about three to four days to ink it. Once
- it's finished, I have to
arrange things for the next chapter...and so
- on.
-
- --Wow! So then you're busy
all year round? And plus, you have to do
- any other work Kodansha
gives you, right?
- ---Always.
- ---Like things for "Cyber
Idol Mink" volume one?
- ---Yes. It's going on sale
on March 6th.
-
- --That's news! Everyone,
please check it out! But, if you're busy
- everyday, when do you
think of story ideas?
- ---Mostly when I'm
watching TV. Ideas surface while the commercials
- are on.
-
- --Clever! So then, do you
watch TV while you work?
- ---Except for the naming
part, I watch TV when I'm working.
|
- [Inset: Sneak
peek! The TV for watching sports. It's a cute
little one, isn't it?]
|
- --Ooh! What a cute
size!
- ---I like sports programs.
The year before last when the Olympics were
- on, I kept thinking and
thinking about it no matter what, so I
- thought, "I want to get a
TV to watch during work!"...and that was
- when I bought it.
-
- --What kinds of sports do
you like?
- ---These days, I've been
watching World Cup Volleyball. It suprised me
- when it showed up, but it
was really interesting to watch.
-
- --Do you watch
dramas?
- ---I like them. When a new
one starts, I'll definitely watch it once.
- If I like it, I keep
watching.
-
- --How about the recent
suspense shows?
- ---I like them...but I get
scared, and I can't stand murder scenes. If
- they happen, I have to
close my eyes and I won't open them until it's
- safe to look.
-
- --So, then how about
horror...?
- ---I can't take
them!!
-
- --That's too bad...so what
do you do to calm down when you get scared?
- ---I guess...play with my
little parakeet, Momo...
-
- (Here, Momo-chan just
starts to wake up)
-
- --Wah, lovely! How old is
it?
- ---He's about three years
old, but this isn't its true form, right now
- it's half-asleep...so it
isn't acting like it usually does... I think
- his original form was "God
of Destruction"!
- [Inset:
Momo-chan still waking up. We don't think
he's really "God of Destruction"...]
-
|
|
- The digital camera
startles him, and Momo puffs and ruffles his
- feathers)
-
- --Kyaa, scary! ...but it's
so cute...
-
- Tachikawa-sensei and Momo
begin to play. However, Momo gradually wakes
- up and follows the sounds
of the digital camera, then suddenly starts
- to attack this strange
visitor!
-
- --Wah! (Momo starts
pecking the reporter's head) I woke up the God of
- Destruction! I'm sorry!
I'll cut it short here, Tachikawa-sensei,
- thank you very
much!
- ---Thank you very
much.
In case you're
curious, these are photos of the idol singers that
Megumi-sensei mentioned in the interview as being models for
the characters Mink, Motoharu, & Illiya.
Inohara
Yoshihiko
|
Vivian
Hsu
|
hyde
|
|