Over 10,000 copies sold within a week of release! The editor of Rumiko Takahashi Original Artwork Collection COLORS 1978-2024 reveals the secret behind the book's production.
“I had many discussions with sensei about which works would really make fans happy.”
Interview with Rumiko Takahashi's Past Editors #1

Translation by: Harley Acres

Since her debut with Katte na Yatsura in 1978, Rumiko Takahashi has always been at the forefront of the manga world. Rumiko Takahashi Original Artwork Collection COLORS 1978-2024, which summarizes her 46-year career trajectory, was released on March 29, 2024.

It gained enthusiastic support from "Rumic" fans, and sales exceeded 10,000 copies within a week of its release. To commemorate the occasion, a campaign will be held to sign autographed shikishi featuring Rumiko Takahashi's favorite characters (until April 30, 2024), and the momentum only continues to build. ^[1]

The April 18, 2024 issue of Weekly Bunshun (released on April 11th) will feature selected cuts from this valuable original art collection and interviews with the three editors in charge of this project.

"We wanted to convey Takahashi-sensei's "raw brushstrokes and words" - editors Kento Moriwaki, Tomofumi Arito, and Riri Okamoto, who created the original art collection with that single-minded desire, reveal the secret story behind the production. ^[2] In this special version of Bunshun Online, we bring you a little-known behind-the-scenes look at their many discussions with Rumiko Takahashi herself, and their sometimes even going as far as a warehouse in Saitama.

The editors responsible for Urusei, RINNE and MAO all gathered together

Rumiko Takahashi's home is Weekly Shonen Sunday. The issue released just yesterday (March 13, 2024), marked the 65th anniversary of the publication. Congratulations.

Moriwaki: Thank you!

In this issue, there is a shocking development in Takahashi-sensei's current serialization MAO... It depicts a certain separation and encounter, and you can't take your eyes off it. ^[3]

Okamoto: Yes, "phase two" has finally begun. Please look forward to it!

The three of you who have gathered here are the creators of Rumiko Takahashi Original Artwork Collection COLORS 1978-2024 and are also the editors of Takahashi-sensei over the years. First of all, please tell us about the works you are responsible for.

Arito: I was in charge of Urusei Yatsura, and took over from my senior in July 1983. It's been a little over a year in full, and in terms of manga volumes, it was probably around volume 19 to volume 26. This was around the time when Lum's rival trio, the kitsune who loved Shinobu Miyake, and Asuka Mizunokoji appeared. Around the same time, I was also in charge of one-shot stories such as A Mermaid Never Smiles which were published in Weekly Shonen Sunday Extra. ^[4]



Arito: After that, I was transferred to the editorial department of Big Comic Original, where she drew four to five one-shots such as The Tragedy of P. This is what we now call the "Rumic Theater" series. Then came 2014's Came the Mirror. This is a very memorable work that marked the first time that Takahashi-sensei had drawn something for Big Comic Superior.

Moriwaki: Takahashi-sensei and I have known each other since Kyokai no RINNE. As the fourth editor, I was in charge until the final volume in 2017. After that, I completed the one-shot series A Thousand Years of Innocence and then started a new series called MAO with sensei. After being in charge for a total of five years, I handed over MAO over to Okamoto.

Okamoto: Yes, I've been in charge of MAO since about volume 10.

Moriwaki: Okamoto wanted to become a manga editor because of Inuyasha.

Okamoto: When I was in elementary school, I lived in a rural town in America, and my classmate asked me things like, "Do Japanese people eat bugs?" "Do Japanese people spend their time naked?" No matter how much I tried to argue with her, she wouldn't listen to me, but as soon as she fell in love with Inuyasha, she said, "I'm definitely going to move to Japan!"

I was shocked to learn that interesting manga transcends racial barriers and national borders and touches the heart. I also wanted to be involved with a work that has overwhelming power and captivates the world on a par with Inuyasha.

We were all about that "raw" feeling.

I feel that your "love of Rumic" and "love of manga" have come to fruition in this original art collection. What was the impetus for planning the original art collection in the first place?

Moriwaki: As Weekly Shonen Sunday celebrates its 65th anniversary, I thought it might be possible to publish a monumental book by Takahashi-sensei, an author who embodies the magazine. Consequently, a project was begun to create a collection of original art with unprecedented high definition.

This art collection which contains over 400 pages includes works serialized in Sunday such as Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, Kyokai no RINNE, and MAO, as well as Maison Ikkoku which was published in Big Comic Spirits. However, the number of works she created during her 64 years as an artist must number in the thousands. How were these illustrations selected?

Moriwaki: We in the editorial department picked some candidates and asked Takahashi-sensei for her opinion. It included not only illustrations but also manga manuscripts, which I compiled into a list and brought it to her home and asked "What do you think about this chapter?" We had a very thorough discussion about which stories Rumic fans would be most happy with, and this is the selection we put all our effort into and received Sensei's approval.

There are also manuscripts with nostalgic "phototypesetting" pasted on them.

Moriwaki: Up until the beginning of Inuyasha, every bit of text was cut and pasted onto balloons one by one. The book is printed in high definition so you can see the analog process, so I think classic fans will definitely enjoy it.



Arito: For Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, and Ranma 1/2 we've also included two-color printed manuscripts, which are no longer done. We hope you will remember the nostalgic feel of "Sundays from that era." ^[5]

Moriwaki: We were very particular about capturing that “raw feeling”. Takahashi-sensei's handwritten lettering and white correction fluid are intentionally left intact. In the manga, the solid areas (the parts that are painted black) are all black, but in this book you can enjoy the shading that is unique to the original drawings. You can enjoy sensei's brushwork even more. I hope you can feel the sensibility of each era.

Spectacular effort and memory captured in a single frame

Okamoto: The cover has also been refined considerably to make it "for the fans". "Is this really the right direction?" we thought over and over again.

It's a big change from the design that was originally announced. The main couples of the works shown in the book were gathered together in a lively fashion, and my friend who is a Ranma fan was also very happy to see the two-shot of Ranma (Saotome) and Akane (Tendo).

Moriwaki: Oh, it's great. The cover has been treated with an aurora so it's really shiny, so you'll feel excited when you put it on your bookshelf (laughs).

It was also impressive to see Takahashi-sensei's comments interspersed between the illustrations and in the columns of the manuscript. These are all famous quotes that give you a sense of her backbone as a manga artist.

Moriwaki: We interviewed her while she was looking at the illustrations and manuscripts to be included in the book. Takahashi-sensei herself selected memorable panels from each work for the "I Choose! I Discuss It! I Like This Panel" section. I think you'll find many things of interest in this section.

As you said, it was a series of discoveries as she revealed how much she struggled with the frame movement and dialogue. Not only the serious scenes, but also the gags that made readers laugh nonstop. On the other hand, it's the fact that it's so well thought out that it's a quick and enjoyable read.

Arito: I did the interviews for that section. At first, it was a bit more vague, just a "scene that was memorable for Takahashi-sensei," but I thought it might not be very interesting if we used that approach. We got more and more detailed and finally arrived at "telling a story about a single frame" (laughs).

It was fresh and interesting because of the pinpoint perspective. I was also shocked to see that Takahashi-sensei remembers the details of the production. Although Urusei was written more than 40 years ago, the feelings she felt when it was drawn remain vividly in her mind.

Okamoto: I am amazed by her memory. She said, "I remember the personalities and work styles of my past editors" (laughs).

"My best cuts" selected by the three editors of Rumiko Takahashi Original Artwork Collection COLORS 1978-2024. "This image of Kyoko Otonashi is a phantom that has been released for the first time in about 30 years."
Interview with Rumiko Takahashi's Past Editors #2

Since her debut with Katte na Yatsura in 1978, Rumiko Takahashi has always been at the forefront of the manga world. Rumiko Takahashi Original Artwork Collection COLORS 1978-2024, which summarizes her 46-year career trajectory, was released on March 29, 2024.

It gained enthusiastic support from "Rumic" fans, and sales exceeded 10,000 copies within a week of its release. To commemorate the occasion, a campaign will be held to sign autographed shikishi featuring Rumiko Takahashi's favorite characters (until April 30, 2024), and the momentum only continues to build.

The April 18, 2024 issue of Weekly Bunshun (released on April 11th) will feature selected cuts from this valuable original art collection and interviews with the three editors in charge of this project.

"We wanted to convey Takahashi-sensei's "raw brushstrokes and words" - editors Kento Moriwaki, Tomofumi Arito, and Riri Okamoto, who created the original art collection with that single-minded desire, reveal the secret story behind the production. In this special version of Bunshun Online, we bring you a little-known behind-the-scenes look at their many discussions with Rumiko Takahashi herself, and their sometimes even going as far as a warehouse in Saitama (Part 2 of 4).

Origin unknown! Searching for the "phantom Kyoko"

From here on, I would like to introduce the most impressive works from the original art collection, let's call this, "Editor's Choose! I Discuss It! I Like This Selection." What would you choose, Arito-san?

Arito: It's a color selection from Maison Ikkoku. This one of Kyoko (Otonashi) smiling.



Moriwaki: Oh, I love it too. It's a treasured selection, and this is the first time I've seen it. Takahashi-sensei's works are often made into merchandise, so there is a list of illustrations, but Kyoko was not included. I was moved when I heard from Arito-san, "I discovered this one piece when I was reconsidering the color selections when creating the original art book." And it's a really nice illustration.

Arito: Well, I really don't understand where it first appeared. Takahashi-sensei said, "I remember drawing it, but I don't know when," so all of us on the search team did a lot of searching on the Internet. Enter the title and any words you want...

Then, it turned out that it looked like a pin-up from Big Comic Spirits. But it doesn't say which issue it was. "It's clearly not an illustration from the serialized series, and I think it's closer to the mid-to-late Ranma period...maybe from the 1990s?" So I went to Shogakukan's warehouse in Toda, Saitama, and looked through all the back issues.

All: Whoa!

Arito: I can't tell you how happy I was when I found it (laughs). As expected, it was a 1995 issue, and it was a pin-up commemorating the 15th anniversary of the first issue of Big Comic Spirits. It may sound like a pun, but one side was of Kyoko-san and the other side was a photogravure of Yumiko Takahashi. ^[6]

Moriwaki: Oh, the actress?

“Sensei, are you choosing that?”

Moriwaki: I also have a lot of attachment to the cover art for MAO. The digitally finished illustrations are wonderful, but I really feel that the watercolor illustrations have a certain warmth to them... I especially like this one with all the characters lined up. What about you, Okamoto, as a big fan of Inuyasha?



Okamoto: The selection of panels was interesting to me, and I was surprised and thought, "Wha, you want to include these?" As you know, Inuyasha has many famous scenes, such as the scene where Kikyo "becomes just a woman" and the climax where they are finally able to defeat Naraku... Meanwhile you're choosing, this, this, and this!? (laughs)

Moriwaki: Three of the five panels she chose are comedy scenes. It's the same with MAO, but no matter how serious her work is, she doesn't miss out on the gags (laughs).

Okamoto: For instance, the scene where Rin is relieved when Sesshomaru says to her, "Rin, you can move now." It was a small scene, just a panel. But when I read sensei's comment, I was struck by it.

"A child who can't speak becomes able to speak, and her facial expressions begin to emerge... I think I really like this characterization, as the character of "Rin" gradually takes shape." -In the sense that you could see the humanity of the character, it certainly had a great meaning. It's interesting to look back at the selection of panels from this perspective.

"I enjoy it even when my brain is tired."

Just as Urusei Yatsura, a big hit from the Showa era, has been adapted into an anime again in the Reiwa era and is attracting attention, Rumic World has a timeless charm. My friend's child, who was born in the late 2010s and is an elementary school student, loves Ranma and Inuyasha. What do you think is the secret to attracting people of all generations?

Okamoto: For Takahashi-sensei, the most important thing is "what the readers think." I think it's because her core as a mangaka has never wavered. ^[7]

Moriwaki: Yeah, I think it's quite simple. While editing this collection of original art, I really felt that "Takahashi-sensei is putting her life into making her work easy to read." Of course, all manga artists put their heart and soul into their work, but the dialogue and the tempo of her panels are outstanding.



I once asked Takahashi-sensei, "What do you keep in mind when writing your dialogue?" She said, "The key is to choose words that you can say in one breath, that have a good feel, and that will move things forward."

What do you mean by "move things forward"?

Moriwaki: For example, in everyday conversation, I would respond, "Yes, I have gym class this afternoon," right?, but when you do this in a manga, it gets a little confusing. That's why you choose lines that move things forward quickly, such as "We have gym class this afternoon" and "I hope it rains," and maintain that sort of tempo.

I was really impressed with it, and since hearing that, I have always taught it to new writers. Anyway, Takahashi-sensei's manga feels good. No matter what age you are, no matter how tired your brain is, you can always enjoy reading it. That's why I think it will be loved throughout the ages.

Even to an editor who is nearly 40 years younger than me...

I see. Arito-san, what do you think is the timeless appeal of Rumiko Takahashi's works?

Arito: The first thing is the sense that Takahashi-sensei innately has, but I think the fact that she listens carefully to the words of her editors is also a big factor.

Moriwaki: Ah, I see.

Okamoto: Indeed.

Arito: I think that every time her editor changes, different opinions emerge and the way meetings are conducted changes. Moreover, when Urusei was serialized, her editor was older than Takahashi-sensei was, but as her career has progressed, the editors became younger and younger, and now she is in her 60s and Okamoto, the current editor, is in her 20s.

Although there is an age difference of nearly 40 years, she listens carefully to her younger editor's opinions and incorporates them if necessary for the work. I think that's one of the key points that keeps the work from getting old.

Moriwaki: Honestly, when I had a meeting with sensei, I answered that if it was Shoten, I wouldn't even get a single cushion. ^[8] However, Takahashi-sensei listened to me sincerely and refined my ideas by asking me, "What if...?" I will never forget that experience.

Arito: She discusses it with the editor until she's satisfied with it, and finds the "best development" that will be most enjoyable for the readers. That attitude hasn't changed at all since the days of Urusei.

"Sixteen pages of Urusei in three days" "It seems like Takahashi-sensei doesn’t "create" the story"... A closer look at Rumiko Takahashi’s creative techniques that astounded the editor!"
Interview with Rumiko Takahashi's Past Editors #3

Since her debut with Katte na Yatsura in 1978, Rumiko Takahashi has always been at the forefront of the manga world. Rumiko Takahashi Original Artwork Collection COLORS 1978-2024, which summarizes her 46-year career trajectory, was released on March 29, 2024.

It gained enthusiastic support from "Rumic" fans, and sales exceeded 10,000 copies within a week of its release. To commemorate the occasion, a campaign will be held to sign autographed shikishi featuring Rumiko Takahashi's favorite characters (until April 30, 2024), and the momentum only continues to build.

The April 18, 2024 issue of Weekly Bunshun (released on April 11th) will feature selected cuts from this valuable original art collection and interviews with the three editors in charge of this project.

"We wanted to convey Takahashi-sensei's "raw brushstrokes and words" - editors Kento Moriwaki, Tomofumi Arito, and Riri Okamoto, who created the original art collection with that single-minded desire, reveal the secret story behind the production. In this special version of Bunshun Online, we bring you a little-known behind-the-scenes look at their many discussions with Rumiko Takahashi herself, and their sometimes even going as far as a warehouse in Saitama (Part 3 of 4).

The record for the longest meeting is...

From here, I would like to hear about the secret stories behind the production of Rumiko Takahashi's works that you three were in charge of. You were in charge of Urusei Yatsura for one year starting in the summer of 1983?

Arito: I was a new employee at the time, and Urusei Yatsura was my first work. When I took over the project, it was right around the time of the meeting for the Fire Tripper, which was to be published in the extra issue of Sunday. I was listening to my former colleague discussing things with Takahashi-sensei until late at night, and since we were working at full capacity from morning till night, I accidentally nodded off... I looked up and saw the two of them grinning at me.

That's the sort of thing you'd definitely never forget...! As mentioned earlier, Takahashi-sensei has thorough discussions with the editor.

Arito: It takes a lot of time, especially for a one-shot story because it has to be made from scratch. Urusei is also essentially a one-shot series, with the exception of some chapters.

By the time I was in charge of the story, the main characters had already been introduced, so I started by asking, "Who do you want to draw this time? We started developing the story from ideas such as "Ran-chan comes in here," "Ten-chan brought this item," or "Last time it was a slapstick story, so let's make it a little quieter this time."



Every week, we'd have a series of very detailed meetings to finalize everything from the beginning to the end. Even though it was a slapstick story, we never say, "We'll just come up with an ending as we go along."

Works that Rumiko Takahashi “read all at once” before the serialization of MAO

How long was the longest meeting with her?

Arito: Although it wasn't Urusei, it took an entire night to produce the extra issue, whether it was Sleep and Forget or A Mermaid Never Smiles. I sat across from Takahashi-sensei the whole time, and we also made some small talk... I think it took about 14 hours in total.

Neither of us was afraid of silence, so we were both "hmmm..." in contemplation, and sensei would cook us dinner at night (laughs). I've never worked on a non-episodic story, so I am interested to know how Inuyasha and MAO are created.

Moriwaki-san has experienced both types, with MAO being a continuous story, and Kyokai no RINNE being more episodic, like Urusei.

Moriwaki: I think that the continuing stories progress more quickly. It was very difficult to complete a one-off story. Like Arito, I gradually helped to shape the story by asking things like, "Which character should be the main character in this story?" and "wouldn't it be interesting to use this kind of monster to kick things off?"

Please tell us about the story behind starting MAO as a new series. After completing Kyokai no RINNE in 2017, Takahashi-sensei took a year and a half off. During that time, it seems that she read all of Agatha Christie's works one after another, and that's how she came up with the idea...?

Moriwaki: That's ultimately what happened, but it seems like Sensei genuinely wanted me to read all of Agatha Christie's books someday anyway. ^[9] However, as she continued reading, she began to feel that she wanted to try out something with a strong sense of mystery, as well as dark fantasy, which she really liked.

In fact, the main keyword was Doman Ashiya, an onmyoji. ^[10] Although he is a rival to Abe Seimei and a villain, he's very charming. She was strongly inspired by him, saying, "I want to draw such a character," and the project began to take shape.

It is true that MAO features characters with various shadowy aspects. One of the main characters, Mao, is selected as the successor of the Goko Clan, a famous enclave of onmyoji, but in reality, he is a sacrifice, and behind the scenes, the master orders his disciples to "curse Mao to death". It's a mysterious story in which karma and speculation intertwine in a complex way, asking such questions as who are the enemies and who are the allies.

Moriwaki: When you think someone is a bad guy, he turns out to be a good guy, and when you think he's a good guy, he flips and winds up being a bad guy... Sensei really enjoys drawing "reversals" in which the future is unpredictable. In fact, Okamoto, in talking with Takahashi-sensei, was surprised to hear the truth of the matter, and would say, "is that right?"

"It's like unraveling a real person..."

Okamoto: To tell the truth, what surprised me the most is that it's not set in stone.

Moriwaki: The ending?

Okamoto: Rather, I would say the cause. The meetings begin with Sensei asking a question, "What the hell is he doing this time?" And then, "He's a person who thinks in this manner, so this is how he would act." And the exchange goes on and on. It was as if she was speculating about an actual event, it didn't feel as if she was "creating" the story from scratch.

I see. Is it similar to "exploring"? You can't see the whole picture, but the person or incident already exists, and as you dig deeper, you get the outline of it.

Okamoto: Yes, perhaps. She speaks as if she were trying to unravel a real person, even though the character was created by her. I've never met such an author before.

The meeting itself seems like a mystery play. By thinking about the past from the "now" point, there is a thrill and sense of realism as the mystery is gradually unraveled.

Moriwaki: Can you tell me something related to that? Before MAO started, I compiled a chronology of the events that form the center of the story in Excel.

Okamoto: I also made one. The timeline's complicated, so I needed to organize who did what where, minute by minute.

Moriwaki: That's right, we made them (laughs). Sensei said, "Thank you," but I guess it wasn't all that helpful. This is because, after all, she is a weekly serial writer, so she enjoys the "live feeling". She says, "I can't write if I'm not excited about it," and although I have an exact chronology in my head, if she had an idea that "it would be more interesting if I did it this way!", I'll just throw it out there. It is then destroyed and transformed into a new form. Then we will make arrangements. Watching them up close, I was struck by how much they value the "raw sensation."

She never intended to rest.

Lastly, please tell us about an episode in which you were shocked by Takahashi-sensei in Weekly Shonen Sunday with Rumic World's representative character, lightning oni girl Lum-chan.

Arito: She has tremendous vitality, don't you think? When I was in charge, in addition to Urusei, Maison Ikkoku was being serialized simultaneously every other week. Simply calculated, she was drawing six manga chapters a month.

It was a lively work packed with so many characters, coming at you at such a fast pace.

Arito: That's right. Moreover, she never took a break. Takahashi-sensei was already a leading writer in both Sunday and Big Comic Spirits magazines, and the editor-in-chief of both of them probably intended to "absolutely continue publishing in every issue," but Takahashi-sensei herself had no intention of taking a break in the first place. I was trying really hard to keep up (laughs). A week passes by quickly. I was so surprised when I thought, "I already have to go to a meeting about the next story." ^[11]

After that, Maison became a weekly series, and Takahashi-sensei became increasingly busy, but it seems that she never failed to deliever a manuscript until she was hospitalized with peritonitis during the serialization of Ranma 1/2. ^[12] She recalled that the first time she missed her deadline, she was so shocked that her nose bled (from an interview in Rumic World 35 ALL STAR).

Arito: She approaches manga with such professionalism and energy. When I was in charge of the project, she had four days to work on Urusei and six days to work on Maison. But since she can't crank out a manuscript like a machine every time, she'd set aside 1-2 days as a backup.

However, she continued to draw monthly with almost no margins for error.

Arito: Yeah. There were times where I'd say, "since Maison's progress is delayed, we'll bump up Urusei by three days!" What a thing to say.

Does that mean that it takes three days to complete 16 pages, from the meeting to the name (manga blueprint), draft, inking, and finishing?

Arito: Yes. Even in those situations, she would never cut corners in creating the story, so we would have a thorough meeting and she would go straight into the storyboarding process, and the drawing for that would be done in one day. The whole thing can be done in three days.

Moriwaki: Sixteen pages of drawings, and that much density in almost one night? Takahashi-sensei is still a fast writer, but... it's so amazing I shudder.

"It's a winner's mentality." "Never lower the bar for 'interesting'" ...Rumiko Takahashi's "legend" that made the editor nervous.
Interview with Rumiko Takahashi's Past Editors #4

Since her debut with Katte na Yatsura in 1978, Rumiko Takahashi has always been at the forefront of the manga world. Rumiko Takahashi Original Artwork Collection COLORS 1978-2024, which summarizes her 46-year career trajectory, was released on March 29, 2024.

It gained enthusiastic support from "Rumic" fans, and sales exceeded 10,000 copies within a week of its release. To commemorate the occasion, a campaign will be held to sign autographed shikishi featuring Rumiko Takahashi's favorite characters (until April 30, 2024), and the momentum only continues to build.

The April 18, 2024 issue of Weekly Bunshun (released on April 11th) will feature selected cuts from this valuable original art collection and interviews with the three editors in charge of this project.

"We wanted to convey Takahashi-sensei's "raw brushstrokes and words" - editors Kento Moriwaki, Tomofumi Arito, and Riri Okamoto, who created the original art collection with that single-minded desire, reveal the secret story behind the production. In this special version of Bunshun Online, we bring you a little-known behind-the-scenes look at their many discussions with Rumiko Takahashi herself, and their sometimes even going as far as a warehouse in Saitama (Part 4 of 4).

A natural "winner's mentality"

Okamoto-san, could you tell us about the time in which you were "scared by Takahashi-sensei"?

Okamoto: I have a slightly different perspective from Arito, but there are two things. First of all, she is a very personable person.

Moriwaki: Ah... she's very understanding.

Okamoto: When I work with Takahashi-sensei, I always think that she's a very honest member of society. She has a great love for humanity, her values, her consideration for others, and her imagination to think about others.



While being truly decent in that sense, she also has a "winner's mentality," in a word, that ordinary people don't possess. Even in situations where everyone else is breaking down or giving up, she never thinks, "It can't be helped." People who think, "why bother," will never reach that level. I don't know if it's something she's acquired over the years or if she's just born with it, but she always has a natural "winner's mentality." I think that is truly amazing.

This is similar to what Arito-san said earlier, that she has a strong will to see things through to the end.

Sensei, I like "that project" in Bunshin

Okamoto: Another thing that impressed me about Sensei is her love of content. She really reads and watches all kinds of things. She even checks out articles in the Weekly Bunshun.

Moriwaki: In terms of weekly magazines, she buys Bunshun and Shincho every week. When I was in charge of editing RINNE and MAO, I always bought them for chatting with her. Sunday's meeting was on Mondays, so we would look back together and say, "This is what was going on last week, huh?" It's funny how the headlines are puns (laughs). And sensei and I both really like that project. The one that always appeared at the end of the year.... the look-alike.

The gravure's "Facial Resemblance" piece. The idea was to pick people who are popular that year and line them up with similar things, whether organic or inorganic. Due to the end of monochrome gravure, it's been on hiatus since 2023, but the editorial department enjoyed making it.

Moriwaki: It was a project that took a lot of effort (laughs). I often looked at it while chatting with Takahashi-sensei.

Okamoto: She really has a wide range of antennae. Everything from the current popular manga, to novels, anime, and dramas. She also really likes Chiikawa, which is serialized on X (formerly Twitter) (laughs). ^[13]

Chiikawa is often mentioned in her table of contents comments from Sunday. When asked, "Name a work that warms your heart", she answered, "I read Chiikawa everyday." ^[14]

Okamoto: It seems that when chapters are unsettling, her heart gets agitated... In addition to these trendy works, she is also familiar with many masterpieces of yesteryear. I get the impression that Takahashi-sensei reads these not because she feel obligated to do so, but because she really wants to read it. When I sent her a note and said, "I found this manga interesting," she gave me her thoughts a week or two later, even though she was so busy. I think that her ability to keep her curiosity burning all the time is also a great talent.

Comedy lover Rumiko Takahashi's one of a kind gag.

Arito: Even when Urusei was being serialized, she would read books or go to movies or plays in her spare time away from work. Perhaps Takahashi-sensei is a short sleeper, so I wonder if she can function without much sleep. Nowadays, she probably has a little more free time than she did back then when she was busy serializing Urusei and Maison and writing one-shots, so I think she's actually enjoying the input she receives from these other sources more than ever.

She also keeps up with the news and the latest popular series, and in the "Rumiko Takahashi Theater," which is published once a year, we see words that reflect the world's current situation ("Sugar Daddy" and "Paid Drinking" appear in Ideal Daughter her latest work at the time of this article). Although from a slightly different perspective, Nanoka Kiba, the heroine of MAO, uses katakana words such as "stance" in the manner of a modern teenager. ^[15]

Okamoto: Yes. Even though Mao, who lives in the Taisho era, cannot make sense of it, she never learns her lesson (laughs).

I think it's wonderful that the words of a teenager living in the Reiwa era are depicted so naturally. It seemed to be clear, without the sense of "this is an adult's idea of how junior high school girls speak," it's the "real voice" of a girl named Nanoka Kiba.

Okamoto: In terms of linguistic sense, I think television has had a big influence.

Moriwaki: She's a huge TV kid. Even at work, she has a movie on or leaves a variety show on the TV. I think that's the reason why she doesn't overdo it with the modern language.

She's constantly bombareded with words.

Moriwaki: That's right. She especially likes comedy. What's her favorite gag these days... Tom Brown? ^[16]

Okamoto: Yep. "No!" (laughs).

Among Rumic boys, the most popular guy isn't who you'd expect...

Lastly, I would like to ask Moriwaki-san what struck you about Takahashi-sensei?

Moriwaki: Before the coronavirus outbreak, we would occasionally hold "tours" where we would bring new Sunday manga artists to Takahashi-sensei's home. One day, a new writer who was about to start serializing asked Takahashi-sensei, "What's the most important thing when writing a weekly serial?" She said two points, and I was really shocked by her answers.

The first is to keep it classy. Shonen magazines should be classy. Ataru Moroboshi in Urusei is a huge flirt with women, but he actually cares about Lum and is kind deep down in the bottom of his heart.

"Lum Becomes a Cow" and "Last Date," which were released around the time that Arito-san was editing, are famous episodes that show this side of the story. The latter in particular is heartwarming as Ataru continues to stay close to the ghost girl who falls in love with him until the very end.

Arito: As it is a very memorable work for Takahashi-sensei, a reproduction of the original artwork of "Last Date" was also released in 2022. It's one of my favorites as well. Ataru is always kind to women. I thought it wouldn't be so unusual if there was a character other than Lum-chan who fell in love with him. ^[17]

Moriwaki: In fact, the character who received the most Valentine's Day chocolates from readers is Ataru.

What, out of all the Rumic characters?

Moriwaki: Yep. I was also very surprised, but Takahashi-sensei said that "Ataru is the best," not Ranma, Inuyasha, or Sesshomaru. After all, that story was written with great care, which is why he's loved by readers.

"If we don't overcome this hurdle, we will never release it to the world."

Sabato, the father of Rinne Rokudo, the main character in Kyokai no RINNE is also a scoundrel, and even Takahashi-sensei herself calls him "a real scum" (from "Rumiko Takahashi Book"), but he's somehow unbearable. While he is a scoundrel who co-signs his son on his debts, flirts with women, and commits fraud, he is also a man with a good heart who has been secretly searching for his wife, who suddenly disappeared.

Moriwaki: I believe that every villain has the conscience of his creator, Takahashi-sensei, running through his veins. At the end of RINNE, there is a story where the Rokudo family, who had been separated, and the heroine Sakura Mamiya somehow come together at a hot spring ("Inn of Memories"). That chapter is so heartwarming, I love it. Takahashi-sensei was also happy and said, "I'm glad they were able to go on a family trip."

You can feel the deep love she has for the characters. What is the second thing that Takahashi-sensei considers important when writing a weekly series?

Moriwaki: "Never lower the bar for what you consider to be interesting." The schedule of a weekly magazine is tight, so there will inevitably be situations where there is not enough time for storyboarding or drawing, but she told us to draw a line that "no matter what happens, we will not release work that does not cross this line." With one chapter of RINNE, she would usually start working on the story at 11:00 pm and finish it by 6:00 the next morning, but on that day, she couldn't decide on the ending at all. So she persisted until almost noon, saying, "We don't have much time, so I think this is about right for what we'll do."

What do you think of the storyboards that you received?

Moriwaki: I was impressed. "It's certainly gorgeous!" with a level of perfection that makes you groan. Takahashi-sensei takes great pride in the fact that "a manga is just a manga." No matter how painful the reality may be, it's an incredibly fun form of entertainment that makes you forget everthing while you're flipping through manga. I continue to be struck by how cool her attitude is, which has remained the same for 46 years.

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Footnotes

• [1] A shikishi (色紙) is a square, hard-backed piece of paper on cardboard used for autographs.
• [2] Tomofumi Arito (有藤智文) was Rumiko Takahashi's editor during Urusei Yatsura and the character SALT-1 was based on him as stated by Rumiko Takahashi. He also appears as a character in the Diary of Kemo Kobiru autobiographical series. Kento Moriwaki (森脇健人) was the final editor on Kyokai no RINNE and the first editor on MAO. He is also the editor responsible for getting Rumiko Takahashi to join Twitter. You can read an interview with him here. Riri Okamoto (岡本吏莉) was the sucessor to Kento Moriwaki on MAO and Rumiko Takahashi's first female editor. Takahashi mentions her in her Wednesday Diary. This interview is an expanded interview that was cut down into small chunks for the magazine article which can be read here.
• [3] This is referring to MAO chapter 221 when Natsuno dies and Daigo is fully revived. This chapter then leads into a series of chapters that reveal the answers to the mysteries that had been set up in many of the chapters leading up to this point.
• [4] The special issues that he refers to are Shonen Sunday Extra (週刊少年サンデーの増刊/Shukan Shonen Sunday no Zokan) which included short stories such as Fire Tripper, The Laughing Target and When My Eyes Got Wings.
• [5] Two colors (2色カラー) refers to the "red tint" or "bichrome" colored pages which are typically colored in red and black ink. This was done as a cheaper alternative to full color pages (which are not the standard). Now with cheaper full-color alternatives the red tinted pages were phased out of most manga magazines in the 1990s. Takahashi's final chapter done in this fashion was Inuyasha chapter 3 from 1996.
• [6] Yumiko Takahashi (高橋由美子) is a singer and actress and is no relation to Rumiko Takahashi. Also she is not to be confused with the also unrelated animator/character designer Kumiko Takahashi (高橋久美子).
• [7] Takahashi has spoken about "What I've decided, at least for myself, is that it shouldn't hurt or offend the reader too much," such as in the interview she did for the COLORS book.
• [8] Shoten (笑点) one of the longest running television shows in Japan having debuted in 1966. The show is based around the Japanese comedic storytelling concept known as "rakugo" (落語). On the program the host presents a question and the panel of rakugo storytellers answer in humorous ways which earns them a zabuton (座布団/cushions). A story deemed unfunny can see the cushion taken away. Another of Takahashi's editors, Masaki Nawata (田正樹) the second editor on Inuyasha, made a similar comment.
• [9] Takahashi discusses reading Agatha Christie's works when developing MAO in her interview "Rumiko Takahashi: Beyond Boundaries".
• [10] Ashiya Doman (芦屋道満) is an onmyoji and rival to Abe no Seimei, the founder of onmyodo. Both lived during the Heian period, the time when the era in which the earliest parts of MAO are set.
• [11] Urusei Yatsura was being published weekly, while Maison Ikkoku, which was originally slated to be a monthly series, was published twice a month when Big Comic Spirits increased its publication speed. Tomofumi Arito was her editor on Urusei Yatsura only, she had a different editor on Maison Ikkoku.
• [12] Again, to clarify, Maison Ikkoku was very, very rarely a weekly series. After Urusei Yatsura ended then Takahashi did begin releasing Maison Ikkoku weekly, though Maison Ikkoku was progressing towards its conclusion at this point. This marks the only lengthy interruption of serialization in Rumiko Takahashi's entire career which falls between Ranma 1/2 chapter 64 and chapter 65. She contracted appendicitis and had to stop work for a number of weeks from November 1988 to January 1989. The following year in a discussion with fellow mangaka Kazuhiko Shimamoto she would wonder if it was due to stress. During her hospitalization Masami Yuki the creator of Patlabor and Kaoru Shintani (Area 88) visited her and conducted an interview which can be read here. In 2013 Rumiko Takahashi discussed her hospitalization in an interview.
• [13] Nagano's Nanka Chiisakute Kawaii Yatsu (なんか小さくてかわいいやつ) or Chiikawa (ちいかわ) for short is a Twitter manga that has been serialized since January 2020.
• [14] She said in this Shonen Sunday 2023 Volume 11. You can read all of Takahashi's table of content comments going back to the beginning of her career here.
• [15] The contemporary, trendy terms mentioned here are: "sugar daddy" (パパ活/papa katsu), "paid drinking" (ギャラ飲み/gyara nomi), which refers to a man offering to buy a woman drinks and then pay her for her company and "stance" (スタンス/sutansu), an English loan word meaning "one's stance or position regarding a topic".
• [16] "Tom Brown" (トム・ブラウン) is a manzai comedy duo comprised of Hiroki Nunokawa and Michio.
• [17] In an interview with a number of Takahashi's editors, Arito had previously stated that "Last Date" was his favorite story that he worked on.

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