Mitsuru Adachi X Rumiko Takahashi

Translated by: Harley Acres

Speaking of Rumiko Takahashi's allies, of course! It's Mitsuru Adachi. Mitsuru Adachi made his debut with Kieta Bakuon (消えた爆音) in the December issue of Deluxe Shonen Sunday (デラックス少年サンデー) in 1970, and began serialization of Nine in the October issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday in 1978.

On the other hand, Rumiko Takahashi made her debut in Weekly Shonen Sunday issue 28 in 1978, and began serializing Urusei Yatsura in issue 39. Since then, the two have been active as the two star players for Weekly Shonen Sunday. Their close friendship is well known, but they're rarely seen together publicly.

For the first time in 31 years (!!) we've got them together for a conversation...!! What's more, we're giving readers their colored illustrations they're holding in their hands during the photo shoot! Here's your dream project come true.

The two of you have been active as twin star acts for Weekly Shonen Sunday (hereafter referred to as Sunday) for a long time, but when did you first meet?

Adachi: I think our memories differ. I always remember the first time was when we ate dumplings at a Chinese restaurant in Shinjuku or something...

Takahashi: I don't remember that at all.

Adachi: Yes, that's how we met (laughs). The first volume of Urusei Yatsura and the first volume of Nine were released on the same day. To celebrate, the editors set up a table for us. ^[1]

Takahashi: What I remember was when we were set up for a conversation in Sunday.

It seems there are some descrepancies (laughs). That conversation was published in Shonen Sunday 1982 volume 27. ^[2]

Adachi: Well, at least our original books were released at the same time. So our starting point is the same. We started together and grew together.

Takahashi: For me, Adachi-sensei debuted earlier and is six years older than me. So I recognized him as a great senpai.

Adachi: No no no. You're a natural ace, but I'm a returning pitcher. A long time ago, I was told to throw straight on Sunday, but I couldn't throw that pitch, so I kept messing around a lot and got traded. I'm a pitcher who learned his breaking ball and came back to Sunday. Until I started serializing Nine, it was like I hadn't done anything.

Takahashi: Although he was a senior to me, he treated me frankly from the beginning, which I appreciated, even though I must have been quite cocky when I was young.

Adachi: I like rude people (laughs). No, I don't have to worry about saying things like that either, so it's easy. We get along really comfortably.

Favorite heroine & favorite hero characters

What is the appeal of one another's works?

Takahashi: In the case of Adachi-sensei, he cuts down the dialogue and makes the reader read the story by the atmosphere he depicts. ^[3] He's extremely skillful in conveying a sense of atmosphere, which makes me feel good when I read his work. It's like being blown by a nice breeze.

Adachi: Thank you kindly. That's how I want it to be received when I draw it.

Takahashi: I, on the otherhand, am a cramming type. I play with small gestures and try to condense things.

Adachi: It's unusual to have that many characters in a manga the way you do (laughs). Your group pictures are really impressive.

Takahashi: Adachi-sensei's space is established just by having a single girl standing alone. I could never have created that kind of space.

Adachi: If that's how you take it, I'm happy. Over the years, I've turned the idea of not drawing into an art (laughs). I especially like your short stories, particularly the "Rumic Theater" ones (a series of short stories published irregularly in Big Comic Original). There's no one in the world of manga who can draw a miserable old man and woman like Rumiko Takahashi! Or a hunchbacked businessman, for example.

Takahashi: I like drawing withered old men (laughs). I like to think, "what kind of lives have they led up to now?"

Adachi: I wonder how guys like that see the world. It's scary to think about, isn't it? But those types are people who think "it would be wrong to do more," so I can read about them with peace of mind.

Takahashi: I'm particular about having a happy ending. The ending is determined with that direction in mind, but the process of getting there should be as hectic as possible. If you do that, you'll end up with a lot of rotten people (laughs). In my mind, they're all rotten people that I still love.

Adachi: It's hard to draw the characters we draw unless you like them. I also aim for a good feeling after reading my work, so I guess there are some similarities between us.

Who is your favorite heroine among your partner's works?

Adachi: I like the girl (Sakura Mamiya) in your current manga, Kyokai no RINNE. She's a rather normal girl, right?

Takahashi: Usually. I'd say her body temperature is quite low.

Adachi: They do not have strong personalities compared to the characters in your other works. I like the way they are naturally and softly depicted. I also like your current drawings the best. The relaxed feeling of Kyokai no RINNE is very soothing.

Takahashi: My favorite is definitely Minami-chan from Touch. ^[4]

Adachi: Women readers hated her back then, you know.

Takahashi: Is that so? I liked her. Minami-chan is mean at times, and she gets carried away occasionally. Not only did she have the good qualities of girls, but she also had the bad qualities that most girls have as well, plus she was cute. Around this time, the image of a heroine simply following a man around began to crumble. I think it's because it was depicted in such a gentle way that everyone fell in love with it.

So, who is your favorite male character?

Adachi: It's basically the same, my manga (laughs). There are only subtle differences.

Takahashi: Well, yeah (laughs). But I guess Tatsuya (Touch). He is quite patient. Adachi's male characters are very lean and patient. Maybe it's just a certain aesthetic. They don't show any effort. I like the fact that they seem to be able to do amazing things without hesitation, but behind the scenes they are making efforts, and deep down they're passionate.

Adachi: I like the boy (Rinne Rokudo) from Kyokai no RINNE. I like that boy's quiet demeanor. I like this type more than the main character of Maison.

Takahashi: I'm grateful to receive compliments on the manga I'm currently drawing. It gives me a boost.

Manga from "those days" that was tender, passionate.

Takahashi: If you weren't a manga artist, what would you be doing?

Adachi: When someone asked me that question a long time ago, I answered, "an unsuccessful manga artist." I can't think of any other job now.

Takahashi: I also answered this question in an interview before, "I'd still want to be a manga artist, I just can't help it."

Adachi: Hahaha! (laughs)

Takahashi: I'd go to bookstores and look at people's books and hate them. I'm sure I'd draw something myself, but I would be shy to show it, or something like that, and that's the kind of person I would've become.

It seems that for both of you, there was no other path other than being a manga artist. So, what are the happiest and most painful memories of becoming a mangaka?

Adachi: The 80's was the happiest time for me as a manga artist. ^[5] It all worked well, and the readers' reactions were tremendous. On the other hand, my personal life was a mess, so it was also the worst time (laughs).

Takahashi: If you ask me, yeah. I think the time I worked the most was around the same time, and the workload was such that it would be difficult for anyone who wasn't that age to manage it. There were so many things I hadn't drawn yet, and I was happy to have a place to draw them, but my personal life was crappy.

(laughter from all)

Takahashi: But I think the reason I'm still able to draw is because I worked hard back then.

Adachi: Yup. It was a good time to sell, for both of us. It was the 80's, the bubble economy. ^[6]

Takahashi: Considering the times, everyone was very enthusiastic, and we had a strong desire to "try things out!" I guess there was still room to do something new. I think it's difficult for people these days. I think it's extremely difficult to draw something that no one has ever done before, because so many things have been done.

At the time, Sunday was having a romantic comedy boom, but were you both conscious of the romantic comedy genre when you were drawing the manga?

Adachi: I wasn't conscious of it. I just drew my story the way I wanted to draw it.

Takahashi: Me too. I suppose it means that manga as a whole had become softer and softer. Drawings were becoming lighter, and more and more artists were drawing cute girls. ^[7]

Adachi: There had never been a female author who wrote a serial in a weekly shonen manga magazine until Takahashi-sensei came along. We both came out at the right time.

Even when I'm 70 years old? I'll keep drawing forever.

Could you tell us about the real face of Takahashi-sensei that only Adachi-sensei knows?

Adachi: She's a much bigger Hanshin fan than people think. In other words, she's anti-Giants. I'm with her on that. ^[8]

Takahashi: Adachi-sensei's favorite team is Yakult, so he often gives me tickets to Jingu. ^[9]

Adachi: Yakult doesn't have that much of a sense of competition against Hanshin. If Yakult doesn't do well, I'll support Hanshin. Anyway, I just don't want the Giants to win.

If Adachi-sensei were a Giants fan, do you think you wouldn't have gotten along so well?

Takahashi: I think, well, I might have kept my distance.

Adachi: It's a surprisingly big problem (laughs). Didn't you draw something in a short story? A baseball related one.

Takahashi: I think I only drew one. ^[10] I love watching baseball, but watching it and drawing it are two very different things, and I couldn't do it. The baseball manga that Adachi-sensei draws is very beautiful. Of course, baseball is a series of continuous movements, but there is always the most beautiful moment. He's really good at capturing that.

Adachi-sensei, do you have any intention of drawing science fiction?

Adachi: Basically, I like everyday life. I like to depict the nondescript aspects of everyday life, so I may be able to do weird science fiction, but I can't do science fiction head on.

Takahashi: I like everyday life too. Maybe we each plow different fields that aren't similar. If we were in the same field, it might have been tough. And then, if we were drawing for the same magazine as well, it would be natural for us to be compared. Well, I'd have never won...

Adachi: Why do you say that? (laughs). You should write in the article that that's not true! It was Takahashi-sensei who carried the Sunday banner. Because she was doing her best, I was able to do things free and easy.

Takahashi: For me, it was reassuring to know that Adachi-sensei always drew with me in the same magazine. It was like a close goal. Adachi-sensei, who is six years older than me, is working hard, so I thought, "I should still be doing my best for at least another six years!"

Adachi: In that sense, I think I was able to help. I think I was able to give her a sense of security so she could say, "Since he's still making a living from manga, I'll be fine too!" Other than that, nothing (laughs). I think I might have been a little lonely if you'd left while I was in the middle of a project.

Takahashi: However, your latest serial work Mix in Gessan is becoming popular now. ^[11] It's reassuring to me. Adachi-sensei is still active today, and the things he's drawing now are really interesting.

Adachi: If we draw something that isn't interesting, it'll be awkward when we meet up for a chat (laughs).

I hope the two of you will continue to draw.

Adachi: For now, I'm okay. I didn't expect that, though. I never thought I'd be working hard into my sixties. I wonder how far I can go.

Takahashi: You can be live to be 70 or 80 years old (laughs). Please take care of your health. As long as I don't get too sick, I would like to continue drawing as long as I can. I hope I can continue to draw weekly for as long as possible.

Adachi: I think weekly serialization is really hard. I went to a monthly publication because weekly was too physically demanding. But I did every week until I was 59 years old. But please, keep up the good work.

Takahashi: I'll do my best. Adachi-sensei is currently publishing in Gessan, but I really wish he could come back to Sunday.

Adachi: That would kill me! (laughs)

Dream Project!

Readers will receive a one-of-a-kind colored illustration by Mitsuru Adachi & Rumiko Takahashi!!

Unboxing two images that will remain in the history of the manga world! Mitsuru Adachi draws the heroine of Rumiko Takahashi's work, and Rumiko Takahashi draws the heroine of Mitsuru Adachi's work. It's up to the artist to decide who to draw! And we're giving away such precious "treasured color illustrations" to da Vinci readers! The colored illustrations were drawn in advance before the interview with the unveiling held just before the interview began.

First, Adachi-san opened the box to reveal his colored illustration and Lum-chan and Ten-chan appeared. "I drew it while looking at the cover of the book, but Lum-chan's hair color is different every time. I had a hard time deciding what color to use," Adachi said. Shogakukan's editors also cheered, "She has Adachi-san's eyes, doesn't she?" (laughs) In response to a comment that the breasts are large for a girl drawn by Adachi-san, he said, "I was conscious of Lum-chan's bustline.

Next, Takahashi-san unwrapped her color illustration. The person who appeared was Minami-chan in her school uniform. Loud cheers!! "I've done the eyes to look exactly like her, too," Takahashi-san said proudly (laughs). Adachi reacted, "Don't say that!" It was the moment when we got a glimpse of the relationship between the two.

After that, the colored illustrations were temporarily taken by Shogakukan. It was decided that the two historic images should be scanned and preserved as digital files for posterity. This time, two honorable readers will be presented with unique pieces of colored illustrations (and they will have the winner's name written on them)! Please refer to the application method and apply!

How to apply: Attach the application ticket on the bottom right of page 142 to a government-made postcard, and clearly write the required information (zip code, address, name, age, gender, phone number, desired colored illustration name (Mitsuru Adachi or Rumiko Takahashi). Please apply to the address below. The deadline is Thursday, December 5, 2013 (postmark valid). The winners will be announced once they are shipped.
163-8691 Japan Post Co., Ltd. Shinjuku Post Office Postal Box No. 39 Kadokawa Media Factory Co., Ltd. DaVinci Business Department/DaVinci Editorial Department "Rumiko Takahashi Special Feature Shikishi Present" Section *One application per person. *Applications are limited to domestic applicants. *Application postcards cannot be returned.
●Your personal information will be used for shipping prizes. In addition, we will provide and share information with third parties as statistical information that does not identify individuals. It will not be used for any other purpose.
●The handling of personal information may be outsourced to an external party.
●For inquiries regarding personal information, please contact Kadokawa Media Factory Co., Ltd.
Please contact the Da Vinci Editorial Department (03-5946-4830). Please agree to the above handling of personal information before applying.

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Footnotes

• [1] Nine (ナイン) is Mitsuru Adachi's 1978-1980 baseball manga that focuses on two friends, a track star and a judo practioner, deciding to join their high school's failing baseball team in order to impress the coach's daughter.
• [2] A footnote included in the original article states, "In 1982, they had a conversation in the 27th issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday. They discussed their works and the theme of "youth". Mitsuru Adachi (31 years old at the time) was serializing Touch in Weekly Shonen Sunday and Miyuki in Shonen Big Comic, while Rumiko Takahashi (24 years old at the time) was serializing Urusei Yatsura in Weekly Shonen Sunday and Maison Ikkoku in Big Comic Spirits. At the time Adachi said, 'I don't know why we are talking about 'youth,'' but according to Adachi's current editor, 'Adachi-sensei took a break from Touch at that time (laughs),' and this was a project to fill the pages (in the magazine) in a hurry."
• [3] In the original Japanese the word Takahashi uses here is "name" (ネーム). Currently "name" are storyboards. These are the rough drawings that layout each page's panel layouts, character positions in each panel, and handwritten dialogue balloons. Some artists ink over their name, others draw on a fresh sheet which preserves the name. After joining Twitter (and on a few rare occasions earlier) Takahashi would share a panel of her name next to the finished panel. However, historically "name" referred to the dialogue that appeared in word balloons, which is how Takahashi is using it here (the Japanese article even had a parenthesis to explain that she was referring to dialogue when she used the term). Most commonly when you see a reference to "name" in our other interview translations it refers to "storyboards"/"layouts".
• [4] Touch (タッチ), widely considered Adachi's masterpiece, is the 26 volume series that ran from 1981 to 1986 in Shonen Sunday. The series follows twin brothers, Tatsuya and Kazuya, as they pursue their next door neighbor Minami Asakura, the manager of the high school's baseball team and an accomplished rhythmic gymnast.
• [5] A footnote included in the original article states, "Adachi's works serialized in the 1980s are Nine, Miyuki, Touch, and Rough, and Takahashi's works are Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, One Pound Gospel, Ranma 1/2, Rumic Theater and Mermaid Saga. Many of these works have been adapted into TV anime and theatrical animations. The novelty and attractive characters of both artists' works shocked the manga and anime worlds, creating a huge boom."
• [6] Japan's bubble economy (バブル景気/buburu keiki) lasted from 1986 to 1991 a time when asset prices rose greatly and the Japanese yen was particularly strong compared to the US dollar. The economy fallout from this time is known as the Lost Decade (失われた10年/Ushinawareta Juunen), though some would argue the stagnation lasted for three decades after the early 1990s.
• [7] Takahashi and Adachi were the central figures in this shift, alongside others such as Hisashi Eguchi (江口寿史) and Hideo Azuma (吾妻ひでお).
• [8] Takahashi is a lifelong fan of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. We have detailed her love of the team.
• [9] The Yakult Swallows play in Tokyo at the oldest baseball stadium in the city, the Jingu Baseball Stadium, which was built in 1926. The Yomiuri Giants, who both Takahashi and Adachi dislike are also a Tokyo-based team, though their home field is in the Tokyo Dome.
• [10] The footnote in the original article states, "The Grandfather of All Baseball Games from the Rumic World Short Story Collection 1 or W published in Weekly Big Comic Spirits 1991 volume 1-2. It is the story of an energetic and unrepentant old man (who plays baseball as a hobby) and his grandson Tetsu (an ace player at a school that participated in Koshien) who have a baseball showdown at a New Year's celebration game in a shopping district for the women they both love!" However in addition to this story, which is likely the story Adachi was referring to, Takahashi has also written other baseball related short stories such as Tiger and This Year a Championship.
• [11] After having published weekly in Shonen Sunday since 1978 alongside Rumiko Takahashi who joined the magazine that same year, Adachi left for the monthly, sister publication Gessan in 2012 when he began publishing Mix.

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