Saiyuki: Pafu Magazine (p13-15)
Next installment of the Pafu Magazine interview!
Read the earlier pages
The Finally-Reached Break
Saiyuki RELOAD (hereafter RELOAD), which started publication in “Comic ZERO-SUM” at the same time as Gaiden, has come to an end as well.
[Minekura]: It’s finally over...
You sound more relieved than you did about Gaiden’s end (laughs).
[Minekura]: That’s because I really felt relieved (laughs).
Did you plan on putting in a break from the start?
[Minekura]: I wanted to create a feeling of pause here from before, but I hadn’t planned on changing the title too. Originally, when the current fight with Ukoku ended I told my editing department that I wanted to take a half-year break for once. During that break, they said it would be even better to change the title a second time and start a new chapter. And I realized that that way would allow me to organize my feelings better, too.
Was the purpose of that half-year break to prepare to head into the new developments?
[MInekura]: It was to rearrange the schedule and plan the proceedings hereafter. I plan to start the new story about half a year after the fight with Ukoku and when they’ve come fairly close to India, so I want to summarize the previous happenings in advance, and mess with their physical conditions. So, I thought, if that’s what I’m going to do, I should have a clear stopping point so that not only myself, but the readers too could feel a new beginning. Fundamentally I’m the type to have a hard time drawing one long series, so when I draw a long serialization I want to insert stopping points into the series.
You must feel very differently than you did when Saiyuki turned into RELOAD. What are your thoughts as you write the final arc now?
[Minekura]: The corrections for RELOAD’s final volume are still dragging on, so as with Gaiden, I honestly don’t feel like it’s ended at all. Even though the magazine serialization is done, I’m still drawing. I’m even drawing more than usual (laughs). But, oh... I can’t draw manga if I’m not excited, so I am excited to see how it’s going to feel and what’s going to happen. I look forward to it, and I’m grateful. Thank you for letting me do as I please. That’s always how it is, but at least I’m eager (laughs). It feels like I’m more eager than usual, so I’m really pleased right now, just thinking to myself. Once the manuscript process begins it’ll probably become hell again, but right now it’s a fun time overflowing with ideas (laughs).
Before I ask about BLAST that you’re enjoying designing, I’d like to talk about RELOAD (smiles). When we think new characters from RELOAD, we think Hazel and Gat. If I remember correctly, those two were characters created for the anime, correct?
[Minekura]: Yes, that’s right. I designed the character Homura and his comrades during Gensomaden Saiyuki, and likewise I was asked to create new characters for the new anime series. They said either 5 people or 2 people, but I said 5 people was impossible. I chose a priest from the West simply because Sanzo is a monk, and since I chose the West, I went with a Kansai dialect. That’s how I created Hazel (laughs). When I made him for the anime I only had the basic set up and a simple story line to hand over to the anime staff, but after I made him my mental image of him swelled up. I wanted to draw him myself! I felt the same with Homura, but somehow the opportunity to draw him slipped me by, so this time I was definitely going to use my character. By the time Hazel’s connection to Ukoku came up as I was forming his character, I’d decided he was necessary to the following developments, and drew him accordingly. I’m the kind of person who progressively creates a backbone, or the tiny details, when creating a new character, so in the end I wind up wanting to move that character myself. As a result, Hazel ended up a totally different character than he is in the anime. I’m a terribly random person, so although I’d told the anime staff, “This guy, he grows wings,” I didn’t tell them any concrete details whatsoever. So, it was quite a shock to see the scene where Hazel grows wings in the anime. It was like, “Ah, so his wings are white...” (laughs). I’d imagined black ones, as I drew in the manga.
Did you tell the anime staff that he had a youkai within him?
[Minekura]: I believe I told them that, but since I didn’t say anything about Gat, his motivation turned out completely different (laughs). In the anime, he obeys a holy spirit and there are strong fantasy elements. Ukoku doesn’t appear in the anime, so of course the story would be different.
So in the end, Hazel became not a single episode’s guest character, but one deeply involved in the story.
[Minekura]: He really is more deeply involved than I’d planned. Generally, when I put out a new character I think of their story concentrating on how that character’s appearance affects Sanzo and the others, so rather than say the events up to RELOAD volume 9 were delving into Hazel’s character, they described what happened to Sanzo and the others because Hazel became involved. He appeared in complex, linked episodes, but the 10th volume was the only one in which I wrote about Hazel himself.
That’s right, the mystery of Hazel’s power didn’t become clear until the end of the end.
[Minekura]: When the other 3 came flying to Sanzo’s side, the Sanzo Ikkou’s RELOAD concluded. I put in a break there, so I panicked, “Okay, now for Hazel” (laughs). I couldn’t forget that this Saiyuki main story was about the Sanzo Ikkou, so I was worried about how to deal with Hazel. Since he was deeply involved with both the tale and the Sanzo Ikkou I felt I had to draw his story properly, but I believed that I had to keep the Sanzo Ikkou as the main characters, and so for a long time I kept going without drawing about Hazel. Well, he was a character I made in order to create an opportunity for Ukoku to get involved with the Sanzo Ikkou, so I had to delve into Hazel’s story in the end.
It’s a Surprise Series Every Time (Laughs)
Ukoku is excellent at scheming from the shadows as the one pulling all the strings, but I hear that he wasn’t originally created as a Sanzo Priest. This must have been a huge change within the series as a whole.
[Minekura]: I suppose so. When I first set out Professor Nii, I drew him thinking that there was no way he was just a simple professor. I wondered what he was from the start. And then, as I continued on, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if I made this guy a Sanzo priest?” which turned into, “I didn’t realize before, but yeah, yeah he must have been” (laughs). Actually, once I decided on making him a Sanzo priest there was no more wavering. At first I asked myself, “Is this really okay?” since he would become a really important character once I made him a Sanzo priest, and now, sure enough, he’s turned out to be really important.
Other than Ukoku, were there any other characters or developments in RELOAD that differed from your original plans?
[Minekura]: My process is usually haphazard, so I’m always surprised when I draw (laughs). In Saiyuki, the image of Sanzo as main character was really strong. I pushed on with the idea that, at the very least, Sanzo was at the center, and so I drew Gojyo and Hakkai’s pasts and the present as they revolved around Sanzo. However, when I began drawing RELOAD I wanted to draw Goku’s maturation. I wanted Goku to get into all sorts of pinches, and I wanted to create a situation where he wouldn’t be able to take care of things with force alone. I wanted to draw Goku properly.
Did you lay a special emphasis on Goku’s maturation thinking about the links to Gaiden that crop up one after another?
[Minekura]: Yes. I had an image of the ideal Goku I wanted him to become by the time I drew the linking episode, and I aimed for that. Also, by the time Saiyuki finished its 9th volume, I figured the Sanzo Ikkou characters would have taken root in the readers, permeated them, so I felt I had to do something different in RELOAD. The fundamental part where the four yammer on while fighting the enemies who appear, and continue on their journey all while getting beat up, that part would stay the same, but I needed to do something different with it. ... At, it sounds like I put a lot of thought into this, but actually I was really surprised the entire time I was drawing. It was all unexpected developments (laughs). Like, when Sanzo and Goku are calmly talking, who would think that an attack would suddenly come from behind and Goku would almost die!
The development allowed Ukoku to make his appearance, that was a surprise to you, too?!
[Minekura]: That it was (laughs).
Then, the Ikkou separating was a surprise as well?
[Minekura]: Yes, at that point I wasn’t even thinking a few months in advance as I drew. Actually, the calmly talking and then suddenly! -scene, I drew that thinking “this would definitely be surprising, plot-wise” (laughs). Then, Goku was dying and I didn’t know what to do. Sanzo had run off somewhere, and with only Gojyo and Hakkai around I couldn’t touch the gold card. And when Seiten Taisei Goku went crazy, there was no choice but to have Hakkai remove his youkai power limiters and become a youkai. It was so haphazard, I felt just like they did (laughs). There was no plan to rile up the readers with this sort of action; it was more like, “what do I do, what do I do?” And then, when I thought Sanzo had come back, I guess he was embarrassed and unable to go with the others, so they got separated...
Did you receive many messages at the time saying, “Please let him join up with the others soon”?
[Minekura]: Well, I got a lot of people asking why Sanzo didn’t go with them, but I figured it was because he was embarrassed. I mean, he was in a really awkward situation. However, the time they spent apart was only one book, speaking in terms of the comic. They were only acting independently in volume 8’s oasis arc. At that time, although they were split in two groups and moving independently, both groups were actually dealing with the same event. I’ve always wanted to try something like that once. Really, I wanted to put in a scene where they pass each other by, but then they would definitely notice. If they knew who was on the opposing side, so many things would become difficult for them to do. And what I really wanted to convey wouldn’t grow to fruition once I introduced that sort of feeling, so in the end I opted to leave them unaware of the situation.
That indirect connection was interesting. There were many new developments and deeply striking scenes in RELOAD; what scene or episode is especially memorable to you, Minekura Sensei?
[Minekura]: What really left an impression on me, in both a good way and a bad, was Goku’s kiss scene. The readers really yelled at me for that one... (laughs). It was the most controversial scene in all of Saiyuki (laughs). There were people who said it was an excellent scene, and people who said the exact opposite. If Goku had kissed her instead, I would have said “There’s no way” too, but since Goku was surprised too I ended up drawing it like it was a natural thing to happen. I didn’t think I’d get yelled at as much as I did, so I was shocked by the reader response. Well, Goku was the only one out of the Ikkou who hadn’t had a scene like that.
The readers may have wanted Goku to remain an innocent child. Earlier, you said your process was “haphazard”, so was there any story you had particular trouble naming?
[Minekura]: I suppose it would be the sum of the “Hazel arc”. Since I hadn’t yet drawn the situation with Hazel, I didn’t realize it would end up being so traumatic... I had Hazel’s background clearly in my mind so I felt I had to draw it, even as I kept putting it off. I didn’t think concentrating on drawing the Sanzo Ikkou would have that effect.
One more post should finish this up. Stay tuned!
Read the earlier pages
The Finally-Reached Break
Saiyuki RELOAD (hereafter RELOAD), which started publication in “Comic ZERO-SUM” at the same time as Gaiden, has come to an end as well.
[Minekura]: It’s finally over...
You sound more relieved than you did about Gaiden’s end (laughs).
[Minekura]: That’s because I really felt relieved (laughs).
Did you plan on putting in a break from the start?
[Minekura]: I wanted to create a feeling of pause here from before, but I hadn’t planned on changing the title too. Originally, when the current fight with Ukoku ended I told my editing department that I wanted to take a half-year break for once. During that break, they said it would be even better to change the title a second time and start a new chapter. And I realized that that way would allow me to organize my feelings better, too.
Was the purpose of that half-year break to prepare to head into the new developments?
[MInekura]: It was to rearrange the schedule and plan the proceedings hereafter. I plan to start the new story about half a year after the fight with Ukoku and when they’ve come fairly close to India, so I want to summarize the previous happenings in advance, and mess with their physical conditions. So, I thought, if that’s what I’m going to do, I should have a clear stopping point so that not only myself, but the readers too could feel a new beginning. Fundamentally I’m the type to have a hard time drawing one long series, so when I draw a long serialization I want to insert stopping points into the series.
You must feel very differently than you did when Saiyuki turned into RELOAD. What are your thoughts as you write the final arc now?
[Minekura]: The corrections for RELOAD’s final volume are still dragging on, so as with Gaiden, I honestly don’t feel like it’s ended at all. Even though the magazine serialization is done, I’m still drawing. I’m even drawing more than usual (laughs). But, oh... I can’t draw manga if I’m not excited, so I am excited to see how it’s going to feel and what’s going to happen. I look forward to it, and I’m grateful. Thank you for letting me do as I please. That’s always how it is, but at least I’m eager (laughs). It feels like I’m more eager than usual, so I’m really pleased right now, just thinking to myself. Once the manuscript process begins it’ll probably become hell again, but right now it’s a fun time overflowing with ideas (laughs).
Before I ask about BLAST that you’re enjoying designing, I’d like to talk about RELOAD (smiles). When we think new characters from RELOAD, we think Hazel and Gat. If I remember correctly, those two were characters created for the anime, correct?
[Minekura]: Yes, that’s right. I designed the character Homura and his comrades during Gensomaden Saiyuki, and likewise I was asked to create new characters for the new anime series. They said either 5 people or 2 people, but I said 5 people was impossible. I chose a priest from the West simply because Sanzo is a monk, and since I chose the West, I went with a Kansai dialect. That’s how I created Hazel (laughs). When I made him for the anime I only had the basic set up and a simple story line to hand over to the anime staff, but after I made him my mental image of him swelled up. I wanted to draw him myself! I felt the same with Homura, but somehow the opportunity to draw him slipped me by, so this time I was definitely going to use my character. By the time Hazel’s connection to Ukoku came up as I was forming his character, I’d decided he was necessary to the following developments, and drew him accordingly. I’m the kind of person who progressively creates a backbone, or the tiny details, when creating a new character, so in the end I wind up wanting to move that character myself. As a result, Hazel ended up a totally different character than he is in the anime. I’m a terribly random person, so although I’d told the anime staff, “This guy, he grows wings,” I didn’t tell them any concrete details whatsoever. So, it was quite a shock to see the scene where Hazel grows wings in the anime. It was like, “Ah, so his wings are white...” (laughs). I’d imagined black ones, as I drew in the manga.
Did you tell the anime staff that he had a youkai within him?
[Minekura]: I believe I told them that, but since I didn’t say anything about Gat, his motivation turned out completely different (laughs). In the anime, he obeys a holy spirit and there are strong fantasy elements. Ukoku doesn’t appear in the anime, so of course the story would be different.
So in the end, Hazel became not a single episode’s guest character, but one deeply involved in the story.
[Minekura]: He really is more deeply involved than I’d planned. Generally, when I put out a new character I think of their story concentrating on how that character’s appearance affects Sanzo and the others, so rather than say the events up to RELOAD volume 9 were delving into Hazel’s character, they described what happened to Sanzo and the others because Hazel became involved. He appeared in complex, linked episodes, but the 10th volume was the only one in which I wrote about Hazel himself.
That’s right, the mystery of Hazel’s power didn’t become clear until the end of the end.
[Minekura]: When the other 3 came flying to Sanzo’s side, the Sanzo Ikkou’s RELOAD concluded. I put in a break there, so I panicked, “Okay, now for Hazel” (laughs). I couldn’t forget that this Saiyuki main story was about the Sanzo Ikkou, so I was worried about how to deal with Hazel. Since he was deeply involved with both the tale and the Sanzo Ikkou I felt I had to draw his story properly, but I believed that I had to keep the Sanzo Ikkou as the main characters, and so for a long time I kept going without drawing about Hazel. Well, he was a character I made in order to create an opportunity for Ukoku to get involved with the Sanzo Ikkou, so I had to delve into Hazel’s story in the end.
It’s a Surprise Series Every Time (Laughs)
Ukoku is excellent at scheming from the shadows as the one pulling all the strings, but I hear that he wasn’t originally created as a Sanzo Priest. This must have been a huge change within the series as a whole.
[Minekura]: I suppose so. When I first set out Professor Nii, I drew him thinking that there was no way he was just a simple professor. I wondered what he was from the start. And then, as I continued on, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if I made this guy a Sanzo priest?” which turned into, “I didn’t realize before, but yeah, yeah he must have been” (laughs). Actually, once I decided on making him a Sanzo priest there was no more wavering. At first I asked myself, “Is this really okay?” since he would become a really important character once I made him a Sanzo priest, and now, sure enough, he’s turned out to be really important.
Other than Ukoku, were there any other characters or developments in RELOAD that differed from your original plans?
[Minekura]: My process is usually haphazard, so I’m always surprised when I draw (laughs). In Saiyuki, the image of Sanzo as main character was really strong. I pushed on with the idea that, at the very least, Sanzo was at the center, and so I drew Gojyo and Hakkai’s pasts and the present as they revolved around Sanzo. However, when I began drawing RELOAD I wanted to draw Goku’s maturation. I wanted Goku to get into all sorts of pinches, and I wanted to create a situation where he wouldn’t be able to take care of things with force alone. I wanted to draw Goku properly.
Did you lay a special emphasis on Goku’s maturation thinking about the links to Gaiden that crop up one after another?
[Minekura]: Yes. I had an image of the ideal Goku I wanted him to become by the time I drew the linking episode, and I aimed for that. Also, by the time Saiyuki finished its 9th volume, I figured the Sanzo Ikkou characters would have taken root in the readers, permeated them, so I felt I had to do something different in RELOAD. The fundamental part where the four yammer on while fighting the enemies who appear, and continue on their journey all while getting beat up, that part would stay the same, but I needed to do something different with it. ... At, it sounds like I put a lot of thought into this, but actually I was really surprised the entire time I was drawing. It was all unexpected developments (laughs). Like, when Sanzo and Goku are calmly talking, who would think that an attack would suddenly come from behind and Goku would almost die!
The development allowed Ukoku to make his appearance, that was a surprise to you, too?!
[Minekura]: That it was (laughs).
Then, the Ikkou separating was a surprise as well?
[Minekura]: Yes, at that point I wasn’t even thinking a few months in advance as I drew. Actually, the calmly talking and then suddenly! -scene, I drew that thinking “this would definitely be surprising, plot-wise” (laughs). Then, Goku was dying and I didn’t know what to do. Sanzo had run off somewhere, and with only Gojyo and Hakkai around I couldn’t touch the gold card. And when Seiten Taisei Goku went crazy, there was no choice but to have Hakkai remove his youkai power limiters and become a youkai. It was so haphazard, I felt just like they did (laughs). There was no plan to rile up the readers with this sort of action; it was more like, “what do I do, what do I do?” And then, when I thought Sanzo had come back, I guess he was embarrassed and unable to go with the others, so they got separated...
Did you receive many messages at the time saying, “Please let him join up with the others soon”?
[Minekura]: Well, I got a lot of people asking why Sanzo didn’t go with them, but I figured it was because he was embarrassed. I mean, he was in a really awkward situation. However, the time they spent apart was only one book, speaking in terms of the comic. They were only acting independently in volume 8’s oasis arc. At that time, although they were split in two groups and moving independently, both groups were actually dealing with the same event. I’ve always wanted to try something like that once. Really, I wanted to put in a scene where they pass each other by, but then they would definitely notice. If they knew who was on the opposing side, so many things would become difficult for them to do. And what I really wanted to convey wouldn’t grow to fruition once I introduced that sort of feeling, so in the end I opted to leave them unaware of the situation.
That indirect connection was interesting. There were many new developments and deeply striking scenes in RELOAD; what scene or episode is especially memorable to you, Minekura Sensei?
[Minekura]: What really left an impression on me, in both a good way and a bad, was Goku’s kiss scene. The readers really yelled at me for that one... (laughs). It was the most controversial scene in all of Saiyuki (laughs). There were people who said it was an excellent scene, and people who said the exact opposite. If Goku had kissed her instead, I would have said “There’s no way” too, but since Goku was surprised too I ended up drawing it like it was a natural thing to happen. I didn’t think I’d get yelled at as much as I did, so I was shocked by the reader response. Well, Goku was the only one out of the Ikkou who hadn’t had a scene like that.
The readers may have wanted Goku to remain an innocent child. Earlier, you said your process was “haphazard”, so was there any story you had particular trouble naming?
[Minekura]: I suppose it would be the sum of the “Hazel arc”. Since I hadn’t yet drawn the situation with Hazel, I didn’t realize it would end up being so traumatic... I had Hazel’s background clearly in my mind so I felt I had to draw it, even as I kept putting it off. I didn’t think concentrating on drawing the Sanzo Ikkou would have that effect.
One more post should finish this up. Stay tuned!