Saiyuki: Pafu Magazine (p15-16)
I'm not dead yet! Just distracted by life (^_^;;)
Here, finally, is the conclusion of the Pafu Magazine interview.
And because it's been so long, here's the previous parts
Next, the Future...!
We’ve chosen 10 of the several key words that come up throughout the Saiyuki series, including ‘sun’ and ‘light’. Could you please tell us the images or things that come to mind when you hear them?
[Minekura]: I think you’ll only get disappointing answers (laughs), but here we go. ‘Sun’ = hot. ‘Moon’ = scary. ‘Night’ = calm. ‘Freedom’ = terrible. ‘Light’ = hope. ‘Darkness’ = hide. ‘Strength’ = weakness. ‘Weakness’ = courage to acknowledge something. ‘Past’ = now. ‘Advance’ = Sanzo Ikkou. The moon and the night are images from the poem written at the beginning of Gojyo and Hakkai’s “Burial Arc”. It says, “The moon is scary; I want to hide in the darkness.” It’s an image I’ve had from long ago. Although, the image changes considerably if you replace the moon and the night with Koumyou and Ukoku. That would be a negative image (laughs). About strength and weakness, they’re opposites, simply put. It’s always like this when drawing manga. You have to think about the opposite of everything. You have to show weakness in order to draw strength, and you have to draw death to show life. I’m told the ‘past’ comes up often in my manga. First there’s a character, and later I take my time drawing what happened in his past, they say. I too think there are many times that I want to show what happened to make a character who he is now. Even in the Saiyuki series, I think I drew like that until the middle of RELOAD. But since then we’ve begun to see more of the future than the past.
Specifically, would that be after the “Burial Arc”?
[MInekura]: Yes. As for why I suddenly drew the “Burial Arc” right then, I was thinking about the following developments and wanted to touch on Ukoku, but I also wanted to settle their pasts before entering into the “Hazel Arc”. After the “Hazel Arc” I was going to draw the future rather than the past, and the hardship of the unknown called the present. The ‘sun that rises next’ that Koumyou described at the end of the “Burial Arc” might have been symbolic. That’s why it’s difficult from here on out. After all, not even I know the future (laughs). I can imagine the past based on the present, but as for what happens in the future, I have to imagine it based on nothing. Man, the future is difficult (laughs).
Now, I’d like to ask about BLAST, the final chapter that may be difficult but still very exciting for you. First, please tell us about the new title, Saiyuki RELOAD BLAST.
[Minekura]: I really thought about it a lot. First I put out various candidates. In the beginning I was searching for words concerning guns, and ‘BLAST’ came up quite early on. But when I abbreviated it I wasn’t sure about “SaiBla [最ブラ]” (laughs). I worried over it for a while, but in the end I decided on ‘BLAST’ because after you reload, you either shoot or make something explode. Blast has many meanings, and, well, I chose it for many of them. I really like voiced consonants, and the truth is I never really cared for the title ‘Saiyuki’ (laughs). So, when ‘RELOAD’ was added I was finally relieved, and when ‘BLAST’ was added to that I was even more relieved (laughs). And as for the abbreviation, it seems that there are many readers who call it “ReloBla [リロブラ]”, so that’s good.
I hear that the story will start when they’ve nearly reached India, so does that mean that the pipe-wielding mystery man we glimpsed in RELOAD will finally appear?
[Minekura]: Yes (laughs). Actually, I had planned for him to show up earlier, but I was drawing Hazel, and RELOAD ended before the mystery man could show up.
Are there any plans for Hazel to appear?
[Minekura]: He... might not show up. I’m retiring him. I think he still has the youkai inside him, and I ended the story without saying if he even has his memories at the end. I’d like to leave the rest up to you.
So far we’ve seen three scriptures, and if we include the one Sanzo priest who was killed, we’ve seen three Sanzo priests. What about the remaining scriptures and Sanzo priests?
[Minekura]: In Sanzo’s generation, Sanzo holds two sutras so there are only four Sanzo priests, and the last one will appear in BLAST. The sutras too, I plan to show all five of course. You can use different attacks by combining one sutra with another, but ever since Sanzo had the Maten* Sutra stolen from him, he’s never had his two sutras together, so that type of scene has never come up (smiles).
*Mistake on the magazine’s part
In Koumyou’s generation, Koumyou held two sutras as well, didn’t he?
[Minekura]: Yes. As for why Koumyou has two sutras, I’m drawing that in Ibun. It sure seems like there’s a lot of things to come. I wonder how many volumes it’ll take... (laughs).
According to the plot as you have it now, when in this last chapter will the link to Gaiden occur?
[Minekura]: That’s a secret, for now (smiles). It’ll definitely come before the Gyuumaoh problem (laughs).
Speaking of Gyuumaoh, what of the Kougaiji Ikkou, who have gone unmentioned since we entered the “Hazel Arc”?
[Minekura]: Kougaiji, huh... (smiles). Dealing with them is really difficult. Or should I say, they’re good people, and I can’t do anything with them. I can’t have them fight and simply die, after all. Even though they fight and retreat time after time, and I can’t keep repeating the same thing. I bet the readers are probably thinking, “They’ll end up comrades”. I wonder what will really happen (laughs).
Is the series’ ending pretty much decided?
[Minekura]: I have a vague idea, but I don’t think it’s time to start thinking about the end yet. As with Gaiden, once the switch is flipped I have to think about it, and as you’ll probably see, I still think it’s fine as it is now, and the switch is in the ‘off’ position.
Then, please tell us something we should pay attention to in BLAST.
[Minekura]: For now, look for the Sanzo Ikkou’s appearance in the first chapter.
InRELOAD’s first chapter, the Sanzo Ikkou’s faces weren’t drawn until midway in, right?
[Minekura]: That always feels like the punchline to a joke... (laughs). Another point to pay attention to is, in effect, when RELOAD ended, the Sanzo Ikkou have strengthened their spirits and reached the point where they won’t waver anymore. I hope you look forward to what’s in store for them.
The Highlight is Koumyou’s Sexy Shot?!
We mentioned BLAST earlier, but Saiyuki Ibun, in which you draw Koumyou’s youth, began serialization before BLAST in September’s “WARD”, correct?
[Minekura]: I have to explain about the sutras in order to continue the main story, and I figured it would e easiest to understand if I told Sanzo’s master’s story. I mentioned this earlier, but Koumyou held two sutras, the Maten Sutra and the Seiten Sutra. But actually, the Maten Sutra is one meant for a youkai. In the past, there was one youkai in every generation of the five Sanzo priests, and that youkai Sanzo priest would hold the Maten Sutra. But relations between humans and youkai soured, and Sanzo Priests came to be humans only. I plan to explain that situation when I draw the master’s story. I knew from the beginning that I would have to explain somewhere... and Koumyou is too appealing a character to resist (laughs). I had the young Koumyou in my head from quite a while ago; he’s such a crazy character it would be a waste not to draw him. I want to delve into the master’s character, and also why he was killed right after entrusting the title of Sanzo to Kouryuu.
So you plan to draw the truth of Koumyou’s death, too?
[Minekura]: Yes, since it will most likely link to the main story. Koumyou will probably seem stupidly strong in Ibun, so it might not seem possible for him to be killed. That’s why I plan to draw out the details of that part of the story. Koumyou, he always enjoys life, but he’s a terribly useless person (laughs). He’s an amazingly natural dummy. But in truth he actually has a dark side too. Koumyou’s character is fully formed in my mind, so I think he’ll be easy to draw.
So that’s why you aren’t drawing the future
[Minekura]: Drawing the past just seems more fun (smiles).
Please tell us something about Koumyou that you want to try drawing, or some point you want readers to pay attention to.
[Minekura]: I want people to pay attention to Koumyou’s denuding! (laughs) He takes off his clothes. Even though people don’t want him to. He’s the only character I’m okay with in any look. He’s quite a bit odder than Hakkai, so he’d probably be okay even in a maid outfit. Anyway, I plan to have him remove so many clothes it’s at the point you almost wish he hadn’t removed so many.
This isn’t really an exhibitionist piece, right? (laughs)
[Minekura]: Well, there might be a denuding scene when there’s no need for one (laughs). Exhibitionism is supposed to be sexy, but I think Koumyou’s scene isn’t going to be sexy at all. Also, well, other Sanzo priests will appear as well. I want this story to be one where, by observing this strange Koumyou person, readers can understand Saiyuki’s world view too (smiles). Koumyou is someone from an altogether different time line, so Ibun may feel like a side story to the main series, as compared to Gaiden wherein the link to the Sanzo Ikkou was so strong. But I plan to draw Sanzo’s “roots” in Ibun.
We are of course looking forward to the 2nd newly serialized work, but I hear there are plans for a large-scale original art show in the Fall.
[Minekura]: I believe it’s happening at some huge venue or other.
[Editor]: It’s planned for the 3-day weekend at the end of October, beginning of November. Aside from original artworks, there will be various projects like promo images for BLAST. Details are printed in ZERO-SUM, so please look there.
So this is more of an event than an art show?
[Editor]: Yes. It’s something of a complete Saiyuki series event.
It feels like a tremendously elaborate Minekura Kazuya festival began with the sales of Gaiden volume 4 in July. Are there any plans aside from the sales of original art collection sales in August, the beginning of Saiyuki Ibun in September, sales of Saiyuki RELOAD volume 10 and Salty-Dog VI in October, and the beginning of BLAST in December?
[Editor]: It still hasn’t been set in stone what form this will take, but during Fall and Winter we plan to have various artists draw a “Saiyuki Anthology”, and have a Saiyuki image collection of all the images serialized in color.
That’s a piece of happy news the fans can’t wait for.
[Minekura]: Personally, I can’t bear it either (smiles).
You seem to be very busy until the end of the year with work other than manga serialization.
[Minekura]: Yes, quite (pained smile). I’m going to keep drawing WILD ADAPTER as usual, but I think BUS GAMER will go on a short hiatus. At any rate, right now putting out comics takes precedence. And, while scrawling out something or other for the monthly magazine, I’ll be continuing the character interview project that began in ZERO-SUM. During the period I wasn’t drawing manga, the editing department told me to draw one page of something, it didn’t matter what. I sure turned that into a huge project (laughs).
[Editor]: This means that you can read the interviews along with new illustrations done like they were photos shot on-location. Currently we haven’t decided where they will be recoded, so please look to the magazine.
[Minekura]: Oh that’s right, not too long ago the results came in from the Gaiden character popularity poll that was going on at the MinekuraKazuya.net website. Tenpou and Kenren were tied all the way until Gaiden’s 4th volume came out, but after the comic came out, in just 2 days Kenren got 100 more popularity votes and jumped to #1. So I’ll draw a Kenren image.
That will be wonderful fan service. Well then, finally, I’d like to ask for a message to Pafu readers.
[Minekura]: It’s been a while. Also, thank you very much. Since the Saiyuki series is a manga that I’ve taken long months and years to slowly do, I’m sure there are people who stopped reading partway through (laughs). But Gaiden has ended and I’ve taken a quick break, and people who read it long ago can finally say that the series has entered its final arc, so I really hope that people will read it one more time. I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting all this time. But Gaiden has finished, so I think you know that I feel like ending the series (laughs). I always think that Saiyuki has something interesting about it. That “interesting thing” may not always be a happy thing, but I want to show something new and different from before, so I hope that those who have read Saiyuki all the way until now will look forward to the start of the new series. Here’s to our future encounters.
Thank you very much
Here, finally, is the conclusion of the Pafu Magazine interview.
And because it's been so long, here's the previous parts
Next, the Future...!
We’ve chosen 10 of the several key words that come up throughout the Saiyuki series, including ‘sun’ and ‘light’. Could you please tell us the images or things that come to mind when you hear them?
[Minekura]: I think you’ll only get disappointing answers (laughs), but here we go. ‘Sun’ = hot. ‘Moon’ = scary. ‘Night’ = calm. ‘Freedom’ = terrible. ‘Light’ = hope. ‘Darkness’ = hide. ‘Strength’ = weakness. ‘Weakness’ = courage to acknowledge something. ‘Past’ = now. ‘Advance’ = Sanzo Ikkou. The moon and the night are images from the poem written at the beginning of Gojyo and Hakkai’s “Burial Arc”. It says, “The moon is scary; I want to hide in the darkness.” It’s an image I’ve had from long ago. Although, the image changes considerably if you replace the moon and the night with Koumyou and Ukoku. That would be a negative image (laughs). About strength and weakness, they’re opposites, simply put. It’s always like this when drawing manga. You have to think about the opposite of everything. You have to show weakness in order to draw strength, and you have to draw death to show life. I’m told the ‘past’ comes up often in my manga. First there’s a character, and later I take my time drawing what happened in his past, they say. I too think there are many times that I want to show what happened to make a character who he is now. Even in the Saiyuki series, I think I drew like that until the middle of RELOAD. But since then we’ve begun to see more of the future than the past.
Specifically, would that be after the “Burial Arc”?
[MInekura]: Yes. As for why I suddenly drew the “Burial Arc” right then, I was thinking about the following developments and wanted to touch on Ukoku, but I also wanted to settle their pasts before entering into the “Hazel Arc”. After the “Hazel Arc” I was going to draw the future rather than the past, and the hardship of the unknown called the present. The ‘sun that rises next’ that Koumyou described at the end of the “Burial Arc” might have been symbolic. That’s why it’s difficult from here on out. After all, not even I know the future (laughs). I can imagine the past based on the present, but as for what happens in the future, I have to imagine it based on nothing. Man, the future is difficult (laughs).
Now, I’d like to ask about BLAST, the final chapter that may be difficult but still very exciting for you. First, please tell us about the new title, Saiyuki RELOAD BLAST.
[Minekura]: I really thought about it a lot. First I put out various candidates. In the beginning I was searching for words concerning guns, and ‘BLAST’ came up quite early on. But when I abbreviated it I wasn’t sure about “SaiBla [最ブラ]” (laughs). I worried over it for a while, but in the end I decided on ‘BLAST’ because after you reload, you either shoot or make something explode. Blast has many meanings, and, well, I chose it for many of them. I really like voiced consonants, and the truth is I never really cared for the title ‘Saiyuki’ (laughs). So, when ‘RELOAD’ was added I was finally relieved, and when ‘BLAST’ was added to that I was even more relieved (laughs). And as for the abbreviation, it seems that there are many readers who call it “ReloBla [リロブラ]”, so that’s good.
I hear that the story will start when they’ve nearly reached India, so does that mean that the pipe-wielding mystery man we glimpsed in RELOAD will finally appear?
[Minekura]: Yes (laughs). Actually, I had planned for him to show up earlier, but I was drawing Hazel, and RELOAD ended before the mystery man could show up.
Are there any plans for Hazel to appear?
[Minekura]: He... might not show up. I’m retiring him. I think he still has the youkai inside him, and I ended the story without saying if he even has his memories at the end. I’d like to leave the rest up to you.
So far we’ve seen three scriptures, and if we include the one Sanzo priest who was killed, we’ve seen three Sanzo priests. What about the remaining scriptures and Sanzo priests?
[Minekura]: In Sanzo’s generation, Sanzo holds two sutras so there are only four Sanzo priests, and the last one will appear in BLAST. The sutras too, I plan to show all five of course. You can use different attacks by combining one sutra with another, but ever since Sanzo had the Maten* Sutra stolen from him, he’s never had his two sutras together, so that type of scene has never come up (smiles).
*Mistake on the magazine’s part
In Koumyou’s generation, Koumyou held two sutras as well, didn’t he?
[Minekura]: Yes. As for why Koumyou has two sutras, I’m drawing that in Ibun. It sure seems like there’s a lot of things to come. I wonder how many volumes it’ll take... (laughs).
According to the plot as you have it now, when in this last chapter will the link to Gaiden occur?
[Minekura]: That’s a secret, for now (smiles). It’ll definitely come before the Gyuumaoh problem (laughs).
Speaking of Gyuumaoh, what of the Kougaiji Ikkou, who have gone unmentioned since we entered the “Hazel Arc”?
[Minekura]: Kougaiji, huh... (smiles). Dealing with them is really difficult. Or should I say, they’re good people, and I can’t do anything with them. I can’t have them fight and simply die, after all. Even though they fight and retreat time after time, and I can’t keep repeating the same thing. I bet the readers are probably thinking, “They’ll end up comrades”. I wonder what will really happen (laughs).
Is the series’ ending pretty much decided?
[Minekura]: I have a vague idea, but I don’t think it’s time to start thinking about the end yet. As with Gaiden, once the switch is flipped I have to think about it, and as you’ll probably see, I still think it’s fine as it is now, and the switch is in the ‘off’ position.
Then, please tell us something we should pay attention to in BLAST.
[Minekura]: For now, look for the Sanzo Ikkou’s appearance in the first chapter.
InRELOAD’s first chapter, the Sanzo Ikkou’s faces weren’t drawn until midway in, right?
[Minekura]: That always feels like the punchline to a joke... (laughs). Another point to pay attention to is, in effect, when RELOAD ended, the Sanzo Ikkou have strengthened their spirits and reached the point where they won’t waver anymore. I hope you look forward to what’s in store for them.
The Highlight is Koumyou’s Sexy Shot?!
We mentioned BLAST earlier, but Saiyuki Ibun, in which you draw Koumyou’s youth, began serialization before BLAST in September’s “WARD”, correct?
[Minekura]: I have to explain about the sutras in order to continue the main story, and I figured it would e easiest to understand if I told Sanzo’s master’s story. I mentioned this earlier, but Koumyou held two sutras, the Maten Sutra and the Seiten Sutra. But actually, the Maten Sutra is one meant for a youkai. In the past, there was one youkai in every generation of the five Sanzo priests, and that youkai Sanzo priest would hold the Maten Sutra. But relations between humans and youkai soured, and Sanzo Priests came to be humans only. I plan to explain that situation when I draw the master’s story. I knew from the beginning that I would have to explain somewhere... and Koumyou is too appealing a character to resist (laughs). I had the young Koumyou in my head from quite a while ago; he’s such a crazy character it would be a waste not to draw him. I want to delve into the master’s character, and also why he was killed right after entrusting the title of Sanzo to Kouryuu.
So you plan to draw the truth of Koumyou’s death, too?
[Minekura]: Yes, since it will most likely link to the main story. Koumyou will probably seem stupidly strong in Ibun, so it might not seem possible for him to be killed. That’s why I plan to draw out the details of that part of the story. Koumyou, he always enjoys life, but he’s a terribly useless person (laughs). He’s an amazingly natural dummy. But in truth he actually has a dark side too. Koumyou’s character is fully formed in my mind, so I think he’ll be easy to draw.
So that’s why you aren’t drawing the future
[Minekura]: Drawing the past just seems more fun (smiles).
Please tell us something about Koumyou that you want to try drawing, or some point you want readers to pay attention to.
[Minekura]: I want people to pay attention to Koumyou’s denuding! (laughs) He takes off his clothes. Even though people don’t want him to. He’s the only character I’m okay with in any look. He’s quite a bit odder than Hakkai, so he’d probably be okay even in a maid outfit. Anyway, I plan to have him remove so many clothes it’s at the point you almost wish he hadn’t removed so many.
This isn’t really an exhibitionist piece, right? (laughs)
[Minekura]: Well, there might be a denuding scene when there’s no need for one (laughs). Exhibitionism is supposed to be sexy, but I think Koumyou’s scene isn’t going to be sexy at all. Also, well, other Sanzo priests will appear as well. I want this story to be one where, by observing this strange Koumyou person, readers can understand Saiyuki’s world view too (smiles). Koumyou is someone from an altogether different time line, so Ibun may feel like a side story to the main series, as compared to Gaiden wherein the link to the Sanzo Ikkou was so strong. But I plan to draw Sanzo’s “roots” in Ibun.
We are of course looking forward to the 2nd newly serialized work, but I hear there are plans for a large-scale original art show in the Fall.
[Minekura]: I believe it’s happening at some huge venue or other.
[Editor]: It’s planned for the 3-day weekend at the end of October, beginning of November. Aside from original artworks, there will be various projects like promo images for BLAST. Details are printed in ZERO-SUM, so please look there.
So this is more of an event than an art show?
[Editor]: Yes. It’s something of a complete Saiyuki series event.
It feels like a tremendously elaborate Minekura Kazuya festival began with the sales of Gaiden volume 4 in July. Are there any plans aside from the sales of original art collection sales in August, the beginning of Saiyuki Ibun in September, sales of Saiyuki RELOAD volume 10 and Salty-Dog VI in October, and the beginning of BLAST in December?
[Editor]: It still hasn’t been set in stone what form this will take, but during Fall and Winter we plan to have various artists draw a “Saiyuki Anthology”, and have a Saiyuki image collection of all the images serialized in color.
That’s a piece of happy news the fans can’t wait for.
[Minekura]: Personally, I can’t bear it either (smiles).
You seem to be very busy until the end of the year with work other than manga serialization.
[Minekura]: Yes, quite (pained smile). I’m going to keep drawing WILD ADAPTER as usual, but I think BUS GAMER will go on a short hiatus. At any rate, right now putting out comics takes precedence. And, while scrawling out something or other for the monthly magazine, I’ll be continuing the character interview project that began in ZERO-SUM. During the period I wasn’t drawing manga, the editing department told me to draw one page of something, it didn’t matter what. I sure turned that into a huge project (laughs).
[Editor]: This means that you can read the interviews along with new illustrations done like they were photos shot on-location. Currently we haven’t decided where they will be recoded, so please look to the magazine.
[Minekura]: Oh that’s right, not too long ago the results came in from the Gaiden character popularity poll that was going on at the MinekuraKazuya.net website. Tenpou and Kenren were tied all the way until Gaiden’s 4th volume came out, but after the comic came out, in just 2 days Kenren got 100 more popularity votes and jumped to #1. So I’ll draw a Kenren image.
That will be wonderful fan service. Well then, finally, I’d like to ask for a message to Pafu readers.
[Minekura]: It’s been a while. Also, thank you very much. Since the Saiyuki series is a manga that I’ve taken long months and years to slowly do, I’m sure there are people who stopped reading partway through (laughs). But Gaiden has ended and I’ve taken a quick break, and people who read it long ago can finally say that the series has entered its final arc, so I really hope that people will read it one more time. I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting all this time. But Gaiden has finished, so I think you know that I feel like ending the series (laughs). I always think that Saiyuki has something interesting about it. That “interesting thing” may not always be a happy thing, but I want to show something new and different from before, so I hope that those who have read Saiyuki all the way until now will look forward to the start of the new series. Here’s to our future encounters.
Thank you very much