Ecco un elenco degli altri lavori che lei
ha fatto (in ordine alfabetico):
Lum Urusei Yatsura
Maison Ikkoku
Mermaid Saga
One Pound Gospel
Ranma 1/2
Rumic World e Rumic Theatre
Ed ecco un'intervista rilasciata dalla Takahashi su Animerica nel Giugno
1997. Intervista di Seiji Horibuchi, tradotta in inglese da Takayuki Karahashi
- ANIMERICA
- Inuyasha, your new work that the entire world's been
waiting for, has finally begun serialisation in Japan, and the English
translation is already underway. Can you tell us the basis for the idea
or story inspirations when you were creating Inuyasha?
- Takahashi
- Well, that's difficult to say, but for one thing, I wanted to draw
a story-oriented manga. Also, I liked the idea of a historical piece.
Something I could easily draw. That's the premise I started with.
- ANIMERICA
- Compared to your previous Ranma 1/2, were there aspects
or trends in the story that you intentionally tried to change?
- Takahashi
- It's no intentional, but Inuyasha is less comedic that
Ranma 1/2. Actually, I would like to get a few more laughs
in, but I think that can wait until I can organise it better in myself.
- ANIMERICA
- That certainly feels the way it's going. I've read the manga up to
the fifth installment. I did feel it's less comedic, and I kept on waiting
for the laughs to come up. I don't remember which story, but the main
character Kagome makes Inuyasha quiet down by chanting a mantra... and
it's "sit!" I laughed out loud there.
- Takahashi
- I'd like to have more of that sort of thing myself.
- ANIMERICA
- So right now, you're more at the level where you're setting up the
story?
- Takahashi
- Well, yes... that's the current stage.
- ANIMERICA
- Inuyasha's setting is purely Japanese. I'm sure that
after the story has been translated into English, it will also be translated
into various other languages of the world. Now, I'm sure world readership
wasn't the first thing you had in mind when you were creating the story.
How do you feel about a purely Japanese story going out to the world?
- Takahashi
- Well, some aspects of Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura
were turely universal, but I wonder how it will work out in Inuyasha.
for example, I must wonder how much of historical Japan foreign readers
will understand. But of course, when I'm drawing the story, I'm drawing
it for the Japanese readers, and historical settings don't matter to
them. Instead, I have to draw a piece that will register to them as
manga. In that sense, I think it will work out.
- ANIMERICA
- The serial's just started, and we're all interested in how the story
will develop. As one of your readers, I'd be happy if you could tell
me what I should look for in the story and keep in mind to enhance my
enjoyment of the manga. Of course, I'm sure you have story spoilers
that you don't want to give away just yet.
- Takahashi
- Well, I'm not really sure about it myself yet, but if I could, I'd
like to depict a bizarre world view.
- ANIMERICA
- Okay... well, the serial's just started, but how far have you planned
out the story?
- Takahashi
- Well, I have a rough idea of how the personal relationships should
work out, but that's all. I'm hoping the plot will follow. But I'm wondering
about getting too tied up in relationships. So, I'd really like to be
able to improvise as I go.
- ANIMERICA
- So you're just preparing the characters and their relationships and
letting the plot develop by itself?
- Takahashi
- You could say that. So I don't want and premeditated conclusions.
- ANIMERICA
- It look like there will be more characters introduced over time, but
do you plan of having, say, so-and-so many characters at such-and-such
point in the plot? Would that be in response to the plot development?
- Takahashi
- Of course, it would be in response to the plot, but currently, there
are only antagonists, so I would like them to find friends soon. I am
hoping for that.
- ANIMERICA
- You're just hoping and don't have specific ideas for such characters
right no?
- Takahashi
- Right, I don't have specific characters for that yet. I'll probably
come up with one the week I have to draw the story.
- ANIMERICA
- It must be tough work to do a weekly serial.
- Takahashi
- It truly is tough.
- ANIMERICA
- Do you almost never get time off?
- Takahashi
- You can say that. Once it starts, it's difficult to get time off.
- ANIMERICA
- There was quite a while between the end of Ranma 1/2
and the beginning of your current serial when you didn't have regular
work. Were you able to have some leisure time during then?
- Takahashi
- You could say that. [LAUGHS] I went to Mexico.
It was my second time, but it had been a while. I'm glad I was able
to go.
- ANIMERICA
- Where in Mexico did you go?
- Takahashi
- I went to the Yucatan Peninsula again. I saw the ruins and the pyramids.
- ANIMERICA
- Did you stay in Cancun in Yucatan?
- Takahashi
- I went to Cancun and then to Mérida for a total of ten days.
- ANIMERICA
- I hope you can find time to come to the U.S. again. When you came
to the San Diego Comic-Con two years ago, it was such a big event, for
the fans and probably for you as well. We were glad you came.
- Takahashi
- It was fun.
- ANIMERICA
- I hope we can invite you to San Diego again, but I'm sure you have
something else to concentrate on while you have a serial.
- Takahashi
- I'll say. That does tend to become the case.
- ANIMERICA
- Society and times have changed since you first started Ranma
1/2, haven't they? And naturally you're older and more experienced
as well... How are your feelings different now that you've started Inuyasha
from how they were when you began Ranma 1/2?
- Takahashi
- Well, I didn't realise it myself when I started Ranma 1/2,
but I must have been under pressure to match my previous two works,
and I think I was rushing. I was thinking I had to create memorable
scenes as soon as possible. In that sense, I think I feel like now I'm
free to do what I can do.
- ANIMERICA
- Are you that much more relaxed?
- Takahashi
- I wouldn't say I'm more relaxed. I wonder how you'd describe it...
- ANIMERICA
- You've grown up?
- Takahashi
- I wouldn't say "grown up" either. I'll always be a kid. [LAUGHS]
- ANIMERICA
- But you don't feel the pressure like last time?
- Takahashi
- I do feel the pressure, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm at the age
when I can keep on drawing shounen manga ("boy's comics") forever.
But I do... I do want to keep on drawing shounen manga until
I die.
- ANIMERICA
- I certainly hope you'll go on for a long time yet. [LAUGHS
] Inuyasha is just starting its
run in the U.S., but we'll be doing out best to take painstaking care
with it, so I hope we can have your blessing. Now, I'd like to ask a
few more questions on something besides Inuyasha. your
American readers learned last year the news that you've sold a cumulative
total of over one hundred million tankoubon copies ["compilation
books," or graphic novels - Ed.]. It's hard to imagine what the
number one hundred million copies means, but how do you feel
about that?
- Takahashi
- It's really, really hard to have a feel for it. I didn't suddenly
make one hundred million copies - it was the result of many years of
steady work. But it really made me happy too.
- ANIMERICA
- It averages out to every person in Japan owning a copy of your book.
That's monumental.
- Takahashi
- But I do have the great mentor in Mitsuru Adachi [another manga
artist to sell over 1000 million copies, author of Nine, Slow Step,
Miyuki, Touch, etc. - Ed.]. I could always see what Adachi's
done and I would know how to follow in his footsteps.
- ANIMERICA
- So tentatively, your next goal is two hundred million copies?
- Takahashi
- Two hundred million copies would be tough. I've only recently realized
how tough it would be to make one hundred and fifty million copies.
- ANIMERICA
- In creating your works, is there a particular place that inspires
you the most, or do you have a unique way of coming up with ideas?
- Takahashi
- Well, I basically think at home, which is my workplace. But I'm thinking
about my serial work whenever I go out. Especially in Inuyasha,
the task of observing minute details in very important, so I keep an
eye out for what's going on in newspaper columns and what-not.
- ANIMERICA
- Do you mean you often get ideas from daily observations?
- Takahashi
- Yes. Although, that's true whenever you're drawing manga.
- ANIMERICA
- Do you read books or see movies when your serial is going on?
- Takahashi
- I read books. I see more plays that movies, though.
- ANIMERICA
- Do you have a recent favourite play?
- Takahashi
- Well, I've been going to see Takarazuka. [LAUGHS]
- ANIMERICA
- That you very much for your time today. I really hope you can come
again to the U.S. when you have the time.
- Takahashi
- Thank you. I really made fond memories last time.
- ANIMERICA
- I hope you'll be able to make new fond memories.
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