Sorata sensei’s first interview from Lala
Lala magazine released an interview with Sorata sensei (author of Akagami no Shirayukihime) today. Her very first interview. I don’t know Japanese but I took the time to translate it using tools like deepl.com and google translate and I think it came out pretty decent. I think the interview is interesting and worth a read if you are a fan of AnS. Translation below.
Q: You started drawing it as a mini-series, then it was serialized, and before you knew it, there were 24 volumes. Isn't this a longer series than you thought it would be?
Sorata: Well, frankly speaking, it's been a long time... (laughs). I've been thinking about how long it's been since it was first made into an anime in the ninth year of the series, when I first became aware of the fact that it would soon be ten years. I never thought I'd see the number "100 episodes" in this work.
Q: How much did you have in mind when you started working on this project?
Sorata: The person in charge at the time said it would be about five volumes, but I thought, "Five volumes, that's a long time" (laughs). (laughs) I think the turning point came when I introduced Izana, the first prince, who is Zen's older brother. You had a choice between a complete story and a narrative story, and you went for the latter. At that time, I thought, "I want to go beyond five volumes”.
Q: In the beginning, the story was mainly about Shirayuki, Zen, and Zen's direct knight, Mitsuhide, and Kiki. Looking at the recent development of the story, while the vertical axis is the story of the two main characters, there are also elements of mystery, such as Shirayuki's search for the cause of a mysterious disease after becoming a court pharmacist, and Zen's involvement in a conspiracy.
Sorata: Each episode tends to be a bit too long, so I want to be careful not to make it too complicated. As for the stories, I often find myself saying, "I feel like I've done this before: ......" (laughs). (laughs) I am keenly aware of how difficult it is to keep things fresh and unchanging.
Q: What do you do to make it look fresh?
Sorata: In many of my stories, the story progresses through conversations, so I try to draw interactions between characters I've never paired before.
Q: It's about digging deeper into the relationship.
Sorata: That's all there is to it.
Q: I feel that the various aspects of the characters are naturally portrayed in the relationships, giving depth to the characters and the world view.
Sorata: Even in the real world, your personality can change when you are with someone, can't it? For example, rather than delving into the past circumstances of the main characters, I want to depict the new aspects that come to light when they are with someone now.
Q: You want to draw the characters, and at the same time, you want to draw the relationships between the characters and the sense of group.
Sorata: If they took that away, I wouldn't be able to draw anything (laughs).
Q: After 15 years of serialization, do you find that the characters tend to move on their own?
Sorata: Not very much. I keep wondering what this person would do or how they would feel in such a situation. There is always a side to a character that we haven't seen yet, and I want to keep digging deeper and deeper with each episode, to depict what the characters have yet to show.
Q: Perhaps it's because of this awareness, but I can see your strong will and deep love for "carefully drawing characters" overflowing from your entire work.
Sorata: To begin with, I really like the existence of "characters" in various works in this world. There is a kind of power that only characters have. I hope that this is also the case with the works I draw as I face them.
Q: I'm sure you must have been very happy when it was made into an anime. The characters you created have been given a new lease of life by Bones and his team, haven't they?
Sorata: Rather than being happy, I was almost in a panic (laughs). I had always loved the works of director Masahiro Ando, so when I heard from the person in charge at the time that "Director Ando is currently reading "Snow White with Red Hair"", I was so surprised that I almost lost my mind.
Q: What did you think when you saw the characters you created in action?
Sorata: I was impressed. The presence of the wind blowing, the sound of things being put on the desk, and so on is overwhelming in anime. It was amazing, and I was very happy.
Q: And speaking of anime, the voice actors' voices! In "Snow White with Red Hair," Saori Hayami as Shirayuki and Ryota Aisaka as Zen all gave wonderful performances.
Sorata: It was amazing. It was kind of fun to listen to the voice and realize, "Oh, that's who this character is! It was a little interesting to realize that this character was such a person. It made me love the characters even more.
Q: The characters in "Snow White with Red Hair" all seem to ooze goodness of character, but are you conscious of not making the characters evil?
Sorata: That's right. I'm not very good at drawing bad people, but in "Snow White with Red Hair", I tried to draw people who are looking forward as much as possible. It's true that I realized this as I drew more and more.
Q: The main character, Shirayuki, is not only protected, but also thinks and acts on her own, which is a very modern image of a princess. What do you keep in mind when you draw her?
Sorata: I don't really remember what I was thinking when I started to draw this story 15 years ago, but I think it would be nice if the main character could move the story along on her own, even if it's not a so-called romantic turn. In fact, Shirayuki is a protagonist who grew up through spending time with various people. I think the same can be said for Zen in that respect. In fact, I'd like to let them spend more time together (laughs).
Q: It's true that this work is characterized by the fact that the story goes on without romance. Since it's a shoujo manga, I think there is a demand for romantic elements, but I think the reason why it's so popular is because people strongly support the other aspects of the story.
Sorata: I get a lot of letters from readers saying, "Reading this story cheers me up," so I'm relieved because as long as I can draw like this, I'm fine. But I'm sure that romantic scenes are also expected, and I think Shirayuki and Zen are going to start missing each other soon (laughs), so I wouldn't mind having a few more scenes of that kind.
Q: Shirayuki and Zen have been in a long-distance relationship for a while now, haven't they? Didn't it take a lot of courage to create this setting?
Sorata: I wanted to portray the two of them spending time together a little more, but I felt that Shirayuki still needed to go out, so I was able to choose that option surprisingly easily.
Q: Even though she has left Zen's side, Shirayuki is still working splendidly as a court pharmacist in Lilias, which is very encouraging. How did you decide on this job for Shirayuki?
Sorata: I thought that I should be a child who can live with what I have even if the country or place changes! I have a great admiration for craftsmen, and I like people who are making something with their hands. I like people who make things with their hands, and I think that's what I'm projecting here. I also admire the feeling of working together with my colleagues, and the knowledge and skills they share.
Q: In the Lilias chapter, Zen wants Shirayuki to stay by his side, but he doesn't force her to stay with him, and when we see Mitsuhide and Kiki, who always have each other's backs, we feel that "trusting people" is a major theme throughout the work.
Sorata: I believe that everyone has a strong side and a weak side, but basically, it is the strong side that we show to others. I want to portray how that strength connects you to other people, and how it naturally becomes a part of who you are.
Q: Do you wish to believe in people yourself?
Sorata: In my case, it's the emotions of the artist, but I think I believe it when I feel like I'm about to falter. I know that there are people for whom a story or a character who lives in it is a source of strength. Readers are also a big part of "Red Hair”.
Q: You are very conscious of how your readers will perceive your work, aren't you?
Sorata: Of course, I don't know what's going on while I'm drawing, but it's a relief to receive a letter and know that someone has received some kind of power from the story or the characters.
Q: Is the letter a handwritten fan letter?
Sorata: That's right! They go out of their way to buy the letterhead, write the text, and mail it to me in the mailbox. They even sealed the letter with wax to match the world of "Snow White with Red Hair. I was very happy.
Q: That's great!
Sorata: I have definitely read all of your letters. I don't get many opportunities to interact with my readers, so I sincerely appreciate it.
Q: I know it seems a little tough right now because of the season, but looking at the outside of your comics, I see that you often travel abroad.
Sorata: I also do some sightseeing, but I mainly take photos of materials. In this day and age, you can collect materials on the Internet, but what you see there is completely different. It is a real pleasure to go to the site and see the details, such as the hinges of the doors and the backside of the boxes. ......
Q: You are very detail-oriented.
Sorata: As much as I can. If I don't know how something works, I feel uneasy about drawing it. I would like to go to museums more often.
Q: Because it's a fantasy, it needs to be realistic.
Sorata: I think so. But for "Snow White with Red Hair," I let the artist have a lot of freedom in the drawing. For example, I don't go into too much detail about whether the light source of the lamp is a candle, electricity, or fuel.
Q: In "Snow White with Red Hair," the names of people are written in Chinese characters, such as "Shirayuki" and "Kiki," while "Mitsuhide" sounds like a Japanese name, and "Zen" and "Izana" are stateless. Where did you come up with your unique worldview?
Sorata: As for the name, the motif of the story is Snow White, so I thought the main character's name should be Shirayuki. At first, when I wrote the name "Shirayuki" in katakana, it didn't sound right, but when I wrote it in kanji, only one person stood out, so I wanted to include other names with Japanese characters and sounds, so I tried to add names that could be converted into kanji as much as possible. I tried to use as much Japanese as possible in the entire name rather than foreign words.
Q: This creates some strange effects, doesn't it?
Sorata: I often get asked this question in my letters, but my feeling is that the people of Clarines live in the language of Clarines, and there are no kanji or katakana, so I feel like I'm translating it into Japanese and reading it, so it was really strange to hear people say that (laughs).
Q: The food that appears in the book all looks really delicious, and I feel that this is one of the things that makes "Snow White with Red Hair" such a great read.
Sorata: Ghibli's works are just like that, but works that depict food in a delicious way leave a strong impression. When you draw food, you get a strong sense of life, and you can also create a relaxed atmosphere in the meal scenes. It's a lot of fun to draw.
Q: Do you have any reference materials?
Sorata: I look at cookbooks a lot. I often refer to cooking with a skillet and Moroccan cuisine. Moroccan dishes are also very cute. Surprisingly, there are no Japanese dishes in "Snow White with Red Hair.
Q: Do you like Ghibli films?
Sorata: Hayao Miyazaki's films are very vivid for me. I yearn to be able to portray this kind of person, and I love the pictures, the wind, and the things that come through the screen.
Q: What kind of expressions do you like in Miyazaki's works?
Sorata: Comics and movies are made by people, so naturally there is a "direction" to them, and that is part of their appeal, but Miyazaki's works have a natural feel to them, as if the camera just happens to be filming what is there, and you just happen to be watching it.
Q: What is your own favorite?
Sorata: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind". My favorite character is Grandpa Mito (laughs). (laughs) Not only Nausicaa's way of life, but also the presence of the antagonist and his lines are very memorable, and every time I watch it, I am struck by the same scene.
Q: Which is your favorite scene to eat?
Sorata: It's the fried egg toast from "Castle in the Sky. I feel like I'm being sucked into the fried egg. At first glance, I don't even know what Ghibli's works are, but they look delicious! I think it's amazing.
Q: You said earlier that you admire the natural atmosphere of Ghibli's works. Would you like your own works to be like that?
Sorata: I hope so. I'm happiest when people of any age in any time period feel that they can read it naturally.
Q: That's one of the strengths of fantasy works that are a bit detached from real-time reality.
Sorata: That's for sure.
Q: In that sense, do you think that you were able to draw this work because LaLa has many fantasy works?
Sorata: That's right. To begin with, it was Hakusensha's manga such as LaLa that first introduced me to stories set in other worlds. So I knew that if I was going to draw fantasy, it would be LaLa!
Q: Were you familiar with Hakusensha's works before?
Sorata: My mother and sister had a lot of them. I naturally chose from among them and read them.
Q: So you were given an elite education (laughs). Are there any LaLa works that left an impression on you?
Sorata: It's "The Silver Brave" by Yoshitomo Watanabe. It's a fantasy story about another world, and I found the concept of magic and costumes very appealing. That was the one I read the most. Also, when I started submitting, Tame Kusakawa's "Gertrude's Recipe" was serialized, and I loved it.
Q: What do you keep in mind when it comes to drawing? Comparing the first volume to the latest 23 volumes, I feel like it's changing a lot.
Sorata: I drew the first volume with a simple design, and I think that was totally acceptable. However, as I drew, there were some scenes that I gave up on because I wasn't strong enough, and some expressions that I couldn't draw. I'm still frustrated by that, so I'm practicing so that I can draw what I drew in my head as much as possible.
Q: Do you feel that your current work is satisfactory?
Sorata: I'm still not very good at drawing. I've often heard that there is no end to painting, but I feel like I'm in a constant battle with myself. There are so many amazing expressions in the world, and seeing them makes me despair (laughs), but it also gives me hope.
Q: Who is your favorite manga artist?
Sorata: I like pictures that have a sense of air and life, and if I had to pick one, I'd have to say Kiyohiko Azuma. The lines themselves have a warm feeling, and I'm really attracted to them.
Q: Azuma-sensei has a very interesting way of describing food too!
Sorata: There is a scene in "Yotsuba To! There is a scene in "Yotsuto!" where miso soup is served, and the floating green onions are sticking to the inside of the bowl (laughs). (laughs) I thought, "Oh, that makes sense! (laughs). That made me really happy. I think it's great to have pictures that you can enjoy even in that way. I like pictures that make me want to look at the details.
Q: Rather than pursuing realism, you like to create pictures that convey atmosphere.
Sorata: I like pictures that convey temperature rather than realistic shine.
Q: What do you pay attention to in your current paintings?
Sorata: It's not something I'm strongly conscious of, but I think it's the way the lines are strong or weak, or the atmosphere created by not drawing lines. In the beginning, I wasn't really aware of the difference between drawing and not drawing, thick and thin. Maybe it's a change in my mind.
Q: By the way, do you have any ideas for new works?
Sorata: No, I don't. I'd like to draw a manga about middle and high school students slacking off, or a fantasy like a historical drama. ...... I have a few ideas, but right now I'm not thinking about anything other than "Snow White with Red Hair".
Q: So you're putting all your energy into "Snow White with Red Hair. Come to think of it, isn't it unusual for you to give an interview?
Sorata: Not at all! It's my first time.
Q: Since we're here, is there anything you'd like to tell your fans?
Sorata: I'd like you to know that the fact that you can tell me that reading "Snow White with Red Hair" cheered you up or gave you strength is more than you think, it's really, really the root of this work. I'm not lying, those words have saved my life many times.
Q: I think the readers are saved by "Snow White with Red Hair", but on the other hand, the readers are also saving the teacher.
Sorata: Yes. When I read "I read it every day before I go to work" or "It supported me during my exams," I feel that the people to whom I am supposed to deliver the story are here, and that my characters are going out into the world, which makes me very happy.
Link to original interview in Japanese: https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/lala45th_01
