Blaster Interview with Hajime Kanzaka vol 12, translated
Japanese original here. So, where is Zel from anyway?
Tamiki: "Where is Zelgadis from? Lina and the other three are known, and I would very much like to know."
KANZAKA: Unknown. Zelgadis himself doesn't remember because he hasn't lived in the area since he was a child, and since Rezo was like that, his parents would go along with it, and sometimes he would run away from them because he was so upset with Rezo.
His parents are already dead, so he can't ask them about it.
Tamiki: "In Zephelia, how strong would Lina fit in?"
KANZAKA: It's like she's one of the top 500.
Tamiki: I wonder how big the total population of Zephilia is. ......
KANZAKA: I wonder how big it is. That kind of world population is completely different from modern Japan.
Tamiki: "Are there any conditions for a demon king to be sleeping? (Red eyes, red hair, etc. ......)"
KANZAKA: No, not really. You don't want to say, "He is the Demon King because his cheeks are red.”
Tamiki: "Were Zel and Rezo good friends before they were altered?"
KANZAKA: I don't think it was particularly good or bad; it was just the usual feeling of being relatives. It was a normal relationship, with age-appropriate rebelliousness and all that.
Tamiki Oh, there was a continuation of this as well. “I would like to know how close are you to your cat? I’d like you to make it official (laughs)."
KANZAKA: Um, ......I don’t really understand how to apply it officially, but does that mean I should answer, for example, that they are as close as Amelia and Xellos? I mean, what is a "cat" in the first place? ......
Tamiki: It depends on which cat it is. Some have already been dropped and others have not.
KANZAKA: Well, there are cats that run away as soon as they are seen.
Tamiki: At any rate, he is confident that he can drop any cat within a few days (laughs).
KANZAKA: Why would I do that?
Tamiki: "What is Gourry’s exact age?" I remember that in an old interview, you said that both Gourry and Zel were about 22 or 23 years old.
KANZAKA: Well, then, it's just as I said long ago. Well, I think Gourry has forgotten how old he is.
Tamiki: Perhaps the questioner saw the answer and sent it to me in order to clarify which one he was referring to. However, the principle of this interview is that the numerical answer is not absolute as an official setting, so please allow for a little ambiguity.
Now next up is another one of the oldest and most common questions. “What are the names of Lina's parents?"
KANZAKA: It's a secret.
Tamiki: "Why don't you put Xellos in the Slayers Super Series?"
KAMISAKA Because it would be a mess.
Tamiki: I guess this question means that Amelia and Zel had short stories in the past.
KANZAKA: A short story? If it were serious, it would be ...... black (laughs).
Tamiki: I don't think there are many people who would rather read a black story like that. However, with Slayers, when there is a request from fans to read such a story, I think there is a tendency not to try to write such a story, so you shouldn't expect too much from it.
Tamiki: Then, here's a question. I love cats, but it seems that dogs and other animals rather than cats appear in your works more often than cats.
KANZAKA: Because if you put a cat in the work, people would be drawn to it. For example, the scene in the film where the dog is startled by the explosion, barks, and runs away. If it were a cat, you would think, "I mustn't scare the cat!”
Don't you think? Don't you think so?
Tamiki: ............. Ah, that's it, isn't it? I've heard this theory before: "It's better not to have the character you like the most appear in the work.
KANZAKA: Yes. That's absolutely true, of course, isn't it?
Tamiki: Why is your answer there in question form? How much sleep do you get? (What time do you go to bed and wake up?)"
KANZAKA: I am susceptible to sleep deprivation, so I sleep for about eight hours. I go to bed between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. and wake up around noon.
Tamiki: Oh, I do the same on my days off, but even on days when I have to get up at 7:00 a.m. for work or an event the next day, my bedtime doesn't change. When my average sleep time is less than 5 hours, I think I have to go to bed at 2:00 a.m. because it will be hard the next day.
KANZAKA: It's like that when it's something I enjoy. But when it is work, or some kind of obligation, I prioritize the fact that I have to go to bed because it will be hard the next day.
Tamiki: Ah, yes. That's exactly right.
KANZAKA: I think that humans are useless creatures.
Tamiki: Maybe it's just us. You write various works, but don't you get mixed up with ......?
KANZAKA: Yes, they do (laughs). In fact, when I was writing Lost Universe and Day Trip Quest in one-week shifts at the same time, there was a case where the names of the guest characters were switched in the middle of the story.
Tamiki: This is another common question, so I'll put two together. “When you are stuck for an idea, what do you do first?” What do you do to refresh yourself?
KANZAKA: I take a walk, ride the train, or take a bath. I always say that if there was a way to come up with ideas, no one would have any trouble. Or rather, there is no such thing.