Kenshin Hiden

The following is the interview from the Kenshin Hiden. This I typed up from the interview translation by VIZ for their release of Kenshin Profiles. Please BUY Kenshin Profiles, it’s a really awesome book and really needs to be bought! Support Kenshin :). This typed up version is for educational purposes and I do not claim any right to it.

Shueisha: First, I would like to ask about Watsuki’s face… You look very tired today. Are you all right? *laughs*
Watsuki: I haven’t really slept that much *laughs*. Not only was I drawing the manga until the morning, my friend also suddenly dropped by. I only had one hour of sleep.

Shueisha: That’s very tough *laughs*. I would like to start this interview right away. Looking at your profile, it states that you are a graduate of Prefectual Nagaoka High School, and then it comes to Nagaoka in Rurouni Kenshin (hereafter referred to as Kenshin), it is the same name as Nagoaka Mikio who appears in the story, is there a connection?
Watsuki: That’s correct. I often get the names for characters from places in Ni’igata, like Makimachi Misao’s “Makimachi” and Sanjou Tsubame.

Shueisha: Oh, is that the case? Also you mention in the “Secret Life of Characters (3)” (volume 1, page 103) that you practiced kendo while you were a student.
Watsuki: Yes, I was doing it in junior high school. I am technically a shodan (first level). I did not continue in high school. At the time, I wanted to draw manga very much and I did not want my time constrained by club activities. That’s why I could not join a sports team.

Shueisha: Did you decide from a very yound age to become a manga artist?
Watsuki: Yes, I started drawing from the influence of my older brother. When it comes to works that have given me influence, they’re titles like Fujiko F. Fujio’s Doreaemon and Pa-Man, Adachi Mitsuru’s Touch, Katsura Masakazu’s Wing Man, Narita Minako’s Alien Street and Cypher, Obata Takeshi’s works, Togashi Yoshihiro’s Yu Yu Hakusho. Roughly speaking, that’s about it. My favorite artist is Obata Takeshi and my favorite manga is Tezuka Osamu’s Black Jack. I started drawing in frames divided on a notebook during the early part of elementary school, and I actually started drawing manga in ink in the second year of junior high. I probably completed a piece when I was in the first year of high school.

Shueisha: What kind of work was that?
Watsuki: It was Podomakku, which I submitted to the “Hop Step Award” and for which I recieved an honorable mention. It is the work that gave me the chance to meet my current editor, and it’s a robot academy story. You probably can’t imagine it from the style I use now *laughs*. At that point, I was still a high school student, so I made rough drafts that I sent to the editor to be reviewed, and if I received an OK, I made it into a finished work and submitted it to an award competiton. It’s not my debut work, but a piece that I drew at the time was included in “Hop Step Award Selection 6”.

Shueisha: Therefore, you did have a certain amount of career experience from starting at the bottom?
Watsuki: Well, I was still a high school student at the time so I think it’s a bit different from being at the bottom.

Shueisha: You were an assistant for Obata. How long were you in that position?
Watsuki: It wasn’t very long. I was there during the time of Arabian Lam Lamp and Chikara Bito Densetsu. I slipped out a bit at that period to draw my own work, but basically I was there for those two manga.

Shueisha: Now I would like to ask for a simple explanation on the process leading up the time you presented Kenshin. First of all, before Kenshin, there was a short story called Rurouni – Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (thereafter refered to as Rurouni).
Watsuki: Actually, there was Crescent Moon in the Warring States first, and I also ran this in the Kenshin graphic novel (volume 6, page 169), but initially the plan was for the story to be a fantasy. But after the plot was set, I looked around and it was a situation in which everybody else was drawing fantasy manga. Then, I decided to give it some Japanese flavor. After I did that, it became a lot more popular than I predicted. My editor then told me, “Let’s do a period piece while we’re at it,” and I made Rurouni with the idea that if it became popular, it could be made into a continuing series.

Shueisha: What was the reason behind setting it in the Meiji?
Watsuki: First, I made the period around Bakumatsu because just before I drew Rurouni, I had read Shiba Ryotaro’s Moeyo Ken and I became passionate thinking it was great *laughs*. And why the period became Meiji is because I read Tomita Tsuneo’s Sugata Sanshiro. I thought that that point in history was good. Also, the context of the Bakamatsu is extremely complicated, so I thought it was impossible to fully depict it in a short story. I figured the period leading up the stability in Meiji was more suitable for a short story than the chaotic period of the Bakamatsu/Meiji, and thefore I set Rurouni around the 10th year of Meiji. And I did not make an actual hero or a figure from the Restoration the main character because, and this may be a bad way of saying it, but there was going to be limitations in a lot of different ways. If that was the case, I figured it was better to do it with more freedom. I decided to have models in mind, and for the rest, freely allow myself to create characters.

Shueisha: Why did you decided to set Kenshin specifically in the 11th year of Meiji?
Watsuki: It’s the Seinan War. Until the Seinan War in the 10th year of Meiji, a lot of chaos continued. People who have an understanding of Bakamatsu/Meiji point out that the Bakumatsu did not end in the first year of Meiji, but with the conclusion of the Seinan War in the 10th year of Meiji. That is the same reason why I also decided to set Kenshin after the 10th year of Meiji.

Shueisha: Speaking of the 11th year of Meiji, historically, there was an incident at Kiozaka where Okubo Toshimichi was assassinated. It was also depicted in Kenshin (volume 7, page 182), but when you decided to set the story in the 11th year of Meiji, were you already thinking of involving this incident?
Watsuki: No, I wasn’t thinking of it in the beginning. To tell you the truth, I was in the frame of mind that Kenshin would end in about 30 weeks *laughs*. I wasn’t thinking ahead at all, but as the series progressed, I started thinking that it would be interesting to involve this incident.

Shueisha: Why were you thinking that it would end in about 30 weeks?
Watsuki: …Well, there aren’t too many people who last with their first serialization. I had that in mind. Of course, I wasn’t thinking that it was fine to end in 30 weeks. I began with the intention that it will end in 30 weeks and wanted to accomplish as much as possible in that time.

Shueisha: So you had confidence with the content.
Watsuki: No, I didn’t have that much confidence *laughs*. Especially in the beginning.

Shueisha: I imagine that there have been a variety of reactions from fans since the start of Kenshin, but what kind did you particularily respond to?
Watsuki: Although I expected that I could cultivate a certain amount of female fans, the response was much greater than I anticipated.

Shueisha: I also hear that there have been many criticisms from readers who are history buffs…
Watsuki: There was in the beginning, but not recently. Maybe they finally gave up *laughs*. But the reaction when Saito Hajime appeared was incredible. A crazy amount of letters arrived.

Shueisha: Were you a history buff or did you already have an interest in the Bakamatsu/Meiji in the first place?
Watsuki: I began Kenshin at the time when I started to have an interest in that period. That’s why my interest in and knowledge of Meiji are basically getting deeper along with the readers’. It’s a situation in which I draw while I do research *laughs*. I’m actually pretty knowledgeable about the Shinsengumi.

Shueisha: So you were interested in the Shinsengumi beforehand?
Watsuki: I started becoming hooked around the time I drew Crescent Moon. There was about a year between the time I drew Rurouni and started Kenshin, so during that period, I mostly read books on the Shinsengumi. Primarily as a hobby *laughs*.

Shueisha: Then in the future, you might draw a manga with the Shinsengumi as the motif…
Watsuki: Yes, I would like to draw it one day. For example, if I am still a manga artist 10 years from now, and if there is a place willing to let me do it, I would like to make a piece, even if it is a short story. I would like to make a story with this period as the setting one more time, not really as a remake, but challenging myself to do it in a different form. I have that much interest.

Shueisha: Who do you like the most in the Shinsengumi?
Watsuki: My favorite is Hijikata Toshizo. After that, it’s Okita Soji, Saito Hajime, Harada Sanosuke, Serizawa Kamo… essentially, I like all of them. I also really like Takeda Kanryusai. I would have also like to have 2nd group leader Nagakura Shinpachi appear in Kenshin someday.

Shueisha: On the Restoration side, you like Okubo Toshimichi (volume 7, 186)
Watsuki: Yes, I like him. Katsura Kogoro is interesting too. Also, he is not on the Restoration side, but learning Enomoto Takeaki’s path after Hakodate War was interesting and I like him. Also, there was a Bakumatsu swordsman named Sakakibara Kenkichi, and since he was the head instructor at the Bakufu’s mage until his death, and I would also like him to appear in Kenshin someday. Recently, I’ve started to become interested in Sakamoto Ryoma, but of course, I can’t have him appear in Kenshin *laughs*.

Shueisha: In the beginning of the serialization for Kenshin, did you read many historical novels?
Watsuki: Yes I did. Currently, I don’t have time to read, but I was doing a considerably amount of reading until the beginning of the series. The writers I like are Shiba Ryotaro, Ikenami Shotaro, Shibata Renzaburo…

Shueisha: Among writers who wrote about the Shinsengumi, Shimozawa Hiroshi is famous.
Watsuki: That book is interesting both as a story and a historical resource. It was fun the way it lets the readers learn about history.

Shueisha: It is similar to your reading of historical novels, but for example, did you go to a gyunabe restaurant or do you do that kind of investigation?
Watsuki: I did go to a shishinabe restaurant… it tasted great *laughs*. Other than that, I went to Edo Tokyo Museum before the serialization started. At first, I was not expecting much, but it was more interesting than I had anticipated. There was a nuishiki-e shop that was recreated in actual size. For history buffs, it’s worth checking out at least once.

Shueisha: The discussion is going to shift, but in the comic books, there is a column called ‘The Secret Life of Characters.’ What was your intention in starting to write them?
Watsuki: Essentially, when I bought comic books as a child, instead of the stories that were already published in the magazine, I really enjoyed seeing the rough sketches and mutterings of the artists that were also included. So I decided to start that kind of service myself. And because of it, I’m having a tough time right now *laughs*.

Shueisha: I understand now. And your color works are very beautiful, but what kinds of materials are you using?
Watsuki: At the beginning of the serialization, I was using color ink. But lately, I don’t have enough time so I’m mainly using Copic. Right now, I’m also contemplating on starting to use a Macintosh.

Shueisha: Now, I would like to get away slightly from the manga and ask you about your interests. I hear that you like video games, but is your favorite genre fighting games?
Watsuki: Yes, I’ve been influenced by looking at fighting games. Watching it, you learn the fact that there are many types of elements that lead to a game becoming fun. I don’t have the time to play RPG or simulation games, so I end up playing fighting games.

Shueisha: Is your favorite game Samurai Spirits?
Watsuki: Yes, no matter what others say *laughs*. Besides, that, recently, I’d also say Tekken 2. I don’t have the time myself to play it and only look at the assistants doing it, but I’m really impressed with the production and the character building. Also, I got hooked on Vampire Hunter simply because it was fun.

Shueisha: Kenshin is going to become a Playstation game, but what are your thoughts on that?
Watsuki: I’m looking forward to it because I like games. I don’t want to be greedy, but the only one they’re making right now is 3D, right? Personally, I like 2D games, so I kind of feel it would be great if they release something like that… *laughs*. I don’t have that much experience with 3D games, so I have to start practicing now *laughs*.

Shueisha: Do you watch television often?
Watsuki: With television right now, I like Nihon Television Network’s Ryoma ni Omakase!. I didn’t think it was realy that interesting in the beginning *laughs*. Other than that, I watch variety shows and the news. Recently, period dramas on television aren’t fun so I don’t watch them. I liked them and watched them often when I was a kid. I was into Kogarashi Monjiro, the Hissatsu Shigontonin series, Edo wo Kiru, and San Biki ga Kiru. Also, this one is kind of obscure, but I really enjoyed a show called Edo no Kiba. I don’t think anybody knows about it, and I watched it when I was a kid so I don’t remember when it appeared. Also, Moeyo Ken was supposedly done on TV in the past and I really want to see it, but I cannot find it any video store.

Shueisha: Do you find yourself getting influenced by these period dramas?
Watsuki: I really do. But they actually don’t serve that much as a reference for tate. Kenshin basically fights one-on-one in his matches. On television, the battles are usually one against many. But, San Biki ga Kiru is most like a boys’ manga story, and it serves as reference for character building.

Shueisha: What about Anime?
Watsuki: I watch them. Recently, I’ve watched Evangelion and Kodomo no Omacho which is produced by Studio Gallop that also makes the Kenshin anime. Of course, I watch the anime version of Kenshin with interest. In regards to the Kenshin anime, there were a lot of things in the beginning, but lately, I trust the staff and all I can say is for them to please do their best. It may make matters worse if I were to start saying things that interfere with their work. Ultimately, I can see that the staff is trying hard and, in reality, results are starting to appear, so I would like to watch over it and hope for the best. I hope the fans will look over it as well.

Shueisha: What is your taste in movies?
Watsuki: I used to watch them occasionally in the past but recently, I can’t watch that many because of the lack of time. Actually, I don’t watch too many period dramas. They just feel too tense. I like regular Hollywood movies like Back to the Future and Die Hard. My favorite one is called Midnight Run starring Robert DeNiro. The story itself is very normal but the direction is very clever.

Shueisha: What are your musical interests?
Watsuki: I’m into groups like Kinniku Shojo-Tai and Anji. It’s the origin for the name of the Juppongatana’s Yukyuzan Anji. I also listen to game music. That’s about it for the music that I listen to. I leave the television on during the afternoon. Then, at night, I work to the music that my assistants bring in.

Shueisha: I imagine that you don’t have that much free time with the serialization of Kenshin, but right now do you have any hobbies?
Watsuki: It’s probably drawing. I like drawing pictures that don’t have direct connections with manga *laughs*. In addition, I like to read books, American comics, and make model figures.

Shueisha: Which American comics do you like?
Watsuki: I like X-men the most. That’s what got me reading American comics. Recently, I’ve started to think that Spider-Man is entertaining too. I basically like the ones released by Marvel.

Shueisha: Now, we’ll return the conversation to Kenshin and this is the last question. Of the characters that have appeared in Kenshin, which one is your favorite or that one you care about the most?
Watsuki: For now, the character that I feel has worked the best on the good side is Makimachi Misao. The character is a lot more active than I had expected. I really like her in the sense that she is strong-willed and keeps on advancing the story. For the bad guys, I actually like Hoji of the Juppongatana. I think Hoji is a character that can be developed to be very active from now on in the story, but among the Juppongatana, Hoji is the only one truly concerned about Japan. That is where he is similar to Ishin Shishi and can be compared to Kenshin. I also feel that as the number two man in the organization, it may be possible to portray him living dirty in an attractive way, like Shinsengumi’s Hijikata.

Shueisha: Why do you like Jin-e?
Watsuki: Because he insane *laughs*. I like character that are kind of deep or dark. But if I do that with the main character, it won’t be interesting so I decided to integrate that aspect into an enemy. For that reason, I believe that Jin-e is the most successful character.

Shueisha: I understand. Thank you very much for your time today.
Watsuki: No, no, thank you. I’m looking forward to seeing the completion of this book.