Rumiko Takahashi: Beyond Boundaries
A Long Interview

Translation by: Harley Acres

On November 2, 2020, the autumn Medal of Honor recipients were announced, and Rumiko Takahashi's receipt of the Medal with Purple Ribbon made a big splash. The December issue of DaVinci features a major article on the appeal of Rumiko Takahashi, titled "Rumiko Takahashi: Beyond Boundaries". A long interview with Rumiko Takahashi was conducted on the subject of "Beyond". Although the interview was conducted in writing, Ms. Takahashi herself wrote, "Thanks to that, I am proud to say that I was able to tell you quite honestly what I think while organizing my thoughts," and her clear and crisp writing shows her unwavering attitude toward her manga creation, and the fact that she has not changed. Her love for manga is evident. ^[1]

Beyond Space-Time

Q. Inuyasha depicts the Sengoku era and the present day, while MAO depicts the Taisho era and the present day. It is impressive that the heroines, Kagome and Nanoka, frequently go back and forth between the two eras and yet their modern lives are important to them. What made you decide to make it possible to come and go, rather than having a setting where it is "difficult to come back"?

A. When Inuyasha was being serialized, I discussed with my editor whether or not Kagome should come back to the present. ^[2] My editor thought that she should not return until the feeling of the Sengoku period had been established in the story. His opinion was that "the most important thing is to keep the product in the market." In the end, I had Kagome return home, because I felt at the time, "Her family will be worried." Since the heroine, Kagome, was taken away by a demon right in front of her brother, the remaining family members would not feel comfortable just going on normally, and it would be awkward not to address it. However, a plot point such as that would actually get in the way of the story, so I decided to return the storyline to the present day and let Kagome choose whether or not to return to the Sengoku era afterwards.

In the case of MAO, it was quite important to show the misunderstanding of what was going on a hundred years ago and also that the mystery and other plot points will extend to the present day. And since there are a lot of flashbacks to the Heian era, if Nanoka cannot return home, then everything about the Reiwa era would also be told in flashback as well, so I made it possible to go back and forth normally.

Q. The motif of living beyond time, transcending life and death, also appears frequently in your works. While you do depict life in a positive light, you sometimes focus on sadness and suffering such as in Mermaid Saga.

A. Especially in Mermaid Saga, I focused on depicting a "way of life". The main character, Yuta, is actually the most proper... Although he is immortal, he says that he wants to die in a natural way, not that he is longing for death. In a manner of speaking, he is living by interacting with others. I thought that the people involved with the mermaid flesh in each story could do whatever they wanted, and by having the immortal Yuta say 'this is how I feel,' the story would be balanced.

Q. "I am not longing for death." Yuta seems to think that "being involved with people" is closely connected to living and that by being involved with people he is living in some way?

A. Realistically speaking, I think it would be more difficult to live without getting involved... For Yuta, he is looking for mermaids, so he has to interact with people to gather information, and by interacting with people, he feels and thinks about their feelings, which in turn saves his life. I think it is important for him to be in contact with people, because it touches his heart.

Beyond Race

Q. I am struck by the way your characters transcend their races and communicate with one another such as Lum and Ataru (an alien and an earthling) in Urusei Yatsura and Inuyasha and Kagome (a half-demon and a human) in Inuyasha. What are your thoughts on bringing people of different races together?

A. This may sound overly blunt, but I'll simply say "it's a manga, so it's fun to have a lot of characters with different designs."

Q. In shonen manga, different types of people, not only people of different races but also different types of people in general, are depicted fighting or enjoying each other's company. On the other hand, your short stories for an adult audience such as Positive Cooking and Dutiful Vacation depict the difficulty of communication among family members and others with close relationships, as well as the kind of relief that can be found in such interactions. How is your own way of communicating and thinking reflected in your works?

A. As I get older, I have come to think, "There are many things that can't be understood unless they are said." On the other hand, in my works, I depict the tragedies and joys that occur because of an inability to communicate.

Q. Please tell us about a particularly memorable work of yours that depicts "the tragedies and joys that arise from the inability to communicate."

A. Positive Cooking is a good example in terms of having that element of "I can't say anything right" and "I'm afraid to come right out and ask." In Maison Ikkoku the heroine is not very perceptive and the other residents say unnecessary things, and the hero is at their mercy.

Beyond Gender

Q. In your works, there are several fascinating characters whose gender is not fixed, such as Ranma (Ranma 1/2), who changes from male to female when he is splashed with water, and Ryunosuke (Urusei Yatsura), a girl who was raised as a boy. What made you decide to depict such characters?

A. Well, as for Ranma, I think his origin is via the story Laugh and Forgive (笑って許して) by Hikaru Yuzuki-sensei, which I read around my freshman year in high school, which I found interesting. ^[3] Ryunosuke is a character born from the fact that I couldn't make a rough draft for that week and drew a completely different story from what I discussed in the editorial meeting. In Urusei, the male characters absolutely had to be ridiculous, but Ryunosuke is a girl, so I was allowed to draw her in a cool way, but her existence itself is ridiculous, so I think it worked out well. Additionally, the process of swapping genders often makes the artist feel like they are fooling themselves, and it's a lot more fun to draw.

Q. What sort of situation do you mean by "fooling yourself"?

A. There are a lot I suppose. For example, when I am drawing Ryunosuke, I keep in mind that she is a girl, but I feel like I'm drawing a boy since the picture is of a cool guy. I get some satisfaction from that.

Q. It is often said that the heroines that you depict are not only protected by the heroes, but also fight to protect the heroes as well. I feel that Nanoka in MAO is a strong and kind girl with a good heart. You also said that the relationship between Mao and Nanoka is a "buddy" relationship, which I thought was very nice. I wonder what makes you draw these kinds of girls that have relationships like this?

A. Since I draw primarily for boys' magazines, I always focus on a male protagonist, but I like drawing girls, and I wanted to make them active in my work. At the time of my debut, I did this unconsciously, but I recieved feedback "oh, this is something new," and I think it worked out well. Nanoka is still in the process of growing up, so I hope she will develop more independance in the future.

Q. You just said "I like drawing girls," what is it you find appealing about drawing them?

A. The softness of the lines of their bodies, the brightness and vividness that female characters have that male characters lack, the fun in choosing various clothes and swimsuits for them and all sorts of other things. In Maison Ikkoku, I don't remember which chapter it was, but the first half of the story was filled with scenes of only male characters, including Godai, and when I finally drew Mrs. Ichinose, I was surprised at how I felt at peace with myself. I think that female characters are a source of enrichment for me.

Beyond Generations

Q. With each new series, new readers who are children and members of a younger generations are added to your audience, your previous readers remain, and there have been readers who have followed your work for decades. What do your readers mean to you?

A. A manga isn't complete without readers. I really appreciate it when someone enjoys my work and waits to see what's coming next, and that's the motivation for everything I do.

Q. Some artists shift from juvenile to adult-oriented works as they get older, why do you continue to draw for younger audiences?

A. All I can say is that I like shonen manga. My drawings are basically childlike, so it fits in well with my shonen manga sensibilities. I also draw old men stories for seinen magazines, but I feel more comfortable returning to shonen manga work, where I can draw teenage boys and girls. The stories are more cartoonish in shonen magazines, so I think it suits me better.

Beyond Genres

Q. In your serializations in shonen magazines you alternate between comedy and serious works. Some say that if you draw the same type of work all the time you get tired of it.

A. I like both comedies and more serious stories. I want to draw both. I also change my taste in what I publish in Shonen Sunday because I am looking for a change, but I'm afraid that readers will get bored if I continue to follow the same trends.

I try to respond to requests, whether they are for serials or short stories, by asking the editor in charge what kind of genre they're looking for and whether they are darker or lighter stories, but in the end I can only draw what I'm in the mood to draw at that time. However, I think it's a necessary process, because listening to requests is a good opportunity for me as well.

Going Beyond in Real Life

Q. What do you think about going from where you are now to an unknown place or crossing some milestone in your real life? Do you find it romantic or interesting? Do you feel fear or hesitation?

A. If it's a trip, that's fine... I am only fearful of sudden change in my life. I don't want much change in my real life.

Q. Are there times you've been worried, I don't mean necessarily when you've "gone beyond" in real life or in your creative activities. You don't have to share that. Have you ever had the experience where you thought, "I'm not looking forward to that!" What sort of things do you fear?

A. After graduating from college and attaining a proper degree I had my first job and set up my studio and said to myself, "This is it!" I might have even thought "I've gone beyond!" I really felt like my professional life had begun.

What I fear is earthquakes and other disasters that threaten the very foundations of our lives. I don't believe in spirtual phenomena, but I never want to go near such places where I could encounter something like that. I don't want to witness or experience paranormal phenomena.

Who is Rumiko Takahashi?

Q. List some of your favorite manga, anime, novels, dramas and other entertainment works that you have particularly enjoyed recently. I would like to ask you, do they have any influence on what you draw?

A. Manga would be BEASTSTARS (ビースターズ), Golden Kamuy (ゴールデンカムイ), Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人), Skip and Loafer (スキップとローファー), Nanatsuya: Shinobu's Jewel Box (七つ屋 志のぶの宝石匣), Chihayafuru (ちはやふる), March Comes in Like a Lion (3月のライオン), Akiko Higashimura's series of works, and also things my editor has recommended like The Star of Girls' Garden (女の園の星) which is a jackpot. ^[4] I love MOGUMOGU Eating and Walking Bear (MOGUMOGU食べ歩きくま), so much that I memorized it.

As for dramas I'd say Naoki Hanazawa (半沢直樹).

I haven't had time to read novels lately, but I read 90% of Agatha Christie's work before the serialization of MAO simply for fun. As a result I learned a good deal about the structure of mysteries.

Q. You've repeatedly stated that what is important to you in drawing manga is that the reader's feelings aren't hurt. What made you come to feel this way?

A. There was an anime I saw a long time ago that hurt me because it was different from my sense of ethics. ^[5] This is my arbitrary view, as everyone has a different ethical point of view. However, I want to respect my own standards and the dignity of the characters.

Q. In terms of "ethics" what do you personally value most?

A. The dignity of the character. I cannot depict irreparable humiliation or violence. There are things that cannot be conveyed without depicting corpses in the flow of the story, but I try not to make them more cruel than necessary.

Q. I felt that all the answers you gave were very interesting, clear, and were given without any hesitation. What kind of personality do you think you have? What kind of a mangaka do you think you are?

A. I think I am a serious person. If I can put off something til tomorrow, I'll do it today anyway. I don't worry too much. I can't remember more than three worries, and when I have a fourth one, it is erased. I am very persistent when it comes to manga. I work until I'm satisfied with my work, especially in the storyboarding and planning phases (I think it's the same for most professional manga artists). I'm a bit of an indoor person, so I think my personality and lifestyle are suited to being a mangaka. As for what kind of mangaka I am, my debut work happened to be published in a weekly magazine, and many readers found it. I was more "motived" than "anxious" and when a good wave came along I took advantage of it. I feel that I am a blessed mangaka.

What Would You Say to DaVinci Readers?

This time, due to the Coronavirus, this was a completely written interview. Thanks to that, I am proud to say that I was able to tell you quite honestly what I think while organizing my thoughts. The questions from DaVinci were interesting, as they made me think about things I don't usually think about from a variety of angles.

I would be happy if you read this article and became even a little bit interested in my manga and feel free to read it when you have a spare moment. Thank you very much.

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Footnotes

• [1] The reason the interview was conducted in writing rather than face-to-face is due the the then ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
• [2] This would likely be referring to Toshiyuki Seno (瀬尾俊之), Takahashi's fourth and final editor on Ranma 1/2 and the first editor on Inuyasha. You can read Seno's thoughts of working on various Takahashi projects in the article "My Page One"
• [3] Hikaru Yuzuki (弓月光) is primarily known as a shojo artist. He made a few body swap manga such as Laugh and Forgive (笑って許して) and My First Time (ボクの初体験).
• [4] Takahashi did an interview with Akiko Higashimura which you can read here.
• [5] It is impossible to say for certain what Takahashi is referring to here, but an educated guess would be to a joke that was added in an episode of Urusei Yatsura that she said she felt was quite inappropriate. You can read about the joke and her frustration with it here. Please keep in mind this is simply an educated guess regarding if this is what Takahashi is referring to, but it seems probable.

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