――How did you two become manga creators?

Ever since I can remember I have loved to draw, and my mother and friends would tell me how good I was at it. Back then, the only people who draw for a living that I knew about were manga artists, so I thought, “Well, I guess I’ll become a manga artist.” When I was little, rather than drawing manga, I was happy just copying Goku from Dragon Ball or drawing my own original Super Saiyans (laughs). I started drawing manga seriously when I was in university. And my very first work (Nukegara) was selected as an honorable mention for the Tezuka Award. The judge at the time was Masashi Kishimoto, and I heard he really pushed for my work.

I started drawing manga seriously in university, and my first work, titled “En Ten,” was selected as a runner-up for the Tezuka Award, where Horikoshi-sensei was a judge.

All the judges gave high marks to “En Ten.” They were saying, “Wow!” It was very highly acclaimed and said to be “like 'Naruto’” (laughs).

(Laughs.) I heard that Horikoshi-sensei praised it the most. He said, “The page-turning effect is great.”

Ah, the part where the chameleon comes in. I guess I was honestly impressed by that scene and thought, “Whoa!” This guy’s good.

After hearing Horikoshi-sensei’s critique, I felt confident that I was a good director (laughs).

I felt that the intention was to surprise the readers. I thought that’s professional-level work.

When Horikoshi-sensei said I was “pro-level,” I bragged to my family and friends, “Hey, my directing is pro-level!” (laughs).

――Please tell us how “My Hero Academia” and “Kagurabachi” came to be.

When I started planning “My Hero Academia,” the serialization of my second work, “Barrage,” had just ended. Up until then, I had an admiration for Luffy from “ONE PIECE,” and I really felt that I had to create a character like him. But after my own works ended serialization twice, I finally realized that there isn’t a like Luffy within me. So, I decided to once again search for a protagonist that would be easy for me to depict. In the end, the main character in “My Hero,” which I’d previously drawn as a one-shot, suited my nature. I felt like I wanted to do another manga with the character I am most comfortable drawing, and that’s how “My Hero Academia” was born. I think it took roughly a year from initial conception to the completion of the first chapter’s storyboard. I struggled a lot, creating multiple versions just for the opening scenes and not having the characters’ traits fully decided on yet. But the character All Might was created early on, so I had a feeling I could make it work with him.

The concept for “Kagurabachi” came around the end of 2022. In the beginning, I thought of going with a dark protagonist. Back then, Jump didn’t have many of that type of protagonist, so I thought it might become a new type of style. Also, I decided from the start to set it in a slightly strange version of Japan, like the kind you see in Hollywood movies. During the process of creating storyboards set in this “pseudo-Japan,” I gradually added elements like the enchanted blades and spirit-energy abilities to the setting. I remember finishing the first chapter around April or May 2023, and then rushing to create storyboards for chapters 2 and 3.

――What was your impression when you first read “My Hero Academia”?

The first time I read “My Hero Academia” was in high school, and I remember saying to the friend who recommended it to me, “This is interesting.”

Oh, good (laughs).

The story was just around the time the U.A. Sports Festival arc was coming to an end. I wasn’t drawing manga back then, so I was purely enjoying the stories and the artistry. I wasn’t a big manga reader, but I used to buy “My Hero Academia,” “Naruto,” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” whenever they came out in book form.

That’s nice to hear. But “Kagurabachi” is heavily influenced by “Naruto” in terms of style, so it’s hard to imagine you liking “My Hero Academia” that much because it’s a completely different genre (laughs).

Whenever I talk about “My Hero Academia,” Horikoshi-sensei says something like, “There’s no way you like it.” (laughs). It’s true that “Naruto” had a great influence on me, but I also love “My Hero Academia.”

――Has your view of “My Hero Academia” changed in any way since you became a manga artist?

I'm learning a lot not only about techniques for expressing character personalities and traits, but also about drawing methods. At first, I disliked drawing characters’ hands, but after reading an interview in which an author said, “It’s the hands that best express a character’s emotions,” I began to pay attention to the depiction of hands. I now love drawing hands.

I think they’re drawn incredibly well. My favorite hand is Samura’s hands when he assumes the Iai White Purity style stance. And when Chihiro takes a fighting stance.

Really? Thank you very much. I value fine subtleties immensely.

――What do you think is the most attractive point of “My Hero Academia”?

What I find most impressive is how the storytelling aligns with the reader’s emotions. For example, there’s that scene where everyone in Class A tries to pull Deku back after he runs away from U.A. High School, right? The scene where Iida-kun catches up to Deku and grabs his hand. I think it’s amazing how every element was used—panel layouts, dialogue, everything—to fully capture that scene without leaving any character behind. The emotions of the characters and the reader’s emotions surge together in a “whoosh,” don’t they?
In the scene where Ochako screams from the top of the school building, the monologue and each character's gaze and movement heighten the reader's emotion, while the large vertical frames are used to show Ochako's swing before she screams. The page turn shows Ochako screaming while Deku crouches down. I think the skill of a manga artist lies in presenting things in a way that never leaves readers behind.

――Which character in “My Hero Academia” do you like best?

Mirio, I think. The battle with Chisaki is very memorable. He defeats the enemy leader in an instant, but even though his “quirk” is erased afterwards, he continues to struggle. That development is so cool. You know how with great manga, when you're reading the collected volumes, there’s always that one volume where you think, “That volume of that series is the best!”? That’s volume 17 of “My Hero Academia.”

――Is your favorite scene also Mirio’s battle scene?

Yes, it is. But there are others I like. I often refer to the way Horikoshi-sensei draws facial expressions, and there is a scene toward the end of the story where Ochako cries. I was quite shocked by that look. It’s a perfect balance of her face being scrunched up but still cute. Character emotions are usually expressed by the wrinkles between the eyebrows, but in this case even subtle wrinkles on her eyelids are drawn in a very realistic manner. My Hero Academia tends to use more manga-style expressions. So I thought it was great how a truly realistic look was portrayed while retaining that sensibility.

――I heard that Hokazono-sensei visited Horikoshi-sensei’s workplace before the serialization of “Kagurabachi” began. Is there anything you learned there?

Watching someone as incredibly skilled as Horikoshi-sensei draw at an unbelievable speed right before my eyes, I thought, “Is this really a human being drawing?” (laugh) I’m glad I was able to see that in person. I tend to worship people who are so great as if they are gods, but since I've stepped onto the same stage as a manga artist, I have to strive to reach that level myself. It was great to think that if I worked hard, I could get there, too. But I just happened to visit on deadline day... (laugh). I visited around noon, and as the sun got lower in the sky, the air gradually grew more tense. The editor started getting nervous (laughs).

It was such a chaotic mess that even Hokazono-san, who was just supposed to be observing, ended up helping out like it was nothing (laughs).

In a chapter featuring Twice a lot, I was given the opportunity to draw several of them. It was a fantastic experience. I was surprised at how fast the assistants work in Horikoshi-sensei’s studio. Seeing how fast everyone worked, I panicked on my way home, thinking, “I can’t draw that fast. How will I ever manage a serialized manga?!”  But it was great to get a clear image of what it’s like to do a serial manga, which until then was a bit vague.

――What did you think when you read the first chapter of “Kagurabachi”?

“Kagurabachi” really captures his personal sense of what is cool and he manages to translate that into a solid manga. Usually, with the first serialized work, the priority is getting it approved at the serialization meeting, so we tend to put our personal preferences on the back burner. In doing so, more and more, what we think is cool gets left behind.
But “Kagurabachi” is a work which has been able to keep the author’s personal sense of what is cool at the forefront, which I think is awesome. There's a panel showing Chihiro standing on a table and slashing enemies from a bird’s-eye view, but honestly, it’s totally unnecessary in telling the story (laugh). But he doesn’t skip over those parts. He makes it a point to let readers know, “This is what’s cool!” He really is someone with a strong sense of self. I can’t do that (laughs).

――The signature move composition in “Kagurabachi” is quite distinctive. How exactly is this composition created?

I haven’t really thought logically about composition before, so it’s hard to explain. For composition of key scenes, I think I first determine the location for that scene and then consider how I can make the situation look good. Then, I’ll do some rough drafts until I feel it’s right in my mind. Also, I like movies, so I think my composition is naturally influenced by movies.

Genius. When it comes to the composition of key panels, is there a specific intention behind them, like, “This isn’t something you see in other manga”?

Yes, there is. It’s like taking visual imagery from a movie or something of a type I wouldn’t ever see in manga and translating it into manga.

――How did you create the main character Chihiro in “Kagurabachi”?

As I mentioned earlier, I was trying to make him a darker character, which was not common in Jump at that time. For example, in “Naruto,” the protagonist is cheerful comic relief, surrounded by cool characters who serve to highlight him, right? On the contrary, I wanted to compose in a way in which the main character is the cool, straight man type, surrounded by lively characters, so that Chihiro can bring out the fun in the other characters. Also, Jump often features cover art with all the protagonists gathered together for special double issues, and I was thinking about making sure mine would stand out alongside protagonists from other manga.

It is amazing that at such a young age he is making manga with a plan to “stand out in Jump.” What really stuck with me was a scene during the battle with Yura where the usually cool Chihiro shows his emotions. Moments like that make the character even more compelling. By depicting an expression Chihiro hadn’t shown before, the opposing character is positioned as an “enemy that must be defeated.”

After Horikoshi-sensei told me this, I began to pay more attention to characters’ facial expressions.

――What is the appeal of “Kagurabachi” from your point of view?

I think it really comes down to the framing of key scenes and the situations. The recently published chapter 86 had a relatively calm tone, but within it there was a two page out of nowhere showing scenes from the Seitei War. I felt the author’s determination to express, “This won’t be just another quiet chapter.”

If I don’t have much to show, I get nervous and wonder if it’s really okay. The story develops quickly, so I thought that if I did a quieter chapter, it would quickly lose steam. I believe that what readers expect from “Kagurabachi” is an exciting showcase, so I wanted to include such scenes somewhere.

I think this is both a good point and a weak point of “Kagurabachi,” but week after week, it builds up a solid structure from the pretense to the punchline. It’s incredibly well-written and easy to read, but sometimes it feels like a waste when the huge cliffhanger at the end of the previous week gets reset in the setup at the start of the following week. To build excitement, it’s perfectly fine to skip the setup and dive straight into the next scene with the same energy as the previous chapter.

This is something I know all too well myself. However, considering it’s a serialized manga, I feel like readers should be able to enjoy it equally no matter which chapter they start with. If I don’t clearly depict the parts that make each chapter interesting, the appeal might not come across. But, when I read it in collected book form, I do sometimes feel that the sense of speed of the story’s progression is lost.

Once you get that “Whoa!” rush of excitement, as a reader, you just want to keep running with that same feeling. I think it would be good to follow the reader’s emotions and have the momentum of a great scene flow continuously.
But I can’t create solid storyboards every single week, so I think that’s part of the charm too. Because there is a proper setup and lead-in, each chapter is very satisfying.

――Which character in “Kagurabachi” do you like best?

Hakuri. I think he’s such a good character. The personality, the backbone, the character’s position, everything is awesome. And yet, he has a cheerful personality and never gets gloomy. Looking at him as a writer, I thought he’s a very useful character and probably really fun to draw.

I enjoy creating storyboards involving Hakuri.

Scenes with Chihiro tend to be serious in terms of setting. Hakuri’s settings are pretty heavy, too, but there is a brightness that makes it not feel quite as heavy, so there is a good balance between the characters. His techniques are powerful, too (laughs).

――Is there a technique of Hokazono-sensei’s you would like to imitate?

I think the camera work and the use of solid black areas are outstanding.Recently, a scene that made me think “No way!” was when Samura appeared after sensing the enchanted blade being drawn. Chihiro’s hand is partially visible in the foreground, and Samura is depicted behind it, but Chihiro’s face isn’t shown. The way it conveyed the history and relationship between Chihiro and Samura through composition alone, without facial expressions, made me think, “That’s genius.” It was like religious art conveying myths through pictures alone. I was speechless. I think it is great that he can tell a story through composition.

――Is there anything that you two are conscious of in order to improve your drawing skills?

I try to question myself every time I draw. By doubting whether my own work is any good, I can train my eye to become more discerning.

You have already been doing what I finally realized by the fifth or sixth year of the third serial “My Hero Academia.” (laughs) I feel the same way. As I continued to work on the series, there were more and more things that I didn’t understand, such as, “Is this the right hand movement here?” As my eye becomes more discerning, I start to feel a sense of unease about my art, which I used to be more casual about.
Also, after all, our predecessors have left us many amazing things, so I look at them and study them. To be specific, “Naruto” stands head and shoulders above the rest in its ability to construct entire spaces. I wonder how some scenes would look if shot with an ultra-wide-angle lens, and things like that. I’m amazed looking at “Naruto” thinking, “Oh, that’s how that’s drawn.”

“Naruto” doesn't use a lot of screen tones and has few lines. It’s astonishing how precisely the lines are drawn so that the image doesn’t look cheap despite using so few lines. I draw using small techniques such as solid blacks and oblique lines to express light, so if I were to draw like Kishimoto-sensei, the scenes would end up looking very plain.

――Any tips on how to bring out the coolness of a character?

Maybe the trick to drawing characters in a way that doesn’t leave the reader behind, as Hokazono-san mentioned earlier, is to bring out the charm of the characters. When a character strikes a cool pose in a scene, it’s important to ensure that the scene doesn’t make readers feel like it’s happening somewhere completely unrelated to them. Before a scene where a character makes their appearance, I carefully describe the circumstances leading up to it so that the reader can easily empathize with the character.
If a dramatic moment doesn’t resonate with readers, it becomes wasted page space, so you need to start aligning with their emotions from the preceding stages. I think it’s important to prepare so that readers can naturally accept the lines and be moved by them, or think they’re cool. By doing so, readers will feel as if the scene is unfolding right before their eyes.

――How did you become aware of this in “My Hero Academia”?

When Deku rushed out to save All Might at USJ, I made sure to depict that he was the only one who knew All Might’s secret, that he had inherited and been nurtured by All Might’s beloved “quirk” before having him dash out.

――Your works feature “quirks” and special abilities like enchanted blades and spirit energy. How did you develop each of these abilities?

I completely prioritize the images I want to draw. For example, early in the story there’s a spirit energy ability that creates an exploding daruma doll. I had a visual image of a goldfish that had sucked in the flames, and Chihiro emerging from the explosion. To depict that, I decided to have the character use a bomb. Also, since it was one of the first enemies, I chose the “daruma” motif to present a Japanese image to readers, which is typical of “Kagurabachi.”
As for Cloud Gouger, I made it an enchanted blade with multiple abilities (water, ice, and lightning) to make it easier to create a variety of images. Also, I think Jump readers read a lot of battle manga, so they are tired of seeing only “lightning” abilities. I also thought that having only one ability for each enchanted blade would be weak.

In the world of “My Hero Academia,” special abilities are individual “quirks,” and so “individuality” exists as a matter of course, and I was conscious of not trying to make them cool. You wouldn’t give something ordinary a cool-sounding foreign name, would you? That is why we call abilities “quirks.” Individual abilities were rooted in daily life, so I just kept coming up with whatever came to mind without overthinking it.

――Is there anything that the two of you are conscious of when drawing an enemy?

I try to include points in my enemy characters that make people think, “If I took a wrong step, I could be on the enemy side too.” Chihiro and Sojo both hold the same deep respect for Kunishige Rokuhira, yet they have walked entirely different paths in life. The positions of Hakuri and Kyora might have been reversed if their relationship as father and son had been different. Even with enemies, I try to create one part of their stories that Chihiro can relate to.

AFO and Shigaraki must be the greatest obstacles to the protagonist’s goals, so they are designed as characters who push in the exact opposite direction of what the protagonist strives for. If the protagonist wants to save someone in need, the AFO breaks everything, and so on. I guess it’s like making the enemy the one who causes the protagonist the most trouble. The protagonist’s response to that was something I thought about as I drew. Thanks to that, AFO was fun to draw and I think he made a good enemy. Enemies are easy to draw because you don’t have to worry about morals or rules.

――Where did the two of you make the most progress in each of your works?

As Hokazono-san mentioned earlier, it was around the time Deku ran away from U.A. High School and fell to pieces. I had already decided what to draw in that part and was confident it would be the peak of the work. I worked on building up to that peak so the story would really hit its stride, and it actually did, which was a lot of fun. After that part, I ran into the difficulty of having to make the story even more exciting than this peak.

In “Kagurabachi,” Hakuri had just awakened in Rakuzaichi and sent Chihiro to the “Storehouse.” Hakuri’s awakening and Chihiro drawing his sword got readers excited. From there, it got more and more fun to work on, and the battles inside the Storehouse were always enjoyable.

Including Kyora’s finale, the entire Rakuzaichi arc really gave off this feeling that Hokazono-san was totally in his element.

Thank you so much!

――How did you feel when you finished the last pages of “My Hero Academia”?

I think I was asleep the morning after I finished the manuscript (laughs). When I finished, what did I do?

When the final manuscript was finished, all the editors who worked on “My Hero Academia” gathered together and presented you with flowers and said, “Congratulations, and thank you for all your hard work!”

At that time, I didn’t feel like it was over. During the serialization, even after one chapter is finished, you immediately start working on the next story, don’t you? Even after two or three days, I still hadn’t made a storyboard, so I started to feel uneasy. Yet I had a lot of work to do, such as on the collected volume, so I didn’t feel that the series was over.

――If there is anything you would like to ask Horikoshi-sensei, please do.

If I could complete an amazing work like “My Hero Academia” with such a beautiful ending, I think I would be totally satisfied. How did you stay motivated after the series ended?

Fortunately, “My Hero Academia” got off to a good start, but it didn’t quite reach the level of “ONE PIECE”, which achieved an incredibly massive first print run. So, I think it’s okay to aim for that level one more time.

――Do you have something in mind for your next project?

Yes, I do. I’m currently working hard on a project.

――Please give a message to Hokazono-sensei.

Please be more carefree. You’re already interesting, but I’d like to see you be a little more wild. It’s important to think “I have to do this” so that readers will get the message, but I think you’re ready now to draw things that stray a little from the basics. Please keep up the good work until it becomes a movie, or spans 43 volumes. (My Hero Academia is 42 volumes)

Thank you very much!

――Please give a message to Horikoshi-sensei.

Is there anything you want to say to me, Hokazono-san? (Laughs)

Yes, there is. I hope you will create a new manga soon.

I want to.

I’d love to have more people join me in the trenches of weekly serialization (laughs).

There are not many people who understand how hard it can be. It is a special profession.