- We struggle a lot to create each story, yet there's a lot of joy in this struggle. When I finally find the story's theme after a long time, I feel as if it broadens my world and shows me my way. My view turns from cloudy to clear as if God lighted the path. I really like that moment. Honestly, we have big struggles almost every time, but we haven't shit our pants yet. We somehow get over the struggle every time and it works out.
- I create each story by bleeding from soul. I actually told this to the manga artist of Bartender, Kenji Nagatomo, to make him more serious about creating our story. Then he told me, "I've actually got an ulcer and I'm bleeding from my stomach right now."
- The best part of his job: When the manga I write becomes a big hit! It's like winning lottery. You can buy a Ferrari with cash!
- If you are interested in something, you can add details and reality to the story, so I recommend people write about something they know and are interested in.
- People like learning new things and manga is a very useful gateway for beginners to start studying something. Therefore, there are many manga with a lot of information packed in them. In fact, many people actually don't read manga without such elements. It's often said that readers want a reason to buy books. What this means is that adult readers only buy manga that they'll want to keep in their homes and read over and over again. Thus, manga has to be enjoyable and informational.
- About "Bartender":It's not a story about drinks (cocktails or alcohol). It's a story about people whose lives revolve around drinks. Simply put, it's a story about a bartender, and people with problems who find respite through interacting with him. I can't say anything more.
- Consider the difference between chess and shogi (Japanese chess), which represents the difference between Western comics and Japanese manga. You can't re-use enemy's chessman you take in chess, whereas you can re-use an enemy's piece in shogi. What this means is that a good guy usually just fights against a bad guy and wins in Western manga, whereas in Japanese manga a good guy wins against a bad guy and the bad guy often becomes a companion of the good guy. This applies not only to mainstream adventure/fighting manga but also to stories for adults, like mine. If you have read my manga, you probably already know, but there are not simply "bad" people in my stories because all people have good and bad aspects. When you see a person from different standpoints, he/she can look like either a good person or a bad person. I believe Japanese people like to save those "bad" people or people with problems, and that is why there are a lot of manga about helping people.
- I heard some guys talking to girls at a bar about the drinks they were drinking, and what they said were exact quotes from my books. Of course, they didn't realize that I was there, but I felt happy when I heard it.
- When I go to a bar, I sometimes encounter bartenders or sommeliers who say they chose their career after reading my manga. If their drinks are good, it's wonderful; but if they serve me a bad drink, I feel bad that my manga led them the wrong way, though I can't tell them. I shout in my mind, "It's not too late! Change your career! Noooo!" Of course, I appreciate the fact that they liked my manga enough to choose a career based on it.
- The reason why food-themed manga are written so much is simply because it's easier for readers to try out what they learn. They can read manga and then make the foods or go to eat the foods in a restaurant. They can use the information right away. It's the same with drink manga. When a manga contains information that readers want, and also if the story is enjoyable, it will be a hit. Everybody likes eating tasty foods and stories about foods are written a lot.
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