33 Questions for Ohba and Obata
How to Read 13 >> 33 Questions for Ohba and Obata
Thank you Kuwamatsu-Aki for these wonderful translations :)We had both Ooba Tsugumi-sensei and Obata Takeshi-sensei answer a questionnaire. From the series to their private lives, there's a total of 33 abundant questions. Reading this might uncover some unexpected truths?!
1.) Please tell us who your three favorite human characters are, and why.
Ooba
1. L. Because excluding Light, he was the most well-defined character in my mind.
2. Mikami Teru. Because excluding Light, he was the second most well-defined character in my mind.
3. Yagami Souichirou. Because excluding Light, he was the third etc.
1. L. Everything from visuals to personality. I could never have created such a weird character on my own, and he fits the series very well. I had fun drawing him.
2. Yagami Light. Rather than just liking him, it was the happiness of being able to draw such an evil guy in a shounen magazine.
3. Watari. I liked the old butler types, and I think he had the modesty of hiding many abilities.
2.) Please tell us who your favorite shinigami is, and why.
Ooba
Ryuk. Because if I declared anyone else my favorite, Ryuk would lose face. *laughs*
Obata:
Rem. Because she's a good person despite being a shinigami, I suppose.
3.) Please tell us what your three favorite scenes are, and why.
Ooba
1. From page.19 "Humiliation," the "I am L" scene. It was the scene I was most enthusiastic about.
2. From page.58 "Mind," L's death scene. I couldn't eat for about three days due to the shock.
3. From page.107 "Curtain Fall," Light's death scene. Even while thinking that this time had finally come, it was drawn more amazingly than I expected.
Obata:
1. From page.19 "Humiliation," where Light and L meet, because I'd never imagined that L would name himself.
2. From page.58 "Mind," where L dies. I get fired up about drawing the death scenes of characters I like.
3. From page.108 "Finis," the last scene with the girl praying. I wanted to draw something beautiful for the end.
4.) Please tell us what your favorite line is, and why.
Ooba
From page.14 "Temptation," Light's "Because I'm Kira." I was all, "Don't say it!", but that's also what I like about it.
Obata:
From page.19 "Humiliation," L's "I am L." I couldn't believe he said it himself....
5.) Please tell us what your favorite trick is, and why.
Ooba
From page.4 "Electric Current," the hiding place for the note, and from page.16 "Headstand," the trick using the doorknob and piece of lead to check whether anyone had entered the room. The hiding place was particularly memorable to me because I struggled for a long time before coming up with the idea, and in both cases even I myself thought it was funny that Light was going so far.
Obata:
From page.2 "L," the trick which used Lind L. Tailor to find out that Kira was in the Kantou region. I knew that Death Note was truly interesting with this scene. It was also a good showcase of L's ruthlessness.
6.) Who was a difficult character to write/draw?
Ooba
Matt, because not even I myself really knew what kind of person he was.
Obata:
Misa, because it was difficult for me to understand her stance of doing anything for the person she loves, and I felt rather overwhelmed while drawing her.
7.) Which scenes or developments particularly gave you trouble during the creation process?
Ooba
The transition from page.59 "Zero" to page.60 "Abduction." It was tough for me to establish a new setting in such a short amount of time. I also had difficulty controlling the pacing after deciding the series would end at chapter 108.
Obata:
8.) Who do you think is the smartest of all the characters? Please answer according to your own judgment.
Ooba
L. Because he has to be, according to the setting of the manga. *laughs*
Obata:
Near. Because he doesn't play fairly.
9.) Who do you think is the most evil of all the characters? Please answer according to your own judgment.
Ooba
The mafia boss Mello was with, Rodd Los. Since he's leader of the mafia, he must have been an exceedingly evil person.
Obata
...I don't know.
10.) Who do you think is the most virtuous of all the characters? Please answer according to your own judgment.
Ooba
Yagami Sachiko and Sayu, because you can't sense any malice or twisted aspects to their personalities at all.
Obata
Yagami Souichirou.
11.) Who do you think is the most pitiable of all the characters? Please answer according to your own judgment.
Ooba
The Yagami family. Light's life was ruined by picking up the Death Note, and Souichirou was killed in the line of duty. The ones left behind, Sachiko and Sayu, are also pitiable.
Obata
Everyone in the Yagami family.
12.) What "one thing" do you think is Death Note's greatest selling point?
Ooba
The human whose name is written in this note shall die.
Obata
Its unpredictability.
13.) Please tell us the general schedule you set for yourself during the serialization.
Ooba
Assuming I can get it done in one week, the most common pattern is five days for thinking, and one day for doing the rough draft and cleaning it up. I fax it to the manager within that same day, then the remaining day is spent on minute corrections.
Obata
14.) Is your work pace always consistent? Or does it change drastically according to your mood?
Ooba
There were times when I finished in three to four days, and also times when it took nearly a month.
Obata
It's consistent, but the pace changes when there are color pages.
15.) During the series' run, were there any particular rules or ideas that you imposed on yourself?
Ooba
To put something funny in each chapter, even if it ends up being cut out. To use interesting ideas right away, instead of saving them for later.
Obata
To abide by the deadline, and to do art that draws out the best qualities of the original script.
16.) When working, were there any items you couldn't do without?
Ooba
A pencil and eraser. If you meant something else, then nothing in particular.
Obata
Coffee, which I never go without, even if there are times when I might skip meals. Music for when I'm drawing color pictures. An Aeron chair. Movie DVDs.
17.) In creating the series, were there any things you referenced or were stimulated by?
Ooba
The manager's opinions were what I referenced the most. The fact that the series was more popular than I anticipated was what stimulated me.
Obata
Fashion magazines for coming up with the characters' outfits. Accessory books which helped me get ideas for drawing shinigami and other designs.
18.) Were you aware of the readers' plot predictions on the internet? And what did you think of it?
Ooba
It was apparently talked about a lot on the 'net, but I didn't have the spare time to look, and I didn't want to get shaken up over it so I purposely avoided looking. But I'm glad the readers were discussing the series, in any shape or form.
Obata
I'm not familiar with the internet, but I'm very happy people paid that much attention to the series.
19.) How did you write the comics (tankoubon) comments?
Ooba
It was what I hated most out of all the things I had to do, so I just wrote something half-assed at the last minute before the deadline. Sorry.
Obata
I'm horrible at it so I really didn't want to do it, but I just wrote randomly depending on my mood at the time. I think the only ones I wrote properly were volumes 2 and 12.
20.) Please tell us the manga series and genres you like.
Ooba
I like Death Note. The genre I like is gag.
Obata
Fujita Kazuhiro-sensei's "Ushio to Tora," Takahashi Yousuke-sensei's works, dark one-shots.
21.) Why did you aspire to become a manga creator? And how old were you when you decided?
Ooba
I was encouraged by a friend. 18 years old.
Obata
It was around my second year in middle school that I started thinking I wanted to make a living by drawing.
22.) What did you want to be when you were a child?
Ooba
A gymnast.
Obata
A creator of something.
23.) Please tell us if there are any authors who influenced you, or who you respect.
Ooba
The manager, though he's not an author. He's very serious in his commenting about this and that, so I just couldn't help but be influenced. *laughs* I respect his all-out effort.
Obata
Umezu Kazuo-sensei. A series I was influenced by is Ishinomori Shoutarou-sensei's "Cyborg 009."
24.) Are there any Weekly Jump authors you're particularly paying attention to lately?
Ooba
I pay attention to all of the authors in WJ. If I had to pick one, then Dai Amon-sensei, who referenced Death Note in his gags many times.
Obata
All of the WJ authors.
25.) What are "the readers" to you?
Ooba
I was also a reader once, so I guess they're my brethren?
Obata
They're what sustain me.
26.) Are there any Death Note characters you feel are similar to you?
Ooba
I'm like Near in that I rarely go outside, and like Light in that I'm good at my studies....
Obata
Matsuda.
27.) Do you have any hobbies besides manga?
Ooba
First of all, manga isn't a hobby. *laughs* Going to pet shops and gazing at the cute animals is my hobby.
Obata
Cars and bikes.
28.) What are you most interested in lately?
Ooba
I'm anxious about the movie "Death Note: the Last name." I'm also interested in wagashi [Japanese confectionery].
Obata
Traveling. I want to see the World Heritage Sites.
29.) What's the first thing you did after Death Note finished running?
Ooba
I don't think I've done anything particularly different. Sorry.
Obata
I watched the DVDs I'd been wanting to watch.
30.) What do you think is the reason Death Note was supported by so many readers?
Ooba
Perhaps due to the unJump-like story being drawn in such a deadly serious manner with Obata-sensei's realistic art.
Obata
Because even though it didn't seen very Jump-like at first glance, it's still actually very suited for Jump, maybe?
31.) Please tell us your thoughts about the series expanding to so many different mediums, with the movies, anime, novel, game, etc....
Ooba
I'm very thankful. I'm grateful to all of the people involved.
Obata
I'm looking forward to all of them. I'm really happy about it.
32.) What kind of genre and subject matter do you want your next series to be?
Ooba
An extremely wholesome sports series, or a fantasy one (I doubt I can do it, though).
Obata
Either a completely fantastical world, or an incredibly realistic world.
33.) Please give a comment to the readers.
Ooba
To the people who read it, especially the ones who read until the end, thank you very much.
Obata
This series can be interpreted in many different ways, so please also check out the movies and anime.
