Obata & Ohba Interview

interviews >> Obata & Ohba Interview

Below is the interview translated from Death Note: How to Read 13 by the talented Kuwamatsu-Aki. Please do NOT take this interview and post it on your website WITHOUT the permission of Kuwamatsu-Aki. Ooba Tsugumi-sensei x Obata Takeshi-sensei Special Dialogue

*Doing the one-shot without meeting, then starting the series

--It's apparently been a long time since you two have seen each other... Did you not have meetings with each other [during the series]?

Ooba: Not at all. We each only met with the manager. We hadn't even met when the one-shot was published.

Obata: After the one-shot was published in the summer of 2003, the series started running in December. We met for the first time the following year during the editorial department's New Years party.

--For the one-shot, Ooba-sensei first brought the storyboards to the editorial department, and then it went to Obata-sensei, right? Obata-sensei, what did you think when you saw them?

Obata: I had a hard time picturing it, at first. But it was the type of setting I loved, what with the appearance of shinigami and the dark atmosphere, so I really wanted to do the art for it.

Ooba: I was extremely grateful to be able to get Obata-sensei.

--Ooba-sensei, was there a particular artist that you wanted?

Ooba: No, not at all. I could barely even believe that it was getting published in the first place. It didn't really seem suitable for Jump, after all. So just the fact that it was approved at all, and with Obata-sensei as the artist to boot, was unbelievable to me.

[manga panel: Kagami Tarou from the one-shot
caption: The one-shot which became the prototype for the series. With strong horror elements, its contents were quite different from the series.]

--It's a moot question by this point, but did you two have any plans to meet for the one-shot?

Ooba: The manager deemed it unnecessary, so.... I think it turned out for the best, in the end.

Obata: I really wanted to meet you, Ooba-sensei.

Ooba: If you had said so at the time, I would've gladly gone. *laughs* But I don't think I would've been good for conversation. Too nervous.

Obata: So you're saying we only would've been able to talk about the weather or something? *laughs*

*The future plot was a secret even to Obata-sensei?

--Were future plot developments told to Obata-sensei?

Ooba: The manager didn't really say so. Probably only when important characters like L were introduced?

Obata: I really looked forward to Ooba-sensei's storyboards every week, so I purposely didn't ask [about future developments], but I was always anxious over them. But, in truth, just how far ahead did you plan the plot...?

Ooba: I didn't.

Obata: That can't be true. *laughs* You must have thought everything out, in order to create such a complex story. ...Well then, how far did you think of before the series started running?

Ooba: Up to the third chapter...

Obata: Surely you jest! *laughs*

Ooba: The first things that gave me trouble were hiding the Note in the double-bottomed drawer and the shinigami eyes. I was already having difficulty at those points. Well, they did end up becoming crucial to the plot, but...

Obata: Seriously?

Ooba: Seriously. Though, the shinigami eyes were something I'd already been discussing with the manager from the beginning.

Obata: So you were thinking ahead, then.

Ooba: But I hadn't decided on anything concrete. And anyway, my storyboards are always done by first cornering Light, then deciding what to do next. With Naomi, it was like, "She meets Light... Now what!?" I was always worrying as I went along. *laughs*

Obata: I can't believe it. But you did have the major flow of the story thought out, right?

Ooba: To a certain extent. I did already have things like the second Kira in mind before the series started running...

[manga panel: Ryuk talking about the shinigami eyes
caption: The shinigami eyes became a standard rule which supported the series through the end.]

*Plot and characters which unfold through collaboration

Ooba: I always wondered how Obata-sensei draws different distinctive characters. Like the first ICPO conference, which had a huge number of people. Did you use any references for them?

Obata: Not particularly... It was just based on my gut feelings on how foreigners would be like.

Ooba: So you have a large number of character patterns in your head?

Obata: I guess you could say that. For example, when I watch movies, things like the construction of the actors' faces remain in my mind. So I don't put much thought into it; the characters emerge naturally as I draw.

[manga panel: The ICPO conference
caption: A scene which emphasizes the large scale of the Kira case. While none of the main characters are present, it's a scene that fulfills the extremely important role of showing the world view to the readers.]

Ooba: That's something only an extreme person would say! That you don't even have to think about it...

Obata: That's the easiest way for me. I can't do it if I have to think about it.

Ooba: So it's actually more difficult to differentiate the main characters?

Obata: Yes, main character types and girls are difficult. There really aren't that many "cool" or "cute" patterns. Especially with good-looking people like Light, their features are pretty limited, so it's hard to do many variations.

Ooba: The idea of not making L good-looking first came from Obata-sensei, didn't it?

Obata: Yes, because that was the feeling I got from the storyboards. In reality, what did you think of L's design?

Ooba: It was hilarious, I loved it!

Obata: I was inspired by Ooba-sensei's storyboards, where L had a very lifeless face.

Ooba: So even the design from the storyboards would've been okay?

Obata: Yeah. I wanted to just leave him that way. Our tastes are pretty close, aren't they.

Ooba: Yes, like with Misa's "goth Lolita" image. I'm glad that our tastes are similar, because I can fool myself into thinking I have Obata-sensei's level of design sense. *laughs*

--Obata-sensei apparently wasn't informed on who the Yotsuba Kira was, right?

Obata: I thought it was Midou at first...

Ooba: I did consider that, but then felt it would've been boring to go with the obvious choice. So while studying Obata-sensei's art, I thought of each character's personalities and mulled it over. That's the way it always was, whether with Naomi, or Yotsuba, or Shidou. They became fleshed out as I looked at Obata-sensei's art.

--So it's like the characters are created as the two of you go along.

Ooba: That's why the Yotsuba arc was the toughest for me. I had to advance the storyboards before seeing Obata-sensei's character designs, and thus had no mental picture of them because I didn't know what they looked like. I got rather confused as to which person was saying what line.... After seeing the character designs, that's when I came up with things like, "This guy looks like he'd fire missiles." *laughs* ...But, it must have been tough to draw all eight distinctive people.

[manga panel: Ooi talking about shooting missiles
caption: Ooi's missile proposal was born out of Obata-sensei's designs.]

Obata: No, not at all. It was fun, and stimulated me to do more variations. Having to draw eight people meant that the types I'd drawn until then were no longer enough.

Ooba: I felt very apologetic at the time.

Obata: But I think it's various events like these that drew out more of my strengths. For example, even if I wanted to draw a manga with shinigami, it wouldn't have turned out this way.

Ooba: Like the "human-looking Ryuk" you mentioned before?

Obata: Yes. But in Death Note, shinigami are only minor characters watching from the sidelines, so it was better for them to not be human-looking or good-looking. And I never would've gone in that direction myself, so I believe the results turned out for the best.

Ooba: In my case, I ended up inserting things based on my own preferences, just because I wanted Obata-sensei to draw them. Like the scene where Light and L fought each other. The truth is, I only put that scene in because I wanted to see it in Obata-sensei's art. *laughs*

--Was there a specific catalyst which caused you to start thinking that way?

Ooba: After the school ceremony from page.19, Light's humiliation and the laughter that followed afterward. I thought, "Uwah, amazing!" and wanted to see Obata-sensei draw many other different expressions.

[manga panel: Light going berserk
caption: A rare instance of Light losing control of his emotions. Ghastly expressions such as this are due to [Obata's] overwhelmingly powerful art.]

Obata: From that same chapter, I was shocked by L coming forward and naming himself to Light. I thought because of L's strange looks, even if he were to tail Light, he'd be exposed too quickly and it'd be difficult to do any investigating... I wondered what he'd do upon making contact with Light, but never imagined he'd just name himself.

Ooba: If you think about it, L had no choice but to come forward. I'm glad it looks like I managed to surprise Obata-sensei the most.

--Were there any other instances with unexpected plot developments for both of you?

Ooba: Raye Penber's death scene. Obata-sensei improved and restructured the storyboards.

Obata: In the original, Raye's death scene was very anti-climatic, so I thought it was a bit of a waste...

Ooba: The end was very cool. And because there was a picture of Raye looking into the train, L, while watching the videos, ended up realizing earlier than anticipated that there were clues with Raye.

[manga panel: Raye dying
caption: The scene that was rearranged by Obata-sensei. In the original script, Light and Raye did not see each other.]

Obata: I worried if I'd gone overboard while looking at the chapter later, and about whether Ooba-sensei had to change the story to fit the art.

Ooba: But I think it worked out for the best.

Obata: Misora Naomi came into the story after that, but I personally was very disappointed that she died. And I kept hoping that maybe she would return again later.

Ooba: You drew a color cover of Misora Naomi, right? At the time, I also felt it was a shame that she'd end up dying when such a beautiful picture had been produced.

*Looking forward to the arrival of the finished pages as a normal reader

--It's said that Ooba-sensei really looked forward to the finished pages every week.

Ooba: It's interesting because they turn into something completely different, even though the plot was done by myself.

Obata: I was also just like a regular reader when receiving the storyboards. I really looked forward to their arrival every week.

Ooba: Do you think about how to draw it as you're reading the storyboards?

Obata: Yes, it's quite fun to consider how to draw storyboards that I never would have thought of myself.

--What is the thing you each consider the most important in your works?

Obata: An easy to follow layout. There are a lot of words, so that's the most crucial.

Ooba: Having at least one highlight scene in each chapter. Also, as the series went on, I came to think that it would be interesting to see events that could be considered rather ridiculous rendered in Obata-sensei's realistic art style. Like the scene where Souichirou crashes into the Sakura TV station, I wrote the storyboards thinking it'd look really cool when finished.

--Were there any other scenes with those kind of intentions?

Ooba: The scene where L died. Paying attention to how Obata-sensei's L always had his eyes open, I had them close for the first time in the storyboards. I was excited to see how it would turn out.

[manga panel: L's death
caption: A famous scene from the middle of the series. L's eyes, which had always been wide open, are finally closed!]

Obata: I also had a lot of fun drawing it. That certainly was the first time L had ever closed his eyes, wasn't it.

--Then, the gag elements everywhere as well?

Ooba: Yes. I wanted to have events that, while not exactly gags, "could be laughable, depending on how you look at it." Such as the dining scene with Takada and Misa in page.92, which I put in because I thought it'd be amusing.

Obata: That battle of the women scene?

Ooba: There wasn't any plot development from them dining together, so the scene in and of itself has no meaning.

Obata: I drew it thinking there was some deeper meaning to their catfight... but, hmm... I see. *laughs*

Ooba: "I see," is that all? Thought you'd say, "How could you be so random," or something.... *laughs*

Obata: No, I can just accept that that's something Ooba-sensei finds amusing. *laughs*