Tsugumi Ohba Interview

interviews >> Tsugumi Ohba Interview

Below is the interview translated from Death Note: How to Read by the wonderful Cryogenia. Please do NOT take this interview and post it on your website WITHOUT the permission of Cryogenia. Also, you can download the raw scans of all 4 volumes of Death Note: How to Read on the Downloads page, ^^

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Special Interview: Tsugumi Ohba

The person who brings us “Death Note”; the marvelous story-teller Ohba Tsugumi. We get the inside scoop on the secrets behind the story!

Caption: Thrills and suspense that turn the usual boy’s comic format on its ear!
This is how Death Note was created!

The sole illustration on the page is Light poised over the Death Note, looking thoughtful.
Caption: The brilliant Yagami Light, possessor of the Death Note. The magnificent drama to date is due to his exceptional wit.
Main interview:

Q: How did “Death Note” get its start?
A: Well, I suppose it started when I first started thinking about trying my hand at writing a manga. I thought maybe one of these stories I’d been kicking around for the past couple of years would work, so I submitted two sample scripts [to Shounen Jump magazine]. Of those, the one titled “Death Note” caught the editors’ eye. After refining it multiple times, it finally went on to become a proper pilot. As far as the illustration went, I wanted the art to be high-contrast with delicate linework, so it would really stand out. That was right about the time Obata Takeshi-sensei was finishing up Hikaru no Go, and the editors were kind enough to ask him if he’d give this a try. I didn’t actually expect him to say yes! Thanks to his talent, the pilot was very well received, and we started talking about serialization. Looking back, the whole thing really was kind of a Cinderella Story.

Q: Where did you get the idea for “Death Note”?
A: ...I don’t think there was anything in particular that got me started on it, at least, no specific “hint” or what have you. The “Death Note” itself really isn’t that original of a plot device, even. It was just something floating around in the back of my head, and gradually the Reapers, and the specifics of the Note’s usage, and so on started coming together…eventually, I started thinking there was enough material for a story.

Q: High-tension suspense stories like this have been rare in boy’s comics lately. Why did you choose to publish this story in Jump?
A: Well, it’s true that usually you draw the young male audience with battle-centric comics. Unfortunately, I didn’t think I had that kind of story in me. But even though the magazine’s main focus is fighting comics, I started thinking that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to try something a little unusual, like this suspense story…specifically because it WASN’T battle-centric.

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All text, save two manga excerpt illustrations, and then a small insert in the bottom right.