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Magical Manga |
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Our Complete Interview with Matsuri Hino |
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by Jenifer Morgan |
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Once upon a time, Matsuri Hino was a bookshop keeper. One day she decided to become a manga artist, and all of nine months later, in 1995, she published her first manga title, Kono Yume ga Sametara (When This Dream Is Over), in Japan's LaLa DX magazine. Despite her swift ascension to professional manga creator, Hino's rich illustrations and enchanting storytelling make her success anything but surprising. Today, all four volumes of her popular series MeruPuri are available in English. Her newest title, Vampire Knight, follows hard upon its heels—serialization in English will begin right here in Shojo Beat starting this July! In honor of these exciting events, we asked Hino to give us some insight into her magical stories and her craft. Here's what she had to say.
Shojo Beat: Have you always had an interest in fairy tales and magical kingdoms?
Matsuri Hino: I read most of the Western fairy tales and Japanese folk tales when I was a child, and they I've had an active (or blossoming, perhaps) imagination since I was a child. I have so many stories I still like. Also, I've liked American movies for a long time, so they may have influenced me unconsciously. I enjoy creating manga so much, because it's like I am doing all of movie making alone, including storytelling, script writing, costume design, camera work, and directing. It is hard, though. |
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SB:
Did you pattern the elaborate costumes of the characters in your series MeruPuri after those of real-life royal families? If not, how did you come up with the designs?
MH:
I took tips from Turkish native costumes to create the formal clothes of the prince. Other than that, I enjoy coming up with costume designs by randomly mixing my preferences and my little limited knowledge of clothing. |
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SB:
In MeruPuri, what sparked your interest in creating a supposed love affair between a teenage girl (Airi) and a little boy (Aram)? What was your frame of mind as you developed the romantic aspect of the story?
MH:
I thought it might be interesting to create a heroine who cherishes her own world (a life plan, happiness in everyday life, and so on), then meets someone who overturns all of her values. This resulted in the "prince from the magic kingdom" setting, and in order to keep the air of a fairy tale, I thought it would be better to make Aram a young boy, who is not sarcastic, but honest and pure. I thought it would be romantic to girls' minds to have such a boy think hard, grow a little, and say "I love you" without even an ounce of a lie in his heart. |
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SB:
What do you find most fulfilling about your work? What is its most challenging aspect?
MH:
What is most fulfilling is the very act of transforming the materials in my mind into manga, a form of reading material. As a joke, we often compare it to delivering a baby. And it is awesome when I draw something that I feel is interesting. By contrast, it is really painful when I cannot draw something I feel is good. In those situations, I continue to redraw until deadline. |
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SB:
What was the most difficult part of writing and drawing MeruPuri? What was the easiest part?
MH:
Difficult parts included drawing Aram's unruly hair and understanding Aram. The easy part was...I cannot think of one. |
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SB:
How important is it for aspiring manga creators to attend art school? How about writing classes? Please describe your background.
MH:
I did not learn anything except for what I got out of a mandatory art class at school. But I've liked creating things since I was little, and I started drawing manga as a hobby when I was a teenager. These things had a significant impact. I don't think it would be disadvantageous to go to an art school, but what's important is having an inquiring mind and aspirations. |
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SB:
How do you balance your time between your work and private life?
MH:
Since starting serialization of Vampire Knight, I have been working almost constantly, except when I am eating, taking a bath, or sleeping. This is crazy. My doctor warned me that I could die from overwork. But I love this job and it is fulfilling, so I'll try to think of it as part of my job and keep up until the end of serialization. But I do not want to die, either, so I'll try to take care of my mental and physical health as much as possible. |
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SB:
Would you ever consider taking up a profession other than that of manga creator? Are there other fields you'd like to pursue or wanted to pursue as a child?
MH:
When I was in grade school, I wanted to work in a flower shop or become a nurse or a painter. When I was in junior high, I wanted to be a scientist or an auto mechanic. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a manga creator or do a job deeply involved with economics. When I was a college student, I wanted to be a novelist or do a job related to architecture or interior design. I had so many jobs I wanted to do, but manga creator is the only one I could decide on and act on. Though I still have an interest in many occupations, I will focus my energy on drawing manga as long as I have things I want to draw. |
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SB:
Do you like to sing karaoke? If so, what are some of your favorite songs?
MH:
I love it, even though I haven't been able to go recently. I like lots of songs, including enka [Japanese ballads], anime theme songs, and pop. |
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SB:
Would you say you are an optimist or a pessimist by nature? How does your attitude affect your work?
MH:
I aim for an "optimistic self," but I easily become very pessimistic. However, I am strong, because I know that I have the power to pick myself up after feeling down, when I have to—though the waiting time is long and painful. To make sure these negative feelings don't have a bad influence on my work, I try to always keep an objective view.
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SB:
Your Vampire Knight series will be published in English for the first time this summer. What attracted you to the subject of vampires?
MH:
I have been attracted to both fairy tales and vampires for a long time, although I can't remember why. If I start talking about one of my favorite subjects–vampires–it is going to take too long, so I won't do that, but it is a subject that is very romantic and makes my heart race.
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SB:
Hanabusa Aido of Vampire Knight can freeze anything with his touch. Do other characters in the series have special powers?
MH:
Yes, they do. I'm planning to reveal them one by one.
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SB:
Which Vampire Knight character do Japanese fans favor, Zero or Kaname? Why?
MH:
There are a few who've said they like both characters, but currently fans are totally divided into two groups, and their popularity is fifty–fifty. Zero has a hidden kindness and Kaname has a mysterious personality. It is hard to generalize why fans like them, but they are reading deeply into the characters, and as a creator, I'm very happy to see that.
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SB:
Do you have a message for American readers who will be encountering Vampire Knight for the first time?
MH:
Because I want to cherish my internal image of vampires, I have drawn some aggressive scenes, but my goal is to show the romantic excitement of shojo manga, so romantic feeling and action will be coming along. I hope you enjoy it!
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"Magical Manga —
Our Interview with Matsuri Hino" by Jenifer Morgan is a shojobeat.com exclusive;
a portion appears in the May 2006 issue of Shojo Beat Magazine. |
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Want more articles like this PLUS six of the most addictive shojo manga from Japan delivered to your doorstep every month—before they hit the newsstands? Click here to subscribe now! |
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