Archive for the Artists Category


Rose of Versailles Anime, Part 1, Disk 2 (English)

June 30th, 2013

The second disk of part 1 of Ryoko Ikeda’s Rose of Versailles, is chock full of court intrigue and setting up the story by introducing many of the players in upcoming episodes. Oscar is now captain of the guard to the impulsive, vain and child-like Marie Antoinette. While she admires her Queen’s faithfulness to her emotions, Oscar is very well aware of the fact that those emotions unchecked will lead the people around her to disaster.

Madame DuBarry might have won the battle, but she loses the war. When the King dies she has no allies, no resources and nowhere to turn. By the time she leaves Versailles, she’s already an afterthought. Kids, this is why when you sign on to a start-up, make sure your exit strategy is in the contract.

Almost immediately we move on – two skeins will combine to create one tragedy. A poor family; a good daughter and an evil daughter, and a doomed love affair will set the scene for the next disk. France, as the narrator keeps pointing out, is heading towards a crisis.
Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters 9
Yuri – 0 (So far. Wait for it.)
Service – 5 Oscar swearing to die for Andre and Marie was pretty service-y

Overall – 8

In my 21st century reboot of this story, Rosalie is a hard-working college student and Jeanne is sleeping her way up a corporate ladder. ^_^ I’m taking bids, cable TV networks. This will be a hit!





Yuri Manga: Shishunki Seimeitai Vega, (思春期生命体ベガ)

June 24th, 2013

Special Edition With Drama CDFrom beginning to end, there’s a lot to like about Hayashiya Shizuru-sensei’s Shishunki Seimeitai  Vega, (思春期生命体ベガ).

First off, there are two editions available, a special edition with a Drama CD and a manga-only edition. They have different covers, both of which are pretty nice, so good luck choosing. ^_^

Secondly, Hayashiya-sensei does something that I’ve seen rarely, but that I really like. Way back, when Rakuen Le Paradis had her in for a test run, she did a one-shot Yuri manga about two women who are reunited as adults on a celebrity cooking show. While they discover that they were mutually interested in one another in school (which they attended together when they were young) the other host is forced to frenetically cook today’s dish, all the while rooting the two women on in her head. It’s zany and romantic and silly as hell.

In another issue, Hayashiya-sensei drew a really nice color picture of a female bodyguard and her charge. On Twitter she and I talked about how we’d both like to see her draw the story behind that picture. ^_^

And then she began Shishunki Seimeitai Vega, a story about an alien and the Earthling she loves – with all the slapstick wackiness ensues, drama and bloody noses one expects from her work. And here it is, collected into a single volume, in which she’s included – and integrated – the two one-shots in a way that is both highly amusing and gratifying.

The cooking show becomes the first chapter, which turns out to be something Arisa is watching on TV. Arisa heads to school and is met by her kouhai, Vegako – Vega, for short.Vega is an alien who protects this little seaside town from encroaching giant monsters. Her power recharges when Arisa kisses her. Unfortunately for Vega, Arisa doesn’t like to be asked to kiss her. Vega starves herself for power, trying to avoid annoying “sempai” until her lack of power threatens the town and herself. While Arisa runs to recharge Vega, she finds the girl being soundly kissed by an older woman. So soundly, in fact, that Vega transforms into her original giant alien form, one that Arisa and the town people haven’t seen in years.

The older woman is Ariide Swan, a Hollywood celebrity, who has come to town for the Japanese premiere her sci-fi movie “Deneb.” Ariide clearly knows Vega – and claims to possess her. Arisa instantly becomes jealous, but has no idea how to express it. After denying Vega kisses for so long, she just starts avoiding Vega who, predictably, feels rejected.

Their inability to discuss the issues and Ariide’s possessiveness has them all in a tizzy until a monster targets Arisa, specifically. Vega remembers how sempai glowed when they first met and Arisa realizes that Vega will glad sacrifice herself to save her…and they kiss. Vega blasts the giant monster to kingdom come, while Ariide (and poor Tanabe – a club member with Arisa and Vega –  who wonders, not for the first time,  why she’s  suddenly hanging out with a famous Hollywood actress?) watches.

In the epilogue, Ariide is telling Arisa about her reasons for running from Hollywood, when Reason #1 shows up at the door. Abby Albireo is another actress, much younger than Ariide, with whom she fell in lust, while working on “The Bodyguard 2029.” (Hence the smexy picture of her as a bodyguard…)  The epilogue ends with typical Hayashiya-style – comedy, i.e., punches and bloody noses all around.

The extras are a comic about the characters reacting to the news of a Drama CD (with more blood) and and an interview with the actresses for the Drama CD, which I haven’t had a chance to read. ^_^

The final nice touch on this book is that it has silver edging for a really sharp look. (No pun intended.)  The book is complete experience –  visually, emotionally and professionally.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 8
Story – 9
Yuri – 8
Service – 3 (+1 for Ariide being my “type.” ^_^)

Overall – 9

Reading Seijukuki Jinmei Vega was the manga equivalent of a really excellent meal. With dessert.

BTW, Vega is a star in Lyra, Ariide is (I’m guessing) short for Aldeberan, a star in Taurus, “Deneb” is a star in Cygnus, the Swan, hence Ariide’s family name. And Abby’s family name Albireo is also a star in Cygnus. Just a bit of star-spotting in the pages of what was in every way a great read. ^_^





Rose of Versailles Anime, Part 1, Disk 1 (English)

June 17th, 2013

There is no question in my mind when I call Ryoko Ikeda’s Rose of Versailles a classic. Historical drama is always “timeless”, but centuries after the French Revolution and decades after the debut of the anime, we are still compelled by the story of Lady Oscar Franciois de Jarjeyes and her Queen, Marie Antoinette. Now that Part 1 has been released by Nozomi/RightStuf, there are synopses and reviews all over the place, I reviewed the series once, way back in 2004. The story of the French Revolution is well-known. ^_^ I will confine myself this time to talking about the captivating and charismatic lead of the series – Oscar.

We begin the anime introduced to the peculiar circumstances of Oscar’s upbringing, raised as a boy although her sex is not a secret. With  this simple plot device, Oscar is disassociated from her predecessor, Princess Knight‘s Sapphire. No one is being fooled by Oscar, everyone is content to take her as she appears – young, beautiful, as talented at sword fighting as any man, a natural leader who just happens to be a girl.

So, it struck me very hard that, in the first disk, both her father and Andre’ misunderstand Oscar so badly.

Her father hears Oscar reject the role of Captain of the Royal Guard and takes it as a personal insult. His argument is “Don’t you understand what you’re doing to my reputation?” But of course, she doesn’t care – and why should she? He doesn’t care about her. That much is obvious when he chooses a life and a name for her. Her father is clearly using Oscar as a pawn in his game. This is not to say he isn’t proud of her accomplishments (and, no doubt takes credit for her looks and athleticism, as well). To some extent it’s understandable that he has no idea who she is – what father knows who his 14 year old daughter is?  And so, while he completely misunderstands, even when she tells him she does not want to “babysit a girl”, he can be vaguely forgiven.

But Andre’. He has been by Oscar’s side from the time they were small. Surely he understands that Oscar is not objecting to the position or the life of a soldier, but being relegated to caretaking a *girl*? Apparently not, because as she rides away, he calls out to her, telling her that this is her last chance to regain her womanhood. I gaped at his cluelessness. But then, he’ll be clueless about a lot of things for a while yet to come.

What makes Rose of Versailles work as a story once the characters are established and they get to Versailles,  is that it is laid out with plausibility. So plausible, in fact, it came as a shock to learn how much Ikeda’s characterizations deviate from reality. I have tremendous sympathy for both Marie Antionette  and Madame du Barry and would love to see a story built around them that cast them in the roles of celebrity and CEO respectively, to see how their story might play out in the 21st century.

Speaking of 21st century, let’s look at how distance makes us see Oscar differently than she might have appeared when she debuted in the 1970s. Ikeda writes her without any recognition of the influence of the Church on things such as gender roles, but then it had been more than 300 years since Joan of Arc was killed in France and Europe was fully engaged in the Age of Reason. So the Oscar we see in the anime is a girl raised as a boy and who is both capable and competent enough to wear the privilege she has been given. At no point in time in Disk 1 does she appear to pine away for more feminine accouterments, nor does anyone attempt to shame her for her appearance or position. We, from our distance from the Revolution (and from  the original manga and anime) can look at Oscar’s adaptation of the male role and argue whether we might consider her merely cross dressing or transsexual (and later we can argue a bit about her sexuality, as well, for fun. ^_^)

What I think is plain is that Oscar, with her white uniform, represents a kind of ideal, a “pure” nobility. She believes in her word and in the social compact. The excesses and politics of Versailles repulse and bore her, but she will do everything she has to to do to do her job as well as it can be done. Here in Disk 1, the theme of “Duty” is established and this concept, more than anything else, will drive the rest of the story.

I’m reminded once again that I can only take a little of Rose of Versailles at a time. Like Oscar, I prefer to be out in the field or woods than watching court gossip. ^_^ But you know, once I started watching this story again, I’m also reminded just why it’s a classic. It’s that good.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Strongly 70s. Gotta love those eyes.
Story – 9
Characters 9
Yuri – 0
Service – 6 Even the women of the Court know Oscar’s uniforms are all service, all the time. ^_^

Overall – 8

When much of what we like in anime now is long forgotten, Rose of Versailles, and the drama of the French Revolution, will remain.





Yuri Manga: Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink (English) Guest Review by Melissa M.

June 12th, 2013

Kisses_ssWoo-hoo!  It’s Wednesday and we got ourselves a Guest Review! As I mentioned in last week’s YNN Report, “I’ve reviewed it 3 times already (when it first came out from Yuri Hime and Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the new edition when Futabasha put them out.” By all means feel free to read those and get the first and middle looks at this series. Now we’ll take one last look at the series.

Sine I’ve reviewed this story a bunch of times, I think it’s time for someone else to get a turn. ^_^ Melissa M. has stepped up to the plate with her very first Guest Review here on Okazu! I just love when that happens.  Please welcome Melissa to the stage. /applause/

Morinaga Milk’s Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink follows Hitomi and Nana, longtime friends and new lovers, through high school and their developing relationship.

KSCBP was written in 2003, several years before the series GIRL FRIENDS, by the same author. Unlike Akko and Mari, Hitomi and Nana have to deal with their crises largely alone. Nana mentions that she and Hitomi have had sex but also wonders what counts as sex between two girls, and is upset that she has so many questions and nowhere to turn. It makes me wonder just how few resources there were for the LGBTQ community in Japan ten years ago. Hitomi is afraid that her love is preventing Nana from living a normal life and overcompensates by trying to be “manly.” Both are terrified of being found out, and near the end, they run away together, deciding that their relationship is more important than their friends and families. Their circumstances make KSCBP a more angsty series than GIRL FRIENDS, but also perhaps a more realistic look at the problems and misunderstandings a lesbian couple could have in a society that offers them no role models. It’s nice to see Morinaga addressing issues like these, which seems a bit unusual for her stories. But it’s not all sorrow and fear. The girls have plenty of good times together as they and their relationship mature, and they find that some friends are supportive. I think they have a good shot at keeping their promise to get married and to have their story continue forever.

My only real quibble with this story is the ending, in which everything is suddenly resolved. Hitomi and Nana move into their own apartment together with the blessing of their parents, to face college and life together. It seemed a bit too abrupt and magically-happy-ever-after, almost dismissing all of their earlier fears. But who am I kidding, it turned me into a puddle of squee on the floor. ^_^

The anthology also includes five one-shots set in Hitomi’s and Nana’s high schools, interspersed through and mostly unrelated to the main story. They generally include Morinaga’s stock character designs, the taller outgoing long-haired blonde and shorter quieter short-haired brunette, so it can be a bit difficult to tell in flipping through the pages whose story you’re in. The relationship chart in the back is a big help here. I didn’t like any of these quite as much as the main story since the one-shot format leaves little room for character development, but your mileage may vary.

Seven Seas did a great job with this anthology. I particularly appreciate the fact that they left the larger sound effects in place and added a small translation, almost like furigana, above them – it seems less disruptive than replacing them with English or putting a list of translations at the back.

This is a heartwarming story that belongs on every Yuri lover’s shelf, and a comparison with GIRL FRIENDS makes it clear how far Yuri and (hopefully) society have come in the past few years.

Ratings:

Art – 8 (Being older work, it’s not quite as polished as GIRL FRIENDS)
Story – 9 for the main story; 6-8 for the one-shots
Characters – 9
Yuri – 10
Service – 4

Overall – 9

Hitomi is a cat person! That makes me smile. ^_^

 

Erica here again: Yuri Shimai, the original magazine in which Nana and Hitomi’s story began, was the very first magazine of its kind.  The whole wallowing in angst about “does she feel the same way?” of the early chapters was very typical of stories at the time. The later chapters you’re referring to were all written recently – not in 2003, but in 2011, for the Futabasha edition.

That having been said in 2003, there was LGBTQ life in Japan, but that mostly meant bar life. Resources are way more abundant now, even in smaller cities. Which is all to the good. ^_^

Thank you Melissa for weighing in with your point of view!





Interview with Yuri Manga Artist Takemiya Jin

June 2nd, 2013

日本語で

Takemiya JinI’ve been fangirling over Takemiya-sensei’s work for years. I first began reading her doujinshi,, and rejoiced when she made the leap into the professional sphere. You can find her work currently running in Comic Yuri Hime and in my favorite manga magazine, Rakuen Le Paradis.

I declared three of her books the Top Yuri Manga of 2011: Seasons, Kila Kila and Omoi no Kakera. In particular, I like the sense that her Yuri work is grounded in the reality of lesbian life. Mika, the protagonist in Omoi no Kakera is out to herself and to her close friends as a lesbian. This is something we have not seen all that often in Yuri Manga. This, and Takemiya’s use of actual lesbian slang in her stories shifts “Yuri” as a genre closer to an intersection with lesbian literature.  IMHO, Takemiya-sensei is one of the leaders of the new Yuri movement.

It is my very sincere pleasure today to have a chance to talk with Takemiya-sensei and share it with you all!

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Q1: Please tell us about yourself
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My name is Takemiya Jin, I’m a Yuri Manga artist. My sex is female. I am a lesbian.

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Q2: How did you become a mangaka? Was it something you wanted to do as a child?

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It was my childhood dream to become a manga artist. Because various people opposed my dream to become a manga artist I stopped drawing manga. When one of my submissions for a contest won an award, I started to think that I would draw manga as a job.

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Q3: Which artists have influenced you?
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Manga artists Takahashi Rumiko (creator of Inu Yasha, Ranma 1/2) and Togashi Yasuhiro (creator of Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter) and Obata Takeshi (part of the creative team for Death Note, Hikaru no Go) influenced me.

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Q4: If you were not a mangaka, what kind of work would you be doing?
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I think I’d probably be a clerk in a bookstore with a hobby of creating doujinshi.

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Q5: What motivated you to create Yuri Manga?
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I began by drawing stories that took shape from my own experiences, things I was thinking about and the messages I wanted to convey.

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Q6.1: Please tell us a little bit about your process.
How long does it take to draw a chapter?
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If we’re talking drawing a 24-page manga, it takes me about 2 weeks to completely finish the job.

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Q6.2: How many assistants work with you? What is the first step in your process? What is the last step?
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I have no assistants. But, when I’m in trouble, my partner helps me with the relatively simple tasks.

The first thing I do is to construct the “Plot” (which means planning and composing the dialogue). The last thing I do is “Revision”.
(Plot/Storyboard/Sketch/Inking/Shading/Revision/Tone/Finishing Touches and Final Revision…in that order.)

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Q7: You began as a doujinshi artist. Other than deadlines what are the differences between being an amateur and a professional?

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In my case, doujinshi was a hobby; being in a commercial magazine has that feeling called “work” so, although I draw manga as a job, I still would like to put out doujinshi.

The differences I see between being amateur and a pro: I really don’t know. From the beginning a pro has committed to the requirement of completing a manuscript by deadline, but whether amateur or pro, the work of communicating something is interesting.

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Q8:  Do you read any Yuri manga? If so, what series?
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In the magazines that publish my Yuri manga – Rakuen Le: Paradis and Comic Yuri Hime – I read the Yuri manga my friends have created.

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Q9: Do you have anything you want to ask overseas fans?
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When you read manga, do you think “I want to go to Japan?”

E: はい!「私は日本へ行きたい」と6か月ごとに思います。 ^_^;

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Q10: Do you have any message for your overseas fans?
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When I began drawing Yuri manga, I never considered that there would be a day when my manga was read by people overseas. Now I can receive messages from overseas on Twitter or my blog, it makes me very happy. No matter what country you’re from, people’s thoughts and feelings aren’t different. Therefore, from here on, I will continue to draw the feelings of love and other very important things between two women in love with one another.

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Thank you, thank you Takemiya-sensei for taking time out to talk to us. I look forward to continue supporting your work !

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私は何年間もずっと、竹宮先生の作品のファンとして応援を続けています。読み始めた時には同人誌作家だった先生が、プロ作家としての活動を始めた時には、大喜びしたものです。現在先生の作品は、コミック百合姫や、私のお気に入り漫画雑誌でもある楽園 Le Paradisで読むことが出来ます。

私は竹宮先生の「Seasons」「キラキラ」「想いの欠片」の三作品を、2011年度のトップ百合漫画リストに選出させていただきました。特に私が気に入っているのは、先生の作品がレズビアンとしての生き方のリアリティに基づいている点ですね。「想いの欠片」の主人公であるミカはレズビアンであることを自覚していますし、親しい友達に対してもカミングアウトしています。こういう描写は、百合漫画作品の中でそう多く描かれるものではありません。こういった点や、作品の中での実際のレズビアン隠語の用いられ方によって、「百合」というジャンルを、レズビアン文学としての地位に近づけつつあると思います。私のつたない考えでは、竹宮先生こそは、新たな百合ムーブメントの主導者のお一人だと思っています。

今回、竹宮先生とお話できたこと、そしてその内容を皆さんにもお伝えできることは、この上ない喜びです。

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Q1: 自分に関して私たちに話してください。
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百合漫画家の竹宮ジンです。性別は女性。レズビアンです。

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Q2: 先生はどのように漫画家になりましたか? 漫画家になるのは、子供時代の夢でしたか?

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漫画家になるのは子供の頃からの夢でした。 いろんな人から漫画家になる夢を反対されましたが、漫画を描く事はやめませんでした。 投稿作品で賞をいただいて、お仕事として漫画を描くようになりました。

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Q3: どの芸術家が先生に最も影響を及ぼしましたか?
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漫画家の高橋留美子先生、冨樫義博先生、小畑健先生の影響を受けました。

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Q4: 漫画家でなければ、どんな仕事をしているでしょうか?
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書店等で店員をしながら、趣味で同人活動をしていたと思います。

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Q5: 漫画家でなければ、どんな仕事をしているでしょうか?
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自分が経験してきた事、考えた事、伝えたいメッセージを形にしたいと思って漫画を描き始めました。その想いは今も同じで

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Q6.1: 先生の創造プロセスに関して私たちにほんの少し話してください。章を描くにはどのくらいの時間がかかりますか?
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24ページの漫画を描く場合、完成までの作業日数は約2週間です。

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Q6.2: 何人のアシスタントが先生と共に働いていますか? 最初のタスクは何ですか? 最後のタスクは何ですか?
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アシスタントはいません。 でも困った時にパートナーが簡単な作業を手伝ってくれています。 漫画の最初の作業は「プロット(お話の構成を考える作業)」です。最後の作業は「修正」です。 (プロット/ネーム/下書き/ペン入れ/ベタ/修正/トーン/仕上げの修正…の順です)

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Q7: 同人誌家として始めました、デッドライン以外に、アマチュアであること,プロであることの違いは何ですか?

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私の場合は同人誌は趣味で、商業誌はお仕事と言う感覚です。だからお仕事として漫画を描いていますが時間があれば同人誌も出したいです。

アマチュアとプロの違いは見た目ではわからないと思います。プロへの最初の条件は「原稿を完成させる事が出来るか」と「締め切りが守れるか」。アマチュアでもプロでも伝えたい事をしっかり描いている作品は面白いです。

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Q8:  百合漫画を読みますか?どのシリーズを読みますか?
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百合漫画は自分の漫画の掲載誌(「コミック百合姫」「楽園LeParadis」)と、友人の百合作品を読んでます。

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Q9: 海外ファンに何を尋ねたいですか?
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漫画を読んで「日本に行ってみたい」と思った事はありますか?

E: はい!「私は日本へ行きたい」と6か月ごとに思います。 ^_^;

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Q10: 何か海外のファンへのメッセージがありますか?
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百合漫画を書き始めた頃は海外の人達に私の漫画を読んでもらえる日がくるなんて夢にも思いませんでした。現在では、twitterやブログで海外の方から日本語や英語でメッセージをいただく事もあり、とても嬉しく思っています。どこの国の人も、人を想う気持ちは変わらないと思います。だから私はこれからも女の子同士の恋愛の愛しさや切なさを大事に大事に描いていこうと思います。

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あらためて竹宮先生に、貴重な時間を私達のために割いてくれたことを深く感謝したいと思います。これからも先生の作品の応援を続けていくことを楽しみにしています!

(小松さんによる翻訳. Thank you, Komatsu-san for translation of my intro and sign-off! ^_^)