Interview with Usagi Tsuchiya, the unique 26-year-old manga artist who won the “Konomisu” Grand Prize

Why Do So Many Manga Artists Write Novels?

Surprisingly few people are actually comic book artists who also write novels. What are the reasons for this? We asked Tsuchiya, a manga artist-turned-novelist.

In my case, I was influenced by the words of Osamu Tezuka, whom I heard at a manga award ceremony. He said, ‘Don’t study manga from manga. I think he meant that it is important to be exposed to various forms of entertainment in order to create your own unique worldview. I think one of the reasons why it is easier to become a novelist is because manga is written in the form of a plot when you start drawing, so those processes are common.

Of course, there are many differences in other work processes.

Of course, there are many differences in the other processes,” he said. “The same is true of entertainment, which is created to entertain readers, but manga production is a team effort. There are assistants, and everyone talks together to come up with ideas. Novels, on the other hand, are a one-person process. I feel that it is more solitary than being a manga artist.

I also felt that it is difficult to convey blurred scenes in a novel. I was more conscious of the rhythm and tempo of the scenes, because you can’t convey nuance through pictures as you can in a manga.

This made me wonder if he would ever be interested in adapting the Grand Prize-winning work into a manga himself. This work features many delicious-looking breads. I would love to read it in picture form at …….

I’d like to see it in other people’s drawings if I have the chance. If I were to draw it myself?　It should be a completely new story. Because I think the best part of comic books is the chemical reaction that occurs when someone different from the original author draws the story. If I could choose a person to draw it, I would be happy if someone from the shonen manga field would draw it, since I am active in shonen manga.

When asked if he had any ideas for his next work in mind, he replied , “After all, I am a manga artist, so I would like to write a mystery with a manga theme.

Finally, we asked him to give a message to readers who also aspire to become novelists.

When you are writing, you may wonder if it will be interesting, but I would like you to finish it first. I know it is hard to find the time, but there are quite a few people who manage to work as a company employee and a novelist at the same time. I would like to do the same and continue with a dual job, so let’s work together!

Mysterious Fragrance from a Bakery” (Usagi Tsuchiya, published by Takarajimasya)