Video Release Mana Sakura Interview on Writing a Novel About Pregnancy and Childbirth

Pregnancy and childbirth have always been themes in my mind

AV actress and novelist Mana Sakura, a one-of-a-kind dual-career writer, released her 10th book, “Ano Ko no Kawari” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) on February 12. The novel explores pregnancy and childbirth. It tells the story of Yura, a makeup artist, who becomes consumed by an almost unrecognizable, obsessive inner conflict when her friend Arina becomes pregnant.

“When working in AV, I’m often asked about marriage and children out of curiosity, for better or worse. Questions like, ‘Isn’t it difficult for an AV actress to give birth?’ are tricky to answer. Over time, these questions made me start thinking, even subtly in my twenties, ‘Will there ever be a day when I become a mother?’

By the time I reached my thirties, many friends were having children, and people would advise me things like, ‘If you want to have a child, it’s better to do it sooner.’ That really made me aware of the countdown to childbearing age.

Four years ago, I also started taking care of a rescued dog, which made me think more realistically about the difficulties of raising someone, even if it’s through pseudo-parenting. Of course, I understand that humans and animals are different.

Still, the theme of pregnancy and childbirth, in various forms, has always been within me. Writing this novel gave me a chance to reflect on my own life going forward. That’s why Yura’s internal struggles in the story reflect my own experiences as much as possible. Of course, I’m not a runaway character like Yura.”

In the novel, Yura is thrown into chaos when her friend, who she thought would never have children, becomes pregnant. She struggles to control unexpected emotions, questioning whether she truly wants to have a child or not.

“Nowadays, having choices makes it even more difficult. People might say, ‘That’s a luxury problem,’ but even with freedom, you feel old-fashioned pressures. In the end, there’s really no easy choice.”

I don’t think I will choose to give birth

This time, in tackling this theme, Sakura conducted thorough research and information gathering on pregnancy and childbirth.

“Since I haven’t experienced it myself, I wanted to hear from as many people as possible. By chance, my manager was well-connected in a community of moms, so we asked many people to fill out a questionnaire and got their responses.

Even though we talk about pregnancy and childbirth in general, everyone’s experiences are different, and I learned a lot. For example, with morning sickness alone, some people suffered through it, while others didn’t have it at all. When writing about the experience of pregnancy and childbirth, I wanted to make sure that part wasn’t biased in any way.”

Sakura, who entered this industry in her teens and will turn 33 next month, is reaching an age where she might start thinking about pregnancy and childbirth herself. So, what does she think?

“Right now, I don’t think I would choose to have a child, regardless of my profession. In this era where people are said to live 100 years, the idea of giving birth to a single human being who might live for 100 years overwhelms me. Like Yura, who can barely manage herself, I feel I would be over capacity.”

I don’t want to leave men behind

In the story, the character Sakura was especially particular about was the “protagonist’s husband.” He dislikes making a fuss and constantly brings Yura, who tends to run off with obsessive behavior, back to reality with his unique phrase, “Let’s keep it pop.”

“You might read it and think, ‘Who is this guy?’ but this marital relationship is also my ideal. I have a bit in common with him myself, but I feel that for someone like Yura, who can get carried away by obsessions, having a partner like this would be comforting.

The line ‘Let’s keep it pop’ was written as the husband’s everyday coping method for getting along with Yura. I also didn’t like my mother’s harsh tone when she would lecture me, so I asked for it to be said ‘in a My Melody-like tone’ and even made him watch the anime (laughs). It’s a small hope that even a tense family relationship can be maintained depending on how things are said. Yura’s husband tries faithfully to uphold that with just the word ‘pop.’ I depicted it as a kind of aspirational marital relationship.”

Looking back, the creation of this pop husband character was also driven by the desire that “I want men to relate to it as if it’s their own, I don’t want to leave them behind.”

“Pregnancy and childbirth certainly place a much greater burden on women. Because of that, there is the feeling of ‘please respect our feelings,’ but I didn’t want to push men away with, ‘You wouldn’t understand anyway.’

Among women, even lifelong friends can suddenly drift apart due to pregnancy and childbirth, and then become close again once the children are grown. Emotions fluctuate that much. Men might find that strange, but I wanted them to understand that this is what it means to be a woman who gives birth.”

In the latter part, Sakura talks about why she continues writing novels even while insisting that “AV is my true profession.”

She also shares behind-the-scenes stories and actual interview footage on her YouTube videos that weren’t included in the article.

The complete interview with Mana Sakura (Part 2): “AV is my absolute main job,” says Sakura, but that’s why I still write.

“Ano ko no kawari” (written by Mana Sakura, published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha)