Special Talk! Shohei Manabe and Chihuahua Sasaki, “Our Blood Record of Reporting on the Underworld

Why a Lawyer as the Protagonist?

Chihuahua: “Mr. Manabe, it’s been a while!”

Manabe : “ It’s been about a year since we’ve known each other. I heard that there was an interesting girl in Kabukicho when I was just doing a story on Toryoko for “The Deadly Sins of the Ninth Article,” and I was introduced to Chihuahua by a stripper who was a mutual acquaintance of ours.

Chihuahua : “ Since then, I’m glad that you’ve invited me to your drinking parties often. I feel a little awe-struck that I’m going to have a dialogue with you, but I’m looking forward to listening to what you have to say today.

Their conversation began with such a friendly greeting.

Manga artist Shohei Manabe, 51, is currently enjoying a big hit with “Kujo no Daishin” (The Nine Deadly Sins), which depicts a unique lawyer who takes on all kinds of troublesome cases, following his masterpiece “YAKKIN Ushijima-kun. Chihuahua Sasaki, 22, is a writer who interviews numerous young people in and around Kabukicho. From yakuza and criminals to delinquent girls like the “Toyoko Kids” ……. They realistically depict the realities of people who are outcasts from the so-called “general society.” What are they interested in now and what approach do they take in writing their works? The two, who say they are actually drinking buddies, talked a great deal about their work, including episodes unique to their coverage of the underworld.

Chihuahua: “ There is a girl in “The Deadly Sins of the Nine” who is the subject of “Toyoko Kids. Were you interested in Toyoko before?”

Manabe: “ When I was walking in Kabukicho, I saw a girl dragging a big baggage and I was intrigued, wondering what these girls were. I learned that they were called “Pien Girls,” which I thought was interesting. I also wanted to draw a story about girls for “The Nine Deadly Sins,” so I chose them as the subject matter.”

Chihuahua: “ When you were interviewing people in Toyoko, weren’t people wary of an “old man” like you? (laugh).

Manabe “ That’s exactly right. When I approached girls in Kabukicho, everyone was leery of me (laughs). I thought about how to do it, looked for people with both sexes, and approached the boys, and it worked.”

Chihuahua: “ There have always been delinquent girls and juvenile delinquents, but do you feel there are any differences between them and today?”

Manabe “ I think that in the past they used to send out violence towards the outside, but now I feel that many of them are turning inward. However, as Japan’s economy is leaning, I worry that these inward-looking people will turn to crime, and that theft and fraud will increase.”

Chihuahua: “ I hear that shoplifting is already commonplace in Toyoko. Besides, scams are rampant among the daddy’s girls in Kabukicho. They sell manuals on how to pull large sums of money from uncles, and the manuals contain instructions on how to forge documents such as certificates of debt. These women seem to think they can do anything they want to creepy uncles, and they have no sense of criminality. I wonder if the world’s economic recession is causing this kind of situation.

Manabe: “ Touhyoko is getting a lot of attention, and I think a lot of things will come to light in the future.

Chihuahua: “ In “The Deadly Sins of the Nine”, the main character is a lawyer who takes on clients from the yakuza and semi-gangsters. Why did you decide to use a lawyer as the subject?

Manabe: “ When I was working on the serialization of “Ushijima-kun,” I heard from criminals that there were lawyers with good moves, and I thought it was interesting. Besides, many people did not read it if I drew it from the criminal’s point of view like “Ushijima-kun. They said they didn’t want to see it. But I thought that if I drew it from the perspective of a lawyer, those people would read it, too.

Chihuahua: “ There are many overly realistic depictions in the manga, but how do you find material for your manga?

Manabe: “ When I am walking around town or having a drink with an acquaintance, or if I feel something that is tugging at my heart, I immediately start digging for it by conducting interviews. Sometimes, when an incident occurs, I look into the background and become interested.