A few months ago, we asked fans to send us their questions for Julietta Suzuki–the manga artist for Kamisama Kiss. We compiled your questions and she was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer them. Check out part 2 of our interview below. Click here to see part 1.
5) Who is your favorite character, and who is your favorite to draw?
I can’t choose a favorite, but the ones I find easier to draw are the characters who are candidly self-assertive. Characters like Mizuki and Akura-oh and Yatori clearly communicate with those around them about the actions they want to take, so it feels refreshing to draw them.
6) What advice would you give to an aspiring manga artist? When was it that you decided to focus on purely being a mangaka? Did your family and friends support you, and are they fans of manga?
My family didn’t view my drawing manga in a particularly favorable light, so I used to draw in secret, trying to keep it hidden as much as possible. The worlds and ideas that burgeoned within me during that period when I was a girl and my habit of mentally filing away the beautiful things that I come across would later on serve to fuel my stories. A sensitive soul is a rare and valuable thing. Please nurture it with love and care.
7) Do you have any tips on improving at drawing backgrounds, or designing detailed characters that look different from other mangaka’s work? Fans of the series would like to know some of your insights on how your characters develop from ideas to paper.
I believe that it’s important to make a habit of closely observing how things are shaped. Especially with things from different eras or countries. Everything from cars to accessories. The world is full of things whose shapes you could never produce if you only stayed in your own head. I think mentally filing away those visuals is very useful to the creative process. But I’m nowhere near that accomplished, so I’m always panicking when it comes time to create new characters.
8) How long does it take you to finish a single page of your manga to completion? Since Kamisama Kiss is released monthly, how do you normally pace your work each month? Also, can you tell us about which drawing tools you use?
The ideal allotment of time is: 2 days for outlining the story (writing the script), 3 days for thumbnails and layouts, 10 pages per day for penciling, and 10 pages per day for inking. While I’m inking, my assistants draw in the backgrounds and add the finishing touches. So, that adds up to roughly 11 days to draw 30 pages.
For my drawing tools, I use Pilot ink. For the pen point, I use a round nib made by a company called Nikko. As for correction fluid, I regularly use Dr.Ph.Martin’s Pen-White.
Kamisama Kiss Season 2 has just finished its simulcast run, so now would be a perfect time to marathon episodes of the series.
Don’t forget we also have the Broadcast Dub of the series currently releasing on our site for All-AccessPass members! Click here for more information.
