(c)Naoya Matsumoto/Shueisha A 32-year-old savior appears in Japan, the land of monsters...? Kaiju No. 8" is the fastest selling book in the history of Shonen Jump +, selling over 4 million copies. An interview with the author reveals the story behind the creation. I was surprised and very happy to receive this award, partly because I had been working on it for a long time. I was surprised and very happy. I'm really grateful to all the readers who voted for me," said Ms. Matsumoto in her honest words, expressing her joy at winning first place. His debut was about 15 years ago, and it was his encounter with "DRAGON BALL" that inspired him to become a manga artist. He said, "I want to draw manga like DRAGON BALL! I want to draw manga like DRAGON BALL! Other influences I am aware of from my childhood include "Nangoku Shonen Papuwa-kun" and "Magic Circle GuruGuru. For action scenes, I learned many things from Yoshihiro Togashi's works and "Hajime no Ippo". In anime, "Neon Genesis Evangelion". I was of the same generation as the main characters when it aired, and it had a great influence on me. In terms of design, I was greatly influenced by Tsutomu Nibei. I think I also gained a lot from my mentor Toshiaki Iwashiro's "PSYREN" and Hiroo Sawai's "Bobobo Bobobo". Kaiju No. 8," which won first place this time, is a battle manga about the fierce battle between monsters and humanity. One day, a mysterious creature transforms Kafuka Hibino's body into a monster. One day, a mysterious creature transforms him into a monster, and he is hunted. I thought it would be interesting for entertainment to have a structure where the protagonist is being chased while trying to reach a destination, as is often the case in movies. I thought it would be interesting as entertainment to have a structure where the strongest protagonist is being chased while trying to reach his destination. I made Kafka a monster because I thought it would be most interesting to make Kafka himself the strongest monster in the story, if he was going to reach his destination while being chased by the defense force. I also thought that the relationship between him and his partner Ichikawa would become more attractive as they shared a secret. He says that he has always liked monsters. When I was a kid, I liked Ultraman and Ultra Seven, and my mother bought me monster books, which I loved to read. I loved reading the monster books my mother bought me, and Shin Godzilla was also a big part of that. I think the reason why there have been so many works based on monsters recently is that people who were impressed by "Shin Godzilla" have begun to create works that are just now taking shape. Another unique aspect of the film is its depiction of monsters as disasters, such as typhoons and earthquakes. Things like justice and evil can be easily shifted just by changing the point of view, and the story tends to become preachy. I portray monsters not as 'evil' but as disasters that humans must overcome in order to survive.
【Background】
・Graduated from Kyoto University with a major in Japanese Culture Studies, Faculty of Letters
・After graduation, worked 4 years as editor and proofreader for a print magazine specializing in traditional performing arts and culture
・Became a freelance journalist in 2021 and launched japanculturean.com in 2022
【Expertise】
・Pop-Culture Fusion Analysis
Analytical commentary on how modern pop-culture media (anime, film, fashion) incorporates and reinterprets traditional Japanese motifs.
