Mag Talk Weekly Shonen Jump [2017] - Discussion and TOC Talk

[De La Croissant]

GH ch.2: the author is more interested in forcing drama than in building something. I'm still unimpressed.

 

[Ninjaz]

GH ch.2: the author is more interested in forcing drama than in building something. I'm still unimpressed.

Building something as in? This is building the foundation of the MC, one could argue the first chapter of One Piece 'forced drama' if so, too.
I'm not impressed either, but that specifically, I don't see.

 

[De La Croissant]

Building something as in? This is building the foundation of the MC, one could argue the first chapter of One Piece 'forced drama' if so, too.
I'm not impressed either, but that specifically, I don't see.

It's forced because

Spoiler

it's superficial (focuses only on key scenes) and repetitive (follows the same formula of the first chapter: someone tries to attack the MC, his mentor pops up to defend him and is humiliated, both cry, the MC gets irritated and has a power-up).

 

[iceemperor]

Kubo was a guest on TBS Radio's Shonen Jump 50th anniversary collaboration

https://www.tbsradio.jp/197344

This time as well, lots of interesting things came out in the talk:

• Kubo lives in Roppongi Hills, an incredibly affluent district popular for its night life and expensive residences. He was able to walk to the location this talk would be recorded and broadcasted, in Akasaka which is north of Roppongi. He's lived there for the last 10 years. The hosts were super surprised as they'd never known anyone who lived in Roppongi. Kubo's wife also wanted to come to this appearance as she is also a fan of the host duo but she was sick and so couldn't make it.
  
• Kubo got his start in Jump when he was in highschool when he told his teacher he'd become a mangaka and then went on to write a oneshot for an award, Pop Step Award. He said he had to do this after telling his teacher he'd become a mangaka. He didn't win the award, he got to the final round, but an editor from Jump contacted him saying he'd be his editor. He initially declined as he doesn't like collaborating with people and likes doing everything on his own but eventually agreed. That editor became his first editor.
  
• Kubo's favourite manga when he was a kid were GeGeGe no Kitaro and Saint Seiya, though his art style is completely different. He was constantly drawing youkai and the like as a kid, imitating Kitaro. His parents were indifferent to hearing him say he'd become a mangaka. They never said yes or no.
  
• Soon after he began working with his editor, he began writing some works. The hosts ask whether the editor asked him to change stuff as the editor is more experienced and has seen more manga and artists but Kubo says that his first editor didn't really ask him to change much. He was apparently rather fond of Kubo's work. Kubo would also not change much. Even if the editor tells him to change something, if he thought it was interesting he'd not change it. His editor didn't really make much of a fuss and let it through though. Kubo doesn't really remember much from his time with that editor as nothing that left an impression happened.
  
• Kubo is rather bad at working in a group. The hosts ask if he's a lone wolf and he says he probably is. He keeps the time spent with the assistants rather short due to this but he says he rather likes his assistants. He's also the type to eat by himself, though its different now that he's married.
• Kubo debuted in Jump in a 1996 special issue. These special issues also have their own voting system. He says that for each special issue, experienced mangaka write the series on the cover as well as one shots& yonkoma from current serialized mangaka. These would take the first two spots. From number three and down would be oneshots from newcomers and rookies. He was fourth that issue. Oda was above him at third with Romance Dawn. From then on he didn't like Oda as much.
  
• Three years later he would begin his first serialized series. During those three years, he would make one shots though he says he didn't really do much then. His editor would make him write stories but he himself didn't really want to. He would write one-shots barely in time for the deadlines and then his editor would bring assistants then. About a week before the deadline, Kubo would be called to Tokyo and be "confined" to a room and would finish the one-shot there with assistants specifically for that one-shot. At that time, the assistants were all older than Kubo so he found it rather difficult to work there. He secretly thought "Can't these people leave?". When giving them work, he'd say "Please draw it like this" or "Please draw it to have this kind of feeling" though it would often not be done according to his image and then he would correct it himself after.
  
• Before Zombie Powder, he wrote two one-shots. This is supposedly rather early for a serialization for a rookie. However, during the time of the one-shots, he was often scolded. Before his second one-shot, he was called to Tokyo by Torishima, the Editor-in-Chief at the time. At Shueisha, he was sent to a room with his then editor and Torishima. There Torishima told him "You manga is not good", though the nuance is more harsh. Torishima then put Dragon Ball and First of the North Star's Volume 1s on the table in front of him and said," Go home and read these. Write these kinds of manga". Kubo thought to himself "This bastard..!" Kubo says that the intent behind that was that they wanted him to write huge hits like those two manga, as told to him by his then editor. He didn't read those volumes later, though at that point he already knew about those two manga given how big they were.
  
• Zombie powder ended in 2000 and Bleach began in 2001. There was little time between the two. Soon after Zombie Powder ended, the editors wanted him to write again though he wanted to rest a bit more. Since he was cancelled, his editor said to "write a story or you'll be forgotten". His editor had already reserved a space for the cover of the next special issue, so he was forced to write a one-shot. The story for that issue was the Bleach one-shot. The feedback was good for that one-shot and thus it became a series.
  
• For Bleach, he had already been writing down characters in a notebook to use later for a while and with the sudden task of the oneshot, he used characters from that notebook. Rukia was the first character designed for Bleach, though the shinigami theme wasn't decided until later using a prototype of Rukia's design. The shinigami theme was, according to Kubo, partially influenced by Kitaro but also that he was rather scared of the afterlife and dying and so he made that the theme.
  
• Since each character in Bleach has their own Zanpakuto and the like, the hosts ask if it was difficult to design so many of them but he says he didn't really struggle. He had designed everything with the character as a set.
  
• He had already decided on the ending at the beginning. In his case, he writes with certain scenes in mind and then connects them together so he had already decided on the final scene. Filling the parts in between was his main writing style. The ending didn't change the entire 15 years as he had already decided to end with a "next generation taking over" type of scene. This also worked out well even if he was cancelled in-between as he was basically kicking it down the line as he was writing and could end it there. There were times when, in the middle, he wasn't really thinking too much, however its impossible to write if you're not thinking at all. The hosts also say sometimes that works out great as in the case of Otokojuki where even the inconsistencies are enjoyable and make for a great manga. Its different for each mangaka.
  
• Nakano was his second editor. He was supposedly rather nice to Kubo though Kubo says that his attitude changes per mangaka. Nakano was apparently very hard on Matsui. Rather than hard, Kubo says "haughty" might be closer to how their relationship was.
  
• Bleach was eventually made into an anime. Kubo was happy when this happened but he knew that series in Jump that gained popularity would get anime so he was more like "This late..?". Bleach was apparently rather late in getting an anime at that time. Other series that were serialized had already gotten their anime. It took around 3 years to get an anime, an amount of time that lots of series could end in. That Bleach didn't end in 3 years, Kubo was glad. Kubo was both happy and thinking, "this is late...", though he never said this at the time.
  
• Kubo was involved quite a bit with the anime. In the beginning he wasn't but he saw that the anime would change lots of things from the manga and he said "his stomach would hurt". He would get irritated with that and say, "That's wrong!". In the beginning he would look at those different scenes and basically squeeze his cushion with irritation. Then from some point on he asked to check the scripts and the like. Each week, the script would be sent to him. He says he's rather particular about the dialogue and since the anime can't overtake the manga, there would be extra dialogue. Sometimes it would be different from how the character actually is and the readers would notice the differences and he didn't like that so he would correct it. It was a feeling of responsibility to the readers since his name would appear first and lots of people would enter the series through the anime but he also didn't want to let the readers from before the anime down so he would correct it to make sure everything was right.
  
• During the 15 years of Bleach, he didn't really get bored as he was writing what he had already decided so deadlines were only rough whenever his health declined. He would think about next week as he was writing this week's story so he didn't really worry/waver too much for the upcoming weeks. His lifestyle was rather precise as he didn't like being "chased" for time. He was the type to finish his summer homework at the beginning of summer.
  
• During the 15 years, his editor changed around 7-8 times though he didn't really count as his editors would sometimes stop in the middle, due to them moving up or whatever reason, and a new editor would come in. He had a good relationship with his editors though he would be harsh when there was a misprint. He would yell on the phone at those times, but he would still have a good relationship with the editor after that.
  
• After Bleach ended, rather then a feeling of accomplishment, he felt more like "I'm tired...". Apparently throughout Bleach, there were times when he thought "I want to stop this here...." but at the beginning he had already said that, "I will write up-till here" and thus felt that he must write until he reached that scene of what not. He wasn't really in much "agony" those 15 years, only when his health declined. He didn't really feel like going many places for vacation though he did go at times like when he was called to speak for an event abroad and took a week off then and went.
  
• In response to a question from a listener regarding whether he cried or whatnot when a scene came out really good he said he didn't really cry but he did get goosebumps when a scene came out better then expected. He says its probably something every mangaka experiences as its something you don't get unless you actually draw the specific scene itself. If you don't draw thinking "This is great!" then when this is read, nothing will be communicated to the readers. So he draws to make sure he feels deep emotions otherwise, the readers won't feel anything.
  
• He doesn't really have anything to say regarding new works as he says he not doing anything right now.

That came out longer than expected but the hosts note that Kubo has many more things "hidden in the darkness" that he's holding back saying.

 

[Caiops]

It will probably be a long time until we see him writing something new, i can see he going to another magazine.

 

[shoyoboyo]

Aw damn, so apparently no new works in the making. That's a bit disappointing. Granted, he's pretty much a millionaire so he probably doesn't need to work ever again, but still.

 

[SharkBait]

Wow Kubo most have got incredibly loaded from BLeach if he's living somewhere that fancy while just earning residuals now. I think with him I feel like Im not really wanting him to do anything more. BLeach seemed like thebest thing he could get and it was amazing, and the ending was good.

Zombiepowder doesnt really seem like it was forgotten.

Kishimoto on the other hand, you kind of want to stay in the world forever and with the characters, and akira amano, just love her writing that id always want more.

 

[Caiops]

I'm curious of when we will see what Kishimoto will be doing.

 

[shoyoboyo]

Not sure if anyone knew, but Saguri-san's first chapter was recently translated: https://bato.to/reader#328c8b6f11341e0c

 

[Mammo]

Mahou Shonen X oneshot was scanlated too, people really wanted to read this during the GFC

https://bato.to/reader#d729908571d10543

 

[SharkBait]

Mahou Shonen X oneshot was scanlated too, people really wanted to read this during the GFC

https://bato.to/reader#d729908571d10543

Was different than I expected but the artstyle feels refreshing and unique compared to other sj things and yatarou is cute and good design. Only flaw was that perhaps it tried to cram a few too many things in explaining the world but otherwise great.

 

[DyanSon]

Mahou Shonen X oneshot was scanlated too, people really wanted to read this during the GFC

https://bato.to/reader#d729908571d10543

I really like it and hope it became a full series.

 

[Shinji Hirako]

Kubo definitely never has to work again with the money he's made but i'm not surprised. Bleach has had everything you expect a manga franchise to have: anime, figurines, console games, mobile games, anime movies, novels, databooks/fanbooks, several soundtracks, musicals and next year the last thing which is a live action movie.

 

[jagman1x3]

PSA to anyone it may concern, this forum is not an extension of Reddit and if your posts here are nothing more than linking to a Reddit article in hopes of getting more upvotes then they're going to get deleted.
Also as I've said repeatedly, this thread is not the place to talk about the Black Clover anime.

 

[Mr.Fujimaster]

I hope Kubo goes back to Jump someday.
It may even be a small series, I just hope it comes back.

I'm curious of when we will see what Kishimoto will be doing.

Me too, Kishimoto should do something that is not Naruto's universe.

 

[Tanzo]

Fire Punch volume 8 will be the final volume.

 

[vinceled]

that interview with Kubo was pretty interesting, I liked how the hosts made fun of the fact that he's been living in Roppongi since he was thirty.
I also like how he says he's hated Oda ever since the Romance Dawn one shot was placed before his. He actually use the word "嫌い kirai" there, one of the hosts even saying Kubo is pretty frank lol

 

[Lumilleon]

Aw damn, so apparently no new works in the making. That's a bit disappointing. Granted, he's pretty much a millionaire so he probably doesn't need to work ever again, but still.

I think mentally tired is more accurate for reason after all these hellish pressure back when was writing Bleach.
Heck,I am not surprised if Kubo is planning to quit being mangaka and do different profession now.

Mahou Shonen X oneshot was scanlated too, people really wanted to read this during the GFC

https://bato.to/reader#d729908571d10543

Enjoy the oneshot, i think this series has potential if mangaka aim this to youngers audience.
My complaint is the transformation is too simple, the author should given the MC mask or helmet to make it cooler and flashier.

 

[TyVip]

Mahou Shonen X oneshot was scanlated too, people really wanted to read this during the GFC

https://bato.to/reader#d729908571d10543

Yo that one shot is FIRE!! I didn't skim like i usually do with one shots. Read page by page.

 

[WesKR]

Is Fire Punch ending naturally or was it rushed to a conclusion?