Author's preface to the document:
The interview has been translated using ChatGPT versions 3.5 (Turbo) and 4 to another language, and then to English. Please take note! There may be errors in the text! If you know Japanese, you can study the materials in the #tengoku-raws channel on the Discord server: link.
Interview
Ishiguro Masakazu on his work "Tengoku Daimakyou"
In preparation for the release of the 8th volume of the "Tengoku Daimakyou" series, Ishiguro Masakazu conducted a review of the published 7 volumes, explaining important episodes and details contained in his work. During the interview, he also shared the story of the creation of his work and discussed its future development.
The idea had been coming to me for a long time, and I kept thinking about how to implement it. Finally, thanks to persistence and diligence, my dreams took on a concrete form and became a reality.
Ishiguro Masakazu is a well-known manga artist and is currently working on several projects, including the "Tengoku Daimakyou" series which is already being published, as well as the release of "Mokuyoubi no Furutto" and eponymous manga volumes. But the question arises, does he find enough time for all these projects?
In the black square: Ishiguro Masakazu was born in 1977 in Fukui Prefecture. In 2000, he made his debut by receiving the Afternoon Four Seasons Award for his work "Hero". In 2003, he received an award from the Japanese Ministry of Culture in the manga category at the 17th Media Arts Festival for his work "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatte Iru", and in 2018, he received the "Seiun" award. Since 2018, he has been publishing the "Tengoku Daimakyou" series.
Ishiguro Masakazu announced that this month he has decided to devote all his time to preparing the 8th volume of the "Tengoku Daimakyou" series, so he has postponed the publication of his column in the "Afternoon" magazine. In the process of working on the series, Isiguro sometimes has to completely rewrite panels or correct an incorrectly written script to turn it into the best version. He is usually very busy creating manga, and constantly distributes his efforts between working on the "Tengoku Daimakyou" series and writing two-page stories for other projects.
The "Tengoku Daimakyou" series and "Mokuyoubi no Furutto" have completely different styles and concepts, how do you manage to switch between them?
I worked on various projects at different times, including the series "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatte Iru", "Mokuyoubi no Furutto", "Kyouko to Tousan", "Getenrou" and "Dorisu to Mame". Transitioning from one project to another posed many difficulties for me, especially switching between "Getenrou" and "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatte Iru". To get in the mood for work, I created a playlist of dark techno music. Now, 10 years later, I can't remember how I managed to handle so much work at once and would like to go back and go through it again.
Furutto and Maru: This illustration was created in collaboration with Furutto to celebrate the anniversary of the "Tengoku Daimakyou" series.
Photo of a shelf: Materials related mainly to the "Tengoku Daimakyou" work were found at Sensei's workplace.
When the planning for "Tengoku Daimakyou" began, it was quite a while ago, wasn't it?
The idea of creating the "Tengoku Daimakyou" manga came to me during the period I was working on "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatte Iru", but it was difficult to work on two projects at once. So I continued to think about the plot while working on "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatte Iru".
I once started drawing characters for a boys' magazine, but when the work on "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatte Iru" ended, my editors offered me jobs in various publications, including "Afternoon." Considering that I had already won a contest in the "Afternoon" magazine, I decided to continue working in it.
What circumstances led to the creation of this story?
I would say that for several years, I had been dreaming of what eventually became the idea for the manga. I love walking, but when I do it, I start fantasizing about a world destroyed by a catastrophe. As my thoughts evolved, I began to write down my ideas on paper, and soon the fantasies turned into reality.
Another reason was my love for anime that I watched when I was little. I remember anime where the main character wandered alone, like Chirico from "Soukou Kihei Votoms". I liked the idea of a hero traveling alone in combat armor through the desert. I always dreamed of writing something similar.
In fact, at the initial stage, I was going to depict a world that would look even more like a desert. When the first volume came out, the company Minami Kamakura Film Commission provided a video promotion, and as it turned out, they had previously released a video with music by Hachi (Kenshi Yonezu), in which there was the same idea: Miku in a jacket against the desert. I decided to change the plot, not delving into direct copying, and returned to a more diverse world setting. It was quite difficult to create a background with a large number of buildings (laughs).
Text next to the magazine: On the cover of the June issue of the "Comic Ryu" magazine (Tokuma Shoten Publishing) in 2013.
I have evidence that it is not plagiarism! On the cover of the June 2013 issue of "Comic Ryu" magazine, there was a drawing that could be considered a precursor to my work, "Tengoku Daimakyou". This drawing shows a girl in a jacket, and in the background, there is a sign frame with the words in katakana: "Niraikanai" (in Japanese, this can mean "no future").
So, this image — a child in a jacket, wandering through a destroyed world in search of "Heaven" — was drawn long before my work.
Where did the idea of a school trapped within walls come from?
To be honest, the concept of the academy was modeled after Yumeno Kyusaku's novel "Dogra Magra". In this novel, the main character wakes up in a sanatorium, hearing a strange bell sound. He conducts an investigation to find the answer to the question of what is real and what is not. "Tengoku Daimakyou" is similar to "Dogra Magra" in its structure. Although this novel can be interpreted in different ways, for me, "Tengoku Daimakyou" is "Dogra Magra."
What inspired you to create the images for your manga?
When I started writing my series, I felt a certain discomfort about what was happening in Japan. It seemed to be around 2017-2018 when Japan was looking for flaws in its governance in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics. Many people were involved in this. I experienced déjà vu because of the scandal with the empty New Year's food. At that time, people pointed out that the packaging did not match the reality. Also, there were earthquakes and tsunamis that stripped people of all their habits. I sensed an ominous similarity between that time and now in the air.
This is a critical moment in world history. I started drawing manga to convey the sense of threat that we increasingly feel. The credo of my manga is to be cautious, or else we may encounter something truly terrible. As expected, new diseases have crept into our world — Covid-19 and the flu — making our world darker and more dangerous than ever before. And although I wanted people to read "Tengoku Daimakyou" when our world was peaceful, calm, and safe.
Is gender identity one of the themes of the manga?
I don't remember exactly when the idea came to me that the older sister's body contains the brain of her younger brother, but it was a series of sound considerations from which I understood that this is the story I want to tell. I have always been inspired by stories of brothers and sisters, so I wanted to create my own story about a brother and sister swapping places, where the brother takes care of the sister. I rejected coincidences related to magic and wanted to create a more realistic and accurate world to show what happens during a brain transplant.
Another thing I hate: a scenario where a man, becoming a woman, is surprised: "I have breasts!" – and then panics that he doesn't have a penis. Instead, I wanted to explore how a person, becoming the woman he loves, would show his dark joy. This is the scene with Haruki, who received the body of the girl he loves, and it was drawn in a more realistic and insistent way.
Additionally, if my gender changed, how would that affect my relationships with my same-sex friends? And in general, I wondered whether a person's gender is a physical or mental quality, and in the process of this reasoning, we reached what we have in the manga.
Now I will recall the events in order, starting with the first volume, and I would like to hear your thoughts on the scenes that left an impression on you and which moments to pay attention to.
Let's move on to Chapter 1, page 31, "Karaoke Heaven". Probably, Maru and Kiruko stopped there, seeing the sign, and thought: "Maybe this is the place we are looking for." This shows that the concept of "Heaven" for them is still not obvious in their journey.
The scene in Chapter 2, when they search for "treasures" in a residential area, reflects my experience of walks during which I imagined myself wandering through deserted city streets. I felt that the lock on the door of the house (page 37) and the sense that everything inside was left in its place were also related to this experience. I thought about where I would sleep tonight and wanted to know what was happening inside those apartment buildings I saw, so I could observe them in debug mode in a 3D game. So, I want Maru and Kiruko to be able to enter any house freely.
One of the offices we entered belonged to the organization "Naeshiro Family". On page 46, it is described that the room was in chaos because people panicked during the earthquake and tried to find important documents. The work contains numerous details about the world after the disaster, including the description of a bathtub with many shampoos and other bottles in Chapter 4. This is related to the fact that each family has at least one bottle and can easily obtain them in the event of a disaster.
Prices for goods are set twice as high as the current price. Although the Ryujuko (?) currency is now widely circulated, I am also concerned about what will happen if the data is lost or becomes unavailable. In Kiruko's world, even if someone says, "I had a real two hundred thousand yen in my account," it won't change anything.
Do fantasy details add realism to life in the post-disaster world?
When creating each scene, I pay a lot of attention to details and imagine how to act. You can't just draw something randomly. For example, in Chapter 6, when Kiruko and Maru have to lower their raft from the roof of a building and go down the river, I thought about every step they must take. They had to use ropes from both ends. If you look closely, you can see how they do it. I want people to travel with me into this world and fantasize together with me, for example, adding details about how they first changed clothes to not get wet when entering the water, and so on.
Different settlements have their own level of culture and safety. For example, in Kusakabe village, which is fully adapted to nature, children can play by the trees under adult supervision, while in dangerous cities, children do not go outside. In the Nara settlement, shown in Chapter 48 of Volume 8, thanks to a good level of safety, children can freely play around their homes and even tease adults. These small details speak to the level of culture in each settlement. I hope this helps readers imagine life in this world.
Let's move on to Volume 2.
Haruki's bow is designed so that a person skilled in making their own toy can use a steel pipe to create a projectile weapon... It's hard for me to explain. The bend in the middle is needed to hold the arrow in place. I have explained the whole construction to you, but it doesn't mean I can draw everything randomly. I tend to study my concept in detail, and it takes a lot of time.
The scene where Haruki regains consciousness in Chapter 9 was drawn thanks to deep imagination, envisioning what happened when Haruki's brain was transplanted. It was very difficult.
Was it hard for you to draw this scene?
No, I just imagined myself in a post-surgery state and felt pain. At first, I couldn't move, and my mind was the only thing that came back, and then all my body parts started to go numb. I couldn't see, even though it seemed like my eyes were open... I fully describe this from my imagination. I also experienced a feeling as if my head was being dipped into hot water. Again, this is all just my thoughts.
On page 154, Chapter 12, the Little Angels School in the city represents a brothel where orphaned children and those suffering from poverty are forced to work. Today, the rights of many people are protected, and we strive for mutual understanding and respect, but this concept that we must manage our instincts, and consider that "man is a soul," is a thought for the future, to which humanity will come when we have more time and peace. This is what I'm trying to convey. We move on to Volume 3. In Chapter 14, Maru leaves their boots in the room, and throws the meat bones on the carpet. They are not savages, while all the inhabitants in this world have come to terms with how they live. The idea is to show that if you were in this world, you would speak and do things through wildness and instincts. I hope this creates a sense of complete immersion.
Did Totori find solace in "virginity" (laughs)?
The Queen of Hotels is my favorite character. I like that she always remains cheerful even in difficult moments. The farewell scene with Maru and the others was indeed sad... Besides, I wanted to show that even people who initially seem like villains can be important to someone. From the very beginning, I wanted to prove that no character in the story exists just to fill the background or complement the situation, they are all alive and real.
From Chapter 18, the Immortal Cult episode begins, and I like the rhythm of Mizuhashi's speech during her sermon. I thought she was a good person. Also, notice that the conversation about the forbidden methodology on page 152 is very important. The Immortal Cult's weapons consist of half scissors or wrenches, and those against the Immortal Cult use janitor or plumber weapons.
In Volume 5, the robber attacking Juuichi held a showerhead in his hands, and it gave me the idea that even a showerhead could become a weapon if filled with sand.
At the beginning of the 4 volume, Maru kissed Kiruko — was he simply embarrassed or trying to deprive her of the ability to breathe by covering her mouth?
Maru covered Kiruko's mouth, trying to deprive her of the ability to breathe and cause a loss of consciousness. As a result, Kiruko almost lost consciousness but returned to reality from the hallucination. Perhaps after that, Kiruko's menstrual cycle started due to the shocking kiss.
I wanted to depict a woman who calmly goes to school even during menstruation, which continues in the story in Volume 6. Also, Tokyo feels fine after giving birth, while Kona lies in bed.
It's already been an hour and a half since the start of the 4 volume (laughs). There's so much interesting stuff here!
Let's hurry up. When I was drawing Juuichi's son in Volume 5, my child was the same age. Maybe in some moments, I used him as a model for drawing.
In Chapter 29, the farewell scene of Kiruko with Juuichi's family is a sign that I'm always worried — what to do if we get stuck in a key farewell scene? I'm always concerned about how to make the farewell beautiful and emotional.
I created the image of the reconstruction ministry from the perspective of state authorities. I had to contemplate issues of city restoration and the use of specific signs to facilitate people's orientation.
They really set up public systems.
The fact that chips are distributed just for living might be similar to a basic income. After all, people and culture need to be concentrated before everything collapses. A uniform set cannot be made until the culture has recovered to a certain extent, so I think it will become a symbol of recovery and order. By the way, if you look closely at the fish being sold in the store, it is deformed. The same was true for the fish Kiruko and Maru caught in Volume 3. Perhaps it's due to the effects of radiation.
In Volume 6, at first Maru doesn't know what's happening to Kiruko in the large filtration center, so he's so carefree. It was irritating when I was drawing this.
Wow, already Volume 7. It seems like we're starting to approach the finale.
The "キケン" (danger) text style on page 15 was drawn looking at the anime "AKIRA".
You like it, right? You've mentioned in another interview before that you put in efforts not to resemble anyone else?
Yes, I love that anime and continue to put in efforts (laughs).
Helm is also one of my favorite characters. I feel that one of the conditions for favorite characters is persistence even in tragic circumstances, just like with Totori. Since she has a prosthetic on her left hand, I carefully draw how she manages everything with her right hand alone. Pay attention to the food scenes.
Nevertheless, there are many moments I would like to draw attention to. Unlike children with parents who look neat, orphan Reimu (Dream of Hell) doesn't receive clothes of the right size, and no one accompanies her to the toilet at night... In the end, everyone creates an opportunity for such things. Even after the incident, everyone tries to punish the criminal and calm down; nobody worries about Reimu (Dream of Hell). On the contrary, they even show anger. Anger from looking away from sexual things and desperately pretending that it doesn't exist, but because of you, it came to light!
You're probably a little concerned about what's next for the uneven pair of Helm and the rescued girl. Drawing the faience pattern on Kiruko-Maru with one hand must be difficult, so perhaps this child helps by holding the palette and so on. Through this, you can slightly assume the future of these two.
And at the end of Volume 7, when I was drawing the scene with the "Super Beam", it was nice that I could use the name I had come up with in Volume 4.
So, this interview was recorded when the chapter had not yet been published. How long will the story continue?
It seems like we're halfway through. Initially, I planned to finish at Volume 5, but just like with "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatte Iru", I was wrong. "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatte Iru" was planned for 4 volumes, but it ended up being 16... The number of things to depict and explain keeps increasing.
The first volume was progressing successfully according to the plan, but we still recorded one more chapter. I really wanted to end with the phrase "I’m a man". Initially, it was supposed to include 6 chapters, but then the story would have ended with the phrase «We've almost reached the ‘Tomato Heaven’», and that would have been a weak ending (laughs). Already at this stage, I exceeded the planned amount, and now there is an accumulation and increase in volume.
Please tell us about what to look out for in the future.
Michika's forces turned out to be less rational than expected, but they continue to quickly approach Maru and his friends. An important moment becomes what will happen when they meet. As for the rest, I can't say so as not to spoil the surprise.
An anime adaptation was announced, wasn't it?
Actually, I don't discuss the anime with the editors of the monthly magazine "Afternoon". Because I want to receive their genuine impressions as the first readers of each chapter of "Tengoku Daimakyou".
Since it's an ongoing story, it's natural that there is an overall plot and various conventions. If you know about them, there might be a situation where you think: "This time it's just a preparatory step for future events, so it's okay if it's not exciting enough". But that's not good for manga.
Regarding the anime adaptation, the director and production side had to think about the overall structure, so I had to tell them the story to the end. Because of this, I asked the editorial department to appoint a separate editor, specifically for the anime.
I don't know when the original story will end, but it would be great if they could fully adapt it into an anime. At which volume does the first season end?
If I'm not mistaken, the first season covers 6 volumes.
Is there anything in particular that you're looking forward to?
Probably the background arts. In the manga, the world is presented through my humble black and white drawings, but it's magnificent that the animators draw it in color. I'm really looking forward to seeing the destroyed, realistic world of Japan.