This is an Official Translation purchased by us from VIZ Media in the My Hero Academia: Ultra Analysis fully re-written word for word by us no copy paste or A.I involved.
Special talk from October 4th, 2019 released in English on November 2nd, 2021.
Tite Kubo
Born on June 26th, 1977. Creator of the Weekly Shonen Jump series Bleach. The Final Season of the Anime is currently airing.
Kohei Horikoshi
Born on November 20, 1986. Creator of the Weekly Shonen Jump series My Hero Academia, which won the 2019 Harvey Award for Best Manga.
When did you two first meet in person?
Horikoshi: I believe I introduced myself at a dinner party, around when my first series ended. (referring to 'Omagadoki Zoo' which ran from July 2010 to April 2011)
Kubo: I don't actually remember that. (laughs) What I do remember was Yusei Matsui (Author of 'Assassination Classroom' and 'The Elusive Samurai') doing the honors during a party at your place, I think?
Horikoshi: I was so nervous to be surrounded by so many greats, so I pretty much hid in the corner the whole time... Maybe that was when my second series ended? (Second series referring to 'Barrage' which ran from May 2012 to September 2012)
Kubo: You're right. I don't think you said a single word to me then. (laughs) But we did grab a meal together recently. I didn't really read Jump when I had my own series going, but I have ever since my thing ended, and My Hero Academia grabbed me, which is why I wanted to meet up with you. It was then that we discussed the possibility of this sit-down we're doing right now.
Could you both talk about your impressions of each other's work?
Kubo: I'm always impressed by the sheer amount of art he managed to cram into a weekly release. The biggest difference between our respective series is the density of our backgrounds.
Horikoshi: But your characters can just stand there all on their own and have this striking presence. I don't think my own style is capable of that, so I end up filling every nook and cranny of those backgrounds. Almost like I'm thinking, "I'll compete by making my drawings dense."
Kubo: I think My Hero Academia's characters can also stand on their own and qualify as art. One part that really left an impression was that abandoned factory area full of pipes during the class-versus-class battles. That was nuts. As i read those chapters, I was thinking "I could never pull this off..." (laughs)
Horikoshi: Every week during that arc, my assistants would come to me and as "When is it gonna ennnd??" (laughs) I needed an environment where every character could shine in their own way, so I wound up with that.
Kubo: If it were me, I'd 100% come up with a solution that involved zero pipes. (laughs)
Horikoshi: But I'm jealous of your design sense and the strength of your art, since it means that you don't have to rely on window dressing like that. I bet the other mangaka feel the same way, like you're living the embodiment of style.
Kubo: I think it's like, there's a part of me that only draws scenes to get certain dialogue in, and I only draw manga at all in order to make those scenes happen.
Horikoshi: Ahh, that makes sense.
Kubo: Sometimes, I create characters and dialogue simultaneously. When I want to use a particular line of dialogue, I think about what sort of character would be the most likely speaker of said line. Then, I create a situation where it makes sense for that character to say that line, and voila I've got a scene.
Horikoshi: Interesting. We take completely different approaches.
Kubo: Do you ever have specific lines that you just need someone to say?
Horikoshi: Yes. When i think about future plot developments, I know there are some lines that would just be so darn cool to have someone say. So I guess I do often come up with character moments and situations that way.
Kubo: Not so different after all, then?
Key take aways:
" I'm thinking: I'll compete by making my drawings dense" - Horikoshi
"There's a part of me that only draws scenes to get certain dialogue in" - Kubo
Different approaches to making manga:
Horikoshi-Sensei, could you speak about your process when creating characters?
Horikoshi: I don't really have a set of process. Sometimes I recycle old visual concepts from before the series even started, and sometimes I start with a superpower and work from there. To use Hawks as a recent example, I needed a character who would fill a very specific role within the overarching plot.
Kubo: Ah, so he was born because you needed a double agent.
Horikoshi: Yes. Incidentally I didn't even have Hawks' visual design locked down during the drafting phase.
Kubo: So you came up with it along the way?
Horikoshi: Yeah...
Kubo: Trying to nail down the design while drawing can be tough.
Horikoshi: I have a bad habit of making my designs overly detailed, because I want that panel where a character first appears to be extra cool and impressive. I guess my mantra is that details and density are the tricks to making a design cool.
Kubo: You sure do like those dense, tightly packed designs.
Horikoshi: I find that that approach also draws attention away from bad proportions and angles that would otherwise seem weird.
And you, Kubo-sensei? How do you create characters?
Kubo: When the lines of dialogue and the character come about simultaneously, sometimes it's actually the name that comes first. For example, Rukia started with nothing but a name.
Horikoshi: Ooh, I didn't expect to hear that.
Kubo: While I was drawing, I had the TV on in the background and heard something or other about the ancestor of cosmos flowers, which sounded to me like "Kuitilutia" so I jotted down that note for later. The components of the word sounded like kuchiki (a Japanese surname) plus lucia (derived from the Latin word for "light"), which , when combined as Rukia Kuchiki, seemed like a great name for a Soul Reaper. She started out as a Soul Reaper with a scythe, but then her weapons and outfit changed.. and that's how that process went.
Horikoshi: The story behind her creation already makes her cool... In My Hero Academia, the only character whose name preceded the design was probably Tsutsutaka Agoyamato. That minor character came about as a result of some doodles during a planning meeting.
Kubo: Huh? You like to doodle during meetings?
Horikoshi: I'm always writing down notes or doodling when talking. I take it you don't, Kubo-sensei?
Kubo: In my meetings, we go over the order of business then get to chitchatting, that's it. They're over in 30 minutes, so no, I don't take notes. I must be a pain in the ass for the editor in charge. (laughs)
Did any other characters start with just a name?
Kubo: Bambietta came about because I wanted someone with the nickname "Bambina" Those five Sternritter members all have alliterative initials like that (like B.B. and G.G.) because I decided on that rule for their naming scheme.
Horikoshi: Come to think of it, there is a lot of alliteration in Bleach character names. Aaroniero Arruruerie is another cool example. I was going for something similar like Rock Lock, in my story.
Kubo: That one dark-skinned hero? Great name.
Horikoshi: Ah, I'm so glad you remember! Thank you.
Which characters do you like from each others' series?
Horikoshi: For me, Mayuri is the cream of the crop! When I got Kubo-sensei to sign an autograph board, I requested a drawing of Mayuri. I really love his initial appearance, where you can't quite tell if he's a person or not. That mystery factor was great.
Kubo: Mayuri makes quite an impact, huh?
Horikoshi: I just had no idea what we'd get with that character. What's he gonna do? Who knows! That really made him stand out.
Kubo: Shonen manga has that ironclad rule where the hero's team has to win in the end, no matter how bad things look. I came up with Mayuri because I wanted people to think: "In what crazy way is he gonna win this one?" So I'm thrilled that that was your impression. I didn't conceive of the thirteen Court Guard Companies as villains, it was more like their moral views led to a clash of ideologies. But I needed readers to see them as villains, so that took a bit of tinkering.
Horikoshi: Believe me, I understand that.
Kubo: Personally I like Denki Kaminari. He occupies a really nice position in the grand scheme.
Horikoshi: His power is so strong, but he comes off as kind of weak... (laughs)
Kubo: That's what's great about him. All the characters in My Hero Academia are different in their own little ways so it's hard to choose favorites. Oh I also like Mirio
Horikoshi: What about him?
Kubo: The scene where he protected little Eri all on his own was fantastic.
Horikoshi: Actually, when he debuted the story, I initially thought I'd mess up and that there couldn't be anything interested about him.
Kubo: He comes off as a good-natured big brother type, which is admittedly a tricky position to fill.
Horikoshi: Yeah. Also, his initial appearance ended without any sort of emotion, because I was going to rely on the plot to sort of carry him along. But that would've been a disservice to Mirio, and I hoped that he'd make a real impression on readers as a character. I put so much work into him because I wanted readers to come away thinking: "Maybe this guy could've been the protagonist?"
Kubo: That was definitely the vibe with that scene I'm talking about.
What would you say your own Quirks are? Or, what sort of Quirk would you like to use?
Horikoshi: My existing Quirk is "Sleep" and the Quirk I'd want is "No-sleep-Necessary" (laughs)
Kubo: The Quirk I've got is that "I Can Eat Tons of Delicious Stuff and Never Get Sick" I'd want "I Can Eat Tons of Delicious Stuff and It's All Zero Calories"
Horikoshi: Let's just call that one "Zero Calorie" (laughs)
Kubo: with that one, I could render any opponent immobile
Horikoshi: Wait, I thought it would just remove all the calories from whatever you were eating? (laughs) That'd be one powerful Quirk.
Kubo: Yes, powerful! I imagine the ladies would love that Quirk that could make anything zero calories. And with that name, I'm picturing a sandwich for some reason. (laughs)
What is a hero, in your opinion? What is Evil?
Kubo: I feel like the author of My Hero Academia has to answer this by saying "Read my story to find out."
Horikoshi: I'm definitely still searching around for those answers. Hopefully I can provide them in the final scene of every chapter.
Kubo: Personally, I can't wait.
Horikoshi: What were your general ideas about justice and evil while drawing your series, Kubo-sensei?
Kubo: I love hero stories myself, but I'm not the type to base my work around a single big theme. So forget that, I want to hear about heroes from your life Horikoshi.
Horikoshi: Right, sure, My heroes would have to be the three pillars who held up Jump when I was getting really fired up about the manga. That is to say, Oda-sensei (One Piece Author), Kishimoto-sensei (Naruto Author) and you, Kubo-sensei (Bleach Author), Ah! Please don't think I'm just sucking up to you, though. (laughs)
Kubo: Brownnoser says what? (laughs)
Horikoshi: The way I see it, that period was the absolute pinnacle of Jump!
Kubo: I think that's how we felt about Jump when Dragon Ball was running.
Horikoshi: Right, you get it! That's why you three are my heroes!
BLEACH started when you were in middle school, Horikoshi-sensei, were you influenced by it?
Horikoshi: At that point, I still hadn't attempted drawing anything resembling manga. It was more about doodling and imagining worlds and characters. With that stuff, I definitely copied elements of BLEACH. Plenty of my doodled characters wielded Zanpakuto. (laughs)
Kubo: I'd love to see that! So you designed original Zanpakuto for your characters?
Horikoshi: Yes. The blades would transform, but they didn't have Bankai forms. (laughs) Anyway, yes I drew a ton of those.
Kubo: I assume none of those drawings survived
Horikoshi: Probably not. They would've been in some old B5 notebooks back home...
Kubo: I wish you'd sent some of that in as fan art! I keep all the fan mail I get, so if you had, we'd still have access to it.
Horikoshi: I'd also have to say that BLEACH became my standard regarding the power of words. Not that I have the same sense of style... That's just another aspect where I'm unpolished.
Kubo: Let's call it "zeal"?
Horikoshi: I guess I can leave an impression on people through sheer overbearingness.
Kubo: I was kind of taken aback by how Deku is such a worrywart, but after getting to know you... Well, it makes sense. (laughs)
Horikoshi: At first, I thought Deku's plainness was appealing, but looking back, I'm like "Why'd I make him so gloomy and boring?" (laughs) I think Degu's biggest flaw is that he angsts too much and can't come to quick decisions. Like me, he's constantly thinking "Is this right? Is this good enough?!" That's how he progresses, but it's difficult.
Kubo: But there's something cute about his brand of negativity.
Horikoshi: Way before I started drawing My Hero Academia, and older author at a dinner party said: "When your series starts to really sell, you'll feel invincible." But I haven't felt that shift at all. (laughs) Instead of being happy or satisfied, I've grown anxious about how there are so many others with way more talent than me, so I'd better not let any of this go to my head.
Kubo: When we met up last time, you said "Once you go up, there's nowhere to go but down." (laughs)
Horikoshi: That said, I've never forgotten something you once told me, Kubo-sensei. We were in a taxi, and I was getting angsty about not knowing my strengths. Without hesitation, you said "It's your art" and I felt like the path ahead was suddenly clear.
Kubo: I don't remember the conversation being that angsty... But yes, I'm pretty sure "It's your art" was exactly what i said to you. That's right.
Horikoshi: I'm glad you remember!!
Can you talk about the big, flashy fighting moves in your respective series?
Horikoshi: I love "Tentei Kura" in Bleach. It's just a communication move, but the name makes it sound like some almighty technique.
Kubo: I thought it was kind of overblown for just a communication move. (laughs) The meaning behind the kanji characters was what mattered.
Horikoshi: At the time, I also thought it seemed too cool for what it was. (laughs)
Kubo: Seriously, though (laughs)
Horikoshi: Recently, I've started putting much more thought into my ultimate move names, like with Twice's "Sad Man's Parade."
Kubo: That's a good one.
Horikoshi: I named that in hope that kids would want to say it out loud.
Finally, Kubo Sensei, what advice would you have for rivals who grew up reading your work?
Kubo: My generation doesn't talk about it a lot, but the feeling that Jump's golden age peaked with Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk is a fundamental concept that always sticks with us when we're creating art. So all the while, we're thinking "Are we doing Okay? Are we good enough? Of course, we all tend to think that our own series is the greatest there ever was, but a part of us remembers the sheer intensity of those series from our youth and thinks: "Am i really capable of creating anything even remotely as good as that stuff?" We can't escape that. So it's a big relief to hear Horikoshi say that his generation was reading Jump at its peak. By extension, the kids reading today must think the same about this period.
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