Four years ago, Kore Yamazaki made her debut as a manga artist. Today, she’s the writer and artist of the internationally acclaimed manga and anime, The Ancient Magus’ Bride.
Since the first chapter was published in 2015, The Ancient Magus’ Bride has been translated into over 14 languages and has sold more than 4 million copies in Japan alone. It’s a huge success for the previously unknown Hokkaido manga artist, but sitting down with me at Crunchyroll Expo this August, Yamazaki said it hasn’t changed her life.
See also: 'The Ancient Magus' Bride' Comes To America First With Crunchyroll's Anime Movie Night
“It’s nice that The Ancient Magus Bride has gotten a lot more coverage, but I only know how to draw manga, so there isn’t much of a difference [in my career] now,” she told me.
Read on for my full interview with Yamazaki about her early and current work, meeting overseas fans and her life as a female creator living in Japan.
Lauren Orsini: When did you begin drawing and become interested in making manga?
Kore Yamazaki: I started drawing when I was two or three. I started drawing manga when I was seven. I’ve been drawing all my life.
Orsini: How would you say your work has evolved over time?
Yamazaki: I haven’t really put much thought into how my manga has evolved. Everything new I see, hear and learn, I apply to my manga, so it’s not really a conscious effort.
Orsini: How would you describe your art style as it is now?
Yamazaki: I don’t think my current art style is particularly new or old, or made to appeal to young people or old people in particular. I like older [more classic] art style, but I want young people to be familiar with my art style so they don’t feel alienated by it.
Orsini: What inspires your work as a manga author?
Yamazaki: I feel inspired by all the great manga I’ve read, and all the manga authors I admire.
Orsini: Who are your favorite manga authors?
Yamazaki: One author that comes to mind is Tokuichi Minagi. But there are so many who inspire me that I can’t think of all of them.
Orsini: Can you tell me about some of your all-time favorite manga?
Yamazaki: For sure, Trigun by Yasuhiro Nightow. Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko [Record of a Yokohama Shopping Trip in English] by Hitoshi Ashinano is another favorite. And a lot more I can’t really think of right now.
Orsini: Can you give us some perspective on being a female creator in Japan? Do you think it’s any different from being a male creator?
Yamazaki: I feel that manga is a very equal-opportunity field. You can excel regardless of gender. However, there are some things people who are biologically female are better at drawing and things that biologically male people are better at drawing.
Orsini: What are biologically female people better at drawing?
Yamazaki: I feel that women are better than men at drawing deeper, emotional or mental aspects of the characters.
Orsini: Why do you think that is?
Yamazaki: I’m not sure if this is a biological thing or a gender identity thing, but I feel that women are better at emphasizing. It’s easier for them to see through the eyes of the character.
Orsini: Since you’re a female manga creator, do you think there’s a lot of empathizing that occurs in your latest manga, The Ancient Magus Bride?
Yamazaki: I try not to do that kind of female emotional depiction because a lot of male readers shy away from it, and I want both male and female readers to enjoy my work.
Orsini: Why did you choose to place The Ancient Magus Bride in England?
Yamazaki: I grew up reading a lot of fantasy books about fairies. A lot of them took place in England. It was a place that was very close to my heart.
Orsini: What sort of development went into the creation of the Ancient Magus Bride anime? Did you have a big role in converting it from the manga form?
Yamazaki: I get to oversee a lot of the art—the characters, the colors, the overall setting—but the actual drawing is all done by the animators, and I’m just helping them out.
Orsini: What does it feel like to have that managerial role?
Yamazaki: I feel that I’m part of the camaraderie of the creators of the anime and I want to help them out as part of the team.
Orsini: Here at Crunchyroll Expo, were you surprised to discover that Americans love your work?
Yamazaki: Since I started my manga, I was drawing for a solely Japanese audience. I couldn’t have imagined that my work would be accepted overseas. It makes me very happy.
Orsini: What has it been like to meet your American fans?
Yamazaki: It’s been kind of like a dream to meet overseas fans. Regardless of whether they’re American or Japanese, it’s always a very good feeling to meet your fans.
Orsini: Do American fans act any differently?
Yamazaki: Japanese fans tend to transmit both the good and the bad, both positive and negative feedback, when they’re talking about their favorite author. On the other hand, overseas fans tend to harp on the good points and not talk about what they don’t like. I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, or which is the better way to go about it, but in both cases it’s great to hear input from fans.
Orsini: What will you be working on in the near future?
Yamazaki: Well, I’m just a mere manga artist, so all I can do is draw manga. But as I progress in the future, I hope to become a better creator.
Orsini: Do you think having an anime will change your career at all?
Yamazaki: It’s nice that The Ancient Magus Bride has gotten a lot more coverage because of the anime, but I only know how to draw manga, so there isn’t much of a difference now.
Orsini: Really? You don’t make more money now? Or have more fans?
Yamazaki: I feel like I did make a lot of money—more money than I feel like I deserve. But financially, the only thing that’s different is that I can buy more books now for my hobbies.
Orsini: What are your hobbies?
Yamazaki: I travel. I mess with my camera and try some photography. I cook. Cleaning is fun. Messing around with interior decorating—every day is very fun.
Orsini: How many hours do you work every day as a manga artist?
Yamazaki: Every waking hour.
Orsini: How do you make time for your hobbies?
Yamazaki: Well, my work is a hobby, too.
