Tatsuya Endo/Interviews

This page shows the interviews of Tatsuya Endo and his editor Shihei Lin regarding the series. Other interviews from related staff such as voice actors, directors, etc. may also be shown here.

The Making of a Jump Manga: Interview with Editor Shihei Lin
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The Birth of SPY x FAMILY
──When did you become Tatsuya Endo’s editor?

Lin: Two years after I joined the company, as we were preparing for the launch of Jump Square. At that point we’d already known each other for more than ten years. I also was the editor for most of his first serialization, TISTA, although the editor changed partway through.

──What kind of person is Endo-sensei?

Lin: He’s an author with many preferences. That hasn’t changed since I first met him. In order to improve the quality of his work, he reads many manga, novels, and new books. He’s passionate about learning. He’s the type to really think through every detail of the plot, so when I propose something crazy in a meeting, he’ll quickly point out any contradictions. That’s how the story comes together. Also, his attitude toward manga is very thoughtful and earnest, it’s great. My involvement with Endo-sensei has also had a positive impact on other authors I work with. For example, when I handled Fire Punch by author Tatsuki Fujimoto, I had Endo-sensei come onboard as an assistant, in order to learn from the experience.

──What is your fondest memory of working together?

Lin: We had a lot of good memories on our trip to New York to gather material for his work, TISTA. We didn’t have a big budget at that time, so it was a really thrifty trip (laughs). We had such a good time together though that none of it really mattered.

──What was the process of serializing SPY x FAMILY like?

Lin: After finishing TISTA and Gekka Bijin in Jump Square and publishing three one-shots, I was moved to the Jump Plus editorial department. When I told Endo-sensei, he said, “Any editorial department is fine, so let’s work together again.” And so, we slowly started drawing up a plan for a work that would suit Jump Plus.

He had published three one-shots for Jump Square; “Rengoku no Ashe”, “Ishi ni Usubeni, Tetsu ni Hoshi” which was written about Medusa’s child, and “I SPY”. SPY x FAMILY takes on the strengths of all of those works, so it can be said the series was born from those three titles. For Jump Plus, we circulate each draft around the department and get everyone’s feedback before taking it to the meeting that decides whether it’ll be serialized or not. With SPY x FAMILY, the reception from the editorial department was so good that its serialization was practically decided before even going into the meeting.

──What kind of title do you think SPY x FAMILY is?

Lin: I remember talking extensively with Endo-sensei about making this a cheerful title. In both TISTA and Gekka Bijin, the characters and plot were made to be dark, so for this third serialization we both wanted to switch things up and create something more positive. Endo-sensei is talented at creating deep, well thought-out characters, and showing their shifts in psychological state. When a dark storyline continues on, both the author and reader can fall into a slump. That’s why I wanted to make SPY x FAMILY a bright and cheerful manga. I remember banning him from drawing anything dark (laughs). Endo-sensei agreed to this, and I was happy to see him draw the series with much enthusiasm.

──How did the title for SPY x FAMILY come about?

Lin: I just slapped a placeholder name on it at the draft submission stage. Endo-sensei sent in this draft for a serialization without deciding on the title, so we just worked with the title “Spy Family” written in Japanese characters for the time being. And then, when it was actually going to become a real thing, we decided we’d better have a proper name for it. It took us forever to decide on anything! (laughs) I thought “Spy Family” written in Japanese was just fine, but Endo-sensei was worried it was a little too... straight-forward. I swear, he came up with over a hundred names and we went over all of them together. And at the end of it all, we just took the name we had and put it in English characters, with a cross between the words. We talked about how the title of “HUNTER x HUNTER” is super simple, and it how it has the same thing going on.

'''──What about the characters in SPY x FAMILY? How did they come to be?'''

Lin: Anya’s design was inspired by the main character of the one-shot “Rengoku no Ashe” in Jump Square. They do resemble each other, with Anya having extrasensory perception and Ashe being a witch. Anya’s ability to read minds came fairly early on in the planning stage. I do remember us deciding in a meeting just how broad her abilities would be. The way her abilities are used for comedic effect in SPY x FAMILY is one of the title’s virtues, I think.

──What, would you say, is the appeal of SPY x FAMILY?

Lin: The art itself of course, but also how action is shown, the panel work, and just generally, as a manga, how well made it is. The illustrations are clean and sharp. The characters’ emotions, and how they express them, slip easily into your mind. This is a feeling you don’t get much in other manga. That conveyance of emotion is the culmination of Endo-sensei’s efforts to hone his skills. It’s definitely something I hope people take notice of. Making something easy to read is actually really difficult, and I think it’s truly amazing Endo-sensei can achieve that.

The manga’s appeal is actually showing in its sales. SPY x FAMILY has a broad readership, attracting fans regardless of age or gender. Both adults and kids alike can read it from their own perspectives, and I think that is the main reason the readership is as wide as it is. Also, since it’s a spy manga, there are of course violent scenes. There’s a line where violence is given a pass because it’s for comedy, and we are always very conscious of that. I think that’s another reason why our readers stay with us.

──When making a title, are there any things you keep in mind regarding readers outside of Japan?

Lin: That’s a big question... I think rather than say we’re being aware of foreign readers, I’d say we work without thinking too hard about Japan itself. If you’re making a work reflective of a particular period, then you need to be aware of the locations and cultures of that period, but that doesn’t really apply to SPY x FAMILY, does it? There are a lot of people in younger generations than us who spend a lot of their time watching non-Japanese titles on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. I think the perception of what is “domestic” and what is “foreign” will go on to become more ambiguous.

The Role of the Editor
──What do you think an editor is to an author?

Lin: Ideally speaking? Something like family. But sometimes things don’t go so well between the two of them (laughs). Depending on the person it can be something like two brothers who are very close with each other, a couple who head towards their future together, or occasionally comrades-in-arms who struggle together through hard times... What’s important is adjusting the emotional distance between the two of you to suit the writer as an individual. Although, if you get too close with each other, it may become difficult to say what you really want to, and that isn’t ideal. With Endo-sensei, we have a good level of closeness with one another. We can be direct with each other. We rely on each other. It’s not just that we just simply get along. Endo-sensei treats me with decency. We’ve known each other for over 10 years now, and yet the vibe is the same as when we first met. I’d love for it to stay this way forever.

──What is SPY x FAMILY to you, as a work?

Lin: We’ve only released up to the second volume as of now, but the characters and story still have lots of room for development. At this point, the universe and characters’ fundamental qualities have been laid down, and from here we’ll be able to start drawing stories that are a little on the longer side. We’d like fans to get even more into the characters and setting, and from around the fourth or fifth volume start introducing slightly longer narratives. That said, once the relationship between characters changes, it can’t be reversed. We want to be vigilant of that. At any rate, each chapter is very carefully drafted by Endo-sensei, so I feel at this rate if everything continues as it is, SPY x FAMILY as a title can keep on climbing up. }}

Million Tag Interview with Tatsuya Endo and Shihei Lin

 * Note that the following interview was mostly translated using Google Translate.

Jump Festa 2022 Q&A
The voice actors of the main cast asked Tatsuya Endo some questions about his work and himself. This only includes the question and the direct answer, not any comments or conversation made in between by the voice actors.

SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY Mission Briefing (Hiroyuki Nishimori × Tatsuya Endo)
{{Scroll Box| 1=Tatsuya Endo has expressed great admiration for veteran manga artist and writer Hiroyuki Nishimori, and now his dream of a conversation with his idol has been realized! Listen in as they discuss everything from manga creation to their private lives.

His First Encounter with the Most Beloved Manga of his Youth
ーーWhy don't you start by telling us why you wanted to have a discussion with Nishimori Sensei, specifically.

Endo: The single manga I've reread most in my life is Kyo Kara Ore Wa!! Nishimori Sensei's works have made a deep impression on me, so given this opportunity, I was very eager to ask him if he would be willing to talk with me.

Nishimori: I really appreciate that you did. Right around the time that we were deciding whether to do Kanakana or not, my managing editor told me about the existence of SPY × FAMILY. The moment I cracked open volume 1, I immediately thought, "I shouldn't read this right now." I could tell that it was going to be something really interesting, so I worried that if I read it, I wouldn't be able to write what I was trying to write anymore. I apologize that I ended up ready or may have seemed like a similar story myself, afterward.

Endo: No, I was very happy that you did.

ーーSo had you read Kyo Kara Ore Wa!! when you were a child, Endo Sensei?

Endo: Yes, I fell in love with it when I was in middle school. But I wasn't reading it in Weekly Shonen Sunday - I just borrowed some volumes of it that my brother had bought. I got so into it that I started collecting the volumes myself.

Nishimori: It's wonderful how that worked out.

Endo: When the series ended I was really sad. There was so much I liked about it, but I was particularly taken with the characters and the way they talked.

Nishimori: If you read it over and over again, then I imagine that was due to the comedic elements. For exciting parts do you read them once and then it's like, "Well now I know what happens." but I figured people would want to reread the scenes that made them laugh, and I drew them with that in mind trying to make them memorable.

Endo: Well, I read the exciting parts over and over again, too.

Nishimori: Huh, is that right? Manga artists who are good at that sort of thing used two-page spreads effectively to make the key moments more impactful, but I always have a habit of squeezing those moments into small panels in a way that often minimized their impact. So I'm really happy to hear you say that.

Endo: There were plenty of great scenes in Kyo Kara Ore Wa!!, and as I recall, in the "Mitsuhashi no Omoi, Ito no Omoi" chapter, when Mitsuhashi and Ito fought each other for real, that was a two page spread.

Nishimori: Oh yeah? Actually, now that you mention it, I think in the Mitsuhashi vs. Imai final-battle chapter, when Mitsuhashi was thrown into despair believing the imprisoned Imai had been rescued, I do believe I used a two-page spread effectively.

Endo: I don't have the first clue how to draw spreads myself. I do so infrequently that I don't even remember how to set up the paper for it, and I've been teased by a manga artist acquaintance of mine over it. They were all, " you don't even know how to do that?" (laughs)

Nishimori: (laughs) Well, nowadays so many people read manga digitally, right? And reading digitally makes the two-page spreads hard to read, so I wonder if maybe the right choice is not to do that at all.

What Makes a Character Cool
'ーーEndo Sensei, who was your favorite character in Kyo Kara Ore Wa!!''?

Endo: It's hard to pick a favorite - everyone was cool in their own way. I suppose if I were to say Mitsuhashi, that would make me sound pretty basic.

Nishimori: Actually, from the start of the serialization to around the tenth volume, it was Ito who was the more popular character. To the extent that someone were to select Mitsuhashi, the reaction would be, "Wow, what's wrong with you that you like him so much?"

Endo: Well, Ito was always a very earnest sort of guy. But if I had to choose one or the other, it would be Mitsuhashi hands down.

Nishimori: In the end, it was Mitsuhashi who was the more popular character.

Endo: I believe I read an interview where you said Mitsuhashi was actually stronger than Ito?

Nishimori: Right. A long time ago, I told my then assistant the same thing, and he disagreed with me, saying, "No way! Ito's the one with real grit!" He probably saw Ito as being the cooler of the two.

Endo: Well, all of the characters you write are very cool.

Nishimori: I always try to show the characters' convictions somewhere in the story. It seems so fake if you just suddenly throw it in there, so it's important to find the perfect moment. That's why I really loved the scene in SPY × FAMILY Mission 1 where Loid flashes back to the reason he wanted to become a spy.

Endo: Thank you very much.

Nishimori: Another example is from Cheeky Angel would be the character of Fujiki? How it would even look when a completely average kid like him, who isn't in a gang or anything, starts fighting back? What I really wanted to do was impress people was not the force of his strength but the force of his feelings. That's something I ultimately gave up on. (laughs) So I should probably pass that torch to you.

The Key to a Character's Charm
Endo: So, Nishimori Sensei, how do you conceive all these likable characters for your manga?

Nishimori: Mostly just by thinking, when I'm tossing and turning in bed at night, "It sure would be neat if there was a guy like that." One thing I've realized as I've gotten older is that my initial ideas for my work are never anything special. Like people, characters are just a product of their personal histories. I draw and write them and think, "What is this person like?" Then their personality begins to take shape, and the details of their family life and personal relationships begin to reveal themselves, and that's how the idea really gets fleshed out. Sometimes even their faces gradually change throughout the process - at first Kanaka was a bit more malicious looking, for example.

Endo: Is that right?

Nishimori: Oh yes. When I was meeting with my editor at a restaurant I drew the initial design of Kanaka on a napkin, and she had this unruly, sketchy look to her. And at some point, she became much cuter. But now I'm thinking maybe having her show a bit more of that anger toward the world would make for a more interesting story and I am considering pushing her back toward that initial design.

Endo: I consider myself to be in the same camp as you. I come up with an initial idea but don't put too much into the character to start with.

Nishimori: I saw the early sketches you included in the books.

Endo: For some characters, I barely drew any sketches at all, but they published a bunch of sketches in the graphic novels.

Nishimori: There's actually an aspect of your character design I wanted to ask you about. It's a little lock up here sticking up from Anya's head always looks to me like the antenna she uses to receive the thoughts of others. Was that an intentional design choice?

Endo: Not so much her hair, but her hair accessories were designed to evoke a feeling of "reception."

Nishimori: Oh, I see, so those two horn-like ornaments in her hair.

Endo: I feel like you've been a big influence to me in the area of character design. Maybe it's from all the time I spent copying your art when I was young, but I've always loved that blond curly hairstyle that Mitsuhashi had. At one point I was going to give that to Loid, but somewhere along the line, that perm turned into straight hair.

Nishimori: I used a school pen to draw Mitsuhashi's hair. Conveying that he had blond hair in a black and white manga required extremely detailed highlights. It was a lot of work.

Endo: Megumi's hair in Cheeky Angel looked a lot like that work, too.

Nishimori: We were still working on an analog at the time, so I had to custom design a desk to draw those long lines. Drawing her was tough, but there are a lot of advantages to long hair, too. It's really good for expressing movement, so it can replace a lot of line work used to draw the reader's focus. Also, you can sort of fluff it out to express wavering feelings.

Endo: I like to give my heroines long hair that flutters around the pages, too. All of the girls in your manga were so cute.

Nishimori: I put a lot of effort into that, on the theory that if the girls aren't cute, you're cutting out a lot of the manga's appeal and making it less fun.

Endo: Incidentally, when it comes to Kyo Kara Ore Wa!! I was on Team Riko, but I liked the tsundere character Ryoko, too.

Nishimori: She was quite the unique character, wasn't she? Like the way she always gave bananas to the boys she liked.

Writing Believable Child Characters
Nishimori: So how long does it take you to draw a chapter of SPY × FAMILY?

Endo: Being serialized on Shonen Jump=, we don't have preset page limits, so a chapter could be anywhere from 17 to 27 pages. I'm able to draw about four pages a day.

Nishimori: The amount of detail you cram into each panel is just incredible. There's no way I could draw that much.

Endo: How long does it take you to draw a chapter, Nishimori Sensei?

Nishimori: I'm not much of an artist, so I can maybe draw two pages a day.

Endo: Are you able to draw your storyboards quickly?

Nishimori: If I have the whole story worked out, then I can storyboard one chapter in a day. Once the story comes to me, I try to get it down as quickly as I can, but I hate to waste something from my list of ideas when I can't figure out the flow of the story. When I'm absolutely stuck, I watch movies or read books in search of inspiration.

Endo: My editor Lin-san and I sometimes get excited reminiscing about favorite Kyo Kara Ore Wa!! machines and end up discussing how we might infuse that sort of energy and fun into SPY × FAMILY. After spending two or three hours finalizing to plot with him, I take that and turn it into storyboards but the process always ends up taking so long.

Nishimori: It's harder, because taking your time with it doesn't always result in a great manga. Sometimes the manga turns out more interesting when you're excited about an idea and are rushing through the process, going full steam ahead. With Kanakana, for the first time, I tried writing out the whole story from start to finish in advance, but the humor ended up feeling really flat. The jokes that came to me after seeing the characters' expressions felt much funnier.

Endo: I know exactly what you mean. When I'm writing a serious story, I can work out all the plot beats in my head, but when it's more comedic, I often have to draw it out, and pay a lot more attention to things like mood and timing. What sort of discussions do you have with your editor, Nishimori Sensei?

Nishimori: Back in the Kyo Kara Ore Wa days, we barely had any meetings at all, but then one day, my editor at the time said, " I'm not leaving here until we decide what you're going to do next." And from that, I learned that when you work out the story together first, all the work that comes after is a lot easier. Nevertheless, even now, I often do everything up to the storyboard stage by myself.

'ーーBoth Kanakana and SPY × FAMILY'' feature superpowers and parent-child themes. What was the genesis of those ideas?'''

Nishimori: I'd wanted to write a manga about a child that could read minds. There are plenty of stories in which the ability to understand the thoughts of others is a theme, but it struck me that, for the most part, and they treat telepathic abilities as a bad thing. But I thought that if those powers were in the hand of someone who wasn't all there mentally and didn't use them in a calculating way, and it was written from a child's perspective, maybe there'd be something interesting there?

Endo: Initially, I hadn't even considered including telepathy as a plot element. At first, I just knew that Loid would adopt some sort of girl with powers, and only afterward did I settle on what those powers would be. In Kanakana, on the other hand, those powers are the source of the central conflict, and the manga delves deep into the reactions of those around the character. I'm always so impressed by that as I read it.

Nishimori: No, no. What's impressive about SPY × FAMILY is how the children really do behave like children. I really think that's vital when writing about children, but when I try to do it, they always end up being too levelheaded. And on that topic, Loid and Yor I still don't know about Anya's abilities, right?

Endo: That's right. Everyone thinks, "What an intuitive child," and the idea that she's telepathic hasn't occured to them. Have you already figured out how things will play out when her powers are discovered in Kanakana?

Nishimori: There's something just inherently interesting about having a secret being uncovered, isn't there? I've certainly thought in vague terms about how I'd like to do that story one day.

Endo: I'm looking forward to seeing how the story develops.

For the Sake of a Long Career, Making Time for Hobbies and Ergonomics
Endo: Are you doing your manga production digitally these days?

Nishimori: Everything outside of the storyboards is digital now, yeah. I was shocked when I heard that screentone is about to disappear from the world, and I started transitioning to digital around the time of Doshiro de Gozaru.

Endo: I'm still analog for everything up to inking the characters, and after that, it's all digital.

Nishimori: Interesting. In terms of production speed, I wonder if that's faster? When I do my inking on the computer, it's like, "wow, this feels fast!" But by the time it's finally done, it feels like it's taken a really long time.

Endo: I think it's because it's so easy to redo work when it's done digitally, it paradoxically ends up taking more time.

Nishimori: Yeah, once you get fairly good at it, it's quicker to do things digitally, so it's easy to start making changes.

Endo: It's only a matter of time before analog is gone completely.

Nishimori: You're right about that. One thing worth noting, though, is that is the way you hold your body when you're working with pen and paper really puts a strain on your neck. So when you're working digitally, you should apparently try to raise your screen as high as possible. It may tire out your arms, but neck strain is a whole other thing.

Endo: That's a good point. My screen is only slightly tilted...

Nishimori: In October of last year, I really messed up my neck, and since I'd pinched the nerves, it really limited my range of movement. It made everything very awkward.

Endo: What source of things do you do during breaks? I read an interview that you built shelving, and that sounded like fun. Do you enjoy building things?

Nishimori: I enjoy coming up with the ideas for things. Actually, I'd always wanted to be an inventor. Back when I was your age, I was full of energy, and I'd go mountain climbing and such. Also, when some new editor would invite me out to drinks, I'd always rent a crested kimono and hakama and wear that. They always got a big kick out of that.

Endo: Even if I were still in my teens, I don't think I would have it in me to surprise people like that. (laughs) It's impressive how active you are!

Nishimori: Well, I also like the outdoors, so I'm only thinking that I should try to make some time to appreciate it. (laughs) I've had fun doing things like taking car trips to Kyushu to go fishing.

Endo: I don't have any hobbies myself, so I really envy you for having so many.

Nishimori: Well even if you don't have any outdoor hobbies, surely you have some sort of interest, like collecting something?

Endo: I used to collect figures, but when I moved recently, I threw them all away.

Nishimori: Well, that will certainly make dusting easier. Are there any SPY × FAMILY figures?

Endo: A series of figures are supposed to come out as merchandise for the upcoming anime.

Nishimori: Well, there you go. I think it'd be fun for you to use that as an excuse to start a new figure collection. Back in the day, I always used to like trying to make videos when I'd get a short break from work. In the end, to hear would give me trouble, and I'd end up giving up on them, but at the time, I was determined to prove that I can make things in three dimensions too.

Endo: Making figures out of putty sure is hard, isn't it?

Nishimori: It's the same problem as digital art, you can just keep them whittling away at them forever, and there's nothing to stop you from trying to make them look better. So, what about cars? Surely you enjoy cool cars like Jaguars or Aston Martins that spies would drive.

Endo: I like drawing them, but given the choice, I'd prefer to ride a bicycle. Honestly, I'm really terrible when it comes to rest and recreation. I can't do anything. I do like going outside, but it's also kind of a hassle, and lately it's been that feeling that wins out in the end. I spend most of my time off sleeping.

Nishimori: Sleeping really is the best, isn't it? I love it too. It's so refreshing when you have a nice dream.

Endo: Lately all I dream about is my managing editor. (laughs) Or I dreamed that I've finished drawing a chapter, and then when I wake up it isn't done yet. That one's especially rough... (laughs)

Nishimori: Well, the older you get, the more your stamina will fade, so maybe it's for the best that you work yourself to the bone until you turn 55 or so. While taking proper breaks, of course.

Endo: I'll do my best.

Real Experiences Bring Manga Writing to Life
ーーNishimori Sensei, I heard that when you started writing Kanakana, you rented a room in Miura [a city in Kanagawa Prefecture], which was the model for the manga's setting.

Nishimori: From hearing that you'd think I was some kind of serious novelist or something, I rented a house and a place like where the izakaya Paisen might be located, from which I could open a window and see the shore. It was a lot of fun. When I woke up in the morning and opened my door, I could hear the waves, and there was a convenience store I could walk to, and the young folks I'd bump into in front of it would wave me in ahead of them. It was such a relaxed and friendly place. But just as I was getting into that lifestyle, COVID-19 hit, and going anywhere became difficult.

Endo: That's such a shame. When you're walking through the town you modeled your manga after, are you thinking about what your characters would do if they were in your shoes?

Nishimori: I am. I tried to apply the things I've seen and experienced in person when writing my manga. And now that I mentioned that, it strikes me how much harder your research must be, when you are so unlikely to encounter spies and contract killers in the course of your normal life.

Endo: And even if a spy were to walk right by me, I probably wouldn't realize that.(laughs)

Nishimori: That's true. And if you did realize it, you'd both be in trouble.

ーーNow that SPY × FAMILY has finally become a televised anime, I wonder if Nishimori Sensei remembers what it was like the first time one of his works became a multimedia property.

Nishimori: It was Kyo Kara Ore Wa!!, I believe. Even though there were a lot of weird changes like Ito's hair being shortened and their uniforms being brown, I was quite happy about it. As I recall, I was determined that Mitsuhashi's hair stay blond and requested that for the anime.

Endo: It's the first time I've had anyone else touching my work, so it's a little nerve-racking.

Nishimori: Well, I'm excited to see it!

ーーOn that note, may I request one final comment from each of you?

Nishimori: Endo Sensei, I ask you to please take care of your neck. Also, I know doing a serialized work can be exhausting, so please make sure to go outside and go to the beach or something to refresh yourself.

Endo: I am so incredibly grateful to have had the chance to talk to you, Nishimori Sensei. Please take good care of your health and especially your neck. I eagerly await your next manga. Thank you so much!}}

SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY Triple Briefing (Kazue Kato × Amu × Tatsuya Endo)
{{Scroll Box| These three artists, all of whom are active on the forefront of the manga world, have been helping each other with their works for a long time. We asked them about their memories of those days and their impressions from an artist's point of view.

Joining us since the first chapter of ‘TISTA’ is Kato-sensei!

ーーFirst of all, please tell us about the time you first met each other.

Endo: I'm sure Kato-san will never remember this, but we met for the first time at the launch party of Shonen Jump.

Kato: I'm sorry, I don't remember. At that time, I only knew Endo-san through rumors I heard from fellow newcomers at Jump, and I was first introduced to him by Lin-san, who later became the editor in charge, as an assistant for TISTA. At that time, I think it was just me and Satoshi Kimura (‘Invasion of the Earth! Corleonis’, ‘Terra Formars Gaiden Rain Hard’, etc.) as assistants.

Endo: ...I don't remember at all (laughs).

Kato: If I recall correctly, at first it was just me, and I was suddenly put in charge of the backgrounds, including the background characters. “It’s my first time but even the background characters?” I was surprised.

Endo: How petty! (laughs) But this touch is certainly Kato-san.

Amu: It's nerve-wracking to draw background characters at your first workplace, right?

Kato: Yes, and I also drew it without really knowing the direction of Endo-sensei's style. The next one I drew was the confessional, right? I remember it quite well.

At the time, I had only the skill to draw simple lines and apply tones to depict shadows, but I was asked to draw shadows using only lines and solid colors... "What? You can do that?” I was surprised.

Endo: Since I didn't know much about Kato-san's capabilities, I decided to have her draw it for the time being.

Kato: For starters, it was quite unreasonable for an amateur (laughs). He kindly told me, "Just take your time," and so I did my best to draw it.

Endo: At the time, I only worked as an assistant for Yoshiyuki Nishi's ‘Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation’ for a long time, so I followed the way he did it there.

Kato: This kind of background was a great learning experience and made me realize how half-hearted I had been. I realized that was why I had never been entrusted with background work at other workplaces.

Lin: Kato-san sometimes took a break in the middle of the project, but you were in ‘TISTA’ until the end, right?

Kato: I learned a lot from this job, but the working hours were also quite long… (laughs). But there was some play time in between work hours. We would all play ‘Bomberman’ or ‘Daifugō’ together. When you think about it, I suppose there was quite a bit of leisure time.

ーーEndo-sensei, is there anything about Kato-sensei's work that has made a lasting impression on you?

Endo: I think I learned more from her than she did from me. Kato-san's skill at drawing is incomparably different from mine. Touch and technique can be taught theoretically, but Kato-san's skill cannot be explained in terms of balance and sense.

Amu: When I was an assistant for ‘Gekka Bijin’, I once heard that "Endo-san has raised his standard when it comes to looking at other people's work since Kato-san joined.”

Kato: That's scary... That is an excessive assessment.

Endo: I also asked Kato-san to contribute to other people's work. The decorations, for example.

Kato: I also drew tapestries and other things. I was into emblem design at that time, so my hobby came in handy.

Endo: Because of the high level of work that was being produced, I often had to throw myself into the design process.

Kato: I remember being entrusted with a lot of the books and documents that appear in the manga. I think my strength is probably in "drawing it convincingly". I guess I have a technique of deception.

ーーKato-sensei, do you have a favorite panel in 'TISTA'?

Kato: I am involved in all of them, so I hold a special attachment to every panel. When I look at it like this, I see once again how good Endo-san is at drawing. His basic technique and cartoonish deformation are pleasantly blended together, and yet he has great momentum.

Endo: That may mean that I am simplifying more and more and cutting corners (laughs). I draw mostly with markers now.

Kato: I think it's amazing because I can't balance technique and deformation. You are good at action, and the other thing I felt is that you like guns. You are really good with guns!

Amu: Come to think of it, a picture of Kimura-kun holding a gun was circulating among the assistants (laughs).

Endo: I took some shots of Kimura-kun holding a gun as a reference for posing, and then I shared them with everyone (laughs). Kimura-kun was very upset.

Kato: It's a necessary material when drawing manga, but I definitely don't want my photos to be seen.

Amu: I also delete them as soon as I draw them!

Endo: I like the nature scenes you draw, Kato-san. I once had a flower drawn...was it this one?

Kato: When Endo-san said to me, "The strong light source is amazing," I said, "I've done it!” (laughs).

Particular assistance with ‘Blue Exorcist’
'''ーーAfter ‘TISTA’, there is a gap until ‘Gekka Bijin’. During that time, were you working as an assistant?'''

Endo: I don't think I was doing anything.

Kato: When ‘Blue Exorcist’ started, you helped me several times when I was having trouble finding people, and you drew the graves at the end of the first chapter.

Lin: At that time, I remember Kato-san and Endo-san arguing for some reason about the material under the graves.

Kato: I was asked by Endo-san, "Is it dirt under here? Is it cobblestone?" He said he couldn't draw if he didn't know the material. He also drew the figures in the background to convey the background of the world.

Endo: After that, it was the second chapter and when Kuro came out, right?

Kato: He came in around the time of the 16th volume, a long way off, and drew a large number of exorcist mobs.

Endo: It was a hassle to design one by one (laughs). Moreover, when I went to help, I was made to wear a funny birthday hat because my birthday was coming up. I was humiliated (laughs). I didn't do anything else at that time. It was a period of hibernation.

Kato: I heard from both Kimura-kun and Amu-san that they could not get in touch with Endo-san at all, and everyone was worried. Every once in a while, we would hear from Lin-san and know that he was okay.

ーーDid Endo-sensei have any memorable experiences in helping with ‘Blue Exorcist’?

Endo: I have memories of cats lounging near me while I was drawing (laughs). I have always loved cats, but I am actually allergic to cats.

Kato: Was it okay when you came to work at my place?

Endo: I was probably taking medication, I suppose. I sometimes take allergy medicine and go to cat cafes.

Encounter with Amu-sensei at ’Gekka Bijin’
ーーIn ‘Gekka Bijin’, Amu-sensei joined as an assistant, I believe.

Amu: I was bringing in my work to Jump SQ., and that's where I became Endo-san’s new assistant. I read ‘TISTA’ before I went to work, and I thought, "Isn't there anywhere I can help with this?".

Endo: You said, "I've never done a beta flash before." (laughs)

Amu: Yup. That is why it must have been difficult for Endo-san to find work for me.... Especially in the beginning, there were more than 10 people alternating, and some of them said, "I just finished practicing with the round pen for 2 days," and I wondered how far I could go.... The first thing I drew was this pile of books, right?

Kato: So this is Amu’s first job!

Amu: I was not accustomed to drawing by touch, so I always wondered, "What should I do? What should I do?” What's more, when I was assigned to do the backgrounds, I would get remarks like, "Where is the power switch for the lights in this hallway?” I was surprised to see how much attention was paid to such details.

Kato: It's like the matter of the grave grounds mentioned earlier, as expected of Endo-san (laughs).

Endo: No, no, the material of the ground is important (laughs). I also asked Amu-san to do another scene of the spaceship in the latter half.

Amu: That one was difficult too! I mean, all the backgrounds for ‘Gekka Bijin’ were difficult. Moreover, the schedule was tight because it was the first chapter.

Endo: Even during the drawing process, the manuscript was not fully done.

Amu: The background of the spaceship at the end of the scene had not been drawn by anyone until the day before the deadline. Eventually, it became necessary for me to say something like, "I think it's time to draw this," or intervene in something that everyone else was turning away from. Then we all slowly drew in the spaceship (laughs).

Endo: That background is the fruit of hard work and friendship (laughs). On the last day, there was a time when I thought to myself, "Speaking of which, I haven't seen that page recently.”

This page had been sitting in the back of a drawer as a rough draft for a long time (laughs).

Kato: Scary!

Amu: Also, on the night before the deadline, Endo-san told me, "Excuse me, I'm out of toilet paper." I thought he wanted me to go buy some, but then he said, "Amu-san, are you okay?" (laughs).

Kato: What does that mean!?

Amu: I said, "Okay," and tried not to drink water from that point. There was no convenience store nearby, and the deadline was the next morning, so no one could leave (laughs).

Kato: Hmmm...scary!

Endo: I don't remember even one millimeter... (laughs).

Amu: It was the toughest thing I've ever done. But work started at 12:00, which was a little late. I was new, so I arrived 10 minutes before, but Endo-san seemed to be sleeping until the last minute, which was really annoying (laughs). Also, in my time, we didn't have that many break games.

Endo: Since Kimura-kun didn't join ‘Gekka Bijin’ very often, I had no one to play games with. I used to play kendama by myself.

Amu: You can hear a conking noise coming from the back (laughs).

ーーEndo-sensei, do you have any memories of Amu-sensei at that time?

Endo: I'm pretty sure I remember drawing this background...

Amu: Excuse me! Please don't do that!! (laughs) (※At the strong request of Amu-sensei, the panel will be omitted.)

Endo: The burning flames and such were a bit too dreary...

Amu: Endo-san told me "lame looking flames" and "Amu-san is fast, but she's messy.” In my mind, I thought I had drawn it with the utmost care.

Endo: But isn't it important to be fast? It is very helpful to have all the detailed background taken care of at once.

Amu: Halfway through, I started thinking that was my role, and when Endo-san handed it to me, I would start thinking, "This is a rush job!” and I was working really hard to draw lines speedily, but he would say, "No, it doesn't have to be today”.

Endo: I don't think about such a role at all.

Amu: I remember the day you were working on the volume, you rented a gymnasium and played badminton before work. You were exhausted, and you started working after hurting your wrist...what was that all about?

Kato: Endo-san, you were also doing things like "Let's exercise" during ‘TISTA’, weren’t you?

Endo: That is how I broke my shoulder and had to go to an orthopedic specialist. I like to exercise...

ーーFor Amu-sensei, what was the biggest learning experience from ‘Gekka Bijin’?

Amu: I didn't have the basics, so I learned all about horizon lines and perspective, and I realized that the artist pays attention to these things. I guess the reason my backgrounds were so fast was because they were messy.

Endo: I don't remember much about ‘Gekka Bijin’, but I do remember that Amu-san sent me a message angrily because she couldn't figure out the differences in the omake at the end of Volume 4 (laughs).

‘Kono Oto Tomare!’ That famous scene...!
ーーEndo-sensei was an assistant for ‘Kono Oto Tomare!’, right?

Endo: Not that often. Sometimes.

Amu: I was relying on him to do all the work! But Endo-san was so good at it that the characters stood out, so I applied tones to make them blend in. The biggest part of the work you drew was the last spread of Ryūseigun.

I asked Endo-san to draw all the backgrounds and mobs, and also to shape the tones for the dragons to be added later. In my case, I always asked Endo-san to draw the backgrounds with mobs.

Kato: Same (laughs). The backgrounds created by Endo-san and Kimura-kun have become a staple of our work as well.

Amu: Chika’s koto was also drawn by Endo-san in this chapter.

Endo: It was too much trouble (laughs), so I made a 3D model after that. I thought it would be faster that way.

Amu: In the early days, I had the seniors help me with ‘Kono Oto Tomare!’, and I was always scolded (laughs). Even Endo-san said, "Where is this frame, where is the horizon?" and "That doesn't make sense”.

Endo: The directions were messy (laughs).

Amu: I got yelled at when I didn't know how to indicate focus lines, and I used that as a topic for my afterword.

Kato: I thought that black cat was definitely Endo-san (laughs).

ーーEndo-sensei, do you have any memories of ‘Kono Oto Tomare’?

Endo: It was hard to find a place to work at the beginning... My desk was connected to the assistant next to me, and if I was in the middle of drawing and he put an eraser next to me, it rattled...

Amu: I didn't even know that. We were doing it in a small, crowded room.

Kato: Come to think of it, it was a little after this when Endo-sensei stopped being an assistant and we lost contact with him.

Endo: At that time, I was working on a manga for serialization, but it was rejected, and I was working on a one-shot. I asked Kato-san to help me with ‘Rengoku no Ashe’. She said, "I can help you for a day or two,” so I said, "Then two days!”

Lin: As I recall, it was around the time ‘Blue Exorcist’ took a break. I remember that (laughs).

Amu: The panels that Kato-san drew with a marker were very good, weren't they?

Endo: I heard a "squeak squeak" sound behind me, and I thought, "What's that sound?", then I saw that Kato-san was drawing very boldly with a thick marker (laughs). This is where I heard the mysterious sound.

Kato: I used to draw like, "Leave this to me!"

Endo: I also remember that Kato-san gave me criticism for ‘Rengoku no Ashe’. "I can't see the character's expression!" she said (laughs).

Let's talk about each work!
ーーNow that we have heard about the time you three interacted as assistants, please let us know your impressions and opinions on your representative works.

Blue Exorcist
Amu: There are a series of major developments, many dynamic main characters, and deep backbones for each of them, yet the intensity has remained the same throughout. It's amazing that you've kept the momentum going for so long! I always weep when I read it.

Kato: What's amazing is that it's been so long (laughs). I feel like I've settled down a lot, but I'm doing my best.

Endo: I am sorry, but I have actually only read your two works up to the middle... The manga of the people I know in particular are a bit of a mental disaster for me. I don't read a lot of manga to begin with, and it's kind of painful for me to see other artists doing well when I can't draw anything.

Kato: I still have the mentality of when it wasn't drawn.

Endo: I apologize for the triviality of my impression of ‘Blue Exorcist’. but there is a part that I thought was curious. Kato-san is the type of person who takes everything very seriously. When Kimura-kun and I were joking around, she would always ask back in a very serious manner.

Kato: It was like, "It's a joke between the both of them...I didn’t get it."

Endo: In Arthur's first appearance, when Shura called him “Baldy”, he replied, “But I’m not bald?” I was impressed by your ability to depict the phenomenon of "taking a joke seriously" objectively in a manga.

Kato: But I think Endo-san and Kimura-kun's vibe is also unique.

Amu: It took me quite a while to grasp the characters of Endo-san and Kimura-kun, too (laughs). Also, I love the facial expressions of the characters in ‘Blue Exorcist’. On the day I draw these expressions, I would be so burned out that I wouldn't be able to draw anything for a while.

Endo: The dialogue is good too. I think the defiant lines are especially good.

Kato: Amu has given me feedback several times, saying things like, "You were great this month”. Each time, I thank her, saying, "You are incredibly, incredibly nice....”

ーーDo you tell your fellow artists what you think or get feedback from them?

Endo: No, I don't.

Amu: When I entered Endo-san's workplace, I told him that I had read ‘TISTA’ and he looked very uncomfortable (laugh). I thought, "He must not like to be talked about himself..." After that, I tried not to mention it.

Endo: I'm happy to receive feedback from readers and fan art.

Kono Oto Tomare!
Kato: The drawings are good in a different vector from Endo-san's, and when I read it, they make my heart pound...it is so dazzling that it blinds your eyes (laughs). There are not so many dazzling youth manga that have gone this far. Anyway, the production is so convincing! The dazzling depiction of the story makes me tear up every few pages.

Endo: The light is good, but the dark effect is also good. The effect of using a brush, I guess.

Kato: Indeed. I like Akira because she is twisted. I thought she turned out to be a very good character.

Amu: I get tired of all the glitter too (laughs).

Endo: Amu-san also has a different dialogue quality than Kato-san. If Kato-san's dialogue is short and catchy, Amu-san's is more about characters throwing out words that challenge the values of each other and carefully building up a relationship. I wish I could do that too, but I can never do it!

Kato: The first thing that comes to mind when reading Amu-san's manga is the word "polite”.

Amu: I don't have any sense or talent, so I think to myself that I have to draw carefully. I want to do my best there.

Endo: I once asked Amu-san how she thinks of her lines, and she said, "I think about how it would make me happy if someone said it to me, or how it would resonate with me." So I thought about what would make me happy... nothing came to mind (laughs).

ーーAre you saying that you are not good at getting compliments from others?

Endo: One of my assistants was a mentor who was very complimentary of my work, but I responded to all of his compliments with a denial, saying, "No, I'm not good at all.” He told me, "That's not nice," but the artist was also similar (laughs). We both made efforts to "be able to accept compliments a little more", but I don't think I have changed much....

Amu: I have an image of Endo-san as a friendly person. He likes people, after all. So when I couldn't get in touch with him, I was like, "That Endo-san!?"

Endo: I am human and I have feelings of loneliness. Especially since my work has become remote due to the Corona crisis.

SPY x FAMILY
Amu: As Kato-san said, it's a work that has a good balance of manga-like parts and reality, and can be enjoyed by both avid manga lovers and casual readers.

Kato: The theme of the work itself is touchy. War and conspiracy, especially in this day and age, are themes that make people cautious, but Endo-san has a strong sense of ethics, and he studies and draws with sincerity, so even if Yor-san kills a lot of people, he doesn't get criticized for just this one part.

Amu: Anya is really good! Even though the background seems like it could be heavy and serious, that character rounds everything out. I respect comedy, and I think writers who can portray humor are amazing.

Kato: I have always had the image of Endo-san drawing black comedy. It's too cynical, and it's like, "Is it okay to laugh at this?” ‘SPY x FAMILY’ is still in that vein, but it's also in a range where the general public can laugh at it.

Amu: I remember when ‘Gekka Bijin’ was being produced. While the characters are likely to be popular, he deliberately distorts them and says that orthodox good-looking men (ikemen) will never appear. I remember I told you in the previous one-shot, Ishi ni Usubeni, Tetsu ni Hoshi, "This combination of a young man and a little girl is good!” If it had been the Endo-san from before, he would have made Gath a foolish geezer.

Kato: That's where ‘SPY x FAMILY’ is! I applaud Endo-san for drawing a handsome man this time! (clap clap clap)

Amu: I've always said I wanted to see Endo-san's good-looking man (ikemen), and he finally broke out of his shell! (clap clap clap)

Lin: I suggested it all the time (laughs). I kept saying, "Cool and cuteness are important in manga."

Kato: I am sure everyone who knows Endo-san is applauding right now (laughs).

Endo: That's why I have no attachment to the character. It's the result of giving up in some ways (laughs).

Amu: I also like Bond. Bond’s story in Chapter 58 is great because it makes me cry, laugh, and then cry again in one chapter. I also cry when Anya and the other little kids try their best.

Endo: I used to dislike children and dogs.

Amu: When I talked about my parents having a small dog, he told me that "They think of themselves as cute, they’re so cunning" (laughs).

Endo: But as I've gotten older, I've come to think of them as cute, too.

Amu: I like the depiction of Loid as a gentleman who usually has his hair up, but sometimes wears it down. Is it with the reader in mind? I saw quite a few comments, and that was surprising.

Endo: I'm doing it deliberately (laughs).

Amu: When Endo-san started Twitter, I even asked him, "This is you, right?” to confirm it (laughs).

Kato: I thought you were shutting out the outside world, too (laughs). Well, you really have taken the reader service to heart. In particular, Damian is so appealing! He is an absolute jerk... then I realized he's a good guy and I want him to be happy.

Changes and future exchanges
ーーHave there been any changes in your impression of Endo-sensei from both of your perspectives?

Amu: I have always had the impression that Endo-san is very particular. It's good for an artist to be particular about their work, but there are times when it is better not to be. That is why everyone is worried.

Kato: There are two types of people: the type who have trouble being particular and the type who have trouble being too particular. Endo-san is the latter, but I knew he had great ability, so I wanted him to draw major works as well. With this latest work, you have acquired the skill of service and become the strongest! That's how I feel.

Amu: ‘SPY x FAMILY’ is very well done in the way the art is drawn out. There is a great balance between where the background is and where it is not.

Endo: I learned the drawing methods by working as an assistant; I went to two different places, and both artists were very skilled and bold in their techniques.

Amu: Also, I think it's great that you can read them in a normal way, without worrying about those techniques. For me, I think that manga in which the techniques and compositions catch my attention are the ones that I don't really get absorbed into the manga. Of course, there are some works that focus on the technique, but personally, I don't want to stop reading there.

Kato: Indeed. Endo-san's manga possesses a certain skill that doesn't feel overly technical.

ーーDo the three of you ever share recommendations on techniques or other information?

Kato: The first thing that comes to mind is the pen that Endo-san shared with me. I have been using Tachikawa fountain pens for a long time.

Endo: I don't use dip pens anymore. I draw with markers (laughs).

Amu: I used to go to Endo-san's workplace to play DVDs and such... but on the other hand, he would complain about many things. He would complain whenever I played the ‘Doraemon’ anime...

Endo: I used to make remarks like, "The time paradox is weird," (laughs).

Amu: Kimura-kun would join in and say things like, "There's a contradiction here..." He was so picky (laughs). I used to bring it a few times, but all I remember is that they complained about it.

Endo: I got into the ‘White Collar’ TV drama that Amu-san said was interesting, and even used it as a reference in ‘SPY x FAMILY’. Franky's model is Mozzie.

Amu: I knew it! That's why I like Franky too. Despite being capable, he is comical and compassionate. I thought he was a lot like Mozzie.

ーーTo wrap things up, I would like to ask both of you to give a few words of encouragement to Endo-sensei.

Amu: I think it must be incredibly challenging to be able to achieve such high sales. Have fun and don't push yourself too hard...I've never seen Endo-san like that (laughs), but please do your best to take care of your body and mind while getting some rest.

Kato: I feel the same way! On top of that, 'SPY x FAMILY' is really interesting and I look forward to it as a reader. Congratulations on this huge hit!

ーーThank you very much. }}

SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY Tatsuya Endo: Extended Interview
{{Scroll Box| 1=Spy x Family was born from Tatsuya Endo's roughtly 20 years of experience making manga. Together with his editor Shihei Lin, we delve into his current mindset, his writing process, and the creation of Spy x Family.

To Endo Sensei, Spy x Family is Therapeutic Rehabilitation?!
ーーNow that it even has an extremely popular anime, I'd like to ask what you're thinking and feeling about Spy x Family.

Endo: I'm feeling... tired. (laughs) This isn't a manga that I started with a "Let's do this!" attitude. It was more of a rehabilitation project, an attempt to get back on the horse by drawing what I thought I could manage and muddling my way through.

ーーSo from the very start, you didn't have a lot of enthusiasm for it?

Endo: In the several before it started, I did occasional one-shots and such, but I wasn't really capable of makin a manga. I was assisting other manga creators with their work as I healed up psychologically, with the modest goal of one day being able to do a manga again myself. (laughs)

Lin: You've considered yourself to be in Rehabilitation ever since your previous manga Tista and Blade of the Moon Princess ended, right? At some point, we thought he might be ready to attempt a serialized manga again, and I got him to make that attempt with Spy x Family. The storyboards of the first two chapters are so good that I thought, "More people need to read this!" The editorial board loved it, too, and approved it to be serialized. And I believe that's the first time you've made it to serialization through board approval?

Endo: All of my Jump Square serializations started from an open serialization slot. So the deadlines were decided before we even knew what the manga would be.

Lin: Tista was made for the launch of Jump Square, and Blade of the Moon Princess was something the editor personally requested Endo Sensei write, so the slot was arranged for that in advance.

Endo: We did follow the standard procedures this time, but we'd only come up with the core of the story that we had presented at the serialization meeting a month and a half earlier, so we had to throw things together quickly. That's why we only had placeholder names for Twilight and Anya.

ーーAnd how does it feel to have a project you intended to be therapeutic in nature end up so widely praised?

Endo: I was surprised... Or rather, I still don't know quite what to make of it. I am very grateful for its success but it's led to me getting more and more busy. It's certainly not a therapeutic project anymore and that's been a little rough. (laughs)

ーーWhat's rough is things like the schedule and the sheer amount of work?

Endo: Yes, I'd say so. The original idea was "Let's get to a place where I can enjoy drawing manga." For a long time, I found making manga painful. And I mean that at a deeper level than just "It's painful not being able to draw manga that my readers enjoy and I can be satisfied with." Just the act of sitting down to draw manga was itself emotionally painful.

However, I was really enjoying working as an assistant. There wasn't the pressure of working on a project with my name on it, and getting to talk to other creators was very stimulating. And in the process, I was gradually healing on a mental level. But as soon as I had to confront a creation of my own, I ended up turning inward again and lost all that.

ーーAs an assistant, were you able to enjoy the process of drawing itself?

Endo: No, it was getting to talk with everyone that was the fun part. The driving part was just working to me. I typically sequester myself away, so it's only when I'm working as an assistant that I'm able to connect with other people and I get to feel like I've been hanging out with friends.

ーーDo you feel your writing style has changed between once Spy x Family started serialization and now?

Endo: When I was doing the first chapter, I was still relaxed and my stuff was coming in every day, so we were having fun and chatting while we worked. But then COVID hit, to working remotely... It's so lonely sitting all by yourself than just drawing all day. Maybe that led me to losing my ability to concentrate, but for whatever reason, I can't draw while talking to other people anymore.

Lin: During Tista, we did things like take a research trip to New York, and I was just thinking that we should go on a research trip for Spy x Family when COVID hit. We'd just been having conversations about it, like, "Let's go to Germany this time!"

Another thing I remember is, when the manga started, we had storyboards for nine chapters banked already, so it was probably the easiest schedule of Endo Sensei's career in serialization.

Endo: Oh yeah, that's right. For some reason I was on a roll back then, and I got a ton done before the manga started. Meanwhile, at this point it's like... the edge of a cliff. (laughs) Anyway, we ended up using all that extra slack in the schedule on things like the extra missions for Weekly Shonen Jump.

Lin: We published those bonus chapters in Jump right after releasing volumes 1 and 2 of the manga, respectively, and since they worked so well as one-shots, we ended up getting loads of new readers out of them.

Endo: It was strange having to write column comments after such a long time. (laughs)

'''ーーYour previous serializations have been more story focused. Do you notice anything different doing comedy this time?'''

Endo: Before Spy x Family, I did some one-shots like "Ishi ni Usubeni, Tetsu ni Hoshi" and "I SPY." Those had a lighter touch that was well received, and it made me think that I could do a whole manga like that. But now I think maybe what really appealed to me was how they told a complete story in 20-odd pages. The comedy chapters of Spy x Family I usually born from silly stories told during our planning meetings, so is there a lot easier to do than stories that have to fit into the main chronology.

Lin: Endo Sensei is the sort of writer who, when creating chapters of the main chronology, puts a lot of effort into maintaining continuity and consistency of a tremendous amount of story elements. So, it's probably a lot less stressful for him to work on the comedy chapters.

Endo: That is true. After I finish writing a chapter, I always start worrying about possible inconsistencies and continuity errors. But when it's a comedy, everything is self-contained within the one chapter, and you're able to wave away a lot of that stuff.

'ーーEven before Spy x Family'' became an anime, there were various related projects and public events. Did any of those make an impression on you?'''

Endo: Ah, the one that made an impression is definitely Jump Festa, from before COVID. I attended disguised as a member of the event staff. There are so few opportunities for manga writers to meet their readers, so that was a very valuable experience for me. What I remember most of all was just being able to see the faces of our readers and feeling their existence really sink in. That made me very happy.

ーーYou also joined Twitter right around the time Spy x Family began serialization.

Endo: I'm not very good at social media, and at some point, I made a rule for myself that I'd post an illustration with every tweet, so that's a lot of work. (laughs) I really wish I didn't feel I had to do that, but the retweet number doesn't go up much without the pictures, and it goes up even more if it's color rather than black-and-white.

And since that's what works best, that's what I have to do. To ensure I don't waste too much time on it, I don't start drawing the picture until about 20 minutes before I tweet it, and I do it real fast. Even though my comments are brief, I spend over 10 minutes stressing over them. Even now, I feel extremely nervous pressing that Tweet button, so I think it's becoming more and more clear that social media is not for me.

ーーIn regards to the serialization of Spy x Family, what are your goals for the future?

Endo: To keep writing without brakes for as long as I can... but I don't think that would be very long. (laughs) Do you have anything, Lin-san?

Lin: In line with your original rehabilitation plans, my goal is to increase the number of moments in which you're able to enjoy creating manga!

A Story and World With Room to Grow
ーーWhen you started Spy x Family, how much of the story had you come up with?

Endo: I hadn't come up with any of it. Looking back at the first rough character sketches, they've either changed completely or I didn't end up using them at all. Frankie was originally the uncle, Yor was a janitor-it wasn't until I actually put pen to paper for chapter 2 that I came up with the idea to have her work at city hall. It's a manga that was built out of constant spur-of-the-moment decisions.

ーーAre there any decisions that gave you trouble or, conversely, turned out perfectly?

Endo: Yor being a contract killer has been a problem from the start. (laughs) It's hard to depict her killings and an ethical way, but I wrote it in and now I'm stuck with it.

Lin: I think we'd always had Loid as a psychiatrist, but I remember debating whether he should be in a private practice or at a big hospital.

Endo: The plan had always been for Loid to have a fairly well-paid occupation, so I expected he'd either be a doctor or a lawyer. I don't know anything about lawyers, so I couldn't write that. On the other hand, I like psychology and have even studied it a little bit, so I went with him being a psychiatrist.

Lin: Yuri being a secret police officer was one of those things that just slid into place, too.

Endo: Yuri and the secret police officer were originally separate characters, but we did it want to introduce too many characters, so we combined them. That was decided when we got to chapter 10, so we had no idea what we'd end up doing when Yuri called in chapter 2. And in that conversation, he even pushes Yor to get married! (laughs)

Lin: I requested that Yuri be "her [Yor's] likable little brother," and the next thing I knew, he was like... that. (laughs)

Endo: Another late change was Anya being telepathic. I made that choice without really thinking much about the implications of having a mind reader in the story, but I did realize it would have good comedic potential. And being able to present both spoken dialogue and a separate internal monologue creates a new reader viewpoint. The original plan was nothing more than "He [Loid] adopts a child with some sort of superpower."

Lin: I remember making a list of superpowers and talking over which would make the story most interesting. We decided powers like telekinesis wouldn't have much bearing on the story.

Endo: We factored in that for a spy, one's mind read would be the worst possible predicament, and that was another part of the reason we went with telepathy. The fact that the proposal for telekinesis even came up in a meeting shows at that stage, we didn't even have the concept of the manga being a crossed-wires comedy. (laughs) It's such a good thing that Anya could read minds! We got real lucky on that one.

ーーIs it difficult coming up with ideas for each chapter?

Endo: No, because story meetings are the most enjoyable part of making manga. And while I don't know whether all the ideas will end up getting used or not, we have a huge stock to draw from. We tend to gravitate to the sillier ones, so I should probably apologize in advance to anyone who's expecting serious story development...

The Dark Side of Cute Gag Faces
'''ーーYou draw all sorts of expressions, everything from dramatic faces to comically simplified ones. How do you decide which ones to use?'''

Endo: It's all in the flow of the moment. (laughs) I'm a long time reader of Hiruyoki Nishimori's works, and he would always do crudely simplified faces for comedic moments, and I think that style sort of seeped into me. However in my last manga, Blade of the Moon Princess, I used too many silly faces, and readers no longer perceived the characters as cute. So I'm trying to be more careful in Spy x Family, but... When I look back at what I've drawn is see Anya with those big round dot-pupil eyes, those eyes look plenty cute to me, and I think "Maybe the whole manga should be like this." And then Lin-san steps in and stops me. (laughs)

Lin: How many times must I say it? It's important that manga characters be cute and attractive!

ーーOn the serious side, the expressions that show Loid's and Yor's dark sides are very memorable.

Endo: Ah, the points where their darkness slips out. Personally, I like doing those expressions, and they tend to emerge quite naturally. I also have to make sure I don't overdo it with those...

'ーーSince Spy x Family'' takes place in a setting similar to our present-day world, it features a wide variety of clothes, suits, and hairstyles of various designs. What's your process for drawing all of them?'''

Endo: I draw them based off of reference materials. In contemporary entertainment media, it kind of bothers me when the characters always wear the same clothes, and since we don't have combat characters with iconic costumes or anything, it's more fun to show them in a variety of fashions.

ーーThat seems like the sort of thing that once you're aware of it, now you have to do it that way.

Endo: It's a lot of work to draw things that wayーespecially for characters like Becky. How am I supposed to know what wealthy little girls wear? (laughs) Conversely, Loid is a pain because his wardrobe is too narrow. As a professional, it's nothing but suits and jackets.

I look through a lot of reference materials on the sixties and seventies, but when I can't find something period appropriate, I just use a modern equivalent.

ーーSo, you envision the manga's setting as being sixties-to-seventies Europe?

Endo: That's right. There are a lot of resources for women's fashions from that age, but it's hard to find much else. It's a real problem for Anya and Loid.

ーーHow do you think of the setting in terms of things like cityscapes and the period feel of the era?

Endo: For those, I use contemporary German and British cities as a reference, but the buildings are mostly from England. East German cityscapes are bland and full of squarish Soviet-era block architecture, so there's not much sense of style to it. There is some interesting architecture, but it's hard to find places to use it.

Also, I try not to give the setting an overly socialist feel, because too much of that would strip the fun out of the world. There are things like cartoons in this world, although there's an in-world explanation for thatーits creation was approved because it helps to inform the populace that there could be spies lurking nearby.

Striking a Balance in a Serious World
ーーPresent-day Westalis has yet to appear in the manga, right?

Endo: Just in that one scene in volume 2 showing the WISE headquarters. Loid and Sylvia are both in Ostania and sending their reports to HQ in the West.

ーーDo you have an idea of the duration of the war and cold war periods?

Endo: I've written that they've been in a cold war for over ten years, so the war would have been in Loid's childhood. Since then, various things have happened that resulted in him becoming a spy, which brings us to the present. I've kept it vague.

I try to dig into the backstory that hasn't been revealed yet as little as possible, because otherwise, at some point, I'd feel obligated to start working out every tiny detail. I enjoy gradually fleshing out my world, but I'm not good at pulling it all together, and I'd end up getting deeper and deeper into trouble.

'''ーーIt's surprising how few character names you've revealed. Is that for the same reason?'''

Endo: Well, part of it is just that it's a hassle to have to come up with them, but I'm also trying to reduce any noise that might confuse our readers. I don't want people reading too much into things like, "Oh, those characters have similar names, so maybe there's a connection there!" Because I assure you, I haven't thought about that at all (laughs)

At the end of the day, this is a comedy, so have to remind myself not to create a deeper world than necessary.

ーーIn considering the balance between reality and comedy, you've been able to preserve the comedy despite a story line in which people actually die.

Endo: I wouldn't say it's despite that, but more that in Spy x Family, comedy and a world in which people die are intrinsically linked. Like maybe the comedic nature of their daily lives is rooted in the severity of their reality.

In the cruise arc, at times I drew Yor’s work in a somewhat entertaining way, but my intention was not to make light of the taking of lives. I want to properly depict the less humorous sides of things as well.

ーーThis is a manga that focuses on duality at every level, from the dual nature of its characters to its dual tones of realism and comedy.

Endo: I did the cruise arc with the intention of getting the readers to appreciate Yor's role as a killer. To ponder what it means to kill people not in a battle of good versus evil, in times of war (albeit a cold war, in this case). It is a sad and dreary thing and I don't want to shy away from portraying it as such.

Personally, I've never had any intentions of depicting the Forgers as being a righteous or virtuous family. And one in their perceived strictly in that way, it does make me raise an eyebrow.

ーーAre there methods you use to make serious subject matter more palatable?

Endo: I certainly don't ever try to draw anything that would come off as grotesque. The limbs being blown off in the explosion in chapter 2 was purely to create a contrast between that and the proposal scene. I believe it's necessary to show that people really do die in this world, but I don't want to depict excessive amounts of death. And I don't imagine our readers want to see that either.

ーーYou have an intuitive sense of balance to keep it from getting too dark?

Endo: Oh, I like it dark. But what I like isn't the sort of surface-level darkness of splatter movies but the more psychological kind. The dark side of humanity, rather than visually dark depictions. I'd like to do some of that, but I'm restraining myself.

'ーーAnother characteristic trait of Spy x Family'' is that there always seems to be a twist in terms of something violating a character's cool image or storylines not wrapping up happily. Are these things you consciously strive to include?'''

Endo: I guess you could call those attempts to defy the audience's expectations. Or maybe it's just me saying, "Everyone these guys are so great? Well, they're wrong!" (laughs) But I see the differences between the audience's perceptions of the characters in my perceptions of the characters as something of a minefield, and I worry that if I depict them too unsparingly, readers might sour on them.

ーーAre you very conscious of your reader's reactions?

Endo: I suppose I am. I read the comments on Shonen Jump+, and I think they do influence me to an extent. This manga was intended to be part of my rehabilitation, so it was less about what I wanted to write and more about trying to stay within the span of what our readers want to read. And that doesn't mean that I'm following their suggestions, but if I'm taking the trouble to do this, I'd like for it to be read, so I do consider how things will be received.

ーーYou've spoken of the rehabilitation aspect, but if you were to put aside and do what you'd like to do most, what would that be?

Endo: I've always loved military things, so I watch a lot of documentary series like The History of the Showa Wars, and I'd probably do something build off of that foundation. An exploration of how war affects people psychologically is not exactly what I'd like to make but it is the sort of thing that interests me.

When I was working for Jump Square, I drew storyboards for a serialized wartime manga in which students were drafted into a facility doing human experimentation, but it was probably rejected for being too dark. (laughs)

The Spy x Family' Creation Process
ーーCan you walk us through your manga-making process?

[Storyboards] Endo: First, we meet to decide on a story, then I begin storyboarding. I make thumbnail-like charts of the pages, then break them into panels to match the story. If I expect the chapter to be structurally challenging, I may write that out as wellー just locations and what happens there, broken into beginning, middle, and end. It's kind of written like stage directions.

[Production] Endo: I think the rough sketches and the characters in analog. My staff does the backgrounds and analog or digital depending on the piece. After that, we digitize everything and add in the backgrounds and finishing touches, and then maybe do a few revisions before the digital manuscript is complete. I think I'll switch to doing everything in digital as soon as they release a 20-inch iPad. (laughs) But when you were working digitally, you can revise and edit everything as much as you want, so knowing it would take me forever to get anything done.

[Coloring] Endo: I use an LCD tablet to do all of the color art digitally, including the sketches and line drawing. That lets me tweak the line colors and attributes, and even color in elements before I settle on a final layout.

ーーWhat are the things you pay particular attention to at each step

[Storyboards] Endo: I pay attention to the "pull and turn" on a page-by-page basis. [Pull and turn is a manga pacing technique that involves pulling readers along with questions like "What is he reacting to?" or "Who is that approaching?" that are answered each time they turn the page.] I think it's more important to focus on maintaining momentum within the page and then whatever you wanted to show in each individual picture. Ideally, I'd prefer to use larger panels, but when I consider the "pull," the pages become packed with panels, and I end up with more information in each chapter. But that does help move the story along sometimes.

[Production] Endo: I've been told you think in terms of two-page spreads and to consider the overall balance between black-and-white space, only capable of thinking in terms of individual pages. (laughs) This causes my panel arrangements to be overly dense and simple. Also, in past serializations, I packed so much into the panels that they became a mess. But I've since worked as an assistant for other manga creators who intentionally left white space and divided their panels differently, and I've tried to learn from that.

ーーWhen coloring, How do you decide what colors to use?

Endo: I'm not good at using lots of different colors on a single page, so I try to focus on using similar colors. So my pictures end up leaning reddish overall or bluish overall. It's hard for me to make colorful pictures that feel neatly balanced. Hence, in the first version of the cover for volume 2, the chair was white but Lin-san forced me to use more colors. (laughs) I also tend to like desaturated colors, especially subdued blues and greens, like Spy x Family's de facto trademark color. Lin-san told me that if the versatility of white made it the safe choice for the background of the book covers, but I managed to force the green on him. I think it's more memorable, and I'm pretty happy we made that choice.

ーーIncidentally, is there a reason Anya's hair is pink?

Endo: I didn't think about it at all. Just like, "Cute girl characters have pink hair!" If I had given it more thought, I might have put in a scene where Loid wonders if it's okay that his daughter has pink hair when his is blond. (laughs) Well, too late for that.

ーーWhat sort of reference materials do you use?

Endo: I mostly use fashion books from the sixties, books about East German product design, and pictures of British public schools.

When I really sit down to draw, I consult my reference materials whenever I want to know what something used to look like. "Did Germany have store raffles back then?" "What did the casino slot machines look like at the time?" " Were there test-your-strength carnival games?" It's just one thing after another. Sometimes, I even look at the props from old movies. I spend way too much time worrying about realism. Probably one-fifth of my production time is spent on research. (laughs)

ーーWhat are some of your preferred art supplies?

Endo: That answer may disappoint you, but lately I've been doing 70 percent of my drawings with Mckee markers and doing detail work with Pigma pens. Between those two, I can draw pretty much anything. (laughs) I used to use fountain pens, but now I only pull them out when I need to add some energy in action scenes.

ーーAre there any tricks you use to motivate yourself when working?

Endo: I've never been motivated in my life. (laughs) I do leave the TV and music on while I'm working. Or occasionally I'll listen to the radio. I'm always working alone, so I need something making noise or my heart will start to ache.

Endo Sensei's Other Personal Interests
ーーIn terms of writing, what interests you most right now?

Endo: I don't have very many creative interests at all. (laughs) Like I said before, all I want is a big iPad. And also, my desk is a little awkward, so maybe I should get some shelves... These are the sorts of things that interest me.

ーーWhat manga and manga creatures have influenced you?

Endo: If I had to answer off the top of my head, I've got to go with Hiroyuki Nishimori again. He was my favorite all throughout my middle and high school days. The style and energy of my manga is where I feel his influence the most.

My love for manga started with Akira Toriyama. When I was little, I read tons of manga, so I'm sure I was influenced by all of them. I used to practice drawing by tracing the manga in Jump.

Conversely, nowadays I hardly read any manga or watch any movies. If Lin-san brings something to my attention, then I'll reluctantly read or watch it... and for the most part, I do enjoy it. I used to even bring a notebook into movie theaters, but I don't really like movies that much, so I gave that up.

ーーWhat sort of entertainment do you enjoy?

Endo: Variety shows on TV you can just laugh at without thinking at all. I watch a lot of shows with [comedy duos] Summers or Chidori. And I like to watch [idol group collective] Sakamichi programs and be healed by their cuteness. (laughs) I go to see Sakamichi concerts sometimes and watch their online shows as well.

This isn't something I've really thought about, but I think things that I enjoy are reflected in my manga as well. I like conversations between interesting people. I enjoy watching simple talk shows more than jokey stand-up comedy stuff.

ーーWould you like to end this interview with a message to your readers?

Endo: Whether you've been introduced to me through Spy x Family or you've been reading my manga since way back, I'd like to thank you for your support from the bottom of my heart.

Maybe because I've been there too, it makes me incredibly happy to receive comments like "When I'm depressed and read your manga, I always feel better." As far as I'm concerned, when someone chuckles a little bit at something I've written, or finds a little solace in it, there is no greater honor. It makes me glad I decided to continue making manga.

With the start of the anime, the world of Spy x Family may start growing bigger and bigger, but I'm going to forge ahead, undaunted, focused on the manga. So I hope you'll support me in my rehabilitation for a little while longer.

ーーThank you very much. }}