Tatsuya Endo/Interviews

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Overview

Interviews

Illustrations

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

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.

AnimeNachrichten Interview with Tatsuya Endo

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

AN: Please tell us briefly why you wanted to become a manga-ka and how you learned to draw.

Endo: I can't remember exactly, but my older brother loved reading the manga magazine JUMP, so of course I read along with it as a child. When a friend of my brother suddenly started drawing a manga, my brother tried it too. Then I started doing it myself. When I was in the 3rd and 4th grades, I often tried to draw my own Dragon Ball. In the anthology series Dragon Quest: 4-koma Manga Gekijou I also had favorite artists whose works I liked to copy. When I was in elementary school, I even applied there with my first manga. But nothing came of it. (laughs)

In the text collection for our primary school graduation, I wrote about my dream that I would like to work for a video game company. Since I loved Dragon Quest and Dragon Ball so much, I probably wanted to be like Akira Toriyama. I didn't learn to draw in any particular way. At school, I only chose art as an elective and traced manga. As a reminder, I also tried the entrance exam at an art college, for which I had previously attended an art school two weeks in winter. But my basis consists of drawing mangas. So I taught myself everything.

AN: Can you tell us whether and to what extent your work as a draftsman has changed due to the current crisis surrounding the coronavirus?

Endo: Almost nothing has actually changed. The only change would be that my assistants switched to working from home. As a result, I have fewer opportunities to speak to others. So I only draw manga and don't chat anymore. (laughs)

AN: Your current work SPY x FAMILY is already a huge success in Japan. Now the story is also appearing internationally. Among other things, KAZÉ will publish the manga SPY x FAMILY from October 2020 in German. How does this success feel to you?

Endo: I'm very happy! I also hope that my manga will be read often in Germany. I will try harder for that.

AN: How did you come up with the idea for SPY x FAMILY?

Endo: I developed the idea from my old one-shots. After the manga series Gekka Bijin, I published a total of three such one-shots. From that I worked out the design, the characters and the concept.

AN: SPY x FAMILY takes place in a fictional world in which you quickly notice that the two most important countries were obviously strongly inspired by Germany, which was formerly divided into East and West, even if this is never explicitly mentioned. How did that happen?

Endo: When it comes to espionage, you think of the Cold War era! With countries that actually existed, the story would have been limited. Therefore, the manga is based on it, but only uses it as a model and the actual setting is fictional. I think that you can make the story and the setting of the manga more interesting.

AN: The blended family at the center of the story of your manga consists of an excellent spy, a skilled hit man, a girl who can read minds and a dog who sees parts of the future. If you could have any of these skills yourself, what would it be and why?

Endo: I would like Loid's skills! He's extremely versatile and great. He also has extensive knowledge and excellent judgment. With his ability, I would probably get better faster with drawing. At the same time as drawing, I could even work out the storyboard. (laughs)

As a contract killer, I would just be arrested quickly and that's it. (laughs) And most of the time I couldn't do anything with Anya's ability, because it would make me sick to be able to read other people's minds. (laughs)

AN: So far, SPY x FAMILY comprises five volumes. Do you already have a plan now for how long you want to continue the story and how many volumes it should contain at the end?

Endo: The exact number of volumes and the scope of the story are not yet planned. But I think the story will be long.

AN: Finally, do you have a message for your German-speaking fans?

Endo: "Thank you" (in English) for reading and the interest! Although this work takes place during the Cold War, it is rather about a spy who fights for peace and his family who lead a strong and happy life during this time. I hope that the German readers will have a lot of fun with the manga.

Million Tag Interview with Tatsuya Endo and Shihei Lin

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

──Endo-sensei's serial debut was Jump SQ. What was the first encounter between the two?

Tatsuya Endo (Endo): I met Lin-san when TISTA (my debut series in 2007) started. I submitted my work to Jump for the first time when I was in my first year of high school, and he was the first person to call me when I was in my second year of high school, so Mr. Lin-san is the third editor I've had since then. It was my first time having a younger editor, and when we first met, I thought he was a very easy-going person (laughs). TISTA was set in New York, so we suddenly went on a research trip to New York City. Lin-san had also just started working, so it was like a trip between two university students. It was fun.

Shihei Lin (Lin): I was in charge because Endo-sensei was young, but I felt like I was able to talk with him all the time during the interview trip. I went to the place where Endo-sensei wanted to go and took photos. Our company is rather a person who goes to interview, so I went to Kumano Kodo Trail with Endo-sensei for his second serialization, Gekka Bijin. It was supposed to be a report trip, but I was a little tired, so I also went to get refreshed (laughs).

── SPY x FAMILY is your third serialized work together, but what did you talk about when you first started it?

Lin: There were various things that happened in the 7 years after Gekka Bijin. One-shots and projects that didn't take shape. Among them, the one-shot I SPY was well received, so I thought it would be better to have a spy-themed direction in the next series.

Endo: I was thinking of I SPY as a one-shot, so I didn't think of serializing it. But I like military stuff and I don't hate spy stuff, so we discussed creating another project with spies. Lin-san had a stance that he could draw whatever he wanted.

──Does the content of the manga change in Mr. Lin's opinion at the subsequent meetings?

Lin: Basically, I didn't say "I want you to draw this" at all. It was like "Isn't this good?" when Endo-sensei came up with something. But now it's a little different. We talk until exhaustion at cafes about what to do next, just before the plot. Nowadays, we talk about what the next seven volumes should be about, who should be the cover page, etc.

Endo: That's decided through discussions. The biggest problem after the settings and plots are decided is the name, but I can't ask for advice on it myself. Lin-san says, "Please talk about anything," but I end up taking it on myself, or rather, thinking that I have to think about it myself.

Lin: When I'm stuck, I send a message on LINE. If the name isn't up by the deadline, I'll say "It's almost time, isn't it?" But when it comes to the art, it's rare that I'll be asked, "Are you sure?" It's about a day or two late. Also, there are too many scenes I want to draw, so I often consult with them. It would be interesting if I could draw it, but it would be difficult to write in time.

Endo: There is.

Lin: Since the production period is two weeks, it's tough to exceed 30 pages. Since 6 to 7 days can be used for drawing, even if you draw 4 pages a day, the limit is 20 pages. Still, it's interesting, so let's post it. If so, I will adjust it by sandwiching the extra edition and posting 31 pages in the next time.

Endo: If I had to cut something out, I would need a lot of brains to use for that. In that respect, the number of pages of Jump+ is free, unlike paper media, which is a great help.

──Are there any other episodes that you had a little trouble with this?

Lin: Compared to the previous series, you've never been so cornered, right?

Endo: I've always been cornered mentally, but I've never been cornered by a work. It's a comedy for that. It's a comedy, so it's easy to think about it without having to think seriously. However, I'm originally a perfectionist, so if I let my guard down, I tend to go back to my old ways. Even for something like a tennis racket, I think about its design in this era? Or how a spy shouldn't act. I've been thinking about the details that I don't have to worry about in the flow of the story.

Lin: What was interesting about the similar story was when cardboard was used. I'm a loose type, but I so look into things Endo-sensei has noticed. The exact age in the work. Not setting a strict time period in the work is a way to get away with it, but suddenly appearing with a mobile phone is a no-no in this world view.

Endo: That's right. That kind of line has been protected.

── SPY x FAMILY was a big hit from the first episode. I think there is a trend that manga artists draw interesting things and editors sell them, but are there any strategies you use for advertising?

Lin: That's right... There is a charity project called "Anya Friend Project" that donates the sales of LINE stamps, but I personally like it because it reaches people who don't usually read manga. I think it's a point that it was not just a charity project, but a project that involved Endo-sensei's fans. Endo-sensei's original drawings and fan art selected by him himself were made into stamps.

Endo: I'm basically no-touch when it comes to advertising, but I enjoyed choosing the fan art for the "Anya Friend Project."

──Endo-sensei started Twitter at the timing of the launch of SPY x FAMILY at the request of Lin-san.

Endo: Well, forcibly (laughs). I'm not familiar with SNS to begin with, so I have no idea what to write.

Lin: I think it's like Endo-sensei.

Endo: I can't stop posting pictures with pictures when the latest story is updated, but once I start it... I try to be a little concerned about the number of retweets.

Lin: I think the advertising effect of SNS is great. Readers are also busy, so I forget the update date of the manga. I will definitely announce it at midnight on the update date. Jump+ The day of the week ranking is a rule that a banner appears in the best place when the number of accesses is large after updating. I think all the other editors are doing it too.

──Is there anything in common with best-selling manga?

Lin: The honest answer is, "I don't know. If it's interesting, it's likely to sell." It's difficult, isn't it? If you enjoy drawing, it won't sell, and that doesn't mean you have to suffer. It's a personal sensualism, but I think it's more likely that people who continue to draw while changing will sell better. Of course, not always. SPY x FAMILY is also Endo-sensei's third serialized work.

Endo: In my case, I'm not thinking of drawing something that sells well, but I feel like I'm drawing something that I can draw for the time being.

──What are the points of interest when Lin-san sees a new artist?

Lin: It depends on the person. If your drawings are terrible but your names are good, then there's a chance you could become an original author, and your drawings might change later on. Sometimes your drawings and names are terrible, but I find something weird interesting and contact you. It's like we communicate through the drawings and names, and if it's interesting, we say, let's create something together.

──Is there anything that shines?

Lin: That's right. Manga artists have a wide range of entertainment qualities. If I feel even the slightest bit of aptitude, I'll try to create something together. The bar is pretty low. On the other hand, I'll talk for an hour or two and tell them, "I'm waiting for the plot," but there are many times when nothing comes up or the artist stops contacting me.

Endo: I'd say they're straying. I'm the same.

Lin: If you don't go to the serialization meeting and you're too dented, and the picture is good, you may hand over a text manuscript saying, "Why don't you try drawing with another person's name?" Sometimes it leads to.

── Then, what's one thing that manga artists would like to have?

Lin: "Fun" is the most persistent thing.

Endo: In my case, I don't think it's fun to draw manga...

Lin: I think you're busier than you think, but I'm sure you Endo will have some fun moments if you take the time to look into it.

Endo: That's true. When I started drawing manga, it was a lot of fun. If it wasn't completely fun, I wouldn't be able to draw anything, so I just want to avoid that.

Lin: Endo-sensei, when I couldn't draw the manga before the serialization of SPY x FAMILY began, I used to put pictures on pixiv for rehabilitation. Did you enjoy that?

Endo: It's fun to draw what I like, so I thought it would be fun for me, but it didn't go well. But when I went to the assistant during the series, it was fun. It's a good writer's place, it's a lot of studying, and just talking is inspiring. By feeling the heat of the people around me, I don't think I'll lose. There were quite a few moments.

──It seems that you can continue for a long time by keeping your motivation for drawing.

Lin: Although it is true that the younger you are, the longer you can continue drawing, I think it's okay to start drawing at the age of 40 or 50. I went to see Sōsuke Tōka Sensei from Ranking of Kings when it became a buzz. He had quit his job in his 40s and started drawing, and now it's being turned into an anime. It's a wonderful story, and I think it's a dream come true. I think it's okay to start drawing if you want to, and it's okay to leave if you find it a bit tiring, but I think it's important to continue.

Endo: I've never wanted to stop drawing manga, either. I wasted a lot of my life because I didn't know what to draw, but I think I'm able to draw the manga I do now because I've gotten older. I'm sure there are manga that can only be drawn at the age of 70, right?

Lin: It would be inspiring if there was a manga drawn by a 70-year-old who said, "I want to spend the rest of my life like this." If a person who was a doctor until about 60 years old started drawing a doctor's manga, I would like to read it. There may be an image that young writers are useful for Jump+, but in an aging society, I think that there will be manga artists who can be 60 or 70 years old in the future.

──So what does the editor mean to you, Endo-sensei? What do you like about being a tag team?

Endo: There are times when I can't have an objective perspective by myself, so I think it's necessary to have an editor's perspective in such cases. Every time, I can think about what's interesting and draw it, but it's interesting. Lin-san tells me that time is interesting. I don't think it will be completed without Lin-san.

Lin: When it's funny, it's funny, when you don't understand, you say you don't understand together. I often talk about how it can be interesting.

Endo: When I couldn't draw a manga, there were times when I was taken to a meal and just talked. That alone supported me and I was grateful.

──It's encouraging to have support other than when serializing. Please tell us about the appeal that Endo-sensei feels about Jump+.

Endo: In my case, the first thing I posted was Jump and I also experienced paper media, but when I followed Lin-san, I arrived at Jump+ before I knew it. I started my career from paper media, but as a result, I think Jump+ is the best. The number of pages and the interval between serializations are free and easy to draw.

Lin: It may be a place where you can give top priority to what the writer draws.

Endo: And it's easy to see how many views are clearly shown in numbers. I'm glad that you read the series, and I'm just looking at the comments (laughs).

──This Million Tag is a new type of manga award that teams up with an editor who is actually active in the now-talked-about Jump+.

Endo: It's a merit to be able to team up with an editor instead of an individual. If you can't draw temporarily, or if you're depressed, you'll care about it, and you'll be able to think about ways to get out of it. It's encouraging to do, and you can do things that you can never do, like advertising.

Lin: I would like to tell you that if there are times when you have a hard time, you will suffer together. I think there are more prizes than general manga awards, and I would be grateful if you could apply for manga artists who are aiming for an anime adaptation.

Endo: I'm grateful that if you have a lot of prize money, you can make capital investment.

Lin: It's hard to reach the world even if you buzz in Japan, but since we are creating a channel for the world, people all over the world read it and receive comments on the latest stories from all over the world. The work born from "Million Tag" may be read all over the world. It would be fun.

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.

Takuya Eguchi (Loid): What rewards do you give yourself after work?

Endo: Ummm, sleeping without the alarm...? Making boundaries of work and personal life...is not my strong suit. So I haven't considered giving myself a reward. To relieve stress, I sometimes play Splatoon... but I end up having more stress by losing.

Eguchi: Do you like alcohol?

Endo: I get a headache, I get sick, so there is nothing I like about alcohol. But I am jealous of people who can drink.

Saori Hayami (Yor): Which scene did you most enjoy creating?

Endo: I rarely enjoy creating manga, but the scene which I thought turned out cute was... when Bond dies from eating a handmade sweet by Yor.

Hayami: Do the accessories Yor wear have any meaning or stories behind them?

Endo: Sorry, there aren't any stories behind them... As she is the "Thorn Princess," spiky things seem to suit her. That's why they are there. The hairbands are there because they seemed old-fashioned and cute. That's the only reason...

I'm going to try and create a fake elegant backstory for future interviews.

Atsumi Tanezaki (Anya): Anya's mistaken words and grammar are exceptional. Where do those adorable words come from? Do they appear naturally in Endo-sensei's head? Do you logically invent them? Or does Anya speak in Endo-sensei's mind? Ah, for me, "Benderdick I'm-A-Good-Fellow" and "Family ooting, yay!" are my favorite lines.

Endo: I do think about childish wordings, but most times the little Anya in my head just speaks to me.

Tanezaki: If you were to create a slogan for Loid, Yor, and Anya, what would it be? For example, my, Atsumi Tanezaki's slogan would be... "~No vocabulary, why? Cats make me high! ~A servant to cats who forgot her vocabulary inside her mother's womb."

Endo: Anya's slogan is, "SOOO COOL DOOM! TEST SHO-CK! A HYPER-CURIOUS GIRL WHO FORGOT HER CALMNESS AT THE ORPHANAGE" (made sloppily)

Loid's slogan is, "TINGLING PAINS GLOOM! STOMACHACHE GLOOM! A TOO SERIOUS FATHER WHO FORGOT HIS PEACE OF MIND IN WESTALIS" (made sloppily)

Yor's slogan is, "POW, SMACK, BA-BAM! SNHK SNHK SPLATTER! A VIOLENT BLOODY MOTHER WHO FORGOT ALL BUT HER MUSCLE IN NEVERLAND." (made sloppily)

SPY×FAMILY Manga Editor Shihei Lin

──Because SPY×FAMILY was translated into multiple languages from the very beginning of its serialization, were you conscious of its overseas appeal?

Lin: There are people who enjoy spy films all over the world, so I imagined that overseas readers would also find it appealing as a theme and project.

──What are some of the biggest differences between drawing for a physical magazine and for Shonen Jump+? Does the format influence the way you work?

Lin: The biggest difference is twofold: the freedom that comes with the pace of online release, and the freedom of page counts. Both these elements allow us to prioritize the creator and the creative work. Depending on the work, we choose to serialize it once a week, once every two weeks, or once a month. Also, we can tailor the breaks according to the creator's situation, so I feel that it's easy to create good conditions. As far as the format goes, our goal is to make it possible to read on both paper and smartphones, so I don't feel it's much different in that regard.

──Why did you decide to focus more on comedy than on action for this work?

Lin: Endo-sensei's previous two works have been battle action stories, so we had a meeting where we decided to draw a comedy manga based on the one-shot that preceded SPY×FAMILY’s serialization.

──Do you think that what audiences look for in comedy manga has changed over time? What sort of things do you find appealing in a comedy?

Lin: In many different ways, I think comedy is something you can read with peace of mind.

──What are your favorite spy films? Was such information shared with Endo- sensei to give some feedback to the idea with which he originally came up during the development?

Lin: Bridge of Spies, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Mission Impossible, The Spy Gone North, and Infernal Affairs. We often talk about interesting movies or novels we saw at our meetings, not just spy films.

──Where did the idea come from to feature designer chairs on the tankobon covers?

Lin: That was Endo-sensei's choice. He proposed from quite an early stage to draw famous chairs for the covers.

──What was your reaction when you heard that the anime would be produced at CloverWorks and Wit Studio?

Lin: I thought that it was a very luxurious, lavish, and ambitious combination. There aren't too many precedents for powerful studios teaming up to make anime, so I was very excited. (Waku waku.)

──Do you have any messages for your overseas fans?

Lin: The voices of support from fans overseas reaches both myself and Endo-sensei. I am so glad that you have been enjoying the anime and manga. SPY×FAMILY’s serialization will keep continuing, so I hope you will check it out. Please continue lending us your support!

SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY Mission Briefing (Kazumi Takayama × Tatsuya Endo)

Kazumi Takayama's profile:

Born on February 8, 1994, she was part of Nogizaka46's first generation. She graduated from Nogizaka46 in 2021. Since her graduation, she has been active in multiple domains, performing on TV and radio, and also publishing her own novel, Trapezium (Kadokawa).

──Endo-sensei, I heard you were the one who expressed the wish of having an interview with Takayama-san, but why is that?

Endo: Partly simply because she is someone I admire and I wanted to meet her, but also because I think Takayama-san has an objective and bird's eye view of idols, despite having been one herself. I thought it would be interesting to hear what she had to say from that point of view, so I took the plunge and made the offer.

Takayama: Thank you so much! I started reading SPY x FAMILY after Endo-sensei drew a picture of me for a project in Young Jump, and I'm a big fan of his work. I never expected to have the chance to work with him, so I'm very happy about it! Sensei, where did you learn about me?

Endo: The first time I saw her was on Shikujiri Sensei! right after it the start of its regular broadcast (a variety show on TV Asahi) and she had such a wonderful expression on her face! I wasn't particularly interested in idols before then, but I gradually started watching the Nogizaka programs.

Takayama: I'm so glad!

──Takayama-san, where do you think the charm of SPY x FAMILY lies?

Takayama: The exquisite balance of seriousness and comedy! I especially like the depictions of school life, because of how funny they are, of course, but also because they make me feel warm and fuzzy. I just keep reading and reading, and I can't wait to read the rest!

Endo: Thank you so much!

Takayama: Also, all the characters are very kind, aren't they? When I was writing Trapezium, I deliberately included some unmistakably bad people as a foil to the other characters, but in SPY x FAMILY, everyone really is kind, honest and impossible to hate. I wondered how kind and wonderful Endo-sensei must be to have written a story like that.

Endo: If you're going to say that, then everyone in Nogizaka is kind too, aren't they? And out of all of them, Takayama-san ranked as "Number 1 kindest member", so you must be a genuinely nice person, no?

Takayama: No! The voting was rigged! (laughs)

―-Endo-sensei, do you think Nogizaka's charm lies in their "kindness"?

Endo: Yes. Laughter, tears, comfort… they embody all the aspects of kindness, and I think that is one of the reasons I was drawn to them.

Takayama: I'm really happy to hear you say that. When I was in the group, I lived in a dormitory with the other members, but even when the group had only just been formed and we weren't really on close terms yet, a lot of the girls could tell if anything was wrong with any of the others and huddled around her, so I was happy to be part of such a kind group. Although there was some competition about being selected, I felt that many of the members wanted live peacefully and without tension. Sensei, when you're drawing SPY x FAMILY, do you keep an awareness of kindness in mind?

Endo: No, that's not really something I aim for. Everyone – both the readers and the anime staff – focus on the family love aspect, but I'd like what I depict to be more unsentimental. But in a way, maybe that creates a good balance.

Takayama: Oh, that's right! Congratulations on it being made into an anime!

Endo: Thank you.

――Takayama-san, which characters do you like in SPY x FAMILY?

Takayama: I particularly love Damian. Even though he is rich and good at studying, he doesn't slack on his efforts and he is kind… Everything about him is adorable!

Endo: That was unexpected. I actually wanted to make Damian more of a jerk, but as I was drawing him, I realized that he'd turned into a calm, low-key character.

Takayama: Really? That's surprising.

Endo: Do you ever think: "Bring on the kids being more messily involved with another!"?

Takayama: No, I don't! (laughs)

Endo: But even if we don't go that far, maybe a love triangle…?

Takayama: Well, it's true that if there was a romantic element between Anya and Damian, I'd be thrilled! But Damian already has an awareness, doesn't he? Whereas Anya-chan is free-spirited, and I like that relationship too!

――Takayama-san, which character do you think would make a good idol?

Takayama: Yor-san! She has a cute personality, and above all, her lack of self-confidence makes her perfect for being an idol.

Endo: It's better to not be self-confident?

Takayama: If she was too competent, there would be no point rooting for her. Also, being over-confident can make it look like you have no drive to improve yourself. I think fans would feel touched if they saw her frantically trying her best, and would get hyped thinking, "I want to support her!" Although, that's not something you can deliberately aim for, so it's hard to find the right balance (laughs self-deprecatingly). But Yor-san makes me want to support her!

Endo: Even though Yor also this psychopathic side to her…

Takayama: That's cute too (laughs).

Endo: How about Anya? Is she too much of an idiot?

Takayama: I like her too, and I think she would be popular with girls. But it feels like Anya-chan would bluntly tell her hardcore starstruck fans, "I like you as a fan, but no way am I falling in love with you!" So in that sense, if Anya-chan and Yor-san ever formed a duo, I think Yor-san would be the more popular of the two.

Endo: I see. By the way, which type are you, Takayama-san?

Takayama: The Anya-chan type. At handshake events, my fanbase was different from the other members: there were a lot of people there with their families, or elderly men who had lived to a ripe old age.

Endo: Back when I drew your portrait, I received a lot of fervent thanks, which made me think all your fans were friendly and real forces of nature.

――Endo-sensei, was it the Young Jump editorial department which sent you a request to draw Takayama-san's portrait?

Endo: No. I was the one who asked. At the time of the first one, an artist I know drew Erika Ikuta-san (another member of Nogizaka46's first generation) and just when I was yelling about, "Why didn't they get in touch with me, too?!", the second phase of the project was officially decided, and I was allowed to draw. Although I apologize for the poor-quality drawing…

Takayama: What are you saying! Thank you for the cute picture.

Endo: After drawing the picture, I heard you were embarrassed by the "Posi-Peace" pose and I was sorry about that…

Takayama: I wasn't in the least bit embarrassed looking at the picture! It's just a little awkward to say it out loud…

Endo: Don't you get requests from fans at handshake events?

Takayama: Back in the day, I was happy to do it, but one time, when I was asked to do my signature "Amazing" pose, a fan asked me, "Don't you get embarrassed?" and I realized that I really did! I was secretly aiming for the Buzzword of the Year Award by continuing to say it (laughs), but it faded away unnoticed. By the way, Sensei, do you ever feel embarrassed when reading the early parts of SPY x FAMILY?

Endo: I can still read SPY x FAMILY, but after twenty years of drawing, my early works are too much of a dark past to ever be able to look at again…

Takayama: Amazing! You've been doing it for that long!

Endo: For better or for worse, I stay objective and don't go too far to pour myself heart and soul into drawing SPY x FAMILY.

Takayama: I understand. When I auditioned for Nogizaka46, I also looked at myself objectively. Telling myself things like I mustn't portray myself as too similar to the girls who looked like they were likely to be picked.

Endo: When I read Trapezium, I felt you had a very technical, bird's eye view of things.

――Endo-sensei, what kind of environment do you currently work in?

Endo: Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, I've been working alone without assistants.

'Takayama: That's amazing! I get lonely when I'm all alone…

Endo: I'm honestly jealous of people who get to work in groups. I don't see other people except for a meeting once every two weeks with my editor... (smiles bitterly).

Takayama: What? Don't you go out?

Endo: I like going out, but I'm too busy to do so, and since I don't have any friends, I don't have any reasons to (laughs).

Takayama: Really? But in your manga, you depict very realistic relationships between the characters.

Endo: Maybe it's an outlet for my inner gloominess…

Takayama: I also have trouble letting off steam. But at times like that, I feel that rather than being alone, it's more fun and rewarding to go somewhere with someone or to do something. But a lot of writers work alone.

Endo: From my point of view, what I envy about idols is that they are able to stand on stage, be face-to-face with their fans, and get a direct evaluation from them. When working in manga, you hardly ever meet anyone…

Takayama: That's true. But when I was giving a speech on stage or something like that, even though I'd tell myself that this was a great opportunity to say something that sounded good, it didn't always turn out the way I expected. In that sense, I feel that what a mangaka says, as reflected through the characters, can pierce you to the core and has tremendous power. Also, I think that praising the work is also a way of praising the author, so fans of SPY x FAMILY are also your fans, Endo-sensei!

Endo: No, definitely not.

Takayama: Huh?!

Endo: I post updates on social media, but the response is overwhelmingly greater when I post information about the manga or a drawing than when I post about myself. I guess readers don't care about the author. (laughs self-deprecatingly)

Takayama: There is that… By the way, sensei, are there any mangaka you admire?

Endo: As to that, I really admire Yoshihiro Togashi-sensei who does HUNTER x HUNTER, which I know you're also a fan of, Takayama-san. I'd like to draw a manga like that, even just once. But I know I'll never be no Togashi-sensei, so I try to create works that are within the scope of my abilities.

――Takayama-san, are you ever consciously thinking about your own "characterization"?

Takayama: Yes, I was struggling with it around about the time when we released "Hashire! Bicycle" in 2012.

Endo: That wasn't long after your debut, was it?

Takayama: It was a time when my popularity at handshake events was declining in inverse proportion to my increased exposure in variety shows. I wondered if my popularity would drop if I appeared on TV. From then until I published my novel, I was conflicted about whether or not it was okay for me to continue as this character.

Endo: How did you solve the problem?

Takayama: At the time, I thought that in order to continue to be on the selection, I needed to portray a character that the other members didn't have. I couldn't take the easy, straightforward route on just my strength alone, so you could say I took the side roads by trying out as various characters with unique settings, like being a stingy, penny-pinching idol. (laughs) However, I hit a wall, and it got hard for me, so I went back to the basics and thought about what kind of idol I wanted to be. And as a result, I decided that rather than striving to be the Takayama Kazumi that fans wanted, I should do what I wanted to do. And just like that, the weight was lifted from my shoulders. Which is why Takayama Kazumi the idol and the normal, everyday Takayama Kazumi are practically the same.

Endo: I think it's wonderful how you can compete as yourself.

Takayama: A lot of the members of Nogizaka46 were like that. After working in the field for so long, you would got caught out if you pretend to be something you're not. (laughs wryly) But I sometimes feel sorry for the fans who give up their precious time to come to handshake events and all I'm showing them is my worn-out self.

Endo: I understand! When I was in a bad place and had a serialization, getting a slot in the magazine just made it worse and I was like, "I'm sorry for publishing this." Even now, there are times when I don't know what to draw. (laughs)

Takayama: After being a mangaka for more than 20 years, I guess that might paradoxically make it hard to know what to draw. Did you have a mountain of things you wanted to draw when you made your debut?

Endo: That's right. I was full of things I wanted to draw. Then after that, I really didn't know anymore, and I spent about five years being depressed. I also became bad at drawing manga. Now that I'm feeling somewhat more stable, I thought about what I could draw and created SPY x FAMILY with this sense of "let's go with this for now."

Takayama: I also wrote everything I wanted to in my first novel, so I don't have any creative urge left…

Endo: That's why I can't help but feel that SPY x FAMILY is "bland."

Takayama: It wouldn't be made into an anime if it was bland! (laughs) By the way, what was the catalyst that made you able to draw again?

Endo: It wasn't anything instantaneous, it was more gradual. I worked as an assistant and did some one-shots as a form of rehab. It was really hard, but I never once thought of wanting to quit being a mangaka.

Takayama: That takes a lot of strength of will!

――Takayama-san, is there anything you would like to ask Endo-sensei?

Takayama: I mentioned this at the beginning, but the characters in SPY x FAMILY are all nice people, aren't they? Have you never thought of including mean characters?

Endo: I would like to add them in, but by the time I draw them, just like Damian, they've lost their venom. I tend to be relatively influenced by readers' opinions, so if they say something is unpleasant, I go, "Oh, okay, guess I'll stop with that."

Takayama: So in that sense, you're creating the work with the fans. By the way, have you already decided on the ending?

Endo: Not at all. And because of that, I sometimes get criticized for how the story isn't moving forward. (laughs self-deprecatingly)

Takayama: I don't get that impression though… Aside from that, I'd also like to ask you about the technical side. In my novel, I like to have one-on-one dialogues, but in a manga, it's important to find ways to change the viewpoint to avoid being monotonous, isn't it? I feel like the repertory would run out pretty quickly, so how do you deal with that?

Endo: Once you've run out of patterns to use… You just have to graciously accept defeat. (laughs) Or else use the background panels as a means of escape.

Takayama: Is it something like it's important to keep a sense of balance?

Endo: It's stuff like how do you prevent the eyes from getting tired.

Takayama: Fixing images must be difficult too. It's easy to delete things in a novel, but in a manga, you have to delete panels.

Endo: The number of artists going digital has been on the rise recently, so it's probably not as difficult as it used to be. But I'm an analogue artist, so I erase things one by one with an eraser.

Takayama: Whaaat! That's rough!

Endo: On the other hand, in a manga, when you're drawing some object or another, you can cheat by just drawing something that looks close enough, but that's not true in a novel. There you have to carefully describe it. Also, you have to think up things like metaphorical expressions so that the reader doesn't get bored, so I feel that's tough.

Takayama: It's true that it does take time. if you just write down whatever pops into your mind, it doesn't make for coherent sentences. On the other hand, if you think too much about each sentence, then no matter how much time you have, it will never be enough.

Endo: Honestly, when I read Trapezium, I didn't get a sense of you, Takayama-san, although I mean that in a good way. I apologize if this comes across as rude, but I was surprised that your writing was so technically proficient!

Takayama: Oh no, no. I'm flattered. At the time, I often took part in variety shows, and there it was the complete opposite and I cut down on any unnecessary words to make short statements with maximum impact, so I enjoyed writing a novel. But maybe as a side-effect, I got less good at handling variety shows after I finished writing. (laughs awkwardly)

Endo: Because you were getting lost in thought?

Takayama: I was wondering how I used to manage to talk before. It felt like even in interviews, I might get laughed at if I said something stupid.

Endo: So you were answering seriously? (laughs)

――Then to finish, could you each please give one last message?

Takayama: SPY x FAMILY is full of characters I love, and I was wondering how I would cope if Sensei told me today that it would be ending soon, but to my relief, it looks like it will be continuing for a long time! Ever since Sensei drew an illustration of me, I've always wanted to meet him. I can't believe I actually got my wish thanks to this fanbook! I look forward to reading more of your work in the future!

Endo: It was an honor to get to meet Takayama-san! I know you're busy, so thank you very much. I love watching you happily talking to people, so I'm really looking forward to your future appearances on TV and radio. Personally, I'm hoping you'll appear on Uchimura Summers (A variety show staring comedian Teruyoshi Uchimura and comedian duo Summers. It is streamed online, on Amazon Prime Video and others.)! (laughs) I would be happy to work with you again in some way!

Extra: ――Do you two regularly read manga?

Takayama: I love HUNTER x HUNTER and Zatch Bell!, but I don't read that many series. In that sense, SPY x FAMILY, was the first I'd bought in a long time because I myself wanted to read it.

Endo: I'm really glad…! I used to read a lot when I was younger, but ever since it became "work", I haven't done so at all.

Takayama: It's true, that's how it is, isn't it?

Endo: But Takayama-san, you still like idols even after becoming one yourself, right?

Takayama: Yes, but rather than following current idols, I prefer to watch videos of the ones I liked as a child.

Endo: I've heard you like Momoe Yamaguchi-san (A former Japanese singer and actress (born 1959, retired 1980). Representative songs include "Cosmos" and "Ii Hi Tabidachi".).

Takayama: She's so cool, isn't she?! I like what you'd call geniuses, people with special skills. I love it when "talented geniuses" make you think: "Wow, Ive seen something amazing!" (laughs) Endo-sensei, what kind of people are you a fan of?

Endo: Hmm… I like people who seem easy to get along with. Like those who can make you smile spontaneously. I also like people who have their own solid foundation and who live their lives striving to be cheerful and strong.

SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY Mission Briefing (Hiroyuki Nishimori × Tatsuya Endo)

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

──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.

──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

──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.

──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 occurred 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

──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.

──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!

──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)

Coming to the forefront at the same time, these three creators have a long history of helping each other with their work. We asked for their memories of all times and their professional opinions of each other's work.

Kato Sensei Joined Tista at Chapter 1

──Can I begin by asking how the three of you first met?

Endo: There's no chance Kato-san will remember this, but the first time she and I met was at a Jump party for manga creators.

Kato: I'm sorry, I don't remember that. The first time I remember hearing about Endo-san was from a friend who was a fellow new hire at Jump, and then after that, I was introduced to his editor, Lin-san, and I was sent to work as his assistant on Tista. At that time, I believe his only other assistant was Satoshi Kimura (※writer of Chikyuu Shinryaku! Colreonis and Terra Formars Gaiden:Rain Hard!)?

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

Kato: I remember that I was abruptly given a populated background scene to draw all by myself. I was surprised I'd be given such a complicated scene as my first assignment! And it was a pretty big one too... I think maybe this was it? (shows panel below)

Endo: That one's tiny! (laughs) But it definitely has your touch.

Amu: I know I'd be stressed if I had to draw a scene like that as my first assignment.

Kato: And I had to do it before I knew anything about the way Endo Sensei was drawing the rest of the scenes. And then the next thing I knew I drew was this confessional booth, I think? I remember this also well.

At that time, all I knew how to do was draw with simple lines and use screentone to express darkness, but I was told you only wanted it done with the lines and inking only. And I was like, "Huh, can you do that?"

Endo: I didn't know what your capabilities were, so at the start there, I figured I'd have you draw it and see.

Kato: You were basically asking the impossible of a rank amateur! (laughs) I remember you told me to relax and take my time with it, so I worked as hard at drawing it as I could.

Endo: And the time, my only experience in assisting with long-term serialized manga was for Yoshiyuki Nishi's Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation. So I was just following his lead.

Kato: I learned so much from drawing backgrounds like this. It made me realize how lacking my skills had been and why I hadn't been assigned any backgrounds at any of my other jobs.

Lin: I know you took a break for a while there, but you stayed with Tista till the end, right?

Kato: I learned so much from that manga, but the hours were pretty crazy. (laughs) Although we did have plenty of time for playing around at work. I remember us all playing Bomberman and card games together. In fact, we had quite a lot of slack in our workday.

──Endo Sensei, was there anything about Kato Sensei's work that left a strong impression on you?

Endo: I think I learned more from the experience than she did. Kato-san's artistic talents are way beyond mine. You can teach someone styles and techniques, but there's no teaching Kato-san's talents when it comes to balance and artistic sense.

Amu: When I came to work as an assistant on Blade of the Moon Princess, I was told that ever since Kato-san came to work for him, the bar for Endo-san to look at someone's art had gotten a lot higher.

Kato: You're scaring me here! That praise is way over-the-top!

Endo: We'd have Kato-san embellish art that had already been drawn by other people—to add ornamentation and the like.

Kato: I remember drawing tapestries, too. I was really into emblem design at the time, so I was able to put my hobby to good use.

Endo: Since I knew it would turn out great, I would often pass on all the design work to her.

Kato: I remember being assigned to draw lots of books and documents that appeared in the manga. When something needed to be drawn in a certain style, I think I was pretty good at that. Maybe I have a knack for deception?

──Kato Sensei, are there any panels in Tista that you're particularly fond of?

Kato: I have some connection to all of them, so they each have a special place in my heart. Looking at them like this now, I'm struck by how good Endo-san's art is. Both his fundamental technique and the satisfying way he mixes those very manga-like creatures into it. And there's such energy to it.

Endo: That might be where I got lazy and started gradually simplifying my art. (laughs) After all, now it is I do almost all my drawing with fine markers.

Kato: Well, I think it's incredible. I just can't get the hang of using conventional and deformed art together. The action is so good, too. It wasn't until afterward that I realized, "Wow, he really loves guns." You're just so incredible at working with guns.

Amu: Ah, that reminds me of those pictures that all of us assistants were passing around of Kimura-kun wielding guns. (laughs)

Endo: Ah, Kimura-kun let me take a bunch of pictures of him with guns for reference poses, and then I send them around to everyone. (laughs) Kimura-kun was so mad about that.

Kato: Everyone needs reference pictures for drawing manga, but nobody wants their own pictures to be seen by anyone.

Amu: I delete mine the second I finished the drawing!

Endo: I always liked the pictures of nature that Kato-san drew. I remember having her draw a flower once... Maybe this is it?

Kato: You told me, "The lighting on this is so harsh," and I flew into a panic thinking I'd messed it up! (laughs)

His Overly Fastidious Help on Blue Exorcist

──During the period between when Tista ended and Blade of the Moon Princess began, did you do any assistant work yourself, Endo Sensei?

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

Kato: After that, Blue Exorcist started, and I remember there were a few times when we were short-handed and you helped out. You drew the graves toward the end of chapter 1, for example.

Lin: I remember that. You two had a weirdly intense discussion about what material was beneath graves.

Kato: Endo-san asked me, "Is there dirt beneath the graves? Or is it flat stone?" He said he couldn't draw it if he didn't have a feel for the material. He also drew those figures in the background of the world explanation page.

Endo: And the other time was when Kuro debuted in chapter 2?

Kato: A long time later, around volume 16, you came back and drew that large crowd of exorcists for me.

Endo: That was such a pain─I had to individually design each of them! (laughs) And when I came to help her, to my birthday, so I was forced to wear a silly birthday hat. It was humiliating. (laughs) I don't think I did anything else around that time. It was my hibernation era.

Kato: We were all worried about you. Kimura-kun and Amu-san said as they couldn't get a hold of you at all either. Every now and then we'd hear from Lin-san that you were okay.

──Endo Sensei, was there anything from your time helping on Blue Exorcist that left an impression on you?

Endo: Well, rubbing up against me as I started drawing. (laughs) I've always liked cats, but I'm last night actually allergic to them.

Kato: Was that a problem for you when you came to my place?

Endo: I probably took medicine for it. Sometimes I even take my allergy medicine and then go to cat cafés.

Meeting Amu on Blade of the Moon Princess

──Amu Sensei, you joined as an assistant for Blade of the Moon Princess, I believe?

Amu: I've been pitching my work to Jump Square, so I was able to go from that to working as an assistant to Endo-san. Before I went to his workplace, I read through Tista and was like, "How exactly am I supposed to help him with anything?"

Endo: You told me you'd never even done a beta flash (※a black-burst dialogue balloon) before! (laughs)

Amu: That's true. I'm sure it must have been tough for Endo-san to find work for me. Especially when you had ten people in and out of there, including one who told me the only thing they did before being replaced was practice with a mapping pen for two days. I wondered how much I'd be able to accomplish... I think the first thing I drew with this pile of books?

Kato: So this was your first professional work!

Amu: I wasn't used to touch drawing (as opposed to drawing strokes), so I got flustered every time. And whenever I'd be asked to do a background, Endo-san would ask me questions like, "Where is the light switch in this hallway?" I was surprised that he considered things to that extent when he drew.

Kato: Just like when he wanted to know what was under the graves. That's Endo-san for you. (laughs)

Endo: Look, the materials used really are important! (laughs) Also, I remember asking Amu-san to do one of the later panels of the spaceship.

Amu: That was so hard! Really, all of the backgrounds in Blade of the Moon Princess were so hard. And we were scrambling to stay on schedule even for the very first chapter.

Endo: We were drawing it without even a finished storyboard.

Amu: And on the day before our deadline, no one had inked the background of the spaceship at the end. And at some point, it was like, "We should really ink this page soon," and we all had to acknowledge what we were pretending not to notice. Then we all chipped in to ink it bit by bit.

Endo: And thus, that background became the symbol of our hard work and camaraderie. (laughs) On the very last day, I remember someone saying, "You know, I don't remember seeing that page recently..." And then it turned out it had fallen through the gap in the back of a drawer many days earlier, while it had still only been roughly penciled. (laughs)

Kato: That's terrifying!

Amu: Oh, and then on the night before our deadline, Endo-san announced, "I'm sorry, but we're out of toilet paper." I thought he was going to ask me to buy some, but he just continued with, "Amu-san, are you okay?" (laughs)

Kato: What?!

Amu: I just said, "Okay, I understand," and tried to cut back on drinking fluids. I mean, there wasn't a convenience store nearby, and our deadline was the next morning, and we couldn't spare anybody. (laughs)

Kato: That's even more terrifying!

Endo: I don't remember any of this. (laughs)

Amu: It was the hardest job I ever had. But on the plus side, it started at noon, which was pretty late. Since I was the new girl, I wanted to show up ten minutes early, but when I did, it looked like Endo-san had only just woken up, and I'd had thrown off his whole morning. (laughs) And in my day, there wasn't much of playing games and things!

Endo: That's because Kimura-kun didn't come in to work much on Blade of the Moon Princess, so I didn't have anyone to play with. Instead, I had to amuse myself with a kendama (※cup-and-ball game).

Amu: I could hear the tap-tap-tap sound coming from behind me! (laughs)

──Endo Sensei, do you have any recollections of Amu Sensei from that time?

Endo: I certainly remember her drawing this background here...

Amu: Excuse me! Could you please not show that one?! (laughs) (※The panel has been omitted from the interview at the insistence of Amu Sensei.)

Endo: The burning flames here look kind of shabby...

Amu: Endo-san called my flames "lame" and told me I was fast but sloppy. And I'd thought I'd done a thoroughly excellent job, too.

Endo: But in this business, being fast is important, right? It's a big help to have someone who can put together a detailed background quickly.

Amu: At some point, I think that became my role. Endo-san would give me something to do and say, "This one's urgent," and then I'd throw myself into doing it as quickly as possible. And then afterward he'd say, "Oh, I didn't mean I needed it today."

Endo: I didn't see that as your role at all.

Amu: This reminds me of the day when we were supposed to work on one of the graphic novels, and before work we played badminton at the gym, And then we went to work exhausted and with hurt wrists... What was that about? (laughs)

Kato: While working on Tista, too, Endo-san would often say things like "Let's get some exercise!"

Endo: I hurt my shoulder that way and had to start going to an orthopedic surgeon. So, although I do love exercise...

──What was the main benefit from your time working on Blade of the Moon Princess, Amu Sensei?

Amu: I didn't have much of a grounding in the basics, so I learned all about perspectives and horizons, and what sorts of things a professional manga creator needs to take into account. I guess the reason I could draw backgrounds fast really was because they were sloppy.

Endo: I don't remember much about Blade of the Moon Princess, but I do remember that Amu-san couldn't solve the spot-the-differences puzzle that was a bonus feature at the end of volume 4, and she sent me an angry email about it. (laughs)

The Story Behind a Famous Kono Oto Tomare! Scene

──Endo Sensei, you later worked as an assistant on Amu Sensei's Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life, right?

Endo: I didn't do very much on that. Just from time to time.

Amu: I counted on him for everything! But Endo-san is so talented that his work pops off the page in contrast, and I ended up having to use tone to blend it in. The biggest part he drew for me was that last spread of the Ryuseigun performance. Endo-san drew the whole crowd for me and even shaped the dragons that we added in with tone afterward. In my case, it was always crowd-scene backgrounds that I asked Endo-san to draw for me.

Kato: Me too! (laughs) Getting our backgrounds drawn by Endo-san and Kimura-kun was always our top choice.

Amu: He also drew Chika's koto for me in this one.

Endo: That was such a pain to draw. (laughs) Afterward, I made a 3D model of it, and I think that's probably the faster way to do it.

Amu: In the early days of Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life, when I had more experienced manga creators helping me, they were always getting mad at me. (laughs) Even Endo-san would ask things like "Where's this horizon in this frame?" And I'd be like, "I dunno."

Endo: Your directions were sloppy, too. (laughs)

Amu: If I didn't specify where the focal points were, he'd get mad at me for that, too. I even made a little joke about that in one of my afterwords.

Kato: As soon as I saw that, I knew the black cat was Endo-san. (laughs)

──Endo Sensei, do you have any memories from Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life?

Endo: The first time I went to that workplace, I had a desk that was connected to the assistant's next to me, and whenever that person used their eraser, my whole desk would rattle. It made it really impossible to work. (laughs)

Amu: I didn't even know that! Everyone was squeezed together in a really small room.

Kato: Come to think of it, it was just a little while after this that Endo Sensei became unavailable as an assistant and completely unreachable.

Endo: At that time, I was doing storyboards for a manga that ended up getting rejected, and then I did the storyboards for a one-shot that became Rengoku no Ashe. In fact, I requested your help on that. I was told you could be available for one or two days, and I said, "I'll take two then!"

Lin: That was when Blue Exorcist was on a break, right? I remember that. (laughs)

Amu: The panels Kato-san drew with marker were so good.

Endo: I kept hearing a squeaking behind me, and when I went to see what the sound was, it was Kato-san enthusiastically drawing with a big fat marker. (laughs) This panel was created right around when I heard that sound.

Kato: I remember drawing that with a real "I've got this!" attitude.

Endo: After that, I recall her criticizing one of the key panels of Rengoku no Ashe. She said, "I can't see the characters' faces!" (laughs)

Let's Talk About Each Other's Work!

──In light of how you all assisted with each other's manga, I'd like to hear your impressions and opinions about each other's major works.

Blue Exorcist

Amu: The series was always evolving─the main cast is huge, and they all have such depth that the manga never loses steam. I think it's just incredible that you've been able to keep the momentum going for such a long time. I always weep aloud as I read it.

Kato: It really is incredible how long it's lasted! Personally, I feel it has lost some steam, but I'll keep working on it.

Endo: I have to apologize, but I'm afraid I haven't read either of your manga all the way through. I find reading the manga of acquaintances to be particularly damaging mentally. As someone who was never read much manga and who struggles to write anything, seeing the efforts of other manga creators can be a little painful for me.

Kato: That's a familiar mindset for people who haven't been writing, but you still feel that, huh?

Endo: One impression I had about Blue Exorcist, and I apologize for this being something so trivial, but I've always known you take everything seriously. Like Kimura-kun and I would say something as a joke, and you wouldn't respond to it in a serious fashion.

Kato: It wasn't always clear to me what was a joke between you to.

Endo: In the manga, when Arthur first appears and Shura calls him an idiot, he replies with something like, "But I'm not bald?" (※ the Japanese word used has a second meaning of "bald"), and I thought, "Ah, in manga, she can write objectively about the experience of taking jokes seriously."

Kato: I think there was just an unusual cadence to the jokes you and Kimura-kun shared.

Amu: It took me quite a while to grasp the personalities of Endo-san and Kimura-kun as well. (laughs) Something else I really like about Blue Exorcist is the character's expressions. On the days I've had to draw expressions like that, I get burnt out and feel like I can't draw anything anymore.

Endo: The dialogue is also good. Especially when the characters are exchanging fighting words.

Kato: Amu has contacted me so many times to say, "This month's installment was incredible." I'm always so grateful. Like, I can't get over what a wonderful person she is.

──That makes me wonder, do you ever share your impressions with you manga creator friends or receive feedback with them?

Endo: No, I don't think so.

Amu: When I entered Endo-san's workplace and told him that I'd read Tista, he looked so uncomfortable. (laughs) I was like, wow, this is a man who doesn't like being talked about. After that, I tried not to broach the subject again.

Endo: I do enjoy getting feedback from readers and seeing fan art and such, though.

Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life

Kato: You're a talented artist on a whole different vector from Endo-san. Your work always strikes me right in the heart... Or rather, it's so dazzling it leaves me sightless. (laughs) There aren't many manga about adolescence that have broken through like this. The level of presentation and realism is just incredible, and the brightness with which it's drawn hits me right in the tear ducts with every page.

Endo: The brightness is good, but so is the way you present darkness, Maybe that's the effect of using a brush.

Kato: That's so true. I'm a bit twisted in that I really like the character of Akira. There are some wonderful characters in this manga.

Amu: Even I get tired of everything shining all the time. (laughs)

Endo: Amu-san's dialogue is good in a different way from Kato-san's. Kato-san's lines are short and catchy and impactful, while Amu-san's characters deliver lines at each other that challenge their entire worldviews and add real weight to their relationships. I really admire dialogue like that, even though I can't write it myself.

Kato: The thing that strikes me about your manga is always the intense care with which they're made.

Amu: Well, I don't have much in the way of artistic sense or talent, so I figure the only choice left is to draw with incredible care.

Endo: I once asked Amu-san how she came up with her dialogue, and she told me, "Imagine being told something, and think of how it could be phrased to make you happy or make it resonate more." So I tried to think of what would make me happy, and I couldn't come up with anything. (laughs)

──Is that because you're uncomfortable with being praised?

Endo: When I was working as an assistant, a senior manga creator used to profusely praise my work, and I would always respond by flatly rejecting everything they said. They would get angry and say, "You've got to learn how to take a compliment," but they were exactly the same way! (laughs) We vowed that we would both work toward getting a little better at accepting praise, but I don't think I've gotten any better at all.

Amu: I've always felt that Endo-san is a very affable person. No matter how curmudgeonly he may come off, I think he truly likes people. That's why I was so freaked out during that period when he was completely unreachable.

Endo: I am human, and I do get lonely. Especially when COVID hit and I had to switch to working remotely.

Spy x Family

Amu: Like Kato-san mentioned earlier, Endo-san is very good at balancing the fictional, manga-like parts with realism. This is a manga that can be enjoyed by everyone from hardcore manga fans to casual readers.

Kato: Even just the theme of the manga is really cutting. War and information are themes that people are cautious with these days, but the wat Endo-san depicts them is always honest, carefully researched, and ethically grounded. So even if Yor is wantonly killing a bunch of people, she can totally get away with that.

Amu: And Anya is so great! Even if the backstory is heavy and the drama is intense, just having her there rounds out everything. I respect comedy, and I think manga creators who can write it are great.

Kato: Endo-san has always had a reputation as someone who wrote black comedy. The sort of comedy that's so cynical, you think, "Is it really okay to laugh at this?" There's still some of that in Spy x Family, but there are also comedic elements that anyone can laugh at.

Amu: I remember back in Blade of the Moon Princess, Endo-san didn't ever seem to want to draw hot guys. Like he'd make a point to mess up characters who could have been popular and said he wouldn't introduce any conventionally good-looking characters at all. When he did the Ishi ni Usubeni, Tetsu ni Hoshi one-shot, I remember telling him, "This young man and the young girl look great together." If it had been the old Endo-san, he would have made Gath a goofy middle-aged man.

Kato: But he pulled it off with Spy x Family! Let's give Endo-san a big hand for drawing a good-looking guy! (claps)

Amu: I've been telling him I wanted to see his take on a handsome male character forever, and now he's finally made the leap! (claps)

Lin: I have been suggesting the same for as long as I can remember, (laughs) I always tell him, "In manga, it's important to have characters who are cool or cute."

Kato: Right about now, probably everyone who knows Endo-san is clapping along with us. (laughs)

Endo: And that's why I have no emotional attachment to my characters. Because I had to compromise on so many things. (laughs)

Amu: Also, I really like Bond. That Bond chapter, Mission 58, made me cry, and then burst into a smile, and then cry again - but in a good way. It's so great to have all that range of emotion in one story. The stories where Anya and the other kids are trying so hard make me cry, too.

Endo: And to think I used to hate both kids and dogs.

Amu: When I told you I had a small dog at my house, you told me, "They're so devious, the way they think of themselves as cute." (laughs)

Endo: But the older I get, the more I think they are actually cute.

Amu: Also, your depiction of Loid as a normal person who usually wears his hair slicked back but lets it down on occasion─that's really good, too. It's like you're being attentive to your readers and even reading their comments. That really surprised me.

Endo: Now I’m the one being devious. (laughs)

Amu: I was so surprised when Endo-san got on Twitter that I contacted him to make sure it was really him! (laughs)

Kato: I'd thought you'd shut out the outside world, too. (laughs) And now you're really trying to give your readers what they want. Damian's a good example of that. He's so sweet! I thought for sure he'd be awful, but he turned out to be a good guy, and now I just want him to be happy

What's Changed and What's Next

──From both of your perspectives, do you feel your impression of Endo Sensei has changed?

Amu: Endo-san has always come off as a man who is extremely particular about things. As a creator, that can be a good thing─but on the other hand, being less particular can open you up to new things. So, that's something we all worry about.

Kato: There are people you worry about for not being particular enough and people you worry about for being too particular. Endo-san is the latter, but I also know he's got incredible talent, so I've always wanted to see him make something big. And I think now that he's gained a more fan-focused sensibility, I really feel like he's become unstoppable!

Amu: Spy x Family does a very good job of using white space. There are places with backgrounds and places without, and the balance is excellent.

Endo: I learned how to remove elements (for the purpose of focusing attention) as an assistant. I was working under two different artists, and they were both very bold in their use of white space.

Amu: I always think it's so wonderful the way you can just read it without paying attention to techniques like that. I find when I'm paying attention to the drawing techniques and composition in manga, I haven't really been pulled into the story. Certainly there are manga where the strong technical work is a selling point, but personally, I'd rather not have that get in the way of the reading experience.

Kato: Certainly, there is a lot of subtlety to the techniques Endo-san uses in his manga.

──Do the three of you ever suggest techniques or share tips with each other?

Kato: The example that comes immediately to mind is the pen Endo-san told me about. I've used a Tachikawa school pen ever since.

Endo: Meanwhile, I've given up on fountain pens entirely and now draw everything with markers. (laughs)

Amu: I've brought DVDs over to play at Endo-san's workplace, but as I recall, he mostly just complained about them. I remember when we were watching Doraemon...

Endo: And I would hit you with things like "This time paradox makes no sense." (laughs)

Amu: And Kimura-kun was right there with you, complaining about how it was contradicting itself. (laughs) I brought all sorts of different things, but I don't remember getting anything but complaints about them.

Endo: Actually, I ended up really getting into that TV show you recommended, White Collar, and even used it as a reference for Spy x Family. Franky was modeled after the character Mozzie.

Amu: I knew it! No wonder I love Franky so much. He's talented and softhearted, but often the butt of jokes... I thought he was so much like Mozzie.

──Lastly, can we get a few last words of support for Endo Sensei from each of you?

Amu: I imagine the degree of success Spy x Family has had has itself been difficult. I'd say, enjoy it and don't put too much pressure on yourself... Except I've never known Endo-san to be like that. (laughs) So, please just get plenty of rest and work hard to take care of your physical and mental health.

Kato: I feel the same way. That, and I want you to know I think Spy x Family is truly engaging, and I'm really enjoying it as a reader. Congratulations on your incredible hit!

──Thank you very much.

SPY x FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY Tatsuya Endo: Extended Interview

Spy x Family was born from Tatsuya Endo's roughly 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?!

──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.

──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.

──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)

──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.

──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.

──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)

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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

──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. Franky 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.

──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.

──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

──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!

──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...

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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)

──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.

──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

──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.

──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.

──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.

──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.

──Thank you very much.

SPY x FAMILY Official Guide Book: MISSION REPORT:220409-0625 Special Discussion

After talking on a radio program, these two reunite for an extended conversation. Are they more alike than you might think?!

When Mr. Endo Was on Ms. Tanezaki's Radio Show

Mr. Endo, in June you appeared on the radio program Atsumi Tanezaki Wants Sushi! What were your thoughts about it at the time?

Endo: Looking back on it now... I was so nervous that I don't remember much of anything. (laughs)

Tanezaki I have nothing but regrets about that! I wish I had gotten into a better rhythm and asked you more questions... However, the listeners seemed to have enjoyed it regardless. For example, the part about how you and Mr. Lin (the editor of Spy x Family) would discuss a single line of dialogue over the phone from the moment he got onto the train to the moment he got off was very well received! It was a relief to me to be able to introduce our listeners to some things that weren't widely known.

Endo: These "regrets" you mentioned─I think the casual environment of your show and your nervousness were why I was able to talk to you despite my own anxieties. It was a lifesaver.

Tanezaki Like being in a haunted house, where standing next to someone who is more scared than you paradoxically calms you down─is that the logic? If so, I'm glad it worked out that way. (laughs)

──Were there other specific questions you had wanted to ask on that program?

Tanezaki Personally, I wanted to ask Mr. Endo about the period of "therapeutic rehabilitation" he was in before Spy x Family went into serialization, but we had limited time available on the program, so I restrained myself. I would have asked why you entered rehabilitation, what was involved, etc.

Endo: If I were to answer that honestly, it would turn into a very long and dark conversation. (laughs)

Tanezaki Oh, I would imagine... It's just that my own life is so full of anxiety that I couldn't help but wonder! (laughs)

Endo: And yet you seem to be having so much fun while you're working. I suppose there's another side to that, right?

Tanezaki: It's because we enjoy things that they end up hurting so much, right? I still think this is the only possible job I could do. I devote my full energies to it, but as soon as the recording session ends, I immediately start thinking things like, "Was there a better way to express that?" There are so many talented voice actors that it makes me think, "It's a miracle I've survived at this job for as long as I have" and "What do I need to do to keep being able to work alongside these talented people?"

Endo: I think that goes to show how seriously you approach your work. At the time, I couldn't deal with my work at all. Or maybe it was more that it got so painful that I ran away from it. (laughs)

Tanezaki: But if all you did was run away from it, this incredible work of yours would have never been created.

Endo: I guess the reason for my rehabilitation period was so I could return from my abandonment of my work. For about ten years, making manga hadn't been very enjoyable for me. It had nothing to do with my level of success or the nature of what I was making. It was a purely psychological issue. But after struggling through various things, I think I'm now able to approach making manga in a slightly more optimistic way. I even wrote "Manga is fun!" on a piece of paper and taped it to my bedroom wall, as if to try to persuade myself into believing it. (laughs)

Tanezaki: When I go to work, I too am always telling myself, "Let's have fun!" (laughs) But, Mr. Endo, even during your rehabilitation period, you were still drawing as an assistant for other manga creators, right? Why was that?

Endo: Because just like you [with voice acting], I think manga is all I can do. No matter how painful it gets, I cling to it because I don't feel I have any other options.

Ms. Tanezaki's Acting Range

──Mr. Endo, you've been effusive in your praise Anya's voice.

Endo: I had the privilege of participating in the audition phase. Whenever Director Furuhashi and his team asked Ms. Tanezaki to change some aspect of her performance, it would change completely, and she blew everyone else out of the water. I wanted to shout, "This is it!" Getting her to play the part was such a relief to me.

Tanezaki: I've mentioned before that in the first stage of auditions, when we were submitting tapes, the right performance hadn't come to me yet.

Endo: At the tape stage everyone submitted "cute little girl characters" voices. But the Anya in my head was never like that. She had more of a Chibi Maruko-chan voice. We asked all the actors to do different voices, and I had Mr. Lin talk to them about letting me sit in on the auditions. When I saw Ms. Tanezaki's audition, I was amazed at her range. Later, when I went to the acoustic room for a meet and greet with the cast and I got to hear Ms. Tanezaki's normal speaking voice, I was kind of relieved? I thought, "Oh, she actually created a character for the performance!"

Tanezaki: This isn't limited to Anya, but I almost never consciously create a voice for a part. It's interesting that you see that as creating a character... You could say the voices usually come naturally to me as I think about the character? I guess that's why Anya, who is so expressive, is expanding my range in so many ways.

──What are some of the Anya moments you enjoyed in the first part?

Endo: In episode 11, when Anya fantasized about being invited to Damian's house and Ms. Tanezaki mimicked Loid's, Damian's, and Donovan's voices, I thought that was hilarious.

Tanezaki: At the recording session, I asked if we could do it that way. The original plan was to have each actor perform their own role, but since it was in Anya's head, they agreed to let me try. I was so happy they used that version, and I'm relieved that you found it so funny! (laughs)

Endo: That shows your great work ethic. When I sat in on recording sessions, you were always asking if you could do retakes of your lines. I could sense your passion for the role.

Tanezaki: But in my head, I'm always thinking, "What if I propose we do it this way, and then the joke bombs?!"

Endo: That you're knowingly taking that risk and doing it anyway is what makes your attitude so great.

Tanezaki: Well, I'm able to do that because there are people who will make the final judgement for me. They're able to look at it from an objective standpoint and say what will or won't work. I'm such a big fan of the manga that I have lots of ideas, but in animation there are issues of flow, tempo, and length. If I get frustrated that there are things I can't do, I try to get away with as much as I can and be flexible when I can't.

Endo: Honestly, maybe it would be better to just have the entire show be in your voice. Like the entire narrative was a fantasy of Anya's. In the end credits it would list every character's name with "Atsumi Tanezaki" by them. (laughs) Although your workload might end up being a little much...

Tanezaki: That would certainly be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I'd be down for it! (laughs) Even if it isn't a full episode, maybe just half of one.

Endo: Another moment I liked was when Anya was dancing and singing while watching TV in episode 2. You can't hear it very well in the episode, but I had a good laugh at that in the recording session.

Tanezaki: Before we recorded that, they played the music for me from the show Anya was watching. My hope had been to have Anya humming along to it, but a little off sync. However, when they played it for me the composition was pretty complex, and instead of just being slightly off, I wasn't able to remember the tune at all! But the whole thing had been my idea, so I had to frantically try to figure out a way to do it!

──It sounds like a lot of ideas are proposed during the recording sessions.

Tanezaki: It helps that at the time we do the recording, the visuals are mostly finished. I can see how Anya is moving in the scene, which inspires new ideas. Though I don't decide what ideas get used, I try to suggest them as frequently as possible.

Endo: Manga is pretty similar in that respect. Once you start doing the art from your script or storyboards, new dialogue often comes to you. That's especially true of humor. I almost never start with a plan to have a character say some funny thing─those lines come to me once I can see the situation and flow of the scene.

I also want to call out the moment in episode 6 when Anya goes to the park and is showing people her uniform. The "This is my uniform. Ta-da!" part. You used this very flat intonation that still sounded cute. You do that in other scenes sometimes, and I love when you choose to perform it that way.

Tanezaki: When I read that scene in the manga, I thought, "I want to actually say the baan sound effect ("ta-da" in the English version) that's on the page." I really love the sound effects you use in the manga, especially the dotanko dotanko ("trot trot") when Bond is running. (laughs) And the sowawa sowawa ("fidget fidget") when Anya is waiting for Bond, and so on. I thought it would be fun to get a bit of the flavor of the manga pages into the dialogue.

Endo: Thank you for paying such close attention to these tiny details!

Tanezaki: I'm still pretty inexperienced as a voice actor, and I question myself after takes, but once the director gives me the thumbs-up, I never ask for another take unless something has gone horribly wrong. Still, sometimes I leave feeling "I wish I could do that one again..."

Endo: I'm the same way when a manga chapter doesn't come together the way I want it to. I trust my editor, Mr. Lin, and if he says it's good, then I'll think, "Yeah... all right, then I guess it's good enough." Previously I've pushed too hard to make it something that I am satisfied with, and then I fall into a rabbit hole of revisions, and it just ends up getting even worse.

Separately, I like doing little side things I can sneak into the corner of panels that have nothing to do with the main story, like when Bond ate Yor's cookies and died. Those sorts of things I frequently end up being happy with.

Tanezaki: I can be like that during recording sessions. Making anime requires lots of people to row in the same direction, but sometimes there's some aspect that's insignificant enough that you can use it to express yourself a bit.

Endo: I assume that's when the directors don't have anything specific in mind, in the cast is free to have some fun with it. I imagine you must look forward to that moment when you hear, "Ms. Tanezaki, that's perfect!"

Tanezaki: You've come to a fair amount of our sessions, and when we're in that situation and a performance gets the thumbs-up, there is such a feeling of relief that not only did we get something approved, but it happened with the writer of the manga sitting there watching. I know you're a busy man, but I would love it if you could keep coming to see us record! (laughs)

──In those sessions, has Ms. Tanezaki ever had any questions for you, Mr. Endo?

Endo: I believe you asked me some questions when you were recording the admissions interview part of episode 4?

Tanezaki: It was about the scene where Anya cries, "Ma...ma..." I wanted to know how clearly Anya remembered her mother at that point in the story.

Endo: I don't confirm most things one way or the other and leave it to the cast's imaginations. If there's something that doesn't feel right to me, I convey that to the sound director.

Characters, Lines, and... Sounds?

──Ms. Tanezaki, what are some of your favorite things about Anya from the manga?

Tanezaki: I love it when Anya messes up the pronunciation of words, but I also love it in episode 4 when they're heading to the interview and she says "I have a booger I gotta pick!" (laughs)

Endo: What a completely ridiculous line. (laughs)

Tanezaki: But being able to say that line made me so happy, along with Loid's response of "Absolutely not!" Also, I love stuff like that haughty expression she had after she won her stella star. In terms of chapters, I liked when they made the griffins in art class (Mission 25). That has the same place in my heart as the Eden Academy admission chapters.

Endo: (Loid voice actor Takuya) Eguchi cited that same chapter as one of his favorites, and for my part, I just have to say... why? That's certainly not one of the ones that I was satisfied with. (Although admittedly, there are very few chapters that meet that standard.)

Tanezaki: There are lots of reasons! My favorite character, Mr. Henderson, has lots of funny monologues. Then there was their appraisal of the griffin child─I laughed so hard I thought I might die. There were some good sound effects too, like Anya imagining the griffin flying with a shugoo sound ("pshoo" in the English version). You have such a great ear for onomatopoeia.

Endo: I see sound effects as another opportunity for humor and choose them accordingly. Hiroyuki Nishimori, a manga creator I deeply respect, always uses onomatopoeia to such cute and funny effect that I use his work as a reference. The dokinko dokinko sound effect comes straight from his work, I believe.

Changing the subject a little here, when I wrote a recent chapter about Anya and Henderson in the manga (Mission 64), in my own head I heard Ms. Tanezaki and (Henry Henderson voice actor Kazuhiro) Yamaji doing the voices for the characters. That was quite the new experience for me.

Tanezaki: When I read that chapter, I immediately thought, "I'll get to work with Mr. Yamaji again!" (laughs) But nothing makes me happier than hearing that my voice plays in the head of the creator of the original manga. Thank you!

──What other impressions has the manga left on you recently?

Tanezaki: I always love the Bond-centric chapters, but I especially liked the chapter that featured Franky and Bond (Short Mission 8).

Endo: I made that Short Mission after the arc about Loid's past left me an emotional wreck. I just wanted to do something that wouldn't cause me a lot of mental or physical strain.

Tanezaki: I did wonder if writing that sort of thing would be hard on the person writing it...

Endo: It was. Having to think about serious issues for a long time always has considerable repercussions for me. And then there was the timing of that arc, considering what was going on in the world. And finally, there was simply the physical toll that my schedule had been taking on me.

Tanezaki: And just as you were becoming exhausted, your readers were also thinking, "Boy, am I ready for some comedy again." And that's when the Fluff-and-Scruff type of stories tend to hit, isn't it?

Endo: On a production level, I do consider those opinions as much as I can. When I see comments saying, "We haven't seen much of Anya lately," I factor that into my thinking. I also try to have a good balance of stories in the collected volumes.

Tanezaki: So you consciously create the great balance found in Spy x Family!

Great Talents Clash

Tanezaki: During a Spy x Family promotional TV appearance, the cast members portraying the three Forgers all drew pictures, but I couldn't draw a bold piece of artwork like Mr. Eguchi and (Yor actress Saori) Hayami could, so I drew a bunch of extra lines to make it look like I knew what I was doing. When you sketch, do you have a clear idea of what lines you need to draw from the start?

Endo: By manga artist standards, I am not too confident in my art and draw a bunch of lines to compensate. I just draw a lot and then trace the right lines with a pen.

Tanezaki: I'm afraid to commit to any lines. But as an amateur who doesn't understand the fundamentals of art, I guess I'm free to do whatever I want but afraid to at the same time. (laughs)

Endo: The image people have of talented artists is that they use fewer lines. Animators truly do know how to make clear figures with a minimal number of lines. Mr. Eguchi and Ms. Hayami's lines may be bold, but I believe that's because they're bold at heart. (laughs)

Tanezaki: That's so true! I'll never beat them! I'm embarrassed to be so timid in comparison. That's why I want that drawing segment abolished immediately.

Endo: No, that part's always so entertaining. I want them to keep doing it!

Tanezaki: Harsh... (laughs) Fine, do you have any advice so I can at least look a little more competent? Like, "If you just draw this, you'll be fine."

Endo: If there really was a trick like that, every manga artist would use it! (laughs) Those two are just in a different league from you, so you have no choice but to go in a different direction.

Tanezaki: So stop trying to win on impact and win on completion instead...

Great Expectations

Endo: By the way, were the questions you asked on your radio show solicited from the listeners?

Tanezaki: No, I guess I figured it was too important to hand off like that. A broadcast writer wrote me an interviewer's guide that was the most polite document I'd ever read in my life. But I was so phenomenally bad at keeping the program moving forward that I wasted all of our time, and I deeply regret it.

Endo: I know I said it before, but I still maintain that that's one of the charms of your program. I like the informal vibe.

Tanezaki: When I was interviewing you, I felt so many things I couldn't put into words. It was so frustrating.

──What did your listeners think of the interview?

Tanezaki: I did get a lot of emails from listeners who were trying to cheer me up (laughs) Things like "You don't need to feel so bad about how that went!" and "I enjoyed learning things I didn't know about Mr. Endo!"

Endo: At the end of your radio programs, you always say you have regrets. Is that because you want to have regrets? (laughs)

Tanezaki: I think it's more that when I'm left to my own devices, I automatically start regretting things. So I figured I might as well make that a show segment.

Endo: And the way you let us hear it is so funny. It's like you're fading out on a high note. (laughs)

──Do you think that Anya is the sort of character who regrets things the way Ms. Tanezaki does?

Endo: No, absolutely not. (laughs) Every now and then she apologizes to Loid about something, but that's probably just her way of getting out of the situation. Even after she gets a tonitrus bolt, she immediately forgets all about it. I guess kids are like that.

Tanezaki: Did you do any research about how to write child characters?

Endo: Not especially, no. You know how you build a vague impression of children from watching TV? I just draw from that. I wonder if you do the same thing when you're portraying children.

Tanezaki: Yeah... When there's children on the train or something, I certainly try to pay close attention to how they talk.

──May I ask you each for one final message for our readers?

Endo: Ms. Tanezaki's portrayal has been fantastic from the start. She had so many hilarious unused takes that I hope they compile them all for a special feature someday. I hope you'll all continue watching! I'm certainly looking forward to hearing them record it.

Tanezaki: I enjoy everything about the Spy x Family manga, right down to the sound effects! Please continue to entertain us as you always have, Mr. Endo. I promise we'll continue doing our best to express it in animation. Thank you very much!

SPY×FAMILY x VIVANT Interview with Tatsuya Endo and Katsumaru Enkaku

• Note that the following interview was mostly translated using Google Translate.
• Only half of the interview appears to be available online.

Tatsuya Endo, the author of the smash hit manga SPY×FAMILY, portrays spies. Katsumaru Enkaku maintained public order in Japan as a spy hunter during his time in the public security police. This is a fantastic conversation between two men who are well versed in spies in both the fictional and real worlds.

"I don't watch many spy movies."

Katsumaru: My wife and kids are big fans of SPY×FAMILY, so I was looking forward to meeting you today. Why did you choose "spies" as your theme in the first place?

Endo: I didn't have any particular desire to write a spy story. I've always liked military-like things and have been interested in war-related things, and when I combined that with the theme of "lies," it naturally became a spy story. However, I haven't seen many spy movies, and I've only seen one or two of the 007 movies.

Katsumaru: Oh really! The information about the spies that appears in the story seems quite well thought out, even to me who has followed spies. How on earth did you get that information?

Endo: Mostly books. Also documentaries. There was an old movie called Shiri that depicted the battle between North Korea's special operations unit and the South Korean intelligence agency. I liked that movie.

Katsumaru: The setting in which the husband, Loid, is a spy and the wife, Yor, is an assassin reminded me of the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Endo: When the series started, I got a lot of comments about the title, but I'd never seen it before... (laughs). There wasn't much time to prepare for the series, and since it's a comedy, I didn't think I needed to get too hung up on the setting. I incorporated the knowledge I'd gained from books, but because it's a manga, I also wanted to leave in the exaggeration of "that can't possibly happen."

Katsumaru: I think the balance between realistic　depiction and entertainment value is really good. Spies blend into everyday life, and some even build "fake families" like in SPY×FAMILY. There are actually cases where a married couple lives together without realizing that the husband is a spy.

Endo: That's the balance I pay the most attention to. It's like determining what the minimum level of reality is for each scene.

A Popular Manga Artist Considers the Biggest Differences Between Manga and Anime

Katsumaru: Endo-sensei, how concerned are you about the gap between reality and manga?

Endo: That's a difficult question. It depends on the case, but in manga, there are quite a few places where I try to "fudge the reality of this place for now." If I'm working alone, I don't have enough time to research everything. But in anime, I have to create detailed settings, so there isn't much "room" to fudge. When the animation team asks me, "What's going on here?", I often have to say, "Sorry, I haven't thought about it..." (laughs).

Katsumaru: Have you not decided on the setting or time period in detail?

Endo: The time period is set in the 1960s to 1970s. I'm trying to figure out what the technology is and what it might be. I'm also trying to make it more realistic. The Cold War is part of the motif, but if I just tell readers that it's an ideological conflict, they won't get it. So I've made it easy to understand as a manga. There are some things I'm ignorant about. In the same way, for example, spies in the real world probably don't have many connections with each other, right? For security reasons. But as a manga, I have to draw conversations between spies to develop the story. It's a comedy, so it wouldn't work without conversations. It's difficult to find the right balance.

Katsumaru: I thought it was unique that the name "Dalc" sounded similar to the name of the German currency, the "Mark."

Endo: I combined "mark" and "dollar." I often parody the names of places and buildings that actually exist. However, I have a really bad memory, so I often find myself asking myself later, "Where did I get that place name from?" (laughs).

Katsumaru: Is there any historical research by experts or supervision from intelligence agencies?

Endo: I basically come up with all of those little details all by myself.

Katsumaru: Because the realistic aspects are so well constructed, I assumed that experts in international politics would be involved in the supervision of the project.

Endo: There are some readers who read too deeply into the historical situation, but I didn't think about it that deeply when I wrote it. I just said that "Westalis and Ostania" are just fictional countries.

What's so Great About the World's Most Powerful Intelligence Agency, the CIA?

Katsumaru: In SPY×FAMILY, there are Russian-speaking names like "Anya" and "Yuri," but spies over there use quite analog methods. For example, there's "flash contact," where documents are handed over the moment two people pass each other, or "dead drop," where a document is hidden in an agreed upon location and a colleague goes to pick it up later. These are extremely inefficient methods, but they can be deemed highly secure in the sense that they prevent wiretapping.

Endo: So it's still so analog even today! Indeed, now that technology has advanced and everything has been digitized, perhaps it's actually safer. There are organizations overseas such as MI6 (British Secret Intelligence Service) and the CIA (American Central Intelligence Agency), and there are organizations in Japan with similar characteristics, aren't there?

Katsumaru: The Metropolitan Police Department Public Security Bureau Foreign Affairs Division (Public Security) where I worked is responsible for Japan's counterintelligence. In the case of VIVANT, which I supervised, it is the role played by Hiroshi Abe and Ryo Ryusei. We recruit people who have a lot of information and people who are in a position to meet various people, such as reporters, as collaborators.

However, the problem is that there aren't enough people. The CIA has a lot of subordinates under the branch chief, and they have a generous budget. When I was seconded to a Japanese embassy overseas, I was alone, had a limited budget, and was also in charge of issuing passports, so there's no doubt that overseas intelligence agencies have an environment where they can concentrate on their missions.

Endo: Do ​​you ever hire local people overseas?

Katsumaru: Sometimes we pay local people to take action. Or we ask them to connect us with people who have information. The skill of the public security authorities is shown in finding and nurturing people who can bring in quality information and do good work.

How to Deal with "Feelings that cannot be put into words"

Endo: My lifestyle is a complete mess, so I sometimes go for walks in the middle of the night or early in the morning to refresh myself. I'm sure an expert like you might think I'm a bit suspicious (laughs).

Katsumaru: That's a possibility (laughs).

Endo: I try to be conscious of walking around so as not to look suspicious, but are you able to spot people who are trying to hide their true colors like that, Katsumaru-san?

Katsumaru: Yes, it might feel unnatural. For example, thieves or stalkers aren't walking around a place just to get around, they're walking with a specific purpose. They might be visiting the area to scout out a location or following someone, so it can feel a bit strange. If I see an unfamiliar face twice in a short space of time, I always make sure to take note of it. There's a kind of "suspiciousness" that's hard to put into words.

Endo: So memory is also important after all?

Katsumaru: Memory is also important.

Endo: If it were me, I would probably just think, "Oh, that's someone I passed by the other day," and I don't think I'd go so far as to think that he was suspicious.

Katsumaru: I imagine that in your work, Endo-sensei, there are probably a lot of these "sensations that cannot be put into words." What do you think?

Endo: When I'm drawing, especially when I'm drawing people, I often think, "Something's not right." But I don't know what it is, and no matter how much I fix it, it just doesn't work. When that happens, I feel really uncomfortable. Usually it's a buildup of small discomforts, like "the position of the eyes is off by 1 mm."

Katsumaru-san Was Astonished by the Accurate Depiction of the Spy

Katsumaru: In SPY×FAMILY, there was a scene where the main character, Loid, felt gazes on him as he went to take the interview for Eden Academy (the prestigious school where Anya, Loid's daughter, attends), and realized that he was being watched by the examiners before the interview even began. I know that feeling well because I had a similar experience when I was in the public security department. I wondered how he came up with the idea.

Endo: So that ability actually exists (laughs)! I drew it as a purely comical bluff, though.

Katsumaru: Perhaps because spies and spy hunters undergo regular training, they feel a chill when they are seen by someone. My senior told me that if you feel that shivering sensation, you should thoroughly investigate the cause. Think and think, and even if you don't understand, keep in mind that feeling.

Endo: Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable leaving it without knowing?

Katsumaru: It's not something I keep in mind forever, but it's something I remember when I feel the same shivering sensation again. So, you won't feel that nauseating sensation of having something stuck in your teeth. If the next chill doesn't come, you'll just forget about it.

Currently, my main job is as a security consultant, and I give lectures to people from companies and government ministries who are sent overseas. What I often tell them is to have a broad perspective when they leave home every day. In fact, if you consciously try to have a broad perspective, you will be able to feel a sense of discomfort, even if you don't get a chill down your spine. The same goes for the general public.

Endo: I can't do that sort of thing, but speaking of something feeling out of place, when I look at the backgrounds that the staff have drawn, I can tell at a glance that the vanishing point of the perspective is off. However, just because the vanishing point is correct doesn't mean the sense of incongruity will disappear. This depends on experience and intuition, but it's quite difficult to put it into words and convey it to others.

Which is Harder to Draw: Characters or Backgrounds?

Katsumaru: I think that in the creative field there are feelings that are hard to put into words. Being able to sense what I call "shivers" also depends on what you're born with. For example, when it comes to driving a car, some people quickly become good at it, while others remain bad at it no matter how much they drive. It's the same thing.

Endo: Indeed, as I mentioned earlier, there are people who can grasp perspective intuitively and those who cannot.

Katsumaru: In your case, Endo-sensei, I think you had that instinct from the very beginning.

Endo: I wonder... in my case, I think a lot of it has to do with accumulated experience.

Katsumaru: Is there anything you do on a daily basis to hone that kind of sense?

Endo: I guess the only way to create art is to just pile up the pictures. Not only your hands but your eyes too can be trained. When it comes to backgrounds, I can draw them fairly logically so I rarely get lost, but characters are the most difficult. There is no right answer, so if you try to redraw it until you are satisfied with it, you often get stuck in a rut and can't get out. I think it's because my senses (my eyes) are so sharp that my hands can't keep up. I think this is something that happens to many artists (laughs).

The Main Character, Loid, is a Good-Looking Man, but...

Endo: Based on your experience, what kind of person do you think is "suitable to be a spy"?

Katsumaru: There are examples of "people who don't leave a lasting impression." Someone who isn't exceptionally good-looking, extremely tall, or overweight is suited to this job. It's a job where you can't stand out.

Endo: I see. In the case of manga, it's entertainment, so my editor tells me to "make the characters handsome" (laughs).

Katsumaru: I'm worried that people will be disappointed when they see the real thing (laughs). In terms of personality, I'd say "someone with emotional stability." Public security work is very monotonous and mundane. Most of the time is spent on tailing and staking out. I joined the foreign affairs police because I admired the glamorous world of spies in "007," but...I often thought, "Is it really this mundane?" (laughs). So, I think the biggest thing is whether you have the "patience to endure without complaining."

Endo: In manga, there are times when characters are depicted in flashy clothing or actions that draw attention. The main character, Lloyd, has his organization's badge on his chest (laughs). It's like a leaker walking around in clothes.

Katsumaru: In the drama VIVANT that I supervised, the director said, "I want the scenes of the public security to be realistic and have fewer dull elements," so the job of the public security is very dull. As a supervisor, I tried to point out only the directing that was too far from reality. To begin with, Hiroshi Abe and Ryo Ryusei were played by handsome people who definitely did not belong to the public security.

Why I Don't Want to be a Spy

Katsumaru: I thought that Endo-sensei, a manga artist, is good at concentrating on the same thing over and over again. I think he would be quite suited to playing a spy.

Endo: No, but... my emotions aren't stable (laughs).

Katsumaru: On the sleeve of the cover of volume 3 (woven into the inside) you wrote, "Spying is an occupation where you're only recognized when you fail—I couldn't handle that. I'm the type that wants to be lavished with praise!"

Endo: That's right (laughs). Is it true that your work doesn't get recognized for its merits?

Katsumaru: Ordinary police officers are recognized with an "award" if they solve a heinous crime such as murder. However, in the public security police, we are taught by our seniors not to talk about our achievements, and we are unlikely to be praised even if we succeed in our mission. In that sense, the job is suited to those who can calmly move on to the next mission once one mission is completed.

Endo: How can we achieve this? Do we need feelings similar to patriotism, of doing things for the public good?

Katsumaru: I call it "healthy patriotism." That also motivates me.

Endo: I see. Does salary also motivate you? I can't imagine what the salary situation is like in the public security industry.

Katsumaru: As we are civil servants, we basically do the same as other uniformed police officers. However, we do receive overtime pay, which is what is called overtime pay in the private sector. This is because we are on stakeouts from morning until night and tracking people all over the country, so our working hours are enormous.

Endo: I'm just as good when it comes to overtime (laughs). I'm mostly working except when I'm sleeping.

Katsumaru: I hope these interviews will be a nice way to relax...

Endo: It's like research for my future work, so it's basically work (laughs). But it's a lot of fun.

The Joy of Chasing Spies

Endo: Working in the public security sector seems to require a lot of patience, but looking back on it, what was it like?

Katsumaru: It was fun. You can't do a job like chasing spies while working for a company (laughs). Most people can see spies in movies, but only a few people can actually chase them. I felt joy in doing something that other people can't do.

Endo: It might be rude to put it this way, but the public security police are somewhat like a game of tag.

Katsumaru: That's right. There, between those who had undergone training, it was like a game of "fox and raccoon" tricking each other, and every day I was enthusiastic, thinking "I'm going to expose them." It wasn't a matter of winning or losing, but it felt like a competition. Endo-san, you are an active manga artist. Do you enjoy your work?

Endo: To be honest, there are many hard times when I'm drawing. It's fun when we're discussing the direction during meetings and making progress on drawing out the story, but working on the manuscript is really hard. Since COVID-19, the staff has also switched to working from home, and now I'm drawing alone in silence, so it's even harder. The only thing that keeps me going is the feedback I receive from readers after publication.

"After supervising VIVANT, I received a message saying: "I want to join a different group"

Katsumaru: I have experience as both a spy and a spy hunter, and I think that SPY×FAMILY has some very realistic depictions. There's a scene where Loid gets shot from behind, and even though he's disguised, you can tell right away by the way he walks.

Endo: So that ability actually exists!

Katsumaru: No matter how much someone disguises themselves, there are always certain "habits" like walking with their right shoulder slightly lowered, so I make sure to thoroughly memorize those physical characteristics. Also, things like the shape of the ears don't change, so I input those as well. There are also characteristics about the way the shoes wear down.

Endo: That kind of realistic observational ability is a great reference for my work, even though mine is completely fictional.

Katsumaru: So when I saw the work, I got the impression that it was very well thought out. I'm surprised that it was written based on imagination. I understand that the work was not supervised by professional spies, but conversely, were you contacted by anyone from an intelligence agency?

Endo: No, I haven't (laughs). Katsumaru-san was my first.

Katsumaru: After supervising VIVANT, I received a call from someone saying: "I want to join the 'Bekkaban' (a secret organization that is said to exist in secret within the Self-Defense Forces), what should I do?" (laughs).

Endo: I'm curious about the recruiting story. I was surprised when I saw MI6 publicly recruiting personnel in the past. How do the Public Security Bureau, which is responsible for Japan's intelligence, recruit people?

Katsumaru: We directly recruit talented people from overseas. MI6 and the CIA also openly recruit, but through university professors who are also collaborators, they receive information that "there are some very talented students at our university right now." They are able to gather together some incredible talent by using a greenfield approach. In comparison, all members of Japan's public security are civil servants employed by the police forces of the 47 prefectures as police officers. Although they are selected members, it cannot be denied that it is difficult to gather outstanding talent as in foreign intelligence agencies.

Endo: So there really are students who engage in espionage activities. In this day and age when social media is commonplace, I wonder if information like "This is the kind of work I'm doing right now" will leak out (laughs).

Katsumaru: I think they do look at those qualities when hiring people (laughs). Also, the world of espionage is quite analog, so that kind of mistake might be less likely to happen.

Endo: Even with all the advances in technology, HUMINT (a person obtaining information face-to-face, either by disguising their identity and asking for information from an enemy force or someone close to them, or by openly revealing their identity) still remains. Speaking of analog technology, how do you "tail" someone in the real world?

Katsumaru: When you hear the word "tailing," don't you imagine following someone? Professional tailing actually involves having a few accomplices walk in front of the target, because the target is always watching their back. I think you'll feel relieved when the person behind you stops following you, but at that time the person in front will intentionally let themselves be overtaken by the target, and then they'll have to "tail" again. There is also a limit to the number of people, so we use various methods to chase them.

Endo: You'll be like, "Oh, I've seen this person again."

Katsumaru: We are very careful about that. So, sometimes we add players from other teams on a "loan transfer". I mentioned earlier that we memorize physical characteristics, but there is a chance that the other team is doing the same thing.

Endo: When they're tailing someone, are there any particular characteristics in the way a spy moves?

Katsumaru: Spies never neglect "disinfection" and "inspection." For example, if they are meeting an informant at 6 p.m., they leave the embassy at 3 or 4 p.m. and move around to various places before going to meet them. This is "disinfection" to throw off pursuers, and "inspection" to make sure no one is following them. The key is to do everything naturally; if they stop somewhere for too long, it will make them suspicious and arouse their wariness.

Endo: Is it possible to tell that someone is inspecting something?

The Strange Behavior of a Spy at JR Otsuka Station

Katsumaru: I know what you mean. I wrote about it in my book, but there was a spy at JR Otsuka Station who got on the very back car, got off immediately, walked to the end of the platform, and then tried to board an incoming train, stopping it...

Endo: It's obviously suspicious (laughs). If you don't change your behavior patterns frequently, I think spy hunters will see right through you.

Katsumaru: I don't tend to pigeonhole people into a uniform pattern. However, when I look closely, I can see that "this person has this kind of habit." For example, they're the type who wants to quickly jump on to the train, or tend to walk on the side.

Endo: Once a person has a personality, it becomes a bit like a cartoon. Like Smith the Jumper or Johnny on the Edge (laughs). How long does it take to see a person's tendencies?

Katsumaru: After watching for about three months, you start to see trends. For example, they're the "station inspection type." Their preferences start to become apparent, like taking the Chuo Line to Suginami or Ogikubo, pretending to be in nature, and then wandering around before coming home.

SPY x FAMILY CODE: White Film Files Tatsuya Endo x Takuya Eguchi Special Conversation

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External Links

• The Making of a Jump Manga: Interview with Editor Shihei Lin
• AnimeNachrichten Interview with Tatsuya Endo
• Million Tag Interview with Tatsuya Endo and Shihei Lin
• SPY×FAMILY Manga Editor Shihei Lin
• DIAMOND ONLINE Interview