Interviews in 2016

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This page lists interviews in 2016.

1 Gosho Aoyama X Yomuri Giants' Hayato Sakamoto
2 CimemaToday Movie 20 interview
3 Animedia Interview
4 Asahi Newspaper Interview
5 Gosho Singapore visit Interview
6 Akai and Amuro Secret Files Voice Actors Interview
7 20th Anniversary DVD collection guidebook interviews
8 Complete Color Works Interview
9 20 Year Cinema Guide interviews
10 References

Gosho Aoyama X Yomuri Giants' Hayato Sakamoto

Date: March 16, 2016
Published in: Shonen Sunday #16

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Raw:

Special Post March 2016, Aoyama Gosho Interview.

Gosho Aoyama and Hayato Sakamoto Cross-Talk
Creator of Detective Conan and The Yomiuri Giants' Captain.

Why is it you became a fan of Sakamoto's, Mr. Aoyama?
Aoyama: Well, I've been a fan since he was first drafted. At that time, I was very pleased with the scout Omori, and I had wondered what sort of player he would bring in. I thought "well, he's a little thin, but he looks like he can hit." (laughs) I had a good feeling about him when watching him play. He really stands out from the crowd! I've been a fan since then. Today's the first time we've met, and I couldn't believe it was really him. (laughs) It felt like is was still looking at a TV. Sorry. (laughs)

Mr. Sakamoto, today's the first time you've met, so what's your first impression of Mr. Aoyama?
Sakamoto: My first impression? Just "this is the guy who draws Conan!" (laughs) I'm a big fan of manga and I've got an autograph I received before in the locker room. I'm gonna put the picture I got today there too.

What do you think about the role Sakamoto played in last year's season
Aoyama: While I was in the hospital they didn't have Nippon TV G+ so I only got to see highlights on the news, and that was difficult. (laughs) Also, I hadn't realized Sakamoto was batting cleanup. That surprised me when I noticed.
Sakamoto: It was my first year as captain of the Giants, so I'm getting a lot of new experiences. It was my first time batting 4th as well. My record wasn't that good, but all in all it was a good year.

You're both professionals in your respective fields, so you must encounter some real difficulties.
Aoyama: Well, first, I really worried about whether I could draw a serialized comic. I felt like I wouldn't have any more ideas after 3 months. The first year or two was really difficult. (laughs)
Sakamoto: For me, it's that we've got a game every day. That's physically tiring of course, but also you have to play in front of forty thousand people, and that's very mentally exhausting. How many hours do you usually spend drawing manga?
Aoyama: When I'm in production, I only sleep about 3 hours a night.
Sakamoto: And the rest of the time you're drawing manga?
Aoyama: Or watching the Giants. (laughs)
Sakamoto: Thank you very much. (laughs) I've gotta be able to run around so sleep's very important. I get about 7 or 8 hours. So, you don't get any time off?
Aoyama: Time off? No, no!

How about right after you've finished the manuscript
Aoyama: Ah, that's when I'll watch the Giants game they've won. On nights they've won, it gets broadcast on Nippon TV G+. So, I'll record it and watch it later to refresh myself. (laughs) Sakamoto: Haha! You really do like the Giants don't you!?
Aoyama: I've been a fan since the Nagashima days. (Shigeo Nagashima: coach of the Giants from 1972 - 1980, and 1993 - 2001) How do you feel about the change of coaches?
Sakamoto: It's my first experience with that. It feels fresh and exciting.
Aoyama: Can I say this? For me personally, I want Sakamoto to be batting third. Then I want you to get .300 average with 30 homers...then once you do that, please make an appearance in Conan!! Also, I want you to go a year without injuries.
Sakamoto: A .300 Avg. and 30 home runs! Since you're expecting it I'll do it. Then we'll aim toward winning the Japan Series. After I do that you put me in Conan? (laughs)
Aoyama: Definitely! (laughs) I'll be supporting you with all my might this year!!　

CimemaToday Movie 20 interview

Date: April 14, 2016

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Source: https://www.cinematoday.jp/page/A0004961

Raw:

記念すべき20作目となった劇場版『名探偵コナン　純黒の悪夢（ナイトメア）』では、原作漫画のストーリーの根幹となる「黒ずくめの組織」とコナンたちの対決が描かれる。またその構図にFBI（米連邦捜査局）や日本の公安警察も絡み合い、漫画の重要キャラクターが一堂に介することに……。さまざまなエピソードについて原作者の青山剛昌に話を聞いた。（編集部・井本早紀）

◆劇場版20周年を迎えて

Q：アニメと劇場版が20周年を迎えました。今のお気持ちは？

「もう20年!?」という感じがします（笑）。よくここまで続いたなと思いますね。週刊連載についてもここまで続くとは思っていなかったです。まあ、やりたいことはどんどん増えていくんですけれども（笑）。

Q：映画でFBIと公安と「黒ずくめの組織」の対決が実現するなんて思ってもいませんでした。

それは今回の映画の一番の見せ場でもありますしね。「これをやろう！」と思って作っていますから。なかなか、漫画だとアクションシーンはコマを多くとってしまうので、表現しきれない部分があるんです。（FBI捜査官の）赤井秀一と（公安所属の）安室透の対決は今作でやりたかった部分なので、彼らを映画ならではの場所で戦わせてやろうと思いまして（笑）。この対決シーンは、ぜひファンの方に見ていただきたいですね。

Q：アニメや劇場版のスタッフに先生からこういうことをやりたいとアイデアを持ち込むことはあるのでしょうか？

割と毎年そうですよ。こういうことをやろうと。特別に「この作品だけは」とお願いするのではなく、毎回そうなんです。漫画じゃやりづらいところとかね。爆発させたり大規模なアクションを漫画で描いてしまうと、アシスタントを泣かせることになるので（笑）。映画だからできることをしようとは思っています。

Q：ということは今回「黒ずくめの組織」を登場させたのも先生のアイデアなのでしょうか？

劇場版第20弾で「黒ずくめの組織」を出すきっかけは、プロデューサーに言われたから（笑）。でも、かなり気合入れてやりました。原案段階から、たくさんアイデア出していますよ。

◆原案・脚本・原画・画（え）コンテ……毎回総監修を務めている『コナン』シリーズ

Q:今回も先生は原画に携わっているということですが……

そうですね。今回は赤井も安室も描きましたよ。もう一人、意外な人物も原画で描いているので、ぜひ映画館で探してみてください（笑）。

Q：また原画以外にも監修もされていらっしゃるとか。

ええ、脚本も画（え）コンテも全てチェックしています。特に今回の話は「黒ずくめの組織」が登場しますし。設定と違ったことをやられてしまうと困るので。アニメのスタッフとは原案段階から常に相談していますよ。それに監督やアニメスタッフのプロデューサーの方たちには、「黒ずくめ」のボスの正体を共有しているんです。「黒ずくめ」のお話を作る上で、そこは話しておかないとわからないと思いますので（笑）。

Q：ラストの蘭の言葉にはグッときました。あの言葉は青山先生が？

もちろんです！　最初はあのセリフはなかったんです。脚本をチェックしたときに入れていたんですが、画コンテ時点でなくなっていて。時間が足りなくて、カットになりそうだったんです。でもあの言葉がなければならないと思い、なんとか復活させました。

Q：原案や画コンテもチェックされていらっしゃるということで、総監修という立ち位置でも間違いないですよね。

毎回『コナン』チームでは当たり前のことなので、あえて入れる必要はないから入れていないという感じなんです。原作と書かれていれば、それでいいと思うんですよね。（ほかのアニメ映画で）原作者が総監修と銘打たれているのを見ていると、俺は毎回なんだよな～と思ってしまいます（笑）。

Q：もしも先生に一から脚本を手掛けてほしいというオファーが来たらどうしますか？

やりたいとは思いますが、そうなると連載を休まなければならなくなってしまいますので……難しいですよね。もしもやれるのであれば、監督をやりたいです。怪盗キッドや「黒ずくめの組織」との対決を描いてみたいです。ちょっと考えてみようかな（笑）。

◆忙しくともミステリーものは必ずチェック！

Q：「名探偵コナン」コミックスのカバー袖でさまざまな探偵を紹介する「青山剛昌の名探偵図鑑」では、小説から映画まで多くの探偵たちが登場していますが、お忙しい中でも先生は映画やドラマもしっかり観られていますよね。

映画はかなり観ます。小説は読むのは大変ですが（笑）、映画は2時間で観られますから。ドラマもミステリーものは確実に見ています。最近ですと「臨床犯罪学者火村英生の推理」は毎週楽しみに見ていました。

Q：特に一番好きな映画作品はありますか？

『アマルフィ女神の報酬』（2009）ですね。今回ゲスト声優の天海祐希さんが出演されていらっしゃるからというわけではないのですが、すごく好きなんですよね。作業が行き詰ったときとか、何回も観ちゃいます。頭から最後まですごくいい映画なんで。セリフとかも好きで観てしまいますね。

Q：映画などをご覧になられて、実際の作品づくりに生かされている部分はあるのでしょうか？

ありますよ。前作の『名探偵コナン　業火の向日葵（ごうかのひまわり）』には、『タワーリング・インフェルノ』（1974）の要素がありますしね。第13弾の『名探偵コナン漆黒の追跡者（チェイサー）』は『ブルーサンダー』（1983）ですし。アイデアが以前に観た映画から生まれることはあります。またうまく例えると、映画のスタッフにも、「こういう感じか」と伝わりやすいので。

◆漫画のトリック裏話

Q：トリックはどのように考えているのでしょうか？

ほとんど自分と担当編集者だけで考えていますね。「最近面白い映画観た？」から始まって、何時間も仕事場で一緒に話して、案をたくさん出してから、使えそうなトリックをピックアップしています。毎回大変ですよ（笑）。

Q：打ち合わせではストーリーよりもトリックに時間を割かれる場合も多いのでは？

そうですよ。ストーリーの方が早いです。トリックはかなり時間かかっています。話を考える時間とトリックを考える時間は2：8くらいなんじゃないでしょうか。なかなか難しいので。それからトリックはできる限り実験もしているんですよ。今週刊少年サンデーに載っている話（FILE954～957）も、実はきちんと試しています（笑）。

Q：原作漫画を描かれているときに、アニメのことを意識されることも？

アニメになったときに表現しにくそうだから、こういう表現にしておこうかなということを考えたりはしますね。コマの間の動きであったり、アニメでやりづらそうなトリックの説明は、予定と変えてみたりとか……。あ、でもそんなには考えていないです（笑）。漫画は自分勝手に描いています。

Q：映画では「黒ずくめの組織」の巨大さも描かれていますが、漫画の第1話ではジンとウォッカは遊園地のジェットコースターに乗っていましたよね。こんなに大きな組織になると当初から予定されていたのでしょうか？

それはご想像にお任せします。でも、ジンがジェットコースターに乗っていたなんて、かなりレアですよね。ウォッカが券を買うところに並んで「大人2枚」って言っていたんでしょうね（笑）。

Q：小さな子から大人までファンがいる「コナン」ですが、ファンのみなさんにメッセージをお願いします。

ファンレターで、子供の時は絵がかっこよくて見ていたけれども、大人になって内容を理解して2度楽しめたという言葉をいただいたりします。なので小さい子には、わからなかったところは大人になってから見てみたりと、何度も「コナン」を楽しんでほしいですね。大人の皆さんは、どうかこれから年を重ねてもコナンを卒業しないでください。息子さんや娘さんができたら一緒に観に行ってください（笑）。

編集後記

劇場版を含め「名探偵コナン」に関することはしっかりチェックをしているという青山。作画が休みの日も映画や小説などを楽しみ、作品につながる時間の過ごし方をしているという。「もともとメッセージ性のあるものを見るのが好きなので、それが自分の作品づくりにはいいのかもしれませんね」と笑顔を見せる彼の作品への愛情が、子供から大人まで幅広いファンを惹（ひ）きつけているのかもしれない。

劇場版『名探偵コナン　純黒の悪夢（ナイトメア）』は4月16日から全国東宝系にて公開オフィシャルサイト

Q: Both anime and movies have been running for 20 years. How do you feel like?
A: "20 years already!"... That's the general feeling (laughs) I think it's surprising that it's come this far. I didn't think that the weekly magazine chapters would last this long. But I got to admit that the ammount of things I want do is steadily increasing. (laughs)

Q: You surely didn't think that a confrontation between the FBI, the PSB and the BO would become reality in the movies, did you? (NOTE: I know Amuro is not PSB but that's what's written in the interview. My hypothesis about why: the movie staff assumed Amuro was PSB and Gosho then thought of making him NPA but by then the script couldn't be rewritten)
A: And that's the main dish of this movie. It's been made with the idea of "let's do this!". In the manga it's pretty hard to properly draw an action scene so there are some aspects that it can't portray. The confrontation between Akai Shuuichi (FBI Investigator) and Amuro Tooru (PSB-affiliated) is an aspect I wanted to do in this movie, so I thought that we could have them fight in the movie (laughs). I want fans to see this confrontation scene, I really do.

Q: Does it happen that the anime and/or the movie staff come to you with an idea, with "we want do this/that"?
A: It more or less happens every year. They want to do something. It's not that they ask for this or that to be specially made for "this work (episode/movie)", it's always like this. When there are things hard to do in the manga. When I want to make things explode or draw a large-scale action in the manga then my assistants start crying (laughs). I think of doing things that can be done in a movie.

Q: Would that mean that it was your idea to make the BO appear in this movie?
A: The reason the BO come out is the because the producer told me he wanted to do that since it's the 20th movie (laughs). But they've placed a lot of energy into it, really. A lot of ideas came up at the draft stage.

Q: It'd seem that you're working on an original illustration this year as welll...
A: That's correct. I drew Akai and Amuro on this illustration as well. There's another character, someone surprising, that shows up in that illustration too, so... Try searching for that illustration in the theater (laughs).

Q: It'd seem that you're also supervising other things apart from the illustration...
A: Yes. I check the script and the storyboards as well. I'm more involved than the usual because the BO show up in this movie. I don't want trouble to pop out because the setting is wrong. The anime staff have been asking me a lot of questions ever since the drafting stage. And I shared the identity of the BO's "Boss" with the director and the producer of the anime staff. Because I think that, since they're making a story about the BO, I must explain that to them: else they wouldn't understand (laughs).

Q: Those words Ran said at the end [of the trailer] were surprising. Did you come up with them?
A: But of course I did! That line wasn't there at the beginning [of the project]. I inserted it when I went over the script but the storyboard at the time was almost finished, looked like there wouldn't be time [to fit the scene in] and it was about to be cut. But I thought those words were a must so I brought them back.

Q: If you say that supervised the draf and the storyboards then you must surely hold the post of General Supervisor, don't you?
A: It's something obvious in the "Conan" team. I feel like I don't join them because I don't see the need to join the team. I'm satisfied with writing the manga. When I see (other anime movies') manga authors being billed as General Supervisors, I end up thinking "What in the..." (laughs).

Q: What would you do if they offered you to work in building a script from the very start?
A: I think that I might do that but if I were to do that then I would have to stop working on the weekly manga chapters... It's a difficult topic. If I were to do it I'd rather prefer to be the director. I'd like to draw a confrontation with Kaito Kid or the BO. Maybe I should come up with one... (laughs).

Q: You introduce all kinds of detectives in the Conan volumes' cover sleeve, the "Aoyama Gosho Detective Encyclopedia". A lot of detectives of movies and novels show up. Despite how busy you are you do check out other movies and drama series.
A: I watch a lot of movies. It's hard to read novels (laughs) but you can see a film in 2 hours. I also check out drama series and mystery series. As of late I enjoy watching "Clinical Criminologist Himura Hideo's Deductions" every week.

Q: Is there a movie that you like a lot?
A: "Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess" (2009). I like it a lot: and it's not just because the guest voice actress acting in this movie [Movie 20] Amami Yuki - san [Silver-haired woman role] is acting on it. I watch it a lot of times when I feel blocked or without ideas. It's a very good movie, from the start to the end. I like the lines by the characters too so I rewatch it a lot.

Q: Is there some aspect of movies that you see that gets reflected when you work on your works?
A: There is. The previous movie, Movie 19 "Sunflowers of Inferno", had elements from "Towering Inferno" (1974). Movie 13 "The Raven Chaser" had elements from "Blue Sunday" (1983). There are ideas born from having seen some movie. They can be used as examples and it's easy to explain to the movie staff by saying "like that scene of that film".

Q: How do you come up with the tricks?
A: I and the editor in charge come up with most of them. We talk a lot in the workspace but our chat begins with "Have you seen anything interesting movies as of late?". We come up with a lot of ideas so we pick up the tricks that we could use. We do that everytime and it's hard (laughs).

Q: Does it happen a lot that the trick takes up more time than the story in your meetings?
A: It does happen. The story is faster. The tricks take up a lot of time. I think that the time to come up with the story is about 2 hours and the time needed for the tricks is about 8 hours more or less. It's pretty difficult. And we experiment as much as we can to see if the trick can be really used. The trick in the chapter being published in the Sunday magazine now (File 954-957) has been properly tested, truth to be told (laughs).

Q: Do you think on the anime when you draw the original manga chapters?
A: I do think that "this might be hard to express in the anime" so I express it in a certain manner. It can be the movement between the panels, or a trick explanation that might be hard to do in the anime, trying to change the schedules.... Ah. But it's not like I think a lot about it (laughs). I draw the manga in my own manner.

Q: In the movie the BO is portrayed as gigantic but Gin and Vodka are riding in an amusement park's roller coaster in the 1st chapter of the manga. Was it on your schedule from the start that the BO would become such a big thing?
A: I'll leave that up to your imagination. But it's pretty rare that Gin and Vodka were riding the roller coaster... Vodka might've made the queue to buy the tickets and ask for "2 adult tickets", I guess (laughs).

Q: "Conan" has fans that range from small kids to grown-up adults. We'd like of you to give them a message.
A: In some fan letters it was said that, when they were a kid, they found the drawings to be cool. And when they became an adult they could understand the story. So they could enjoy it twice. So, those parts that a small kid can't understand can be checked out when they become adults: and thus they can enjoy "Conan" a lot of times. Adult fans: please enjoy Conan even if you go on aging, don't graduate from it. If you have a son or a daughter... Then please go watch it together (laughs).

Animedia Interview

Date: May 10, 2016
Published in: Animedia, June issue

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Asahi Newspaper Interview

Date: July 16, 2016

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Source: https://bbs.aptx.cn/thread-296434-1-1.html

Raw:

鳥取の球児　ガンバレ

　第９８回全国高校野球選手権鳥取大会がいよいよ開幕する。厳しい練習に取り組んできた県内の野球部員たちを応援してもらおうと、「名探偵コナン」などの作品で知られる北栄町出身の漫画家、青山剛昌さんにコナンのイラスト入りメッセージ色紙を寄せてもらった。（横山翼）

　――野球好きと聞きましたが、きっかけは

　ジャイアンツの長嶋（茂雄）選手です。

　――高校野球は見ていましたか

　思い出に残っているのは、原（辰徳）選手の東海大相模と、定岡（正二）選手の鹿児島実業が戦った延長戦です。夜遅くまで試合があり、なかなか決着がつかない試合を見て、手に汗握りました。

　――高校球児が主人公の「４番サード」など野球を題材にした作品も描かれています。野球漫画のだいご味は

　ピッチャーだと、三振。バッターだと、ホームラン。カンタンやなぁ（笑）

　　　　　◇

　青山さんが挙げた東海大相模と鹿児島実の延長戦は、１９７４年の第５６回全国高校野球選手権大会・準々決勝のこと。延長十五回の死闘の末、４―５で東海大相模が敗れている。原選手は野手で、定岡選手はエースだった。

　　　　　◇

　あおやま・ごうしょう　　１９６３年、北栄町（旧大栄町）出身。日本大学芸術学部卒。８６年、「ちょっとまってて」で小学館新人コミック大賞少年部門に入選、９４年から「週刊少年サンデー」（小学館）で「名探偵コナン」の連載を開始。単行本は８９巻まで刊行され、世界２１の国と地域で翻訳、出版されている。テレビアニメなどにもなり、映画は今年公開の「名探偵コナン　純黒の悪夢」で２０作目。ほかに「まじっく快斗」「ＹＡＩＢＡ」などの作品がある。

Translated by: Startold ^[1]

Good luck Tottori team!

The 98th National High School Baseball Tournament is finally going to start. In order to give some support to the Tottori baseball club members who have been training hard for this competition, Goushou Aoyama, a manga artist from Hokuei-cho who works on the Detective Conan series, gave us an interview as well as a drawing.

Q: I heard that you like baseball. What made you like it? A: (Shigeo) Nagashima, of the Giants.

Q: Did you watch high-school baseball when you were in high-school? A: I have vivid memories of the extended game with (Tatsunori) Hara of Toukai University and (Shouji) Sadaoka from Kagoshima Jitsugyou. The game lasted until late at night, I was seeing that the game was going to be hard to settle, my hands were sweating.

Q: A high-school base-ball player was also the protagonist of your short story Third Base Fourth. What was the best part of writing it? A: When it's the pitcher, it's a strike out, when it's the batter, it's a home run. It's easy to write! (laughs)

◇

The game Aoyama-san mention was the Toukai University vs. Kagoshima game of the quarterfinals of the 56th National High School Baseball Tournament, 1974. After 15 extension times, Toukai University lost 4 to 5. Hara was a fielder and Sadaoka was an ace.

◇

Goushou Aoyama. Born in 1963 in Hokuei-cho (former Daiei-cho). He graduated from the Nippon University College of Art. In 1986, he won the Shogakukan Newcomer Award given by Shogakukan, and started serializing "Detective Conan" in the Weekly Shounen Sunday" beginning from 1994. The series consists of 89 volumes to date, translated and published in 21 countries around the world. It also became TV show, and the 20th movie, Pure Black Nightmare", will be released this year. Besides Conan, Aoyama has drawn Magic Kaito and Yaiba.

Gosho Singapore visit Interview

Date: November 12-13, 2016
Held at: Singapore Writers Festival, Singapore

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Source:
Q & A Slide Show:
Audio only: https://clyp.it/mwoiwshx
Video: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Note: Missing some content]
[Attempt at transcript of audio, stops at 19:23 of 57:52]

Q & A Session: [Part 1] [Part 2] (Not scripted here)

Two Comic Icons: Gosho Aoyama meets Sonny Liew: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

Post Movie screening Q & A: [Part 1] [Part 2]

Q & A Slide Show
Slide: Creating Detective Conan: The Life and Works of Gosho Aoyama

Program Director: So, a warm welcome to Singapore Writers Festival 2016, organized by the National Arts Council. Before the Start of this event we will like to thank our key venue and program partner the Arts House for their generous support. Thank you very much. So, we would like to, uh, start with the (inaudible, name of translator)

Translator: Ah, yes, good evening. I’d like to get started. (inaudible) Excuse me for those. Welcome to the panel Creating Detective Conan: The Life and Works of Gosho Aoyama. I’d very much like to thank you all for coming this year and we can (?rate?) this today. Let’s welcome the creator of Detective Conan, Gosho Aoyama.

(Loud Claps)

Translator: Ah, my name is (inaudible, don’t want to screw up name) the translator for this session. I will talk in Japanese with Aoyama-sensei today and show the question in English (inaudible) the answer of Mr. Aoyama will translate it in English. Then, the first question:

Translator:(Japanese question)
Slide: How do you like Singapore? Is this the first time to come Singapore for you?
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
(laughs)
Translator: So, Singapore equals (inaudible) to Aoyama-sensei
(more laughs)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: And (inaudible) of course.

Slide: Aoyama Gosho Manga Factory in Tottori Prefecture
Translator: Mr. Aoyama (inaudible) in Tottori Prefecture, have a museum called Aoyama Gosho Manga Factory. Which you can enjoy, if you choose (inaudible). And the comics Conan has been translated in 21 countries and regions. You can also see these comics in this museum, if you have the chance to come visit there.
Slide: (various pictures inside museum)

Translator: (Japanese question)
Slide: What kind of child were you? Have you been creating Manga since then?
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, when he was a child he was somehow the character was like Mitsuhiko than Conan, so he was like naughty kid.
(laughs)

Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, he was drawing manga since he was very young.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Slide: What Manga did you like when you were young?
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, uh, he was a big fan of Mr. Chiba Tetsuya’s “Ore wa Tepei” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore_wa_Teppei). That was his favorite manga when he was young.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Slide: Where you also a fan of mystery novels?
Gosho: (Japanese answer) Sherlock Holmes
(loud cheers)
Translator: So his favorite novel was Sherlock Holmes, and he really loved the (inaudible) series. (Japanese question about Sherlock Holmes)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)

Slide: I heard that when you were in primary school, you have wrote (……..not readable……….) for private detective stories? Is this true?
Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, uh, when he was in Primary school, he really did determine himself to write a manga, create a manga about private detective stories, but at the time the character of Conan was not in his head yet.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Slide: This is about the dualism exemplified in Conan as a character. How did you come up with the idea of creating a single character that embodies such dualism?
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, he actually had this idea of the character (inaudible) character from (inaudible) Mikeneko Holmes which is by Akagawa Jirou (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jir%C5%8D_Akagawa#Calico_Cat_Holmes)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So in that story, Mikeneko, which is a cat, a multicolored cat, who is a detective, a cat is a detective.
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So in the story, the cat being a detective was a quite cute setting, so he thought of Conan the character.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Slide: I suppose you may have been inspired by Ranman ½? The transformation in Ranma ½ is a gender shift while Detective Conan is an age shift. Can you please elaborate on this?
(loud laughs)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: He was not inspired by Ranma 1/2.

Translator: (Japanese question about Soccer)
Slide: What made you decide Shinichi Kudo as a boy who is good at football?
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: The reason is quite simple, because in that period when Conan started its series that J-league, the football team in Japan was a really big trend, so that’s why he thought of making that setting of Shinichi being good at football.
Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: Shinichi, he is really good at sports, but not at music. Why is it so, because Mr. Aoyama said he is not a good singer.
(loud laughs)

Translator: (Japanese question)
Slide: I heard when you just started Conan, you didn’t expect this series to be very long since it is a mystery. Why did you think this although you are a mystery fan?
[Note: Video 1 cuts out here so we are missing a few of the question slides]
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: He predicted that a reader wouldn’t read a manga with so many words because for Aoyama-sensei, if he was a reader, he thought it would be a bit to tiring if there were a lot of words in manga.
Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: He was surprised how Conan series was very very popular from the very first volume of the book. So since, for the first book, he thought of a long setting, story setting.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So Mr. Gosho Aoyama asked so the Black Organization setting was slowly changed through the series in the long term, but Aoyama-sensei actually had the idea for the setting from the beginning. (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So every time he talked with the editors for long long hours

Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: He always gives homework to the editors to think of the ideas for the tricks and actually sometimes there is the tricks can not be used. (inaudible) can not be used in the comics. Sometimes in the long time they have reflect to the ideas in the past and they use it for new comics
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So both Aoyama-sensei and the editor actually brief together especially when they have to read the mystery novel or mystery movies that they most recently to have new ideas.
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So they get a lot of clues from the movies a lot.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: Sometimes the briefing takes up to 12 hours. Just by writing the Name, which is a rough setting. He took three days just to think of the plot. And drawing five days. So it actually doesn’t finish within a week.

Translator: (Japanese question about tricks and gimmicks)
(loud laughs)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So he really likes the gimmick. Which is like the (inaudible). So it’s easier to understand for kids and is more exciting. He does experience by himself whether it really works.
Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So he takes turn of the story, so once the gimmick is inside the locked room, the next time is different gimmick.
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So when there is actually a real murder which happen in real life, he would not try to do that.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: In the London Series, Shinichi tells actually how he feels about Ran (inaudible)

Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So when his favorite time, so the time when Akai-san was alive.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: He doesn’t target any of the (inaudible)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: He doesn’t even really children, he doesn’t target adults, he just target everyone
(loud laughs)

Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: He doesn’t really think of what kind (inaudible) just when he likes it.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, Sonoko was actually appearing as a detective in quite many episodes, but recently Sera-chan has appeared so she’s not becoming a detective anymore so much.

Translator: (Japanese question)
(loud laughing over question)
[Note: Video 2 starts here]
Slide: Until the 30th volume, Ran was always suspecting that Conan was actually Shinichi. Was there any possibilities to let Ran know the truth?
Translator: Actually Aoyama-sensei thought why does Ran never actually realize that Conan is Shinichi?
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, He still thinks it’s more fun, it’s more exciting that Ran doesn’t know about the truth, so he just continue like this.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Slide: Not only Dr. Agasa, but Hattori Heiji also knows that Conan is Shinichi. Why did you come up with this setting?
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, Hattori knows about what, who Conan is actually the truth but why is it so is the question? It’s the same for Ran, because it’s more fun.
(loud laughs)

Translator: (Japanese question)
Slide: You say that Conan series not only murder mystery but also love story. How come there are couples who knows each other since young?
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: Since it’s a love, a love comedy, uh, it’s better to have couples that they know each other since very young.
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So it’s easier for, uh, readers to remind what happened in the past, uh, when they know each other since very very young, for the couples.
Translator: (Japanese question)
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: It’s not fun if people know of who the character is then what kind of fact there is behind the character. He just follows what is fun.

Translator: (Japanese question)
Slide: How much do you take a role for the anime series?
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, he’s a lot of, he’s really really related to the movie series
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: So, he really really put a lot of ideas for himself into the latest movie The Darkest Nightmare.
Gosho: (Japanese answer)
Translator: He does stuff, wanted to stuff related into the movie because he says a lot

TWO COMIC ICONS AND POST MOVIE INTERVIEW

Q1: You are admired as a mangaka but what do you think about it?
A: Well… I’m not conscious of it.

Q2: What do you think you are for everyone out there?
A: Well… I wonder about that. I’m Conan’s creator… Hum… I really don’t know. I’m always shut in my room and working.

Q3: Is mangaka very lonely job?
A: It’s very lonely.

Q4: Have you met any young mangaka who admire you and got inspired by you to become mangaka?
A: I haven’t. (Audience laughs). There are fan letters that say “I admire you, I want to become a mangaka”

Q5: You said you’re not conscious of it but do you feel any pressure from the admiration many place into you?
A: I don’t. I don’t feel anything like that. (Replies at once)

Q6: You’re very popular so… Do you have any bodyguards?
A: Yeah! A bodyguard was assigned to me when I went to Germany!

Q7: When you work on the stories… Do you take into mind what kind of stories could be popular or what the readers would like to read?
A: Hum… I don’t… think much about it. I prioritize what I want to draw. If I try to figure out what the readers like I’ll most likely end up guessing wrong.
(Someone: Really! Have you had that experience before?)

Q8: You said you receive tons of fan-letters but do you write answers to them?
A: Japan has “New Year’s cards” and I always write my replies in those.

Q9: Do you read opinions about Conan on the Internet? What do you when you find a comment that criticizes Conan?
A: Yeah. I check them out. If there’s a comment that criticizes Conan then I don’t come back to that website.
(Audience laughs)

Q10: Conan is being loved across the world, not only Japan. But did you predict it’d end up like this? It’d seem it’s also pretty popular in Western countries as well, did you know?
A: I didn’t expect that. On the contrary, I thought nobody would take it seriously.

Q11: We’re now at Volume 90 but when did you start thinking that “this is working”?
A: Ever since Volume 1… (laughs). (Sorry for not being humble!)

Q12: How do you manage time when you’re busy?
A: When working on the key frames… Then I only sleep 3 hours a day

Q13: How much time do you work like that?
A: 5 days.

Q14: You don’t rest on weekends or holidays?
A: I don’t make a distinction

Q15: So you spend 5 days to make 1 file?
A: Wrong. The key frames take 5 days. Drawing the file takes 3 days.

Q16: Do you have a studio at home?
A: Yes, my home is my studio.

Q17: You don’t have any pressure regarding deadlines?
A: I don’t. Edits made when busy are bad! (laughs)

Q18: Have you ever missed a deadline?
A: I haven’t! (Replies at once)

Q19: What do you think it’ll become of manga and anime in the future?
A: Well, I’m wondering that too. I don’t think much will change… As long as they’re popular… I haven’t taken that into consideration when writing the manga

Q20: Which has more readers in Japan? Digital manga or printed manga?
A: Hum… I wonder about that. Digital seems to be in the rise, though.

Q21: Do you have any assistants? And are they young mangakas?
A: I’ve got 6 assistants. They’re colleagues from the college manga club. They’re all… pretty old. But a young girl joined us. She’s the only one who looks lively… (laughs)

Q22: Do you have any mangaka you admire?
A: Tetsuya Chiba. And Mitsuru Adachi too.

Q23: I’ve been a fan of Conan since elementary school (no won my 30s). Will Conan end before I die?
A: Do your best to live on.

Q24: Is there any prediction on when will Conan end?
A: It’s a secret!

Q25: Conan is popular but can you tell about your other works?
A: Huh? What? What? Ah… I drew Yaiba a long time ago. Because I did kendo in the past. Kaito Kid as well… I don’t know what I could explain about it… I like Arsense Lupin a lot so I put that passion into Kid’s character

Q26: You said that drawing manga is a lonely thing and that you stay in your room and only sleep 3 hours, but how do you manage to stay healthy?
A: I’m not healthy. (Audience laughs). No, no, no! You shouldn’t laugh at that!

Q27: Conan is very popular and goes on but, do you have any ideas of any series you want to continue once Conan ends?
A: I haven’t thought of any.

Q28: Why is it that Vermouth and Sharon and mother and daughter?
A: Ah… Is it OK to say that? Hmmm… Look forward to it.

Q29: There’s a manga about mangakas named “Bakuman”, but do think that its story is correct or realistic?
A: I saw the anime. That’s a lie. That doesn’t happen in real life. Doesn’t. There’s a lot of things… most of them… that aren’t real. The authors said they did like that to make it interesting. Real life is more sober than that.

Q30: Have you considered any fellow mangaka a rival to compete against, or have you been irritated by any?
A: (laughs). That hasn’t happened… In my case, though. I’m a sloth myself so I myself am my greatest rival.

Q31: Do you have any plans to draw a manga showing a mangaka’s real lifestyle?
A: (laughs again). I don’t.

Q32: In “Bakuman”… You can see the relationship between the mangaka and the editor, but how is the relationship between you and your editor?
A: Nothing like the one in the manga. The editor might be a different company, even. Conan is one of the main manga in the Shonen Jump of Shogakukan. I think that the Sunday mangaka who saw Bakuman thought “that’s not true!”.

Q33: Apart from manga… Do you believe that works explaining a mangaka’s lifestyle are close to the real stuff?
A: Yeah. What was it? “Overprintable”. That was pretty real. It was made into a TV drama too.

Q34: Your clothes make me recall Akai Shuuichi but… why?
A: HUH? * laughs * … No way… Well, I came cosplaying as Akai. (laughs).

Q35: When you write the stories… Amongst the DBs, Kaito Kid, the BO, Heiji Hattori and others… Is there a type of story you enjoy a lot when you write it?
A: Kaito Kid is fun and the BO is exciting.

Q36: How about those cases when Heiji and Shinichi solve a mystery together?
A: Well, I enjoy them too. They’re fun.

Q37: Is there any important lesson or message you want to transmit through the manga?
A: I’ve been saying this for some time but… Boys are cool and girls are cute.

Q38: A lot of songs are used in the anime and it got popular. Do they ask for your opinion when the songs are chosen? What is your favorite main song?
A: They only asked me the first time. That was the only time I told them my opinion… There a lot of songs so… Choose by yourself. My favorite one is the very first song “mune no dokidoki”.
Questioner: “My favorite is Garnet Crow’s ”Wasurezaki”…” (ED 20)
Aoyama: “Huh? Wasurezaki? Huh? I don’t recognize the name. (Audience laughs). Garnet Crown? Ah… I like Garnet Crow.

Q39: You’re a Gundam fan, right? Akai got his name from Char, and Amuro is from Rei Amuro. Are there other works that influence Conan apart from Gundam?
A: Are there…? Apart from Gundam? What could it be…? I can’t think of any. Sorry.

Q40: I believe that, in Japan, mangakas and editors are very close and create a manga together, but how much do they influence and how do they collaborate in balancing things?
A: We might spend meandering about 12 hours to come up with a trick. Once we decide on the story then we don’t discuss editing.

Q41: Have you heard of any real-life policeman or private detective inspired by Conan who’s solved any real-life cases?
A: I haven’t! (Audience laughs). But I heard about someone who, imitating Conan, jumped into a river to jump someone who was drowning.

Q42: You draw murders as a mangaka, but have you thought about someone possibly using the story or a trick in real life to cause a case?
A: Fortunately enough no-one has insofar caused any cases in which they imitate Conan. But if there was a real-life case like that I promise I won’t draw a story that resembles it.

Q43: Are there any cases in Japan of a manga being qualified as not being too good?
A: Hmmm… Are there? Both children and adults read a lot of manga nowadays. Time ago it was children only. That’s why my parents were against me becoming a mangaka. They said it’d end up being no good.

Post Movie screening Q & A

Q1: The Darkest Nightmare is the 20th movie. The manga has 90 volumes. (Conan’s popularity) increases by the year but why do you think it’s so popular?
A: Well… What can I say…? I work hard on the manga but the movies have also been working hard since their beginnings. And thus popularity has gradually spread… I believe that maybe that’s what makes it popular.

Q2: Apart from the script, do you get involved in some other aspect of the movies?
A: Well, I draw key frames and help fix the storyboards

Q3: You can see Singapore in the staff roll, right? Why is that?
A: It’s not like I decided THAT… (laughs). Guess they choose there because we don’t have a big, huge Ferris wheel here.

Q4: Will Singapore show up as a location in Conan’s story?
A: I have a tentative plan do that

Q5: When will that be?
A: Hmmm… When…? Hmm… Within a year’s time? I don’t know.”

Q6: In the manga? Or in a movie?
A: In the manga. It’ll eventually be adapted into the anime.

Q7: Regarding characters’ designs… For example, Conan’s bow tie. How did you get the idea for that?
A: That’s… “Shichi – go – san”… There’s a traditional Japanese event called “shichi – go – san”. Boys wear like that. I wore like that when I had my “shichi – go – san”.

Q8: Where do your ideas for many cases, tricks and episodes come from?
A: Well… From a lot of places. I see interesting movies, read interesting novels, and come up with interesting ideas.

Q9: Do you get inspiration from real-life cases?
A: No, I don’t.

Q10: You’ve just answered that you don’t want them to resemble real-life cases but… You make your cases in a way that the “fiction” aspect prevails in them?
A: Yes, I do. If I use a real-life case someone might feel annoyed at that, after all.

Q11: Conan is supposed to be an elementary school student. But there are a lot of dark aspects in the series. What kind of readers do you have in mind when you work on the cases?
A: Well… I don’t have any specific kinds. I aim for every kind.

Q12: Some readers have grown and become adults ever since the series began, right? Have you felt the need to change the story to take in mind the growth of the readers?Post Movie screening Q & A:
A: I haven’t. Kids are very smart, and when I write a childish story some say “this is for kids” and they look down on it

Q13: Do you also get ideas from children close to you?
A: I don’t have any children close to me. (laughs)

Q14: So you come up with everything using your imagination?
A: Correct. Sometimes using my experiences as a kid.

Q15: I guess most people are interested on it yet… Do you have an idea of how will Conan’s end be like?
A: I have it, of course

Q16: How much time will it take to get to that resolution?
A: That’s a secret.

Q17: If Conan goes back to Shinichi would the story continue as the life of the high-school student Shinichi?
A: Well… I haven’t really given it a thought yet. But that could be interesting to do.

Q18: Kogoro has 2 disciples, no? Do Amuro and Wakita know each other?
A: Huh? Why do you think that? Ah… There are a lot of things involved there. Look forward to them.

Q19: Why did Curacao die? Why did she have to die?
A: Ah… Curacao? Hmmm… That was sad, yeah. But, well… Hmmm… I think that even if she’d lived on she wouldn’t have an easy life. I’m sorry (public laughs)

Q20: Do you feel pressured by the level of popularity? Like, when popularity is high do you feel that you want to keep on? Or that when a new volume is less popular than the one before you feel troubled?
A: No, I don’t. I don’t feel that at all.

Q21: Is there something specific you do to relax?
A: Nope… Ah. Well. I like baseball so I watch baseball.

Q22: Will Conan alone defeat the BO? What about Akai and Amuro?
A: Akai and Amuro will be needed, of course! (laughs). I think that things may happen as you imagine.

Q23: There are a lot of mangakas who have cameo appearances in some movies: do you intend to make a cameo appearance in a movie?
A: * laughs *… No, I’m too shy to do that. I was once asked to do a cameo appearance but I refused the offer.

Q24: What’s your favorite female character of the manga?
A: Well… That’d be Ran – chan. Is that OK?

Q25: What are the key elements (those things you consider important) when it comes to making a Conan movie?
A: Hmm… They’re always different. For this year’s one I thought of involving the BO…

Q26: When you draw the manga you take the movies and anime into consideration?
A: Well, I do

Q27: You’ve been keeping that in mind ever since you began serialization?
A: Nope. When I began serializing it there wasn’t an anime so I didn’t think of those. I didn’t think such a small manga would have an anime.

Q28: Did you use yourself as basis for creating Kudo Yuusaku? Because he can be smarter than Conan
A: Nope, I’m not that smart. If I’m forced to say who was the basis that’d be Mycroft from the Sherlock Holmes novels.

Q29: Will Eisuke Hondo make a comeback?
A: Say… (laughs)… Do you really want him back? Well… I might give it some thought

Q30: What motivated you to become a mangaka and what motivated you to create Conan?
A: I liked mystery stories. The reason I became a mangaka was because I was good at drawing. I also liked coming up with stories ever since I was a kid so I thought of drawing a story I’d come up with.

Q31: Does that mean that you were popular amongst your classmates?
A: Nope, I was only slightly popular (laughs)

Q32: There are lot of double-faces (NOCs) infiltrating the BO. How can they infiltrate SO easily? The BO doesn’t check their backgrounds?
A: You’re right. It’s very mysterious indeed. (laughs).

Q33: Kichiemon Samizu appears in Conan. You don’t intend to make a spin-off about him?
A: A spin-off? Ah… True… That could be interesting. He’s a very useful character.

Q34: You fulfilled your childhood dream of becoming a mangaka, right? Is there a next dream or dreams you want to fulfill?
A: Other dreams? Ah… I’d like to be director even if it’s a one-timer experience

Q35: Director of a Conan movie?
A: Indeed.

Q36: A live-action Conan film?
A: Ah… That would be neat.

Q37: What actors would you like to have in the casting?
A: Do you mean Conan’ actor? Hum… That’s a hard question. Hmmm…

Q38: What would happen if the story was written from Shinichi’s Pov?
A: Huh? But the story is Shinichi’s PoV to begin with. Ah. Do you mean if he hadn’t become Conan? If that’d been the case the series wouldn’t be this popular. (laughs)

Q39: Do you have any advice for people aspiring to become mangaka?
A: Hmmm… Let’s see… What should I say…? If you want to be mangaka then I think it’d be better for you to go to upper college, if possible. Why, you ask? Because you must be able to think of a good story. That’s what mangakas must do.

Q40: Will Dr. Araide appear once again? Did you wholly forget him?
A: Ah… Dr. Araide, huh… Until you asked me about him I’d forgotten about him.

Q41: Will a Conan videogame come out?
A: I think that there are already Conan videogames. There are several in Japan. But I don’t know if they’re as popular as Pokémon GO, though.

Q42: Did you parents support you in any manner when you decided to become a mangaka?
A: They didn’t support me. They were against the idea. But now they’re very thankful of my decision.

Q43: When did they thank you?
A: When I began to gain money from my activity. (laughs)

Q44: Are there people who you invited into the world of manga?
A: There’s a senior from college who’s become a mangaka. That would be it.

Q45: Will Lupin meet Conan again?
A: Ah… I’ve heard people talk about that here and there

Q46: Which is your favorite (Conan) movie?
A: Hum… This year’s movie, I think…? It was good, wasn’t it? Of course it was… Hmmm… I think that, as you can see, it was impressive and cool. Because I added a lot of corrections. (Laughs)

Q47: In the Phantom of Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes is depicted as Kudo Yuusaku instead of Conan. Is there a reason for that that (Why’ that)?
A: That way it gets more interesting, doesn’t it?

Q48: How much time were involved with the movie?
A: About a whole year. Maybe a year and a half. We’re doing the meetings about the next year’s movie already.

Q49: Do you have plans of doing a collaboration with other characters of other stories like Harry Potter? (Have you actually approached their makers?)
A: * laughs * . Well… I wonder about that. Conan would be surprised if an owl landed on his arm. Well. If they actually happened I think they could be interesting to see.