Interviews/2024

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From Gosho Aoyama To All Readers - DC 30th Anniversary

Date: January 10th, 2024
Published in: Weekly Shonen Sunday Issue 7/2024

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• 

  Magazine Cover

• 

  A Message From Aoyama-Sensei

名探偵コナン連載30周年

青山剛昌先生より読者の皆様へ

どーも青山です!
オレが30歳の時に始めた作品が
この度、30周年を迎えました!
・・・って事は･･･

オレの人生の半分がコナンです.
(笑)

ここまでついて来てくれたファンの皆さんへの 感謝を込めて、色々な企画を用意してるので おっ楽しみに~♪

Translation edited by: Manvel

Detective Conan – 30th Anniversary of Serialization

From Gosho Aoyama to all readers

Hi, Aoyama here!
The series I started when I was 30 years old
has now reached its 30th anniversary!
…which means…

Half of my life has been Conan.
(lol)

To show my gratitude to all the fans who have stayed with me until now, we’ve prepared all sorts of projects— so please look forward to them~♪

1100 Chapters Comemorative Q&A

Date: October 2022; April 10, 2024
Published in: Twitter; republished in Detective Conan Volume 105

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Raw Images

Raw:

Raw Text and Translation: Questions & Answers
Source: https://x.com/conan_file?s=21 And search the page using this hashtag: #剛昌に聞け

Q: 景光と零は喧嘩しますか？
A:くだらないことで、喧嘩してそう！すぐ仲直りするけどね（笑）

Q: Do Hiromitsu and Rei fight?
A: They probably fight over silly things! But they make up right away (lol)

Q:ウォッカはジンのどこを一番尊敬してますか？
A: 全部！！(笑)。
ジンが言ってた事を、後で復唱してそう(笑)

Q: What does Vodka respect most about Gin?
A: Everything!! (lol).
He probably repeats what Gin says later on (lol).

Q: 零と景光、松田と萩原はそれぞれ中高大も一緒なのでしょうか？
A:大学は萩原と松田、ヒロと安室が一緒！伊達は別の所かなぁ？

Q: Did Rei and Hiromitsu, and Matsuda and Hagiwara all attend the same middle school, high school, and university?
A: In university, Hagiwara and Matsuda, and Hiro and Amuro were together! Date was probably at a different place?

Q:名探偵コナンといえば張り巡らされた伏線！というイメージですが、 どの伏線を張ったか、回収したか、というのはメモとかで残している のでしょうか…？
A: コミックスにバリバリ付箋が貼ってある(笑)

Q: Detective Conan is known for being full of intricately woven foreshadowing! Do you keep records, like memos, of which foreshadowing you’ve set up and which ones you’ve resolved?
A: The manga volumes are covered with sticky notes! (laughs)

Q: 英理は37で蘭が17ってことは英理は20で蘭を産んだことになりますが、 英理は蘭を身ごもった状態で大学に通っていたのですか？
A: たしかに…(笑)

Q: Eri is 37 and Ran is 17, which means Eri gave birth to Ran at 20.
Does that mean Eri was attending university while pregnant with Ran?
A: That’s true... (laughs)

Q: 安室さんはコーヒーは微糖派ですか？ブラック派ですか？
A: ミルク入り砂糖抜きですね(笑)

Q: Does Amuro like his coffee mildly sweetened or black?
A: He takes it with milk but no sugar (laughs).

Q: ライ、バーボン、スコッチが行動を共にしていた瞬間がありますが、雰囲気は緊迫していたのでしょうか？
A:バーボンだけが勝手に緊迫してる（笑) スコッチとライは仲良さそうだけど、バーボンはライの事をいけすかないヤツだと思ってた！

Q: There was a moment when Ray, Bourbon, and Scotch were working together — was the atmosphere tense?
A: Only Bourbon was tense on his own (laughs).
Scotch and Ray seemed to get along well, but Bourbon thought Ray was an insufferable guy!

Q: 零が高明と会う時に緊張していたのはなぜでしょうか？
A:ヒロから色々聞いてて、言われることわざ分かるかなぁ…って（笑）

Q: Why was Rei nervous when meeting Taka’aki?
A: He had heard a lot about him from Hiro, and was like, Will I even understand the proverbs he’s going to say (laughs)

Q: 景光はどれくらいの頻度で高明に電話してたのでしょうか？
A: 1ヶ月に1回ぐらいかなぁ。あんまり電話すると、ことわざで怒られる（笑）

Q: How often did Hiromitsu call Taka’aki?
A: About once a month, I guess. If he called too often, he'd get scolded with a proverb (laughs)

Q: 萩原姉弟は神奈川県出身ですか？仮に神奈川県出身だとしたら 松田も神奈川県出身なのでしょうか？
A: 東京と神奈川の境目なんじゃないかなぁ(笑)

Q: Are the Hagiwara siblings from Kanagawa Prefecture? If they are, would that mean Matsuda is also from Kanagawa?
A: I think they’re probably from around the Tokyo and Kanagawa border (laughs)

Q:蘭ちゃんが前田さんに憧れたのは6年前とのことなので、空手を習い出したのは小学校高学年からですか？ それとも中学校に入って部活で始めたのですか？
A: 小学生高学年から習い始めた！

Q: Ran-chan said that she first admired Maeda-san six years ago, so did you start learning karate in the upper grades of elementary school? Or did you start as part of a club when you entered junior high school?
A: she started learning in the upper grades of elementary school!

Q: 瑛祐くんは元気にやってますか？
A: やってます！

Q: Is Eisuke-kun doing well?
A: He is doing well!

Q: 数多いる警察官の中から風見が降谷さんの部下に抜擢された経緯、理由ってこの先描かれますか？知りたいです…！
A: 偶然というか運命ですね(笑)

Q: Among the many police officers, will the reason and circumstances behind Kazami being chosen as Furuya-san's subordinate be depicted in the future? I'd really like to know…!
A: It was coincidence or rather fate (laughs)

Q: 京極さんと園子は普段どんなデートをしてるんですか？
A: なかなか会えないから、みんなが知ってる数ぐらいしかデートしてないと思うよ。電話はしてるけどね(笑)

Q: What kind of dates do Kyogoku-san and Sonoko usually go on?
A: Since they rarely get to see each other, I think they've only gone on as many dates as everyone knows about. They do talk on the phone though (laughs)

Q: 一緒にお酒を飲みたいコナンキャラは誰ですか？☺️
A: 小五郎(笑)

Q: Which Conan character would you like to have a drink with? ☺️
A: Kogoro (laughs)

Q: 青山先生が蘭ちゃんの手料理で食べたいものは何でしょうか？
A: カレー♪(笑)

Q: What dish would Aoyama-sensei like to eat from Ran-chan’s home cooking?
A: Curry ♪ (laughs)

Q: 千速に松田はいつ告白したんですか? また、千速は松田に好かれてると気づいてたんですか？それとも告白された?
A: いつというか、事あるごとに「付き合ってくれよ」と言ってた。何回もフラレてると思う(笑)

Q: When did Matsuda confess to Chihaya?
Also, did Chihaya realize that Matsuda liked her, or was she actually confessed to?
A: Rather than a specific time, he would say “Go out with me” whenever he had the chance. I think he got rejected many times (laughs)

Q: 佐藤刑事が乗っているRX-7のグローブBOXの内側に、松田刑事が書いた落書きがある…なんてことありません？（笑）
A: それ面白いね(笑)

Q: Is there any chance that inside the glove box of the RX-7 that Detective Sato drives, there’s a graffiti drawn by Detective Matsuda? (laughs)
A: That’s funny (laughs)

Q: ハロ嫁で佐藤刑事が「松田は警視庁に配属されてから泊まり込みで事件のことを捜査をしていた」と話していましたが、その間ちゃんとお風呂に入っていたんでしょうか？
A: 入ってなさそう(笑)

Q: In the Halloween Bride movie, Detective Sato mentioned that Matsuda stayed overnight at the station to investigate a case after being assigned to the MPD. During that time, was he properly taking baths?
A: Doesn’t seem like it (laughs)

Q: 新一と蘭ちゃんは時々電話をしてると思うのですが、最新のお電話内容を教えてください
A: 「元気？」「ちゃんと食べてる？」とか当たり障りのないことを話すけど、二人とも照れて核心に触れようとしない(笑)

Q: I assume Shinichi and Ran-chan talk on the phone from time to time, but could you tell us what their most recent phone conversation was about?
A: They talk about harmless things like “How are you?” or “Are you eating well?”, but both of them get shy and avoid getting to the heart of the matter (laughs)

Q: 以前雑誌のインタビューで伏線は後付けが多いと仰っていたと思いますが、 逆にこれは最初から考えてた！という伏線を教えてください！
A: 後付けもあるけど、だいたい最初から考えてるよ(笑)

Q: In a previous magazine interview, I believe you mentioned that many of the foreshadowed elements were added later.
On the flip side, could you tell us about some foreshadowing that you had planned from the beginning?
A: While there are some added later, I actually plan most of them from the start (laughs)

Q: 怪盗キッドが「どーもあの手の顔には弱くってね…」と言っていますが、蘭ちゃんと青子ちゃんのお顔は実際どのくらい似ていますか? 中森警部は蘭ちゃんと対面しても反応してなかったので
A:「すげー似てるけど、胸の大きさがぜんぜん違う(笑)」

Q: Kaitou Kid says "Somehow, I’m weak against that kind of face..." but just how much do Ran-chan and Aoko-chan actually look alike?
Even Inspector Nakamori didn’t react when he met Ran-chan.
A: "They look really similar, but their chest sizes are totally different (lol)."

Q: ベルモットがわざわざ口移しでメアリー母さんに薬を飲ませるという英断な行動を取った理由が知りたいです!
A: メアリーの虚を突きたかった！

Q: I want to know why Vermouth went out of her way to give the drug to Mary-mother mouth-to-mouth—it was such a bold move!
A: She wanted to catch Mary off guard!

Q: 蘭ちゃんは料理が超・下手な英理さんの娘なのになぜあんなに料理上手 なんですか？ 誰かに教わったりしたのでしょうか？
A: 英理が下手だから自分ががんばんなきゃと思って、いろいろ勉強した！(笑)

Q: Ran-chan is the daughter of Eri-san, who's super bad at cooking, so why is she so good at it?
Did someone teach her?
A: Because Eri was so bad at it, Ran thought she had to step up and do her best, so she studied a lot! (lol)

Q: 諸伏高明さんと景光さんではどちらが身長高いですか？
A: 高明！ 高っていう字が入ってるし(笑)

Q: Between Hiromitsu Morofushi and Takaaki Morofushi, who is taller?
A: Takaaki! His name even has the character for "tall" (高) in it! (lol)

Q: 青山先生は刑事ドラマや刑事映画観る時に犯人すぐにわかりますか？
A: わりと分かるかな？

Q: Aoyama-sensei, do you figure out who the culprit is right away when you watch detective dramas or movies?
A: I think I can usually tell?

Q: マスタングはウィンカーが日本車と逆ですが、赤井さんが沖矢昴としてスバル360を運転している時、ウィンカーと間違えたことはありますか？
A: あるかも…誰か同乗してたら「いやワイパーがちゃんと起動するかどうか確かめたんだ」と言ってると思う(笑)

Q: The Mustang’s turn signal is on the opposite side compared to Japanese cars, but has Akai ever accidentally used the wrong one while driving the Subaru 360 as Subaru Okiya?
A: Maybe… If someone was riding with him, I think he’d say, “Nah, I was just checking if the wipers work properly” (lol).

Q: 青山先生が最近ハマっている事は何ですか？
A: 『トップガン マーヴェリック』が面白かった！(笑)

Q: Aoyama-sensei, what have you been into lately?
A: “Top Gun: Maverick” was really fun! (lol)

Translation edited by: Manvel
Image Translation

Gosho Aoyama Documentary 2024

Date: April 28, 2024
Published in: NHK General

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Source: The full video is translated into English. Video
For more information, please visit this Page

1983 Romantic Comedy Youth Interview

Date: July 25, 2024
Published in: 1983 “Romantic Comedy Youth” — Shonen Sunday’s Bookshelf

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Source:
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Raw:

Translation edited by: Manvel

Interview with Gosho Aoyama

Page 316
1983 Romantic Comedy Youth – Shonen Sunday

[Illustration, title lettering]
Gosho Aoyama – (Minami, Lum, Romantic Comedy Youth)
Rumiko Takahashi – (Kotatsu Neko, “of 1983”)
Mitsuru Adachi – (Punch, Shonen Sunday)

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Gõsho Aoyama 青山剛昌

Being a manga artist is an amazing profession. It’s been fun ever since I was a rookie, and even now I still think, [It’s incredibly lucky ♪] that I get paid just for drawing pictures.

Born on June 21, 1963. From Tottori Prefecture. Gemini. Blood type B. Debuted in 1986. Has many notable works. His motto is “Nowhere and everywhere” (Shinshutsu-kibotsu). Likes: “The Giants, curry rice, Shigeo Nagashima.” Dislikes: “Natto, raisins, soba.” Currently serializing Detective Conan in Shonen Sunday.

Interview date: January 19, 2024 Interview location: Gosho Aoyama’s studio

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Hey, your drawing’s gotten worse!” — The one and only time I ever cut corners in my art
Q: From here on, we bring you a special feature spanning the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras. In 2009 (Heisei 21), we asked Rumiko Takahashi the question: “If you could say one thing to yourself in 1983 (Showa 58), what would it be?
Aoyama: I see. So that was a question looking back on the time when Adachi-sensei was drawing Touch and Takahashi-sensei was working on Urusei Yatsura, right?
Q: Exactly. So we’d like to ask you the same question, Aoyama-san. If you could say one thing to yourself in 1983, what words would you choose?
Aoyama: Eh—!? Well, I was still a university student back then. But yeah, I guess I’d say… [Detective manga are tough, so don’t do it!]
Q: Hahahahaha

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Aoyama: I’m joking, of course. (laughs)
Q: For you, Aoyama-san, what kind of impression did Weekly Shonen Sunday have in 1983?
Aoyama: Romantic comedy
Q: It was an immediate answer
Aoyama: No, when it comes to Sunday, it’s definitely Romantic comedies. I’d always been more of a Weekly Shonen Magazine kid, but there was one time I bought Sunday. I really liked the idol Momoko Kikuchi (see note 1), and she happened to appear in a Sunday gravure feature. That issue had Touch as the opening color pages. At the time, Minami was about to compete in the Kanto Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament, and there was this scene where she was changing clothes in the clubroom while sulking and saying, “Hmph, whatever…” I remember thinking, “She’s so cute ♡” (laughs). I’d already read all of Touch in the collected volumes before that, but that was the first time I actually bought Sunday, the magazine where it was serialized.
Q: Aoyama-san’s serialization debut was in 1987. His first serialized work was Magic Kaito in Weekly Shonen Sunday. At that time, what was the most important thing for you when it came to creating manga?

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Aoyama: Is that the same question you asked the other two as well?
Q: That was the question we asked Takahashi-san. She said that although it was a very busy period for her, with other work overlapping her weekly serialization of Urusei Yatsura, “my theme at the time was never to cut corners. I want to believe I never compromised on the storyboards (names)…”
Aoyama: Ah, that’s the same for me. In my case, it’s not just about the storyboards — it includes the art as well. “Never cutting corners” has always been something I’ve truly valued. Actually, there was one time I did cut corners, and an editor noticed… or rather, he pointed it out to me. He said, “Hey, your drawing’s gotten worse.” At that time, I was doing an irregular serialization of Magic Kaito in Sunday while also drawing another manga called Detective George’s Mini-Mini Operations, so I really was busy and short on time. Because of that, there was one chapter where I kind of rushed through the drawings. But when that person pointed it out to me, I thought, “That’s not good!” From then on, I decided that no matter how much time it took, I’d draw properly and never cut corners again.

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Q: Over your 35 years as a manga artist, if you had to choose the best single chapter you’ve ever drawn, which one would it be?
Aoyama: The Detective Conan story “Shinichi BOY (Part 1).”
Q: That was an immediate answer.
Aoyama: I completed it after being hospitalized. It’s a connected story with “Ran GIRL,” which was published just before it, and together they depict the episode of when Shinichi and Ran first met—each from their own point of view. As I talked about in detail in my 30th Anniversary Book (see note 2), I was inspired by the works of author Saeko Himuro (see note 3), and I had always wanted to try creating a linked story like that someday. But what I felt when I was in the hospital was the realization that maybe I’d never be able to draw manga again. So I thought, if that’s the case, I at least want to leave behind this story. That’s why, even if I’m asked from now on, “What’s your best episode?” I think I’ll always choose this one. That’s how satisfied I am with it. I also received a lot of feedback from readers. Since I had been on a long break at the time, maybe they had really been looking forward to its release— someone even posted online, saying, “I read it as if I were opening a treasure chest.” That made me truly happy.

Page 322
Q: That’s such a wonderful comment. But actually, since it seems your choice for “best episode” hasn’t changed since then, we prepared another question for you. So—what would be your second-best episode?
Aoyama: Eh——!? Maybe the Detective Conan one set at Kiyomizu Temple (see note 4). That’s the story where I finally, you know… gave Shinichi and Ran some sort of resolution. Including the setting, everything just came together really well. I actually went on location beforehand to do some research, but Kiyomizu Temple happened to be under renovation at the time, so I thought, “Oh no, this could be a problem.” Still, I gathered tons of photo books and reference materials from the internet and used them while drawing. The readers’ reactions to that one were really great too. I got lots of letters praising the episode.

Gosho Aoyama’s Romantic Comedy Theory — A Seven-Year-Late Apology to Kōki Mitani?
Q: Both your first and second choices were Romantic comedy episodes. What do you find to be the appeal and the difficulty of drawing Romantic comedies?

Page 323
Aoyama: The fun part is seeing the readers’ reactions. Even while I’m drawing, I’m eager to know what they’ll think, so I always feel like, “I can’t wait for everyone to see this!” That’s why, when I get responses like the ones for “Shinichi BOY (Part 1),” it makes me genuinely happy and motivates me a lot. The difficult part is my age. (laughs) Since I’m getting older, I sometimes worry—“The things I find interesting… do people today still find them interesting too?” It’s not exactly about matching the times, but that kind of uncertainty is always there.
Q: In your 30th Anniversary Book, you said: “(If I don’t stay in tune with the times, I’ll fall behind.) That fear is always with me.” You also said, “That’s why I try to incorporate new things; when I watch Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu (We Married as a Job!) or Your Name., and feel ‘This is great!’—and see that many people out there feel the same way—it gives me a bit of relief.”
Aoyama: Yes, yes, exactly. But there’s actually something from that time I’d like to correct.
Q: Oh? What is it?
Aoyama: About Kōki Mitani! In that book, I talked about the Taiga drama Sanadamaru, which had a script written by Mitani-san. I really loved that drama, so I said, “That was incredible—”

Page 324
Aoyama: I said back then that it was “so incredibly entertaining!” and that “in terms of portraying human drama — from the dramatic elements to the gags and everything in between — it was amazing.” But I also added, “If I had to say one thing, maybe Romantic comedies aren’t his strong point?” — just speculating about Mitani-san’s strengths and weaknesses. I’d like to retract that statement about “maybe he’s not good at Romantic comedies.” Because the 2022 Taiga drama Kamakura-dono no 13-nin (The 13 Lords of the Shogun), for which Mitani-san wrote the script, had absolutely wonderful Romantic comedy elements. It was incredibly entertaining — so much so that I take back what I said! (laughs) The Romantic comedy parts were brilliant; it was far from being a weak point — I was like, “I stand corrected!” I laughed out loud so many times. That scene with “the woman and the mushrooms” (note 5), which had a perfect payoff in the final episode, was just masterful.
Q: Understood. We’ll make sure to publish that correction properly. Aside from that, are there any recent Romantic comedy works you’ve particularly enjoyed?
Aoyama: “Ishiko and Haneo: You Sue People for That!?” (note 6) was a truly wonderful Romantic comedy. At first, I thought it would just be a typical lawyer drama, but it turned out to be a pure Romantic comedy. Of course, the legal storylines were interesting too, but the conversations between the two main characters — played by Tomoya Nakamura and Kasumi Arimura — were absolutely exquisite. When I’m working on rough sketches for my manga, I often think back to my favorite scenes from shows I’ve watched before…

Page 325
Aoyama: When I’m drawing manga drafts, I sometimes replay dramas and just listen to the audio while I work — and “Ishiko and Haneo: You Sue People for That!?” was one of those. I replayed it over and over again (laughs). I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves Romantic comedies.
Q: Speaking of the Gosho Aoyama style of Romantic comedy, what do you think is the appeal of Mitsuru Adachi’s works?
Aoyama: I get completely drawn in — every single time, with every work. When a new series starts, I might initially think, “Hmm, I don’t really like these characters that much personally…” But as the story progresses, I suddenly find myself thinking, “This character’s great!” without even realizing it. That’s incredible. It might sound a little rude to say it this way, but being able to captivate readers like that — every time, with brand-new characters — that’s just too good. I mean, look at me — I’ve been using the same characters all along! (laughs)
Q: Then, what about Rumiko Takahashi’s works — what makes her Romantic comedies so special?
Aoyama: It all comes down to Kyoko Otonashi from Maison Ikkoku. No one can surpass her. She seems gentle and easygoing, yet deep down she has a jealous side — and that contrast is what makes her so cute. I think Kyoko-san is a one-of-a-kind, perfect character that only Takahashi-sensei could ever create. In my case, even other scriptwriters can write Conan episodes pretty well without me! (laughs)

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Q: Thank you very much. In the upcoming 2024 interviews with Takahashi-san and Adachi-san, we’ll also be asking them about their relationship with the Romantic comedy genre.
Aoyama: Yeah, I’m looking forward to that.
“Death” and “Genius” in Manga
Is the genius Conan-kun your ideal image of a detective?
Q: Aoyama-san, what are your thoughts on “death” in manga?
Aoyama: ………“Death,” huh. Well, I haven’t yet drawn a story where a main character dies, so honestly, I don’t really know how I’d feel about it. But when it comes to non-main characters — yeah, a lot of people die in my works. Victims in the cases die almost every time, after all. That’s why I feel very strongly about one thing: I never want to rely on the kind of ending where the culprit chooses suicide. I’ve intentionally written that kind of ending only once — but aside from that, I’ve always made sure not to kill off the culprit.

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Aoyama: I’ve always drawn with the belief that culprits should atone for their crimes. That ties into my idea of an ideal detective figure. If the story ends with the culprit committing suicide, it can look “clean” — it neatly wraps things up. It’s also the easier route to take. But I don’t want to take that easy way out. If we’re talking about “death in manga,” that’s the one thing I’ve always been particular about when drawing.
Q: Then what about “genius” in manga?
Aoyama: ………“Genius,” huh. There are quite a few geniuses in my works. I like portraying genius characters. If we’re talking about an obvious example — a genius in combat — then there’s Okita (Sōshi) in Conan. But of course, Conan-kun himself is a genius too. Actually, in the past, in the manga industry, it was said that “genius” or “good at studying” protagonists don’t work — because readers can’t empathize with them. So maybe you could say that Conan-kun overturned that old rule. But there’s a secret behind that, as one editor once analyzed: “The reason readers can still empathize with Conan even though he’s a genius is because he became small.” And that’s absolutely true. If he had stayed as Shinichi Kudō, the genius high school detective, readers might have thought, “What an annoying guy!” and wouldn’t have connected with him emotionally. Also, Kaito-kun from Magic Kaito is good at studying too (smart). So yeah, I really do enjoy drawing geniuses.

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Aoyama:(The rest of the sentence) I like drawing geniuses.
Q: Aoyama-san, do you consider yourself a genius as a manga artist?
Aoyama: No, no, not at all! (laughs) I’m absolutely not a genius. I do get fan letters saying things like “Aoyama-sensei, you’re a genius,” but… I’m just someone who’s been lucky and who works hard. (laughs)
Q: Then who, in your opinion, is a genius manga artist?
Aoyama: Adachi-sensei is a genius! Takahashi-sensei is a genius too! When it comes to Romantic comedies, I still can’t beat them. And you know what? I put in quite a bit of effort — but I’m pretty sure Adachi-sensei and Takahashi-sensei don’t even have to try! That’s why they’re geniuses.
Q: (laughs) I’ll make sure to ask them that question directly too.
Aoyama: Please do! And speaking of geniuses, in terms of art, I think Akira Toriyama (note 7) is an absolute genius. His drawing style doesn’t belong to any school or lineage — it’s like something from another planet. And Chiba Tetsuya-sensei — he’s not just a genius, he’s a divine all-rounder. For example, if you have Chiba-sensei’s Ore wa Teppei sitting on your desk and you think, “I’ll put this back on the shelf,” but then you just happen to flip it open—

Page 329
Aoyama: …you end up reading it. It’s so interesting you just can’t stop. That power to draw readers into a story — that’s divine.
Q: What about titles or labels? “Manga artist,” “shonen manga artist,” or “something else” — if you could choose, which would you prefer?
Aoyama: Manga artist.
Q: That was an immediate answer.
Aoyama: Well, because I want everyone to read my work — not just boys. In fact, I get fan letters that say things like, “I’m two years older than you, Aoyama-san, but I still Love Conan.” So I want people of all ages — from kids to grandparents — to read my manga. I think being a manga artist is an amazing job. Sure, there are tough moments, but ever since I was a rookie, it’s always been fun. And above all, the fact that I can draw pictures and get paid for it still makes me think, “Man, I’m so lucky♪.”
Q: Finally, if you were reborn, what profession would you want to have?
Aoyama: The Giants’ cleanup hitter! …No, actually, the Giants’ No. 3 batter. Because that’s what my favorite player, Shigeo Nagashima, was. If I’m reborn, I’d love to be the Giants’ No. 3 hitter. (laughs)

Page 330

Note 1: Momoko Kikuchi — Entered the entertainment industry in 1983 after passing the audition for the film Pants no Ana (A Hole in My Pants). She went on to enjoy immense popularity. Her 1985 concert at the Nippon Budokan set the record at the time for the youngest performer to hold a concert there.

Note 2: Refers to Gosho Aoyama 30th Anniversary Book (published by Shogakukan). The 256-page volume includes an interview exceeding 30,000 characters, a dialogue with Kazuhiko Shimamoto, Aoyama’s own selection of “The Best Episode in 30 Years,” and various other features such as a recreation of Café Poirot’s mixed-sandwich recipe.

Note 3: Saeko Himuro — Born in Hokkaido in 1957, a novelist and a leading figure in the shōjo shōsetsu (girls’ fiction) genre. She has many notable works. The linked stories that deeply moved Gosho Aoyama were Nagisa Boy and Taeko Girl.

Note 4: “The Kiyomizu-dera one” — Refers to the final chapter of the six-part Crimson School Trip arc, collected in volumes 94 and 95 of the Detective Conan manga. It was a special commemorative story marking the 1,000th serialized chapter.

Note 5: “The Woman and the Mushrooms” scene — In the Taiga drama Kamakura-dono no 13-nin, the protagonist Yoritoki Hōjō (played by Shun Oguri) lives his life firmly believing that “women love mushrooms,” only for his close friend—who taught him that notion—to confess in the final episode that “it was a lie.” Yoritoki’s line, “You could’ve told me sooner!” made countless viewers burst into laughter.

Note 6: “Ishiko and Haneo: You Sue People for That!?” — A 2022 TBS television drama. The role of Ishiko’s father was played by Masashi Sada, with co-stars Eiji Akaso and Oideyasu Oda, among others.

Note 7: Akira Toriyama — Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1955. A legendary manga artist known for classics such as Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball, as well as for designing characters for the Dragon Quest game series. On March 1, 2024, he passed away. The sudden news came not long after Gosho Aoyama had praised him as a “genius,” leaving fans around the world in deep sorrow.

Sunday Culture Festival 2024 Conan x YAIBA Special Talk

Date: September 25, 2024
Published in: Weekly Shonen Sunday TV Official Youtube Channel

  Show spoilers »

Source: Video

Some photos from the video

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  Thumbnail

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  Host Kasahara

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  MC Editor Domoto

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  DC Picuture

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  Aoyama-Sensei

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  Yaiba Special Talk

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  Conan Sepcial Q&A

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  Aoyama Laugh

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  Aoyama Laugh 2

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  Aoyama bids Farewell

Translation edited by: Manvel

Opening

Host (Editor Kasahara):
Hello everyone! Thank you so much for being here. I’m Kasahara, a new editor in the Sunday Editorial Department.
I’m a little nervous because the energy in this room is incredible. And to those watching the stream—thank you as well.

We won’t waste too much time up front, so let’s jump into today’s program.

This is the third talk-live session of the day, titled:

“Conan & Yaiba Special Talk.”

From here on, the moderation will be handled by Domoto-san, Aoyama-sensei’s editor.

⸻

MC (Editor Domoto):

Thank you very much.
I see banners congratulating the 30th anniversary and many Conan goods—thank you!
I’m Domoto from Weekly Shonen Sunday, and I’m responsible for Aoyama-sensei’s work.

Today we have two parts:
1. YAIBA talk,
2. Conan Q&A, using questions collected on X (platform).

Let’s begin immediately.
Please welcome Aoyama Gosho-sensei!

⸻

Aoyama enters

Aoyama:
Thanks for having me.

MC:
Amazing turnout—there are people standing all the way in the back!
We’re also streaming with two cameras, so thank you to everyone watching online.

⸻

YAIBA SPECIAL TALK

1. New Key Visual

MC:
First, the latest key visual for the new Yaiba anime was released last week.
Sensei, what did you think when you saw it?

Aoyama:
It looked exactly like my old Yaiba art.
Honestly, I can’t draw like that anymore. It really felt nostalgic.

MC:
Fans were extremely happy, saying it’s “classic Aoyama.”

⸻

2. New Title & Studio
The new anime title is “Samurai de Yaiba”, and the logo was redesigned in a style close to the original manga.

Animation production is by WIT STUDIO (Spy × Family, Ranking of Kings), and the quality is outstanding.

⸻

3. PV Screening

MC:
Let’s watch the PV together.
(Plays PV)

Aoyama (watching):
Amazing… that’s awesome.

⸻

4. Main Cast
• Yaiba Kurogane — Minami Takayama
• Sayaka Mine — Manaka Iwami
• Takeshi Onimaru — Yoshimasa Hosoya

Aoyama:
During the first episode’s recording, I thought Takayama-san’s acting was perfect—just the right level of “idiotic Yaiba,” in a good way.

MC:
And we had her make Sayaka’s “BA-KA!” line a little huskier—that was your request.

Aoyama:
Yeah, and it turned out great.

⸻

5. Direct Scenario Supervision

Aoyama:
I’m checking all the scripts.
The original drafts had a lot of old Shōwa-style jokes, so we removed or modernized them.

Also, some characters and events appear earlier in the anime than in the manga.

Please look forward to it.

⸻

6. Why Aoyama Created YAIBA

Aoyama:
I was in the kendo club during elementary and middle school, and I loved Ore wa Teppei by Chiba Tetsuya, so I wanted to draw a kendo manga.

There’s a part early on where Onimaru emerges from underground training.
My editor at the time, Oshima-san, drew horns on Onimaru’s head directly on my draft.

I thought, “What’s this?”
He said, “Isn’t this better?”
And from there, the work shifted into a fantasy action series.

MC:
So it wasn’t originally meant to be a fantasy?

Aoyama:
No, it was supposed to stay a kendo story.
But I felt the limits of that format, so the horn idea came at the perfect time.

⸻

7. Target Audience vs Magic Kaito

Aoyama:
Magic Kaito was popular mostly with older teens.
My editor said, “This is a kids’ magazine—you need something that appeals to children.”

So I made Yaiba… and it ended up appealing only to children.

MC:
But with Conan, you eventually captured both audiences.

Aoyama:
Yes, Conan got the right balance.

⸻

CONAN SPECIAL Q&A

We gathered thousands of questions under the hashtag #剛昌に聞け! (“Ask Gosho”).
Here are some selected questions.

⸻

Q1 — Will you draw more childhood Shinichi & Ran stories?

Aoyama:
Actually… I’m working on one right now.
I’m drawing the name (draft) as we speak.

It’s connected to this year’s Police Academy story.
It continues from the moment in the movie where Hagiwara is at the waterworks.

Please look forward to it.

⸻

Q2 — Was Amuro (Furuya Rei) popular when he was younger?

Aoyama:
In my mind, Amuro is very popular… he just doesn’t realize it.
He’s completely unaware of the attention he gets.

⸻

Q3 — Who is stronger: Wakasa-sensei or Akai?

Aoyama:
In shooting, Akai wins.
But in hand-to-hand combat, Wakasa-sensei is stronger.

She’s one of the strongest characters in the series—top class.

⸻

Q4 — Do Yūsaku and Toichi really look alike?

Aoyama:
Yes. I draw them with almost the same face, just at different ages.
If Kaito saw Yūsaku in proper lighting, he’d probably mistake him for his own father.

⸻

Q5 — Thoughts on the movie The Million-dollar Pentagram?

Aoyama:
It was great. Really fun.
My favorite part was the final scene where Kaito smiles.
Ikeda-san (Toichi’s VA) said, “That was a delicious role.”

⸻

Q6 — Would Aoko tell Kaito she met a boy who looks like him (Conan)?

Aoyama:
She’d probably mention it casually:
“Hey, I met a boy who looks just like you.”

Kaito would respond with something like:
“Oh yeah? Huh.”
I don’t think he realizes how similar they look.

⸻

Q7 — Does the Black Organization receive salaries?

Aoyama:
That’s better left a mystery.
But judging from their clothes and cars, they’re probably paid pretty well.

⸻

Q8 — Does Chihaya notice Yokomizo Jūgo’s crush?

Aoyama:
Of course.
She knows—and she teases him because of it.

⸻

Q9 — Does Hagiwara Kenji have a “type”?

Aoyama:
Since he grew up with Chihaya as a strong older-sister figure, his standards are probably extremely high.

⸻

Q10 — Does Iori Muga get vacations?

Aoyama:
No. None.
He’s the type who willingly devotes his whole life to serving his lady.

⸻

Q11 — What did Momiji think of Yuriko joining as a maid?

Aoyama:
Probably:
“Oh, a very skilled person has arrived. She’ll be useful.”
But she trusts her completely.

⸻

Q12 — Does Ran like Chinese food?

Aoyama:
She probably likes home-style dishes like mapo tofu, not something like Peking duck.

⸻

Q13 — How did Hakuba get Akako’s phone number?

Aoyama:
With his investigative resources, he could easily track it down.
He wasn’t aware she was a witch.

⸻

Q14 — Can Akai play piano since he can play accordion?

Aoyama:
Hmm… maybe, maybe not.
I can’t really picture it.
If I later draw him playing it well—sorry in advance.

⸻

Q15 — Who was more popular during their student days: Zero or Hiromitsu?

Aoyama:
Pretty even.
In official popularity, Furuya would be first.
In “underground popularity,” Hiromitsu might be first.

Kazami and Koumei?
Also probably even.

⸻

Closing

MC:
We’re out of time.
Thank you so much for supporting Detective Conan during its 30th anniversary year.

Next Wednesday, the conclusion of the current manga case will be published, featuring Heiji—please look forward to it.

We’ll also publish new Yaiba information soon.

Finally, please enjoy Conan’s 31st year and beyond.

Aoyama:
It’s been a long-running series, but I hope you’ll continue supporting it.
Thank you very much!

Celebrating 30 Years of Detective Conan with Fans! A Message from Gosho Aoyama

Date: November 27, 2024
Published in: On the official Weekly Shōnen Sunday website

  Show spoilers »

Source: https://websunday.net/68617/
and also an image in Volume 7

30周年 ありがと!
これからも ヨロシク ね~♪

Raw:

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Translation edited by: Manvel

Thanks for the 30th anniversary!
Please continue to support us~♪