Hey all! Welcome back to the Shonen Sunday zone. A lot's been happening in the sphere and we've been very busy barely keeping up. (If you haven't you should be looking at our socials!) The blog needed some necessary love and this short but informational interview from the maestro of mysteries regarding his time learning the blade came across our feed so you know we had to do it to 'em.
As always we're open to retranslations into other languages or reposting but please let us know first (so we're aware and can share!) And if there are any errors in the translation we'd love to know.
All that said, let's unsheathe our blades and join Gosho Aoyama-sensei in battle as he reveals the techniques that brought Yaiba to life.
Interview found here
"I hope you'll enjoy the Kaguya arc with a sense of excitement that'll leave you at the edge of your seats." Gosho Aoyama, author of Yaiba: Samurai Legend, speaking about the anime.
The TV anime adaptation of the Yaiba manga, Yaiba: Samurai Legend, has been greenlit for a second season. We eagerly await when more information about the second season broadcast will be announced.
The original manga Yaiba was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday, published by Shogakukan, from 1988 to 1993. Thirty years after the manga concluded, a 24-episode anime reboot, Yaiba: Samurai Legend, aired in April 2025.
As part of the August 18th Yaiba Day celebration, we at Animate Times conducted an interview with Gosho Aoyama, the original author of the series. As he looked back at the first season of the anime, he spoke on his dedication to the work and behind-the-scenes stories of how the anime was developed while keeping spoilers. In some cases, he remarked that he wanted to say more but couldn't.
---The idea of being raised in a jungle was conceived so that there'd be a scene where Yaiba exclaims, "So this is a woman?"
Q: Could you talk about particular aspects of Yaiba that you focused on or that you have a particular attachment to?
Aoyama: I drew whatever I wanted, but if there's something I made sure to keep in mind, it was that the guys should be cool and the girls cute. Nowadays I make cool girls as well. Also, I'm a huge rom-com buff so I put a bunch of effort into drawing them.
Q: Yaiba got another TV anime in the Reiwa era named Yaiba: Samurai Legend. What were your thoughts upon seeing Yaiba Kurogane back in action in this modern era?
Aoyama: Protagonists like Yaiba who don't bathe often are a rarity nowadays (lol). Back in the day, there were many characters like him.
Q: Yaiba being raised in a jungle surprised me. Why'd you decide on that setting for his upbringing?
Aoyama: I wanted to create a story where the protagonist, who doesn't know anything about women, sees one for the first time and is completely shocked and wonders, "Whoa, is this what a woman is like?" So I decided to make him someone who's never seen a woman before, and that's what led to the background of his being raised in a jungle.
Q: "Whoa, so this is a woman" isn't a line you'd hear characters say normally.
Aoyama: Yeah, I can't say you would, but looking back on it fills me with nostalgia.
---The secret tale behind the creation of the "Nobunaga Oda Tournament" arc.
Q: If they were to adapt this arc into the anime, it'd be quite a ways into the story, but I think the Nobunaga Oda tournament left a particularly strong impression on me.
Aoyama: When the original Yaiba anime was greenlit in the 90's, the manga was meant to end when the Yamata no Orochi was defeated. But due to the anime beginning to air, it was decided to add the Nobunaga Oda tournament arc which extended the series run by about six more months.
Generally speaking, it's rare for the original manga to conclude while the anime is airing, though nowadays you get examples like Demon Slayer. When the anime began airing, the manga's popularity also started to rise as well. So when it finally came time for the manga's serialization to end, the anime staff personally came to my house and asked me to continue the series!
Honestly, I wanted to keep it going even beyond that tournament, but the six-month extension was firm, so the anime staff who came to see me left looking really disappointed.
Note, the Nobunaga Oda tournament arc ran from volumes 23 to 24 of the original Yaiba manga.
Aoyama: Right? I'd love to see it get animated.
---The popularity of Gekkou, who was created with the intention of creating a truly heinous villain.
Q: Kaguya made her appearance at the end of the first season of Yaiba: Samurai Legend. Could you tell us what will be most interesting about season two from your point of view?
Aoyama: So, season two is going to be a real slugfest. There isn't a single episode without at least one battle, even more so than season one. Heck, there are so many battle scenes that the comedy has to take a back seat. I'd love to delve into it more, but we'd be veering into spoiler territory, so I have to refrain. (Lol)
Q: On that note, Gekkou, who'll appear in season two during the Kaguya arc, is a super popular character despite being a bad guy, right?
Aoyama: That's right! He was super popular.
Q: Why do you think that is?
Aoyama: Beats me (lol). I created him with the thought that he'd be an irredeemable villain.
Q: And yet one can't help but find him cool, huh?
Aoyama: He's a dangerous fella, but for one reason or another, his popularity was intense.
---A Detective Conan and Yaiba museum? Gosho Aoyama can only dream...
Q: Detective Conan is a massive hit and now Yaiba has had an anime reboot as well. Are there any dream projects you'd like to pursue in the future?
Aoyama: I was at a party one time where a foreigner asked me about building a Conan Land in Dubai. I respectfully declined the idea, saying that I'd have to pass on it.
Q: But if that had happened, then there might have been a Yaiba area there too, right?
Aoyama: A Yaiba area would be amazing. Now I want someone to make it happen at Universal Studios Japan (lol)
Q: To wrap things up do you have any messages for fans who are looking forward to the second season of Yaiba: Samurai Legend?
Aoyama: The Kaguya Arc will feature a series of intense battles and some shocking scenes, but the ending is wonderful. I hope you'll enjoy the Kaguya arc with a sense of excitement that'll leave you at the edge of your seats each week.
Q: Thank you!
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