Yo, Yo, Yo. It's your lead Sunday-er Sakaki with a surprise interview for my homies out there. If you've been paying attention to our Twitter, we made a tweet regarding the release of the Uniqlo Detective Conan T-shirts in the US! The tweet got a little bit of traction, so I figured as a big thank you to everyone that I'd translate this mercifully short interview between Gosho Aoyama and Uniqlo. The usual caviats are in place -- Not a professional, please ask for our permission before reposting, etc. With that out of the way, please enjoy!
Since it began its serialization in 1994 “Detective Conan” has been at the forefront of Japanese Pop Culture. The manga that has now reached 102 volumes has a mega popular TV anime and movies. The series is translated in sold in 25 counties and regions and the worldwide circulation has surpassed 270 million copies in print, and now will have a UT collection in 2023. To mark the occasion we've asked creator Gosho Aoyama who is kind and full of wit and humor to talk with us about his childhood, what went into the birth of Detective Conan and the newest movie!!
Q: What kind of Child were you?
Aoyama (To be written as A): I was a weird kid. When I'd watch a movie, I'd think to myself “If it were me, I'd do it tbis way and such. To be honest I'm the same even now. I watch movies and think “If it turns out like this that'd be awesome” and such, and it feels awesome when my prediction is on the money, moreso if it exceeds expectations.
Q: What about when things don't go to plan?
A: I use ideas where I think “It should have been like this” for Detective Conan (to be written as “Conan.”) Lol.
Q: That's a brilliant means of utilizing ideas, hah. What kind of manga did you read as a child?
A: All sorts, but If I had to say what influenced me to become a mangaka myself, then Adachi's works, Tetsuya Chiba's works, Monkey Punch's works and so on. Taking a look at my artistic preferences, the way I draw big and rounded eyes comes from Adachi, the slightly down-turned nose comes from Chiba, and the plump mouths comes from Monkey Punch. Combining all of those is how you get my artwork. Though Kazuhiko Shimamoto has commented that “It doesn't look a thing like any of them!!” (lol)
Q: Wow, to think we'd hear your trade secrets! Mr. Aoyama, we've heard that when you graduated from elementary school, you wrote in your yearbook that you wanted to draw manga about private detectives. So aside from manga were you a mystery fan?
A: I've always loved them. Arthur Conan Doyle, Ranpo Edogawa, Maurice Leblanc, As they're availble in just about any library you've probably seen them before. I think what first surprised me was Conan Doyle's Dancing dolls from the “Sherlock Holmes Series.” What intrigued me most in the story was the unsettling code that was discovered when the dolls were lined up. “I wonder what this is leading to” I thought at the time, and it was after that I was hooked by mysteries.
Q: Then drawing Conan is like a childhood dream coming true?
A: Nah, By the time I actually became a mangaka I had long forgotten my Elementary school dreams, lol. Conan is the result of the editorial staff asking me “Do you want to do a mystery series?” At first I thought it'd be a pain, but then I got to drawing it and remembered: “Oh right I was a Sherlock Holmes fan, wasn't I?'
Q: So when Conan started, were you enthusiastic about making it what it is today?
A: I dunno if I should say this but I thought Conan would end immediately so I wasn't all that enthusiastic at all, lol.
Q: Really? Considering that Conan is the follow-up work to Yaiba, the series that gained you notoriety, I'd have thought you'd have been raring to go in a do-or-die type mentality.
A: No way, lol. I thought that it'd end immediately and if that were the case I'd just return with Yaiba 2. It's in that way that I felt zero pressure at the start.
Q: Nevertheless, it's continued for close to 30 years. What do you think the reason is?
A: Admittedly, once I got going there were a few times when I thought to myself “I can't do this anymore” but each time I was ready to throw in the towel, a good thing would happen to keep me in the game. For example, when coming up with cases was getting to be a pain, the Furuhata Nizaburo TV drama started, and I started thinking “Whoa, I want to do something like that!” and that got my creative juices flowing. Then when I thought “Okay I've done all I want to do with the series” the anime and movies got announced. I've been rather fortunate in that way.
(TN- Furuhata Ninzaburō (古畑 任三郎) is a Japanese television series that ran periodically on Fuji Television from 1994 until its final episodes (specials) in 2006. It was written by Japanese playwright Kōki Mitani and is often referred to as the Japanese version of Columbo.)
Q: Thinking of different tricks for the culprit to use sounds like a lot of work.
A: It's tough, all right. Sometimes I buy magic books and goods to help, but I end up not using them most of the time. Lol.
Q: Even Magic books?? Conan is a work that isn't just popular with kids, but with adults too. Do you draw the series with the target demographic –teenage boys, in mind?
A: No, I wouldn't say I focus on that demographic in particular. If I were to do that, then the series would be written off as something meant to fool children. Yes, there are times when the trick to the case ends up being simple, but overall I draw the series for adults. Children are resourceful and will look something up if they don't understand it, y'know? For example, the aforementioned Dancing Dolls. I looked it up in a Dictionary despite me not understanding English, and from there learned that there are many words that end with the letter “N” Children do their research so that frees me to draw more complex things, and for adults I think reminiscing on their childhood while they read is a good approach.
Q: You've been drawing Conan for nearly 30 years, telling yourself “It'll end soon.” but have you decided when you'll finally complete it?
A: I haven't yet. A fan said it'll be like the La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona Spain, but that's been completed hasn't it? (lol)
(TN- As far as I can see, it hasn't been? He's referring to the unfinished church in the Exiample district of Barcelona, Catalonia Spain –the world's largest unfinished Catholic Church in the world.)
Q: The Sagrada Familia has taken over 100 years to complete. Maybe the fans want it to continue for 100 years? Speaking of fans, the UT collaboration this year features a panel from the “Reunion with the Black Organization” which won first place in a popular vote by fans to commemorate the release of Detective Conan volume 100
A: I put a ton of effort into that one. Though, well, I always do, but I put an extra effort into that case as it was the first time Conan had a showdown with the Black Organization. Within that arc, this scene is a particular favorite of mine, so it's wonderful my feelings got through to people. I can also say it'll appear in the movie mostly because I drew those key frames specifically, lol.
Q: The scene of course is when Conan puts his glasses on Haibara who's being chased by the Black organization.
A: I love Superman. He wears glasses to hide his identity, right? Conan's the same in that regard since it's the reason why he wears glasses too. In the scene Conan says to Haibara “If you wear these no one will find out who you are. It's a surprisingly effective tool for Clark Kent.” I had wanted to draw that scene for ages, so I was really happy when I finally got to draw it!
Q: And you drew it again for UT. How'd you feel?
A: My artwork has changed quite a bit since back then. I think it was smoother back then, but now the heads have become bigger.
Q: Are there any other shirts that caught your attention?
A: The Kaitou Kid one! It's pretty stylish.
Q: On that note we've gotten the impression you prefer black clothes but do are you particular about fashion in general?
A: Just that I only wear Black or Grey. My closet is mostly filled with black clothes, since they go well with basically anything. Especially black on top with a red shirt underneath. I guess it's that I want to hide, or well to put it another way to keep from standing out, lol.
Q: It's almost as if you're a member of the Black Organization, lol. The latest in the movie series: Detective Conan: The Iron Submarine will be in theaters in April. Are there any scenes you'd like people to pay attention to?
A: There's one scene that I had to fix in the storyboard. The director had asked me to take a look at this scene in particular, so I figured out a way to do it. I got the reply back from him that it was good to go, so we were able to fix it up and it looks nice. It's when certain characters are underwater. When people see it I'm sure they'll be like “wow!”
Q: By the way we're up to the 26th film now including this one. If you were asked which is your favorite, which would that be?
A: Let's go with “The next one.” It's what Charlie Chaplin, the king of Comedy said whenever anyone asked what his best work was. I'll just crib off his notes, lol.
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