JUMP GIGA - Tite Kubo and Matsui Yūsei Interview

TN: Here’s Kubo’s response to a question about his creative process and mentions of his health, taken from two pages of JUMP GIGA 2017 vol. 2

Part 1



Kubo Tite X Matsui Yūsei





Creative process secrets

Q&A special.



Two mangaka are gathered here, they have created works that are great hits shining brightly through the history of JUMP. A passionate talk unfolds, extending over two hours!





—- “There is a difference between the things you want to draw and the things you can draw. The creator should draw the things they can draw. That’s what I’ve heard, but what do the two senseis think about that statement?” That is the question from pen name - “Red Pencil san”.



Matsui: First of all, I think Kubo sensei is probably the opposite. You draw the things you want to draw right?



Kubo: That’s right. Because, I think that the things I want to draw, is something I can draw…



Matsui: I thought so…!



Kubo: If I like it, I will try to draw it.



Matsui: In my case, it is the opposite. There is no choice but to like the things I can draw. As a prerequisite, there is this idea that the readers will not approve of something I can't​ even draw.



—- Ah, I see.



Matsui: Through the course of trial and error, when the readers have said “that was interesting wasn’t it?” about certain things, it is those things that is ‘what I can draw’. If they do approve of it, I will then try to intensively focus on that next time, and whilst in the process of driving my pen forward, I think it will gradually grow into something that I want to draw. It revolves around the recipients at first. Like in debate over whether the chicken came first or the egg, I think it is not a matter of right or wrong.



—- Conversely, Kubo sensei's​ standpoint is drawing what he would like to draw rather than what he can draw. Does this mean it is like an extension of sensei’s hobby?

Kubo: That’s true, absolutely.

Matsui: Kubo sensei once said somewhere, “no matter how I express it, if something comes to mind and I don’t let it out, I will not feel satisfied” isn’t that right? That left quite an impression on me.

Kubo: Ah, that’s right. If I don’t draw it, I will start to feel sick when it doesn’t take form.

—- You don’t want to leave ideas idle in your mind isn’t it?

Kubo: That’s correct. So I will draw it right away, and then place it next to me.

—- But it doesn't​ necessarily mean you want to make it into a piece of work?

Kubo: Yes that’s right. Because I was drawing “BLEACH” all the time, there were many ideas I couldn’t use. Right away, I would compose a storyboard or something…it repeatedly gets lost somewhere.

Matsui: Waaa!

—- What a waste!

Kubo: I don’t know where they went (Laughs).

Matsui: I really want to read them (laughs). Because it was drawn before the series isn’t that right?

Kubo: Right. But I didn’t store them sometimes I didn’t know what notes I discarded​.

—- Therefore it’s such a waste (laughs)!

Matsui: What did you write your notes on?

Kubo: It was on copy paper. It is on those papers where I usually draw my storyboards. In the final stages of the series, I did not have any spare time to do that though…

Side text: (After the series finished) “When taking an MRI, my shoulder tendons were severed.” (Kubo)

Matsui: That’s right, I wanted to ask you. When continuing a weekly series, didn’t you ever become dazed midway through?

Kubo: dazed (laughs)?

Matsui: Have you never momentarily drawn like you were writing something automatically?

Kubo: Ah, I understand! I get it!

Matsui: A state in which you are somehow able to draw because your body has memorised how to draw. Given that there really is no flexibility to draw whilst thinking about various things like I did in my former days. Kubo sensei, how soon did you lose that flexibility?

Kubo: probably around the final 3 years?

Matsui: Ehhh!! Over 10 years since the serialisation!?

Kubo: by that time, my physical condition had deteriorated so much, I had lost that flexibility.

Matsui: For me, it came after the first 3 years (laughs). At the time of both “Neuro: Supernatural Detective” as well “Assassination Classroom”, as soon as 3 years had passed, I was already in a daze.

Kubo: Ahaha (laughs).

Matsui: The 15 years that “Bleach” has accomplished is an extraordinary time impossible to imagine. Therefore, I wondered​ if there is something in that time that only Kubo sensei can see.

—- You were able to keep that up as far as 10 years until your physical condition deteriorated?

Kubo: That’s right. I was able to keep drawing as usual for as many as 10 years, after the decline in my health, I was conscious about managing my physical condition. From then on, I was trying not to catch a cold.

Matsui: It’s a peculiar manner of speaking but, when I was younger, there was a part of me that thought I was invincible. When I got sick one time, I lost confidence in that thinking “I was wrong…” (laughs).

Kubo: Ah I see. I’d even catch colds while I was still young, I would take medicine and then sleep for 6 hours to cure it. I thought my health became bad in the mornings. I felt like I’d get better in the evenings and do some work, but gradually that became ineffective.

—- That’s sad Isn’t it…

Matsui: The pressures of doing a weekly series is truly staggering, so that heavy pressure has replaced any sort of cold for me. Well, in my case, my series did not go on as long as Kubo sensei’s, so thankfully there hasn’t been any substantial decline in my health… I am not confident about whether or not I can draw in the same way in a subsequent series.

Kubo: It gradually gets worse.

—- Is it an age related thing?

Kubo: Well, during a series, adrenaline rises to the surface, and you no longer understand poor physical health. So I end up getting​ colds when things like double issues happen.

—- There was talk of such a thing in your last conversation…

Kubo: This time, when this lengthy series ended, my health became worse as expected.

—- What happened?

Kubo: It felt like everything until now came at once!

Matsui: Hahaha (laughs).

Kubo: Especially amongst that, I was always thinking my shoulder hurts. And so, even after several months it did not get better in the slightest.

—- Uh huh.

Kubo: When taking an MRI, my shoulder tendons were severed.

—- Huuhh!?

Kubo: I have a habit of leaning my body weight on my left shoulder whilst drawing. It seems that happened because my shoulder took that load. I was told there was a partial fracture.

Matsui: You mean you didn’t realise what it was?

Kubo: It became awfully painful the next day after making the manuscript for the last chapter.

—- Amazing…

Matsui: Indeed, that's​ amazing.

Kubo: Is it really?

Matsui: Well, yes! That’s not normal at all. Hearing that puts me to shame. I wonder if you did the manuscript thinking “I’m going as far as to give up my whole body and soul for this” ? (Laughs).

Kubo: Not at all (laughs).

—- The more kubo sensei doesn’t understand pain, the more he says “I’ll draw something I want to draw” huh?

Kubo: Ah, going back to the original conversation (laughs).

—- Let’s get back on track (laughs).

Matsui: I think a series won’t even last a year unless there is fun (laughs).

Kubo: That’s right, it can’t.