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Interviews list

Untranslated Interviews

Conan Vs Kaitou Kid Perfect Edition RAW

Detective Conan vs. Kaitou Kid Perfect Edition pg 169
Posted by: skyechan

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どーも青山剛昌です。
　
コナンとキッドの対決が詰まった本とはいえ、みんな買ってくれるのか不安だったけど、少なくともこれ読んでる人は買ってくれてるんだよね、ありがとう。
　
でも最初にキッドを登場させたときは、１回きりのスペシャルゲストみたいな感じで描いてたから、正直、本が作れるくらい出てくるとは思わなかったな、驚き（笑）。
　
はじめは単純にコナンに強力なライバルが欲しかっただけだからね。　

服部平次は、推理する上ではライバルだけど探偵仲間。　

そうじゃなくって探偵の宿敵というか天敵みたいなライバルを出したかったんだよね。　

だったらやっぱり、アルセーヌ・ルパンやルパン三世みたいな神出きぱつ*で大胆不敵な怪盗でしょ？　

自分も子供の頃から、彼らのファンだったしね。　で、コナンも相当頭がいいから、ちゃんと対抗できる相手を、いろいろ考えていたんだけど…　待てよ！？　

そういえば、　ちょうどピッタリなヤツを、　オレは知ってるぞって。　

しかも、身近にいる！（笑）　

ただ自分の作品とはいえ、別作品の主人公を出していいのか悩んだから、当時の少年サンデーの編集長に相談してみると、あっさりといいって言ってくれて。
　
めでたくコナンと怪盗キッドの対決が実現したってワケ。　

そんないきさつもあって、『まじっく快斗』の「ブラック・スターの巻」（この本では「最初の対決」として収録）で、新一が登場してくる話なんて、当然、最初は全然考えてなかった（笑）。　

もちろん今はコナンとキッドの関係とか、ちゃんと考えてあるけどね。　

でも『まじっく快斗』に新一を出したのは、時期的に新一の姿での活躍をちゃんと描いてやりたかっただけど、別に深い関係とか意味はないなぁ。　

もともとキッド＝快斗には、中森警部や白馬君っていうライバルがいるからね。　

新一は、いわばスペシャルゲスト。　

というわけで、コナンになる前の新一の貴重な活躍をこの本でじっくり楽しんでください。　

あと『まじっく快斗』ファンのために解決しておくと、時計塔の話は中森警部が警視庁に転属になる前、まだみなと**警察署にいるころの話になってます。　

追いかけるものと、それから逃げる者、『名探偵コナン』でのコナンと怪盗キッドの対決は、これからもまだ続いていくと思います。　

まあ、最後に勝つのはどっちかわからないけど（笑）。　

自分でも楽しみながら描いていくと思うんで、期待しててください！！

• The furigana reads "kipatsu" but I guess the kanji is something different? I can't seem to get the correct kanji to show up for the life of me.
  
  • Furigana reads "Minato" but it doesn't match the kanji used for "Minato-ku", so I'm not sure what kanji is used.
    

Asahi Newspaper Interview "the boss's name has already appeared" RAW

朝日新聞夕刊 (Asahi Evening Newspaper), published January 13, 2006
Posted by: Cindy Xin
Comment from Chekov: "The last file before this boss's name has appeared interview was 551 (Nail and Snake)
and was in Shounen Sunday issue #5-6 2006 (a double issue with a week break afterwards) which was published January 4, 2006."

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Source: http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x416/Natsuki2012/200601138.jpg

朝日新聞1月13日夕刊)
日テレ「名探偵コナン」１０周年
アニメ・原作「いい刺激」
声優陣安定「家にコナンがいる」（原作者青山）

日本テレビ系の人気アニメ「名探偵コナン」が、１月で放映１０周年を迎えた。平均視聴率は１０％台後半、４月には映画版第１０作を公開、発売中の原作マンガは５１巻までで累計１億部突破と、快進撃が続く。「推理ものはアニメに不向きと思っていた。ここまで盛り上がったのはスタッフの頑張りのおかげ」と原作者の青山剛昌は話す。

高校生探偵・工藤新一は、正体不明の「黒の組織」は毒を飲まされ子供の体に。彼は江戸川コナンと名乗り、幼なじみの蘭らと共に数々の難事件を解決しながら、「黒の組織」を追う。

小学館「週刊少年サンデー」での連載開始から１年ほどで、アニメ化の話が来た。「会話や説明ばかり多くて、人もたくさん殺される。こんなマンガをアニメにするなんて、何言ってるの？と思った」と青山。/

大学生の時アニメーターを志していたほどのアニメ好き。映画では原作にも参加する。アニメ版「コナン」への思い入れは深い

「自分がサラッと描いた原作が、アニメで、凝った絵とメリハリのきいた演出でいい作品になっていると、『おれも頑張らなきゃ』と刺激になる。逆に、力を入れて描いた話なのになあ、と思う回もあったりしますが」

９日に放映された１０周年スペシャルは、宿敵「黒の組織」とコナン攻防を描いた。エピソードを重ね、両者の距離はかなり縮まってきた。直接対決、そして完結日は近い？

「今何会目に当たるのかは、秘密です。実は、ボスの名前はすでに原作のどこかに出ている。捜してみて下さい」

ドジな中年探偵・毛利小五郎役のベテラン神谷明ら、声優陣の安定した演技がアニメの大きな魅力。「ぼくのイメージにぴったり」と青山が言うコナン役の声優高山みなみは、妻でもある。昨年５月に結婚した。

「話作りに詰まって『こんなときコナンなら何て言うかなあ』と聞くと、『こんな感じじゃない？』って答えてくれる。家にコナンがいて助かるなあと感じる時です。反対に、仕事が片づいてマンガのことを忘れたいのに、家でもコナンの声が…という時もありますけどね」。

Otona Fami Interview #1

オトナファミ6月号 (Otona Fami or Adult Family June issue), published April 21, 2008
no script

Shonen Sunday Interview #1

週刊少年サンデー17号 (Weekly Shonen Sunday #17), published March 27, 2009
no script

Shonen Sunday 50th Anniversary Interview

少年サンデー1983 (Shonen Sunday 1983, a special issue commemorating Sunday's 50 years of publishing), published July 15, 2009
no script

Otona Fami Interview #2

オトナファミ6月号 (Otona Fami or Adult Family June issue), published April 20, 2010
no script

Masters Of Manga Interview

Masters of Manga, published July 6, 2010
Page link is dead, no script

Mystery Magazine Interview

ミステリマガジン6月号 (Mystery Magazine June issue), published April 25, 2011
no script

Interviews

Conan Drill Official Book

コナンドリル オフィシャルブック (Conan Drill Official Book), published May 1 2003
Translated by: justwantanaccount

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Interview in Conan Drill from 2003 translated! No spoiler on the plot here, though there are a lot of interesting tidbits.

Note: I took a lot of liberty with the English this time, since I wanted to focus more on making the English sound natural and readable. I usually try to translate as directly as possible, but I realize that the weird English probably turns off a lot of people – let me know if I've taken too much liberty, though.

Also, Gosho says a lot of things here that he mentions in future interviews, like how he was told to change Conan's name to Doyle since there was a work called Future Boy Conan, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. You kinda realize that interviewers keep asking the same questions, maybe because they don't bother looking over past interviews, ha ha.

Highlights:
The plot for conan was planned in two weeks
Gosho is not "high-strung / neurotic" - he seems pretty laid back
Apparently, in File 125~, the dude pays the gal to be his lover
Gosho has an editor who is from Kansai, and looks at DC's Kansai-ben – this makes sense, I've read people on 2chan talk about how young Kansai people these days don't say "ame-chan" (Files 778-780), but since Gosho gets coached on Kansai-ben by an older guy, the Kansai-ben in DC is rather dated.
Gosho has two younger brothers, one who's an engineer and another who's a doctor. The engineer helps Gosho with tricks related to cars, and the doctor helps Gosho with medicine-related topics, like APTX. The doctor is also an anime otaku who advices Gosho about which voice actor should voice whom.
Gosho also seems to have connections who are former police detectives, people working at banks, CSIs, etc.
Gosho decided when he started that Conan won't cry
Gosho only draws characters with names, leave backgrounds and characters without names to assistants - does that mean that the forensics dude who wasn't Tomo-san in File 756-758 will become important someday?! Lol I dunno.
Maybe you guys knew this already, but apparently Paikaru/Baiganer isn't a real brand of alcohol – the name comes from a character in Lupin III.


青山先生は大学を卒業してから漫画家になられたんですよね。学生時代から将来は漫画家に、と決めていたんですか？
Q: Aoyama-sensei became a manga artist after graduating from college, right? Have you decided to be a manga artist from your student days?

青山　大学時代から漫研には入っていましたけど、大学へは美術の先生になろうかなと漠然と考えて進学しました。小学生の頃、卒業文集に「将来は漫画家になる」と書いたらしいんですが、それも自分では覚えていないんです。でもまあ、子供の頃から絵や漫画を書くのは好きだったので、教科書にパラパラ漫画なんかを描いて遊んでいましたね。ただ、漫画を描いていると親には叱られましたから、コソコソではあったけど。漫画を始めて投稿したのは大学４年のときでしたが、卒業して漫画家になるといったら親には反対されました。学校の先生ならいいけど、漫画家なんてやっぱりどう転ぶかわからないやくざな商売でしょう。親としては、そりゃ心配しますよね。漫画家になる直接のきっかけは、先輩ですでに漫画家の人がいて、「青山、おまえちょっと出してみないか？」と声をかけてくれたことです。それで、ある少年誌に送ったら佳作になったんですよ。これはサンデーじゃないんですけど。で、ひょっとしたら俺ってうまいのかなと思って。それが大学４年のときでしたね。
A: I was studying manga since my college days, but I entered the university while vaguely thinking that I will become an art teacher someday. Apparently I wrote "I will become a manga artist in the future" in my elementary school's graduation anthology, but I don't remember it. Although, I did like drawing pictures and manga and such from childhood, and I drew flip books and such into my textbook. My parents scolded me when I drew manga, though, so there was a sneaky quality to it. I submitted manga for the first time when I was a fourth year university student, but when I told my parents that I will become a manga artist after graduation, my parents opposed me. Being a school teachers is fine, but being a manga artist is, after all, an unpredictable, yakuza-like business. Of course you would worry if you were a parent.The direct cause behind becoming a manga artist for me was when a senpai, who was already a manga artist, asked me, "Hey, Aoyama, do you want to try submitting?" Then, I sent one to a certain shonen magazine, and the work received a kasaku*. This wasn't at Sunday, though. After this, I thought that maybe I could possibly be good. This was when I was a fourth year university student.*佳作 (kasaku) directly translates to 1. well executed work or 2. second best work at something like an art/literature contest (source); however, given the context, it seems that if you receive this then you debut as a manga artist, so I left the original Japanese term since I'm not sure how to translate it. Some people translate it as an "honorable mention", but I don't know how accurate that is.

周りはもう就職活動していた時期ですか？
Q: Back then, were the people around you already searching for permanent jobs?

青山　そうです。僕も一応、教育実習へ行ったんですよ。まだ地元の高校の美術教師になる選択肢もありましたから。でも自分なかでは、佳作に入った時点で、もうそういう気はなくなっていたのかな。アルバイトでフジテレビの「ポンキッキ」の背景書いたりして、就職活動はまったくしていなかったら。
A: Yes. For me, I trained to be a teacher, just in case, since I still had the option to become an art teacher at my hometown's high school. Although, when I received the kasaku, I think I lost the urge to continue down that path. I drew the background for Ponkikki and such for part time jobs, so I wasn't searching for a permanent job at all.

学生時代はどんな生活でした？先生が描かれる漫画はみんな登場人物が個性的でしょう。ああいうの、学生時代の人間関係の影響もあるのかなと思いますが。
Q: How did you live as a university student? The characters in the manga that sensei draws are all unique - I suspect this might be due to influence from human relationships during student days.

青山　うん、影響は学生時代に限らず、子供の頃からの蓄積でいろいろあるでしょうね。大学時代は、麻雀ですね、麻雀をよくやっていましたよ（笑）。住んでいたのは最初、西武池袋線沿いの江古田で、そのあと千川。ここがいちばん長かったんですが、大学に近いのですぐ麻雀のメンツなんかは集まるわけです。誰かの家に集まってやる事が多かったですね、お金もなかったですし。けっこう僕は強かったんですよ、当時。でも今はだめですね、やる時間がそもそもないですし、やってもみんなが楽しければいいやと思って、高い手を狙って打っちゃう。そうすると負けます。負けるだろうなと思って打って、やっぱり負ける（笑）。
A: Yes, though I think I was influenced not only during my university years but throughout my life, accumulating from my childhood. As for my university years, I did mahjong - a lot of mahjong (laughs). I used to live first in Egoda, which is along the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, then in Senkawa. The distance was the longest here, but it was close to the university so we met up for mahjong and such. We met up at someone's house many times, since we didn't have money. I was pretty strong back then. Right now, not so much - I don't have time to play, and even when I do play I think that we should just have fun, so I aim for a high hand. If you do that, you lose. If you play thinking that you'll lose, then you really will, as you'd expect (laughs).

お金がなかったといっても、先生の学生の頃はもうそんな時代でもないでしょう？
Q: Even if you say you didn't have money, it wasn't such a period back when sensei was a student, right?

青山　いや、けっこう貧乏だったなあ。カレーには肉を入れられなかったし。５日ぐらいそんな貧しいカレーで食いつなぐんですよ。毎日毎日カレー。でも米は田舎から送ってもらったので、食う物が何もないってことはなかったけど。米さえあれば何とかなるんですよね。毎日カレーばっかり食べて誰かの家で麻雀やってって、絵に描いたような貧乏大学生の姿だと思いますよ。
A: Nah, I was pretty poor. I couldn't put in meat into curry. I would eat such an indigent curry for five days straight. Curry day after day. But I was sent rice from my hometown, so I did always have something to eat. If you have rice, you manage, don't you? I ate nothing but curry everyday and I played mahjong at someone's house - I think I was the very picture of a poor college student.

２００２年の１２月３１日の夜。先生のスケジュールがこの日しか開かないという中で、インタビューは行われた。かなり疲れていることは想像が付いたし、少々先生が不機嫌でも仕方がないと思っていた。しかし疲れているのは当然なのに、こちらにそれを感じさせる場合はほとんどなかったといっていい。作家として一流なのはご存知の通りだが、人間としても大人のキチンとした人、という印象なのだ。
December 31, 2002, nighttime. The interview took place, since sensei's schedule was apparently only open on this day. I could imagine that sensei was considerably tired; I thought that it couldn't be helped that sensei might be ill-humored. However, you couldn't tell that he was tired, even though he must have been. My impression was that he was upright as a human being and as an adult, though he was of course aware that he was first-class as an artist.

実はこうしてお会いするまでは、青山先生が気むずかしい方でも仕方がないなと思っていました。ミステリー作家は複雑な性格の方が多いというのは事実だし、ましてやハードなスケジュールですから。でも想像していたよりずっとほがらかで、ちょっと驚いています。
Q: In truth, I thought that it couldn't be helped if Aoyama-sensei had a difficult temper, until I met you like this. It is the truth that mystery writers often have complicated personalities, to say nothing of their difficult schedules. I'm surprised that you are far more cheerful than I've imagined you to be.

青山　もっとストレスの固まりみたいな人間を想像していました？もちろんストレスはあるけど、もともと神経質な方ではないんですよ。だからハードスケジュールでも耐えられるというところもあるかな。僕も推理小説とか読んでて、この作者は神経質だなあと思う事がありますね。人のアラ捜すのがうまいやつだなとか。僕の場合はまったくそういうタイプではないです。編集者を困らせた事もあまりない・・・・・・と自分では思うんですけど（笑）。編集者とケンカすることもないですね。ケンカするとしても漫画とは関係ないところで、すごいくだらないこと。編集者が阪神ファンで、僕は巨人ファンなんですが、巨人の優勝がかかっている試合で阪神が巨人に連勝したとき、たまたま映画のポスターのイラストを描く約束をしていたんですよ。でも気分悪いから「俺、描かねえぞ！」って（笑）。編集者も心得たもので、その日はもう連絡してきませんでした（笑）。これ、ケンカっていうのかなあ。
A: Did you imagine someone who was stress personified? I have stress, of course, but I've never been the type to be highly strung. I think that that's why I can endure difficult schedules. I, too, think sometimes that some writers are highly strung when I read their work – the type who are good at searching people from scratch, and such. For me, I'm not that type of person at all. I haven't inconvenienced the editor* much, either . . . or at least, I'd like to think so (laughs).I haven't quarreled with the editor, either. Even if there's a quarrel, it's not about manga, it's about something really trivial. The editor is a Hanshin fan, and I'm a Giants fan; when Hanshin won consecutively against the Giants in the match where the Giants' championship was at stake, I happened to have promised to draw the illustration for the movie poster. But I was in a bad mood, so I said, "I'm not drawing!" (laughs) Since the editor was understanding, he didn't contact me anymore that day (laughs). This isn't really a quarrel, is it? *Strictly speaking, the term could be plural, but I've left it as singular here since Aoyama seems to be talking about his editor.

少年サンデーではない雑誌に始めて投稿なさって佳作になったんですよね。そのままそちらでやるという気持ちはなかったんですか？なぜ少年サンデーへ？
Q: You got an kasaku with a submission to a magazine other than Shonen Sunday, right? Did you not want to continue at that magazine? Why the move to Shonen Sunday?

青山　佳作に選んでくれた漫画雑誌の、編集者が「僕は君の絵は好きなんだけど、今のうち雑誌では絵柄を変えろといわれるだろうから、よそへ行ったほうがいいよ」とアドバイスしてくれて。だったらあだち充さんが好きだし、全体的に絵がかわいいし、サンデーに持っていこうかなと思ったんです。そうしたら、わりとすぐにいけると言われて、その後はけっこうスムーズに。ただ、先輩の漫画家から「編集部に何度も足を運んで編集者に名前を覚えてもらわなきゃいけないよ」といわれたので、できるだけ編集部に通いました。「ちょっとまってて」で新人賞をいただいたんですが、その時点で僕の場合は編集者が付いていたんです。でも自分と同じような新人は何人もいる、その中で顔を覚えてもらうためには頻繁にネーム（下絵原稿）を持って行こうと。そこは意図的に考えてやっていました。半年ぐらいは、かなりしつこく「ネームを直してきました」と通いましたね。ほとんど毎日のように。ほかにやることもなかったし、早く連載待ちたいなと思っていましたね。
A: At the manga magazine where I was kindly given the kasaku, the editor kindly advised me, "I personally like your art, but you'll probably be told to change your style sometime soon, so it'll be better for you if you went elsewhere." If so, I like Mitsuru Adachi, and the picture is cute overall, so I thought about moving to Sunday. Then, I was told that I could go sooner than I'd thought, and things went smoothly after that.But then, a senior manga artist told me, "You should visit the editorial department many times until they memorize your name," so I visited the editorial department whenever I could. When I received the Newcomer Award with Wait a Minute, I already had an editor, in my case. There are many newcomers just like you, so to stand out you must bring in the name (roughly sketched manuscript) often. I did that intentionally. For about half a year, I visited quite insistently, saying "I fixed the name again!" Almost everyday. It's not like I had anything else to do, and I wanted to serialize as soon as possible.

「マジック快斗」の連載はそんな中で決まったんですね。サンデーの増刊で。
Q: Magic Kaito's serialization started in that evironment, didn't it? In Sunday's Special Edition?

青山　そうです。単発で少しずつ描かせてもらったりしていましたけど、基本的にはその間、無職ですよね。漫画家として食べていけるようになったわけじゃないですから。学生時代にバイトで貯めたお金と、新人賞の賞金を食いつぶしていました。でも、こうして話すと苦労の時代と思われるかもしれませんが、実はえらい楽しい日々だったんですよ（笑）。漫画は好きな事だから、結局、自分の好きなことやってるだけなんですね。新人の頃は時間もたくさんあったから、好きなゲームもできましたし。ドラクエをやりながら漫画を描いていた頃の話で、編集者と待ち合わせの約束があったんです。で、江古田の駅前の喫茶店にいるからって電話かかってきたときに、僕は寝ぼけて「あ、あのー、ゴールドがないからいけないよー」って（笑）。そのままガシャンって切って、その３０分後にまたかかってきたときに、そういえばさっき俺、なんかへんなこと言ってたなーとぼんやり（笑）。そのときの編集者もいい人だったんです。だからいろんな面で楽しかった。今はもうゲームをやる時間もありませんしね。
A: Yes. I was allowed to draw from time to time, but you're basically jobless during that time, aren't you? You can't eat as a manga artist, yet. I was eating with the money I saved through part-time jobs as a student, and with the prize money from the Newcomer Award. Although, you might think that this was a difficult time period the way I talk, but those days were actually really fun for me (laughs). In the end, I was doing what I liked, since I like manga. I also had a lot of time when I was a newcomer, so I could play my favorite games. Back when I used to draw manga while playing Dragon Quest, I had a promise to meet with the editor. Then, when the editor called since he was at a cafe near Egoda's train station, I replied, half asleep, "Uuuum, I can't gooo, since I don't have the gold yeeet" (laughs). Then I hanged up, and when I got a call again after thirty minutes, I vaguely thought, "I said something weird, didn't I?" (laughs).The editor back then was a good person, too. Things were fun back then, in many aspects. Now, I don't quite have the time to play games as I used to.

漫画家としてやっていける、食べていく事ができると実感したのは「マジック快斗」でですか？
Q: Did you realize that you could continue as a manga artist, that you could eat as one with Magic Kaito?

青山　そうですね。当時の編集長が「マジック快斗」をあまり評価してくれなくて、「これが単行本になって１０万部売れたらおごってやる」って言われていたんです。だけどあっという間に越えちゃって、その時単行本が売れるって儲かるんだなと思いました。そのあと「YAIBA」の連載が本誌で始まったんですが、週間だから単行本が出るのも速いでしょう。それでずいぶん楽になりました。生活もですが、精神的にもですね。忙しくなって遊ぶ時間はなくなっちゃいましたけど。コナンは「YAIBA」が終わってから、編集者と次はどうしようという打ち合わせの中で決まりました。当時、「少年マガジン」で金田一君（「金田一少年の事件簿」）が始まっていたんですが、探偵モノは好きだし、面白そうだから自分もやってみたいなと思いました。最初は「探偵物語」みたいな、ちょっとハードボイルドっぽいコメディというのを考えていたんですよ。でもコナンはわりと少年漫画の王道なんですよね。小さくなって、悪い奴らに脅かされてという。プロットは２週間ぐらいでできあがったんだけど、そんなに神経質に考えたわけでもないんです。コナンが小１に戻っちゃうというのも、新一は１７才だから、ちょうど１０才戻ればわかりやすいだろうと思ったんです。小１にしたことにどんな意味があるんですか、と聞かれる事があるけど、意味はただそれだけ（笑）。あと、小１だと完全に子供だから、その年齢の子が何をやっても笑って許してもらえるだろう、みたいなことはちょっとありましたけど。
A: Yes, I think so. The editor-in-chief back then didn't like Magic Kaito very much, and he said, "I'll treat you something if this gets sold as volumes and sells 100,000 copies." Then the number was passed in the blink of time - I thought, it's profitable to sell volumes, isn't it? After that, YAIBA started at the magazine, and since the magazine is weekly, volumes came out quickly, too. Things became much easier after that, not only in terms of livelihood but psychologically, too. I did become busy and lost time to have some fun, though. Conan was decided when I met up with the editor to discuss what to do next after YAIBA ended. At the time, Kindaichi (from Kindaichi Case Files) started at Shonen Magazine, and since I like mysteries and it seemed interesting, I wanted to have a go at it. At first, I/we thought about a hardboiled-esque comedy with a title like "Tale of a Detective" or something similar. But Conan is the royal road to shonen manga, isn't it? Becoming small, and then getting threatened by bad guys. The plot was finished in about two weeks, but it's not something I/we thought neurotically about. Conan turned back to a first grader, since Shinichi is 17, so I thought that turning back exactly ten years would be easy to understand. I get asked if why I chose first grade, but that's pretty much all the reason (laughs). Although, there also was a bit of an aspect that, since first graders are completely children, someone that age will be laughed at and then forgiven for doing anything.

プロットと一緒に、キャラクターの絵も決めていくのですか？
Q: Did you decide the characters' appearances along with the plot?

青山　ほとんど同時に。絵については１分もかかってないかな。
A: Almost at the same time. I don't think that the pictures took more than a minute.

コナンのめがねというアイデアもそのときに？
Q: The idea for Conan's glasses was decided at the time, too?

青山　スーパーマンが好きなので。彼はクラーク・ケントのときにはメガネをかけていたでしょう。それが頭にありました。新一のときはメガネしていないけど、コナンになるとメガネ。メガネで思い出しましたけど、掟破りの漫画を作りたいなと考えていたんですよね。少年誌の主人公でメガネって、アラレちゃんぐらいでしょう。のび太は厳密にいえば主人公じゃないし。あとはネーム（文字）の多さですね。ネームの多い漫画は少年誌ではウケない、というのが定説だったんです。それからもう一個何かあったんだけど、何だっけな。コナンっていう名前についてだったかな。「未来少年コナン」と同じだからということで、編集長はいい顔をしませんでした。ドイル君にしろと言われたような（笑）。でも担当編集者とは掟破りをやろうと盛り上がっていましたよ。
A: I like Superman, you see. Superman wore glasses as Clark Kent, right? That was what was in my head at the time. No glasses when he's Shinichi, but glasses once he turns into Conan. I just remembered, I wanted to make a rule-breaking manga. In shonen, Arare-chan is about the only one who is a protagonist and who also has glasses. Strictly speaking, Nobita-kun isn't a protagonist. Also, names (characters/letters). In shonen, there was a rule that manga with a lot of names in it don't become popular. There was another rule I tried to break – hmm, what was it? Was it about the name, Conan? Since it was the same as Future Boy Conan, the editor-in-chief didn't make a very good face. I think I was told to change the name to Doyle-kun (laughs). My editor was excited about breaking the rules, though.

それと、さっきおっしゃった少年漫画の王道の部分と。ラブコメの要素もあるけど、幼なじみでっていうのはわりと王道ですよね。
Q: Going back to what you have just said about shonen manga's royal path – your work also has an element of love comedy; childhood friends are also royal-path material, aren't they?

青山　そうですね。幼なじみはまあ、僕の趣味といわれればそうだけど（笑）、ラクなんですよ設定が。幼なじみで昔から知っているというのはストーリーが展開しやすいんです。ラブコメではやっぱりあだち充さんの「タッチ」とか好きでしたから。テレビドラマだと「男女七人夏物語」。今の若い読者の子はこのドラマを知らない人も多いでしょうけど、ラブコメの最高傑作だと僕は思っているんですよ。ああいう雰囲気を出したかった。ただ、ラブはあるんだけれども、新一と服部に関していうと女好きではないんですね、どっちも。普通の高校生の男の子とはちょっと違う。探偵ってやっぱりホームズにしても横溝正史の金田一にしても、かなり変わったところがあるんですよ。そこが探偵という人種の魅力でもあるんです。
A: That's true. You could say that it's my preference to use childhood friends, though (laughs). The setup becomes really easy. It's easy to develop the story when the characters are childhood friends who have known each other for a long time. I liked Mitsuru Adachi-san's Touch, after all. As for dramas, I like The Tale of Seven Men and Women*. Though most young readers now probably don't know about this drama, I think that this is the masterpiece of love comedy. I wanted to bring out such an atmosphere in my work. Although, despite the presence of love, neither Shinichi nor Hattori chases after women, do they? They're a little different from a normal high school boy. In the end, detectives are fairly different, whether you're talking about Holmes or Seishi Yokomizo's Kindaichi. That's the appeal of detective-type people, though. *There's a Japanese Wikipedia page for it, but that's about it. Apparently it ran from July 25 to September 26, 1986 on TBS, and was so popular that its ratings exceeded 31% at one time.

ネームがボツになった、というようなことはありますか？
Q: Have your names ever been disgarded before?

青山　イラストレーターの女の人が愛人の画家に殺される回（FILE. 125「落ちる死体」～）で、「俺はおまえにお金をやる。だからおまえはオレを満足させる。それで５０・５０でいいじゃないか」と書いたら、これはちょっとまずいですって。サンデーでは確かに生々しいかなと思いました（笑）。結局、「仕事をやるから家庭に口出しするな」というような、あっさりしたものにしたんです。そのぐらいですね。
A: In the case where the female illustrator gets killed by her lover, who is an artist (File 125~ "Falling Corpse"), I wrote, "I give you money. You give me satisfaction. That sounds like a fair deal to me," and they told me that this was not good. I do agree that it was too raw for Sunday (laughs). In the end, I changed it to something light like "I'll do my job so don't meddle with the family." That's about it.

取材はどうしているんですか？警察関係とか、犯罪の知識とか、すごくデータ部分がしっかりしていて、驚くことも多いんですが。
Q: What about collecting data? I'm often surprised about how firm the factual areas on police relations, crime knowledge, and such are.

青山　編集者の友達に鑑識や銀行の人がいたり、アシスタントの親せきが元刑事だったりするので、聞いてもらって。たとえば貸し金庫を夜中にあけるとしたら何が必要か？とか。警察用語でも出していいものは作品で使わせてもらうし、「これはちょっと秘密だから出さないで」というものも当然ありますし。クルマ関係は一つ年下の弟に聞いています。エンジニアなんです。トリックで、氷を前輪に挟んで動かないようにして、とけたらどうなるのか、多分水はクーラーかけっぱなしだったらラジエーターの水が落ちる、で、どっからどう落ちるの？と聞いたり（巻末最新４１６話リスト、３０２頁を参照）。薬者関係はもう一人の弟が医者だから・・・・・・。アポトキシンの設定などは二人で考えました。若返る・・・・・・骨が元に戻るっていうのはあり得ないんで、それはフィクションだとしても、細胞が若返るというのはありうるな、とか。この弟はアニメについても詳しいので、声優さんを決めるときにアドバイスもくれました。あと、服部と和葉の大阪弁は、関西出身の編集者が細かく見てくれます。取材といえば、寝台特急「北斗星」を編集者と二人で取材に行ったことがあります。夕方近くに待ち合わせしていて、今回の事件の舞台は「北斗星」で行こうと突然決まって。その時偶然、翌朝のチケットが取れたんですよ。でも北海道までは行かず、宇都宮で降りてきちゃったんで、ちょっともったいなかったですけどね。車掌さんに驚かれましたよ。「途中で降りちゃうんですか」って。
A: The editor has friends who does CSI or are working at a bank, and the assistants' relatives turn out to be former police detectives, so I ask them. For example, what do you need if you want to open a safe at night? I get to use some police terminology, too, though of course there are secret ones that I can't use. On car-related subjects, I ask my brother, who is one year younger than me. He's an engineer. I ask him things like, if you insert ice between the front wheels and the ice melts, what will happen? The radiator's water will probably drip if the cooler was kept open – then, where would the water drip from? Things like that. (File 221) On medicine-related subjects, I have another younger brother, who is a doctor. He and I came up with the APTX. To be rejuvenated . . . you can't get your bones back to the way it was, so that aspect is fictional, but maybe it's possible to rejuvenate cells, and such. This younger brother is also knowlegeable about anime, so he advised me on who to pick for voice actors. Also, on Hattori and Kazuha's Kansai dialect, the editor, who is from Kansai, looks over them carefully for me. On site research, I've rode the sleeping car train Hokutosei with the editor before. We had a meeting around dusk once, and suddenly decided to make this case center on Hokutosei. By chance, I/we managed to obtain the ticket(s) for next morning. Unfortunately, we didn't go up to Hokkaido and got off at Utsunomiya, so it was a bit of a waste. The train conductor surprised me. I said, "I have to get off in the middle?"

コナンでストーリー上、いちばん苦労する事は何ですか？
Q: What do you struggle with the most in Conan's story?

青山　動機ですね、犯人の。トリックを考えるのが大変だと思われますけど、僕としては動機の方にいつも苦労しています。怨恨が多いんだけど、いつもじゃ面白くないし。かといって無差別殺人みたいなのはイヤですし。たとえば暑かったから、ムシャクシャしたから人を殺したとか、そういうのは後味が悪いでしょ。それはやりたくないんです。犯人も死なせません。月影島の話だけですね、最後に犯人が自殺して終わるのは。
A: The culprit's motives. People often think that coming up with tricks is troublesome, but for me, I always struggle with the motives. Grudges pop up a lot, but if it happens too often, then it's not interesting anymore. But then, I don't like indiscriminate murder, either. For example, someone kills people because it was hot outside – that leaves a bad taste, doesn't it? I don't want to do things like that. I also don't let the culprit die. The culprit commits suicide in the end only in the Tsukikage (Moon Shadow) Island story, right?

キャラクターについても「これだけはやらない」と決めていることはありますか？
Q: On the characters, is there something you decided the characters won't do?

青山　コナンは泣かない、ということぐらいですね。あくびして目に涙がたまるのはいいけど、号泣しない、感情移入して泣いたりしない。これは最初に決めたことです。ほかにもいろいろあるけどあんまり言わない方がいいですよね。読者のみんなに捜してもらうほうが楽しいでしょう。
A: Conan doesn't cry, but that's about it. He might have tears in his eyes from yawning, but he won't wail, he won't cry from empathy. I decided this at the beginning. There are other things I decided, but it's better not to say them, isn't it? It'll be more fun for the readers to search for themselves.

ストーリーは、編集者との話し合いで決まるんですか？
Q: Do you decide the story with the editor?

青山　はい、編集者と最初に話しながら決めていきます。これは前の話が終わったら仮眠をとって、すぐその日のうちにやります。フリートークのような感じで、トリックから話の流れから結末まで、一気に編集と一話分、つまりおよそ３～４週分を決めてしまうんです。だから大まかなスケジュールは、一つの話が終わって仮眠、その日のうちに立ち合わせ、そこから３日間でネームを上げて、またそこで打ち合わせ、それから４日間でペン入れ、仕上げという感じです。これで一週間。
A: Yes, I first discuss with the editor and decide. When the previous case ends, I take a nap, then I discuss within that day. With a free-talk-like style, we discuss from the trick, the flow of the story, to the conclusion, and we decide one case at once – in another words, we decide what will happen for the next 3~4 weeks. So the overall schedule goes like this: one case ends, I take a nap, I meet with the editor within that day, then I finish the name (pre-manuscript) in three days, then I meet up with the editor again, and then I ink it, then I add the finishing touches in the next four days. This is my week.

休めないですね、全然。その間にもいろいろあるでしょうし。
Q: You can't rest at all, can you? You must have other things to do within that period, too.

青山　ええ、休めないです。原稿を完成して寝てるときぐらいしか休みはないですね。休載のときは旅行なんかもしますが、それでもコナンのことを考えていて完全に休みにはならない。息抜きは野球を見てるときぐらいですね。
A: No, I can't rest. I rest only about the time when I sleep after finishing the manuscript. I might travel when Conan doesn't print, but even then I think about Conan so it's not truly a rest at all. I relax only about when I watch baseball.

コナンはこの先、どう展開していくのか誰もが興味のあるところですが。
Q: Everyone is curious about how Conan will develop in the future.

青山　いや、それもいっぱい言わないのが楽しいでしょう（笑）。読者があっと驚くような展開を考えていますけど、今はまだ言えないことのほうが多いですね。
A: It's probably more fun to not say much about that (laughs). I am thinking about a development that will surprise the readers, but for now there are more things that I can't say.

仮に先生が数週間の休みを取ったとしても、誰もコナンを忘れる事はないし、人気が下がる事もない（編集部は困るが）。そういうところまで上がりつめたのに、先生はなおハードなスケジュールの中でコナンを書き続ける。そのエネルギーはどこから湧いてくるのか、不思議な気分になった。もう一つ、先生からは「仕事」という言葉が出てこないのだ。漫画を書くことはまぎれもなく先生にとって仕事なのだが、いわゆる「労働」というという意識とはまったく違うものだろうと思う。
Even if sensei does take a few weeks of vacation, no one forgets about Conan, and the popularity doesn't go down, either (though this will trouble the editorial department). Even though sensei climbed up to that point, he continues writing Conan amid an even more difficult schedule. I wonder about where such an energy come from. One more thing, sensei never said the word "job". Though writing manga is undoubedly a job for sensei, it seems to be completely different from the what is called "labor".

漫画家にとって大事なことって何なんでしょう？たとえば漫画家を目指す人たちにアドバイスするとしたら。
Q: What is important for a manga artist? What would you advise people who want to become manga artists, for example?

青山　なんだろう・・・・・・。僕はあんまり自分で「ああ、俺は漫画家なんだな」と強く意識するような瞬間ってないんだけども。まあ基本的には好きっていうのがありますよね。好きじゃなきゃやっていけない。あとは、好奇心を持つこと。ありきたりですけど、これぐらいしか思いつかないですよね。好奇心っていうのは、たとえばすっごくつまらない映画を見て「つまんねー！」って終わるんじゃなくて、俺ならここはこうするのに、とか、こうすればどんどん面白くなるのにと考えていくようなことかな。面白い映画はそのままでいいんだけど、つまらない映画を見たときにそこで何を考えるのか。だから案外、つまらない映画のほうが結果的には自分にはよかったりします（笑）。それから、世の中のことで自分が知らないことはたくさんあるでしょう。アニメに関しての話なんだけど、視聴率で「F1, F2」という専門用語を聞いたとき、あ、これで何かできないかなと考えちゃったりしましたね*。新しいことを見たり聞いたりしたときに、何かできるんじゃないかと考えるのは大事なことです。
A: I wonder . . . I never had a moment where I had a strong sense that I am a manga artist.You might say that, at the core, you have to like it. You can't continue if you don't like it. Also, you must have a sense of inquisitiveness. These might be common, but that's all that I can think of. On inquisitiveness, say you see a boring movie. Don't say "Boooring!" and be done with it, for me I would think about how this part should be like this, how if this is done then it will be come more and more interesting – things like that. Interesting movies are fine the way they are, but what are you doing to think when you see a boring one? That's why boring movies are surprisingly better for me results-wise (laughs). Also, there are a lot of things that you don't know about in this world, right? In a story related to anime, when I heard of the terminologies "F1, F2" for ratings, I end up thinking if I could make something out of them or not.* It's important to think about what you can do with things you've never heard of before.

• テレビの視聴者の年齢増をあらわす記号。F1は２０～３４才の女性、F2は３５～４９才の女性である。その他は次の通り。
  

F3＝女５０才以上、M1＝男２０～３４才、M2＝男３５～４９才、M3＝男５０才以上、C1＝男女４～１２才、C2＝男女１３～１９才。

• Symbols representing TV viewers' age groups. F1 = female, 20~34; F2 = female, 35~49; others are as follows:
  

F3 = females 50 and above; M1 = male, 20~34; M2 = male, 35~49; M3 = males 50 and above; C1 = children, 4~12; C2 = children, 13~19.

頭が常に創作の方を向いているんですね。創作脳というか。
Q: Your head constantly turns toward creative work, doesn't it? Creative brain, perhaps.

青山　そうですね。だからやっぱり好きじゃないとだめでしょ。普通は旅行に行ったらなんにも考えずのんびりするんだけど、僕もそうしようとは思うんですが、つい普段の癖で何かネタになりそうなことはないかなと。基本的にマジメってこともあるんです（笑）。ただしあんまり根を詰めるとダメなんですけども。
A: That's true. That's why you have to like it, in the end. You're usually carefree without any thoughts if you travel, and I try to do that, too, but I end up thinking about if I can find material to work with out of habit. At the core, there's an aspect of diligence (laughs). You shouldn't strain your nerves too much, though.

腱鞘炎は大丈夫ですか？漫画家は腱鞘炎との戦いだ、といわれますが。
Q: Are you all right from tendonitis? They say that being a manga artist means a fight against tendonitis.

青山　一回なりかけて、ヤバイなというときがありました。元々、筆圧が強いので腱鞘炎にはなりやすいタイプなんです。それからは描き方を変えましたね。細マジックで、何度も線をなぞって太くしていくんですよ。ピグマの０．１ミリというペンがあるんですが、それでサッサッと。そうすると腕に力を入れなくてもすむんです。絵は背景と重要じゃない登場人物以外は、自分で描いています。クルマを含めた背景、それに人物で言うと鑑識とか名前のない警察はアシスタントに任せて、名前のある人物については僕がやるという分け方です。
A: There was one time when I almost got it. I always had strong pressure on the pen, so I'm the type who easily gets tendonitis. I've changed my drawing style since then. I use a thin marker and trace over the same line many times to make it thicker. I use the PIGMA 0.1mm pen. That way, I don't have to put much pressure on the arms. Except for background and unimportant characters, I draw everything. Meaning, I leave things like backgrounds with cars, CSI's and police people without names to assistants, then draw the characters who have names myself.

絵に関して、影響を受けた漫画家さんというと誰でしょう？
Q: On the art, which manga artist did you receive influence from?

青山　「ルパン三世」のモンキー・パンチさんですね。コナンがお酒を飲んで元の身体に戻るときがあるでしょう？あの「白乾児（パイカル）」というお酒は、「ルパン三世」に出てくるすごくかっこいい魔術師の名前なんです。あとはあだち充さん、意外なところでは少女漫画家の松苗あけみさんかな。それから大友克洋さんは世代的に、僕らの年齢だとみんな多かれ少なかれ影響を受けているんじゃないかな。
A: Monkey Punch, of Lupin III. There's a time when Conan drinks some alcohol and reverts back to his former body, right? The alcohol called Paikaru comes from the name of a magician that appears in Lupin III. I would also say Mitsuru Adachi-san, and surprisingly a shojo manga artist named Akemi Matsunae-san, I think. And people my age all received influence to some degree from Katsuhiro Otomo-san, I think. (Ha ha, I wonder if Miyano Akemi's name comes from Matsunae Akemi's . . . it sounds like it does, doesn't it?)

先生は独身ですが、結婚したら今の生活は続けられないですね。
Q: Sensei is single, but if you marry you can't continue living like this, can you?

青山　無理でしょう。生活が変わっちゃったら、今のペースは維待できない。最初にコナンを立ち上げたときも、「これは大変だよな」と思いました。で、実際やってみたら本当にあまりに大変なんで、もう上の人からどうこう言われるんならやらない。勝手にやらせてくれなきゃいやだと言ったぐらいです。そうやって、生活も作品も好き勝手にやっているから続けていけるんでしょうね。コナンをドイルにしろとか、服部を純然たるライバルにしろとか、そういうことは言われてきたけど、それは僕が考えてることと違うので。そこは作家として主張してきました。だからずいぶん好きなようにやっています。好きなことを、好きなように・・・・・・心身ともに大変ではあるんですが、結局はそこに尽きると思っています。それで、そうやって生きていける自分はやっぱり幸せなんですよね。アイデアが枯れてもう何も出なくなるまで、もしくは読者から「おまえはもういらない」と言われるまで、漫画家としてずっとやれたらいいと思っています。口では「あー、もうやめてえ～！」と言うことはあってもね。
A: No, I can't. If my lifestyle changes, I can't continue the current pace anymore.* When I started Conan, I thought that this would be a lot of work. When I actually started, it was truly so much work that I don't do what my superiors say. I even said that I won't do anything unless they let me do whatever I want to do. This way, I can continue because I'm doing whatever I want in life and in my work. I was told to change the name from Conan to Doyle, to make Hattori into an absolute rival, things like that, but that's different from what I'm thinking. In that aspect, I insisted on my way as the artist. So I've been doing whatever I want. You should do what you like, as you like . . . This may be quite troublesome to both mind and body, but in the end I think that I want to be consumed there. Therefore, I'm happy, after all, because I'm living this way. I think I want to continue being a manga artist until ideas run dry, or readers tell me that they don't need me anymore. Though I might say "Aaaah, stooop!" from time to time. *There seems to be a typo here - I can't find the meaning of 維待anywhere – so I guessed at what it meant.

Erlangen, Germany Interview

Press conference in Erlangen, Germany on June 17, 2006
Translated by: Aki-kun

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This interview was given on 22nd July 2006 during a press conference at "Comic-Salon" in Erlangen (Germany). [TN: Actually, the interview was given on 17th June 2006.]
Note: At this time, volume 54 was published in Japan, while there were 44 volumes obtainable in Germany. So the events in Japan were 10 volumes ahead in comparison to the German ones.

[Tranlator note: Part of this interview was published in the German version of volume 50, but only a few of the questions/answers. I guess the other questions just weren't written down there for some reason, but were asked and answered during that convention.]

Q: How many volumes is Detective Conan going to have?
A: The amount of volumes is not certain yet.

Q: Does Gosho Aoyama already know, how the series is going to end?
A: He does already know what the last scene is going to be, but of course he won't reveal it yet.

Q: Will there be a happy end?
A: He won't reveal it, either.

Q: On which day is Heiji's birthday?
A: It's not certain yet, but it should be July or August.

Q: Is Conan going to grow older over the course of the series, e.g. becoming a second grader?
A: No, Conan is not going to grow older. He may be at the end of the series, but that's still a secret.

Q: During one of the movies Sonoko got a different hairstyle (see movie 5). Is she also going to get this hairstyle in the manga version?
A: The movies and the manga version are completely separated from each other. So Sonoko will keep her old hairstyle in the manga version.

Q: Does Gosho Aoyama plan to write the last volume already and to keep it in a safe for now?
A: No, he does not plan to.

Q: Is the antidote of APTX related to Necrosis?
A: It's still uncertain.

Q: Are there going to be new members of the Detective Boys in the future?
A: For now, no new members are planned.

Q: Are there going to be big surprises for Japanese fans in the near future?
A: Yes, there are going to be some big surprises. The name of Haibara [TN: could be either her name or Haibara herself; probably Haibara herself though] is going to be a big part of it [TN: referring to the surprises].

Q: Does Gosho Aoyama plan to have children in the future?
A: For now, he does not.

Q: How does Gosho Aoyama like Germany? Is Conan going to solve some case in Germany sometime?
A: Gosho Aoyama really thinks Germany is very beautiful. He especially likes the sausages.
There probably won't be a case for Conan in a foreign country since he wouldn't been able to get a passport.

Q: But in one of the movies Conan has solved a case in London already (see movie 6).
A: He wasn't really in London. But maybe he will get a faked passport... (At that time Steffen Hautog interjects how nice it is that the German fans are traveling to Japan just to see the Conan movies as the movies weren't published yet in Germany at that time.)

Q: Where do the ideas for the cases come from?
A: He has to answer this question a lot of times. He gets his inspiration from everyday life, for example from a toilet:
If the lid is up, a man has used the toilet. If it's down, it was a woman. Such details can become part of the cases.

Q: In the manga version there often are little extra comics. [TN: Not sure what they are referring to, here] Are they just little jokes or are the assistants using them to annoy their boss?
A: They are just little jokes.

Q: Does Gosho Aoyama plan to have a cameo in Detective Conan?
A: No, he's not going to appear in the series himself.

Q: What is Gosho Aoyama's bet for the WC soccer game between Japan and Croatia? [TN: of the soccer WC 2006 in Germany]
A: He hopes for a 2:0 for Japan. However, he thinks the Croatian team is very srong, so the Japanese team won't have it easy.

Q: Gosho is actively doing sports, e.g. Kendo. Does he also play soccer?
A: He is only a viewer when it comes to soccer. His favorite soccer team is Juventus Turin.

Q: How tall is Conan?
A: Gosho shows with his hand that it's at about 1,30 meter.

Q: Why are all members of the BO named after alcoholic beverages?
A: Because it's cool.

Q: Why did Gosho Aoyama put a detective in the body of an elementary school pupil?
A: Since the series primary audience are children, the protagonist should also be a child.

Q: Why are almost all characters in the series blue-eyed, while blue-eyed people aren't very common in Japan in reality?
A: Blue is more colorful.

Q: Does Gosho Aoyama want to continue Kaito Kid?
A: He wants to, but he has no time to do so at the moment. So the master thief is only going to appear occasionally
in Detective Conan for now. In Japan a volume recently was published, which tells the story of the origin of Kid's name.

Q: Is Conan going to find out who's Kid? Is Kid going to be captured, by Conan or police?
A: It's not certain for now.

Q: Is Yusaku Kudo going to reappear in the future?
A: Gosho Aoyama is drawing a story which plays ten years before the current storyline. Conan's father is going to appear in this case, too. [TN: Obviously referring to volume 55 chapter 6-9]

Q: When Gosho Aoyama started Detective Conan, did he expect his series to get so successful?
A: No, he didn't expect it to get so successful. He estimated that it would be only published for three months in a Japanese magazine.

Q: Does Gosho Aoyama teach talented young manga artists?
A: No, he does not teach.

Q: Which part of Detective Conan is done by Gosho Aoyama himself and which part by his assistants?
A: Gosho Aoyama himself draws the characters, his assistants draw the backgrounds and painting big areas.

Q: Is Sonoko going to have a boyfriend?
A: She already has a boyfriend and they are going to stay together.

Q: Are there going to be further entanglements between Kaito Kid and Conan?
A: No, because the story would become too complicated, otherwise.

Q: Why does Makoto always wear a plaster on his face?
A: Because it's cool.

Q: Why are there so many pairings in Detective Conan between old childhood friends?
A: Childhood friends becoming lovers is an easy concept to comprehend for everybody. That's why it's used so often.

Q: How much hours in a week does Gosho Aoyama work and what is he doing when he's not working?
A: Gosho Aoyama claims that he sleeps three hours a day. When he's not working, he plays computer games, watches TV and movies, reads crime novels, and - of course - watches soccer.

Q: How is Kogoro able to get sober in an instant?
A: Gosho Aoyama didn't even notice that before.

Q: In one movie, the divorce of Kogoro and his wife was shown (see movie 2). Is it going to be shown in the manga series, too?
A: Gosho Aoyama is drawing a story, where they are still together. [TN: Probably again referring to volume 55 chapter 6-9]

Q: What is the first name of Professor Agasa's first love?
A: Her first name is Fusae.

Q: Why is Ran so violent?
A: For that you have to ask Ran herself.

Q: Who is Gosho Aoyama's favorite caharcter from Detective Conan?
A: The little master detective himself.

Q: Why does Shuuichi hate Gin so much?
A: It is going to become clear soon in the manga.

Q: Does Gosho Aoyama plan to start a new series after Detective Conan is finished?
A: As of yet, there's no new series planned.

Q: How old is Gosho Aoyama?
A: He is going to be 43 years-old on 21st June [TN: 2006].

Q: For how long has Gosho Aoyama worked on Detective Conan?
A: For this, Gosho Aoyama has to ask his editor, who traveled along.
He has worked on Detective Conan since 1993.

Q: Who is the boss of the BO?
A: It's already decided and it is going to be revealed sometime.

Q: Which style of music does Gosho Aoyama prefer?
A: He doesn't listen to music very often and he prefers no particular style.

Q: Does Gosho Aoyama have some role models among other mangaka?
A: Yes, for example the famous movie director Kurosawa is one of his role models.

Q: How old was he, when he published his first manga?
A: That has to be answered by his editor as well. Gosho Aoyama was 24 years-old at that time.

Q: When did Gosho Aoyama buy his first manga?
A: When he was in kindergarten, he bought his first manga, which probably isn't known by anyone in Germany.
By the way, his father bought him "Peter Pan".

Q: Does Gosho Aoyama have contact to other mangaka?
A: He visits parties where he meets his colleagues.

Q: Would he like to visit Germany again, even if the Japanese national team doesn't play there at that time?
A: Gosho Aoyama really likes German sausages, so he would like to visit Germany again in the future.

Q: Which manga does Gosho Aoyama like to read?
A: Among other things he is a big fan of "Vagabond".

Q: Which crime story authors did inspire Gosho Aoyama the most?
A: He is a big fan of Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes.

Q: When did Gosho Aoyama start to draw manga?
A: He began to draw manga when he was three years old. However, those drawings could only be called scribbles.

Q: On the internet, there is a rumor that Gosho Aoyama would be on a two month-break. Is it true?
A: No, it's not. If someone would offer him such a long break, he wouldn't decline, but, alas, no one does.

Q: Is Gosho Aoyama also interested in European and US comics?
A: Yes, he is. His favorites are "Superman" and "Batman" among other things. But he also likes works from Moebius.

Q: How many persons work on the manga?
A: Gosho Aoyama works together with six assitants.

Q: Would Gosho Aoyama read and answer fan letters from Germany, if they are written in Japanaese?
A: He would read them. But instead of answering each of them, he would send a new years card.

Q: To what extend is Detective Conan autobiographic?
A: From time to time, there are events of Gosho Aoyama's daily life, which are represented in the manga.

Q: Is Gosho Aoyama able to imagine one day in the life of Conan without a murder?
A: He would like to write such a story one day.

Q: Are there really as many murders as shown in Detective Conan in Japan?
A: No, thankfully not.

Q: The word is that the Japanese police has used Conan for an anti drug campaign in the past. Is it true?
A: It's true. The campaign was directed at children. Many children watch Deective Conan and while watching it catch this message.


TN: That's it ~
I'm sorry for my bad English.
Feel free to ask if some parts do not make sense in Englisch or to correct any mistakes.
Also, my translation may not be 100 % literal all of the time since it isn't really possible at some parts with how the German sentences are worded.

Anime 10th Anniversary Interview

Aoyama Anime 10th anniversary interview on 2005-2006
Posted at : https://reiarashi.wordpress.com/2006/09/10/aoyama-10th-anniversary-interview/

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Q: The animated version of “Detective Conan” is welcoming it’s 10 years anniversary. Looking back on these ten years, How do you feel?
Gosho: Even though that is a long time, to me… it feels like a blink of an eye.

Q: Are there any differences between now and then?
Gosho: (Conan) grew taller. *laugh* In the beginning, I was drawing him at the cute size of three head sizes. Now I’m slowly drawing him at 4 head size, because kids in real life are taller now.

Q: What’s your favorite moment in the anime?
Gosho: “The moonlight sonata case”. In the manga, there was no sound so it felt better with music in the anime. Other ones, are like the bomb case of Sato-san.

Q: How’d you feel when they decided to make an anime?
Gosho: Conan is based on logical deduction, so I thought it was better to make it into a play. As an anime, if there’s no action, if it can’t make people happy, it wouldn’t be accepted. At the time I felt even if Conan was made into an anime, it won’t be accepted so… I thought it would be over very soon *laugh*

Q: You never expected that it would last ten years?
Gosho: Never… I’m surprised myself.

Q: What’s the most important thing to take note of when drawing Conan?
Gosho: When it was made into an anime, I told the artist not to draw Conan like the edogawa detective group’s Rin-san but draw him like Kogorou, a person who looks like he’s overseeing the whole case.

Q: What do you feel when looking at the anime?
Gosho: Conan’s voice is my wife’s voice, but in the anime she’ll say “yatte ne” in a voice more fitting of her beautiful attitude *laugh*

Q: What’s hardest to draw in Conan?
Gosho: The corpse, if you draw it too scary, too ugly, or too rough… people won’t find it interesting. It’s very hard to find the balance in this area… but still fit for kids to watch because kids are really smart these days. In truth, I’ve drawn a lot of content that’s just more fitting for adults.

Q: Were you ever worried about the possibility that the anime might be more popular then the original work?
Gosho: I never worried about that before, I don’t mind the anime originals that the anime staff came up with.

Q: What do you think of the anime original?
Gosho: Conan in the Manga says only stuff that I know, stuff that I researched, and stuff that I heard and sources like that. Anime Original is different, I’ve got no idea of the plotline. Sometimes I’ll let out a “Ho~o, you’re so smart!” or “Wow, you even know things like that” remarks.

Q: Did you even think about drawing the anime and the manga at the same time?
Gosho: Of course, of course, especially when I’m drawing action scenes like Ran’s karate because if you see it in anime, it is very interesting. Like Conan’s kicking scenes. There wasn’t any sort of continuous action in the manga.

Q: The reason Conan is so loved by fans over this long period of time?
Gosho: Yeah, to tell you the truth. I’m not really clear on it. I guess it’s because everybody likes to see detective shows and drama shows. The man who was shrunk and can not confess his love, everyone seems able to embrace this.

Q: What does Conan mean to you?
Gosho: Painful days and happy days. I’m very happy when I’m drawing Conan, but at the same time… it is very tiresome *laugh*

Q: What is the most tired period within these ten years?
Gosho: Well, because there are so many lines… it took a long time to produce it. If anybody feels that the lines are too long, that’s because I wrote it that long. *laugh* This is a really tiresome work. I have a few pages full of lines in tiny letters.

Q: Compared to your other work, is the production time the same?
Gosho: It’s completely different. When I was drawing Yaiba, if I’m lucky, I can be done in 4 to 5 days. Conan needs at least 1 week or a bit more then 1 week. For a weekly published manga… I killed quite a bit of my brain cells.

Q: How many more years do you set as your goal?
Gosho: Because I’ve been drawing it for 10 years, I haven’t thought of the future. Although I have already thought of the ending, because I can’t lay the clues if I don’t have the ending.

Q: The 10th movie that’s going to premiere in April.. what’s the difference between it and the 9th film?
Gosho: It’s different, to say… there’s going to be a lot more detectives this time. (Did you see that poster with all the detectives) Yeah, even though this guy came out before, this time, he’s coming out at the same time. The other point worth mentioning is my other project “Magic Kaito”. The showdown between Kaitou and his nemesis Hakuba. Heiji, Conan and Hakuba. The joint appearance of the 3 high school detectives at the same time.

Q: The story of the movie?
Gosho: Within limited time, can the case be solved? Can the criminal be captured? The criminal will have a lot of hostages… It’s not good if I say anymore *laugh*

Q: Finally, do you have anything to say to the audience?
Gosho: This time it’s the 10th movie, so all the detectives who’ve shown up within these ten years should appear. So even though I can’t say fancy, it’s the 10 year special. Please look forward to it!

Conan and Kindaichi Files Interview #1

名探偵コナン＆金田一少年の事件簿01 (Detective Conan & Kindaichi Case files #1), published April 10, 2008
Translated by: justwantanaccount

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まずは連載が始まった経緯を教えてください。
First, pleast tell the details on how the serializations began.
天樹征丸：僕らが「金田一少年の事件簿」を始めた頃は、トリックを使った本格派のミステリー漫画は皆無でした。この仕事を始めた時、いくつかやりたいテーマがあって、ミステリーまんがもそのひとつ。それで企画を考えました。
Seimaru Amagi (the writer for Kindaichi): At the time we started Kindaichi Case Files, genuine mystery manga using tricks were hopeless. When I started this job, there were a few themes that I wanted to do, and mystery manga was one of them. I thought of plans according to that.
さとうふみや：私は、旅行から帰ってきたら、留守電に編集部から「金田一」の打診があって。その頃は、まだ売れてなかったから、「次は何しようかな」とか考えていた時期ですね。
Fumiya Sato (the illustrator for Kindaichi): For me, after returning from a trip, there was a probe about Kindaichi from the editorial department. At the time, it didn't sell, so it was the time when I thought about things like “what should I do next?”
青山剛昌：僕も同じような感じです。僕の場合は、「「金田一」が受けているから「少年サンデー」でも、そういうまんがをやってくれないか？」と打診されて。でも最初は、まったく乗り気じゃなかった。大変ですもん。
Gosho Aoyama: Same feel for me. In my case, I was probed, “Since Kindaichi is popular, can do you do that kind of manga for Shonen Sunday?” At first, though, I had no interest at all. It would be a lot of trouble, you see.
さとう：でも、もう「マジック快斗」を描いてましたよね？
Sato: You were already drawing Magic Kaito at the time, though, right?
青山：あれは泥棒モノですから。泥棒モノは、何か盗めばいいだけだから簡単なんですよ。
Aoyama: That's thief material, you see. For thief material, you only have to steal something so it's easy.

天樹：元々、子供はミステリーが大好きで、僕らが小さい意頃にも探偵小説を読んでいた。まんがでも、長編で謎で引っ張っていけば、いけると思ってました。
Amagi: By nature, children love mysteries, and we read mystery novels when we were small, too. For manga, I thought that I could do it if I stretched it long with mysteries.
青山：でも、実際にやってみると、何故みんなやらないか判る。セリフは多いし大変。
Aoyama: But when you actually do it, you understand why no one does it. Lines are long, and it's a lot of trouble.
さとう：「金田一」の連載当初は、１年ぐらいだと思ってました。
Sato: At the beginning of Kindaichi's serialization, I thought it would only last about a year.
青山：僕もネタ的に続かないから、３か月ぐらいかなと。
Aoyama: I, too, thought that it would only last about three months, since it's difficult to continue material-wise.
さとう：それを週刊ペースでやるんだからムチャすぎる。
Sato: And then you do it at a weekly pace, so it's too unreasonable.
青山：でも「金田一」は、すごく参考になりました。犯人が真っ黒なのも、ほぼマネですから。
Aoyama: But Kindaichi served as quite a reference. I practically copied the part where the culprit is completely black.
全員：（爆笑）
Everyone: (Laughs wildly)
天樹：あれは、さとう先生の発明ですよ。原作では、「人物がわからないように」としか書いてなかったんです。
Amagi: That's Sato-sensei's invention. In the original work, I only wrote, “make sure you cannot identify the person.”
さとう：ただ黒いだけですよ。
Sato: They're merely black, that's all.
青山：でも、誰か判らないし、すごく不気味さが出る。
Aoyama: But you can't tell who it is, and it feels eerie.
天樹：あれってルールがありますよね。男女同じ体型で描く。で、犯人がわかったときに体型が違ってもツッコミはなし。
Amagi: There's a rule to it, isn't there? You draw the same body type for both men and women. Then, when the culprit is revealed, even if the body type changes no one makes a joke about it.
青山：小説だと証拠品や犯人を文章で説明するけど、まんがは、コマのどこかにサラッと描いてトリックにできるんですよね。
Aoyama: In novels, you explain the evidence, culprit, etc. in the text, but in manga, you can deftly draw them somewhere in the panel to build your trick.
天樹：ミステリーって基本は小説なので、絵的なトリックは手付かずだったんです。それに気が付いた時、これは長くやれるなと思いました。その分、さとう先生には苦労かけてます。
Amagi: Mysteries are basically novels, so visual mysteries were untouched. When I realized that, I thought that I could do it for a long time. Meanwhile, I'll continue to give Sato-sensei trouble.

トリックは検証しますか？
Do you verify your tricks?
青山：ドアロックを外からテープでかけるトリックは、編集さんを外に出して実験しました。でも密室トリックは、トリックのために部屋を、事前に全部見せておかないといけない。あれが結構難しい。
Aoyama: For the trick that locks the door from the outside with tape, I got the editor to go outside and test it. But for tricks involving sealed rooms, I must show all the room beforehand for the trick. That is quite difficult.

作画的に言えば、登場人物の描き分けも大変ですよね。
Drawing-wise, drawing apart the characters must be a lot of trouble.
青山：「金田一」は一度にたくさんキャラクターが出てきますから、描き分けも大変そう。
Aoyama: A lot of characters appear in Kindaichi at once – drawing apart seems like a lot of trouble.
さとう：描き分けは、もういいやって（笑）描いていても、「このいいこと言っている泣かせのキャラは、この前は意地悪だったお姉さんと同じ絵かも」ってことありますから（笑）
Sato: I don't put much effort into drawing apart anymore (laughs). When I draw, things like “I might draw this tear-inducing, good-things-saying character the same way I drew that mean lady” happen.

登場人物の名前は？
What about the characters' names?
青山：僕は空の話だったら、鳥の名前をつけるなど、作品ごとのテーマに合わせます。読者から「今回は鳥ですね」と手紙が来たりしますよ。自己満足ですけどね。
Aoyama: For me, I match with the theme of the work – for example, if the story was about the sky, I would give bird-related names. I get letters like “this time, [the names are based on] birds, right?” This is for self-satisfaction, though.
さとう：実際にありそうな名前は使わないですね。
Sato: We don't use realistic names, do we?
天樹：以前に出てきた名前とイメージが重ならないようには考えてます。登場シーンの短いキャラは３話ぐらいだし、長くても１５話ぐらいで使い切ってしまうキャラですから、ある程度は名前でキャラを立たせる意識はあります。ヤバそうな奴にはヤバそうな名前。
Amagi: We try not to repeat the mood of the previous names. Characters that don't appear for long lasts only about three chapters, up to maybe 15 chapters, so in a sense the characters are built on the name. Give dubious names to dubious guys.
青山：なるほど。
Aoyama: I see.
さとう：不幸なヒロインには、冬とか寒々しいイメージの漢字を使ったり。
Sato: For forsaken heroins, we may use kanji's meaning “winter” or something that feels cold.
青山：「金田一」は名前をつけるのがうまい。名前が結構怖い。ネーミングは本当に大事ですよ。
Aoyama: Characters are named well in Kindaichi. The names are quite scary. Names are truly important, aren't they?
さとう：名前の字で、イメージが伝わってきますから。
Sato: You can convey a mood through the name's ideographs.

「コナン」も「金田一」もいろんな場所が舞台になってます。取材にも行かれますか？
Both Conan and Kindaichi take place at various locations. Do you go to places for reference?
青山：寝台列車・北斗星の話を描いたときには実際に乗りました。でも、写真を撮ったら、途中下車しましたけど。
Aoyama: When I drew the story about the sleeping car train Hokutosei, I actually rode it. When I took pictures, I had to get off in the middle, though.
さとう：列車モノを描いたけど、いかなかった・・・・・・
Sato: I drew material about trains, but I never went . . .
青山：でも、編集さんと２人で旅行してもつまんないでしょ。
Aoyama: But traveling with the editor is dull, isn't it?
さとう：それはある！
Sato: That happens!
天樹：「金田一」の時は、どうしたんでしたっけ？
Amagi: What did we do at Kindaichi's time?
さとう：あれはスタッフが写真を撮ってきました。北海道も行ってないんだよ！高校生のクセに、ハジメは何回も行っているのに。
Sato: The staff went and took pictures. We never went to Hokkaido! Even Hajime went many times, though he's only a high school student.
青山：（笑）
Aoyama: (laughs)

「金田一」は雪国が多い。その理由は？
Snowy places appear often in Kindaichi. What is the reason?
さとう：冬は、人を孤立させやすいから。
Sato: Because it's easy to isolate people in winter.
青山：塩をまいて足跡を出現させるトリックがありましたよね。あれはいいなと思いました。
Aoyama: There was a trick that made footprints appear by sprinkling salt, wasn't there? I thought that it was good.
天樹：シンプルでわかりやすいし、きれいですよね。サクラ雪という言葉もいい。あの時は、すごく楽しく書いてました。
Amagi: It was simple and easy to understand, and it was beautiful, too, wasn't it? I like the phrase “sakura snow”, too. I had a lot of fun writing it at the time.
青山：あの時は？（笑）
Aoyama: At the time? (laughs)
さとう：少しテイストを変えてみようと話して描いたんですよ。なにしろ長くやってたから。
Sato: We tried to change the taste a little for that, since we'd done this for a long time back then.

その時のロケハンは？
Did you do location hunting at the time?
さとう：まったくないですよ！
Sato: No, not at all!
青山：（笑）
Aoyama: (laughs)

ミステリーまんがの魅力はなんだと思いますか？
What do you think is the appeal of mystery manga?
天樹：一番の魅力は、謎解き。そこは今のまんが的ですね。
Amagi: The number one appeal would be solving mysteries. That aspect is manga-esque now, isn't it?
さとう：謎があって解決するというセオリーに尽きる。
Sato: In the end, if there is a mystery, one must solve it.
青山：「金田一」と「コナン」で言えばラブコメ要素。
Aoyama: Love comedy is an element in Kindaichi and Conan.

女子高生のヒロインやセクシーな女性が出てきますね。
Characters like female high school student heroines and sexy women appear, don't they?
天樹：お約束ですよ。
Amagi: It's a promise.
青山：「コナン」は、あまりセクシーな女の子は出ないです。「金田一」は、お風呂場に全裸で美女が浮いたりしてますけど。
Aoyama: Not much sexy girls appear in Conan, though beautiful women might float naked in a bathtub in Kindaichi.
さとう：それは「少年マガジン」だから（笑）
Sato: That's because we're at Shonen Magazine (laughs).
天樹：シャワーシーンとかね。
Amagi: Shower scenes and such.
青山：「少年サンデー」だと編集部から止められます（笑）
Aoyama: The editorial department would stop it in Shonen Sunday (laughs).
さとう：「少年サンデー」は、むかしからあまりやりませんよね。
Sato: Shonen Sunday doesn't do it much from the old days, do they?
天樹：ミステリー漫画って、理屈っぽくて判りにくいじゃないですか。だから読者を限定したくないという意味でアイキャッチ的にパンチラを入れて、読んでみようと思わせてるんです。
Amagi: Mystery mangas are logical and hard to understand, aren't they? So you include eye-catching panty shots to make the readers want to try reading, because you don't want to limit the audience.
さとう：まんがって、本当にそういうところの引っ掛かりが、きっかけになることってあるんですよね。かわいい女の子が出てくるまんがというだけで、読み始める読者もいるし。
Sato: Those kind of pulls really does become the start sometimes in manga, doesn't it? Some readers start reading simply because cute girls appear in the manga.
青山：僕は、最初から「コナン」にはラブコメの要素を入れるつもりで描いてました。主人公がちっちゃくなるというのは、まさにラブコメですから。小さい少年と元の自分が好きな女の子が出てきたら面白いかなと。
Aoyama: For me, I drew with the intention to include elements of love comedy in Conan from the beginning. The protagonist becoming small is truly a love comedy, you see. I thought that having a small boy and a girl that the boy's real self loves would be interesting.
天樹：ミステリーまんがじゃなくても、面白くなりそう。
Amagi: That sounds interesting, even if it wasn't a mystery manga.
青山：そう、推理じゃなくて、そっちだけでもいいかなと。
Aoyama: Yes, that part by itself without deductions would be good, I think.
天樹：小さい男の子が、ちらっとスカートの中を見たりね。
Amagi: The small boy might look inside a skirt really quick.
さとう：それは「少年マガジン」だけでしょ！
Sato: That's only in Shonen Magazine!
天樹：そっか（笑）
Amagi: That's true (laughs).

では、ミステリーまんがをやる上で特に大変なのは？
Then, what is especially troublesome doing a mystery manga?
天樹：事件の動機がすごく大切なんだけと、実はバリエーションがそんなにないんですよね。
Amagi: Though the motive for the case is really important, in truth there aren't much variation, is there?
青山：やりつくして、面白い動機がネタ切れ寸前です（笑）
Aoyama: You use everything, and running out of ideas on interesting motives become imminent (laughs).
天樹：まんがは、読者層も広いので、ドラマチックに盛り上げないと読者から不満が出る。
Amagi: Since the readership is wide in manga, you have to hype up dramatically or else the readers may start feeling unsatisfied.
さとう：殺人の動機も変わってきてます。むかしは「恋人が殺されて・・・・・・」だけど、最近は「本当は恋人ですらなかった！」みたいに、ひねくれてる。
Sato: The motive for the murder starts changing, too. In the old days, you use “my lover was killed . . .”, but recently it became “in truth the person wasn't even my lover!” - it becomes distorted like this.
青山：確かにひねりは必要。
Aoyama: That's true, twists are essential.
天樹：シンプルな復讐モノとかにすると、「もう、やったじゃん」と言われてしまいます。
Amagi: If you make it a simple revenge and the like, you get told that you've already done it before.
青山：自分で描くときにも「やったよな」と思っちゃう。
Aoyama: I think “I did this, didn't I?”, even when I'm drawing myself.
天樹：そうそう。動機は最初の１，２年で尽きました。あとはずっと苦労してます。
Amagi: Yes, yes. I ran out of ideas for motives in the first 1~2 years. I've had difficulty ever since.

決めゼリフも特徴ですね。
Catch phrases are characteristic, too, aren't they?
天樹：話が引き締まるし、ここから逆転していくという期待感が出せるのがいい。「ジッチャンの名にかけて」があるおかげで１話分は得する感じです。
Amagi: They tighten the story, and I like how it gives the expectation that the tables will be turned from that point on. Thanks to “In the name of grandpa”, I feel that I've gained one chapter's worth.
青山：「コナン」の場合は「江戸川コナン、探偵さ」というのを時々言うぐらい。１回ぐらい言わせてやろうかな。「●●の名にかけて」って。
Aoyama: In Conan's case, he says “Edogawa Conan – a detective” from time to time, and that's it. Maybe I should make him say “In the name of ___”, at least once.
全員：（笑）
Everyone: (laughs)
天樹：ぜひ交換しましょう！
Amagi: Yes, let us exchange!
青山：「金田一ハジメ、探偵さ」って言うの？
Aoyama: You'll make him say “Kindaichi Hajime – a detective”?
天樹：いいなあ、それ。
Amagi: I like it!
さとう：でも高校生だよ。
Sato: But he's a high school student.
天樹：「探偵じゃないだろ」ってツッコミが入るとか。
Amagi: Someone might joke, “He's not [officially] a detective, is he?”

２作品の影響で、テキストの多い漫画も増えましたね。
As a result of the two works' influence, manga with a lot of text increased, didn't it?
青山：確かにそれはあるかも。
Aoyama: Maybe, perhaps.
天樹：ヒットしたことで、ＯＫになったんですよね。
Amagi: It became acceptable due to the hits, didn't it?
さとう：今の読者は読んで「判った」とスカッとするみたい。
Sato: The readers nowadays can apparently understand better.
天樹：例えば映画化もされた某漫画のテキスト量は、昔だとありえない。新人賞に応募してきたら、「テキストを３分の１にしろ」と言われるレベル。
Amagi: For example, in the old days, the amount of text in this manga, which was also made into a film, was impossible. It's at the level that if you applied for the New Talent Award, you'll be told to cut down the text to a third.
青山：でも、それが読者が「アリ」だと思えるようになった。
Aoyama: But readers came to accept this.
さとう：ゲームもあるし、テキストを多く読む事に読者がなれたんですよね。
Sato: Games exist, too – readers got accustomed to reading more text, didn't they?
青山：でも、その大元を作ったのが「金田一」ですからね。
Aoyama: But the one that created most of this is Kindaichi, isn't it?

では、まんがで禁じ手にしてるものはありますか？
Then, do you prohibit yourselves from doing anything in the manga?
青山：無差別殺人ですね。無差別に見えても、なんか動機があるように描いています。
Aoyama: That would be indiscriminate killings. I take care to include a motive, even if it looks indiscriminate.
さとう：サイコキラーをやると、違うまんがになってしまう。
Sato: It'll be a different manga if we do a psycho killer.
天樹：無差別殺人の類は、ネタ切れ感もあるし、残虐性に面白さが向かう怖さもありますね。
Amagi: Indiscriminate killings and the like feel like you've run out of ideas, and there's the fear that they might interest those with cruel tendencies.
青山：そうですね。犯人に共感を持たれて、殺人をマネされても困りますからね。
Aoyama: That's true. It would be problematic if people sympathized with the culprit and attempted murder.

「金田一」は長編中心で、「コナン」は短編中心ですよね。
Kindaichi focus on longer cases, and Conan focus on shorter cases, don't they?
天樹：だいたい１４，１５話ぐらい。
Amagi: About 14, 15 chapters.
青山：すごいですね。「コナン」は、３話で１篇、最長で６話ぐらい。最初に事件で人が死んで、その謎が提示されて、最後に解決する。これが黄金パターンです。今、これ以上は描けない。お二方は、よくできますね。
Aoyama: That's amazing. In Conan, one case is three chapters, six chapters at the longest. First, a person dies, then the mystery is presented, and finally the case gets solved. This is the golden pattern. Right now, I can't draw more than that. You two are doing well.
さとう：それはプロットを天樹先生と分けているから。
Sato: That's because the plot is divided with Amagi-sensei.
天樹：でもプロットの完成前に始めたりしますから。
Amagi: But sometimes you begin before you complete the plot.
青山：つじつまが合わなくなっちゃうとかないんですか？
Aoyama: Do you never contradict each other?
さとう：ありますね。
Sato: It does happen.
天樹：結婚式なのに、花婿がいないみたいな。後からネームで出すから、袋でもかぶせてっていったら、本当にかぶってた。
Amagi: For example, even though it's a wedding, the bridegroom is missing. [In another example,] I said that, since I'll put it in the pre-manuscript later, why don't you put a bag or something over the head, and there really was a bag over the head.
青山：さとう先生は、原作を変えたくならないですか？
Aoyama: Does Sato-sensei never want to change the original work?
さとう：さすがにトリックは変えられないですけど、泣かせの部分を変えたりはしてます。
Sato: As you'd expect, I can't change the trick, but sometimes I change the emotional parts.
天樹：キャラクターの描き方は、おまかせの部分もあるので、そこはある程度は自由ですよね。
Amagi: On how to draw the characters, there are parts that I leave completely to you – with those parts, you have some degree of freedom, yes?
青山：僕は自分で考えて自分で描いているから、編集さんとの打ち合わせを勝手に変える事もあるんです。一緒にやっていると、そこが大変そうかなと。
Aoyama: Since I think [of ideas] on my own and draw on my own, sometimes I arbitrarily change arrangements with the editor. If you work with someone, I thought that that aspect seems troublesome.
天樹：意外と大丈夫です。
Amagi: It's actually all right.
さとう：時々、アドリブでギャグを入れたりしてますし。最後の流れも変えたこともあります。
Sato: Sometimes I add a gag ad lib. I've changed the flow in the end at times.

では最後に何かあれば。
Finally, do you have anything you want to say?
天樹：僕から行っていいですか？青山先生、死ぬまで「コナン」を続けてください！
Amagi: Can I start? Aoyama-sensei, please continue Conan until your death!
青山：過労死しそうですよ（笑）
Aoyama: I do feel like dying from exhaustion (laughs).
天樹：青山先生がやっていると思えば、僕らもがんばれます。
Amagi: If Aoyama-sensei does it, we can work hard, too.
さとう：そうそう。まんがって、同じジャンルのライバルがないと廃れやすくなるし。
Sato: Yes, yes. In manga, if you don't have a rival in your genre, it's easier for your work to go to waste.
青山：僕も励みにしてますよ。
Aoyama: It's an incentive for me, too.
天樹：実はファン層が微妙にずれていて、いい感じに棲み分けもできていますよね。
Amagi: In truth, our fan bases are slightly different, so we can divide our habitats well.
青山：巨人と阪神じゃないけど、ライバル同士で頑張りましょう。
Aoyama: We're no [Yomiuri] Giants and Hanshin [Tigers]*, but let us work hard as rivals.

• Famous Japanese baseball teams
  

Conan and Lupin Interview #1

Aoyama & Monkey Punch interview from 2009
Translated by: justwantanaccount

  Show spoilers »

アニメでルパン三世とコナンが夢の競演を実現させます。最初に聞いたときの感想は？
The dream confrontation between Lupin III and Conan in anime will be realized. What were your impressions when you first heard of this?
青：コナン側からいえば、今考えられる最大の強敵。かなりワクワクです。
Aoyama: From Conan's side, [Lupin III is] the most powerful adversary currently imaginable. I'm highly excited.
モ：最初にお話を聞いたときは、はたして本当に実現できるのかと思いました。でも、できたら絶対に面白くなるはずだと思いました。
Monkey Punch: When I first heard of the talk, I thought, is it possible to realize this? But I thought that, if it is, then it definitely must become interesting.
青：僕も実現できるのかなと思っていました（笑）。
Aoyama: I also wondered if it was possible (laughs).

確かにすごい企画です。
That's true, it's a stunning project.
モ：脚本家の方は大変だったでしょう。どういうストーリーになるのか、まったくわからない。
Monkey Punch: The scriptwriter must have gone through a lot of trouble. I have absolutely no idea what the story will be like.
青：僕もそこそこは脚本をチェックしました。コナンが登場する部分はもちろんですけど、原作の「ルパン三世」が大好きで、「ルパンはこうじゃないだろう」って修正を入れてました（笑）。
Aoyama: I, too, checked the script here and there. Of course [I went over] the parts where Conan appears, but since I love the original work for Lupin III, [I also] included revisions like “Lupin isn't like this” (laughs).

不二子のシャワーシーンなど「ルパン三世」のお約束もありますし、いつもの「名探偵コナン」とは、少し違うかもしれません。
Since there is the Lupin III promise to include Fujiko's shower scene and so on, [this show] might be a little different from the usual Detective Conan.
モ：それは楽しみです。
Monkey Punch: [I'm] excited for that.

両作品に登場する刑事同士が知り合いという設定もあります。
It's also established that the police detectives appearing in both series are acquaintances.
青：目暮警部と銭型警部は、どっちも警視庁ですから（笑）。
Aoyama: Both Inspector Megure and Inspector Zenigata are from the Metropolitan Police Department, aren't they? (laughs)

青：「名探偵コナン」で（アルセーヌ・ルパン生みの親である）モーリス・ルブランが、怪盗紳士を描いた作家として名前だけ出てきます。そのルブランが書いたルパンの孫と言うことは、ルパン三世は「名探偵コナン」の世界では架空の人物。それと対決するわけですから、本用に夢の対決です。カットになったけど、本当は“ルパンの孫”というセリフを、ぜひ入れたかったなあ。
Aoyama: In Detective Conan, Maurice Leblanc (creator of Arsene Lupin) appears as the name of the writer who wrote the gentleman thief. Since [Lupin III is] the grandchild of the Lupin written by that Leblanc, Lupin III is a fictitious person in Detective Conan's world. [Conan will] have a face-off with that [fictitious character], so this truly is a “dream” confrontation. Although this got cut, I really wanted to include the “Lupin's grandchild” line.
モ：今回のアニメでは、コナンは少年、ルパンは青年。それをどう組み合わせるんだろうとは思いました。江戸川乱歩の小説でも、怪人二十面相と少年探偵団の対決はあったので、そういう感じで面白い対決だといいな。
Monkey Punch: In this anime, Conan is a boy, and Lupin is a young man. I wondered how they'll put these together. In Edogawa Ranpo's novels, there was a face-off between the Kaijin Niju-Menso (Twenty-Faced Fiend) and Shounen Tanteidan (Boy Detective League) - I'd like it if that kind of feel is used.
青：コナンの場合、本人が少年探偵団であり、明智小五郎でもあります。コナン世界で一番切れる人物が小さい奴ですからね。その意味では、いい対決になっています。
Aoyama: In Conan's case, the main character is both the Shounen Tanteidan and Akechi Kogoro. The small guy is the sharpest person in the Conan world. In that sense, the confrontation is a good one.

ちなみに今回の見どころは？
Also, what's worth watching this time?
青：コナンはルパン＆次元との絡みです。特に次元とコナンの絡みはオススメ。次元の手を見たコナンが「あなた、タダものじゃないですね」っていうシーンは、僕が付け足しました。その後に、次元らしいせりふを言うんですよ。
Aoyama: For Conan, the entanglement with Lupin & Jigen. I especially recommend the entanglement between Jigen and Conan. I added the scene where Conan, who has looked at Jigen's hands, said “You're no ordinary man, are you?”

青山先生にお伺いしますが、「ルパン三世」の魅力は？
I would like to ask Aoyama-sensei – what is Lupin III's appeal?
青：子供のころから原作が大好きですが、やはり作品全体から感じるクールなカッコよさ。昔の「００７」ぽいところもありますね。
Aoyama: I have loved the original work since childhood - [I would] definitely [say] the cool feel [you] can get from the entire work. It's also similar to 007 in the old days.
モ：それは、僕も意識して描いていました。
Monkey Punch: I have consciously tried to draw that way.
青：絵柄もかっこいいですよ。キャラクターの手足が細くて。実は、コナンが笑ったときの口元の感じは、モンキー・パンチ先生のマネ。かなり影響を受けました。
Aoyama: The style is cool, too. The characters' limbs are thin. In truth, the atmosphere of Conan's mouth when he grins is in Monkey Punch-sensei's imitation. I received quite an influence.
モ：それはありがとうございます。当時、連載していた雑誌の読者が少年ではなく青年層だったので、絵柄はそれを意識して、大人っぽく描いてました。
Monkey Punch: Thank you kindly for that. At the time, serial magazines' readers were not boys but young adults, so with that in mind, I tried to draw with an adult-like style.
青：僕が「ルパン三世」にふれたのは小学３年生ぐらい。本屋さんで買ってきて家の本棚に並べていたら、エッチすぎるからと親に処分されて、後でまた買い直したこともあります（笑）。（編集部注　扉のページでモンキー・パンチ先生が持っているコミックは、青山先生が持参した私物）
Aoyama: I came across Lupin III around third grade. There was one time, when I bought it from the bookstore and lined it up on the bookshelf, my parents thought that it was too sensual so they confiscated it - I had to buy it again afterward (laughs). (Editorial notice: The comic Monkey Punch-sensei is holding on the front page is Aoyama-sensei's)

当時の小学生には、「ルパン三世」は刺激的すぎたんですね。
Lupin III was too stimulating for elementary school children back then, wasn't it?
モ：実は「ルパン三世」を描いていた当時、本屋さんで幼稚園ぐらいの子が母親に「ルパン買って」と言うと、母親が「こういうのは読んじゃダメ」って（笑）。
Monkey Punch: Actually, back when I was drawing Lupin III, a child who might be in kindergarten said “Buy Lupin!” to the mother at a bookstore, and the mother replied, “[You] can't read things like these!” (laughs)
青：いや、当時の僕は、ページをめくるたびにワクワクでした。
Aoyama: Back then, I felt excited from turning the page.

青：「名探偵コナン」を知っていると聞いて大感激です。実は聞いたいことがあります。モンキー・パンチというペンネームは、どうやって名付けたんですか？
Aoyama: I am deeply moved to hear that you know about Detective Conan. Actually, I have something I want to ask. How did you get the pen name, Monkey Punch?
モ：新人の頃に某編集部でつけられました。最初は変な名前だから断ろうと思った（笑）。当時、カタカナのペンネームは当たらないというジンクスがあって、当時の編集長が「そのジンクスをお前が破れ。一年だけやってイヤだったら好きな名前にしていい」と言われて。それがきっかけです。
Monkey Punch: I got the name at a certain editorial department. I first wanted to decline [the name] since I thought it was strange (laughs). At the time, there was a jinx where pen names in katakana did't become successful, and the editor-in-chief at the time told me, “You break that jinx. If you don't like it after a year, you can pick your favorite name.” That was the start.
青：ペンネームは、絵柄に会ってますし、最初は外国人かと思っていました。背景のハイコントラストな描き方はアメコミですよね。
Aoyama: The pen name suits your style, and I first thought that [the name] was a foreigner's. American comics have backgrounds with high contrast, right? モ：欧州の作家が好きで影響を受けて、そういうものが組み合わさってこうなりました。
Monkey Punch: I like European artists and received their influence – things like that combined together and here I am.
青：「ルパン三世」の発想は、どこからですか？
Aoyama: Where did Lupin III's idea come from?
モ：新雑誌が出るときに「表紙と巻頭をあげるから」と言われ、その場で浮かんだのが、「アルセーヌ・ルパン」。それで後先考えずにルパンものをやりたいと言って、その後で作り込みました。
Monkey Punch: I was told that I'll get the cover and the opening page when the new magazine comes out, at right there I thought, Arsene Lupin. Then I said that I want to do something Lupin-related without reflection, and I started working.
青：僕は原作のクールなるパン三世が好きです。原作では、ルパン帝国の三代目でゴージャズだし、世界各地に手下がいて、アルセーヌ・ルパンぽいのが魅力でした。
Aoyama: I prefer the cool Lupin III in the original work. In the original work, [Lupin III was] Lupin Empire's third generation and had minions all over the world; the similarity to Arsene Lupin was appealing.

モンキー・パンチ先生が考える「名探偵コナン」の魅力は？
What is Detective Conan's appeal according to Monkey Punch-sensei?
モ：実は「ルパン三世」でも探偵者をやってみたいなと思っていて、僕が考える探偵ものはアガサ・クリスティーみたいな本格推理。そうなると最後のところで相当な文字数が必要になって、漫画的じゃない。だから、いい方法を見つけたらやろうと思っていました。それで初めて「名探偵コナン」を見て、なるほどこういうやり方があったのかと目からウロコが落ちました。あとは高校生でありながら小さい少年。これが子供達に受けていると思います。本当にやられたなという感じです。ルパン三世にも薬を飲ませて子供にすればよかった（笑）。
Monkey Punch: I actually wanted to do mysteries in Lupin III; personally, when I think of detectives I think of Agatha-Christie-like, genuine deductions. In that case, the word count becomes considerable at the end and no longer manga-like. So I wanted to find a good way to do this. Then I watched Detective Conan for the first time, and my eyes were opened. A boy who's actually a high school student – I think that this is what appeals to children. I feel that [Aoyama Gosho] really did it. I should have made Lupin III swallow a pill and become a child, too (laughs).

モ：今、「名探偵コナン」は、何年目ぐらいですか？
Monkey Punch: How long has Detective Conan continued so far?
青：もう１５年ぐらいです。
Aoyama: About 15 years already.
モ：そんなに続けてられるのはすごいです。
Monkey Punch: It's amazing that you've continued for so long.
青：いやいや、ネタ出しが大変で（笑）。今日も朝から何時間もネタ出ししてから来ました。
Aoyama: Oh no, coming up with ideas is a lot of trouble (laughs). I came here after spending hours from morning coming up with ideas today, for example.
モ：僕は、いろいろなことを吸収していた時期に連載をしていて、ネタ出しの苦労はなかった。連載終盤は、頭にあるものを広げていく作業で大変だったけど。
Monkey Punch: For me, I serialized when I absorb several things, so I didn't struggle coming with ideas. Although, the ending involved expanding what was in the head and was a lot of trouble.
青：僕は、三話目ぐらいからネタ切れしてました（笑）。１巻分で終わるかなと思っていましたし、こんな文字数の多い漫画は誰も読まないと思っていました。
Aoyama: For me, I ran out of ideas from the third chapter (laughs). I thought that the series would end by the first volume, and that no one would read manga with such high word count.

お２人は、作品を描く上で気を付けていることはありますか？
What do you two take care to do when drawing your work?
モ：アニメ化されて声優さんの声にキャラクターが引っ張られることですね。山田康雄さんの声でアニメを見てたら、だんだん漫画のセリフも山田さんが言いそうなセリフになっていった。
Monkey Punch: I got influenced by the voice actors' voices for the characters after my work got animated. After I watch the anime with Yamada Yasuo-san's voice, the manga's lines become ones that Yamada-san might say.
青：そういう影響もあります。
Aoyama: That's true.
モ：クールなるパンが「あらあらあら」ってなっちゃう。アニメのルパンに引っ張られないように苦労しました。
Monkey Punch: The calm Lupin becomes the “Ara ara ara”-type. I struggled trying not to be influenced by the anime's Lupin.
青：「名探偵コナン」では、小五郎の声が神谷明さんで、漫画のセリフで「お父さんのしゃがれ声で言われたくないわ」と言うセリフを使ったりしました。あと円谷光彦の声優さんの大谷育江さんの声がかわいいので、だんだんカワイイキャラになった。アニメが本物と思っている子供達もいて、ファンレターで「アニメと違う」と書かれると、こっちが本当なのにと思いつつ・・・
Aoyama: In Detective Conan, Kamiya Akira-san does Kogoro's voice, so lines like “I don't want to be told by dad's hoarse voice” were used. Also, since Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko's Ootani Ikue-san's voice is cute, Mitsuhiko gradually became a cute character. There are children who think that the anime is the original, too, and when I receive fan letters that say “[The manga is] different from the anime”, I can't help but think, the [manga] is the one that's original . . .
モ：アニメのルパン三世を見ながら僕の絵を見て、「これは違う」と子供達に言われたこのも（笑）。アニメになって、描き始めた頃の尖った部分は柔らかくなったり、絵柄や印象も子供を意識し始めて変わりました。最初の頃と最後の方では、作品の雰囲気がかなり違いますね。
Monkey Punch: Children, looking at my drawings while watching anime's Lupin III, told me that “This is different” (laughs). After becoming an anime, the sharper parts from the times I started drawing became softer, and I changed the style and atmosphere, keeping children in mind. The work's atmosphere is quite different when comparing the beginning and the end, isn't it?

最後にファンのみなさんにメッセージをお願いします。
For the end, please leave a message for all the fans.
モ：僕も視聴者の一人として、ルパン三世と江戸川コナンの組み合わせの面白さは楽しみたい。それを楽しんでもらえれば、原作者としてもうれしいです。
Monkey Punch: As one of the viewers, I want to enjoy the interesting combination of Lupin III and Edogawa Conan. If you could enjoy that, I am happy as the original author.
青：実はコンテを全くチェックしていないのでオンエアがとても楽しみです。皆さんも是非ワクワクドキドキしながら観てください。
Aoyama: Actually, I haven't checked the contents at all, so I am excited about the airing. Everyone please be sure to watch with excitement.

Gundam Ace Interview

ガンダムエース3月号 (Gundam Ace March issue) between Ikeda Shuuichi and Aoyama Gosho, published January 26, 2010
Partially Translated by: justwantanaccount

  Show spoilers »

池田「ところで、どういった経緯で『赤井秀一』というキャラクターが生まれたんですか? コナンでは、キャラクターの名前は有名な探偵の名前をもじったりするのがお約束なのに、 ガンダムが元ネタなのが不思議ですよね」
Ikeda (voice actor for Char Aznable, the namesake of Akai Shuuichi, in case you didn't know): By the way, under what circumstance did a character named "Akai Shuuichi" emerge? In Conan, the characters are always named after famous detectives. It's curious that Gundam is the basis of this name.

青山「実は探偵ネタが尽きたというのもありまして(笑) お話の中で、主人公の江戸川コナンに味方をするＦＢＩ捜査官を出すことになった時に、 イメージ先行でその敏腕捜査官はシャアっぽくしたいなと思ったんです。 だから最初はシャアから取って『赤井』という名字だけ決まっていたんです。 その後、下の名前をどうしようかと悩んだ結果、池田さんのお名前からいただいて 『秀一』にしてしまいました(笑) コナンの本名が『新一』なので、『新一』と『秀一』は、似た名前だから 本来は採用しないんですが、今回だけはいいやと思って」
Aoyama: There's also the possibility that (I) ran out of detective-based names (laughs) When it was decided that (we) would introduce an FBI agent who would side with the protagonist, Conan, I wanted to base the image of that astute investigator on Char. That's why (I) decided on just the last name to be "Akai (red)" at first. After that, when (I) pondered on what the first name should be, (I) decided it to be "Shuuichi" after you, Ikeda-san (laughs) Since Conan's real name is "Shinichi," and "Shinichi" and "Shuuichi" sound similar, (I) wouldn't normally pick (this name), but I thought that it would be okay, just this once.

池田「いやあ、光栄ですね。そして、ＴＶ版では声もやらせてもらってる訳ですから、 すごい縁を感じます」
Ikeda: What an honor! Since I get to voice the TV-version as well, I feel a quite a deep bond (to the character? to Gosho?).

青山「アニメ版の重要キャラクターのキャストは、Ｐから『誰かイメージはありますか』 と希望を聞かれるんですが、赤井の時には『そりゃ池田さんでしょう！』 ってリクエストしたら、夢が叶ってしまいました。
Gosho: For the anime's important character's, I get asked by P (I don't know what the heck P is), "Do you have an image (of who the voice actor should be) in mind?" For Akai, I requested (by replying), "Who else but Ikeda-san!" and the wish came true!

(中略)
(omitted)

池田「コナンでは、これからもガンダムネタは出たりはしそうですか？」
Ikeda: Will there be more Gundam-based (ideas? characters?) in Conan?

青山「コナンの味方であるキャラクターの最高ランクにあたるのが赤井でしたから、 黒ずくめの組織側にもガンダム系の名前のキャラが出せたら面白いですよね。 例えば『安室徹』とか(笑) ガンダムと敵味方が逆なのがいい。そうなると、 声は誰がやるか決まってしまいますが(笑)」
Aoyama: If Conan's ally's highest ranking member is Akai, then it would be interesting if there were characters with Gundam-based names in the Black Organization as well. Like "Amuro Akira/Tooru" (徹 can be read both as Tooru or Akira) (laughs) For Gundam, the good guys and bad guys should be reversed. In this case, the voice actor is more or less decided (laughs).

池田「そうですね、あの人しかいない(笑)」
Ikeda: That's true, there's only that person (laughs)

Otona Fami Interview #3

オトナファミ6月号 (Otona Fami or Adult Family June issue), published April 20, 2011
Translated by: justwananaccount

  Show spoilers »

I'm guessing at the pronounciation of some names, so it might not be entirely accurate. ^^; Also, some characters were so fuzzy that I couldn't make it out – in that case I left a ? in the Japanese text and got the translation from the Chinese translation. As before, let me know if I've mistranslated or I've taken too much liberty in the English or something.

青山剛昌インタビュー
Aoyama Gosho Interview
四半世紀に亘り、少年漫画を描き続けてきた青山剛昌。’８６年の漫画家デビューから「マジック快斗」、「YAIBA」、そして「名探偵コナン」の今とこれからを語る。
Aoyama Gosho has continued drawing shounen manga for a quarter of a century. Debuted as a manga artist in '86, he will discuss Magic Kaito, YAIBA, Detective Conan, and future plans.

Profile
１９６３年、鳥取県生まれ。’８６年、「ちょっとまってて」でデビュー。 「YAIBA」,「名探偵コナン」はそれぞれ小学館漫画賞の？？部門と少年部門を受賞。
Born in Tottori prefecture in 1963. Debuted in '86 with Wait a Minute. YAIBA and Detective Conan won Shougakukan Manga Award in Youth (I got this from the Chinese translation, I can't read the Japanese 'cause it's so fuzzy) and Shounen Divisions, respectively.

Q：先生は小さな頃、どんな少年だったのでしょうか？
What kind of boy was sensei like during childhood?
A：少年探偵団みたいに友達と探偵遊びをよくしました。僕はコナンというより、光彦タイプ。調達や場所探しをするポジションで、実家の自動車整備工場の廃車置場を秘密基地にしていました。
Like the Detective Boys, I played detective with friends. I was more of a Mitsuhiko-type than a Conan-type. I was in a position to search provisions and places, with my family's car maintenance factory's scrap yard as the secret base.

Q：その頃から漫画は好きでしたか？
Did you like manga from that time?
A：そうですね。ニャロメの絵ばかり描いてました。初めて買った漫画は、大好きなちばてつや先生の「おれは鉄平」(should be 鉄兵, seems that the magazine has a misprint)。鉄平が好きで剣道部に入りましたね。でも、親が「漫画なんて読んでも、ロクな人間にならない」という考えの厳しい人で、中学高校時代はこっそり隠れて読んでました。
Yes. I kept drawing pictures of Nyarome. The first manga I bought was my favorite artist, Chiba Tetsuya sensei's I am Teppei. I entered the kendo club because I liked Teppei so much. But, my parents held harsh beliefs like “Those who read manga don't become a worthy human being,” so I read secretly during my middle and high school years.

Q：漫画家への道を歩み始めたのは？
When did you start walking down the path of a manga artist?
A：親に反対されていたので、高校の頃には漫画家の夢は諦めかけていました。そのかわり、絵の先生になろうと思って日大芸術学部に入学したんです。するとそこには、田舎の高校にはなかった漫研が（笑）。そこのOBに漫画家の阿部ゆたかさん（「くまちゃんのクリスマス」、「名探偵コナン特別編」ほか）がいたんです。阿部さんの仕事場にアシスタントに行って、「お前本格的に漫画描いてみないか？」と言われたのがきっかけです。
I was opposed by my parents, so I almost gave up my dream of becoming a manga artist during high school. Instead, I entered Nihon University College of Art to become an art teacher. There, manga research (?) existed, which didn't exist in my countryside high school (laughs). An alumni manga artist, Abu Yukata-san (Bear-chan's Christmas, Detective Conan Special Edition, etc.) was there. I went to be an assistant at Abu-san's work place, and he said, “Do you want to draw manga for real”? That's where it started.

Q：ちなみに大学の専攻は？
Just wondering, what was your major at your university?
A：美術学科の絵描コースです。「コナン」の巻末の名探偵図鑑はタッチが違うでしょ？今でも描けるんですよ。当時は絵を描くバイトもしていました。フジテレビの「ポンキッキ」の背景や、東京ディズニーランドの、”カリブの海賊”の背景も描きました。海賊が町を荒らしているバックのレンガ。命縄をつけられて、一枚の写真を渡されてこのとうりに描けって。給料も良かったのでがんばりました（笑）。その絵はもうないですけど。教職も取りましたよ。地元の高校に、美術の教育実習に行って。親も僕は先生になると思っていたので、突然、漫画家になると言ったら案の定反対されましたね。親父からは「わしの友達には、今にも動き出しそうなカニを描けるやつがいる。でもそいつは全然食えてない。それでもお前は漫画家になるのか？」って（笑）。でも、「もう大人だから勝手にやる」と宣言して、出版社に作品を持ち込んでみたんです。
The Fine Arts Department's artist course. The touch in Conan's end-of-the-volume Illustrated Guide to Famous Detective is different, isn't it? I can still draw. I also used to draw for part time jobs. I drew the background for Fuji TV's Ponkikki, and for Tokyo Disneyland's Pirates of the Carribean*. I drew on the brick wall behind the town that the pirates are vandalizing (I think . . . I'm not completely sure). I was put on a life line, and they gave me a picture and told me to draw just like it. The pay was good, so I did my best (laughs). That picture doesn't exist anymore, though. I also took up a teaching job. At my hometown's high school, I even went to art education training. My parents thought I was going to become a teacher, so when I suddenly said I was going to be a manga artist, they stubbornly opposed me like I expected. My old man said, “I had a friend who can draw a crab that looks like it's about to start moving. But that person can't eat, at all. Do you still want to be a manga artist?” (laughs) Still, [he? I?] declared “[I'm? You're?] an adult already, do whatever [I? you?] like,” and I brought in a work to a publisher.

• I know the timeline doesn't make sense, but I typed in カリブの海賊 into Google and that's what I got. :\
  

Q：最初は週刊少年マガジンに持ち込まれたんですよね。
You first submitted to Weekly Shonen Magazine, right?
A：はい、マガジンでは「さりげなくルパン」（「マジック快斗」の原型）で佳作を獲りました。でも、後にマガジンの編集長になった野内さんに「君の絵はマガジンに向いていない」と言われ、今度は週刊少年サンデーへ。そこで描いた投稿3作目の「ちょっとまってて」（SFラブコメ）が、’86年の小学館新人コミック大賞の入選を受賞。デビューへこぎ着けました。
Yes, I performed well with Nonchalantly Lupin (Magic Kaito's prototype) at Magazine. However, Nouchi-san, who later became Magazine's head editor, told me, “Your art doesn't suit Magazine,” so I headed for Weekly Shonen Sunday next. There, I won Shougakukan Newcomer Comic Award with my third contributed work Wait a Minute (SF love comedy) in '86. I finally managed to debut.

Q：翌年には初連載作「まじっく快斗」がスタート。順調ですね。
Magic Kaito, your first serial work, started the following year. Things are going favorably.
A：大学の同級生や後輩にアシスタントをしてもらっているんですが、初めて原稿料をいただいたときにみんなで寿司屋に行ってお祝いしました。自分をプロとして実感できたのは単行本の1巻が出たとき。うれしくっておまけ漫画をつけたりして、めちゃめちゃ？りました。そんな初連載作が今も続いていますからね（笑）。もうライフワークです。また夏ごろに新作を描きますよ。快斗の母・怪盗淑女（ファントム・レディ）の話・・・になる予定。でも、最初は編集さんにけちょんけちょんに言われたんです。トリックやラブコメの部分が大人や女の子にはウケるけど、少年にはウケないと。「ニャロー！」と思って描いたのが、「YAIBA」。でも、今度は少年にしかウケなかった（笑）。
Though my university classmates and lowerclassmen were assisting me, when contribution fees were paid for the first time, we all went to a sushi restaurant to celebrate. I felt like a pro when the first volume came out. I was so happy, I added extra manga. That first serial work still continues, even now (laughs). It's a life work now. I'm going to put out a new work in the summer. It'll be about Kaito's mother, Phantom Lady . . . or it's planned to be. Although, editor[s] really complained to me at first. The parts about tricks and love comedy is popular with adults and girls, but not with boys, [they/he/she] said. With Yaiba, I thought “you” while drawing it. But this time, only boys liked it (laughs).

Q：「YAIBA」の思い出を是非。
Please, tell us memories of YAIBA.
A：当時は初めての週刊連載でなりふり構わずやってましたからね。無我夢中ですよ。刀の雷神剣の中にいろんな玉を入れて強くなっていくというのは、RPGのアイテムを集めて強くなるイメージで描いていたので、そこがウケてもらえて良かったです。でも、逆に子供っぽくしすぎちゃって失敗したとも思いますね。終盤のヤマタノオロチ編は気に入ってます。うまく描けたなと思うんですが、オロチ編はアニメになっていない（笑）。今のクオリティでアニメ化してほしいですね。
At the time, it was the first weekly series so I did stuff without care. I was completely absorbed in it. The idea of putting in jewels into the sword Raijinken (Sword of Thunder God) to make it stronger came from RPG, with the image of collecting items to become stronger – I'm glad that part was received well. Although, I think I failed because the work became too childish, in contrast [to Magic Kaito]. I like the final stage, the Yamatanoorochi (a Japanese mythical monster with eight heads and eight tails) arc. I thought I drew well, but the arc hasn't been animated (laughs). I wish that it will be animated, with current quality.

Q：「YAIBA」の次はついに「名探偵コナン」ですが、どんな雰囲気をイメージして作られたんでしょうか？
After YAIBA is finally Detective Conan, what atmosphere did you imagine to make it?
A：「三毛猫ホームズ」です。猫がわかるわけないのに、証拠品に触ったりして事件が解決していく。コナンも一緒。子供がわかるわけないのに、「あれれ～？」とか言って。コナンは三毛猫ホームズが喋っているイメージです。
Calico Cat Holmes. Though a cat shouldn't understand, it touches around evidence and such and the case gets solved. Same thing with Conan. Though a child shouldn't understand, he says things like “arere~?” I imagine Conan to be Calico Cat Holmes talking.

Q：最初はどのくらい続く予定で？
How long did you plan on continuing it at first?
A：こんなに長い連載になるとは思ってなかったですよ。最初の1巻で終わるかなと。コナンっていう名前も、編集長からアニメの「未来少年コナン」（宮崎駿監督作品）があるから、「名探偵ドイル」にしろって言われたんですが、「『未来少年』を超えてやるから！」って通しました。なのに新連載の告知記事のタイトルが「探偵少年コナン」になってて、いやいや、それはまずいだろうと（笑）。でも、10年くらい前にジブリの方に「今、コナンと言えば命探偵のほうですよね」と言われまして、「やった！」と思いましたね。
I never thought the serialization would be so long. I thought it would end with the first volume. The head editor said that since there is the anime, Future Boy Conan (directed by Miyazaki Hayao), I should change the title to “Detective Doyle,” but I persuaded him/her by saying, “I'll surpass Future Boy Conan!” But the new serialization notification article listed the title as “Detective Boy Conan”, and I thought, that's not good (laughs). However, about ten years ago, a person from Studio Ghibli told me, “Conan means the detective now, doesn't it?” and I thought, “Yes!”

Q：「コナン」の好きなエピソードベスト5を教えてください。
Tell me your Top 5 episodes.
A：一番は「揺れる警視庁1200万人の人質」（本記事＃28）です。読者人気も一番ですね。あとはなんだろう？アニメで2時間半スペシャルだった「黒の組織と真っ向勝負満月の夜の二元ミステリー」（本記事＃35）かな。平次が初登場する「外交官殺人事件」（本記事＃10）は、新一の「そいつはちがうな・・・」って言う見開きのシーンが、演出的にうまくいったかなと思います。「真実はいつも・・・たった一つしかねーんだからな・・・」って台詞もお気に入り。アニメの台詞で「真実はいつもひとつ！」ってあるじゃないですか。あれはアニメの脚本者が書いたんですが、僕が書いたのと同時期だったんです。偶然一緒で驚きました。「なぞめいた乗客」（本記事＃24）も好きかな。コナンの「逃げるなよ灰原・・・自分の運命から・・・逃げるんじゃねーぞ・・・」って台詞が印象に残ってます。新一は台詞に気を使いますね。あと、最初の「ホームズの黙示録」（本記事＃50）。コナンの憧れの地でしたから力が入りました。現場取材もして。

1. 1 would be “Shaken Police Headquarters: 12 Million Hostages” (FILE 369-373). What else? I guess “Head to Head with the Black Organization: Full Moon Night's Dual Mystery” (FILE 429-434), which ran as a two-and-a-half-hour special in the anime. Ïn “The Case of the Murdered Diplomat” (FILE 92-96), where Heiji first makes an appearance, I liked Shinichi's eye-opening scene, where he said, “That's not right . . .” - I thought it went well, performance-wise. I also like the line, “There is . . . only one truth . . . don't you see?” In the anime, they say, “One truth remains!”, right? The anime's writer came up with this line, but I also came up with this line at the same time. I was surprised by the coincidence. “The Mysterious Passenger” (FILE 287-289) is a favorite, too. Conan's “Don't run away, Haibara . . . Don't run away . . . from your own destiny . . .” remains impressed in my memory. Shinichi picks his lines carefully, doesn't he? I'd also like to add “Following Holmes” (FILE 743-752). Since it was Conan's admired place, I put in some effort. I did some site research for it, too.
   

Q：’03年のインタビューでは、次はロンドン編と仰られていましたね。
You said that the next arc would be the London arc in the '03 interview, didn't you?
A：そうか、だいぶ時間かかったね。描いてみてやっぱり英語に苦労しました。ウィンブルドンを舞台するのは最初から決めていて、ミネルバ・グラスはテニス選手のシュテフィ・グラスがモデルです。コナンが観客席からグラスに「ボクが助けてあげるよ！！」って言うシーンがありますが、あれは’96年のウィンブルドンのエピソードを基にしてます。グラフと伊達公子準決勝、流れを変えるためだかでファンが「シュテフィ！僕と結婚して！」って言ったんです。それに、グラフは「お金いくら持ってるの？」ってジョークで返したんですよ（笑）。
Wow, some time has passed since then, hasn't it? I tried drawing it, and I definitely struggled with the English. I decided from the beginning to feature Wimbledon, and I modeled Minerva Glass with the tennis player, Steffi Graf. The scene where conan says “I'll help you out!!” to Glass from the audience is based on an episode in Wimbledon in '96. During the semifinal between Graf and Date Kimiko, a fan said “Steffi, will you marry me?”, maybe to change the flow [of the game]. Then, Graf replied jokingly, “How much money do you have?” (laughs)

Q：ロンドン取材はいかがでしたか？
How was the research in London?
A：作中に登場する場所は取材に行って撮ったところばかりです。コナンが新一に戻った電話ボックスも、ビッグ・ベンの橋を渡った先にあります。”恐怖の谷”と漫画で描いた排水溝もちゃんとありますよ。泊まったホテルもそのまま。行けなかったところはグーグルマップで調べました。あ、じゃあ取材しなくても描けたかも？（笑）
The places that show up in the manga mostly consist of places I took pictures of during the research. The telephone box where Conan turned back to Shinichi really was at the end of crossing the Big Ben bridge. The gutter with “Valley of Fear” written across the top in the manga exists, too. I drew the hotel I stayed at as it was. For places I couldn't go, I investigated with Google Map. Maybe I could have drawn without the site research? (laughs)

Q：エピソードのラスト（72巻収録6月発売予定）には新一と蘭の念願のシーンがありましたね。
The end of that arc (Volume 72 planned to be sold in June) contained the much-awaited-for scene between Shinichi and Ran, didn't it?
A：あれは反撃？が大きかったですね。恋愛に苦手なホームズに絡めようと思ったり、「厄介な難事件」ってう台詞も前から決めていて。計算通りです。
The reaction was huge for that scene. I thought about tying in the fact that Holmes is weak in romance, and the “A bothersome, difficult case” line was decided before. Things went as planned.

Q：ラブコメと組織の戦い、それぞれのエピソードを描くタイミングには、ルールや周期があるのでしょうか？
Is there a rule or a cycle behind deciding the timing for love-comedy and Black Organization episodes?
A：そろそろかなって言う勘ですね（笑）。ファンレターが結構影響あるかもしれない。「新一と蘭の子供時代が読みたいです！」、「そろそろ組織編描いてください！」とか。組織は読者からの期待も高いです。ただ、普通のフィールドとちがって、ハードボイルドに描かなければならないのでなかなか大変。でもハードボイルドは好きです。
I decide when I feel it's time (laughs). Maybe fan letters have a pretty significant influence. I get stuff like “I want to read about Shinichi and Ran's childhood!” or “Please draw the BO arc soon!” The readers expectations for the BO arc is high. It's just, unlike normal fields, I have to draw hard core so it's quite a lot of work. But I like hard core things.

Q：描いて楽しいキャラは？
Which character is fun to draw?
A：灰原かな。初登場時から人気もありますね。自分が思ったとおりのことをやってくれて、言いたいことを代弁してくれるキャラです。公式HPの”コナン通信社”で僕のコメントを灰原に言わせてるのも、そんな理由です。
Haibara, perhaps. She's popular since her appearance, isn't she? She does exactly what I want her to do, and I can say what I want to say though her. This is pretty much the reason why I have Haibara say my comments at the official homepage, Conan News Agency.

Q：読者人気の高いキャラは？
Which character is popular among the readers?
A：今は最近登場した世良真純。どうやらぶっちぎりらしいです。名前もまあ、わかる人にはわかっちゃうんだけどね。こんなに「ガンダム」でいいのかなって（笑）。ある大物キャラの妹のかも・・・（笑）。アニメの声優さんも今から楽しみです。
Sera Masumi, the new character. It seems that she's winning by an landslide. The name seems to be understood by people who understands. Is it good to have so much Gundam? (laughs) Maybe she's the sister of a major character . . . (laughs). I'm excited to see who the voice actor will be.

Q：高木刑事と佐藤刑事の恋愛も、今後の動向が気になります。
I also wonder about the direction of Detective Takagi and Detective Satou's romance.
A：高木と佐藤は結婚式も描く予定です。本当は去年の映画のときに怪盗キッドと絡めて結婚しきしてやろうと思ってたんですが、映画でやっちゃうと、原作でできなくなるのでとめました。
I plan on drawing Takagi and Satou's marriage ceremony. The thing is, during last year's movie, I thought about getting them married with a Kid plot involved, but if it's done in a movie, then I can't do it in the manga, so I decided against the idea.

Q：「コナン」は学年読の漫画・アニメ・映画・実写ドラマと、メディアミックスも幅広く展開されています。どんな形でプロデュースを？
Conan has expanded broadly into student-read manga, anime, movies, live action drama, and media franchise. How do you produce them?
A：主に映画の脚本と原画に携わっています。ほかのメディアはだいたいお任せにしてますね。
I'm mainly involved in the movie script and the original pictures. I entrust the other media in others.

Q：最新映画「名探偵コナン沈黙の15分（クォーター）」には、どう関わられたんでしょうか？
How were you involved in the newest movie, Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence?
A：15という数字をテーマにしたことに関しては、映画15周年ということで僕とスタッフの総意です。舞台の雪山は僕から提案しました。雪崩に埋まって、助かるまでのリミットが15分だったのでちょうどいいかなと。
About making the number '15' the theme, this was a consensus among the staff and myself to celebrate the 15th year of films. Having the stage be set on a snowy mountain was my idea. I thought that getting buried in an avalanche with a rescue time limit of 15 minutes would be just right.

Q：今作の見どころは？
What are the scenes to watch for in this film?
A：最初のトンネルのスケボーシーンですね。あれかっこよかったでしょ？あと、僕が原画を描いた「言葉は刃物。使い方を間違えると、凶器になる。」ってコナンが言うシーン。原作でも一回使った台詞で気に入ってます。雪崩に飲み込まれるシーンの、コナンと蘭がすれ違うときに現れる新一の願も僕が原画を担当しました。
The skateboard in a tunnel scene at the beginning. Wasn't it cool? Also, the scene where Conan says, “Words are knives. When used wrong, they become weapons.” (I drew the original picture for this). I also used this line in the manga once, I like it. I also was in charge of the original picture of the scene where Shinichi's prayer(?) appears when Conan and Ran miss each other in the avalanche

Q：歴代の映画版で先生のオススメは？
What is your recommended film so far?
A：5作目の「天国へのカウントダウン」ですね。いろんなことがうまく歯み合った自信作です。僕の弟もこれが一番好きだといっていました。弟は医者でアニメオタクなんですよ（笑）。よく相談に乗ってもらっています。死亡推定時期とか、死亡要因とかね。まさに生きる医学書、超便利！声優にも詳しいので、「灰原役の声優さんは林原さんがいいぞ！」って電話が来たり。「あれじゃ人気にあぐらかいてる」なんてダメだしされたりもします（笑）。
The fifth film, Countdown to Heaven. Many things fit just right in that work, I'm proud of it. My little brother says he also likes this film the best. My little brother is a medical doctor who's also an anime otaku (laughs). I often consults with him. About the estimated time of death, the cause of death and such. A living medical book, super convenient! He's also knows about voice actors very well, so he calls and says things like, “Hayashibara-san would be great as Haibara's voice actor!” He also points out my faults, like “You're getting conceited with popularity” (laughs).

Q：「コナン」は連載開始から17年、既刊71巻の長編となりましたが、長期連載を続けるコツはありますか？
Conan has become a long series that has continued for 17 years since the beginning of serialization, with 71 volumes published – any tips on continuing a long serialization?
A：ないですね。逆に、新しい事件を描くときはいつもこれが最後という気持ちでかかります。でも進んでるうちに次の話が始まるという。
No tips. On the contrary, when I draw a new case, I always draw with the feeling that this will be the last. Though when advancing forward the next story begins.

Q：長期連載で辛いと感じたことは？
What felt tough from the long serialization?
A：昔書いた伏線を忘れてしまうところ（笑）。ベルモットの伏線を明かした時はすごく大変でした（本記事＃35）。あれもこれも入れなきゃみたいな感じで。前に複線をすべてメモした紙をアニメのスタッフに渡したんだけど、返してほしい（笑）。それを見れば、”あの方”の正体がわかるかも？
When I forget about the foreshadows I wrote a long time ago (laughs). It was a lot of work when I clarified Vermouth's foreshadows. I felt like I needed to include everything. I noted down all the foreshadows on a paper before and I handed it to the anime staff – I wish they'd return it (laughs). Maybe anokata's identity will be understood if the paper is seen?

Q：’08年の本誌インタビューで、次の山場はバーボンと仰っていましたね。
In the '08 interview with this magazine, you said that the next arc will be about Bourbon.
A：バーボン編はまだ続きますよ。それとは別の山場に世良と灰原の対決を考えてあります。これは見事ですよ。どちらも”オオカミ”ですからね（笑）。
The Bourbon arc is still continuing. Aside from that arc, I've thought about a confrontation between Sera and Haibara. This will be spectacular. Both of them are “wolves,” after all (laughs).

Q：楽しみです！内容は決まっていると仰っていた最後回はいつごろに？
I'm excited to see it! When do you think you can write the last episode that you said you decided the contents of?
A：それはわからないですね。でも「こち亀」の巻数は越えないと思います（笑）。台詞はもう決まってます。ラストはハッピーエンドですよ。だって僕の作品なんだからね。
I don't know. But I don't think I'll exceed KochiKame in volume number (laughs). I've already decided the lines. The ending will be a happy one. This is my work, after all.

Q：20年以上週刊連載をされていますが、1週間どんなサイクルで描かれていらっしゃるのでしょうか？
You've done weekly serializations for 20 years, what does the one week cycle look like?
A：ネームに2日半～3日、画に4日～4日半くらい。1週間使い切ってる（笑）。トリック考える時間ないですよ。だから、どんどんずれていっちゃって。たまに休載させていただいてるんですが、全然休んでいないんです。だって、原作に加え映画の打ち合わせして原画も描いてるんだもん（笑）。だから、締め切りギリギリになっても、誰も文句言わないんです。原稿落としたことは1回もないですよ。1回落とすと、ずっと落としちゃいそうで。
Two and a half to three days on the pre-manuscript, four to four and a half days on the drawing. The week is used up (laughs). I don't have the time to think of tricks. That's why things keep getting off. They let me take a break from time to time, but I don't rest at all. Because, on top of the manga, I have to make arrangements with the movie staff to draw the original pictures (laughs). That's why, when I turn in things at the last minute, no one complains. I've never failed to turn in my work, not once. I feel like I'll stop turning in work if I fail once.

Q：休暇が取れたらやりたいことは？
What do you want to do if you managed to take a break?
A：ねる。ひたすら寝る。ちょっと起きて、映画見て、また寝る（笑）。それが夢の生活ですね。あとはホテル住まいをしてみたいなぁ・・・。
Sleep. Do nothing but sleep. Wake up a little, watch a movie, sleep again ( laughs). That would be my ideal life. Hotel living sounds nice, too . . .

Q：ご実家に帰られることは？
Do you return home?
A：毎年正月だけ帰ってます。色紙を持って、サインしてくれってファンがきてくれるから。さらに、親が1年間溜めたサイン色紙を持ってきます（笑）。コピーしたやつを200枚と普通の色紙が20枚くらい。でもまあ、田舎に帰ると何もないから、絵が描きたくなってきます。
Just on New Years every year. Since there are fans who bring shikishi's (in Japan, fans get signatures on papers called shikishi) and ask for signatures. On top of that, my parents save up one year's worth of shikishi's (laughs). Two hundred of them are copies, about twenty are the normal shikishi's. Still, when I return to the country nothing happens, so I start wanting to draw pictures.

Q：やはりお仕事がお好きなんですね。
As I thought, you like to work, don't you?
A：そうなのかな？そういえば観るドラマも刑事者とかばかりですね。最近はテレビの新番組を全部録画して、ミステリーや刑事もの以外は全部削除しています。下書き中に流しています。会話劇なら、作業中でも内容がわかりますからね。最近では「SPEC」を観ました。超能力者が出てくるのに、ちゃんとミステリーを成立させている。終盤で、当麻（戸田恵梨香）が一（神木隆之介）との頭脳戦に勝って「あたしの勝ちだ！」って言ったところがかっこよかった！戸田さんが10代だったら、実写「コナン」の蘭役をやってもらいたかったですね（笑）。
You think? Now that I think about it, the dramas that I watch are all about police detectives. These days, all the new shows are recorded, and shows that aren't mysteries or about police detectives are eliminated. I play them when drafting. With dramas, you can understand the contents even while working. Recently, I've watched SPEC. Even though ESP people appear, the mystery is set up properly. In the last episode, I thought that when Touma (Toda Erika) said “I won!” (when she won the intellect battle against Ninomae (Kamiki Ryuunosuke)), she was really cool. If Toda-san was in her teens, I would have liked her to play Ran in the live action Conan drama (laughs).

Q：今年の元旦には「泥棒」に鑑識役で出演されましたね。
You've played the role of a police crime lab staff in Thief during this year's New Years.
A：水谷豊さんとも相談させていただいて、念願叶いました。すごくいい人で、右京さんそのものでした。
I was also kindly allowed to consult with Mizutani Yutaka-san, my wish came true. He was a truly good person, he was just like Ukyou-san!

Q：ドラマの脚本などに興味は？
Do you have an interest in scripts for dramas?
A：隠居したらやってもいいかも。でも、僕は絵を描かなくちゃだめっていわれるんじゃない？（笑）
After I retire, maybe. But I think I'll be told that I should draw instead (laughs).

Q：先生が漫画を描く上で大事なさっていることは？
When sensei draws manga, what do you value?
A：男の子はかっこよく、女の子は可愛くですね。最近は蘭や世良などの女の子もかっこよくなってきちゃいましたけどね（笑）。
To draw cool boys and cute girls. Though Ran and Sera and such girls are becoming cooler these days (laughs).

Q：今年で画業25周年を迎えられましたが、どんな四半世紀でしたか？
This year marks the 25th anniversary of your job; how would you describe this past quarter century?
A：半分くらい「コナン」ですからね。人生返せって感じですよ（笑）。始めたときは29歳だったのに。あっという間でした。自分の中では4年くらいしか経っていない感覚です。
Half of it was Conan. I feel like I want to demand my life back (laughs). I was 29 when I started. Time passed by, really fast. I feel like it's only been four years.

Q：何歳まで現役でいたいですか？
Until what age do you want to stay active?
A：まあできる限り。阿笠博士の年（53歳）までには隠居したいな、とも思いますけど、隠居したらまた漫画描きたくなるんじゃないかって。最初からずっと一緒にやってるアシスタントたちも年を取ってますから大変です。でもチャップリンみたいに「代表作は次回作」って言っときます！
As long as I can. I want to retire when I reach Agasa's age (53), I think, but once I retire I think I'll start wanting to draw manga again. The assistants who've been with me since the beginning are aging, too – there's a lot of trouble. But, just like Chaplin, I'll keep saying “My best work is my next work”!

Q：次回作といえば、’08年の本誌インタビューで仰られていた「西遊記」はいかがでしょうか？
Speaking of your next work, what about the Journey to the West that you mentioned in your interview with this mazagine in '08?
A：「西遊記」は描きたい！悟空のキャラデザインはできていて、読みきりをサンデーに乗せる予定はあったんですが、昔の中国の背景を描くのが大変だからもう無理かな。たぶん描かないから言いますけど、超面白いですよ（笑）。
I want to draw Journey to the West! I've finished the character design for Goku, and there was a plan to publish a one-shot on Sunday, but drawing ancient Chinese backgrounds is quite troublesome so maybe not. I'll say this since I don't think I'll keep drawing, but it's quite interesting (laughs).

Q：描いてください！！では、読者に向けてメッセージをお願いします。
Please do draw! Finally, please leave a message for the readers.
A：長い間、青山剛昌ワールドに付き合ってくれてありがとうございます。そしてこれからもよろしく。「さぁ、次の事件です」ってね（笑）。
Thank you kindly for putting up with Aoyama Gosho's world for a long time. And I hope we'll get along in the future. “Let's get to the next case!” (laughs)

EDIT: Fixed 'Three-Haired cat' to 'Calico cat' - my bad, ha ha.

Otona Fami Interview #4

オトナファミ6月号 (Otona Fami or Adult Family June issue), published April 2012
Translated by: justwantanaccount

  Show spoilers »

Ｑ: いつ顷から、どういうきっかけでサッカーを好きになったか。
Q: Since when and how did you come to like soccer?
⇒好きになったのは“ドーハの悲剧”（1993年に开催された日本代表とイラク代表のサッカーの国际试合）の顷から。コナンが始まる前。日本中ががっかりした试合だったけど…顽张れって気持ちにもなった、あの顷からサッカーは好きですね。
A: I liked soccer since the Agony of Doha (the international soccer match between Japanese and Iraqi representative opened in 1993). This is before Conan started. Although this was a match that let down Japan, I also felt like cheering (Japan). I've liked soccer from that time, yes.

Ｑ. ロベルト・バッジョ选手（イタリアの至宝と呼ばれた选手）が好きだと闻いたが、他に好きな选手は？
Q. I heard that you like Roberto Baggio (footballer who was called Italy's treasure), but who else do you like?
⇒确かにバッジョ选手は好き。他にはＣＳＫＡモスクワで活跃している本田圭佑选手もいい。喋りがかっこいいし、面白い。昔だとヒデ。コナンにもヒデがいるが、コナンの方のヒデ（赤木英雄）の方が先に出ている（笑）
A. Yes, I do like Baggio. As for other players, I also like Keisuke Honda, who is active in CSKA Moscow. His way of speaking is cool, and (his speaking? he?) is interesting. In old times, (my favorite was) Hide. Although there's another Hide in Conan, Conan's Hide (Hideo Akagi) appeared first (laughs).

Ｑ. 今回、剧场版シリーズとして“サッカー”を题材するに至って、先生のこだわりとは？
Q. What is sensei's fixation when researching about soccer for this year's film series?
⇒やっぱり前回のワールドカップ南アフリカ大会での远藤选手のフリーキック、凄かった。远藤选手のあの时のフリーキックは凄いカーブで、弧を描きゴールネットに…これをコナンに蹴らせたい!!と思った。その思い入れは込められたかな(笑)。本田の无回転シュートもいいんだけど…今回の作品的に无回転だと无理かなと思って(何で无理かは剧场で确认してくださいね）。
A. Endou's free kick in World Cup South Africa was amazing. Endou's free kick at that time had an amazing curve, drawing an arc toward the goal net . . . I thought, I want to make Conan kick this!!. Maybe this wish was included (laughs). Honda's knuckle shot was amazing, too . . . but I thought that knuckle shots would be impossible this time, product-wise (to understand why, please confirm at the movie theater).

Ｑ. コナンのリフティングについて。
Q. About Conan's (soccer ball) juggling . . .
⇒１巻ぐらいにしか出て来ないんだけど…コナンが推理するときに、リフティングをしてたら面白いなぁと思ったんだけど、リフティングのシーンを描くと、意外とコマをくっちゃうんだよね(笑)。だから１回しかやってない。だから今回はせっかくだし…コナンにリフティングを思う存分、やらせてみた（笑）。
A. This appeared only around the first volume . . . I thought that it would be interesting if Conan was juggling (a soccer ball) while deducing, but the juggling scenes, when drawn, eat up the panel, contrary to expectations (laughs). That's why I only did it once. That's why I had Conan juggle to his heart's content, given the opportunity (laughs).

Ｑ. 现役の选手の方々に声优を実际にして戴きましたが、どうでしたか？
Q. You had actual soccer players voice acting. How was it?
⇒みなさん、顽张って戴いてよかった。カズさん(三浦知良选手)は、とても自然な感じだったし。
A. Everybody did their best for us, it was great. Kazu-san (Kazuyoshi Miura) was a natural, too.

Ｑ. 作品中に出てくる东京スピリッツ、ビッグ大阪のユニフォームのデザインは、どこかのチームのユニフォームからインスピレーションはあったか？
Q. Did you get inspiration from some team for your work's Tokyo Spirits' and Big Osaka's uniforms?
⇒东京スピリッツはイタリア、セリエＡ“ユベントス”。昔、ロベルト・バッジョがいた、あのチーム。ビッグ大阪は特にないんだけど…あえて言うなら、昔の浦和レッズ、鹿岛アントラーズの襟部分などを参考にしたかな。
A. Tokyo Spirits' is from Italy's Serie A Juventus F.C.. The team Baggio was a part of a long time ago. There's no specific (inspiration) for Big Osaka . . . but if you insist, I may have consulted Urawa Red Diamonds', Kashima Antlers' collar.

Ｑ. 今回の构想期间はどれくらい？
Q. How lond was the planning process this time?
⇒大体２年前から始めた。それくらい始めないと间に合わない。
A. We started about two years ago. We can't finish on time if we don't start around there.

Ｑ. 作品を描く时、どうしているか？
Q. When drawing your work, what do you do?
⇒音楽がかかっていると集中できない、だから无音。たまに気分展开したい时に音楽をかけたり、気晴らしに映画を観たりしている。集中して考える时は绝対に音はない。逆に絵を描くときは、音楽をかける。昔は、大滝咏一さんとかブルーハーツ。ブルーハーツは“1000のバイオリン”という曲が大好き。がっかりすることがあると、この曲を聴く。大体オレの头の中って、この曲の歌词みたい。ブルーハーツはコナンの最初の主题歌だし。あとはアニメを流したりもする。例えば、“ちはやぶる”は超おもしろくてあれはいい。このアニメを流しながら、コナンの杀人シーンを描いたりした(笑)。
A. I can't focus when music is playing, so no music. I play music to improve my mood, or play movies to brighten my mood. When I'm thinking with focus, there is never any sound. In the old days, (I played) Eiichi Otaki, Blue Hearts, etc.

Ｑ. 今回のようにサッカーという要素の中に、事件・推理・爆破などの要素を入れて、１つの作品として完成させるのは大変だったと思うが、どうだったか？
Q. It must have been a lot of work to include elements of soccer, incident, deduction, explotion and finish them as one product. How was it?
⇒大変だった。漫画の原作でサッカースタジアムで犯人が狙撃して、コナンが阻止するというのをやってしまったので、狙撃はもうできないし(笑)。狙撃できないなら爆発しかないよね(笑)。
It was a lot of work. (I) already did (a case) in the manga where the culprit is sniping, and where Conan stops him, so (we) couldn't do sniping anymore (laughs). If sniping is out, you can only do explosions, right? (laughs)

Ｑ. 打ち合わせは何度も重ねたんですよね？
Q. Business meetings were held repeatedly, right?
⇒打ち合わせは大体仆の家でするんだけど、暗号をどうしようとみんなで悩んでいたとき、仕事场でトリックの一部を完成させて“これにしよう”と言って决めたり…。トリックは思い浮かんで决まるときは早い。作品を完成させる时は、まず“トリック”を完成させる、トリックが决まらないと全然话にならないので。今回の场合だと、サッカーに全体が引っ张られ过ぎるとよくないし。トリックをしっかり决め、そしてサッカーの要素などを加えて完成させた。
A. Business meetings are usually done at (Not a Japanese name, not sure wtheck this is)'s house, but when everyone was pondering over the cipher, we'll complete one part of a trick at the workplace and decide while saying "Let's use this!" . . . For tricks, the time when thinking up and deciding is fast. To finish a work, first finish the trick. If the trick isn't decided, the story doesn't form. In this case, it's not good to pull apart soccer as a whole. (We) first firmly decided the trick, then added elements of soccer to finish.

Ｑ. これまでの作品で、実在する人がモデルになっているキャラクターはいるか？
Q. In your work so far, do you have character(s) who are modeled off of people in real life?
⇒高木刑事だけ実在ではないけれど、漫画家“よしまさこ”さんの作品で、です・ます调のキャラクターがいて、そのキャラの见た目でなく、中身を参考にさせてもらった。
A. Only Detective Takagi isn't based off of a real-life person; he is based on a character who speaks politely in the manga artist Masako Yoshi's work. I consulted that character's insides, not (his/her) appearance.

Ｑ. 今回の作品を実际に観て、特に印象に残ったシーンや“细かいところだけど気づいてほしい”というシーンがあれば教えてください。
Q. Tell us about scenes that left you an impression or scenes that you want others to notice despite being insignificant when you watched this year's work. ⇒お～っと思ったのは、スタジアムの电光掲示板が爆発して…あることが起きるじゃない?!あとコナンのサスペンダーが(あとは剧场で)。それとカズのシーンが良かった、全体的にアップテンポな进行の中で、ゆったりとしていて。
(The scene that) made me think Wow! is when the stadium's electronic bulletin board explodes, and . . . something happens, right?! Then Conan's suspenders (go to the theater for more). And Kazu's scene was good, its pace was easy-going in the middle of an up-beat one.

Ｑ. 剧场版コナンを一般の映画馆で観るか？
Q. Do you watch Conan's films in an average (or public, I think) theater?
⇒耻ずかしくて一般の映画馆では観ない。でも『世纪末の魔术师』という作品で、怪盗キッドを出そうってオレが言ったんだけど、本当に作品に登场するのか？と思って、映画馆へ『世纪末の魔术师』の予告编だけを确认しに、ガメラか何かの作品を観に行きました(笑)。あの时の怪盗キッドはオレが描いた原画だったし、スクリーンサイズで観れて感动した。
A. I'm embarrassed to watch in an average theater. But in the work "The Last Wizard of the century", since I suggested making Kaito Kid appear and I thought, Will (he) really appear?, I went to a theater to just confirm "The Last Wizard of the Century"'s trailer while watching Gamera or whatever (laughs). Kaito Kid at that time was (based on) my storyboard, and I felt happy to see it on the big screen.

Ｑ. 今回のコナンは冒头からハードアクションだったが、どんなアクション作品のイメージがあったのか。
Q. This time's Conan is hard action from the beginning. What action work did you base it on?
⇒ダイ・ハードか２４かな。それと、“パニック・イン・スタジアム”というスタジアムの中が大騒ぎになる作品も少しイメージした。
A. Die Hard or 24, maybe. (My comment: Gosho has mentioned in the manga how he has watched 24 before. It's a US detective series, so you guys should be able to watch it, if you wanted to.) I also based it a little on the work Panic in Stadium (Note: the US title is Two-Minute Warning), where there's turmoil in a stadium.

Ｑ. 兰が新一に携帯电话で连络するシーンについて。
Q. On the scene where Ran contacts Shinichi with a cell phone.
⇒原作では既にエクスペリアじゃなくてエクスペリカンというスマホを使っているし、灰原はプ●ダフォンだし、ベルモットはアイ●ォンだしね。
A. In the original work (Note: the manga), (Conan?) uses a smart phone called XPERIKAN (Note: this is what's on the manga to avoid copyright violations, probably - not a real phone), not Xperia. Haibara (uses) Prada phone, and Vermouth (uses) iPhone.

Ｑ. 兰など素敌な女の子たちが登场しているが、『名探侦コナン』という作品の中で特に好きな女の子は谁か？
Q. Charming girls like Ran appears (in your work). In the work called Detective Conan, which female character do you especially like?
⇒やっぱヒロインの兰かな。好きなのは兰、そして特别な女の子が灰原かな。こなん通信社の中で灰原の一言もオレが考えているんだけど、ほぼ灰原はオレの代弁者になっているね。あと兰は勇往迈进というか（新一のことを）待っていてくれるのは嬉しいというか…あと强いしね。ちなみに女の子が强いシーンを描くのって嬉しい。今、世良ちゃんも出ているけど、描くのが楽しい…目の下にクマがあるけど(笑)。
A. I guess it would have to be the heroine, Ran. I like Ran, and the special girl would be Haibara. I think about Haibara's comments in the Conan News Agency, too; she's become my spokeswoman, hasn't she? Ran is full of courage, and she waits for Shinichi, which makes (Gosho?) happy . . . she's strong, too. By the way, I feel happy drawing scenes where girls are strong. Right now, Sera-chan is appearing, too, and it's fun to draw (her) . . . although, she has bags under her eyes (laughs).

Ｑ. ジャイアンツが好きだと闻きました。剧场版の作品で、スポーツに関する题材としてどんなスポーツをやってみたいか。
Q. I hear that you like the Giants. What kind of sports do you want to do as the theme of a film, if the theme is sports-related?
⇒野球だね。でもジャイアンツに肩入れするのも…(笑)。やるなら世界的に有名なスポーツがいいと思う。スポーツ観戦するのが好き。基本、何でも観る。
A. It would be baseball. But supporting Giants might be . . . (laughs). If (I'm/we're/etc) going to do it, I think that it's good to (pick a) sport that's famous all over the world. I like to watch sport matches. Basically, I watch anything.

Shonen Sunday Table of Contents Questions '08-'10

http://conan-magic.com/QandA.html

  Show spoilers »

2008:

19. Q: What is the best movie of the last two or three years?
A: "Nasu: Summer in Andalusia"! (Nasu: Andarushia no Natsu)
Info on Nasu, a bicycling anime by one of the Ghibli folks. Wiki Article

20. Q: Sensei, what is one of your "small pleasures"?
A: The police drama "Aibou" (Partner), as well as the anime "Kaiji". (laughs)
Here's some info on "Kaiji" in English. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiji_%28manga%29
And info on Aibou. http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Aibou

21-22. Q: Please tell us what has inspired you recently?
A: "Galileo". (laughs)
Galileo is a current TV drama. http://www.fujitv.co.jp/galileo/index2.html

23. Q: If a museum had an exhibition on any subject, what would you want it to be about?
A: Successive generations of swordsmasters and generals armor and katanas. (laughs)

24. Q: If you could make one law, what would it be?
A: I've often said I would make it so there were eight days in a week! (laughs)

25. Q: Could you tell us what is a book that has made you cry?
A: "Natsu no Sorairo" by Riyouko Takahashi!

27. Q: What would you like most right now?
A: Well, more of hours of sleep! (laughs)

28. Q: Of all the presents you've gotten up until now, what is the most memorable?
A: The Minami Asakura shikashi that Adachi-sensei gave me (laughs).
Note: Minami Asakura is the love interest in Mitsuru Adachi's mega-popular series "Touch" (1981-1986). A "shikashi" is often described as an art board. Its a piece of paper attached to a sturdy backing. They are often used for autographs or small, quick sketches with are signed by a mangaka and given away.

29. Q: Tell us about a good store that is near your home.
A: The bookstore and the video rental store (laughs).

30. Q: Please tell us a tune that when you hear it, it makes you feel tense?
A: Furuhata Ninzaburou's theme song (laughs).
Furuhata Ninzaburou (a Japanese police drama) A remixed version of the song also appears in Dance Dance Revolution.

31. Q: Please tell us what your favorite fairytale is?
A: "Saiyuki!" I really like Goku... but is this really a fairytale...? (laughs)

32. Q: If you had the opportunity to work together with someone else of your choosing, who would it be?
A:"Furuhata Ninzaburo's" Koki Mitani-san, "Aibou's" Yasuhiro Koshimizu-san and "SP's" Kazuki Kaneshiro-san (laughs).
Aoyama mentioned Furuhata Ninzaburo last week. Koki Mitani is the series' creator and a playwrite.
Aibou (Partners) is a drama. Yasuhiro Koshimizu is one of the writers on the show.
Kazuki Kaneshiro is a novelist who wrote the popular book "Go".

33. Q: Please tell us a meal that you can cook and are proud of?
A: Well, I haven't made it in quite awhile, but... curry (laughs).

34. Q: When you're reading your current series, what sort of music do you like to have on in the background?
A: I like to listen to some of the background music and theme songs from the Conan anime... (laughs)

35. Q: Please tell us your favorite proverb and why?
A: Become quick, like the wind, and slow like the forest, aggressive like fire, and be unmoving like a mountain. (laughs)

36-37. Q: Are there any TV commercials that have made an impression on you lately?
A: Most commercials are pretty forgettable… Nagashio-san’s “Pressure has to be fun” one is good. (laughs)

39. Q: What is your longest running accomplishment or practice?
A: Kendo, because I liked Tetsuya Chiba-sensei's 'Ore no Teppei'. (laughs)
Tetsuya Chiba is probably best known for his series 'Ashita no Joe' (Tomorrow's Joe).
'Ore wa Teppei' ran from 1973 though 1980 in Weekly Shonen Magazine.

40. Q: Other than manga magazines, please tell us one of the magazines you like to read?
A: I read fashion magazines for information on clothes. (laughs)

41. Q: When you think about autumn, what foods come to mind?
A: Probably the 20th Century Pear. They're delicious. (laughs)
20th Century Pears (I had never heard of them either)

42. Q: Please tell us something that recently made you think "that's new!"
A: I had to get the new Haibara Prada mobile phone. (laughs)

43. Q: Do you have any memories of a sports match, play or concert?
A: I saw the Mariners play the Yankees in New York and Matsui suddenly hit a homerun. (laughs)

45. Q: What would you do if you won the lottery?
A: The first thing I would brag about it to my friends, until they started pestering me! (laughs)

46. Q: If you could open a store, what kind would it be?
A: Probably a curry shop. (laughs)

47. Q: What is something you've kept since you were a child and not thrown out?
A: My body. (laughs)

48. Q: Please tell us who you think is the strongest person in the world?
A: Saiyuki's "Son Goku"!!

49. Q: Please tell us if you have a regular song you like to sing at karaoke?
A: I don't, because I'm tone deaf. (laughs)

50. Q: Is there anything you'd like to try doing that you haven't?
A: Space travel! But I don't have the physical strenght for it. (laughs)

51. Q: What's the most unusual thing you've eaten?
A: At a party my first year of college one of my senpai forced me to eat a whole roasted sparrow. (laughs)

2009:

01. Q: Up until now, what is your biggest impulse buy?
A: At American Disneyland, I bought a Mickey ornament. (laughs)

2/3. Q: Please tell us how you make it through the winter?
A: A hokaron. (laughs)
Note: A "hokaron" is a disposable, portable, heating pad made by the Lotte company.

4/5. Q: What's the longest you've ever stayed awake for, and why?
A: When I was making an anime in college with my manga club. We stayed up for nearly three days. (laughs)

06. Q: Please tell us about a time when you felt good about things.
A: I guess it's when I finish my manuscripts. (laughs)

07. Q: What is your earliest memory?
A: Going to the movie theater to see "Nagagutsu wo Haita Neko: Pero no Daibouken" (Puss in Boots: Pero's Big Adventure).

08. Q: What is something that you wish will disappear before the 22nd century?
A: Cockroaches, flies, things like that. Insect related stuff.

09. Q: Please tell us a scene from an anime that has remained in your heart.
A: It was a scene from "Tiger Mask" where Tiger tore his groin muscle after being dropped on the ring ropes. (laughs)

10. Q: Please tell us something you'd like to talk about, but you never have the opportunity to discuss.
A: Kurosawa films. (laughs)

13. Q: If you were a producer, who or what would you produce?
A: Curry. (laughs)

14. Q: What is the coolest scene you've ever seen?
A: A million dollar night scene. (laughs)

15. Q: Is there a piece of music that makes you think "I can't help but cry when I hear this"?
A: Miyuki Nakajima's "Fight!" (cries)

16. Q: Please tell us a site on the internet that you like to check frequently.
A: A Kyojin site. (laughs)
(Shonen Magazine's classic baseball manga series "Kyojin no Hoshi".)

17. Q: Please tell us something that is improbable but that you still believe.
A: For the Japanese to win the W Cup in soccer. (laughs)

18. Q: Were there some cheap sweets that you liked as a child?
A: Masked Rider Snacks. I liked the cards that came with it. (laughs)

19. Q: Please tell us about a recent design which you think is cool.
A: Samurai Japan's mark. (laughs)

20. Q: When extraterrestrials arrive, where would you take them to show them what represents Japan?
A: The top of Tokyo Tower. (laughs)

21-22. None

23. Q: Is there a show you'd like to see brought back to television?
A: "SP"! I want them to continue it! (laughs)

24. Q: Up to now, what's the best thing you've done for your parents?
A: ... Nothing much... (laughs) [That's kind of wrong >.> -Magic]

25. Q: Was there something or someone that you yearned for when you were a kid?
A: Of course, to be Shigeo Nagashima!
Note: Shigeo Nagashima is a legendary baseball player in Japan, and also happened to appear on the cover of the very first issue of Shonen Sunday in 1959.

26. Q: What is a food that you associate with your mother?
A: Curry rice. *laughs*

27. Q: Please tell us about something you've recently discovered.
A: Reserving movie tickets through the internet. (laughs)

28. Q: Is there a piece of furniture you'd like to see evolve and why?
A: A wristwatch with a tranquilizer gun feature. (laughs)

29. Q: Please tell us who you think the funniest celebrities in showbiz are.
A: DAIGO. (laughs)

30. Q: What manga character's ability would you like to have?
A: Son Goku's Kintoun (Flying Nimbus).

31. Q: What's a messy or cute thing you've seen recently?
A: Totoro. (laughs)

32. Q: Please tell us about a television performance you enjoyed recently.
A: Millionaire. (laughs)

33. None.

34. Q: Please tell us your most favorite manga, drama or anime.
A: An old drama called “Pro-Hunter” (laughs).

35. Q: When have you felt the most Japanese in your life?
A: When wearing a kendo helmet (laughs).

36. Q: Has there been a word whose name you don’t understand?
A: Deadball…(laughs) If I remember correctly the original meaning is different…
(Note: Deadball in Japanese baseball is when a pitcher strikes a batter. In English, deadball refers to an era in baseball prior to Babe Ruth’s playing days known for low scoring games.)

37. Q: What’s the most amazing place in your neighborhood?
A: Of course I’d say the “20th Century Pears” (laughs).

38. None.

39. Q: What is something that’s been an impulse buy?
A: How often I rent DVDs (laughs).

40. Q: What do you think are some of the true evolutions that will be made in the 21st century?
A: Terrestrial radio! (laughs).

41. Q: What’s one place you’d like to go at some point in your life?
A: Sochi (Laughs) (Note: Site of Russian Winter Olympics in 2014)

42-43. Q: What is one advanced function you’d like added to cell phones?
A: A voice altering device (laughs).

44. Q: When you were a kid, what was your favorite giant monster?
A: Of course, Gamera! (laughs).

45. None.

46. Q: If asked by a foreigner what a typical Japanese gag is, what would you tell them?
A: Kato-chan-pe? (laughs). (I googled this and found some mentions of it, but I'm not quite sure how the pun works.)

47. Q: Do you have an embarrassing childhood memory that you can’t forget?
A: I’ve forgotten (laughs).

48. Q: When you go to sleep, what’s a dream that you can remember having?
A: I’m being chased by something and as I run the earth opens up and I start to fall… it’s rather ominous… (laughs).

49. Q: What’s a film that you might say “is a difficult film to understand, but it’s one of my favorites!”?
A: Kappu no Sekai (Cup of the World) (laughs).

50. Q: Please tell us your favorite kanji character and the reason.
A: The kanji "samurai"! And of course it's because of the WBC... (Laughs)
Note: "Samurai" in this case refers to Japan's national team in the WBC or World Baseball Classic.

51. Q: Assuming you could take a ride in a time machine, what era would you go to?
A: I'd go ten years into the future to make sure Ichiro (Suzuki) continues to get hits at the same pace. (laughs)

52. Q: What sort of background image do you have on your cell phone?
A: Whatever I like at the moment. (laughs)

2010:

01. Q: What's a song that you like to hear during the winter?
A: No doubt, it's Christmas music. (laughs)

2-3. Q: What was the last meal that you ate that you can recalling being particularly delicious?
A: The Indo-Curry I had at the Osaka World's Fair. (laughs)

4-5. Q: Personally, what's the best news you heard this year?
A: WBC Samurai Japan's victory. (laughs) (Note: WBC is the World Baseball Classic.)

06. Q: If you suddenly had a month off, what would you do with your time?
A: Sleep! Nothing but sleep!! (laughs)

07. Q: When you're alone, what sort of things do you think deeply about?
A: Baseball, soccer, the Olympics... (laughs)

08. None.

09. Q: What happened the instant you decided you wanted to become a mangaka?
A: I actually wrote "I want to do this" in my the program from my elementary school graduation... (laughs)

10. Q: If you could be reborn as an animal, what sort of animal would you like to be?
A: A slot, because I would like to be lazy. (laughs)

11. Q: Before you die, is there a certain kind of food you would like to try? And what would it be?
A: Suyabashi Jiro's sushi. (laughs)
Note: Jiro, the chef at the restuarant "Suyabashi Jiro" is recognized as a living national treasure by the Japanese government. His restaurant is extremely popular.

12. Q: Is there an occupation you wanted to have when you were a child?
A: I wanted to be Ultra Seven. (laughs)
Note: Ultra Seven was one of the Ultra Brothers which included Ultraman among others.

13. Q: What is your favorite home appliance?
A: My Blu-ray recorder than I just bought! (laughs)

14. Q: What's your favorite four kanji word?
A: "Kaitouranma" (solving a problem swiftly), "Denkousekka" (lightning speed), and "Shippudotou" (waves created by hurricanes) are some of my favorite words. (laughs)

15. Q: What sort of things did you like to play when you were a kid?
A: Only baseball... (laughs)

16. Q: Please tell us your favorite person from the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
A: It's gotta be Ryoma! In those closing days,Ryoma Sakamoto was such a visionary. (laughs)

17. Q: On mankinds final day, what would you like to do?
A: Eat something delicious, probably curry! (laughs)

18. Q: Now that spring is here, what sort of things do you most associate with the season?
A: My assistant Negishi always starts sneezing from his hayfever.

19. None.

20. Q: When you were a child, what was a toy you really, unbearably wished you had?
A: Jumbo Machine! My friend had one and I was ultra-jealous! (laughs)

21. Q: What do you do when you take a break from work?
A: Sports and watching games. (laughs)

22/23. Q: In your experience, have you ever thought, "This is amazing!"
A: In Las Vegas while I was waiting on a bus I got a jackpot on a slot machine. (laughs)

24. Q: If you manga could be turned into a film, who would you want to play the main character?
A: Probably Oguri Shun. *laughs*

• Oguri Shun played Shinichi in the first two live action tv specials.

25. Q: When you go to the convience store to buy something, what do you get?
A: A sandwich. *laughs*

26. Q: What are some words to live by?
A: Boy. *laughs*

27. Q: What historical figure have you ever thought "I'd like to illustrate his story" about?
A: Probably Nobunaga. (laughs)

28. Q: Please tell me what songs you like to hum along to?
A: Like Conan I'm tone-deaf and can't sing. (laughs)

29. Q: What was the last CD you bought?
A: B'z "Ai no mama ni wagamama ni boku wa kimi dake wo kizutsukenai". (laughs)

30. Q: Please tell me if there is there a manga character who gave a particularly memorable speech?
A: In Mobile Suit Gundam: Meguriai Uchuu when Amuro says, "Uchuu..." ("Space...") (laughs)

36-37. Q: Have you ever loved a particular manga character? If so, what series were they from?
A: Lupan III's Fujiko-chan and Touch's Minami-chan. (laughs)

38. Q: When you were a child, were there any manga or picture books that made a lasting impression on you?
A: Probably Peter Pan. (laughs)

39. Q: Please tell us some things you loved about your hometown.
A: The watermelon is delicious, the fruit is delicious and snow crabs are delicious. (laughs)

40. Q: Are you a dog person or a cat person? Or is there some other kind of animal that you prefer?
A: I'm definetely a dog person. (laughs)

41. Q: Please tell us a task you would like to attempt.
A: I'd like to take a vacation somewhere for the first time in four years. (laughs)

42. Q: Please tell us an athelete that you like.
A: The Giant's Sakimoto and Samurai Blue's Honda. (laughs)

Shonen Sunday Special Booklet File865

File 865 Shounen Sunday Special Booklet
Post organized by : Chekov
Partially translated, comment by Chekov: "(DCTP translation page no longer exists). Since in its current form it is likely to be disarrayed, I have organized the text here. Credit goes to the translators which include Fujiwara, Zenthisoror, and Wakarimashita."

  Show spoilers »

pg1 Cover
pg2 Index and announcements
pg3 Conan
pg4 Ran and Kogoro
pg5 Haibara and the Detective Boys
pg6 Kaitou Kid and Hattori Heiji
pg7 Okiya and Sera
pg8 Gin and Vodka
pg9 Chianti and Korn
pg10 Vermouth and Amuro
pg11 Extra! Kurogane Yaiba
pg12 Special Interview part 1
pg13 Special Interview part 2
pg14 Special Kaitou Kid Commentary part 1
pg15 Special Kaitou Kid Commentary part 2
pg16 Special Kaitou Kid Commentary part 3
pg17 A lesson in drawing Conan
pg18 A lesson in drawing Conan
pg19 A lesson in drawing Conan

Character Sections

Conan
Hairstyle: Took 1 minute, got Yaiba's hair and made it smoother. Added Mahoutsukai Sally's little brother Kabu's apostrophe. The way he drew the back of the hair came from Adachi Maru's main character of Nijiiro Tougarashi (Rainbow Chilli Peppers) Shichimi...

Fashion: Essentially, 753 wear, i.e. when you're little at ages 7. 5 and 3, when these formal photos get taken, Gosho's 753 photos have him in bow tie and shorts. :P He tries to keep gadgets to what Conan can wear...but he's run out of ideas of late...

Glasses: Gosho likes Superman. And when Clark Kent was hiding his identity, he wore glasses. So when he wrote Ai and Conan's conversation in vol 24, it was like a long held in secret was getting out.

Speaking Habits: Rough but kinda cool, inspired maybe by Joe from Tomorrow's Joe Barooo, and other habits might have aspects of Touch in them as well.

Ran
Ran's concept: "Saying Ran's perfect is probably saying too much, but she's someone you'd want to have on your side. She's can fight and is a diligent student and can cook really well. And she's always waiting for Shinichi. Her only weakness is her fear of ghosts. I wanted to draw a girl that is strong in many ways, as I had never done so before."

Kogoro
Gosho thought that a mystery type story would end pretty quickly so he originally dsigned Mouri like a thinner version of Nakamori. But then he was told that they were too similar, so he changed his hairstyle and his moustache... When both Nakamori and Mouri appeared in the same case there was a lot of thought over which one ought to be taller. On that front, Mouri is supposed to be taller. He made him a detective instead of a police officer because he thought that was easier to manage, He knows about policemen and he knows about cases. It makes things a lot easier... Oh sorry, I meant, the reason for the backstory about why he switched from an officer to a detective...it makes being a private detective easier for Mouri. Also, his face is familiar to a lot of the officers.

Haibara
Haibara's concept: Gosho had planned to introduce ex-BO member Haibara from the start, even though her introduction was later than planned. As for her character, he wanted a tsundere character who's the opposite of Ran. Even though Haibara doesn't have much deer. But that's how he likes her. (laughs)

Detective Boys
Zenthisoror: The original concept of the three Detective Boys was to enable Haibara to hide amongst them! Basically, they provided the hiding place for Haibara. Gosho wanted a fat one, a thin and snarky one, and a cute little girl. They're obviously inspired from Doraemon but the personalities of all three are very different from their Doraemon counterparts. Especially because Conan's very different from Nobita-kun (hahaha, you could say that again) You could say that the three DB kids together are all Nobita-kun, all shouting, "Help us, Conan!" Genta's family run a bar/pub. Mitsuhiko's parents are both teachers. Mitsuhiko's sister is also a teacher. Ayumi's family he's not so sure...they live in a flat modelled on the one Gosho used to live in...so probably not the average salaryman...

Kaitou Kid

Heiji

Okiya
Hairstyle is Char Aznable from Gundam crossed with Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, which Gosho was really into at that time. It's the part of Chiaki's hairstyle where it's sticking up all over the place from how he sleeps that he added to Okiya. His identity: Is a SECRET. People might have already figured it out, but he'll leave it to our imaginations (some of the page has been cut off)

Sera
In the detective koushien case, the female detective despite being the culprit ended up being so popular that there was a demand for this character but it was impossible since she was the culprit so Aoyama created... Sera.

Gin
Gin's about the hat and the hair. There wasn't much deep thought behind his design. Just that he had some kind of high leadership position in the Organisation, but as Conan continued and looked as though it would get longer his character development got more complicated. 'The Aesthetics of a Killer' He drives a Porsche 356A and carries a Beretta M 1934, so he's very particular about his tastes. But being particular makes a character cooler? (ahaha)

Vodka
And Vodka is Gin's Watson...and what his eyes are like, Gosho will leave to the readers' imagination...

Chianti
Concept; A character who wouldn't go around sucking up to Gin. He [Gosho] thought the swallowtail butterfly tattoo was cool. He [Gosho] thought a lot about her development and some one liners, like 'When my butterfly flaps its wings, people die'. But snipers keep both eyes open to shoot, so that one liner went down the drain. Her speech habits are supposed to make her seem a bit sexual.

Korn
Concept: Silent, unsophisticated, and a bit of a wierdo...he's got skills though. Things are more fun with characters like these, aren't they? He's designed so that he looks like nobody else in the Organisation. He's got skills as a sniper though! The only person better than him at sniping, including Chianti, is Akai. If he's alive (hahaha) He hates Vermouth. For letting Calvados, a fellow sniper, die. It's not like there was anything particularly special about the relationship between Calvados and Korn. It's probably just that as one sniper looking out for another sniper, he can't forgive her... Fundamentally all members of the organisation with code names are supposed to be at the same level, so Korn's supposed to be at the same rank as Gin. It just happened this time that when they chanced to form a team Gin came out as the most leader-like of all them.

Vermouth
She's the bad side of Fujiko Mine, the good side being Yukiko. Yukiko has Fujiko's hair-style. Both Vermouth and Yukiko have this middle hair-line too. Both hard to draw. It was difficult during the Train Arc because they both had a lot of panels given to them. But it was fun and the result was a success. Leaving aside their standing inside the BO, Vermouth used to like Gin in the past, I'd say. She also had a profound relationship with Gin... However, since Gin isn't the type to fall in love with another person, all this came from Vermouth's side.

Amuro
A character who's neither Akai, neither Okiya. First character with dark skin and blond hair. A long time ago there was the character Jewell (?) in Yaiba though. The cutting and adjusting of the frames was difficult because of the white hair but digital drawing makes it easier.

Q&A

Question 1: Did Heiji make Conan drink Paikaru knowing what it would do to him!?

A: It was all a happy coincidence and the rest is internet conspiracy theory...

2. A message came to Sera from her brother about whether she had met the wizard yet...was that from 'Shuu-nii'?

A: But Sera-chan said that 'Shuu-nii was dead' didn't she? In which case (smile)...

3. Sera seems to have met Conan before, but was that when Conan was Conan or Conan was Shinichi?

A: I can't give too many details, but Ran has met her too...

4. (Translated by Conan#1) Why did Conan tell Miyano Akemi his true identity? Any reason?

A: Because Conan thinks that person is going to die anyway. What if Akemi is taken to the hospital and brought back to life in a miracle!!! (smile)

5. The APTX4869 - it can shrink people as a side effect, so what's it actually supposed to do? Tell us!

A: Er...sorry, I can't say...

6. Apart from Conan and Haibara, are there any others who took the poison and ended up shrinking?

A: Who knows...maybe another one will turn up some time... (laughter)

7. In order to complete the silver bullet, why did Haibara have to separate from her parents?

A: I'm afraid I can't answer that either...But that will be answered eventually! So bear that in mind...

8. Will Itakura's software become important at some point in the future?

A: Well, I took the trouble of introducing it to the plot, so it must become important at some point...

9. Also, any hint as to what sort of thing it was...

A: Ahahahaha! Just remember it! Please keep it in mind!!

10. Gin and Vodka wear suits even in the summer...is there some secret as to how they manage to get by!? Normal people would find it too hot to cope...

A: Because wouldn't Gin in just his shirt be a bit funny?

Yeah...these characters are among the ones that are a bit difficult to write in the summer...Gin, Vodka, Chianti and Korn all wear a lot of layers...

Drawing them becomes a bit of a drag...

Fundamentally, all men in black are a bit of a drag to draw!

Vermouth, I just want to say, "Please no more!" (laughs)

11. In Akemi's mail to Akai Shuuichi that went 'If we could both get out of the Organisation...' what was in the PS?

A: That's an important point! I'll be bringing that up in the story later!

12. One last thing...could you tell us the identity of the Boss of the BO?

A: Wahahahaha! Alright, I'll let you in on the secret...It's actually...

Interviewer: Whaaaaat!!! Answering these rather harsh questions in such a playful manner within his busy schedule, that was Aoyama Gosho! (Note: Gosho did not actually say the name to the interviewer. This is a joke)

Thank you very much!!

Art section

Asahi Evening Newspaper Interview

Asahi Evening Newspaper, published January 6, 2014
Translated by: bluesun

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'The Boss of the Black Organisation has already appeared' --Conan author, Aoyama-san
Image: Aoyama Goushou-san answering fan questions at Yurashuku, Hokuei.

On the 4th, Aoyama Goushou-san, the manga artist known for "Detective Conan" interacted with around 400 fans from around Japan in Hokuei, in his home prefecture of Tottori. The event, held at the town's Daiei Rural Environment Improvement Centre[大栄農村環境改善センター] to celebrate Aoyama-san's annual homecoming was full of excitement.

This year, the series has been running for 20 years. With the story nearing its climax, fans asked him pressing questions one after another. When asked "What gender is the boss of the Black Organisation", Aoyama-san wryly grinned and said "I can't say". "[The boss] has already appeared. And it's not Prof. Agasa." he followed up by saying, and the audience was filled with laughter.

Another fan also followed up by asking "By saying 'the boss has already appeared', does that mean his face has appeared too?", but he laughed and said "You never know. That's a bit of a secret. Wait and find out. I can't say."

When asked about tricks he uses when designing characters, he answered "I usually always draw the culprit first. If, say, the culprit has drooping eyes, then the supporting characters will have slanted eyes, or be looking aside. Drawing culprits that don't look like culprits is the trick."

At the event, there were quiz games held to predict Aoyama-san's answers, and a rock-paper-scissors tournament with the winner to have their name appear in the manga. The winner, Oono Kouhei-kun (6) [note: reading may be wrong -- JP is 大野康平君（６）], from the fourth district of Wakabadaikita, Tottori, said "I'm so happy. I'm so excited". (By Satoshi Yamazaki)

Monthly Conan Newspaper 2014

March (part 1) 2014 and April (part 2) 2014 edition of the Monthly Conan Newspaper
Translated by: meitanteikonan blogspot page
Part 1: http://meitanteikonanplot.blogspot.in/2014/03/special-post-two-part-1-interview-with.html
Part 2: http://meitanteikonanplot.blogspot.in/2014/04/special-post-two-part-2-interview-with.html

  Show spoilers »

(This interview comes from my translation of the interview posted in the March 14th "Detective Conan Newspaper". I will try to buy next month's issue and post the rest of the interview)

An extra long interview that lasted over 2 hours with Detective Conan creator Aoyama Gosho (50). This time, he talks about the black orginization, how he creates tricks for cases, Kaito Kid...and he gives a full report on his future plans.

So... Please Enjoy! ^o^

I(Interviewer): So, It seems you have decided on the overall ending already right? Have you even planed the final scene?

A(Aoyama): On January 4 this year (2014) I went on a kind of talk show event held in my hometown in Tottori Prefecture, called "Let's Have a Chat with Aoyama Gosho Day!! 2014". And, there we had talked about the black orginization, and the identity of their Boss. I had revealed that the Boss was someone that has already made an appearance and we already know their full name. So, it's a character we already know, and we also know their full name, but there has been some mistake that has gotten out there.It's been going around the internet...and it's wrong!!

I: That would be that it's Professor Agasa...

A: Right right. And it's even being said that it's the woman that Agasa liked, Fusae-chan ( Fusae Campbell Kinoshita), but that's wrong too. hahaha. Even personally, I think their story ended up beautifully. And it's been said many times that that story is just too nice, and that it just has to be her, but I don't think I want to have that be a major plot point.

I: So, at the present moment, are there no other hints about the identity of "that person".

A: No, not for now. Just please look forward to it. (laughs)

I: So then, the black orginization is full of mysteries. But, what sort of orginization are they, and what is their goal? World Conquest?

A: Well, the world....or rather, they want control of lot's of money. They're moving stealthily in the shadows...sort of like (Al) Capone did right? Or, sort of like the image of the bad guys in 007 or something...sitting there stroking a cat. It's probably best not to say too much.

I: Is there any standard procedure when you're drawing the black orginization?

A: As for the members, like Gin or Vodka, their names must be some type of alcohol. But, I'm running low on different types. They're all distilled alcohols. And the girls, like Sherry and Vermouth, are named after sweet alcohols. (As for why) I just think it sounds cool.

I: And as for Haibara Ai, did you intend from the start to have her on the side of the black orginization, or did you always plan to have her develop in the way she has?

A: Yeah, even in volume 2 she had already made an appearance, though it was just a silhouette. And, because she's was a character sort of in between Conan and the orginization, her name Haibara (灰原) came from Haiiro (灰色) meaning grey.

I: The movie that came out at the end of last year "Lupin the 3rd VS Detective Conan THE MOVIE" (The second cross over movie) there's a scene where Haibara gets in the bath with Mine Fujiko. So, what direction is Haibara going from here on out?

A: Hahaha....Yeah, I don't know. I guess nature will have to take it's course (Laughs) The bathing scene was a little surprising. At first, my editor handed me the story board and was like "Aoyama-sensei, there's a scene here where Haibara gets in the bath with Fujiko!" And, I had read the script and didn't remember there being a scene like that in there. So, when I asked if we should have them cut it, he said that Monkey-sensei (Monkey Punch: the creator of Lupin the 3rd) requested there be a scene with Fujiko in the bath. So, I thought, if it's going to be in there I wanted it to be cool, so I added a bunch of lines, and there was a lot of content that got cut. There probably aren't any manga artists who are cutting things from animations. But I had originally wanted to be an animator.

Haibara's lines are my true intentions

I: The lines that Haibara says when she's merely muttering to herself are impressive and actually very poetic.

A: The only person thinking them up is me, so I struggle with it. She herself is an easy character to write, because the things she says, I could say in real life. The things I couldn't have Conan say inspire what Haibara says. And you could say that those things are my true intentions. If there were someone that killed a person to protect a bear, Haibara would look at them with an angry face and say "You can't take animal rights that far", but if it were Conan he would say some harsh words. Because they'll say some indiscreet line with a stern face, Haibara and Kogoro are valuable.

I: Even if Kogoro is an idiot who's always joking around, he does have some cool moments doesn't he.

A: I created him with the image of just a generally bad detective. He has a habit of misreading things, but he's actually very important. When he should be cool, he isn't. He's very easy to write. I can easily write some perverted thing I'm thinking. I'm probably most like Kogoro.

I: So it's safe to say that your true intentions/thoughts are hidden in Haibara and Kogoro's lines?

A: Yes, those two are very easy to write.

I: How do you think up the tricks?

A: It's painful. Every time it's very difficult. But, there are times when my editor will also come to me with an idea. When we go into a meeting I'll ask "have you seen anything interesting recently? Have you read any novels? Is there anything we could use?" and if there's anything interesting, we'll use it. Of course, we'll end up changing everything about it though. And then we'll start asking various people things. My younger brother is a doctor so, I'll ask him about the time of death, rigor mortis, how much postmortem lividity appears etc. It's important to wring out the foundation.

I: Do you ever try out the tricks in real life?

A: For ones we can test, we test mostly all of them. A long time ago there was one where an answering machine was used as a tape recorder and then the tape was recovered. We had to actually test that. And just recently we tested if you could float a tomato on water using salt. We wanted to know how much salt would it take. And in order to get it to float, you have to put a ton of salt in the water. So, we didn't know what to do with that. But, at first, if you put just enough salt in there so that it's not quite floating, but it hasn't quite sunken either, and then you just barely sprinkle a tiny bit more in, it floats right to the top. And I thought that was really cool.

I: If you test things too much you'd probably get hurt wouldn't you.

I: There is a lot of variation in the stories, but do you ever reference cases that occurred in real life?

A: Actually I don't reference cases that have actually happened. That would probably be a little inconsiderate. But, actually a few weeks after I had drawn the Bus Jacking case, something similar to that had occurred in real life. I thought "Oh man, this is bad. Should I stop drawing Conan." Although, I could probably use cases from a long time ago. Like the "3 hundred million yen case" (He is referencing the largest heist in Japanese history. It occurred in 1968 in Tokyo, and has yet to be solved.) But I couldn't reference cases that are still ongoing or that have recently occurred. It might seem like I'm making fun of it, or making light of it, and that wouldn't be good.

I: Of the tricks and the story, which do you think of first?

A: Without a doubt, the tricks. And then I write a story for the tricks. Because I start with the most difficult thing and go from there. The trick will take about a half a day, or about 6 hours. If it goes quickly, maybe 3 hours. But even in 1 day, there's stuff I can't get done. There are times when I'll only get to sleep about an hour and a half. So, I'll be like "I'm gonna sleep, so hang on a little while."

I: Of these past 20 years, what trick are you most satisfied with?

A: Hmm...What would that be? Maybe I should ask you that. But, the code with the sun and the moon (vol 12), the secret to that was originally from Sherlock Holmes in "The Adventure of the Dancing Men". That's one that you can figure out on your own. That's also the first Holmes story I read. I was really excited and very moved. I was a kid, so I couldn't read English, but I still thought it was really cool. Even if it said, this person is an "L", as a kid it still didn't click immediately and I would read it while referencing the dictionary.I was in about 2nd or 3rd grade. I thought "wow, Holmes is cool. I want to do that someday."　

I: Where do you get the news and lingo related to the police and investigations?

A: I've asked the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. They'll tell me various things.

Kid is a sneaky character

I: Kid is also a very popular character. Could you tell us the details of his creation, and your future plans for him? Is he going to be involved with Conan and the black orginization?

A: Well, he's originally from my previous work called "Magic Kaito". I created that because I really liked Arsene Lupin and Lupin the 3rd. And recently he got involved a little with the black orginization during the Bell Tree Express case (the mystery train case from vol 78) but from here on out I don't think he will very much. Kaito Kid is a very sneaky character. He can disguise himself, and he can change his voice and stuff. It's better if he's an enemy. He's too sneaky to be an ally. There are a lot of female fans of his, but I don't plan on bringing him out too much.(wry smile)

I: There are creators who decide how much a character will make and appearance completely on their own.

A:Yeah, there are. Just freely doing whatever they want. When there's a movie, saying things like "No, don't have them say something like that" and then changing everything. Then they'll notice how it ends and really just change everything.

I: The Conan anime is faithful to the original.

A: Yeah, that's because it's a very long story. If it wasn't faithful to it, it would become inconsistent. And at the beginning I asked them to please do just as the original does.

I: When a movie comes out, I heard you are very involved.

A: I am. There's the feeling with a movie that you can do larger scale things that you couldn't do in a manga.

I: I also heard that there was an idea to set something up that would link the "Lupin the 3rd VS Conan THE MOVIE" with the 18th Conan movie "The Sniper from another Dimension".

A: The setting is the "Tree" but we weren't allowed to use the name "Sky Tree" (The Tokyo Sky Tree is a tower recently built in Tokyo). They weren't sure about having people dying there. They were probably right about that. (wry smile)

I: I guess there aren't too many differences between making it a movie, or for TV, but the TV series is steadily becoming larger scale.

A: Just as long as they don't interfere with the original.

I: Last year the Conan series was awarded the Fujimoto's "Special Series Award". There was an award recognizing the people who make it, and as one of the great anime which have crossed over to become movies.

A: Yeah, that's amazing isn't it.

I: Even as a movie and anime, you're still pretty involved aren't you?

A: I feel I might as well get involved. At first I was just going to completely leave it up to them, but then I thought, well, I better not. And I ended up changing things on all the scripts. And I was wondering if that's really something a manga artist does. It was a lot of work. After I would finish the name (the term for the "story board" like stage of a manga) I would read scripts and check them. That's a lot of work.

Q(Questioner): So, you originally wanted to be an animator, and in college you were part of a manga study group. Why did you change to wanting to become a manga artist?

A(Aoyama): That's because I like making stories. And, I also like manga. And, I couldn't just suddenly go from wanting to be an animator, to wanting to be a director. But, as a manga artist, I'm really effectively always working as a director. So, really, it's just because I wanted to write stories.

Q: But it seems your father was completely opposed to it right?

A: Not just my dad, but really my whole family was opposed to the idea. They told me I should probably stop, when I told them I would become a manga artist. They said "I knew an illustrator. He could draw a crab so life-like that it looked like it would jump off the page. But despite that, he died poor. Do you want to be like that?" But, from the time "Magic Kaito" came out their responses changed. I always go back to my hometown on New Year's and I'll draw pictures and sign autographs that people requested from my family, and one time, I was sitting in the living room drawing, and my old man came in, he asked me to draw (Nakamori) Aoko-chan, and I just thought "Yes, I won!"(Laughs)

Q: By the advice of your upperclassman in college, you decided to aim for your manga debut, but originally you took your manuscript to a different company? Is that right?

A: It was Kodansha's weekly published Shonen Magazine. When I drew the prototype for Magic Kaito, I got an honorable mention or something, and just when I was thinking I was gonna draw for that magazine, the editor changed and the new guy didn't seem to like my style. He said "If you want to continue, you'll need to change your drawing and writing style." I didn't really like the sound of that, and and editor at the time, who would later become editor-in-chief, told me that if I didn't think changing my style sounded good, then I should probably just go to a different magazine. So I went right on to Shonen Sunday and made my debut drawing non-serialized stories.

Q: Did you ever think you would fail as a manga artist, or did you regret your decision?

A: I completely thought that. I didn't think it would be this busy! It's more difficult being a manga artist than becoming a manga artist. When you're new, you want to hurry and get a serialized story before you're forgotten so you spend every day drawing names (Rough story boards for manga), but once you actually get serialized, it's way busier. (Before you're serialized) It's beyond your imagination. "Detective Conan" is particularly busy. In the days I was drawing "YAIBA" it was way more peaceful. The pictures were difficult, because it was an action manga. If I hurried I could get the names done in about a day, and could get everything finished in about 5 or 6 days. Then, with my left over time I'd go play baseball. My assistant would be like "Let's go play ball!" And, I still had free time left over. If I tried to do that while making "Conan" it'd be too difficult...

Q: Usually, your work week is 3 days for the name, and 4 days for the manuscript?

A: Yes. And my daily routine is usually, I go to sleep at about 10 am, and wake up at around 1 pm, that's when my assistants usually arrive. I'll usually write a sign that says something like "Wake me up when you get here -Aoyama-" So, my sleep time is about 3 hours. It's usually like that. I'll work and then at around midnight I'll usually get tiered and tell them I'm gonna go sleep for about 30 minutes. They'll wake me up, and we'll work through to morning. And that goes on and on for 20 years. (Laughs)

Q: What about your meals?

A: When I wake up, I'll always eat udon or soba or something. Then at about 7 pm I'll usually order something. I'm always ordering delivery. But in the middle of the night I'll go to a convenience store or something. A long time ago, sometimes my assistants would make something. Now that we're working off computers we're even more busy and my assistants don't have time to make any food either. Our dinner is from a convenience store! My favorite thing from there is oden. It's delicious and healthy.

Q: After 20 years of working, have your methods changed?

A: After about 3 hours of work, I'll take about a 30 to an hour and a half break. Maybe sleep for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes sleep, I'm rested enough.

Q: Do you have any superstitions?

A: When I'm about to start work I'll spin my chair before I sit down. It's sort of become a habit.

Q: Do you ever think "Based on that spin, it feels like today's gonna be a good day"?

A: No, not really. (laughs) It's just a stupid habit of mine.

Q: I heard that tendinitis is common among manga artists, but do you take any precautionary measures?

A: Well, it seemed like I was headed in the direction of developing it, so, probably over 10 years ago I switched to using milipens (type of pen). A long time ago I just used the regular G-pen, but that requires more pressure and my hands would hurt, but when I draw with milipens I could draw all the lines very easily. "YAIBA" was completely drawn by pen, but I guess "Conan" was only done with pen in the beginning. With the thick and thin lines in Conan, with a regular pen you could just do it with one stroke, but with a milipen, you have to go over it several times to get the right thickness. If you're a person who's never used a pen, then you won't know that amount of pressure that needs to be applied, so if you're just starting out as a manga artist, please use a pen. An other thing that's changed is the about 3 or 4 years ago we switched to using computers for the drawing, and we don't have to apply tone by hand anymore.

Q: The Conan movie that is coming to theaters in April "The Sniper from a Different Dimension", it has some very pivotal and mysterious characters like Akai Shuichi and Okiya Subaru making their first appearances in a movie, and they seem to play a key role.

A: Well, I can't really say too much, but if you go see it, a "certain something" gets confirmed in the movie. It may be the first time a movie gets there before the manga on a main plot point. If you're a fan, you won't want to miss it. It's very cool.

Q: In the manga, Akai presence has been gradually becoming felt.

A: It's a very scary and cool image. In the manga, various mysteries are going to be cleared up. Of course that is to be expected from a mystery series. (laughs) Like the waterfall that Holmes fell over with Professor Moriarty (Reichenbach), the place where Akai was shot was called Raiha Ridge. (Reichenbach in Japanese is ライヘンバッハ or Raihenbahha which if you take out the middle becomes "Raiha") And after Holmes fell into the falls, he was still alive right?

Q: So that's a clue isn't it.

A: Yeah. Of course I'm a big Holmes fan. But Akai's name I took from from "Mobile Suit Gundam".

Q: In the explanation of the key characters on the site for the movie, it is written that the FBI investigator James Black is a fan of Mine Fujiko. Was that decision influenced by the "Lupin VS Conan" movie?

A: That's sort of a fan service. It's sort of interesting when stuff like that is written. Black knows about various things. And those character explanations were also written by me. At first, only Akai's was long, so I made the others match his length, and added the bit about Fujiko.

Q: Nowadays, the manga artists of the original work are becoming more and more involved with the theatrical version of the movies as well, but I've never heard of the original author even writing the character profiles on the movie's site.

A: Am I the most involved manga artist? I just added a few notes to what the advertising department wrote. There were several hints in the parts I wrote. I wrote several very fishy things.

Q: Why is it that you are so involved?

A: I just like anime. I originally wanted to be an animator after all. I just ask if I can see any news before they release it. They let me get away with a lot.

Q: Speaking of originally wanting to be an animator, what do you think about the anime series?

A: There are times when I think "thank you for taking it to such an extent," but there are also times when I think about how they went through such trouble to draw it, and it's ended up like this. When things are good I tell the editor over the phone "tell them they're doing a good job."

Q: The anime has things that the manga doesn't like sound and movement. Have there been any other effects by the anime on the Conan world?

A: Yeah, in the "Moonlight Sonata Murder Case" (manga volume 7, anime episode 11) Beethoven's Sonata "Moonlight" is flowing through Moonshadow Island. You can't hear the music in the manga. When I was drawing it I could here it myself, but that can't be conveyed to the reader. But it can to the viewer with the anime. I thought that was really cool and exciting.

Q: Do you ever take inspiration from other manga artists who have had long running series or manga that have been made into successful anime, or from voice actors?

A: Of course. I'm influenced strongly by the voice of the actors, definitely. I'll have an idea for the voice of a character in my head. Conan is voiced by Takayama Minami, and Mitsuhiko, at first I sort of was drawing him with more of a mischievous face, sort of like Suneo (a character from Doraemon), but Otani Ikue has a cute voice, so I started drawing him with a cuter face. And Conan always says "あれれ？(roughly, a cutesy kid way of saying "Oh? What's this?")". Originally he said that in the first volume but didn't really say it after that, but when Takayama said it in the anime, it was cute, and I started having him say it more. In the beginning, it was only my influence on the drawings, but the influence of others is good. I'm very glad, and I'd like to say thank you very much.

Q: You like sports too right? I heard you like the Giants, and soccer. So, what do you think about Japan in the World Cup this year?

A: It's great isn't it. I like Honda Keisuke who went to AC Milan. I was thinking "this guy is good" before he started really making a name for himself. He's got a big mouth doesn't he. He looks cool. He's a man of his word. He's number 10 for AC Milan....that's so cool. It seems like he's gonna do something really great. I hope he gives it his all.

Q: Do you watch European Soccer?

A: I used to a long time ago. I really liked (former Italian player) Roberto Baggio. I liked Serie A. And I really liked Juventus because Baggio originally played with them. Their uniform was really cool too, with the black stripes. It actually influenced the uniform of the Tokyo Spirits in my manga. So, yeah, I like Juventus. Usually I'll take a vacation once every 4 years, and I'll go see the World Cup. I went to see in person the '98 France World Cup, with Japan vs Argentina. I'm gonna go with my editor this year too.

Q: Conan's Super Kick Shoes have soccer influences as well don't they.

A: Conan began serialization in '94, and it was around that time that the J-league had just started ('93). So, I'm sorry for hopping on a fad like that.

Q: There are also Kendo and martial arts motifs aren't there.

A: That's because I was in the Kendo club at school.

Q: Changing topics, about a news paper, you haven't designed one have you?

A: No, I haven't. But the Nikkan Sports News Paper printed a full page advertisement of the Bell Tree Express. I was so happy. I framed it and hung it in my room.

Q: Sports newspapers themselves play important roles here and there don't they. With the Sumo wrestling record chart etc., I'm glad the contents in real life are different than the story. But anyway, lastly, could you give a message to your fans, especially the young people.

A: Thank you for supporting me these past 20 years. And thank you for your future support as well. If you're thinking "should I give up on becoming a manga artist? Is it too difficult?" No...I have fan letters saying "I think I want to be a manga artist.", but I just want to say, be prepared, and resolute.

Q: When you've ended Conan, are there any themes you'd like to try out?

A: Journey to the West! I really like it. And, I wanted to do something like that. But, well, too many years have gone by. If this were when I was drawing YAIBA, I could easily do it, but now it would be too hard. I'd like to draw some kind of Science Fiction too. That'd be good. If I could have a break from Conan, I'd draw that. (laughs)

Q: Lastly, could you give a few words to the readers of the Monthly Conan Newspaper, about the core of Conan.

A: The next movie is a production that couldn't be done as a manga. It could only be done as a movie, and it's very cool. It couldn't be done in the manga, and it has a lot of ties to the original story. This could only be done in anime. And, because this couldn't be done with manga, there's a ton of action packed cool stuff in it. Normally, the movie wouldn't go ahead of the original work and reveal something about the story. This is the first time. If people think "What? Is that all?" I don't know what I'll do. (Laughs) We can probably only do this with a movie. You'll probably think "Ah, I see." So, please look forward to it.

(The End)

Da Vinci Interview

Leaked interview notes from the May issue of the magazine 「ダ・ヴィンチ」 (da Vinci) with the Japanese actor Takeru Satoh, leaked April 13, 2014
Leaked interview notes from the May issue of the magazine 「ダ・ヴィンチ」 (da Vinci) with the fans/reporters/whatever, leaked April 15, 2014
Translated by ALAKTORN

  Show spoilers »

【佐藤】20年間『コナン』を続けるのは、尋常じゃないですよね。やっぱりトリックを考えるのが一番大変ですか？
(Interviewer?) Going on for 20 years is exceptional, isn’t it? Is thinking of the trick the hardest part?

【青山】トリックは、最初に担当編集者と打ち合わせをしながら考えます。だから、担当が変わると面倒なの。黒ずくめの組織のボスは誰か、とか一から全部教えないといけない。
(Aoyama) I think of the trick together with the chief editor during meetings. So, every time the editor changes, it’s a bother. I have to explain to him things all over again, like who the boss of the organization is, etc.

【佐藤】さりげなくすごいワードが。その話題は微妙だなあ。最後に真実を知って驚きたいから、僕はわざとあまり考えないようにしてるんです。でも、……ボスはいつくらいから決めていたんですか？
You’re nonchalantly talking about an amazing topic. That subject is sensitive… I’m purposefully not thinking much about it, because I want to be surprised at the reveal. But… when did you decide on who was the boss?

【青山】ああ……うーん、まあね、このあたりかな。（単行本のある巻を取り上げる）。
Hmm… it was about here, I guess. (While picking up a volume of the manga that was there)

【一同】おおお――！！ 大ヒントじゃないですか！
(all present) Ooooohh!! That’s a big hint!

【佐藤】これはダメだ。その巻読んだらわかっちゃう。これ、書いちゃダメです。『コナン』はラブコメも見所ですよね。
(interviewer) This isn’t good. If you read that volume you’ll figure it out. I can’t write this. A point worthy of note in Conan is also the love-comedy, isn’t it?

【青山】ラブコメシーンは結構大変です。いいセリフを描こうと思ったりして、時間がかかる。
The love-comedy scenes are a big hassle. It takes a long time to think up cool lines for those situations.

【佐藤】僕、灰原が好きなんです。マジで相当好き。科学者でかっこいいし。
I love Haibara. I really do. She’s a scientist and so cool.

【青山】灰原かー！ 灰原、人気あるんですよ。
Haibara, huh? Haibara is pretty popular.

【佐藤】最初は敵か味方かわからない存在でしたよね。でも、ついに心を開いたなっていう瞬間があるんです。蘭が作ったおかゆを食べて、「あち…」って言う（41巻【トイレに隠した秘密】）。そこでグッと心をつかまれました。灰原は、絶対にコナンのこと好きだと思うんです。でも、複雑な事情を知っているから彼女からはアクションを起こせない。そんなところがほっとけないです。アニメの灰原役の林原めぐみさんも好きで。素敵な声ですよね。
At the beginning, we didn’t know if she was a friend or an enemy. But in the end, there is the moment where she opens her heart. She caught my heart when she ate Ran’s rice porridge and cutely said “hot…!” (volume 41, “The Secret Hidden in the Restroom”). I’m certain that Haibara likes Conan. But, understanding their complicated situation, she doesn’t take action. That’s on my mind. I also like Hayashibara Megumi-san. She has a beautiful voice.

【青山】キャラを作っていると、こう描けばこれくらい人気が出るだろうなって、だいたい予想できるんです。でも、灰原だけは予想をはるかに上回る人気ぶり。林原さんの声は大きいと思います。灰原哀の哀はね、実は「アイリーン・アドラー」から取ってるんです。シャーロック・ホームズを唯一負かした“あの女”。
When making a character, I think “if I draw/write her like this, she’ll be popular”, I can more or less anticipate it. But, just for Haibara, her popularity highly exceeded my expectations. I think Hayashibara-san’s voice is loud. Haibara Ai’s Ai comes from Irene Adler. The only one to have defeated Sherlock Holmes, “that woman”.

【佐藤】あれ、それ、重大情報じゃありませんか！？
Huh? Isn’t that important information!?

【青山】そう、今初めて明かしました。物語では、「女探偵のV・I・ウォーショースキーの“I”」と言ってるんだけど、本当はアイリーンなの。佐藤さんへのスペシャルプレゼントです。
Yes, it’s the first time I’ve revealed it. In the manga, it’s said that “Ai” comes from the “I” in “V.I. Warshawsky”, but the truth is that it comes from Irene. It’s my special present to you.

【佐藤】すごい！ ありがとうございます！
Awesome! Thank you very much!

Edit: forgot to translate the last line, it basically says that the magazine itself has much more about the interview, so maybe it’d be nice if we got that (or maybe it’s in the second link, haven’t read it yet).

【青山】「“あのネタ”をやるなら、リンクさせたほうがいいと思ったんです。そのネタは秘密なんですけど。いや……、“あの人”の正体がわかるというね」
(Aoyama) tn: I don’t know what he’s saying exactly. Attempted translation: “If I were to spoil “that”, I thought it’d be good to make them link. That information is secret though. Rather… you’d find out that person’s real identity.” tn: he says ano hito, not ano kata, so I’m not sure who he’s talking about…

　えっ！　さらっと重要なこと言いましたよね！？
(interviewer?) Eh!? You just said something important without hesitation!?

【青山】「今、描いていて楽しいのは、世良かな」
Right now, Sera is fun to write.
tn: yes he jumps from one topic to another randomly, these interviews are weird

世良は赤井の妹ではないかと疑われており、コナンとも過去に関係があったらしい不可解な人物だ。彼女も今後の展開を大きく左右する存在であろう。一方ファンの間では、80巻に登場し名推理を披露した将棋棋士・羽田秀吉も、キーパーソンなのではと話題になっている。
(interviewer) She’s suspected of being Akai’s sister, and it seems like she’s related with Conan from the past, a mysterious person. She’ll probably influence future developments in a big way. The fans also think that Haneda Shūkichi is a key person.

【青山】「彼はねえ、なかなか複雑ですよ。これからも出てきます。今度、名人戦の取材に行きますしね。羽田の“羽”は、羽生善治さんから取ったんですよ。原作では、“あの人”の正体以上のことが次々明らかになっていきますよ。まずね、安室透の本名が判明する。彼の回想になぜか灰原の母・エレーナも出てきてね。とある二人の母同士が姉妹だとわかったり……。いろいろなことがつながりますね。まずいなあ、しゃべりすぎです。まあ、連載を楽しみにしてください」
Well, he is… quite complex. He’ll appear from now on too. Soon, I’ll go collect data at the professional shogi players' championship series. Haneda’s “Hane” comes from Yoshiharu Habu (tn: the kanji 羽 can be read both “Hane” and just “Ha”). In the manga, things like “that person’s” real identity and even more will be revelead one after the other. (tn: again, “ano hito”, not “ano kata”, so I’m not sure he’s talking about the boss, that would be insane…) First, Amuro Tōru’s real name will be revealed. Then, why did he think of Haibara’s mother, Elena, will also be explained. (tn: not sure about this phrase.) Two mothers will also be revealed as being sisters, etc.…… A lot of things are connected together. This is bad, I’m talking too much. Well, please look forward to the manga.

どうか！　どうか、あと二つ質問させてください！　黒ずくめの組織の目的とはナニ？　APTX4869の作用から考えると、不老不死が怪しいのでは……。
Please! Please, let me ask 2 more questions! What is the BO’s goal? Going by the APTX4869, I would think immortality…

【青山】「違います。確かにそう思っちゃうよね。今ね、組織の中では大変なことが起こっていますよ」
That’s wrong. It’s true that you’d think that, isn’t it? You see, right now, something really big is happening within the organization.

え―っ、すごい気になる！　では、誰もが知りたい最大の謎。黒ずくめの組織のボス“あの方”とは誰ですか？　阿笠博士はかなり以前から取り沙汰され、青山は公式に否定している。コナンの父・工藤優作も有力候補の一人だが。
Eeeh, I’m super curious! Then, the question everyone wants answered. Who is Anokata? (tn: used “ano kata” this time, not “hito”.) Agasa Hakase was being rumored for a long time, but you have officially denied it. Conan’s father, Kudō Yūsaku is also a very big contender…

【青山】「優作も違います。もう決めました。これからは、“あの方”の質問は受け付けません！　だってわかっちゃったらつまらないでしょ。読者の皆さんと俺で、これからも推理合戦をしましょう！」――
Yūsaku is also wrong. Now I’ve decided. From now on, I will never accept questions about “Anokata”! (tn: not “ano hito” this time.) I mean, it would be no fun if it was figured out. Readers, let’s continue our deduction battle!

Lets Talk with Gosho Day

2014 DCW Thread version

  Show spoilers »

Chekov's Summary

Sources listed as:
1. http://akamisomemo.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-1.html (Translation by Alaktorn)
2. http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2796474978 (Translation by The Black Demon)
3. http://imageshack.com/a/img855/6886/q3e8.jpg (Translation by Alaktorn)
4. http://ameblo.jp/pashokon/entry-11743342616.html (Translation by Alaktorn)
5. https://twitter.com/sksnkmn (Translation by Fujiwara, Alaktorn)
6. http://sky969blue6261.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-81.html (Translation by Alaktorn) - added by Black Demon
7. http://amataroujr.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-167.html (Translation by Alaktorn) - added by Black Demon

Plot and Black Organization

When/how/did the boss of the Black Organization appear? Sources 1,6,7, report Gosho said the boss has appeared in some form a "long time ago", but Gosho may have implied the boss could have appeared "recently". Contrast with Source 5 who does not report the part of the answer that the boss has appeared recently. Q: Has the boss appeared? A: He has. Long ago, recently, I wonder when?/I wonder if he appeared long ago or recently (laughs)) The different sources extracted different meanings from this statement. One of the sources (which one?) thought Gosho was taunting, so the phrase may be misunderstood. Source 5 notes Gosho was being vague about what form the boss appeared in. (Current manga chapter is 883) It is mentioned again the boss is not Agasa. (Source 1,5,6,7) Gosho declined to answer a question if the boss's face has appeared (Source 1,7)

Akemi has nothing to do with the rivalry between Akai Shuuichi and Amuro Tohru. (Source 1,2,5,6,7)

The two people who followed Yukiko and the Detective Boys and took pictures of Haibara in the prescreening case in the Vermouth arc (episode 335-336) were subordinates of Akai's. Gosho said you can ignore them. (Source 1,2,6,7)

Gosho declined to answer if Amuro's name is an alias. Amuro does have a childhood nickname that will appear. (Source 1,2,5,6,7) Amuro's dark skin color has a meaning (Source 2,5,6,7) Gosho declined to say whether Amuro's hair and skin color is natural,(Source 1,5,6) but mentioned his current hair color is supposed to be brown, not white. (Source 6) Amuro’s "profile" is a secret. (Source 6,7) Gosho gave a non-answer about Amuro's weaknesses: "I also haven’t decided on any weaknesses or dislikes. I mean, you wouldn’t like it if I said that he dislikes nattō, right? (laughs)” (Source 2,5,6,7)

Gin's weakness is Akai (Source 1,2,4,6) Gin is the type who doesn't have favorite or disliked foods. (Sources 5,6,7) (Q: What are Gin’s weaknesses/dislikes? A: I think he doesn’t have any likes/dislikes. I think he can relatively eat whatever.) (Source 6)

Gosho declined to answer about the completeness of APTX antidote (Source 1,2,6,7). Gosho declined to answer about the bloody disk of APTX data Haibara had from the Haido City Hotel seen later in Desperate Revival. (Source 1,2,6)

Movie 18 will have some sort of appearance by Akai. (Source 1,2,6,7 More info given in sources 6 and 7) Gōshō: This year’s movie is Akai. Q: Does he have a central part? A: I don’t know how much of a part “central” is, but I think it will make you go “Oh!” “It’s happening before the manga”-kind of like. I also drew Akai’s key frames. Akai Shuuichi's story in the manga will be dealt with AFTER the movie, not before. (Source 2) “It’s gonna happen in the movie before the manga…” (Source 7) [The subject of "it" is unclear. It might refer to Akai's appearance.] Gosho cannot say more about the topic because it would make the director mad. (Source 1,6,7+others)

Gosho declined to answer about future overseas cases. (Source 1,6) When the possibility of having a case in America related to Sera was asked about in the same question, Gosho regarded the question as a dangerous and declined to go there. (Source 1,2,6,7) Q: There have been cases abroad so far, but will the story of when Sera lived in America appear? A: Oh! You just asked something dangerous. Was that on purpose? (laughs)

Sera was the hardest character story to design (Source 1,5,6,7) of the recent new characters (Sera, Amuro, Naeko, Haneda mentioned by question). The Akai siblings have three different last names (Source 1,2,7) which makes it complex (Source 6). Sera's appearance was also difficult to design. (Source 6) Gosho designed her as a tomboy (Source 1,6) because he likes her that way (Source 1), and she has to standout/be different from Ran and Haibara.

Why does the Black Organization wear black? (Source 1) Question not answered by source.

The police

Yumi and Sato have been good friends since high school. (Source 1,2,6,7) But Gosho has no plans of making them classmates. (Source 6,7)

There will be a major case/incident involving Naeko Miike. (Source 1,2,6,7) Q: What about Naeko’s and Chiba’s love comedy? A: These two will appear in a BIG case. Q: Will Chiba notice Naeko soon enough? A: He really doesn’t notice huh? I also think “Is this guy stupid?!” (laughs)

What is Chiba’s first name? (Source 1) Question not answered by source "It seems like Isshin Chiba (Chiba’s voice actor) really likes Naeko. I was told at the year-end party." (Source 6,7)

A spinoff for Matsuda and Hagiwara not planned (Source 1,2,6) The editors like them though (Source 1,6). "(Since Matsuda was enrolled in the Division 1 for only 7 days) the editing department told me “Please write a story called ‘The seven days of Matsuda’ or something like that”, but I have no plans of doing so. Matsuda and Hagiwara are just that story. (tn: as in, “the story so far” I guess)"

Why did Takagi become a policeman? (Source 1) - Question not answered by source

Haneda Shuukichi will make another appearance (Source 2,6,7) and it will be at a murder during a Shogi tournament (Source 6,7)

Teenage Protagonists

Someone asked about relative bust sizes. Gosho said Kazuha's breasts are smaller than Ran's. (Source 1,2,4,6,7) Sato's are bigger than Yumi's (Source 1,6), but Sato's don't look so big because she is quite muscular (Source 6), but Shiho is flat right now [because she is a child]. (Source 6). Gosho considers Ran as one of the biggest in terms of bust size. (Source 7)

Gosho wanted to have a karate case where Ran's opponent died but then decided not to. "I’ve thought of writing a story about one of Ran’s karate opponents dying in the middle of a match, but afterall that would be pretty bad so I stopped." (Source 1,6,7)

The correct color for Ai Haibara's hair is reddish brown, not the golden color it is in the movies. (Sources 1,6,7)

Heijis line "my Kazuha" was pretty much a confession. (Source 6,7) Hattori's birthday is not decided (Source 1,2,6,7) Kazuha birthday is not decided (Source 6,7)

Other

The Ai and Fujiko bath scene in the Lupin vs Conan crossover movie left an impression on Gosho (Source 1,6, not answered in source 1)

Gosho's sleep schedule: "When I was young I used to sleep for about 3 hours, but now I sleep 3 hours at night and then take an afternoon nap of about 30–60 minutes." (Source 6,7)

Gosho draws the culprit first (Source 1,6,7) "When drawing a story, I start from the criminal. Then, if for example the criminal is (tn: a particular way I don’t understand), I draw the other characters not that way." Gosho goes back and forth with editors when trying to decide criminal motive. (Source 2,6,7)

There was something about making Tottori airport into a Conan themed airport and Conan on the side of a plane. (Source 6,7)

(Within Conan?) What kind of sports do you want to write? (Source 1) Question not answered by source

Gosho's favorite outfit for Conan is the Jacket with the K. (Source 1)

2014 Red Thread Page version

  Show spoilers »

(Translated by Conan#1) - Yumi and Miwako are friends since high school, there will be big incident happened on Naeko! - There will be description of Amuro's childhood, true meaning of Amuro's dark skin, a secret which something Amuro not good in. - Gin had no favourite and non-favourite food. - Amuro loves to smoke - Gosho said regarding future story related to sports, he will draw Ran Mouri participation of national karate tournament in future.

(Translated by Black Demon) - Aoyama's original character Akai Shuuichi from "The Sniper from Another Dimension" will first be dealt with in the original manga, then the movie after that!! Correction from the poster: Akai will show up in the manga AFTER the movie, not before. - Shuukichi will make another appearance.

(Translation by Fujiwara) - Akemi has nothing to do with the rivalry between Amuro and Akai - The Sera thing is just that her character design was difficult ... - The last line is just about the boss already having appeared (We still don't know whether in person or name - it even says so in brackets) - What's Gin's weakness? Akai. - Will there be other international cases like the London case? Sth. like Gosho would like to, but probably not (the writer doesn't quite remember)

(Translation by Zenthisoror) - Haneda Shuukichi will reappear in a shogi league competition murder mystery case. - Amuro's childhood nickname will make an appearance. - Concerning a Matsuda and Hagiwara spinoff: Hagiwara probably won't appear, but the editor responsible for Gosho likes Matsuda so if the opportunity arises, it might happen.

(Translation by ALAKTORN) - When I (Gosho) was young I used to sleep for about 3 hours, but now I sleep 3 hours at night and then take an afternoon nap of about 30–60 minutes. - In rock, paper, scissors Gosho ALWAYS starts with scissors - When I (Gosho) have to come up with the motive, I think about it with the editing department while going “nobody would kill for such a reason” and such back and forth. - When drawing a story, I (Gosho) start from the criminal. - I haven’t decided on Heiji’s birthday. Nor Kazuha’s. - What about Naeko’s and Chiba’s love comedy? These two will appear in a BIG case. Will Chiba notice Naeko soon enough? He really doesn’t notice huh? I (Gosho) also think “Is this guy stupid?!” (laughs) It seems like Isshin Chiba (Chiba’s voice actor) really likes Naeko. I (Gosho) was told at the year-end party. - There have been cases abroad so far, but will the story of when Sera lived in America appear? Oh! You just asked something bad. Was that on purpose? (laughs) - Amuro-san’s white hair… is that dyed? Aah.Rather than white it’s brown. I can’t answer this. His dark skin too, there is a profound meaning behind it. (laughs) - Q: Has that person’s face appeared? A: Ooh… I can’t answer that! (laughs) Q: Thank you very much. A: That was dangerous. lol - This year’s movie is Akai. Does he have a central part? A: I don’t know how much of a part “central” is, but I think it will make you go “Oh!” “It’s happening before the manga”-kind of like. I also draw Akai’s key frames. - Q: “My Kazuha” is a confession? A: That’s pretty much a confession. Various translators and personal guess: - The 2 guys with hats and sunglasses appearing during the Toto developing plans case were just FBI subordinates of Akai. You may ignore them. - Has the Boss's face appeared? I can't say. - The progress of the APTX4869 antidote? I can't say. - What happened to the burned disc from the Haido City Hotel? I can’t say. - What's the reason for Takagi becoming a police officer? I haven't decided yet. - Breast size: Ran>Kazuha; Sato>Yumi; Ai-chan is completely flat. Not when she was Shiho though. - Keep in mind the recording Conan made of Heiji's words (probably referring to the drug dealer case) - Haibara's hair color is different in the anime and movie. Which one is the right one? Haibara's hair is reddish brown. - There was something about making Tottori airport into a Conan themed airport and Conan on the side of a plane. (DCW) - Gosho's favorite outfit for Conan is the Jacket with the K (DCW)

2015 DCTP thread version

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Fujiwara's Summary

Sources listed as :
https://twitter.com/sksnkmn
https://twitter.com/mabest22
https://twitter.com/aptx0915

The reason Yuusaku didn't go to the Macademy Awards himself is because he and Akai have the same height.
What's the reason that the boss' phone number (it says phone number, btw) has the area code of Kurayoshi (in Tottori)? -> It's just coincidence.
Apparently Gosho did some shooting in Hawaii.
Gin chose his car (Or Gosho chose Gin's car, I guess), cause it's cool.
When's Haibara's bday? --> undecided
Why does Akai always wear a knitted hat? --> Probably cause he likes it.
Conan or Kid - which one do you like better? --> I like them both the same.
In Countdown, we didn't get to see 10-years-into-the-future Ran. Will we get the opportunity to see that some time? --> You will~
Who pays Heiji and Kazuha's plane tickets? --> His mom.
Which of Conan's movements are impossible? --> All of them. [Kinda weird question, if you ask me :V]
How old are Satou/Miyamoto/Shiratori? --> I imagine them to be 28.
Which cosplay would you like to try out? --> The flashy guy in white.
How exactly are Jirokichi and Sonoko related? --> She's his niece.
Where will Heiji confess? --> Gosho: I don't know yet. Is the Tsuutenkaku not good enough? Fan: If it's gonna be abroad, how about Australia? Miyamura lives there after all... Gosho: Ah, Miyamura, I see. Well, you'l find out~
In December, Gosho was hospitalized for 2 weeks. (Due to this there will apparently be a 2-week break after the Kawanakajima case.)
It's a good idea to take a closer look at Detective Date's notebook.

Post Cards

2015

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Chek's album of the postcard pictures: http://imgur.com/a/EC1HM

Feb 2015
1. After the DB case, new series will be about the first time Shinichi and Ran met each other (RanGIRL and ShinichiBOY, ch921-924)
http://tieba.baidu.com/p/3601021575
2. Amuro will appear in Movie 20 next year http://tieba.baidu.com/p/3603420701
3. "Sera and Haibara both like the same person, hence their showdown/confrontation." ;
4. "Jodie-sensei's love story... What will be of it? (laugh) Please wait." ;
5. "Sera and Akai will meet again! Probably... (laugh)" ;
6. "OK, I will tell you about the Boss........... NOT~~~~!! (laugh)".
7. Gin will be in the movie next year too.
http://tieba.baidu.com/p/3605249009
http://www.detectiveconanworld.com/forum/topic/1555-translating-interviews/?p=358403

Mar 2015
1. "Scotch is not Date"
http://dcdp.de/index.php/Thread/114-Interviews-mit-Gosho-Aoyama/?postID=4238#post4238
2. Akai's father is unfortunately already... it's a secret!
3. He (Kid) may not be a part of the final confrontation with the org.
4. Gosho is looking forward to seeing Kaitou Corbeau in the anime.
5. Sera is (Conan's) ally
http://tieba.baidu.com/p/3605281077
6. Gosho likes Inuyasha (in the Inuyasha series).
7. There will be some writings about ShinRan and KazuHei
8. A film where the Kudou family gathers/comes together
9. Ran will surely have a happy ending.
10. "It's 'Kichi-nii'!"
11. Boss is not Sonoko and the DB.
12. James is not the boss, Vermouth is not his wife either.
http://tieba.baidu.com/p/3609362212
13. Gin will also appear in next year's movie.
14. "It's bluish purple (laugh). Actually, Conan also has bluish purple!"
15. Doesn't know when MK volume 5 will be released yet. Kaito's hair will be suitably messy a bit.
16. "I don't think Conan has known Kid's identity yet..."
http://www.detectiveconanworld.com/forum/topic/1555-translating-interviews/page-10#entry358403
17. Q: “The Araide Tomoaki at the school festival was the real person?” A: “Wasn’t that Vermouth? Though, my memory is… (laugh)”.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-sLtQpUEAEYk_8.jpg
18. Q: “When will you draw about Takagi’s and Satō’s marriage ceremony?” A: “Their wedding ceremony? I’d also like to see it!! (laugh)”.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-XiGVaCMAAJqI3.jpg:large
19: Q: “Did the BO have anything to do with Date’s “incident”?” A: “No”. Don’t know if that was already known.
https://twitter.com/studybank4869/status/552051494350884865
20. Saimizu Kichiemon is not the Organization's boss

Apr 2015
1. Look forward to Ran's response to the confession (that Shinichi made)! Look forward to it!
http://tieba.baidu.com/p/3683308935

Animal Crossings

2014

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2014 January
(Spade) - Next case will be a kite flying competition
(Heart) - The sports bra was put on properly
(Diamond) - When (will he) finish eating?

2014 February
(Spade) - Sanada was depicted to be a little too silly. (The word used is Aho (アホ))
(Heart) - Now that I think about it, I wonder how old Higo-san is..
(Diamond) - Dandy la~io~~n (^O^)
(Spade) - Next will be a tea poisoning case.
(Heart) - Congratulations to Yuzuru-kun for getting a gold medal!

2014 March
(Spade) - I drew Elena for the first time in a while!
(Diamond) - Good luck, Mao-chan! (T-T)
(Spade) - Why can't I ever grow any tasty fruits?
(Heart) - Noriaki Kasai was cool!
(Diamond) - Amuro vs. the FBI appears to be next...
(Spade) - I drew ShinRan like da Vinci~
(Heart) - Sunday's cover this time will feature Akai and Conan
(Clover) - Next volume's featured detective will be Oreki-kun.

2014 April
(Spade) - Finally, I grew some tasty fruits!
(Spade) - The movie premiere was fun~
(Spade) - The afternoon tea set is missing! (;A;
(Heart) - Congratulations to Hayato-kun on his 100th match!
(Clover) - Finally, it's the World Cup!
(Diamond) - Shibuya-sensei is the assistant's name.
(Clover) - The soccer stadium is complete!
(Spade) - The silver axe is on sale for half off.
(Heart) - Chihayafuru's manga-ka Suetsugu-sensei is beautiful!
(Diamond) - At last, Amuro vs Casval! (this was also a Sherry's soliloquy in the same week)

2014 May
(Clover) - This year we might have a new Kaito production
(Spade) - I made an illustration of Zettai Karen Children
(Heart) - Scarlet series production is very difficult
(Diamond) - Does Akai intent to shoot a Bazooka or something? (Similar to Sherry's soliloquy, except that one said "rocket launcher" instead)

2014 June
(Heart) - (a comment about Baseball)
(Spade) - Sherlock III has started~(^_^
(Clover) - Fall Tv special, I'm looking forward to it~
(Daimond) - The next case is Meijin Shogi player code/encryption case
(Heart) - I drew an illustration of Ran in a swim suit
(Daimond) - The next keyhole character is Higo-san (volume 84)
(Spade)1 - Akishima-san, please make me a Honda uniform
(Spade)2 - Thanks for the Honda uniform~ ♪(^_^
(Clover) - Thanks for the away uniform as well~(^^
(Spade)3 - At last, the World Cup, I'm looking forward to it
(Spade)1 - I'm going to Brazil~
(Spade)2 - I enjoyed Brazil~(^V^)
(Heart) - Congratulations on the 5th Giants Intercourse Battle.

2014 July
(Spade)1 - The World Cup is greatly interesting (^^)
(Spade)2 - Good luck to Messi and Myuraa (katakana spelling of athletes names)
(Spade)3 - Congratulations on Germany's victory (^^)
(Heart) - Its good that Messi is the MVP (^_^)
(Clover) - The conclusion is Chuukichi's kiss (chu) ?
(Daimond) - The next case will feature Sera in a swimsuit!

2014 August
(Spade) - Speaking of that, I got the silver axe/hatchet
(Clover) - I am really looking forward to my fall anime
(Heart) - My swimsuit is like Shimakaze's? (Shimakaze is a character from Kantai Collection)
(Daimond) - Sera-chan calls Kichi-nii

2014 September
(Spade) - Kancolle E-six Clear~(^^ (another Kantai Collection reference)
(Heart) - Mystery younger sister's name is ____rii (〇〇リー) (Ch930, Aug2015, contains the name Mary (メアリー) which could be the answer)
(Diamond) - The truth is, Rum has already appeared (laughs)
(Clover) - Aoko's voice actor was cute
(Spade) - Kaitou's manuscript is a lot of work
(Heart) - Finally Kaito Corbeau appears
(Diamond) - Kan-chan has nothing to do with Rum
(Diamond) - Kan-chan is not Rum
(Spade) - Its Snake again after 19 years!
(Heart) - I want Sakamoto's uniform too
(Clover) - This new series will be animated too
(Spade) - The third file of Kaito is finally finished~
(Heart) - The Giants won! Hooray~
(Clover) - Its Kaitou Corbeau tonight!
(Diamond) - Chikake-san changed surprisingly

2014 October
(Diamond) - The Mystery Sister's voice actor is Taisa (this is a mistake corrected later in the month)
(Spade) - The next case is the Kamaitachi!!
(Heart) - The recording of Heiji's voice will put him in a pinch
(Clover) - I want to see Ikeda-san (voice) as Kaito Corbeau
(Diamond) - ___rii's voice actor is Koukaku no Motoko (Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell)
(Diamond) - Mystery younger sister's voice actor is Shousa (the "Major" who is also Motoko from Ghost in the Shell)
(Spade) - Correction; ___rii is Koukaku (...no Motoko, from Ghost in the Shell)

2014 November
(Spade) - Next will be the Kawanakajima murder case.
(Heart) - Police officers will be killed one after the other.
(Diamond) - Don't die, Kan-chan~
(Spade) - Harry the hedgehog is Houdini
(Clover) - I'm looking forward to Phantom Lady~
(Spade) - Collecting information for Kawanakajima wore me out
(Heart) - Kuroda-keiji... is very scary (^_^;)
(Daimond) - Kansuke, Koumei, Yui love triangle?

2014 December
(Heart) - Due to a lot of things happening, the schedule has fallen behind
(Spade) - Merry Christmas \(^V^)/
(Diamond) - I'm sorry that I did not draw a new Grey Santa (for Sherry Soliloquies)

(Clover) - Next year's movie will feature a bad Kid? (movie 19)

2015

  Show spoilers »

2015 January

(Spade) - Happy new year~ (^o^)/
(Heart) - I’ll bring my DS to Shaberō Day, so… (Let’s Talk Day, see above)
(Diamond) - …Let’s pass by each other if you have a DS
(Spade) - Happy New Year~(^V^) (all in english)
(Heart) - Shaberō Day was fun~
(Diamond) - I’m sorry to the people that I couldn’t give a sign to (autograph)
(Clover) - Its Jii-chan's movie debut!
(Diamond) - The talk with Tsurube-san was fun.
(Spade) - This year I’ve received 3 times as many postcards as last year.
(Heart) - I’ll be slow in replying but please wait (^^
(Clover) - Blue Parrot has opened (^v^)

2015 February
(Clover) - Finally Corbeau will appear in the anime, I'm looking forward to it
(Heart) - I’m sorry I’ve been taking so many breaks.
(Spade) - Only a few more postcards to reply to!
(Diamond) - Next time will be Shinichi and Ran's encounter (RanGIRL and ShinichiBOY, ch921-924)
(Spade) - I’ve finished replying to all postcards!
(Spade) - Tottori's Conan Airport has opened
(Heart) - Attention Please~(^V^)/

2015 March
(Spade) - "I'm already getting better, don't worry about me"
(Heart) - "The anime's aquarium is pretty, isn't it?"
(Clover) - "Corbeau reminds me of Lupin, y'know"
(Diamond) - "It seems the title will be [RanGIRL]
(Clover) - I'll see you in the cinema! (^_^)/
(Heart) - [RanGIRL] is a two parter
(Diamond) - After [RanGIRL] is [ShinichiBOY]
(Spade) - The escape game was really fun~ (Real-D escape game)

2015 April
(Spade) - The Conan Cafe is fun~
(Heart) - [RanGIRL] is finished
(Diamond) - [ShinichiBOY] draft is finished

2015 May
(Clover) - The next movie is Amuro vs Akai!
(Spade) - [ShinichiBOY] is finished
(Diamond) - Kudo-kun hasn't changed much
(Heart) - Sonoko is manly (this was also used as this weeks Sherry's soliloquy where you have the kanji for Sonoko's name)
(Clover) - The next movie is Amuro vs Akai! (repeat)
(Heart) - Girl and Boy will be published one after the other
(Spade) - I didn't get Takanami in Kancolle(T~T
(Diamond) - The overlap's quite difficult, isn't it? (refers to overlapping technique in drawing the manga, in the 3rd figure on P3, File 922.)
(Spade + Heart) - The inspiration for Girl and Boy came from Himuro Saeko's Nagisa Boy and Taeko Girl
(Diamond) - Kudou-kun sure was excited/nervous, huh? *laughs*

2015 June
(Spade) - Tennouno's cooking show is interesting (a real TBS show)
(Clover) - Looking forward to the Scarlet Series (in the anime)
(Heart) - I'm glad you said "thank you" to me.
(Diamond) - Yusaku has a lot of free, time doesn't he (refering to ShinichiBOY manga chapters)
(Spade + Heart + Diamond + Clover) When Furuya-san, on the After Record of the Scarlet series... Was supposed to say this line of "Akai... Shuuichi...Accidentally said "Akai... Suisei... The studio exploded into laugther. * laughs *.
(Spade + Heart + Diamond + Clover) The Scarlet series anime episode look nice. But I'd preffered that they... used black for Yuusaku - san's choker. * laughs *... Looks like they'll fix that in the DVD. (^_^)v.

2015 July
(Clover) - At last a definitive return! (^_^)v (from the hiatus that started earlier in the year)
(Spade) - The next case will be an ardent love revelation
(Heart) - A big couple will be born!? (referring to manga Yoko and Higo, later revealed to be false)
(Diamond) - *Shock* (ToT)
(Spade) - I decided to begin with a light-hearted case... * laughs *...
(Heart) - I tend to wonder if it's fitting but... (^_^)
(Diamond) - It isn't! (`^´)
(Clover) - The names are Italian Wines

2015 August
(Spade) - I'm on a diet right now.
(Heart) - That should make dad calm down (Ran speaking about the YokoxHigo love being false)
(Diamond) - Sorry, Sanada-kun (Haibara's comment to Sanada about Higo mentioning putting her on the team??)(this one was also made as the Sherry's Soliloquy)
(Clover) - Yamada-san's an Italian Wine as well!
(Spade) - The next case is about Ramen
(Heart) - Even though my waistline has recently become problematic.
(Diamond) - Chuukichi seems to like Ramen
(Clover) - Sera seems to like Ramen too, does that mean...?
(Spade) - I’m on a diet, but I still want to eat Ramen~
(Heart) - Detective Takagi… you’re being way too obvious w(^_^;)
(Diamond) - How risqué, Detective Satou (—,—)
(Clover) - This one’s called The taste of Ramen

2015 September
(Spade) - The next case is "Zombie"~ w
(Heart) - Coming from Osaka with two people riding on the same bike?
(Diamond) - This isn't the demon king sword?! (TN: The demon king sword (Maouken, 魔王剣) is a sword in Gosho's other series, Yaiba.)
(Clover)1 - Amuro and Akai as color pencil drawings w (TN: Referring to the M20 movie posters)
(Clover)2 - Drew a poster with Amuro and Akai!
(Spade) - My colesterol's gone down thanks to the diet.
(Heart) - I want this case to end soon(T~T).
(Diamond) - Heiji, Onimaru-kun (character from Yaiba), Demon King's Blade (Onimaru's sword)
(Clover) - Thanks for everything sky*blue-san!
(Spade) - Looking forward to Okitegami Kyouko~ (TN: An upcoming JDrama)
(Diamond) - Go Heiji (Onimaru)!
(Heart) - Kyaaaaaa!!
(Clover) - It's Boxing vs. Jeet Kune Do~

2015 October
(Spade) - I went and bought a treadmill *laughs*
(Heart) - Enough already!!! (x~x;
(Diamond) - The monster hunter has appeared again!
(Clover) - Rum will also be in the next movie~
(Spade) - The next case is "K-ON"!
(Heart) - Huh? I'm Mio - chan? (character from K-ON)
(Diamond) - Oh my. Amuro - san's cool, isn't he?
(Clover) - Sanma’s TV showed a clip of me from when I was young
https://twitter.com/ChioN320/status/653563608220090368