When void stops frosting:Tensura

Interview of fuse and kawakami-sensei (no chapter)

Interviewer: What was the first impression when both sensei met each other?
Fuse-sensei (From here on Fuse): We met in person in the fall of 2014. It was a meeting to discuss the start of the comics.
Taiki Kawakami-sensei(From here on Kawakami): That's correct. I remember thinking "Wow! The creator of 'Tensura' is standing right in front of me". It was a moment of genuine emotion.
Fuse: The image I got was "calm and quiet".
Kawakami: At that time I was left in a state of not being able to say much, since I was so overcome with emotion. It was an "end of the year" sort of party. "Let's serialize the comic for 'Tensura'", I remember saying this in-front of everyone.
Fuse: That was a long time ago now. I first started creating the novel in 2013 and I received the request for a comic version in the latter half of 2014.
Kawakami: Around that time I heard there was a competition to adapt it into a comic. Naturally I participated.
Fuse: The first time I saw Kawakami-sensei's drawings I thought "wow, this is exactly the Image I envisioned". It was awesome.
Kawakami: It still makes me so happy to hear that after all these years.
Fuse: The fact that it's exactly as I've envisioned makes me feel so blessed, I feel like I take it for granted sometimes.
Kawakami: When I think back to the comic contest, I was actually a little late submitting my work because I ended up binging the entire web version of the story.
Fuse: I guess it was unavoidable (lol).
Kawakami: When I told the editorial staff why it was late, they said they couldn't be mad because the series was the cause of the problem.
Fuse: Kawakami-sensei was able to use the illustrations of Mitz Vah-sensei—the character designer—and retained all of the best characteristics without changing them. It was able to be translated into the more rounded comic style without any issues. It was thanks to this, I think, that more and more people started liking "Tensura". Looking back on it like that, you could say I got really lucky.
Kawakami: Thank you very much! I really like Mitz Vah-sensei's drawings, but if I tried to recreate the style and draw the series like that... it's absolutely impossible for me.
Fuse: My peers in the novel-writing scene often remark about how jealous they are of Kawakami-sensei's comic adaptation.
Kawakami: If I'm praised any more I might fall apart...
Kawakami-sensei. I've heard that you really want to revive "Veldora's Slime Observation Journal"?
Interviewer: What is most important to you with adapting the series into comics?
Kawakami: I want fans of the original to be able to read it and not feel a sense of incongruity. I try as best as I can to capture the feeling I had when reading the original when I draw.
Interviewer: What are some of the challenges of adapting it into comics?
Kawakami: The way I drew the characters for the entry competition was based on the impressions given in the original story, but after I started working on actually making the comics that had to change. I became aware that so and so character and another character appearing together would make them look too similar. Because of this I had to create differences between the characters to make them easier to tell apart. Especially with characters that are mostly black in coloration, I ended up just using darker tones instead of the "black" mentioned in the source material.
Interviewer: So until last year or so, the volume releases of the comics all included the "Veldora's Slime Observation Journal" written by Fuse-sensei. It was a very refreshing type of experience, as you could follow the story from Veldora's perspective.
Kawakami: It served as a good method of exposition for the comics as well as a way for Veldoda's existence to not be forgotten. He was removed from the story essentially from the start and had no opportunity to stay in the spotlight otherwise. The fact that it could act as supplementary material to explain things the manga glanced over was also a nice bonus.
Fuse: At first it was only intended to be present in the first volume, but it was so well received that I ended up making it into a full series.
Interviewer: Unfortunately it has been unable to continue and deemed finished, as Veldora was revived in the 16th volume of the series.
Kawakami: I really do like "Veldora's Slime Observation Journal". Although normally Veldora is too much of a strongman and overwhelming to where he's hard to maneuver, a solo story for him works out really well I think. I think one can only say they've read the story if they've read both the comics and "Veldora's Slime Observation Journal".
Fuse: The Comic-Novel combo works really well as a structure for understanding the story when read one at a time. However when a reader wants to read the story all at once I feel like the novel-intermission becomes a huge hassle. This isn't that big of an issue with paperback, but with e-books it's too much and breaks the flow.
Kawakami: That's right... So why not write a novel to go along with each chapter of the comic as it comes out?
Fuse: Absolutely not! (lol)
Kawakami: I do sincerely hope that it can come back somehow.
Fuse: It's easy to say that but actually doing it is another matter. Lately I've been working on more and more things besides writing the main novel. But the novel will probably end in 2 more books or so, so when I'm finished with that... I'm sure I'll have time...
Kawakami: If that's the case, then there's still hope. We'll all be waiting!
With this you should have a pretty good idea of how the comic version is produced!
Interviewer: Please tell us about some of the interactions you have while working on the monthly publication.
Kawakami: Well, first I have to meet with the editor and determine exactly what material will be adapted from the novel. Then we have to determine what can and can't be cut down and send the storyboard to Fuse-sensei. Fuse-sensei checks the outline of each page and the dialogue before giving the "OK" signal if all things are good. Naturally the feedback and changes are reflected in the final product.
Interviewer: Is your understanding of the original work good?
Kawakami: I would say so, yes. The image I create is based on the image and influence of the original work.
Fuse: A lot of the time when I receive a storyboard, I'm at a total loss like "How many years ago did I write that...?". I usually barely remember the details and respond with "it was meant to be like this'' when asked about it. Sometimes I remember my original intention later and say "oops, it was actually meant to be that way" lol. I always have something specific in mind when I write... the problem comes in actually remembering it.
Interviewer: This is a problem unique to the original author.
Fuse: I was able to remember quite a lot when the comics first started coming out, but lately whenever I'm asked I usually give up and say "Sorry, I've forgotten it".
Interviewer: oh wow, lol.  What if you design a character from scratch?
Kawakami: Well, usually Mitz Vah's illustrations are used. But sometimes I have to ask Fuse for the general age, physique, and atmosphere of the character. As an example, Edmalis Falmuth—the king of the Falmuth Kingdom—is in his 40's and is in really good shape. Until that moment I was under the impression that he had the body of a slob completely wasted away due to his greed, but he's surprisingly sturdy.
Fuse: Sometimes I say the name of an actor that has a similar image, but naturally it's a secret (lol). Come to think of it, I was even asked questions like "When did the Anti-Magic Mask originate from" during the production of the animation and I was forced to come up with explanations. Sometimes I even made entire plots and stories that I wouldn't have made otherwise just to ensure there were no major discrepancies.
Kawakami: You don't usually make plots for things like that?
Fuse: I usually just write using what's in my head.
Kawakami: Back when the web series was a thing, you did update it almost every day.
Fuse: Yeah, I was writing with sheer energy and momentum, so I didn't think about the details too much as I wrote it.
Kawakami: ehhhh? It's amazing that there wasn't a proper plot.
Fuse: I write outlines and plots for other people, but almost never for myself. For example if its ongoing like "Trinity" or "Clayman" I'll write out the dialogue and basic actions.
Kawakami: Amazing. This really is the first I've heard of it.
Fuse: Despite all this, I really am blessed to have been able to communicate with them well enough to help create comics that blend the fun of the novels with the magical experience that only comics can provide.
Kawakami: I only make modifications if Fuse-sensei gives the go-ahead or asks for them and then incorporate them into the comics. Sometimes I'll be asked "You have to adapt this scene, its too big not to" and I'll think "Isn't this a bit too much?", but it always works out in the end.
Fuse: I only make requests that I feel that can be done. I think there was a moment after the first volume released where I said "I think we adapted too much", but after that there really hasn't been much to complain about. Things like "please add some more description here" or "I think we should skip this scene after all"... only three or four of such moments have occurred, right?
Kawakami: That's right. Lately your input has been less and less... though it couldn't hurt to tell me more!
There are things that only work for novels, as well as things that only work for comics.
Fuse: Yeah. Like the storyboards Kawakami-sensei draws for example. They're super easy to understand, you can even see their expressions!
Kawakami: I don't always do it, but sometimes I do little doodles of the background or cool expressions when I'm drawing the storyboard.
Fuse: Well, it's more like a rough sketch than a doodle if you ask me.
Kawakami: Whenever I'm stuck making the storyboard my mind is super busy but my hands are free. Because of that sometimes the characters will have super detailed expressions. But if I'm on a roll with making the storyboard, everything just stays as stick figures and I go back and decide on the expressions later. If you see a particularly detailed facial expression, then I was probably stuck designing the rest of the page on the storyboard for a long time.
Interviewer: It can't be helped. The pain of an artist is the struggle of creating something from scratch.
Kawakami: Except it's a story that already exists... lol. In order to adapt it into comics I have to make various choices. I can't always draw everything, so I have to carefully choose what I draw and how I draw it.... I struggle with it every time.
Fuse: Of course I usually have certain mental images in mind when I'm writing scenes... but sometimes I get on a roll and write a lot all at once. During those moments I'm so full of passion that the amount of detail provided is less than ideal. Sometimes I get questions like "I don't really understand the special move here" and I can only respond "Well, in Shonen you just shout out the name and the battle is decided!". Then I'm told "But it doesn't actually say what happened... go back and finish it". It's not easy to create an "image" is it....
Kawakami: When I read the original story I'm so full of energy that I don't even pay attention to the details.
Fuse: Yes, exactly.
Kawakami: But then when it comes time to actually draw it I get into situations like "Huh? What the hell is going on with this Diablo technique!?". It can be very confusing at times.
Fuse: I can only ask you to use the power of a visual medium to convey moments like this. For example, in comics you can show a character as being "a cold beauty with an extreme aura" without having to explain it, but when you only have text to convey something like that... it's almost impossible. I try my best to make strong impressions with my writing, but I've already entrusted making it work to Kawakami-sensei a long time ago now.
Kawakami: I'll do my best, lol.
Fuse: In novels you have to convey the movements and flow through text alone, but with comics you can convey a bunch of information just through visuals. It's an experience unique to comics to be able to tell "wow, this guy is super strong, they're on a different level" with just a glance.
Kawakami: That's certainly true... but there are also certain things that can only be conveyed through the novels. As an example, during the scene that introduces Guy he's described as having an "aura of randomness" that makes him feel unpredictable. It's easy to convey that with text, but I would like to avoid that and use drawings as much as possible. The problem comes with conveying something like "an aura of randomness" through a visual medium. It's too much.
"Tensura" is fun as a novel, a comic, and as an animation!
Fuse: The novel of "Tensura" is something I made coming off of the momentum of my original self-published web series, which was fleshed out and turned into a novel. Though to be frank, sometimes I think I added a bit too much meat to the story. The comic version is probably the best of both worlds, since Kawakami-sensei and I have been able to trim it down while still keeping the best parts for the comics.
Kawakami: I think that for those who have yet to experience "Tensura" the comic version is an excellent entry point for them. After that they can go back and read the novels.
Fuse: That's correct. The animated version was simplified immensely on purpose, so anybody who wants to understand better should go and read the comics and the novels.
Interviewer: It's both enjoyable to read and comes at a reasonable price. For Fuse-sensei as well as Kawakami-sensei, what was your favorite scene in the series so far?
Fuse: I think the scene with the Orc Lord was an amazingly written story, even though I'm the one who wrote it.
Kawakami: Yeah, the Orc Lord really was cool.
Fuse: I always thought that the scene where the alliance was formed was a bit too optimistic even as I was writing it. But I think it makes sense given that its a world filled with monsters where the weak are forced to obey the strong. You could say that human society is far more complex than the monster society that obeys the law of the jungle above all others.
Interviewer: And what about Kawakami-sensei's?
Kawakami: For sure it has to be the scene where the "Great Sage" evolves into "Raphael". I also think it was also a really good idea to draw them with the white cloth. After all, it's a little difficult to draw characters naked...
Fuse: It's certainly a bit difficult... Yeah.
Kawakami: Rimuru isn't a man or a woman, so it's not like there's a real problem... but it adds more mystery to it if everything is hidden.
Fuse: Yeah, the more that you can't see the more that gets left to the reader's imagination.
Kawakami: The cloth being white gave it an atmosphere similar to a religious artwork, which is a good vibe.
Interviewer: The scene where "Great Sage" evolved was also good. It's really difficult to draw something that has no proper physical form.
Kawakami: Yeah, the evolution of "Great Sage" is inside of Rimuru... so it's basically purely imaginative. "How do I do that?" one can't help but ask.
Fuse: It has no shape after all.
Kawakami: I really like how that scene was done in the animation. The way the screen split when "Great Sage" tried to evolve again and again was something that only an animation could pull off.
Fuse: They all have their differences. Novel, Comic, Animation... each allow you to enjoy a unique flavor.
Among the many colorful characters, which one is your favorite?
Interviewer: What is the favorite character of Fuse-sensei and Kawakami-sensei?
Fuse: Mine of course has to be Rimuru. Diablo, Gobuta, and Veldora are also worth mentioning. Diablo is an oddball that's easy to write, while Gobuta and Veldora are ones that I always have fun writing.
Kawakami: I'm also a big fan of Gobuta, but I also like Beretta, Razen, Hermes, and Ifrit. Fuse-sensei has made a lot of nice characters.
Fuse: I'm just fulfilling my quota!
Kawakami: It's alright to show off once and a while. Ifrit is especially nice. They have surprisingly really good common sense. Expect more in the future Fuse, lol.
Interviewer: On the other end of the spectrum, what about characters that are hard to write or maneuver.
Fuse: Err... if it's difficulty of writing then Hinata definitely comes to mind. She's super serious and passionate, and her way of speaking is difficult to write. Milim is another one that can be troublesome as well. She plays the character of being an idiot according to her calculations, so I have to write her in a way that is wild but have her actions still follow logic.
Interviewer: Milim's childish attitude definitely shouldn't be taken at face value.
Fuse: Then we have Benimaru. He's really flashy and serious, so I can't use him too much. Although he acts during key points the times he has in the spotlight are few and far between. In that regard, Diablo is excellent. Whether he's toying with his opponent or being serious with them he's easy to use. Diablo can play both roles with ease, while I can't really do that with Benimaru.
Kawakami: He's just a complete hot head.
Fuse: When he struggles he's really struggling. He's an honest character that doesn't have time to have fun very often in fights.
Interviewer: And how about Kawakami-sensei?
Kawakami: For me it's probably also Hinata. She has an unexpected cute side but if you draw that too much then the "gap" starts to disappear. I have to depict her as serious and stubborn most of the time.
Fuse: The "gap" between acting serious and doing silly things really is great. Like when she stood in line at the ramen shop in the middle of a conversation after being lured in by the smell.
Kawakami: The fact that she waits in line properly is both serious and cute to me, lol.
Interviewer: Are there any characters whose personalities you think don't quite fit?
Kawakami: Ramiris is naturally cheeky, lol. Only the chosen ones are allowed to behave that way.
Fuse: She has a talent for saying things that would normally be seen as bad, but she gets away with it by being cute.
What about characters that you can't help but fall in love with?
Kawakami: I like Geld. I really like him. I think he's the type of character that both men and women can enjoy. He also ranked very highly in the previous character popularity polls.
Interviewer: Geld was in 7th place, beating popular characters like Benimaru and Veldora.
Fuse: I believe Rimuru and Great Sage were 1st and 2nd respectively.
Kawakami: I'm happy that Geld was able to make it to the top with all the colorful characters in the series. It makes me feel that people love him for his personality, not just his looks.
Fuse: Geld is also a bit of a difficult character. I'm always rooting for him to win but I have no choice but to make him lose his fights.
Interviewer: After all, Kawakami likes the hardworking and earnest types.
Kawakami: That's right! I don't tend to feel that Geld is struggling because he isn't pushed around too badly, but he really is working hard!!
Fuse: There are tons of arrogant and selfish characters, so Geld is a breath of fresh air that makes you feel relieved.
What if you were reincarnated?
Interviewer: Fuse-sensei and Kawakami-sensei, if you could be reincarnated, who or where would you want to be?
Fuse: There have been times in the past where I wanted to be reincarnated into a game world. But now I don't really think like that. Even if someone said "you could start over from your time in junior high" I don't think I'd be able to remember all the pieces and write this story again. It would be exhausting.
Kawakami: The premise of writing the novel even after transmigration is wonderful... but not being able to remember it would be harsh.
Fuse: Right! Although, even if I had released this story when I was in junior high, there's no guarantee it would have picked up the traction like it did in the current era. An adventure story without a heroine and the hero is a slime...
Kawakami: It's true that there really aren't that many female characters in the beginning. If you read with the preconception that "every story has to have a heroine" then it would certainly be difficult...
Fuse: Well, it's fine since "Tensura" does actually have a heroine in "Great Sage".
Interviewer: So it was "Great Sage" occupying the heroine position... And what about you, Kawakami-sensei?
Kawakami: If it was me being reborn in the world of "Tensura"... I'd love to be born in the Armed Nation of Dwargon. I would be able to see real-life dwarves and since Tempest is an allied nation I could visit right away without any issues.
Fuse: If it was in Tempest you would get caught up in something left and right.
Kawakami: Exactly! That's why it's good to distance yourself and stay in an allied nation instead, lol. I would want to be born as an Elf and tend the bar in the "Night Butterfly" if possible.
There's still more to go!
Interviewer: What are some of the highlights of the things to come?
Kawakami: Let's see, right now the comics depict up to the 8th book of the novels... so we still have a long way to go.
Fuse: I don't think it would be enough with 30 or even 40 comic volumes.
Kawakami: I absolutely have to finish making it!
Fuse: Now that I think about it, there were a lot of changes made to the contents of Volume 1 of the novel. Scene changes and flashbacks... It might be difficult.
Kawakami: What should we do about the structure of the comics?
Fuse: I usually write the novels without thinking about how it'll be adapted into an animation or comic, but Volume 20 especially will be difficult to adapt to comics. It's full of scenes that are completely unrelated to Rimuru, so I'm sure it will be tough. (Looks at Kawakami-sensei)
Kawakami: Eeh... (Looks back at Fuse-sensei)。
Fuse: If a writer were to worry about things like that, they wouldn't be able to write at all. The only thing that can be done is hope that it is drawn well.
Kawakami: I look forward to seeing myself handle that in the years to come... When I read the story I tend to just enjoy it as a reader, but when I think "How am I going to adapt this into the comic" I get really excited.
Fuse: In volume 20 I think I made the enemies a bit too strong, so Rimuru struggles quite a bit. If this continues, maybe the thrill of the story will decrease.
Kawakami: It's true that the protagonist being strong and exciting is important.
Fuse: It was pretty difficult to find the right balance for the gravity of the antagonists, the excitement, the darkness, and even the gags to mix them all together. While I was making it I remember thinking "I'm sure this will be difficult for the comics to adapt".
Kawakami: ... and just who exactly do you expect to draw something like that?
Fuse: Well, if 10 years from now somewhere were to ask me "What did you mean by this?" I'm sure I'll respond "you should've asked me back then", for sure.
Kawakami: Indeed. I need to remember to take down notes of my concerns and ask them as soon as possible.
Fuse: I can answer the question right now, but if its in 3 years I'll probably forget and say "the answer is in the book!". And if it were in 10 years I would probably say "Please stop bullying this old man" lol.
Kawakami: Even though the answer only exists inside of Fuse-sensei's brain... lol.
What are you looking forward to in the future?
Fuse: Now that you mention it, there's a certain popular character who has yet to appear in the comics. I can't wait to read about them in the comic version.
Kawakami: I'm looking forward to drawing the continuation of what happened to Chloe inside of the "Dwelling of the Elementals" when she was possessed by that thing.
Is there anything you'd like to say to the fans?
Fuse: The novel, the comics, and the animation are still ongoing. I thank you for the continued support.
Kawakami: More and more popular characters from the original story will be appearing in the near future, please look forward to it.
Interviewer: Thank you very much.