Masterpiece “Aizawa Riku”

　　

　I had a long conversation with a cartoonist Ms. Yoriko Hoshi in Gion, Kyoto. She is the creator of “Kyou no Nekomura-san” and my old friend, who is more than 10 years younger than I am. The original drawings of her debut work “Nekomura-san” and “Pork” were at my place, but they got out to the world and she became a very popular cartoonist who sells millions of copies.

　I received her new work, the first full-length manga “Aizawa Riku.” The bloodcurdling cover art displays her talent as an artist. Ms. Hoshi created a genre “Yoriko Hoshi” that is not manga, picture book, nor novel, but it is all of those.

　She says she drew Aizawa Riku virtually in 10 days. She used a single pencil, sharpened it, and kept drawing.

　After three days of drawing, the personalities of characters were defined, and they carried on their own lives. She cornered those lives, trying to control them as the creator. When she cornered them, they lived again. And the story was created. That is what she said. This sensation is on the dimension that I cannot even imagine.

　Ms. Hoshi does not make the plot, but instead starts drawing and writing the ideas as they pop into her head. “Ideas as is.” Illogical. Outpouring sensitivity. That creation method is hard to verbalize, and it cannot be taught to others.

　It reminds me of the episode of “Kids Return,” which Mr. Takeshi Kitano said he started creating because the image of the last scene popped into his head at first.

　Ms. Hoshi was a huge fan of late Mr. Seiki Tsuchida, who had an all-original drawings exhibit at Kyoto International Manga Museum until recently. Mr. Tsuchida was a big fan of “Nekomura-san” when he was alive. Their styles are the complete opposite, so there was no opportunity for the two to meet, but they were connected.

　Oh, I forgot to mention something important.

“Aizawa Riku” is thrilling, warm, interesting, and deep.

　It is the story of a special girl who grew up in the dry communications between her mother, her father, and his lover, and she sheds her shell through the communications with her great aunt, great uncle, cousins, children, classmates, and a little bird in Kansai.

　It is a masterpiece. But it cannot be explained in text.