Jigoku Shoujo

Jigoku Shoujo Official Website
Animenewnetwork Info

First episode of 'Hell Girl' - The Other Side of Twilight aired on Oct 4th.

Typical Japanese horror elements come into play. Vanishing faces, floating lanterns and objects suddenly turning into skulls. We got a peek into the general template of story developement. Someone victimised calls out for help. They go to a strange website at 12 o'clock midnight and with unsureness mixed with fear, type in the name of the most hated person. Just when they're about to click 'send', they hesitate and their finger hovers above the mouse. Click or not click? Eventually they do when the limit of their tolerence is breached. And in the next second, a message flashes up on their cell phone : Request received - Hell Girl.

After a deal is agreed upon - revenge granted at the price of your own soul, hell girl dresses up in beautiful kimono in a ceremonial fashion and rides the flying wagon driven by flaming heads. Off she goes for her mission.

The storyline might seem mundane and the horror elements we've seen thousands times before don't make it a major attraction. Still, the etheral feeling of the setting twilight, or the boat that slowly drifts in an aqua bed of dimming lanterns and in front, the gate of hell looms large and undefiable. Jigoku shoujo, the girl with bloody red eyes and a soothing voice devoid of all emotions, speaks of despair matter of factly. She looks empty, lonely but not wanting, distant yet as palpable as the breeze on your skin.

We shall see the pasts of the hell angels unveiled, and more victimised lives filling the empty chess board.

Modoru Motoni Q & A (translated)

[banner from Modoru Motoni Fansite - Rue Royale]

There're 82 questions in all.

Original questions & answers are posted on Modoru Motoni Fansite - Rue Royale, and can be found on this page.

If you're unfamiliar with Modoru Motoni but nonetheless interested, visit my fan page here. Enjoy!

Disclaimer:
The translations below have no guarantee of accuracy although I try my best to make the meanings come closest as I can.(I know nothing about Japanese so the only source of help is online translation software. You know how it works.)

Please don't distribute it in public forums/bbs without acknowledging the original source and always be reminded it is NOT accurate.

Now let's sit down and have some tea with Motoni-sensei.

1. Do the settings from the book really exist?
Some of them do.

2. What about costume designs. Are they original?
Some are designed by myself. Some are referenced from magazines.

3. Do you collect and keep reference materials for drawing?
I don't think so.

4. What is the most important thing you pay attention to when you draw a character's face?
I'm careful with facial expressions so that they don't fade in the sketches.

5. Do you draw from your own experience with love when drawing those BL works?
Not really. I just try to place myself in the characters' shoes and think hard about how they feel under those particular situations.

6. Any work which has an extential influence on you?
Coins Locker Baby by Muracamiruu (コインロッカー・ベイビーズ , 村上龍)

7. Is it possible to increase publication by ten fold in the weekly magazine?
That's impossible. My work load would've gone up by 10x!

8. Are you planning on drawing any sequel (Rogue, Mizuhara etc.) or is there a specific sequel you wish to work on?
These are not in my schedule. There'll be a sequal to 'Shiikugakari Rika'.

9. Do you have a secret love?
Such things aren't supposed to be spilled in front others.

10. How are the names of characters and the book title decided?
The characters' personalities, their outlooks on the world and their conversations are weighed and consdiered and simple nuances

are chosen.

11. Who's your favourite character?
For me currently, it's Teru & Miki.

12. Is there ever a character whom you dislike (hard to portray)?
It becomes hard to draw when the character who enjoys a high popularity is in fact opposite to my nature.

13. Is there a character whose popularity has gone out drastically and unexpectedly?
No.

14. Are there characters whom you spent time detailing but don't enjoy as much popularity as you thought?
Maki and Endo.(マキ、遠藤)

15. Best 3 kiss scenes?
'Dog Style', end of 2nd episode & start of the 3rd episode. Also the 14th episode of 'Detective Bluecat' with Count Saotome.

16. Who's the ideal lover, marriage partner, relative, brother or any other suitable role in your opinion?

Lover: Count Satome (早乙女, from Bluecat)
Marriage Partner: Glass Bat (蝙蝠, from Bluecat)
Relative: Prince Bee (蜂王子, from Bluecat)
Brother: 鬼島 (from Dog Style)
Others: メガネっ娘　(?)
Dog: Teru (from Dogstyle)
キジ：鶯　(?)
Ape: Iida (from Poison Cherry Drive)
Ghost: Rika(from Shiikugakari Rika), Mamezou (from Poison Cherry Drive) & ??
おかま：アンジ (?)

17. What clothes do you prefer to wear at work?
T-shirts that are worn out at the sleeves & cuff.

18. What would you be doing if you haven't become a manga artist?
Anything else besides a manga artist? It's impossible to picture now. I persevered and become a manga artist.

19. One remark when you look in the mirror?
Seems there's no hair where it's not dyed.

20. Ideal type of male and female for you?
Ideal type of male: Glass Bat(蝙蝠), Count Satome(早乙女) or Mizuhara.
Ideal type of female: Reiko (from 'Koiga')

21. What are the factors that make you take a liking to someone?
a share of common topics during conversations and similar sense of humour

22. What's your favourite phrase or the words spoken when you're happy?
「萌えました」 (budding? probably means something's about to happen)

23. What are the conversation topics you'd pick when presented to an VIP?
Some practical ones or those related to the person's hobbies.

to be c'td

snake heart

Snake Heart

The site-master (a free-lancer?) is really a pro. Amazing.

Do check out his page on CG rendering by Painter 5.5 here



Hope this isn't considered 'misuse of fanart'. I'm just here to praise his work.

paradise kiss TV

Unbelievable! They're making Ai Yazawa's manga 'Paradise Kiss' into TV series!! Not sure whether I'm happy or not, just feeling plain weird. Ai Yazawa,for those unfamiliar with her work, she created the famous series 'NANA'. 'Paradise Kiss' was an early work which ran in 4 books and it was about a high school student Yukari who got herself invovled in the fashion business and also a relationship with an ambitious and talented designer named George. I even joined the fanlisting for PK... Why did I do that?? Never mind.

It's all about Fashion, twisted personality and the importance of 'muse' to a growing artist. Suddenly an image popped up: one of my friends would give a thumb-up when she hears the word 'twisted' ^^b Yes, the main character George sure is a twisted guy inside out. Nothing matters under the grand title 'fashion designer'.Give it a few twisted nerves and you're all head over heels for it.I just wish they wouldn't make it into a candy sweet shoujo anime which's rather sickening honesty... And I wonder if the person responsible for clothes design lives up to this job.

Madhouse takes over the production. They did a good job for 'Paranoia Agent' etc. (but that's Satoshi kon up there, duh). Director is this Kobayashi guy whom I'm totally unfamiliar with.

Links:
PK TV Official Web
Animenewsnetwork Info