Interviews

The following is a list of interviews from ONE, Kyoutarou Azuma and bose related to *Versus*. These are only rough translations and may be subject to change.

## Natalie Interview

*Source*
*I had the opportunity to read "Versus," and I was very enthusiastic about the series of scenes that drew me in from the very beginning. How did you come up with this work in the first place?*
**ONE:** The story that would become the prototype for "Versus" was one that I had originally been warming up to. I had been thinking about it even before I was approached by the editors of Sirius. There was a time when I thought about the so-called "other world" stories that have become a huge genre in recent years, and if I were to create one, I would try... I thought it would be better to answer that question by not depicting the story from the front, so I decided to carefully treat the idea of a different world from a different angle. I decided to treat the idea of another world carefully from a different angle. As a result, I came up with the idea of what would happen if several other worlds themselves were merged together and multiple apex predators swept in.

*So that became the prototype for "Versus"? In the first volume, the story moves in the direction of "having natural enemies fight each other." Was this also decided at that point?*
**ONE:** Yes, I did. First, I thought about how people would act when there was chaos in the world. Then, when I thought of a new method that did not involve the main character having cheat abilities or fighting with powerful forces, I realized that there was an option of "not fighting in a normal way. From there, we expanded the story.

*At that point, was there a possibility that you would even be in charge of the drawing?*
**ONE:** No, it was not possible for me to make it work on my own, because I would have to draw a broad worldview. In my capacity as the original author, I had considered asking someone else to do the drawing, but it would have required throwing a volume that could be called reckless and having a huge number of designs prepared. I thought it would be a difficult idea to realize, but when I was approached by an editor at Sirius, I told him in a casual conversation that I had a story like this, and he liked it.

*When did you start working on the serialization of your work on Sirius?*
**ONE:** That was probably about two or three years ago. But at that point, we had no story or anything, so we asked the potential artist not to find one yet. First, we started to delve into the content and revise the setting in order to make the serialization more concrete. But as the story progressed, I began to think that maybe it would be tough for me to cut the story.

*Is that where bose decided to participate?*
**ONE:** Right around that time, Azuma-sensei's name was being suggested by the editorial board. I told them not to contact any of the potential illustration teachers, but they said... I thought it would be possible for Azuma-sensei to be in charge of the name, but that would require a tremendous amount of work, from the scenario to the drawing. That would be difficult considering Azuma-sensei's workload. That's why I asked my friend, bose-san, who I knew was also a good name artist, to do it.

**bose:** I had been in contact with ONE for some time, but we had never worked together on a project. I had always wanted to create a manga together, so I was very happy when I was invited to join the project and immediately said, "If it's OK with me, I'll draw it.

*The original work passed from Mr. ONE to Mr. bose is like a so-called scenario written in letters, isn't it?*
**bose:** That's right. I had done some work in the past in which I turned original texts into names, so it was a natural choice for me to take on this project. In addition, I have read ONE's works for a long time, and I felt that they were similar to what I wanted to draw. So it was very easy for me to work on it without any difficulties.

**ONE:** At first, I was thinking of writing only a plot or a few lines and letting bose develop the story. However, I thought that I would not be able to convey the story unless I wrote even the lines at the beginning (of the story), so at the moment I am carefully writing even the detailed dialogues and the directional parts of the story, aiming for a form that will be easy to convey.

*After that, you were officially asked to do the drawings. How did you feel when you first heard about the project?*
**Azuma:** When I was in a meeting with the editor about another matter, he told me about an original story like this... I only heard a brief description, but I thought it sounded very interesting. I remember being interested at the time and immediately saying, "I'll do it.

**ONE:** When I heard Azuma's name from the editor, I thought it would be impolite to ask him when I had not yet finalized the setting, as he is a very talented artist and would be in a great demand. However, Mr. Azuma waited for a year before he agreed to work with us.

**Azuma:** Until "Versus" starts, Monthly Shonen Sirius will publish "THE KING OF FIGHTERS Gaiden - Origins of the Flame - Shingo, Time Slip! Let's go!" was serialized in Monthly Shonen Sirius.

*When the three of you first met, did you talk about the concept of "Versus"?*
**ONE:** We have told you what the goal will be. However, we have told you in a timely manner where the fork in the road will be, so you two may not know until the end of the story.

**Azuma:** Yes, we have. We have the minutes of the meeting when we discussed the worldview setting, but the setting has not been finalized. It is all in ONE's head. That's why I am always surprised when I receive a story.

**bose:** I also ask ONE every detail.

*This is the first time for you to work purely on an original work, as you have been in charge of drawing the manga yourself and remaking other manga artists' works. Is there anything different about this kind of case?*
**ONE:** For the manga that I do all the drawing work for, I have an idea in my mind that is supposed to be my own. However, when Mr. Azuma or Mr. Yusuke Murata (who is in charge of drawing "One-Punch Man") is involved as an artist, I can come up with images that I cannot draw by myself. For example, I can create cool action scenes and characters with a sense of color, so I can do all kinds of crazy things. Versus" is a story that requires powerful pictures and descriptive power, so I knew that Mr. Azuma would be able to fully develop my vision.

*I see. You wrote the scenario based on your trust that Azuma-san would be able to handle it. By the way, were there any elements that you carried over from your past works?*
**ONE:** One of the things I have learned from past works is the importance of making people like the characters. In the past, I was not that conscious about characters being popular, but it is very important for a work to have appealing characters that can be liked by both friend and foe. Having learned this, in "Versus," I am creating a story centered on the characters. There may be a development where someone other than the main character suddenly starts moving from that character's point of view. So I hope you will pay attention to the supporting characters as well.

*I'm looking forward to seeing that development if it is drawn... And how will bose-san put the scenario into the name after receiving it?*
**bose:** I am still in the exploration stage, but when I see a scenario I receive, I first try to visualize in my mind what kind of direction I want to take. If I find a part that needs more explanation, I will add descriptions or change the order. After I have finished the story, I ask ONE to check it.

*Since the two of you have known each other for a long time, I think there is an advantage of easy communication. Did this benefit you in a positive way in the creation of "Versus"?*
**bose:** When we translate a novel into comic book form, sometimes the original author is a big name and we are not able to discuss the details with him. Compared to that, in this case, I was able to work out the details with ONE, so it was very easy to work with him.

**ONE:** As the original author, it is very easy to proceed because I can return questions immediately.

*How did you go about designing the characters for this project? If you look closely, you can see that some of the characters have designs similar to ONE's style.*
**Azuma:** I received a rough design from ONE for the three main characters... for example, who are depicted on the cover of the first volume. For the rest of the characters, I drew them based on the story drawn by bose and developed my own image of them. However, I wanted to convey to readers first and foremost that this was ONE's work, so I actively tried to match ONE's drawing style in my design.

*Do you feel there are any differences from the original works you have worked on in the past?*
**Azuma:** No, I don't really feel that much of a difference, partly because I have not yet finalized how I will work on "Versus". Since it is serialized on Sirius, the deadline comes at a regular pace every month, so I don't have time to think about anything other than making it on time. I have another serialization in the works, so I am trying my best to draw as much as I can while also thinking about how it fits in with the other serializations.

*I think we also have to draw quite a lot of different things, because not only magic but also sci-fi things such as modern weapons and aliens will appear.*
**Azuma:** There will be many different worlds, so naturally there will be things that I have never drawn before. I still haven't decided how to share my image with my assistants, and to be honest, I don't think I have enough time. I have to share the images with my assistants, and to be honest, I don't have enough time to do that. I have ONE and bose check the rough drafts when they are finished, and then I start working on the finished drafts based on their opinions.

**ONE:** It has Azuma's interpretation, so it's in a better shape than I could draw. So, I have nothing to say about it, although I do look at the rough sketch.

**bose:** Azuma-sensei's roughs are really great! So I have never had to make major revisions before... Oh, there was one place where the scenario was changed based on Azuma-sensei's input, wasn't it?

*Which scene is it there?*
**bose:** This is the scene at the end of chapter 4 where the representatives of each world hold a meeting. At first I drew the story according to ONE's plot, but then Azuma-sensei made a suggestion.

**Azuma:** Yes, I did. Since this is the last part of the first volume, I wanted to make sure that the direction of the work was clear. I'm sorry for being so cheeky.

**ONE:** No, I felt you were right when you said that. At first, Hallow just said, "Let the enemies fight each other," and the rest of the world proceeded without understanding what he was talking about. However, after one disagreement, we decided to revise the story in a direction that everyone thought was the correct way to have the enemies fight each other. This was not just the three authors, but also the editors, and we all came up with the idea together. As a result, the scene became quite impressive.

*What do you pay special attention to when drawing "Versus"?*
**Azuma:** Since this is a paper-based comic, we cannot use the element of color. Therefore, I try to make the silhouettes of the characters as different as possible, so that it is easy to distinguish at a glance which world they come from. Also, since there are so many characters, if I am not conscious of this, the images become cluttered. So, I try to make the panels as smooth as possible so that it is easy to understand who is saying what.

**ONE:** We want to make sure that the principles of the characters' actions are properly portrayed. In "Versus," we have characters from many different worlds, each with different cultures and ways of thinking. They all have different cultures and ways of thinking, and they all have different abilities, so we are especially careful to differentiate them.

**bose:** I think that ONE's works have their own unique atmosphere, so I study his past works while drafting the manga so that I can create something that fans, including myself, would like to read. In particular, I read the original version of "One-Punch Man" and try my best to create a direction that is similar to the original.

**ONE:** I remember, before I had yet approached BOSE, there was a time when the first volume was entirely the story of the current first episode. The first volume ended when Harou and his friends kept losing and were connected to another world. However, bose pointed out that this was too long, so we changed the story to the current one.

*So you have so much in mind that perhaps the process will be depicted as a past episode in the future. I am looking forward to that as well! Now that the first volume is finally on sale, please tell us about your enthusiasm for the future.*
**bose:** I have heard about your plans for the future, but "Versus" is a work that becomes more interesting the longer it continues. I myself would like to draw a continuation as soon as possible, so I would like to output all the fun I feel in the form of a story.

**Azuma:** The drawing process will intensify as well, and I hope to do my best to meet the monthly deadlines.

**ONE:** Since there are many characters and settings, I hope to draw them without preserving the story and prioritize fun. First of all, the first volume is the beginning, so I hope you will enjoy it with us.

## References

1. ↑ With "name" he refers to a manga name, which is the rough draft of a chapter before getting approval from the editor.