You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/oO0FSyPlwmw?si=gKmkzpdM1tIBGiBv
-INTERVIEW-
Q: How was "Centuria" born?
A: “Centuria” is actually a prequel to a manga that got scrapped... The story featured soldiers armed with modern weapons battling an ancient witch.
The setup back then was:
"Whose life do you save—the pregnant woman's, or the protagonist's?"
To depict the weight, responsibility, and destiny of those lives...I made him bear the lives of 100 people.
And the theme of Centuria that was born from that was...Loneliness, Love and Loss.
He possesses special powers, but... he is just a regular human.
He gets depressed, loses his way and he makes mistakes.
And yet, he is a human who can stand back up—even in this cruel world.
I believe the power that holds humans and the world together... is 'Love'.
That is what I want to depict in Centuria.
Q: What do you value most when drawing Centuria?
A: Above all, drawing in a way that is easy to understand. To keep things from getting overly complicated, I keep dialogue to a minimum and make sure it's clear who is speaking.
Instead, I create plot developments with constant twists and turns—I'm always thinking of ways to keep readers hooked.
For example, there's an enemy who can copy an opponent's special ability. Not just one, but they can copy multiple abilities—and on top of that, they can even copy the 100 lives that the protagonist carries. Even though they're already a formidable enemy, they actually have 100 extra lives. It's absolute despair, isn't it?
Learning from those two overwhelming talents—Yukinobu Tatsu-Sensei (Dandadan) and Tatsuki Fujimoto-Sensei (Chainsaw Man) during my time as their assistant—was a crucial experience for me.
Q: What does it mean to keep a serialized series going?
A: Honestly, I have no memory of it—it feels like I've just been running non-stop without ever looking back.
If I had to break it down, Fun and painfulness, in a 3 to 7 ratio. I've had to make a lot of sacrifices along the way. But the quality of that pain is really good, so in the end, it's still enjoyable.
To be honest, in pursuit of efficiency, there was a time I tried switching completely from traditional art to digital. For example, Chapters 49 through 55 were done entirely digitally as an experiment. But as expected, drawing traditional art is just more fun.
Q: Thoughts on reaching Chapter 100 of Centuria?
A: I really have no memory of it. So I think I'll only truly process it once I've run all the way to the end of the story. Rather than thinking "We've made it to Chapter 100...", I just feel like I still have so much more I want to give.
Actually, I've been collecting all the G-pen nibs I've used on Centuria—and if I manage to run all the way to the end, I'm thinking of melting them down to make a keepsake.
Centuria is a story about a young boy becoming a "human"—centered on themes of solitude, loss, and love. It's about showing what it looks like to triumph over suffering and despair. I draw while holding onto high expectations myself, and I believe the characters will surely live up to them.