“The first reader.”
It’s very difficult to look at my own manga objectively. I often can’t tell by myself whether my work is interesting, or whether I’ve been able to express what I want to convey. I want someone’s feedback. Ideally, I’d like someone well-versed in reading manga to look at my name drafts—even before the work is finished—and share their opinions. I want them to stay involved until the work is complete. Someone like that… do they even exist? Yes, they do! To me, that’s what an editor is.

Have your own honest sense of purpose.
Not something forced on you by others, not borrowed from someone else, but your very own reason for drawing manga. Creating manga is really tough. You can’t do it aimlessly—you need a sense of purpose strong enough to carry you through the hardship. Be honest with yourself and ask your heart:
“I just love drawing.” “I want to draw cute girls.” “I want money.” “I want to be popular.” “I want people to know how I feel.” “I want to beat that guy.” “I want to change the world with manga.”
Anything is fine. But don’t lie to yourself. If you start drawing with a false purpose, you won’t be able to endure the pain when it comes. Hold tightly to the true purpose that supports your pen, and pour it into your manuscript.

A trusted partner in creating works, a cool-headed critic, and the very first reader who gives me the freshest feedback in the world.

There are countless forms of great entertainment out there, but I believe manga is a medium we can proudly share with the world—one that can extract an individual’s talent and passion in the purest way. I look forward to encountering new sensibilities that transcend borders!

I believe editors are indispensable in creating professional manga and play an important role that greatly influences the final work.

As a fellow manga lover myself, I want to read stories not only from Japan but also from many different cultural backgrounds, so I hope for a world where manga is created everywhere across the globe.

Muneyuki Kaneshiro:
My very first reader—the one who enjoys my work before anyone else.

Yusuke Nomura:
The most reliable partner I could ask for.

Muneyuki Kaneshiro:
Start by expressing what you genuinely find entertaining. After that, see if others also find it entertaining. You may feel joy or disappointment along the way, but it’s the same for me so don’t worry. Just put out as much of your entertainment as you can.

Yusuke Nomura:
Take a blank manuscript page, divide it into panels, draw your characters, add dialogue, and no matter what story you create, it’s already a proper manga. It doesn’t need to be perfect from the start. So go ahead and draw the best characters and stories you can imagine. There’s true creative freedom in manga.