#Manga-ka | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

titles-for-tangents · 10 months

Text

In conjunction with @silvermoon424’s new project to scan and archive Mitsukazu Mihara’s 6-volume manga series Dolls: IC in a Doll, here is a copy of an interview Mihara gave in 2006 with Manga Magazine at Otakon, recorded here by Tokyopop!

What a Doll! An Interview with Mitsukazu Mihara

(On the left-hand side):

Goth Loli goddess Mitzukazu Mihara has garnered an impressive level of fan devotion in Japan, largely due to the intricate and inspired Gothic Lolita fashions worn by her characters.

A master of the manga short story, Mihara-sensei began her career as an illustrator, gaining recognition and acclaim for her distinct illustrations in the Gothic Lolita Bible. Going on to create such noteworthy titles as Happy Family and IC in a Sunflower, Mihara-sensei took storytelling to a new level with Doll, a six-volume anthology series about a world where humankind coexists with an intelligent race of androids called “dolls”.

Gothic Lolita enthusiasts and sci-fi lovers - Mitsukazu Mihara fans are passionate, dedicated and intelligent. And with the release of Mihara-sensei's Beautiful People in February and Haunted House and R.I.P.: Requiem in Phonybrain in the fall, they're about to grow significantly in number. Get on board while you still can.

Manga magazine sat down with Mihara-sensei at the Otakon convention in Baltimore, where she discussed fashion, fandom and some of her surprising influences.

-Tim Beedle

(At the bottom:)

MIHARA-SENSATIONAL: FIVE FLAWLESS FABLES

New to the work of Mitsukazu Mihara? For those looking to sample the best of the best, we offer a few suggestions.

"A Maid Servant" (Doll, Vol. 1) When Tokiko's fiancé leaves her for another woman, Tokiko assumes it's because she's ugly. But when someone starts defacing Tokiko's doll, we soon learn that ugliness has many forms.

"Beautiful People" (Beautiful People) Telling the tale of Mimi, a strong-willed woman who achieves beauty through plastic surgery, Mihara-sensei reveals where the true beauty lies, while serving up some of her most intriguing character design work to boot.

"Grave" (Doll, Vol. 4) Mihara-sensei gave life to the dolls, but in this story, she gives them death. "Grave" takes us to the SG Corporation's press room, where retired or illegally remodelled dolls are scrapped. A fascinating look at mortality, "Grave" is chilling...and life-affirming.

"Haunted House" (Haunted House) A very black comedy. "Haunted House" tells the story of Sabato, a hapless teenager whose attempts at romance are continually ruined by his outrageous family. Boasts detailed gothic art and plenty of dark humor.

"Home" (Doll, Vol. 6) An emotional story that serves as a denouement for the entire Doll series, "Home" is only fully appreciated when read after the stories that preceded it.

(In the center:)

Manga: Welcome to Otakon, Mihara-sensei! Is this your first time in the United States? Mitsukazu Mihara: Not only is it my first time in the United States, it's my first time traveling abroad. I'm having the best time!

Manga: What are you impressions of Otakon? Mitsukazu Mihara: I love it. All of these amazing cosplayers - I could sit and watch them all day long. This is something you just don't see in Japan!

Manga: In Japan, the vast majority of your fans are Gothic Lolita devotees. What attracted you to Gothic Lolita fashion? Mitsukazu Mihara: I just love the spirit of Gothic Lolita culture. When I first started drawing manga, Gothic Lolita was just taking off and I wanted to incorporate the trend. I think we've grown together. Actually, though, my first works were not Gothic Lolita - they were inspired more by punk.

Manga: Let's back up a bit. How did you begin your career as a manga-ka? Mitsukazu Mihara: When I was first starting off, I was very much inspired by the work of Yumi Tada (Yukikaze, Ludlow Garage, Sitting in the Balcony). I actually became her assistant. While working for her, I was scouted and asked to enter my work in an amateur manga competition and was very surprised when I learned that I won! I then went on to submit my work to Shodensha, who accepted it. I've been extremely lucky in my career.

Manga: Other than Yumi Tada, who are some of your influences? Mitsukazu Mihara: Kazuo Umezu (Orochi, Scary Books) and Junko Mizuno (Hansel & Gretel, Pure Trance). I also really love Tim Burton.

Manga: Really? He's an influence? Mitsukazu Mihara: Oh yes! He's my biggest. Edward Scissorhands is my favorite film of his. I find the way he balances dark themes with humor and heart to be inspiring. And I can't wait to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Corpse Bride!

Manga: What about the science fiction aspect in many of your books? Your stories in Doll and Beautiful People remind me of the work of Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury. Are you a fan? Mitsukazu Mihara: I'm a very big fan of science fiction. Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies. I'm also a fan of Asimov's robot books. In fact, the dolls in Doll actually follow the Three Laws of Robotics, even though it's never explicitly stated.

Manga: Let's talk about Doll for a moment. Aside from being a great piece of science fiction, there are a lot of social and psychological issues brought up by it. Did you intend for it to make so many statements? Mitsukazu Mihara: Yes, there were many issues I wanted to write about. Domestic violence, for one, remains a problem in Japan, and I felt Doll could be a good place to address it.

(Off to the left:)

Doll is fearless in its subject matter, tackling controversial issues such as spousal abuse, gender inequality, bulimia and sexual objectification.

(Center, continuing from previous page:)

Mitsukazu Mihara: However, it was never intended to be at the sacrifice of the story. Telling a good story comes first.

Manga: Your stories often cross into the fantastic or surreal, but the characters and their emotions always feel real and relatable. How do you pull this off? Mitsukazu Mihara: I take my inspiration from my own life and I only write about what I know. Now, I'll often take familiar things and exaggerate them for effect, but I have to stick to what I'm familiar with. For me to do it any other way would weaken the story.

Manga: How does Gothic Lolita fit into it? Mitsukazu Mihara: In Doll, Gothic Lolita fashion symbolizes eternal beauty. The perfect Ghotic Lolita never ages - she remains young. It's as if she's not human, but a machine - or a doll.

Manga: Do you have a favorite character in Doll? Mitsukazu Mihara: I like Ichiro, the Remodeler. Of all the characters, he's the most I like.

Manga: What has your experience been like working with an American entertainment company, as opposed to a Japanese company? Mitsukazu Mihara: It's actually easier to work with TOKYOPOP than with Japanese companies. Most publishers are not as concerned with quality, but TOKYOPOP pays extra attention to keeping the integrity of my work. I am extremely happy.

Manga: What are you working on now? Mitsukazu Mihara: I have a couple of projects I'm working on: Doku Hime and Shigeshoshi.

Manga: Do you have a message for your fans in America? Mitsukazu Mihara: Thank you for all your support! I'm so pleasantly surprised and grateful that the American fans "get it" despite all of the cultural differences! The fact that Gothic Lolita is so popular here in the States pleases me very much!

(End of interview and article)

#doll #doll: ic in a doll #manga #mitsukazu mihara #manga-ka #tokyopop #manga magazine #otakon #interviews #2006 #gothic lolita #fashion #robots #androids #silvermoon424 #archival media

18 notes · View notes

daiyu-amaya · 2 months

Text

Saw an emotional post about the passing of Akira Toriyama and got teary-eyed again. I still can't believe he passed on. He was an amazing Manga-ka and many people will miss him 😭

#Manga-ka #we'll miss you #akira toriyama

3 notes · View notes

mangafascination · 3 months

Text

#“Ittemo yo ka yo?” Jun'ai Tiger wa Jikkuri Amaku Seme Ageru #Haruo #manga cap #mangacap #manga #1k

2K notes · View notes

lilsleepyone · 6 months

Text

#android wa ai no yume wo miru ka #manga #mangacap #romance manga #manga love #shoujo manga #shoujo #manga shoujo

2K notes · View notes

crovona · 10 months

Text

Hori better let Izuku and Ochako keep their blondes

#katsuki better wake up #i know toga is probably spending life in tartarus #togachako #bkdk #bakudeku #thanks horikoshi #midoriya izuku #deku #mha #my heroa academia #bhna #boku no hero manga #ochako uraraka #bakugou katsuki #toga himiko #kacchan #mha 395

2K notes · View notes

stepghost · 11 months

Text

#Ittemo Yo Ka Yo?#mine #mangacap #manga cap #josei

1K notes · View notes

postarie · 5 months

Text

#i don't know which one is love #dore ga koi ka ga wakaranai #yuri #manga caps

553 notes · View notes

celestialmega · 9 months

Text

Ladies on top, Onna no ko ga Daicha Dame desu ka?, 女の子が抱いちゃだめですか?, 被女孩子逆推不行吗? by Nejiganameta.

#manga cap #manga screencap #manga #mangacap #manga art #manga crop #nejiganameta #Ladies on top #Onna no ko ga Daicha Dame desu ka?#女の子が抱いちゃだめですか?#被女孩子逆推不行吗?

625 notes · View notes

asteriass · 4 months

Text

Seeing people say Jinshi is not all that and how his relevance doesn’t make sense HURTS ME… 😓

Guys, he’s a complex character, trust me 💔💔 People often seem to forget that he’s not just a silly ‘airhead’ in love. Even Maomao MULTIPLE times acknowledges & mentions how scary and intelligent Jinshi is. Like, he realized Maomao was literate in the matter of a few mins and then he used that against her cuz he realized she must’ve been the one who warned Lady Gyoukyo

And then there’s just some people who hate him cuz he’s twisted & say that makes him a sh*tty leading character

Which i don’t get?? Of course the leads of a thriller mystery will be manipulative or sly. Or at the very least flawed to some capacity. Even Maomao herself is almost equally twisted and tends to be self serving Them both being flawed is what makes them intriguing characters. They both have their vices that they acknowledge - vices that add another layer of complexity upon their characters. Do you imagine how uninteresting this series would become if Jinshi was seriously JUST a silly lover boy and Maomao was a simple girl ready to help ANYTIME AND ANY DAY instead of being the way she is? This story’s charm comes not only just from the intriguing setting/mysteries but also how these flawed, yet interesting, characters act and think in said settings.