Kaoru Mori & Aki Irie Overload NZ 2025 interview summary
In April 2025, Kaoru Mori (Emma, A Bride's Story/Otoyomegatari) and Aki Irie (Ran and the Gray World, Go by the Clouds, North by Northwest) came to New Zealand for the annual Overload manga convention, where they held a live drawing session with an audience Q/A interview. Since this doesn't seem to have been posted anywhere, I've summarized the interview below.
Please keep in mind that the Q/A session was one year ago. The answers are heavily paraphrased as they went through a live interpreter. While I tried to note down as much as I could during the interview, there were some parts that I didn't hear as clearly—these have been marked with [brackets in italics].
Overload Q/A
Q: First impression of New Zealand?
AI: Not much time to go around. Nice country
KM: Went to Japan Fest 2024 in Christchurch. Loves the nature
Q: Any inspiration from New Zealand's nature?
KM: Lots of animals, wants to draw them
AI: Go by the Clouds, North by Northwest is set in Iceland, so she's interested in the differences between NZ and Iceland. She wants to see the massive albatrosses
Q: Both of your manga are set overseas. Do you go overseas for your manga?
KM: Does now, didn't have money for it when she was younger
AI: Went to places as a university student—Spain, Egypt, Vienna, Italy, Vietnam
Q: What are your inspirations for new characters?
KM: Researches the timeline, time period, understands who would live there, and then creates the characters
AI: [Creates characters that seem like they would truly exist somewhere]
Q: What's the difference between live drawing and your usual workspace?
KM: In live drawings, you can't use thin pens, but you also can't draw details with thick pens. She's trying to draw something that everyone will like
AI: Doesn't have many chances to do live drawing. She's trying her best
Q: What do you pay attention to when drawing expressions?
KM: How admirable they are. Her goal is to create complex facial expressions
AI: They're humans, so you want their expressions to be identifiable
Audience Q/A
Q: Why did you choose to focus on Central Asia for A Bride's Story?
KM: Just because she likes it. When she first started drawing it, she serialized every 2 months instead of monthly and it let her be very detailed with the art. She likes the patterns of the rugs and carpets
Q: What's important when working with manga editors?
KM: It's lucky to find a good editor that suits you and that you can talk with a lot. Be honest and communicative
AI: [Missed answer]
Q: What do you find challenging about drawing?
KM: Draws what she wants to draw. Just adds on stuff if she wants and that's how her style grows
AI: Didn't know how to get her message across when she started. It was challenging to find a way to portray her ideas to readers
Q: Is it hard to make stories that maintain the mindset of the cultures they're based on?
KM: Can't speak to Victorians so it's entirely based on research. [She must think about portraying the culture accurately, getting people to think differently about values]
AI: Been to Iceland nine times. Researches specific things that interest her and asks questions from local guides
Q: How much do you reference existing cultural designs from Central Asia?
KM: Tries to be accurate, but can't keep it 100% accurate since it is on paper
Q: Advice for people who want to draw manga?
KM: Keep on drawing. For the first 10 years, it's quantity over quality
AI: Know what you like and what you want to portray. Understand why you like it, and how you can portray that to the audience
Q: How do you come up with the unique spells in Ran and the Gray World?
AI: The spells are based on what she wants to do herself. She's inspired by embracing childish wishes even as you grow up
Q: What was the inspiration for the Ran's ability to transform from a child into an adult?
AI: The main theme is how Ran can grow up. She likes stories about how people grow, and wants to let readers experience that
Q: Do you have any mangaka you look up to? Any you've helped? Anyone new you recommend?
KM: Can't pick out just one, but Kenji Tsutara (Forget Me Not) is an inspiration. She hasn't been an assistant, so she doesn't have a direct senpai. [Missed answer]. She's expecting new mangaka to come from overseas. It's interesting to see different values and cultures
AI: While she was in high school, she was reading many old manga revivals that were being published at the time. There aren't many senpai within her editorial group. She's helped Mori and vice-versa. Went with Mori to see the Tsukasa Hojo (City Hunter) to learn how he could draw for such a long time. New mangaka is a difficult question. She recommends Ichika Ohtsuki (Piccolina)
Q: Will Karluk (A Bride's Story) become an adult someday?
KM: Yes
Q: What inspires your museum-like cover art?
AI: Old-style Japanese paintings
Q: Do you have an ending in mind when writing stories?
KM: Decides on the overall story, makes clear points and decides an end. Point A to B can differ as you work, but if you don't decide on the end early it'll go off on a tangent
AI: If there's a start, there's an end, so she's decided it
Q: What do you think of anime adaptations?
KM: She watched the adaptation of Emma, but felt embarrassed, like rereading an old love letter. Doesn't really desire an anime for A Bride's Story
AI: An anime would feel like someone else's creation. She's happy for it if someone really wants to do it
Q: Daily routine?
KM: Wakes up before noon, eats, draws, eats when hungry, draws at night, and sleeps. Does weight training and exercise for health
AI: Has a dog, so she goes for a walk and cleans at home. Starts work around noon, works until 10, then goes back home. Assistant goes home around 9
Q: Most stressful part of being a mangaka?
KM: Deadlines and time. Drawing manga is fun but the deadlines are stressful
AI: Wants to draw more and more but doesn't have time
Q: What do you want to do for future projects?
KM: Keeping it a secret. She does like history, so any future projects will probably have to do with that
AI: Getting deeper into Japanese culture
Q: How do you deal with any criticism of work that makes you want to stop?
KM: Frequently asked by younger authors. She only takes in criticism that she sees as relevant, putting aside anything that would change the whole story
AI: It's difficult, not like she doesn't listen to them but... criticisms change depending on time and age. Face the outside world (audience opinions) while creating what you want
Q: What's the most important thing in a story? Character, plot, or setting?
KM: You should understand what message you want to portray to the audience
AI: All aspects are as important as each other
Q: Do you conduct research before or during the writing? How do you balance it?
AI: Closer to writing a thesis. Does a lot of research before she starts writing. Research, create overall story, more research. When she's pushed for deadlines, [she hopes for the best. Some things might be wrong]
Q: [Missed question]
AI: Iceland, cars, detectives. Went to Iceland three times across half a year. Doesn't decide what to research, just goes and researches on the spot
Q: What features do you highlight when drawing Central Asian characters?
KM: Atmosphere, feeling, the [feeling of the faces] based on photos, making characters move as they did back then
Q: How does the taste of butter differ in Iceland and Japan?
AI: Depends on what you eat. Japanese butter has a thick taste, Iceland butter has a fresher, more refined taste as they eat it a lot
Q: Do you deal with deadlines using artist software tools?
KM: Doesn't do any digital work. Computer is just for research
AI: Same
Q: Any textile art you collect or practice?
KM: Used sewing machine and did embroidery before drawing manga. Now she's too busy
Q: What were your favorite scenes in Ran?
AI: Liked drawing magic and transformation scenes
Q: What's your process for drawing manga?
KM: If she gets stuck while working on the name (storyboard), she'll talk to the editor. There's no time to get stuck when there's a deadline and thinking on its own won't get anything done
AI: If she's stuck, she'll do something else like read her own books or go outside. If you sit down and face your own name, it'll get done
Q: Which character would you cosplay?
KM: Wants to make Central Asian clothing, but that takes a really long time. She's tried on central Asian clothes
AI: Hasn't thought about it much. She's into kimono and Noh
Q: Favorite art supplies?
KM: Tachikawa spoon pen, G pen, maru pen. If she talks about it, she'll talk about it for ages. Tries new stationery that comes out
AI: Pretty much the same but with Zebra, a different brand with a softer touch
Q: Anything you found difficult before that's now easier?
KM: Horses. Pay attention to the ratios and balance
AI: Hard surface objects like machinery and teacups, knowing different line weights and types. Mori is really good at tea cups; she said you have to love teacups to be able to draw one
KM: Not too into scenery, looks to Irie for inspiration
Q: How do you influence each other?
KM: [Not just context but] also the values of their stories
AI: Lifestyle, food, outside world values because they spend so much time together
Q: Dream publisher?
KM: One that publishes as many books as she likes, with new manga artists from all over the world
AI: One that supports analog manga
Q: What pushed you towards analog art?
AI: Analog is right in front of you
Q: Do you listen to music? What kind, and does it inspire you?
KM: Draws better without music or sound. She likes hiphop
AI: Just radio
Q: What do you think of each other?
KM: Like a love confession, she's very thankful and feels lucky to have Irie in in the same age and space
AI: Without Mori, she doesn't think she'd be here. Irie likes to relax and lay back, not the type to push herself; Mori is the one who made her push herself so much. [She doesn't want to let Mori just run on her own]
Notes
- I did not realize how much of the Q/A I didn't hear clearly LOL. In my defense I was fixed on the live drawing. Mori's drawing speed was insane.
- For Mori's answer on who she's helped, I did write down two names (Yuki Tachira, Daki Matira) but must have misheard as there are no managka by those names. The closest match are Yuki Urushibara and Daruma Matsuura, who are both female seinen mangaka around the same age as Mori, but I can't confirm that that's who she meant.
- There were autographs for early book purchases. I got Kaoru Mori's autograph in A Bride's Story V1, complete with a stamp of Amir with a kiwi and kea. I also drew Emma fanart as a gift. It was a delight to meet her!
