INTERVIEW with KOBUCHI

Hello from futekiya! With the release of new chapters of The Omega Call this
month, let’s get to know more about its creator Kobuchi in this exclusive interview!
 
Hello, Kobuchi-sensei!  Thank you for taking the time to join us today!  Could
you give us a brief introduction?
It’s nice to meet you. I’m Kobuchi.I am a Japanese person who works while drawing
manga as a hobby.  Since I’m mostly self-taught when it comes to drawing manga,
I’m still an amateur, but I hope you like my work.
 
When did you first become interested in manga and BL works?
I first got into manga when I was in kindergarten. I remember that, thanks to my big
sister’s influence, I said at my kindergarten graduation that I wanted to become a
mangaka. I started drawing in the 3rd grade in elementary school.
 
What made you decide to draw your manga?　
I’ve liked fantasizing ever since I was a kid, so making stories up in my head was
howI would play when I was by myself.  And since drawing was my hobby, I think
it startednaturally with me using something familiar as a way of expressing those
fantasies.
 
What is your favorite BL work?
A favorite… It’s hard to decide. *laugh* Let me give you my top two.I like Marimo
Ragawa-sensei’s New York, New York, and In These Words by Jun Togai-sensei and
Narcissus-sensei of Guilt | Pleasure.
 
Right now, futekiya is releasing three of your BL works (The Demon’s
Foundling, I’m Sorry, God, and The Omega Call).  Who is your favorite
character and/or ship from your manga?
My favorite character is Mel from The Demon’s Foundling.My favorite ship is Goto
x Shu from The Omega Call.I think Goto especially, is my ideal seme character.
 
What manga or other works have had an impact on your own?
Of course, the manga by the mangaka I mentioned in question 4 have been big, but
additionally, there are also Takehiko Inoue-sensei’s Slam Dunk, Hajime Isayama-
sensei’s Attack on Titan, and Haruichi Furudate-sensei’s Haikyu!!I’ve learned a lot
from their stories, dialogue, idiosyncratic characters, and their sense of humor.
 
What do you like most about drawing BL manga?
I like the clash of characters’ emotions.  I think that especially because the obstacles
for same-sex love are bigger than those for love between men and women, the real
draw is in those conflicts or differences in values.  I hope that I can capture that well
in my work, but it’s pretty difficult. ^ ^
 
We have a question from a fan!  YoungGreen says, “I see that The Omega Call
is set in the Omegaverse.  When did you first become interested in the
Omegaverse?  And what made you want to write a story about it?”
I first heard about the Omegaverse about 5 or 6 years ago from a review by a friend
who is also an independent creator.I heard that “There’s apparently a type or a world
where people of the same sex can love each other without any issue!” I thought,
“Amazing! You’re telling me there was a world that was so convenient for
fujoshi!?” From there, I started getting interested and looked up a little more
information.I wanted to write a story as soon as I looked up the Omegaverse. I
suppose the biggest reason was that it’s a type of world where it’s easy to make a
bunch of stories about ways for love to come to fruition. The power dynamic
between alphas and omegas, going into heat, someone’s fated mate, and so on —
there were just so many juicy ingredients to use.
That said, I felt that some things would make immersion a bit difficult if both the
artist and the reader didn’t do some kind of research beforehand, so it took a while
for me actually to try my hand at it. But then, I thought it might be okay to use a
world I didn’t think too deeply about, and that put me where I am now.
 
One more fan question! Rika says, “I loved The Demon’s Foundling! Will you
make a sequel?”
Thank you very much.
I really want to. I’ve imagined up to the end of the story in my head, but because the
world I imagined is so big, I’m facing the pitiable dilemma of the fact that my
technique wouldn’t be able to keep up. I’m struggling through it right now. *laugh*
I think it’ll probably be after Omega is finished, but I want to try bringing the story
to a good stopping place. I hope you can be patient with me.
 
Thank you for allowing us to release your work.  Could you tell us what you
think of futekiya?
Likewise, thank you for doing so. If it weren’t for futekiya, I don’t think my works
would have been translated and read by people outside Japan. I’m genuinely grateful
you’ve given me this opportunity. I also really admire how you are trying to get the
BL genre to a world of people who really want it, and I think it’s an accomplishment
that you guys have built a solid system for the artists. It makes it a relief to rely on
you. I’m hoping that you guys can continue acting as a bridge from here on out.
 
And finally, what message do you have for futekiya readers?
Thank you so, so much for reading my work.The first time I received feedback from
someone overseas, I was just a puddle of shock and awe and emotion.For me,
getting feedback from my readers after finishing a work is the absolute best present,
and it gives me a lot of strength to continue to the next one. I’m very grateful!
I think that, as long as I have the physical energy, I’ll keep drawing BL. Since I
don’t really follow the art styles, stories, or fads, I don’t think my work will catch on
with everyone, but I’ll do my best to let everyone read it. If you like my work, I
hope you’ll continue to stick with me from here on out. Have a great BL life!
 
Thank you very much, Kobuchi-sensei!