What does it mean to write? Writing is a very simple task one can do with only a pen and paper. And yet, the possibilities are endless. This popular series from last year comes back with a new lineup of interviewees. To everyone who is involved in writing on a daily basis, what does it mean to write?

What does it mean to write?

Hiromi Nagashima【２】
SEASON2 vol.1
Hiromi Nagashima

Drawing energized me

Season 2 starts with an interview with manga artist and illustrator Hiromi Nagashima. From drawing the leaflet of the 2020 Hobonichi Techo to book designing, having her serialized manga Oni no Ko to creating posters for a Mos Burger Campaign, she takes on a variety of projects. Her job involved in drawing all started when she created an original manga for an assignment at the Hobonichi Learning Space. This manga was serialized on the Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun and was then even published. We asked Nagashima on her take of what it means to write.

ProfileHiromi Nagashima

Hiromi Nagashima draws mangas, illustrations and picture books. She started to draw alongside her work as a designer and became a freelancer in June 2019.

The manga she drew as an assignment for the Hobonichi Learning Space was the beginning of her job involved in drawing. She currently has a serialized manga Oni no Ko on the website Cakes. Her publications include To Be Kind, To Be Strong, To Be Interesting (published by Hobonichi), and her first ever picture book that published in 2020 A Sky-Blue Letter (published by Iwasaki Shoten).

Homepage
twitter@nagashitake
note@nagashitake

Table of Contents

The power of drawing

ーー
I feel that to draw a manga is to create something from nothing, but how do you create your mangas?
Nagashima
I was experiencing a slightly tough time right before I drew “To Be Kind, To Be Strong, To Be Interesting” at the Hobonichi Learning Space. So I drew to overcome it. I was feeling really low before, but I felt myself feeling better the more I drew.
ーー
That’s amazing, it’s the power of drawing.
Nagashima
It really is.
ーー
Do the hard times you’ve experienced link with the story of the manga?
Nagashima
It does, but there are fictional bits mixed in. For example, while the manga features a child and her mother, I don’t have a child myself.
ーー
Do you have the same sensation when you think of other projects?
Nagashima
With my serialized manga Oni no Ko, rather than writing 100% about myself, I think more of the people who’d read it. I deliberate on what everyone would think is entertaining, and work with my editor to create it.
ーー
Do you have moments where you feel that what you tried to convey was understood well by your readers?
Nagashima
It’s hard to put into words, but when I enclose the feeling of “I’ve felt this before” into a manga well, there are a lot of good things. I heard this from another manga editor, but apparently other manga artists say something similar.
ーー
So if you add in your emotions well, it’ll turn into a better piece?
Nagashima
Exactly. For example, there’s a manga in which the protagonist exclaims how he would never lose ever again, but it was actually written when the author was facing a critical moment in his life and he himself strongly felt the need to try once again to make a comeback. When your emotions link with what you write, it will definitely be conveyed. It really hit me when I first heard it, and I refer to this a lot ever since.
ーー
I see, it’s really interesting to hear.
Nagashima
Also, when I was tidying up yesterday, I stumbled across a manga I drew a long time ago.
ーー
Tamago-chan. (Flicks through the pages) It’s great. It’s great but… it’s quite eccentric. (Laughs)
Nagashima
I know, right? But it was received well in my office.
ーー
Was it to promote something?
Nagashima
No, in my previous workplace, we once decided to hold a group exhibition. That’s when I drew this, and it actually turned out well. The contents are quite out there because I was young, but I feel that the way I draw in itself hasn’t changed a lot. I’m too embarrassed to show it to anyone because of what I made the characters say though. (Laughs)
ーー
(Continues reading) I can’t stop reading it.
Nagashima
It received great feedback and I was really happy about it. Because it has a heartwarming ending, everyone told me they cried. I printed loads using the office printer and handed it out to everyone.
ーー
Did you decide to draw the manga at the Hobonichi Learning space because you had this experience?
Nagashima
That’s definitely a reason, yes. I remembered how much fun I had.
ーー
Were you drawing manga’s before that?
Nagashima
No, I hadn’t. I hadn’t drawn before Tamago-chan and after that either. But I suddenly decided to draw one at the Hobonichi Learning Space. I liked Itoi’s words of “to be kind, to be strong, to be interesting” from before, and decided to draw something based on it.
ーー
You suddenly drew, and something great was born. And on top of that, you started your own manga series.
Nagashima
That’s also out of pure luck. I personally really wanted to draw the story after the manga I drew for the Hobonichi Learning Space, but I wondered how copyrights would work in this case, so I decided to ask Hobonichi. That’s when someone at Hobonichi asked me if I wanted to post serialized mangas on their website. I was like “...What?! … Lucky me!” (Laughs)
ーー
(Laughs)
Pieces that have a charm to it moves forwards on its own. Do you have any plans for yourself in the near future?
Nagashima
Recently, I started to feel that I want to write different kinds of short mangas. I have a picture book coming out in February, too. It’s called “A Sky-Blue Letter.”
ーー
Wow, a picture book! I have a feeling your work will continue to expand even more.
Nagashima
I hope it turns out that way.
ーー
I’m really excited to see what your future holds. Thanks for talking with us today.
Nagashima
Thanks to you too.

(End)

SEASON 2

SEASON 1

photos:eric