Interview to Suzue Miuchi on Moe n.2 (Feb. 2005)

Summary by Masasumi

Miuchi sensei talks about the next volume of "Garasu no Kamen"!

"Garasu no Kamen" is a Japanese national dramatic manga. Maya Kitajima or Ayumi Himekawa, which of them will be able to play the title roll of "Crimson Celestial Nymph"? Noriko Kudô and Chiharu Sakazaki, who are "Garakame" fans, visited Miuchi sensei who was drawing manuscripts for the volume 42 in her workroom.

(S: Sakazaki, K: Kudô, M: Miuchi)

S: I would like to know the hilight of the next volume.
M: The relation of Maya, Sakurakôji and Masumi will develop a little.
K: Oh ! That's an evolution which I had never expected !
M: At the end of the last volume, Maya learnt that Masumi had engaged. So she was too depressed to do anything. In order to get the story moving, it's necessary to cheer her. It is true that "Garasu no Kamen" is a manga which deals chiefly with dramas, but I can't ignore human relations because there is only Crimson Celestial Nymph left.
K: Doesn't the next volume deal with Crimson Celestial Nymph so much ?
M: It is in the 43rd volume that they will begin to practice it. Maya was so depressed that the story couldn't develop any longer. I haven't been able to publish a new volume for a long time. Meanwhile, I tried to remake the story many times in vain. That is why I made up my mind to make a story so that Maya can cheer up.
S: What is the charm of "Crimson Celestial Nymph" which Maya and Ayumi long for ?
M: The fairy of a thousand-year-old plum tree is a sublime being who is superior to human beings. That is why I thought it was a good role for an actress who has gathered experiences in drama. Indeed, Crimson Celestial Nymph is mysterious for me. When I began the chapter of "Crimson Celestial Nymph" I couldn't visualize the figure of Crimson Celestial Nymph. So I was very perplexed with it. Afterward, the Earthquake Disaster of Hanshin (1995) occurred and the brewery "Ume no Ki (Plum Tree)" said: "We would like to sell sake named Crimson Celestial Nymph in order to reconstruct the destroyed region." Such being the case, I drew an illustration of Crimson Celestial Nymph for the label of the sake. For reference, the brewery showed me a picture of a dead plum tree from which the name of the brewery "Ume no Ki" comes. The figure of the tree resembled that of the Kannon the Goddess which I was looking for. Thanks to that coincidence, I managed to draw the image of Crimson Celestial Nymph.
K: It seems that such a coincidence can exist.
M: Shortly after that, the president of the brewery telephoned me in an excited voice. As his store's name was "Daikoku Masamune," he felt like praying Daikokuten the God when he visited Kyoto. He asked his taxi driver to recommend him a temple where he could see a statue of Daikokuten. The taxi driver took him to Inkûji Temple in Sagano (a district of Kyoto), where he learnt a legend about Daikokuten and he thought that it was very similar to the story of "Crimson Celestial Nymph." During the Civil War of ônin (1467-1477) where Kyoto was exhausted, one night the emperor, who hoped for peace, had a dream: the giant Daikokuten appeared and said, "If you carve my statue out of a tree, the country will be at peace again." Ichiren also lived in a temple in Sagano. I was surprised at those strange coincidences. I fell on "Crimson Celestial Nymph," but I came to think that it was fated.
K: It is a profound story. I am interested in Maya's love as well as Crimson Celestial Nymph.

Thank you very much Masasumi!

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