Pom's Webtoon Journey in "Senpai is an Otokonoko" - From illustrator to mangaka.

── You're working as an illustrator for a company, and you've taken up manga as part of your job, right?

── Those are big worries for an employee!

── I see! Does drawing manga fit within your normal work schedule?

── Other manga artists might envy your situation.

── That seems unavoidable.

── If you can answer, how are copyrights handled?

── So, royalties from the manga and merchandise go to the company, not to you personally?

── It's rare to hear of a manga artist in such a traditional employee role.

── Indeed! When I heard you were working for a company I thought you'd have less freedom, but it sounds like you're in an environment where you can only focus only on creation.

── As an illustrator turned manga artist, have you found your background beneficial?

── In the realm of vertical-scrolling manga and webtoons, thumbnails play a crucial role, don't they?

── What are some challenges you’ve faced?

── Indeed, that's not just about drawing skills, but also about managerial abilities, right?

── In a previous interview, you mentioned that when you first started work on Senpai is an Otokonoko, you were only interested in drawing and struggled with the story aspect. How did you manage to develop the narrative?

── So, you learned through practical examples rather than theory.

──  Did you find it challenging to maintain consistency in your stories as you wrote them?

── How did you manage to "make it work"?

── I see. So, increasing your mental repertoire is key, isn't it?

── Do you have any advice for those who post their drawings on platforms like pixiv and are contemplating delving into manga?

── Interesting! Although this might sound like a roundabout approach to those who only want to focus on illustration...

── That’s an excellent perspective!

── That's a good point. In traditional manga, you have to plan the panel layout, and sometimes you have to modify the surrounding scenes to make a specific panel work, especially for a two-page spread.

── Less appealing scenes...? (laughs)

── Does this mean you find webtoons more creatively fulfilling as an artist?

── Senpai is an Otokonoko was originally released on Line Manga in a webtoon format, but its tankobon volumes are in the traditional horizontal reading style, right?

── When adapting your manga for horizontal reading, do you give the staff any specific instructions about panel layout?

── On the other hand, I've heard you're sometimes asked to do some extra drawing in the process of adapting the manga.

── That's wonderful. I think this sounds like a great method that allows you to feel like they're not just changing your work without consent.

── Do you find that there's a difference in the audience for the same work when it's in vertical versus horizontal format?

── True, webtoon readers might include more casual manga fans.

── Let's talk about the anime adaptation of Senpai is an Otokonoko. It was recently announced that it will be broadcast on Fuji TV's noitaminA and other channels in 2024. More details will be revealed over time, correct?

── As the original creator, how much are you involved in the anime adaptation?

── It seems the anime producers are as dedicated to the original work as you are.

── That's so interesting! So, you're feeling quite relaxed and confident about the anime's production, like you're in safe hands.

── Could you share a little about your current projects? Now that Noah is Ark has wrapped up, are you resting or already gearing up for something new?

── A new chapter in the Senpai is an Otokonoko saga! That's big news.

── That sounds like it could be quite a heavy story.

── We're looking forward to it. Is there anything else you'd like to try in the future, related to manga and illustration or not?

── That sounds nice! It makes sense to push the angle that you're an author who is also knowledgeable about animals, in that case.