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Nakaba Suzuki: "I have always been fascinated by Arthurian legends"

2020-05-03T05:11:27.066Z


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW - The mangaka, author of the flagship series Seven Deadly Sins, returns for Le Figaro on his successful career, the end of his manga and his next adventure. Selected pieces.


Nakaba Suzuki has been published in France since 2011 (with Kongoh Bancho published by Kana). But it was in 2014, with Seven Deadly Sins (Pika editions), that he met with phenomenal success. Inspired freely by the Arthurian myth, Seven Deadly Sins offers us a pure shonen (manga for teenagers) of adventure, with the scent of original fantasy. Before the series ended in Japan on March 25, 2020, he indulged in the Figaro .

What was the first creative spark behind Seven Deadly Sins ?

Nakaba Suzuki: I always wanted to draw fantasy, it is even what pushed me to become a mangaka. But my editorial manager warned me that drawing entertaining fantasy was a bit premature given my skills at the time. So I first faced genres such as comedy and sports, which are the basics of manga, in order to learn to master the emotions and movements of the characters. Fifteen years later, I told myself that it was time to take up this challenge.

And, while I was thinking about a title that would have a punch, I came across "the seven deadly sins". From there, I therefore had to create seven characters. The spark comes from the choice of title.

The first face-to-face of Méliodas. We find a certain “Dark Fantasy” atmosphere, posed quite early by the author. NANATSU NO TAIZAI Nakaba SUZUKI / Kodansha Ltd.

We imagine that the Arthurian myth is not very present in Japan. How did it come to you?

Indeed, it is not very widespread on the Japanese archipelago. I happened to come across Arthurian stories when I was a child, through illustrated stories published abroad. At the time, I was the only one of my friends interested in these legends. Today the myth of Arthur is more popular, but it was little known in Japan at the time.

There is a little Nazgul side to this threatening knight ... NANATSU NO TAIZAI Nakaba SUZUKI / Kodansha Ltd.

You work without an assistant. Why ?

When I started my Rising Impact series , I was asked how many assistants I thought I needed. But I was then in the midst of a rebellion and I declared " I don't need anyone!" And that's where hell started ...

How do you plan a work week?

I spend a day on the storyboard. And once validated with my editor, I go to the boards. I draw the whole chapter then I do the inking. As the inking is not a very exciting stage, it is at this moment that I think the most about the next chapter.

The “Seven Sins” team is rich in color. Behind these looks of nickel-plated feet, hide various characters with improbable powers. NANATSU NO TAIZAI Nakaba SUZUKI / Kodansha Ltd.

Your human anatomy is unique. Fine but very sculpted bodies. Is it your natural trait?

In terms of drawing, I was obviously inspired by my childhood readings. Dragon Ball , Kinnikuman , Saint Seiya , these mangas gave me this passion to draw muscles. As for the singularity of my line, it is perhaps related to the fact that I draw alone without assistant. When the assistants take care of the sets, a kind of standard image is essential. And on an entire board, this can produce similarities with other works. I draw everything down to the decor, which perhaps makes my works unique.

From the beginning of the plot of Seven Deadly Sins , the characters are very powerful. Why this choice, contrary to the usual canons?

It is indeed in the perspective of doing something different from the majority of “shonen nekketsu” ( adventure shonen, editor's note ). I did not want to repeat the classic scheme of a hero who becomes more and more powerful. In addition, vis-à-vis history, as the "Seven Sins" have a legendary status, it is logical that they are very strong. You cannot become a legend by being all zero (sic). But you had to give it a weak point, something to compensate for this power. This is the role that Elisabeth fulfills. The opponents of Meliodas will exploit his dependence on Elisabeth: so we can bring some chills.

The character of Hawk the pig is much more than a simple "comic relief". NANATSU NO TAIZAI Nakaba SUZUKI / Kodansha Ltd.

Hawk the pig seems to be equipped with the same technology as the saiyans of Dragon Ball . How did this huge wink come to you?

It's not just a tribute to Dragon Ball . In fact since Muscleman, this system of graduation of power ( the scouter, note ) exists in the manga of my childhood. Children like to have elements of comparison. There is a fetish side of the bigger number. Since I knew my manga would be read by schoolchildren, I added this power meter gimmick.

Ban the Fox of Avarice is one of the favorite characters of the French readership. In the background, the tattoo of Meliodas. NANATSU NO TAIZAI Nakaba SUZUKI / Kodansha Ltd.

The end did not deviate from the one you had planned, and the rest?

I am taking Meliodas and Elisabeth to where I had planned from the start but for all the other Capital Sins, their end has become unexpected, even for me. And there are more of them than I originally thought. I don't want to leave one on the floor. So I don't want to disappoint readers with a simple "happy end" or "bad end", without flavor or depth.

How do you document yourself?

The risk when doing research, in a framework as documented as the Arthurian myth, is to get stuck in a framework, or to look like what has been done before. My work as a mangaka is to produce an original work that will surprise and fascinate readers. You can't entertain by copying. You have to be very careful not to be trapped in an excess of documentation. This is why I limit my research work as much as possible and, on the contrary, I will fish in other areas. Besides, I didn't go to England for Seven Deadly Sins ... Because my editorial manager didn't give me a vacation, of course (laughs).

Blizzard Axel, a manga on figure skating that has managed to capture a readership both male and female. BLIZZARD AXEL Nakaba SUZUKI / Kodansha Ltd.

Your Rising impact (golf) and Blizzard Axel (figure skating) series relate individual sports, where the shonen is more inclined to push team sports. Why this preference?

It is probably linked to my way of being. I am not a team player. I am rather lonely, I do not count much on the help of others to move forward. I see more interest in individual performance. Being alone and relying only on my own strength resonates strongly with my way of thinking. Of course, seeing a kind of magical cooperation operate within a team is truly magnificent. Also, I like to do things against the standards, which is why I chose individual sports and not team sports.

There are two schools for sports shonens. The Captain Tsubasa school where extraordinary special shots prevail over realism. And the other Touch school , where feelings are the most important. You seem rather from the second school ...

There is a very simple reason. In a manga like Captain Tsubasa or Prince of Tennis, the heroes fight against an opponent, that's why there are special moves. Special attacks only work on direct confrontation. Skating is a sport based on strict scoring, there is no need to add a tenfold axel outside the scoring framework. I researched what was and was not feasible in order to remain realistic. Even if we are not able to do this at present, it is theoretically possible to achieve axial quintuples. That's why in Blizzard Axel, I put a five and a half axel, it only exceeds reality a little.

There is a whole generation that grew up with Captain Tsubasa. Today this type of super attack has become the same, in any case it is taken in the second degree, like a parody. Today, it is more important to find the right limit between realism and exaggeration so as not to fall into the gag by excess.

Shikishi drawn by the mangaka to celebrate the end of the series in Japan. This drawing will be printed in ex-libris for Japanese readers. NANATSU NO TAIZAI Nakaba SUZUKI / Kodansha Ltd.

Any advice for young authors?

Find something that you like from the bottom of your heart, that makes you vibrate. Don't just look for what's popular or what's working because a lot of talented people are already doing it and probably better than you and me. Find the area you like to give it your all and become the best.

Despite all these years of practice, do you still have an Achilles heel?

Yes, I have a tendency to create too many characters. This makes the scenario much more complex. I see myself forced to leave some of them aside throughout history. This is the point on which I need to focus and improve.

What is the subject of your next manga?

It will be a new fantasy manga. In the same universe as Seven Deadly Sins . But it will be another era, with another generation of protagonists.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-05-03

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