Q: Oh, so tell me a little bit about Harumi, your translator, who is the third part of Monkey Square.
Surt: Harumi is a friend's sister. We were really lucky, because she's a big manga fan. When she was younger, she did doujinshi. She lives in Tokyo, so I only met her for the first time when I went to Japan to meet Sugimoto-san.
Harumi is in charge of translating all the chapter scripts, sound effects and other Kasumi translation work that I might have for her. When Sugimoto-san creates the draft sketches, he includes the sound effects in Japanese. So, Harumi has to adapt it into English. You know sound effects in Japanese don't always translate well into English, so she takes care of that by researching into the best sound effects to use. Harumi is also our "cultural expert." She'll look at a page and say 'Oh, they don't bow like this' or they wouldn't call that person "senpai" or "-kun."
Q: So with Volume 2 already in the works, how long do you intend Kasumi to be when completed?
Surt: I have plans for it to be 12 volumes long, but Del Rey has currently signed on for 2 volumes. Our hope is that we can continue on with it, depending on how well Volume 1 does.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR KASUMI AND MONKEY SQUARE?
Q: Sugimoto-san, Surt told me that Harumi the translator lives in Tokyo, and you live in Yokohama and that she lives in California. It's amazing that you could all work together so efficiently. The Internet is amazing!
Sugimoto: For me, trying to communicate in English can be a bit difficult. But thanks to instant online translations and the Internet, that problem is solved. It's really great!
Q: Are you working on other manga or anime projects now besides Kasumi?
Sugimoto: Yes. But I can't really talk about them at this point. But I'll be working on them after during interval breaks from Kasumi. At this point, Kasumi is my main priority.
Q: That's really nice to hear. Kasumi is a very polished looking story, and it's a lot of fun to read too. So Surt, what's next for you?
Surt: Well, to continue with more Kasumi! Look out for Volume 2, because it's got lots of action scenes, and has a lot of answers to the questions brought up in Volume 1. It's just action-packed! (laughs). We've just completed the sketches for chapter 6 of Volume 2, and we're doing the inking now.
But I'm also writing some other stories, and I'm thinking about creating a novel. I have some ideas, so I hope we can continue to create more manga stories.
Q: So will you be able to make any convention appearances this summer?
Surt: Well, maybe after the baby is born. Even the New York Anime Festival in September would be too early to do that – but maybe I'll be ready by the time Kasumi Volume 2 is out early next year.
In the meantime, for those interested please check our site at kasumimanga.com for the latest news and sneak peeks! Sugimoto-san and I also have a blog there that we try to update whenever we take a break from our work.
Q: Sugimoto-san, is there anything you would like to tell American readers about Kasumi?
Sugimoto: Kasumi was created in a new style, and it's the result of people who worked together even as they were many miles apart from each other. This in and of itself is something that is really moving. It reminds us that manga is a universal language that expresses many possibilities. I hope that reading Kasumi will make you feel as good as we did while we were creating it for you.
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Kasumi Volume 1 goes on sale on July 22, 2008, from Del Rey Media.
- Get a sneak peek at an 8-page excerpt from Kasumi and behind the scene sketches
- Compare prices for Kasumi Volume 1
- Find the latest updates about Kasumi at kasumimanga.com.
- Visit Kasumi's "big sister," Hanabi at hanabimanga.com
- View more of Sugimoto-san's artwork at his homepage, h-sugimoto.com
