Q: As an editor, you're quite the slave driver! (laughs)
KO: (laughs) I got criticized for doing for doing this, because people didn't think that it would be possible to create great work under this sort of conditions. But the result was really great.
Mutsumi Miyazaki: He's kind of a rebel in the publishing world.
KO: So it's a kind of controversial magazine, but that means people are always interested to see what this foolish guy will come up with next. (laughs)
Q: One thing that got a lot of American readers intrigued about Faust was the announcement that you'd be publishing Fred Gallagher's Megatokyo in the next Japanese edition. Megatokyo tends to present Japanese pop culture through an American point of view, and sometimes makes fun of otaku. Do you think Faust's readers will get Gallagher's story and his sense of humor?
KO: Japanese care about how they're seen by other people around the world, so we're very sensitive to that. So in that regard, Megatokyo may be satirical, but that's what makes it so interesting to Japanese readers.
Otaku are masochists, so they can laugh at themselves. So Mr. Gallagher's story can be cynical sometimes, but it also shows a lot of love for Japanese culture.
Q: Do you anticipate working w/ other U.S. manga-ka?
KO: Definitely, most definitely. I'd love to do that. I'd want to do cross-cultural thing. I want it to be more than introducing Japanese authors to America – I want to bring good pop culture from America and elsewhere to Japan.
I think it could be similar to the how the Japan and U.S. filmmakers have been influenced each other's works over the years. From Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell was made. Then The Matrix was heavily influenced by Akira and Ghost in the Shell. I'd like to see this kind of cross-cultural exchange happen in literature. I'd also like to feature American authors who are influenced by Japanese literature in Faust too.
I'm already featuring an artist from China, and one from Taiwan. I'm meeting and discovering new artists while I'm here in New York as well. I haven't found anything yet, but I'm always looking. I found Mr. Gallagher, so I hope I can find more American and European talent to feature soon.
There are several people I'm talking to, but I'm not interested in international artists just for the sake of featuring international artists. I have strong criteria that I follow for what I consider to be interesting work, and I want to stay true to that and not compromise my standards. So even if there's work that's presented to me that I'm told will sell well but I don't think it's good, I won't feature it in Faust.
Q: Did Faust help change the perceptions of light novels in Japan, as far as getting more respect as literature?
KO: Yes, exactly. It's not clear that Faust is the sole reason for this change, but I think it will take at least 10 or 20 years to define Faust's impact on the publishing industry.
Haruki Murakami declared 10 years ago that he would have nothing to do with traditional literature publishing in Japan. He wanted to have a connection with readers around the world. All the Japanese editors and critics thought he was a little bit crazy to say that. But after 15 years, people know that Haruki Murakami was right after all.
Q: Haruki Murakami is really one of the few "name brand" contemporary Japanese authors whose books sell consistently well in the English language market. Do you feel that Faust will appeal to the readers who enjoy Murakami-sensei's novels as well?
KO: Yes, definitely. Haruki Murakami writes about how young people deal with the aftermath of Japan's explosive economic growth. This is one of the reasons why Murakami's novels are accepted in developed countries like America and Europe. All the writers in Faust are also focused on that issue, so readers who like to read Murakami's novels will enjoy Faust as well.
Murakami's writing was influenced by pop culture: jazz, rock, pop music and American writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, J. D. Salinger and Ernest Hemingway. So I feel Faust's writers are very similar in how they're influenced by today's pop culture.
When I first read Harry Potter, I thought that it was kind of Japanese anime, video game type story. I thought the Harry's fantasy world was more influenced by Nintendo more than J.R.R. Tolkein.
Q: That's true. The Harry Potter stories have a kind of video game-like story structure, where a character starts out without much power, then builds skill, makes friends and encounters stronger enemies over time.
KO: Right, right. And the Harry Potter stories have had massive influence with readers, writers and publishers all over the world. Japanese authors can also have that kind of influence. I believe that it's possible that Faust can set a new standard for literature around the world. I believe a Japanese novelist who can sell 50 million copies of their books worldwide is possible.
Q: Now that Japanese manga, anime and video games are seen and enjoyed around the world, do you hope Faust will help generate greater appreciation of Japanese writers?
KO: Yes, I hope so. Haruki Murakami did it, so I think we can too. Maybe Faust will do better, because it's so closely related to manga, anime and games subculture, which is already popular here.
When Japanese pop culture, games and anime first arrived in the U.S., the creators at the time were experiencing similar feelings like what I'm feeling now. It feels great. It will be a great adventure to have Faust published in the U.S.
====================
Look for the first issue of Faust to appear in North American bookshops in Summer 2008, featuring stories and art by CLAMP, Yun Kouga, Hajime Ueda, and Takeshi Obata.
Many thanks to Mutsumi Miyazaki, Yuki Shibayama and April Flores for their assistance with this interview.
