ABOUT MUSIC AND MANGA
What influences your stories and ideas?
I get influenced mostly by music -- I sing when I draw, and I love karaoke. Music is very important to me, and all the things in music like lyrics, rhythm and tempo are what I try to keep in mind when I create my stories.
Which singers do you like?
Morning Musume, and idol singers -- I'm very much inspired by their cuteness.
Could Tanemura-sensei sing a song for us?
(Tanemura lets out an embarrassed squeal and laughs) I sang a song for the Full Moon anime CD -- so I'll sing a little part of it.
Tanemura then belts out several bars of a song she recorded for the Full Moon anime series in a powerful, confident singing voice. The room is absolutely floored and soon everyone is clapping along to her a cappella song as if we were all in a huge karaoke hall. She ends the song and the room explodes in applause.
ABOUT DRAWING
How did you learn to draw and write so well?
I loved drawing since i was very small, and I did my first manga when I was 15. But the fact that I draw a lot every day, so that's why I got better.
Are there any manga or mangaka that you admire?
Miyasaki Hayao-sensei (Director/creator of My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle anime). Ever since I was small, I used to watch his titles a lot, especially Nausicaa, which I've seen over a thousand times. Every time a new one comes out, I see it at least 3-5 times.
How do you come up with the beautiful clothes and costumes in your comics?
All the clothes in my manga are my original designs, so when I design them, I wish that there were clothes like this. I'd certainly buy them if they were out there!
ABOUT HER FUTURE PLANS
Do you have any future plans for an another series?
Since Gentlemen's Alliance is ongoing, I have no plans for a new series starting anytime soon. I'm up to seven volumes and am planning for it to continue for another three volumes for a total of ten. The series has been running awhile, so I have about 3-4 ideas for the next series already.
But if I were to serialize a new series now, it'd be a action with lots of fighting or a figure skating manga.
ABOUT HER VISIT AND MEETING U.S. FANS
Were you nervous about coming to meet your U.S. fans for the first time?
Yes -- but it was a good nervous anticipation. I was excited to learn what the fans would be like in the United States. The kind of girls from Los Angeles, these girls are urban – "girls in the city" type personalities. If I meet female fans in rural areas, they're so, so different from country to country -- but city girls no matter where they're from are very similar.
Have you had a chance to see American-made shojo manga? What do you think of it?
I haven't had a chance to see it yet.
What do you think about so many American girls who want to be like you?
I feel very honored -- I encourage them to be like me!
Are you staying in the U.S. for very long?
I leave tomorrow.
So not much time to shop and sightsee, huh?
Oh, I'm making time to shop! (laughs)
Will you come back to visit your U.S. fans again soon?
Yes, definitely -- I will come back!
