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NEW![K-9: Public Security Bureau, Division 9 – Special Abilities Countermeasure] Coolness is a Weapon – Interview with Tetsuya Okuyama – Part 1

Interviews #K MANGA

This article was originally published on 27 May 2026.

K-9: Metropolitan Police Department Public Security Bureau Division 9 Supernatural Countermeasures Squad. Its combination of detective drama and superpowered action, paired with stylish characters and high-octane action, continues to captivate readers!

Coming off a sports manga, creator Tetsuya Okuyama switched gears to tackle a crime battle action series. We sat down with him to discuss how the series came to life, his emotional attachment to the characters, and how he has grown throughout the serialization!

A Youth Devoted to Baseball, a New Passion Found in Manga

—So, what made you decide to become a manga artist?

In high school, I was part of a strict, high-pressure baseball team. I lived in a dormitory and spent every single day working towards Koshien*. After I got into university, though, I was hit by a profound sense of loss, that I no longer had anything to pour my heart into. To fill that sudden void, I happened to reach for a sports manga, and that’s where it all began. Every time I turned a page, my heart raced, and before I knew it, I found myself wanting to draw manga too.

—How did you study the craft of making manga?

When I first started, it was just a matter of scraping together whatever information I could find on the internet or reading books. I didn’t even understand paper sizing for manuscripts. I very clearly remember having absolutely no idea what to do.

—Have you always enjoyed drawing?

I liked art class, but drawing wasn’t something I would have called my favorite. But once I actually tried making manga, I got totally hooked… and that’s brought me all the way to where I am today.

—What are some of your favorite manga series?

A series I got obsessed with between elementary and middle school, and that stays in my heart even now. is BLEACH. The goosebump-inducing poems at the start of each volume, the sheer impact of opening the book, and of course, Bankai. The drive to recreate that kind of cool aesthetic is at the core of my work.

The Confidence Gained from His Last Work Led to a World of “Detectives × Superpowers”

—How did K-9 end up getting serialized?

While pushing character design as far as I could take it on my previous series, BADDIES!, I began to see my path forward: establishing stylish art as my main weapon. Working from that as a base, my editor and I pitched various concepts, including fantasy. The one that clicked best was a detective story. On top of that, we felt that using a buddy-cop dynamic would make it easy for readers to connect with, so it gradually settled into its current form

—So it wasn’t built around superpowers from the very beginning?

That’s right. Originally, it was planned as a straight detective story with no fantasy elements. But under the influence of various works I’d read, BLEACH being the most obvious root, I decided to incorporate superpowers to give it that classic shonen manga feel. Then, as a result of trying to add in some unique concepts, “Sins” were born.

How a Single Comment Gave Birth to Ren

—Could you tell us how the two main characters, Ren and Oboro, came about?

Originally, Ren didn’t exist at all; I had a much smaller, cute boy in the role of protagonist. But my editor-in-chief pointed out, “The characters have no impact!” That was when I realized I’d lost sight of my core desire: to draw cool things. After a lot of trial and error, I thought, what if a girl with no special abilities stands tall and fearless, refusing to lose even against criminals wielding superpowers? Wouldn’t that be insanely cool? And so, Ren was born.

—We’d love to hear Oboro’s origin story too!

Oboro’s visual design was there from the start, but his personality was much more mature and cool back then. His current personality came about when I adjusted him to pair with Ren’s character once she was finalized.

—The other buddy pair in Division 9, Kagari and Jin, feel like a direct contrast to Ren and Oboro. Was that intentional?

Definitely. I wanted a pair with an appeal that was distinct from Ren and Oboro. You have the airheaded Kagari paired with Jin, who is reliable despite being a criminal. The contrast in their positions and backgrounds offers a different angle from Ren and Oboro. I feel like I managed to create a great duo, if I say so myself.

That’s all for part 1! Come back soon for part 2.

Read K-9 on K MANGA!

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