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[20 Years of Fairy Tail] A Special Interview with Hiro Mashima!

Interviews #Fairy Tail #Hiro Mashima

To celebrate 20 years of Fairy Tail, we sat down with Hiro Mashima for a chat about his work!

—First of all, congratulations on 20 years of Fairy Tail! When you produced the first chapter back in 2006, did you ever imagine that it would have the impact it did, or that the story would still be actively continuing in 2026?

I really didn’t. Of course, I hoped that I would be able to continue the series for a long time, but I’m happy to see fans still hyping up the series even after the serialization concluded.

—How are you feeling about returning to Weekly Shōnen Magazine with Fairy Tail Re:Fantasia? Does drawing these characters again bring back any memories of the initial serialization?

It’s really bringing back memories. I’m also surprised at how many characters there are now. Looking back, I’m kind of amazed I managed to put out a weekly serialization with a cast this big.

—Out of all the characters you’ve created over the years, is there anyone who holds a particularly special place in your heart?

Definitely Happy. He’s super cute, talkative, and also kind of a wise-aleck. Drawing him is a lot of fun. Oh, and Ichiya. He’s a great guy.

—How do you keep your ideas fresh after being in the game so long?

Of course, I expose myself to a lot of external input. Things like chatting with my friends, idle chat with my editor, that kind of stuff gives me great ideas. I’m also always looking for inspiration when I’m out and about.

—You regularly incorporate dragons into your work, from Fairy Tail to Edens Zero, and now Dead Rock. What do you like most about them, and do you have any other favorite fictional dragons from media or mythology?

—I like how powerful they look – they’re just so cool! They’re like the apex of all living creatures, and I really love them. If we’re talking about dragons in other stories, I like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon.

—You’ve mentioned before that Fairy Tail was originally inspired by the community vibe of an online gaming guild you were in. Do you still find time to play online games in your free time today?

It’s hard to find the time to play something as involved as an MMORPG these days. I do still enjoy them though. Instead, I play more games that I can spend a short burst of time on, like FPS games. I’m not very good though.

—Following up on that, do your gaming experiences ever directly inspire your work? If so, do you have any specific examples of a game mechanic or moment making its way into your manga?

Lucy’s celestial magic is inspired by the summoning magic from Final Fantasy. Also, the game “Hidden” from the Grand Magic Games arc is inspired by the online multiplayer from Assassin’s Creed.

—If you suddenly found yourself transported to Earthland as a wizard, which guild would you actually want to join?

I’d like to be part of Blue Pegasus. I want to join Ichiya on some fun quests.

—And finally, a word to your international fans reading through K MANGA!

Thank you for your support over the years. I’m going to keep bringing you amazing stories, so I hope you look forward to them. There are so many interesting manga on K MANGA aside from my work, so get out there and find one that you love. I hope you continue to use K MANGA.

—Thank you, Mashima-sensei!

Read Fairy Tail Re:Fantasia here on K MANGA!

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