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[I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability] A One-Man Color Machine – An Interview with Yosuke Kokuzawa – Part 2

Interviews #7th Prince #I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability #Yosuke Kokuzawa

This article was originally published in April 2024.

Welcome back to part 2 of our interview with Yousuke Kokuzawa!
Let’s jump right in!

No assistants?!

──The stunning color artwork is one of the things that makes 7th Prince a great manga. What made you want to start doing full-color chapters?

Kokuzawa:
I had always wanted to do a full-color chapter. The climax of the battle with Guisarme was a really great scene, so I decided to try making that the first full-color one. However, it was a real slog, and I had actually decided I wouldn’t do any more full-color sections after that, but… [laughs]

──You do keep making more [laughs].

Kokuzawa:
That’s right [laughs]. I’m definitely more used to it now, so it’s not as hard as it was. If I compare adding tones to the monochrome version or making the color version, I guess the color version is a little more difficult?

──How long does it take you to do the coloring?

Kokuzawa:
I can’t say exactly how many days it takes, as it depends on the chapter. There’s sometimes when it takes me just two days to finish, and others where it can take 2 weeks to finish, like the battle wtih Guitane. And for the battle with Tartarus, I basically didn’t sleep and drew while I was in absolutely terrible physical shape… [laughs]

──Actually, are you working completely digitally these days?

Kokuzawa:
Yes, I am. Choujin Gakuen was fully traditional, and when I was working on Hoshi to Tabi suru, I’d do the lines with pen, but finish it up digitally. I’ve been working fully digitally since I started on Seventh Prince. Part of it was that the industry standards for manga were shifting at the time, but right around then, I also couldn’t hire assistants anymore. Realistically, doing it analog on my own meant I never would have made the deadlines.

Hoshi to Tabi suru

──Do you have any assistants currently?

Kokuzawa:
I do not.

──You’re doing all that color work by yourself…?

Kokuzawa:
All by myself. Sometimes in the Magazine Pocket comments, there will be people asking how many assistants I have. When I see them, I can’t help but think “I don’t have any…” [laughs]

Let there be light!

──Is there anything you’re particularly picky about when it comes to the color pages?

Kokuzawa:
Rather than being picky, I’m still learning even now, and I’m being allowed to convey the world of 7th Prince as I strengthen my skills. You can convey a lot more with color than you can in black and white. When it comes to light, in particular, you can show a lot more expressiveness, which is really fun to draw.

──The art really has a unique charm that sets it apart from colored black and white work.

Kokuzawa:
When you color a black and white image, those original lines need to remain. But if you’re coming at it from the start knowing it’s going to be color, the outlines don’t contrain your work and you can be more free with the colors. It makes a big difference.

Bonus manga instead of breaks?!

──What’s your favorite scene?

Kokuzawa:
Hmm… I have a lot of them, but the one where Ydd and Tartarus combine their powers to take Lloyd down was hard work but really sticks in my memory.

Editor:
When I first read the scenes where Lloyd shows up and says “That would be me” in the battle against Guisarme, and in the Guitane arc when that golden snow starts to fall, I was really impressed.

Kokuzawa:
Really? [laughs]

──Is there any scene you feel really shows the work you put in?

Kokuzawa:
The bonus chapter where they’re eating hamburgers. Someone commented with “Man, I want a burger…” which made me do a little victory fist pump [laughs].

──You draw a lot of delicious looking food in the bonus chapters, don’t you.

Kokuzawa:
I always hope that it will make the readers hungry [laughs]. But in that same hamburger chapter, someone wrote that they could just imagine my grinning face reading all the comments, and I felt super embarrassed. I was totally busted [laughs].

──You can really feel the love you have for this story even in the bonus chapters.

Kokuzawa:
I’m simply drawing the bonus manga for fun. While feeling like I should take a break soon [laughs]. I really do love drawing manga.

Editor:
You’ve mentioned before that you want to show how grateful you are to the readers, too.

Kokuzawa:
I really do feel that way. The bonus manga is meant to express my thanks, so I want to give the readers something really good.

Battle scenes on the big screen!

──The anime version is also set to begin airing soon. How did you feel when the anime was decided?

Kokuzawa:
If I say this, it will probably make the animators laugh, but I draw 7th Prince with the intention of making it look like an anime. When I found out it was getting an anime version, I was so happy I couldn’t get any words out.

──It was amazing to see the promotional video perfectly replicate your style.

Kokuzawa:
I heard that they really respect Seventh Prince and worked really hard on the series. The video was really cute! And the opening song was super catchy, I can’t get it out of my head. I keep humming it.

──Did you go to any voice recording sessions?

Kokuzawa:
I went to the studio to see the first episode get recorded. I was surprised to see just how many people were working on it.

──Are there any scenes you’re looking forward to seeing animated?

Kokuzawa:
Actually, I had the chance to see the finished product, but Lloyd and Sylpha in the fight against Pazuzu were really cool! I really enjoyed it! I hope you like it too!

The Toughest Art Ranking gets an update…?!

──What should fans keep their eyes on in the future?

Kokuzawa:
In the current Stampede arc, the alphas of 7 different swarms all show up. They’re all SS-class, super powerful creatures, so I think the fights these guys get into are going to be… pretty tough to draw [laughs].

──So your Toughest Art Ranking will get an update…?

Kokuzawa:
…I think so [laughs]. I’ve got an awful lot of monsters to draw, so many that I’m thinking of using strategic clouds of dust to help me out [laughs].

Editor:
That just means you’re going to see some really impressive battle scenes, so look forward to it!

──Are there any other manga that you’re currently reading?

Kokuzawa:
Just the one! The spin-off series of 7th Prince about the Second Prince, Albert. Every chapter is a great read.

──And finally, could you leave a message to your readers?

Kokuzawa:
Thank you all so much for reading! Having experienced my work not being quite so popular, being able to draw 7th Prince and see all of you reading it makes me realize I can keep working as a manga artist. I’m genuinely so grateful. I’ll keep doing my best to create stories you love!

Read I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability here!

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