Tokyo Ghoul - Sui Ishida Interview (2/4)

I try to leave the reader with the impression that they've seen some real development, even in chapters with heavy exposition. Battle-focused chapters, too, would be boring if they were comprised solely of fighting sequences, so I always try to find a way to express a character's inner feelings, like through emotional exchanges.
So even when a scene has to be drawn out, be it expository or combat, I don't sweat it as long as the story arc keeps these elements in balance.

Actually, I felt like there were too many characters in "Tokyo Ghoul" and initially wanted to trim the roster down. But then I realized that that was kind of fitting for the series, in a way. Some of the newer characters I had planned out beforehand, but there were also some I came up with on the spot. Even when I have a preconceived plan for a character, though, some may suddenly disappear from the story, or even be reborn in another form, so I do try to mold each character into whatever best fits the situation. I don't really have any particular methods, however. If left unchecked, I'll just inevitably end up creating more and more characters. So I try to rein myself in by asking if the character is actually necessary—except, I might also just throw someone in because it feels right, even if they're a little extraneous.

No special techniques went into "Tokyo Ghoul" as far as that's concerned. I think I just went with whatever felt right. And I don't mean what felt right for the story, but just what vibed with me at the time—even if it outright conflicted with the story. I think I might've gotten overly fixated from time to time, though I couldn't begin to tell you why.

I think I mainly consider readability and what I imagine would look most dynamic. I often use irregular panels to guide the reader's eye. And a lot of thought goes into the double-page spreads, but that process is top secret, I'm afraid.

I didn't exactly study or train to improve my skills or anything, but I do think I naturally got better as I progressed through the story of "Tokyo Ghoul". As for methods, I can't say that I really have any to speak of, either. I just strove to make it look good; that's it.

No, I'm afraid I don't have a stock of double-page spreads waiting in the wings. And I may jot down two or three lines of dialogue I'd like to use from time to time, but not enough for me to say I have a reserve of those, either.

I just go with my gut and draw whatever I feel would look cool at the time. What looks cool to me changes depending on when I happen to be working on it, though, so that might account for the "novelty" you speak of.
My skills are still a bit lacking when it comes to composition, with a lot of rough edges, so I'm always striving to improve myself bit by bit, and find a style better suited to the person I am now.

I think I'm just always aiming to create something that makes for a good picture.
I don't put anything to paper unless I'm planning to use it, so I don't keep any back stock of ideas at all. My approach is just to create whatever the situation demands.
I think my inspirations, then, come from whatever I've been looking at recently.

I don't actually remember!
I think the idea was there from the very start (*to tell the story from the viewpoint of the investigative team).
But the title change really just came from me wanting to convey to the readers that this was the start of a new tale altogether. It's a major turning point in the series, so using a new title helped keep that clear for me, too.