So That You Won’t Close Your Eyes All Alone, I’ll Embrace You

what i love about Maomao is that she is ALL for the girls like she doesn't judge or look down on the concubines she calls the courtesans she grew up with her sisters and when Lady Lihua looked like she was about to fucking deck Lady Shin she literally giggled and was proud that Lihua was standing up for herself like Maomao is the NUMBER ONE supporter of women and strong women shes a cheerleader for women and i will always love that about her

tiesa quedé 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️

Now that we know Fyodor is old af, wouldn’t it be so funny if Fyodor reveals that he is Atsushi’s father?

Spy x Family volume 14: bonus chapter and official timeline translation

Volume 14 was just released and it included a ton of great extras, including an extra bonus chapter and a timeline of events! Firstly, here's my translation of the 4Koma (4 panel) bonus chapter!

Lol at Anya telling Yuri to go to work 😂 I also love how Anya has a teacup once Yor is home ❤️

Next, much to everyone's surprise, Endo provided an official timeline...sort of. It doesn't have specific years and a lot of information is redacted, but it's something! Sorry for the sloppy editing, I pasted an excel sheet over the original text since that was much easier. Also, the letters in the "Character Age" column refer to the first letter of the character ("L" for Loid for example).

Did I forget who "Coco" was or was that never actually in the manga?

Even though much of the timeline is redacted, it does confirm a few things, like how old Henry and Martha were during some past events, and in the present, as well as Loid's age when he joined the army. I also find it interesting that Anya is included even though this timeline is about the wars...was the facility she was at involved with the war somehow? 👀 Were the experiments on her related? But it also includes Franky's breakups, so who knows, lol.

Next, a bonus illustration of Damian picking his outfit for the gala, just like Jeeves mentioned in the latest chapter. Ewen is telling him to pick black since it looks more more cool and mature. But Endo says that the overlapping patterns make it hard to see, so he should pick white. Obviously being the creator, whatever Endo says goes 😅

Stella progress illustration. Anya is the only one with tonitrus...

And lastly, the main cover and inner cover featuring young and old Henderson (maybe Martha for volume 15?)

Sometimes I think we forget that we're dealing with middle school/high school aged characters. Literal children.

And this includes Hanako.

Sure, Hanako is decades older than most of the main cast, and so you could make an argument that he's technically this ancient being, trapped to forever inhabit a 13 year olds body.

But I don't think it negates the fact he is literally still a 13 year old boy. I think we forget he is still a middle school boy at heart and a lot of what is going on is most likely extremely new to him, and so he's going to handle it to the best of his ability—as a 13 year old boy, and as an ancient Supernatural.

Nene is possibly the first and only girl he's ever had a serious crush on—actually, she is possibly the first and only girl Hanako has ever crushed on, loved, and kissed. I'm not sure at any point in Hanako's life, as Amane and as Honorable No. 7, he thought getting to have something as normal and common as a crush, a first love, and all that entails, could be possible for him. I doubt that was any concern of his as Amane, considering what he was going through at the time, and I doubt he believed it at all possible as Hanako, dead and gone and just a rumor in the school, nothing more.

There is something cute and sweet and endearing about their relationship first starting off in the series. Hanako is more like a friendly guide to Nene—she is his assistant, and at the start she was extremely green to the world and happenings of the Supernatural world. He wasn't the one to initiate the friendship-stage—he merely brought up how that's how it feels, having Yashiro around every day to clean the girls' restroom. He obviously wasn't planning on getting attached, as he knew from the beginning she was close to death and well isn't that how it is with humans, they die so easily, it's too bad but it is what it is.

It was Nene who initiated it. She made the big step to go from -san to -kun. No longer would there be an illusion of friendship from Hanako's perspective—they are friends, Nene made it so.

People say the turning point to their relationship changing from guiding mentor/assistant to more was the Picture Perfect Arc, but I would argue it started at the rooftop where Nene made the decision to call him her friend.

From that point, we get to see the progression of this friendship to something much more, because they were now actively beginning to move passed simply being this friendly, but almost business-like partnership. It was gradual and very natural, but when you compare their relationship from the start to where we are now, there is a stark contrast.

I do believe the change in how Hanako interacts and treats Nene also stems from the growth and wisdom she has obtained via the experiences she's had so far.

Nene is not a simple bystander in this relationship, she really is the driving force behind it. We know that Hanako would have probably left things well enough alone from the start, just her being his assistant, helping him deal with certain supernatural occurrences, fix rumors, clean his bathroom, etc. and simply make sure she was at least having some fun doing it because he knew her days were numbered. He wasn't uncaring, but he was pretty practical about it, being a School Mystery Supernatural and all.

He was doing his job. Like the other Mysteries, he actually takes his job pretty seriously. We see this in how, similar to No. 4, No. 6, and now No. 1, they all can get tunnel-vision and resort to drastic, extreme, and almost tyrannical means to accomplish the ends.

But then Nene makes him her friend, and meeting her results in him making other friends (primarily Kou), and all of a sudden it's not so simple as doing his job and protecting the humans under the Mysteries charge at this school.

Suddenly it's not so simple, because he grows attached, and she continues to do things and say things that further drive their relationship to something resembling romantic, first love. She becomes very important to him, to the point his drive of granting her wish (saving her) has changed him and has made him act out in ways which, truthfully, have been mislabeled (more on this in a second).

Nene will always call out for Hanako to save her because insofar he has never failed to be there to save her. Sure, at the beginning he might have taken a more passive approach in helping her, as it's usually because he believes she can get herself out of certain situations on her own (think of the Tea Party Arc, where technically Nene does get herself in that situation by her own naivety and fault of falling for a pretty face) and that was endearing.

But Nene is not always a damsel in distress. Nene is not stupid. Sure, she's 15, and she's a little dorky and silly and she does have a boycrazy problem, but what fifteen year old girl doesn't? And she's fully aware of herself! She is honest about her faults, and she knows when to admit she has made a mistake and when she needs help.

But Nene has grown, and if the last chapter doesn't prove that then I don't know how else to convince you. She is a young woman who has crossed six boundaries, has faced spirits and other supernaturals, and has leaped through time, has confronted Death, and will continue to confront and fight it, and is in love with a School Mystery Supernatural.

She does not need Hanako to always hold her hand like he had to in the beginning. She might be scared, she might feel utterly alone, but she is doing it scared, and she is determined, and she is capable.

It then only makes sense that Hanako and Nene's relationship would have to change. We can look back at the start, and be completed smitten and charmed by the beginnings of what their relationship looked like, how Hanako treated her.

But as she became less his assistant and more like something of a crush, a first love, a maybe girlfriend/lover (a girl who has gone through every trial and tribulation so far with him and still wants to BE with him), then of course, for a character like Hanako, not only would this change how he handles and treats her, but also how he might act out.

Again, she is probably, most definitely his first in everything, similar to how he is turning out to be her first in a lot of things too.

Nene is made for love, she's a lover girl at heart, a romantic, and so falling in love with a boy (even a dead, ghost boy) doesn't really faze her. She used to vehemently deny anything being there between them, but as she got to know Hanako, and spend time with him, and love him despite all his flaws, despite him being dead, despite him murdering—when Mitsuba accuses her of falling madly in love with Hanako, she can't even bring herself to act shocked and bewildered. Instead, Nene has come to accept, quite easily, she does love him, and she does want him to know that she doesn't just like-like him, but that she loves him. It's very easy and natural for her.

It is not easy and natural for someone like Hanako. It's probably like pulling teeth, when he's put on the spot, when he's expected to openly admit his feelings. We've seen this. He can't be direct about his feelings, it's like trying to throw a cat in a tub full of water. He won't do it, it almost seems to physically pain him to be so honest and vulnerable like that. The idea of love, of being loved, scares him, or at least leaves him nauseous and off-kilter.

Because he's dead, and the dead and the living can't stay together. Even if Nene dies, if that is truly what's going to happen and neither can stop it, worse, he's a special kind of dead thing, and she won't be, and so even after death they apparently can't be together.

So love would be out of the question, wouldn't it? Yet here it is, a thing called love, a girl called Yashiro Nene.

Circling back, I don't think Hanako fits the Yandere category. It's funny to call him that, but I would not describe the love between Hanako and Nene as a ''sickness.'' He has not become a Yandere, and I don't see him ever being one. If you've read Aidalro's short comic, My Dear Living Dead, then I would say the boy in that story would better fit the category of a Yandere—his love becoming so obsessive, all consuming, and makes him so unstable that it does become a dangerous kind of sickness.

Hanako is trying to balance being a dead, 13 year old boy, and a School Mystery Supernatural. Now I'm not saying this excuses him for any fumble and fuck up he's made, but I think it more than explains why he's not going to handle this situation perfectly and maturely. Why he might kind of be really bad at handling the fact that the girl he was supposed to grant a silly love wish for has now become basically his entire world, this living girl, who is actually going to die, but he doesn't want her to die because he loves her and even if it'll break him and whatever resembles a heart, he is willing to sacrifice himself, and possibly others, to save her.

I think the biggest example people might use of him being a Yandere is how he acted during the PP Arc. That he was willing to make himself out to be the villain, just because he believed that this was the only way to halt the progression of her life coming to an abrupt end. Living in a painting, living out her days in a pretend world, as long as it was real enough for her. We could also say that it could've been a bit of a selfish indulgence on his part, because he was able to "live" alongside her in that world, be a normal boy, with a normal crush, and go on normal dates, etc.

So what if she forgot the real world? Forgot the real him? She could be happy there, she could stay alive there. She could live to be a hundred in that world.

But I don't see that as a sickness, as much as it's an example of a School Mystery Supernatural kind of going haywire in trying to complete it's duty (which we've seen can happen, Supernaturals not really taking into account what it could effect as long as their decision accomplishes what needs to be done) Hanako is not immune to this happening.

But also, he cares about her, and he loves her, and he definitely loved her during that Arc. Love can make people act stupid, extreme, unthinking, foolish. Being that Nene is his first love, I'm actually not even surprised by this first attempt at prolonging her life. She couldn't understand why he was doing it, and of course Hanako was not direct with her in his reason for why he was doing it, at all. "Yes, why am I doing this."

But later on, when she's coming to the realization that Hanako might have feelings for her, and she takes note that Hanako has never been direct with what he means and how he feels, and one of the examples was when he said that to her in the PP Arc while she was imprisoned. So I think, unconsciously, Nene knew why Hanako was doing what he was doing.

Anyway, it's not like he went through with keeping them all in a painting of No. 4's making, because Nene was able to talk him down and he was willing to finally listen to her. If his love for her was a sickness, she wouldn't have been able to get through to him at all. His decision would have been final.

But Hanako actually cares what Nene thinks and feels and has to say, even if he was initially thoughtless and careless with his decision, in the end, he does care about what she wants.

Hanako was also going to accept never getting to see Nene again. Like yeah, it's bad that he was willing to put Aoi in Nene's place so that Nene could live—but are we forgetting that, technically, Aoi wanted to go away? Maybe she didn't want to die, but she did want to disappear, she wanted to leave. Hanako made his decision, but so did Aoi, who is more than capable of making her own brash, stupid decisions as any other fifteen year old girl.

Anyway, Hanako was willing to let Nene go, even if it meant her not only forgetting about him, but also hating him.

Yandere's do not want their crush to hate them. They do not want to be separated from their love interest, ever. They would rather kill them both, or hurt their love interest, than ever let them live without them, or move on from them.

Hanako has not intentionally tried hurting Nene. I think he would shatter into a thousand pieces if he accidentally physically hurt her, too.

Hanako's attempts so far to save Nene may have been ill-advised, impulsive, foolish, and extreme. Hanako can act selfish, possessive, jealous, and sometimes even insensitive. He can get tunnel-vision when it comes to saving Nene. He wants to be the only one to save her and give her the possibility of a life because it's the only way he knows how he'll get to love her and "be" with her.

But, as we've seen, it's not like he gets away with it, it's not like these things aren't addressed, and it's not like he completely disregards what the others have to say to him once they catch him acting up.

Nene made it a point to tell him how she does not like how he will make these rash decisions and plans without telling anyone (without asking her) because he thinks he knows what's best. Nene, like in their relationship, is a large driving forcing in Hanako's character development. She may make excuses for him at times, but when he does fuck up, when he does do something crazy like in the PP Arc, or basically letting her best friend Aoi take her place to be sacrificed and disappearing on her like he did in Severance—she lets him know immediately that what he's doing isn't right, and it's especially not something she would want.

To the point that she's taken her wish back of wanting to live. To the point of pretending that she's accepted her death and that she would stay behind with Hanako, or in the far shore, while the others got out and saved Aoi. Because I think she knows that Hanako can get this tunnel-vision when it comes to her and her life, and that he wants to be the one to give that to her.

Hanako isn't a Yandere, he's just a boy with a very unfortunate past, who has tons of baggage, dead, a supernatural with serious responsibilities, and is severely down bad for a living girl who is on the cusp of death. Honestly, he could be handling this much worse than he has been. And maybe he might, but we'll just have to see.

He is navigating the unknowns as best as he can. He's not unreachable, he's not any more unstable than all the other characters in the series right now, having to deal with their own hangups, issues, and flaws. Almost all of them teenagers. Of course they're all a little unstable and stupid.

So, I don't know, I guess the point of this post is that Hanako is not a Yandere, by definition and by characterization, and while he definitely deserves to be called out for certain choices and actions, that maybe we should cut him a little slack. He is literally going through it.

Interview

Part 1:

AidaIro: Mangaka. With Iro as the writer and Aida as the illustrator, the two create as a team. Their works include Furyō to Megane to Koi to Sensō, published in the September 2012 edition of Monthly G-Fantasy, and Dear My Living Dead, published in the November 2013 edition. Following a miniseries version in 2014, Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun has been serialized in G-Fantasy since 2015. Starting in 2018, they created a spinoff called Hōkago Shōnen Hanako-kun hosted on Pixiv Comic in the online publication “P-Fantapy”. Along with receiving an anime and musical theater adaptation, Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun begins its second season in January 2025.

The appeal of Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun lies in its slightly retro setting, where the author blends eastern and western concepts with unpredictability, such as turning infamous Japanese urban legend Hanako-san of the Toilet into a boy, as well as another familiar topic to its Japanese audience: “the seven wonders of the school.” Even the items, hairstyles and clothing featured in the work create their own narrative. The supernaturals encountered leave a lasting impression with forms that are more than just terrifying, and Hanako-kun’s boyish qualities that contrast greatly with his dark side create a gap in personality that gets your heart thumping. We asked AidaIro to tell us more about the captivatingly comical and serious world of Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, its characters, and the making behind it.

…

Interviewer: The theme of this special feature of Quarterly S magazine is “the supernatural.” In a prior interview, Iro-san talked about how they love Western and Japanese horror, folklore, nursery rhymes, and more, but could you tell us what draws you to them? On the flipside, Aida-san mentioned that they watched something based on “Hanako-san of the Toilet” when they were younger. We’d love it if you could tell us about creative works that have left an impact on you both over the years.

Iro (Writer): Fear is universal, something that all of us are familiar with, right? Even in our day-to-day lives we fear the dark, imagining there’s something lurking inside it. And if you were to combine this fear with a fable, like one about a “monster that lurks in the dark”, it helps to strengthen the power of the imagination. Adding a sense of realism to fiction, leaving the reader wondering if what’s written down could actually be true, is something I really enjoy. Also, I think there’s a part of me that sees horror as a kind of entertainment, like a rollercoaster.

Aida (Illustrator): I watched a TV program called Ponkickies that featured an anime called “Gakkou no Kowai Uwasa: Hanako-san ga Kita!! (Scary School Rumors: Here Comes Hanako-san!!)”. The Hanako-san in that show is an ally, so it left me with the deep impression that Hanako-san is “one of the good guys!”. “Sacchan no Uwasa (The Rumor of Sacchan)” and “Kaijin Tonkaraton (Phantom Tonkaraton)” were episodes that I found particularly scary.

Iro: I found the song “The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf” from NHK’s “Kodomo Ningyou Gekijou” scary. It was only a shadow puppet, but there was this visual of a girl sinking into a puddle of water…

Interviewer: ”The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf” is meant to teach kids a moral lesson, but the story and the events that transpire are pretty severe, so I could see how viewing it at a young age would be pretty traumatic. “Sacchan no Uwasa” and “Kaijin Tonkaraton” are both urban legends. Were there any rumors like that at the schools you two attended?

Aida: When I was in school, there was a horror boom. On school trips, everyone desperately tried to get their hands on paranormal photographs. Of course, the professional photographers never had any spirit photography available…

Iro: The school I went to had no ghost stories whatsoever. I looked around, but sadly I found none…

Interviewer: During the boom, I saw a lot of spirit photography for sale on television programs. And now, I’d like to hear about the kinds of fictional settings and motifs you both enjoy.

Aida: I have an appreciation for the old over the new. For example, back in the 1910s when commercial illustrations began to appear, they had these posters, like of posing actors, that I personally find really cool. Much of the furniture and clothing made back then I still find cute today. I also like how the people of the 1960s imagined the near future—what’s called the “retro future”.

Iro: Whether it be reading or writing, I love settings with fantasy elements. Like what you might find in a children’s book…… Recently I read House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle Series #3). I enjoy the horror and mystery genres as well, but I think I prefer watching them over reading them.

Interviewer: The time periods that intrigue Aida-san are close in time to the fictional settings seen in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun. Moving on, I want to ask you both more about manga. What was it that got you to create manga together in the first place?

Iro: I started off writing short stories alone. When I was a student I wrote a script for a play, and after gaining the experience of working with multiple people, I wanted to try creating more works as a team. I liked manga, and after meeting Aida-san in college, I fell in love with their art at first sight. I asked them if they would be the manga artist for my stories. 

Aida: I read Iro’s work, thought it would be fun to work with them, and readily agreed. But once I agreed I wondered, “How exactly does one draw as a team!?” and began to worry (Laugh). In the end, the manga BAKUMAN。had a great influence on the way Iro-san and I work together. It's a great example of creating manga as a writer-illustrator duo, and it was what helped me first understand what that really looked like.... It told me what I should do and gave me the push I needed when I was just starting out. Besides that, I thought, "I can't be the only one reading Iro-san’s fictional worlds. I want more people to experience their writing!" and that was a great motivator as well.

Interviewer: What a wonderful story. Have there been any changes between the way you two produce the manga today in comparison to when you first started?

Iro: We used to meet up before, but nowadays we mostly work via voice call. Aida-san and I live close enough that we can reach the other's house before a bowl of soup cools, so we go out together often when there are events in the neighborhood and such. When we meet up, our conversations will naturally drift to work-related topics; perhaps that's a sign that we keep close contact.

Interviewer: Thank you so much. Moving on, I’d like to look back and discuss your debut work, Dear My Living Dead (included in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, Vol. 0). Lilia’s unchangeable fate and the path that Cult chose were really heartbreaking.

Iro: I like anything related to zombies.

Aida: I designed Lilia to look soft and full of happiness, while Cult was given a simple design that conveys an intense weariness. When drawing the important scenes, I would adjust the lines and angles until the faces looked just right, to the point where a single panel could take me 5 hours to draw. This isn’t limited to just Cult and Lilia, but I was conscientious of how lower eyelids would move when I was drawing.

Interviewer: 5 hours... that's incredible! I find it fascinating that you even paid attention to the way the lower eyelids moved. Furyō to Megane to Koi to Sensō (included in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, Vol. 5) is a comedic work that was published before Dear My Living Dead. It contains Akane-kun and Yamabuki-kun, who appear in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun.

Iro: Akane and Yamabuki were created before JSHK. They were positively received back then, so we decided to have their characters reappear in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun rather than leave them lying around.

Interviewer: Is that so! This was followed by a three-chapter miniseries (included in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, Vol. 0) which then kickstarted the serialization of Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun. Themed around a well-known concept, “the seven wonders of the school”, and mixed with unexpected elements like having a male “Hanako-san of the Toilet”, the manga sucks you in with its retro fictional setting. Tell us how you develop ideas for stories that combine dark themes with humor.

Iro: It was originally a short story I wrote for an assignment that I then turned into a manga. The main characters were Yugi Amane, Hanako-kun in his previous life, and the character who would later become School Mystery Number 4, Shijima Mei. It didn't have any love comedy or ghost story elements, it was just about Amane and Mei's lives as high school students and their interactions. When we added the "seven wonders of the school" element, Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun was born. The retro and ghost story elements were added after; the foundation of the story, its darker parts, were there first.

Aida: When brainstorming ideas, there are times when we’ve done it over meals, but we don’t typically decide on things that way? Usually it starts with either a suggestion from Iro-san or a new character I designed. For example, the school mysteries Number 6 and Tsuchigomori had their character designs completed first. In the seasonal events we host on social media, it starts with an illustration I draw, then I create a world and clothing to go with it, and finally have Iro make a story out of it.

Interviewer: So you have a flexible creation process. I see. “Picture Perfect”, the arc where Yugi Amane and Shijima Mei appear, didn’t start with a rumor but with the characters being unknowingly captured by a supernatural and taken to a world that confuses the ordinary with the extraordinary. It was a very memorable arc.

Iro: I started writing the Picture Perfect arc with a desire to create a story that you could read as a standalone, like something that could be adapted into a movie. In movie adaptations, the story takes place on a large scale and ends with a dramatic finish, so I kept that in mind while I was writing. Within the pilot version Shijima-san was in love with Number 7 (Hanako-kun), but when she came to the long series adaptation of Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun that element disappeared. Since I was writing about school ghost stories, and haunted art rooms are a common theme in those, I wanted to include one here.

Interviewer: It was extremely dramatic, it had me invested. The “Number 6” arc, where Number 6’s (Hakubo’s) story is told, also took place on a large scale. The visual of him wearing a bone mask left an impression on me.

Aida: We decided a character wearing bones would appear early on in the series… Later on we settled on Number 6 being a shinigami (god of death) and the decision that he would be an oni came after. He has an invigorating face, like one that would belong to a member of a baseball club, but his actual personality is nowhere near sportsmanlike. Being able to dig deep into Aoi’s character during the No. 6 arc was really fun.

Iro: Since the Picture Perfect arc was a refreshing change of pace, I started conceptualizing the No. 6 arc by going in the opposite direction. I wanted to create a grimy, unpleasant story, containing self-serving old customs and disagreements between the characters. It was fun to have the characters get shaken up by new plot developments; I labored really hard while writing it.

Interviewer: Being able to see sides of Aoi she wouldn’t show to Akane and seeing her get worse was painful. I feel that seeing the characters grow and change is another one of the highlights of reading Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun. I also felt that Mitsuba and Kou had a nice relationship in the “Night Out” arc.

Iro: I enjoy writing about Mitsuba and Kou’s relationship. Writing the script for the Aquarium arc wasn’t easy…

Aida: We were mulling it over during karaoke when suddenly we saw clown fish and coral reefs pass by on the monitor. “Should we do an aquarium?” “Aquarium sounds good.” And the rest was history.

Interviewer: So that's how that came to be! Next, I want to talk about the spinoff, Hōkago Shōnen Hanako-kun (After-school Hanako-kun). The humorous chapters and crazy plot twists make it so fun! Tell us more about the chapters you were able to make because they were made for Hōkago Shōnen Hanako-kun and the scenes that you personally enjoyed.

Iro: I plan it so that all of the characters get equal amounts of screen time. That said, occasionally there is some bias. We were able to create the chapter where Nene turns into a Mokke precisely because it was a chapter made for “Hōkago.” That chapter (Day 9: Truth of the Mokke) is my personal favorite.

Interviewer: Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, a brand rife with animated shows, events and the like, is nearing its 10th anniversary! Congratulations! I’m looking forward to all of the anniversary events.

Aida: Thank you! A lot of merchandise has been made in celebration. Get excited!

Interviewer: Additionally, Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun Season 2 begins airing in January 2025! Tell us what you’re looking forward to seeing in the new anime.

Iro: There is so much I’m looking forward to it’s hard to choose… I’m excited to see the opening and ending.

Interviewer: The opening and ending are like a condensed version of the work, so it makes sense they would grab your attention. To cap things off, not limited to just Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, tell us what’s been on your mind, what you’re into lately, or something you want to try in the future.

Iro: I love escape rooms, so I have a dream of one day collaborating with SCRAP and making one. I also love haunted houses, so I want to collaborate with one of those someday, too. I want a Mokke alarm clock. Also, I want to make a Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun horror game. I love video games, and I’ve always felt an urge to create them. This feeling will never die.

Aida: I like railroads, so I would like to ride the Jungfrau in Switzerland one day. There are many railways I haven’t ridden yet that I’d like to ride within Japan, too.

Interviewer: Thank you for answering all of our questions!

Part 2:

Comments about the cast from AidaIro themselves! Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun’s Human and Supernatural Cast 

Hanako-kun | Leader of the Seven Mysteries・No. 7 “Hanako-san of the Toilet” A ghost story in the old building of Kamome Academy, “Hanako-san of the Toilet.” Dons a gakuran and school cap. Although cheerful and innocent, he’s experienced gloomy events in his past. His favorite food is homemade donuts.

Iro: Hanako-kun thinks Nene is cute, so he keeps close to her. He can be excused for this because he’s younger than Nene. Aida: The decision to make the toilets western-style came naturally. And because Hanako-kun lives in them, we didn’t want to make them too uncomfortable to live in. I thought stained glass would help make the bathroom look more attractive.

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Yugi Amane Hanako-kun’s name during his “lifetime.” Loves stars. His personality is more mild than Hanako-kun’s. During the time period he’s shown interacting with Tsuchigomori-sensei, he’s drawn with ever-present wounds. Within the story, his physical appearance varies; he’s seen in his early childhood, his adolescence, and even as a working adult.

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Yashiro Nene A first year student in the high school division. In order to get her beloved Teru-senpai to reciprocate her feelings, she summons the rumored wish-granter, “Hanako-san of the Toilet.” Contrary to expectations, she winds up with the mermaid’s curse, and turns into a fish when she gets wet. Cares deeply about the subject of daikon legs. Ends up learning she’s going to die soon…

Aida: In manga, a character can’t always be in full view, so you have to ensure that a character’s unique characteristics shine through when nothing below the face or bust are shown. That’s what Nene’s skull broach and magatama hair clips are for. As for her daikon legs, I recall the editor-in-chief asking for the heroine to have a defining feature of some kind. Her face is pretty.

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Mitsuba Sousuke (Mitsuba) | Seven Mysteries・No. 3 “The Hell of Mirrors” A cute face with a problematic personality. Loves to take photographs. As a ghost, he met Kou and was able to let go of his lingering regrets, but due to Tsukasa and his posse he gets transformed into a terrifying form. Mitsuba, whose appearance has changed multiple times, continues to live as a supernatural. Although he is no longer the old Mitsuba Sousuke, Kou continues to be friends with him, and encourages him whenever Mitsuba feels disheartened.

Iro: He first appears in Vol. 4, and was created out of a desire to make a character of a different archetype than the rest. Aida: In contrast to Hanako-kun and Nene whose colors look chic when combined, we wanted him and Kou to really pop together. Iro: Mitsuba made his exit at one point, but because there was potential to show more between him and Kou, and because we thought he could help us dive deeper into Kou’s character, we decided to bring him back.

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Minamoto Kou A third year student in the middle school division. A hot-blooded teen who feels his emotions intensely. His omamori piercing is his trademark. Through his interactions with Hanako-kun and Mitsuba, he begins to empathize with supernaturals, unlike his brother. His special skill is cooking.

Aida: His staff and omamori piercing were designed to easily communicate the genres of the work, Japanese and Horror. Moreover, his hairstyle and face scream "lively!", though he might make more soft expressions now than he did at the beginning of the manga.

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Minamoto Teru A second year in the high school division. The student council president who doubles as a powerful exorcist. While on the outside he appears to be a dazzling, fine-looking man, when it comes to supernaturals he is unforgivingly harsh. Fond of his little sister Tiara and terrible at cooking.

Aida: Teru keeps his elbows in and legs straight, giving him great posture. I always take care to draw him making refined gestures. When he’s thinking, he has a habit of touching his chin. Incidentally, Kou touches his ear or cheek. Iro: In his first proper appearance in Chapter 9 (published in Vol. 2 of the comics), he tries to exorcise Hanako-kun. In the magazine’s questionnaire, he scored super low (Laugh). It was then that I understood that being pretty wasn’t enough to absolve you from all crimes.

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Aoi Akane | Seven Mysteries・No. 1 “The Three Clock Keepers” Nene’s classmate. A prodigy who serves as the student council vice president. Aoi’s childhood friend. Confesses his feelings to her and is continuously rejected. Even his reason for becoming a Clock Keeper links back to Aoi. Has the ability to stop time.

Aida: When he turns into his Clock Keeper form, I try to draw him a little more mature. When he’s with Aoi, his eyes sparkle with delight, but with everyone else he loses his enthusiasm and his eyes seem to gloss over.

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Akane Aoi Nene’s best friend and the popularity queen of Kamome Academy. Knows a lot about the rumors circulating through the academy. Rejects Aoi’s advances because her name would change to Aoi Aoi if they ever got married. In the “No. 6 arc”, after she confessed the feelings she’d bottled up inside, she began to see supernaturals, and now her behavior is overall more laidback.

Aida: When drawing beautiful girls (Aoi) and beautiful men (Teru), I line in a lot of extra detail, creating silky smooth hair and sparkling eyes. In comparison to Nene-chan, her eyes have smaller highlights and are overall darker. I feel these traits are both very Aoi-chan, and very cute. ♥

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Yako | Seven Mysteries・No. 2 “The Misaki Stairs” An Inari statue with feelings for the human Misaki. In charge of the “Misaki Stairs.” Now that her yorishiro’s been destroyed, she pretends to be a cat and is taken care of as one in Kamome Academy. She and Tsuchigomori get along like dogs and cats.

Aida: The bib in her kitsune form turns into an apron in her human form, maintaining a sense of unity between the two. The basis of her design are the colors red and white, and I take care not to ruin the balance between those colors in both of her forms.

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Tsuchigomori | Seven Mysteries・No. 5 “The 4PM Bookstacks” A supernatural that’s dwelled in Kamome Academy for many years now. He was Amane’s homeroom teacher when Amane lived, and now works as Kou’s homeroom teacher. His defining features are the spider web-like pattern on his forehead and his long fingers. Wears a white lab coat and can be found in the science prep room.

Aida: There was no trouble when designing Tsuchigomori. I think I designed his supernatural form first. He’s a kind supernatural with an indifferent face.

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Hyuuga Natsuhiko A second year in the high school division. Lures Nene and friends in with his casual tone of voice. Sakura treats him like the air. A human that won’t die however many times he’s killed whose blood is deathly toxic to supernaturals. Works to destroy the yorishiro of each of the seven mysteries.

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Nanamine Sakura A third year in the high school division. An aid to Tsukasa, she spreads rumors about supernaturals in the broadcasting room. A beautiful young lady whose eyes are usually downcast. Like Nene, she formed a bond with a supernatural (Tsukasa) as payment for a wish.

Aida: When I draw the three members of the broadcasting club in a panel together, I make it so they’re all looking in different directions. With Sakura-san as their leader, there is a cool atmosphere. This contrasts with the main character group (Hanako-kun, Nene-chan, Kou-kun), who tend to gather in a circle and exchange looks. By the way, Natsuhiko has a habit of putting on airs and posing like he’s going to be photographed, while Tsukasa floats freely through the air.

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Yugi Tsukasa The younger twin brother that Hanako-kun (Amane) says he killed, Tsukasa. They resemble each other, but he has a higher level of brutality and a deep darkness inside of him. The cursed red house is haunted by “something” taking the form of a young Tsukasa. It seems he was trapped inside in exchange for saving Amane, who was terribly sick. The seal on his cheek is pasted on the opposite side to that of Hanako-kun’s.

Aida: Even in the pilot, many compositions were created with the idea that Tsukasa was a thing. Iro: It’s not that I particularly like twins, I just think it’s cute when two characters share the same face. Or I’ll think I want there to be more of a face I like, and split them into separate people to give that face a variety of different facial expressions. And then the number of twins increases, for whatever reason. Aida: Isn’t that the same as liking twins? (Laugh)

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Shijima Mei | Seven Mysteries・No. 4 “Shijima-san of the Art Room” A supernatural born from lament towards the fictional rumors that started after the death of Shijima Mei. Able to create ideal worlds within her boundary. Memorable for her ability to bring drawings to life.

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Hakubo | Seven Mysteries・No. 6 “Shinigami-sama” A supernatural with the power to control life and death. The visual of him wearing a skull head covering in addition to his animal-like hands leave a strong impression.

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Mokke

Iro: I always have fun when writing about the Mokke. In truth I would like them to appear more in the main story, but alas… Even when the main story gets serious, the Mokke are there living their Mokke lives.

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“The Boundary”: What Connects This World and The Next The boundary, the place where the Seven Mysteries can exercise their power to its max potential. The visuals within the boundaries are extravagant and large scale. No. 2’s is like a road approaching a shrine, No. 6’s has arched bridges, and the Clock Keepers’ boundary is composed of clock parts big and small. Each boundary is original and impactful in its own way.

Aida: The boundaries of the Seven Mysteries are composed of two things: something related to the Mystery’s name, and something that has nothing to do with the name at all. For example, Number 2’s boundary is composed of stairs and dolls, Number 5’s is bookshelves and butterflies, etc. Number 6’s boundary is composed of large lotus flowers and buildings resembling the stacked rocks of Sai no Kawara (Children’s Limbo.) This is based on what someone from his past told Number 6 the afterlife—“Paradise”—was like. The lotus spirits (one-eyed creatures who speak in various combinations of ma, mi, mu, me, and mo) are the part that have nothing to do with the name. The boundary I’d want to go to is Yako’s. Iro: The boundary I want to visit most is also Number 2’s. It’s photogenic, like something you’d see on Instagram.

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Aida's Key Points for Illustrating

Line Art Style Crisp lines drawn with varying degrees of pressure give the art a charming, three-dimensional style. Compared to the style used early on in the series, the lines are now sharper and have a stronger presence on the page. The effects produced by distorting lines are interesting, too. Aida: When drawing impactful scenes, I will alter the panels that come before and after and adjust the balance of the inking. I also apply light sources to produce effects rather than to show the actual light source.

Balance Between Black & White Hanako-kun's black hair and gakuran aren't just inked in pure black--strokes are added to express their sheen and create a three dimensional feeling. The balance between black and white can also be used to convey tension in a scene. Aida: Once I'm finished inking, I distribute the lighting and shading so as create contrast with the other drawings.

Triangle Motif The triangle motif appears when worlds crumble after a yorishiro is destroyed, in backgrounds and props, and even in the texture of Mitsuba's scarf. Triangles also appear in the designs of the volume covers; see for yourself! Aida: The triangles were included because I wanted to add an effect that was unique to the work. I was partially inspired by the uroko- (scales) patterned kimono worn in kabuki theater. Other than that, perhaps I incorporated them because I enjoy glass and glass-like things.

The Beautifully Decorated Recap Pages The decorations surrounding the panels are also worth looking at. Particularly in the "recaps", where characters will introduce themselves and get readers caught up on the story. The witty lines accompanying the characters’ self-intros are part of the fun. Aida: Since Hanako-kun is currently serialized in a magazine, I drew them thinking that readers who have not yet read Hanako-kun may be intrigued by seeing something cute and retro while randomly flipping through the pages. If they find the panels unique and wonder why that is, then we might succeed in grabbing their attention.

Styling the Eyes The eyes in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun are unique, being shaped and detailed in such a way that you can tell the characters apart through their eyes alone. Here are some of the various eyes seen in Hanako-kun, showcasing emotional highs and lows to the seemingly inhuman. Aida: Nene looks at others head-on, so her eyes clearly reflect what she’s seeing. I try to make Hanako-kun and Tsukasa distinguishable through their character design. I often give eyes no highlights when I think it’ll produce a good effect.

Index Pages The table of contents pages in the manga volumes are also beautiful. The index in the Picture Perfect arc is linked to the story by depicting an unsettling broken canvas. Volume 21 contains the school festival, and depicts a flyer posted on a bulletin board. The same design appears in the story itself. Aida: The index page designs are often chosen based on how exciting they are. I create many drafts depicting impactful scenes, then select one from the group.

Covers Aida: The cover illustrations are decided by the characters. I will draft many different compositions for each cover, and there is always a lot to consider. Even the main color of the volume, which I might pick out early on, can change if it doesn’t fit the feel when I start coloring in the characters. It is a dynamic creation process.

Drawing Tools [For colored pages, colored illustrations, and black-and-white pages] Tablet: LCD Tablet (Wacom Cintiq) Art Program: Easy Paint Tool SAI 2 (Most-used brush: 鉛筆・平筆 (Pencil/Flat Brush)) Aida: I struggle with pen pressure, but I find the pressure sensitivity in SAI to be the easiest to draw with. I use Clip Studio Paint to add screentones to black-and-white pages. Also, I sometimes use Muji’s 週刊誌４コマノート (Weekly 4koma Notebook) when drafting the manuscript. At first I only ever drafted things on PC, but occasionally I feel like 'drawing while eating tasty food!', so I also do it non-digitally.

Q: What is indispensable when creating manga? Iro: Definitely Japanese Tea. I fill a 700ml teapot and have it placed beside me as I work, and I can empty it up to 3 or 4 times a day. There’s also this handmade coaster I received from a reader a long time ago that I still use to this day. When I conceptualize the story, I put on background noise that would have played during those story events. Back when I was brainstorming the scene in volume 5 where Nene meets Yugi Amane in the past, I played the 5 PM / Evening Chime on repeat for 10 hours. Aida: I take a walk for about 2 hours every day. I’ll go to the gym, or the library, or play with my hamster… in addition to copious amounts of drawing. Occasionally I’ll go on walks with Iro-san.

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Houkago Shōnen Hanako-kun: Houkago Shōnen Hanako-kun is more humorous than Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, featuring many slice-of-life episodes where readers can learn new, unexpected sides of the characters. Editor: When the editorial team was planning to collaborate with pixiv to create an online magazine (P-Fantapy), I pitched the idea of a Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun spinoff and brought it to AidaIro-san. I remember telling them it would be nice to have a spinoff where readers could take a breather from the seriousness of the main plot and enjoy humorous short stories.

the apothecary diaries does such a great job of portraying how traumatizing it can be to be a victim of pedophilia and grooming, instead of romanticizing it like a lot of anime series do. it is disturbing, it makes audience uncomfortable and disgusted — which is how we must feel about pedophilia. you're not supposed to feel comfortable because it's 'normalized' or 'just fiction'; you're supposed to feel disgusted.

the creator didn't make anshi 'fall in love' with the previous emperor or develop a stockholm syndrome — instead, she took her revenge in the same way he hurt her and other girls, which he deserved. her anger, hatred and disgust towards him are rightly justified and realistic for a victim of pedophilia.

the older palace lady (who might or might not be a ghost) told the girls abt her story as a victim of the previous emperor at the ghost story gathering:

whether or not she was a ghost, she wanted her story to be heard, of how much the victims suffered at the hands of the previous emperor. they were imprisoned for the rest of their lives in the same place that ruined their lives. telling her story might be the only way for her to find peace within herself.

an abuser may die but the trauma he leaves on his victims will last forever. it does not go away.

it's even presented as a horror story because there's nothing more terrifying than SA.

(i may have missed a few points but im keeping this brief. thank you for reading my essay!)

injury recovery…

*break an arm or two out there kids!*

I've been thinking a lot about Hakubo lately because of the season's annoncement and the importance of flowers for him.

His youngest appearance is him watering lotuses showned by the only thing he could have called his family

Flowers crowns have always been associated with Sumire in his life.

They are also always showed next to the Kannagi statuettes. He even brings flowers to Sumire's when he is not able to hold them for too long.

It's the first things he offers to Aoi, having the whole boat filled with them, to calm her after bringing her into an unknown place. Knowing that Sumire used to love them a lot and not understanding why she doesn't seem pleased with this offering.

Hakubo also spared the children who were weaving flowers baskets, creating the school rumor and tradition because of it.

He is the mystery confirmed to have been assigned by Sakura who is clearly associated to flowers (hence the Cherry tree in this chapter guiding Sumire to make them reunite)

Flowers are a leitmotiv throughout Hakubo's whole arc especially compared to any other mysteries which don't have any flowers in their boundaries, his being the only one with so many in it. (Yako's doesn't have flowers when it's under her command)

I just think it's so sad that he can't be in contact with something that has been present his whole life and reminds him of the only person important to him.

"If that's the case, then I'd be glad if this was only a dream" 🚀 🎋

always love this soukoku thing