How did you to come up and build the story of The Music of Marie?
Since it’s been twenty years since I drew this manga, I don’t remember exactly. But at first, the image of a giant mechanical goddess flying through the sky came to mind, and I made the story based on that.

Who was your favorite character to draw in Marie?
I have a fondness for Pipi and her wholehearted devotion to one boy.

Reflecting on the twenty years that have passed since writing the work, has there been a change in your message for readers regarding the themes of technological development and human evil?
Thinking about today’s current issues such as COVID vaccine rights and the Russian invasion, I feel like selfishness has blanketed the world more than ever, and that technology has become a tool for fulfilling the desires of a small minority. If we could live in a more inconvenient but peaceful world like in Marie, I would wind up that music box without hesitation. Still, I’m sure I wrote Marie twenty years ago with the same sort of feeling.

Do you have a message you’d like to send to your readers abroad?
The convenient life around us and the reality of war are two sides of the same coin. But I’ll be happy if my readers enjoy the story and its world view without worrying about that sort of message.