In anticipation of the English release for the first volume of Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire, I got into contact with Charis Messier, the lead translator at Cross Infinite World. I passed along a few questions for Hiroro (the author of Akaoni) and for mokoppe (the artist behind Akaoni‘s illustrations), and then Charis Messier kindly translated their responses. I believe this is the first time I’ve been able to reach creators from Japan, so I’m very excited to share some insight with all of you!
Interview with Hiroro
Cho: What inspired you to write Akaoni, a story about vampires? Will the story mainly appeal to fans of romance?
Hiroro: The original idea for Akaoni came from the simple thought it would be interesting if there was a vampire who didn't drink blood. Why did I choose to write a vampire story? Because I was reading a vampire novel at the time I came up with the idea for Akaoni. Around that same time, the Twilight movies were a big topic, so that may have been a factor too.
I hope other women like me will enjoy reading Akaoni.
Cho: How has Akaoni been received as a web novel in Japan?
Hiroro: I wonder about that myself. I honestly don't know. I am an author so I leave it to the readers to decide if something is interesting or not, but I have been encouraged and supported by many people.
Cho: What are some of the things you like about the web novel format?
Hiroro: I believe the freedom to freely write and upload a story is the most appealing feature to both professional and amateur writers. The web novel medium is a wonderful place that allows professionals to write freely, compared to books written for publishers. For budding writers, it is a place where writing an interesting work can get you published.
Cho: Was it surprising to get an offer for an English translation?
Hiroro: It was a complete surprise on all accounts. Akaoni is the first novel I have written and I was worried it was poorly written. But I accepted the offer wanting people overseas to have a chance to read it too.
Cho: When you’re not writing, what are some things you like to do in your free time?
Hiroro: Generally, I am raising my children and taking care of my home in my free time. I have recently taken up writing video game scenarios for work, so I also spend my time focusing on that work.
Cho: Any final comments to your fans?
Hiroro: I don't know if I have any fans yet, but…I will continue diligently writing, so please continue supporting me from wherever you may be in the world!
Interview with mokoppe
Cho: What has it been like, drawing artwork for Akaoni?
mokoppe: The process isn't especially different from art jobs for Japanese media, but this project being aimed at an international audience got me thinking I should change the usual aesthetic and presentation. In the end, I decided to try to enchant the reader with my own style.
I'm answering these interview questions before the book is released, so I am looking forward to everyone's reaction when they get their copy.
Cho: What is your process for a typical illustration?
mokoppe: I receive detailed information on the world and character settings, so aside from the aspects I must include, I am always consciously adding aspects that give off light.
When it comes to the illustrations I draw for fun, I typically draw whatever comes to mind, but I believe it would be wonderful if the person viewing my art will get a feel for the world and characters behind the illustration and use their imaginations to see more. I am thrilled whenever I receive comments from people who say they can imagine various stories from just one illustration.
Cho: What are your favorite things to draw? Or your favorite types of characters to draw?
mokoppe: I don't have a favorite thing or topic to draw per se, but I often stick to the concepts of ephemeral, beautiful, and magical. As for characters, I like drawing both male and female characters with a little mystery to them.
Cho: In what ways do you think illustrations add to the experience of reading a novel?
mokoppe: I think novel illustrations are an auxiliary factor in making up the world of the work. During the art process I said I want people to use their imaginations when seeing my illustrations, but novels already have an established story. Although art is a supplementary factor, every reader's imagination tends to diverge from the image provided by the text, so I believe the combination of the reader's imagination with the illustrations provides insight into a world they might not have seen without it.
Cho: Any final comments to your fans?
mokoppe: It's a pleasure to meet you all and hello to those of you who usually view my art. I'm mokoppe. With this being a translated novel, the demographic is people overseas! This is my first time drawing the illustrations for an international novel, so while I am excited to see how you like my art, I am also anxious. I would be thrilled if you enjoy the novel along with my illustrations!
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Thank you very much Hiroro and mokoppe, for taking the time to answer these questions! And thank you Charis Messier for making all of this possible. I look forward to reading Akaoni, and hope other readers will be able to join in for the upcoming discussion post here on August 23rd.
As a special bonus, Cross Infinite World has agreed to award a free copy of Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire volume 1, so we'll be hosting a giveaway. To enter, simply leave a comment below expressing your interest. If you are the winner (as determined by a random number generator), I will respond to your comment here to let you know. You can then email me your email address, and then you can can receive your ebook. (Note: It will be an Amazon version of the ebook.)
The contest deadline will be 23:59 on Monday, August 7th. Be sure to enter by then if you're interested in this novel!
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UPDATE: And the contest is finished! The winner of the drawing is MadameBlue14, who will receive volume 1 of Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire. If the opportunity arises, I will be sure to have more contests for light novels in the future! Thanks to everyone who participated in this one.