INTERVIEW: Creator of Resenter (VIZ One Shot) & Ignatz Nominated Manga Artists Gigi Murakami!

Incredible indie mangaka and comic content creator Gigi Murakami discusses what’s next for her One-Shot Resenter, exciting projects she’s currently working on behind the scenes, and shares advice that helps her make and plan her stories.

I am just not the type of person that hides. And I also want other aspiring mangaka that look like me to know that we are out here and we’re doing stuff and I want to help build that pathway for them.

Gigi Murakami

Interview Transcript:

The Anime Tea: Hi, everyone. I’m here with the incredible, Ignatz nominated, horror manga artist icon Gigi Murakami! Thanks for being here!

Murakami: Thank you for being here and doing all this, I appreciate it!

The Anime Tea: Yes, we’re at her booth, with her amazing, incredible merch behind us. Of course. I’m here to ask her a couple questions, if that’s okay, and get to know her a little bit. And what process that you go through to make manga. So you may or may not know, but she is the creator of the One-Shot Resenter. It’s also self-published. I know it’s still in the Viz program right now, but how long is it going to be on the Viz program? How long can we support it?

Murakami: Good question. So, what was happening with the One Shot program is that it’s a little bit of an incubator. So there are like some thresholds that everybody’s work has to pass over into in order to become a series. Unfortunately, Resenter got closed but it didn’t pass those thresholds. It’s still on the app. And it’ll stay on the app. If I decide to take it off, then it’ll come off, but I don’t think I will. I’ll keep it up there. But I am planning to do another one-shot. A different story. But I am hoping to pitch Resenter. So hopefully it’ll still work out in the end, but, yeah, at this point in time like to keep supporting Resenter definitely keep reading it on Viz. You can also buy the one shot from my, store, not the one shot. Sorry. You can buy the first chapter, the initial first chapter from my store, which is self-published, but the, officially traditionally published one shot for Resenter is free to read on Viz. You can still do that any and every bit of support, helps. Especially like with Viz, if they see the reading is like continuing, it just helps me sell Resenter more that like people are interested in the story and they really want to like, see it through the end.

The Anime Tea: That’s great to hear that we can still support, even though the the process is closed, but just reading it on the app helps.. So we’re going to continue to read on the app. Of course, I try to check on it every couple months just to make sure it’s on there. And I go through and read through it just to make sure.

But speaking of the One Shot, Resenter. And like you said, you self-published, a chapter of it. What is the connection? I don’t know if you want to give that away, but what kind of connection or what kind of setup do you have planned for both of them? Do you think that the one shot might be the new intro to the series?

Murakami: That’s a good question also. When I was working on the One Shot, I didn’t want to divert too far from that first chapter that I created previously because I didn’t want previous readers to kind of come in and have to rediscover the world. It just felt like it was going to be doing too much work. So I did have that idea in mind that I want the one shot and the self-published story that I did to connect. And so if you read both, you’re not really losing anything. There’s nothing like too new that you’re picking up from the one shot. They pretty much connect seamlessly and they can even like fit into the same time. That’s how I see it. Some of the bits that are missing and the first chapter you can pick up in the one shot.

The Anime Tea: Oh, yeah. I definitely see that because I like as a person who read the chapter first, like I bought the chapter book first, and then read the one shot I could see I could easily kind of get into the universe. But I can see how easily someone who read the one shot can get into the chapter as well. So, those are really well connected. Thank you for that.

I also want to say you give a lot of advice to artists I know on your YouTube channel and on your Instagram, to other manga creators. And I want to ask, what piece of advice was given to you that kind of stuck with you that you may pass down or that you just keep as a reminder to yourself?

Murakami: I have mentioned this on social media before, but the manga artist and illustrator, Aki Bright. He has become a friend of mine since the pandemic, we’ve become pretty good friends. And we always see each other at cons when he’s doing live drawings and stuff. And we, a group of us, some friends, we had all went out to dinner and I was talking to Aki about Resenter’s submission with Viz and the one shot program. And I was asking him for advice and what is that process like in Japan and you know just general advice of what I should be doing since this is a Japanese company and he has published work before. And his advice was to get very, very good and very quick at making names.
For those of you who don’t know, a name is basically like the Japanese word for a storyboard for a manga. It’s basically a storyboard. It’s the same way it’s used the same way that we use the word storyboard in English, where it could be like the basis of a movie or a TV show, or the basis of a comic.
So they use name the same way. So his advice is to get very quick and very professional at pumping out names because working with Japanese publishers in particular, they can be very finicky about revisions. Like you may undertake a lot of revisions and a lot of rejections for a single name. So the quicker that you can pump those out, the quicker that you can move on to the next thing.

That’s also really good for the one shot program because like literally the process is the same. So if you do get, one story rejected you should at least have another name available to pipeline it into the next.

The Anime Tea: That is awesome advice. I’m new to Aki Bright and his work. I learned about him from the McDonald’s, collaboration he did last year. And I was like, oh, this art is so cool! And I’m like, oh, he’s been here. But I’m like, that’s really cool. That’s really good advice.

So for manga creators, I think there’s a lot of people who don’t really know the process of manga creation. Like how deeply important certain elements are like storyboarding, like you’re saying, so that is huge. I want to say, also, because you talk to so many, I feel like you are good at getting into lot of, not spaces, but talking to kind of the people who have inspired you or other manga artists. And I know you say some of that just comes from your personality. You’re good at just talking to people and kind of networking. I want to ask, do you have any advice for how to talk to people or get into spaces and feel comfortable kind of shooting your shot and also just meeting new people?

Murakami: First of all, just breathe, take a breath. Look at the person as a person and not a representative of, like, this larger entity. People think of the word Viz or people think of the word Crunchyroll or the manga industry, anime industry. And they get nervous and it is kind of scary because you know these people are operating on a more like formal basis. You know these are corporations. So like, you do want to approach a normal person, but you don’t want to overthink it and get nervous and like, sike yourself out. Something that helped me, in a particular situation. It was like my first two industry parties, one being at Anime NYC, and then the second one being at AX (Anime Expo), which the AX one was way scarier. Like I couldn’t flee if I got scared.

But something that helped me was actually motivating myself with like podcasts. I know that sounds mad corny it’s such an aunty answer, but like, podcasts helped! Like hearing a motivational word whether if you’re like really religious and like read the Bible and like need a Psalm or if you just like a podcast or if your favorite content creator, like hearing them pumps you up, whatever that is get in the mode of feeling good, feeling proud about your work, feeling proud about what it is that you’re trying to do and be clear and concise about what it is that you do and just talk to the person like normal. Think about it as making a friend. I know people say networking. People are like scared I don’t know how to network! For me, networking just means I’m making a new friend and we’re in a shared industry. So if you keep that mindset and like all those all those things together, all the pieces, like, it’ll come together beautifully.

The Anime Tea: That’s great advice because I’m someone who feels I am socially awkward and I struggle. So I really appreciate it when people are like, no, just try to treat it like a friend! Take a breath first. Which I forget! So I always need that reminder.

Murakami: The thing is, though, is that like all of these people are also very socially awkward! Especially within the manga industry, everybody’s at home reading manga. Everybody is also like ahhh! The only difference is that they’ve all been working together so everybody knows each other. But it’s like if you come off genuine, even if you are weirdo, if you’re a genuine weirdo and you’re not overly like, you know, things are going over your head or like you’re doing too much like it’ll be fine. People are super kind in the manga industry and in the anime industry as well.
Anime industry people are a little bit more extroverted, I find. But still like weirdness is shared. It’s all shared Shared awkwardness. Yeah, it’s all fine, 100%.

The Anime Tea: Oh, nice. Yeah, that’s beautiful advice. Yeah. I would say that, not unlike other manga artists. I know there’s others, but I feel like you in particular are more out there and showing, like, personality and talking to people. I mean, more personable. And it’s kind of the opposite of what people think mangaka are like. I appreciate that you are, more out there. It’s nice to see you putting yourself out there more.

Murakami: I just want to say, like, I actually was a little nervous about that because this is my genuine personality. I just like talking and like relating to other people. And I was a little unsure if I should be my full self with that because of that stereotype that mangaka have. And it’s not so much that it’s a stereotype, but like because that is typically, you know, a lot of mangaka don’t show their faces and like, after Resenter dropped with Viz I understood why.

There’s just a lot of eyeballs on you, but I am just not the type of person that hides. And I also want other aspiring mangaka that look like me to know that we are out here and we’re doing stuff and I want to help build that pathway for them.

But something that did help me be like, it’s probably fine, I can just be myself! Is Naoki Urasawa. He has his own YouTube channel. He goes to different events. He plays guitar on stage and does, like, live drawings, he does a bunch of things. He’s very social and seems like a very personable guy. He has his own show as well, Manben. And so I’m like, damn, this is like sensei. Like if he is like out here being personable and, like, chilling and like talking to the people, I was like, I feel comfortable now to do that. And of course we all know like, Junji Ito, is like a loveable uncle!

The Anime Tea: Loves his cats!

Murakami: He’s in the Barbie box posing! And it’s like, okay, I feel like I can just be myself and like, you know I like talking to people. I like, you know, discussing things and being personable. So it’s like, I don’t feel like now I have to hide behind an avatar. And if I decide I want to, like when I need a break, I can. But I have the option. But at the end of the day, I can still be myself. So yeah.

The Anime Tea: That’s great, I love that, I love that I love that you find other artists who also inspire you and to do that. But yeah, thank you for talking to us today. I want to, before we leave, I want to say, like, what can we expect next? What are you working on and where can we find you?

Murakami: Excellent. Thank you all for being here. I appreciate it so much. You’ve always been such a big supporter over Resenter and that, like, it gives me goosebumps! I’m so happy. Thank you so much for that.

The Anime Tea: Of course. Always.

Murakami: So what I’m doing next, I know it looks like I’m not doing much on socials. I’m actually doing quite a bit. I have, two Kickstarter workshops. Not workshops, two Kickstarters, that are in the works right now. They’re not mine. It’s for anthologies that I’m doing work in. One is done. And you’ll be seeing promo for that pretty soon. There’s another one that I’m actively working on, and I just wrapped up, a one shot for a horror anthology with a American publisher. I don’t know if I can say just yet. I haven’t gotten the okay. But it’s a pretty big American publisher. They’re doing a horror anthology. There’s quite a few doing them now. So, like, you know, yeah, you might have to guess, but that is happening. I am also actively in the process of pitching Resenter. And I am also actively in the process of getting my next one shot together for the Viz one shot program.

So your girl is busy! I know it doesn’t look like it on social. I’m like posting all these different events and stuff that I’m at. But it’s on top of the events, I am actually doing work, and I’m here. So it’s like I am working. I am working on, 100%!

The Anime Tea: I want to say, just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean there’s not work being done. Like in the background. It sounds like you are doing a lot and we’re excited for whatever you have next. In whatever path, like whatever way you’re going to go with your stories. So thank you so much for this interview! Check out you Gigi Murakami! @GigiMurakami on on most platforms.

Murakami: @Gigi_Murakami on Instagram. Everywhere else @GigiMurakami.

The Anime Tea: And I’ll make sure to tag her! But thank you for coming today! Thank you for doing the interview!

It was an honor getting to know more about Gigi Murakami! Go read the Resenter One-Shot on Viz for free! Or buy the first chapter on Gigi’s Website. Please make sure to follow her on YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok, to get advice on how to become an indie mangaka and stay updated on what she has planned next for Resenter and her many incredible horror stories!