People are social beings, We need a community to rely on, a friend to rely on for better or worse, companions with whom to follow the path marked by destiny and a home to return to. Family, whether imposed or chosen, provides strength, shelter and encouragement in the worst times. You can’t reach the top alone, nor can you find happiness without someone to share it with.
With this premise, Satoru Nii created Windbreakerone of flagship products from Distrito Manga, the line dedicated to Japanese comics from Penguin Random House. This tells the story of Haruka Sakura, a lonely young man who arrives at school. Furinknown for his bad reputation, with the idea of becoming the strongest in town. However, when he arrives, he discovers that the famous gang Windbreaker This is not the group of young rebels I believed in and, far from fighting for the simple pleasure of knowing they are the most powerful, they do it to protect their neighborhood from other gangs.
Windbreaker has become one of the most recent successes in the Japanese market, so it is not surprising that the Spanish publisher received great support when announcing that its author would arrive for the first time in Spain. As part of Manga Barcelonawhich was held from December 5 to 8, became the headliner, confirming that there would not only be signing sessions, but also a live drawing session, as well as an interview with the public.
And although he hides his true identity behind a fox mask and has only published one work in the country, the truth is that he has established himself in the demanding culture of comics. Something that, as he admitted, was not easy: “For me, it is a dream that the work will be known internationally. I work in a very small space. It’s me and my assistants. Therefore, when I see that all kinds of people like my work, I feel very grateful. In my work, I talk about a Japanese student living in Japan and interacting in a completely Japanese environment. Knowing that people from any part of the world can relate to it or resonate with it fills me with joy.”
Although this is truly one of the great charms of Windbreaker and the way of telling through the drawing of Satoru Nii is the use of youth formulas. From how they relate to how they are perceived, each character has a very strong line. In comics, not only the text is important, but also the visual representations, so the two must coexist perfectly.
“Clothes are a very useful tool for describing a character. For example, a happy character wears cheerful clothes, with lots of accessories, fun clothes and a wilder style. However, a more serious character opts for more subdued styles. Although, sometimes too I like to play with contrast. “If a person is super cute and has a more masculine element, it makes them stand out more,” he said.
“Clothes are a very useful tool in describing a character.”
But doing this work is not easy. As he explained, Every week he makes a new chapter of his series. In this way, in the first days he makes the first sketch, which must go through the approval of his editors to finally reach inking and publication. Hard work, but one that I couldn’t be more proud of.
“When I started publishing it, I didn’t think it would take so long,” he confessed, recalling that it is still published today in Japan. “There are very complicated moments when you draw, like when I have to play several characters at the same time. Everyone has their own characteristics, so I have to find the perfect balance. But at the same time, I really like playing beautiful characters,” he said with a laugh.
And it is precisely the creation of his work that motivates Satoru Nii the most. The work has 24 compilation volumes in Japan, of which the first 13 are already They arrived in our country in a Spanish and Catalan edition. In addition, the manga was adapted into an animated series with two seasons available on the platform specializing in anime. Crunchy rollwhere we can also see it with Spanish dubbing.
Therefore, knowing that Windbreaker would arrive on the small screen through an animated series, He invested himself fully in his creation. He worked on both the script and the character designs, so that the essence of his story was maintained and, once released, it was “a dream”.. One that you can share with all your followers around the world, as is the case with Spanish fans.
“Now, thanks to social networks, I can know the opinions of all my followers. I like when they send me messages and it motivates me. In the case of Spainfans are very passionate, they don’t hesitate to say how much they love something and I love seeing how they experience it,” Satoru Nii said as his final thoughts on the event.
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