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An interview

The Internet is a truly wonderful place. One now-defunct OP site that I used to visit often had the transcript of a television interview that a local television station back in Kumamoto (the home-state of our beloved author). This show, "Issho DE Night", is an ultra-local program (to the level that I can call it "a show on the community channel") apparently on TV Kumamoto (which strangely enough is one of the Fuji network stations that currently airs the OP anime); and the maintainer of the transcript got a 4th-gen VHS from someone living in Kumamoto (another reason to love the Internet, I guess).

The show was aired to recipients of this local television show on January 4, 1998.

	(Program begins)
Host	This week, we are inviting people from Kumamoto whose works are known all over Japan...
Reporter	... and will be broadcasting it from the new home of our host, Issei-san.
	(shift scene to airport)
Reporter	Right now, I am at the Kumamoto Airport, filled with people who are coming back home to spend New Year's Day with their families. We have received information that... (ta-dah!) ... among these crowds is a manga artist from Kumamoto that is currently running this series in Shonen Jump; and we have come here to pick him up. Well, I heard that Oda-sensei is still young, so my expectations are rather high... I'm looking forward to this.
	(As the reporter holds onto the Jump...)
Staff	(not into mic; barely audible) So we've been waiting here a while.
Reporter	(cough) Oh, are you Oda-sensei by perchance?
Oda-sensei	Yes.
Reporter	Oh, welcome home. And nice to meet you.
Oda-sensei	Same here.
Reporter	My name is Hayashi, and I'm from TV Kumamoto. We're here to escort you home.
Oda-sensei	Oh, thank you very much.
Reporter	I assume you were on your way home. How long has it been since you were last here?
Oda-sensei	Oh, it's been a whole year.
Reporter	Oh, a whole year?
	(Now at Oda-sensei's house. The reporter gets an autograph.)
Reporter	I've never seen one before... (sigh) It's real....
Oda-sensei	Yes.
Reporter	Wow, a real autograph! Oh wow.... Wow... I'm tremendously happy! Thank you very much! Aren't you jealous, Issei-san? This is mine!
	(now at the house)
Host	Happy New Year.
Reporter	Happy New Year.
Oda-sensei	Happy New Year.
Reporter	Welcome!
Host	Yes! Welcome home!
Oda-sensei	Oh, thank you. I'm back, I guess.
Reporter	Oh, please, sit however you like. Make yourself comfortable.
Oda-sensei	All right...
Host	Yes.
Reporter	This isn't something to make you nervous.
Oda-sensei	Okay.
Host	Yes. Let's be really casual about it.
Oda-sensei	All right.
Reporter	Really! It's all right, this is an easygoing household!
Host	Yup, yup. But that's going too far. (they are filming at the host's house)
Reporter	(laughs)
Host	This is my house.
Reporter	So, how about a toast?
Host	Why, yes.
Oda-sensei	Yes.
Host	Then... welcome back! Cheers!
Reporter	Welcome home! And thanks for coming!
Oda-sensei	T-Thank you.
Host	Man, this is good.
	(Introducing Oda-sensei)
Reporter	So let me introduce him once again. Well, currently, he runs a series over here in Shounen Jump... uh... (laughs)
Host	What is it?
Reporter	(chuckle) ... he runs the series ONE PIECE in Jump. Eiichiro Oda-sensei.
Host	Thanks for the intro. And sorry about that.
Oda-sensei	It's all right. (laughs)
Host	How does it feel to be back in Kumamoto?
Oda-sensei	Well, it is relaxing.
Host	Relaxing?
Oda-sensei	Yes.
Host	Well, um... I don't understand how manga... ... how manga artists live. I've always wondered how they went along their daily lives....
Reporter	Hmm...
Oda-sensei	Oh? W-We draw manga like people normally work, we eat, and we sleep.
Reporter	(laugh) But, um... (laughs)
	(How to draw manga)
Host	.... For instance?
Oda-sensei	There is a process called the "name".
Host	Name?
Oda-sensei	Yes.
Host	What is a "name"?
Oda-sensei	A "name" is a draft before the rough draft in a manga.
Host	I see...
Oda-sensei	I plan out the frames, and make very rough sketches.
Host	Hmm...
Oda-sensei	Basically, yeah, I create the story. I create the story, then submit them to the meetings of the editorial staff.
Host/Reporter	I see...
Oda-sensei	And sometimes it gets used, and sometimes it gets axed. It varies.
Host/Reporter	I see...
Oda-sensei	If it's a good story, it will pass. If it's not good, you can be rejected for years on end
Jost/Reporter	Oooooh....
Host	And so ONE PIECE has been published now.
Oda-sensei	Yes.
Host	So do they tell you that you made it via a postcard or something?
Oda-sensei	No, not at all. But the editor that is in charge of me said "Yeah, we'll use it. No, wait, we're running a series with it."
Host/Reporter	A series.
Oda-sensei	They decided it would be a series!
Host	A series!
Oda-sensei	Yes!
Host	Let's toast to that!
Oda-sensei	Why, yes, thank you.
Reporter	(laughs) Congratulations. And so, you've been running this series since last June.
Host	(Hands Oda-sensei some tea)
Oda-sensei	Oh, thank you.
Reporter	And at the end of last year.... so it just came out. On December 27. This compilation.
Host	Oooooo....
Reporter	It came out.
Host	Oh, he started with the sea urchin!
Reporter	(laughs)
Oda-sensei	Yeah. It's delicious.
Host	You started things off with the sea urchin.
Oda-sensei	Yup.
Host	So there is no sense of order?
Oda-sensei	Nope, there are none.
Reporter	No more waiting... especially for an artist that hires 4 assistants!
Host	Oh, I see, that's why he can eat sea urchins.
Oda-sensei	I eat sea urchins, too.
Reporter	(laughs)
	(What kind of a manga is it?)
Host	So what's the story?
Oda-sensei	Oh, um... it's a story about pirates. Yes, they have a huge adventure.
Host	Oh, then, L-Luffy?
Oda-sensei	Yes, Luffy. The story is about his huge adventures.
Host	I see. Oh, so while he has the adventures, there are things that are... how to say it... humanitarian?
Oda-sensei	In a way, yes. It is heart-warming.
Host	Yes...
	(Oda-sensei?)
Host	Oda-sensei.
Oda-sensei	Yes?
Host	You know...
Oda-sensei	It's embarrassing.
Host	I mean, you see, this kind, smiling face! He seems like someone from a porn movie more than Oda-sensei, an artist.
Oda-sensei	Really!
Reporter	(chuckle) I see... But why are you smiling so much? The year has just begun...
Host	Why?
Oda-sensei	Well, uh, it's an occasion to celebrate.
Host	It is, isn't it?
Oda-sensei	Yes.
Reporter	Are you guys planning something weird after this?
Host	Of course not.
Reporter	Are you planning to go somewhere after this?
Host/Oda-sensei	Oh, of course not.
	(In the end)
Host	So, um.... We had Oda-san draw this. Something like a motto for this year, or just his slogan. So, will you show us?
Oda-sensei	Sure.
Host	(ta-dah.) "No problem."
Oda-sensei	Yes.
Host	What doesn't have a problem?
Oda-sensei	I'm not really sure.
Host	So, what kind of a year would you like this year to be?
Oda-sensei	Well, for starters, I want ONE PIECE to succeed. Yes, and I want to do the best with it.
Host	Of course. I wish you the best in the future. Thank you for coming today. Lastly, since you came back to your native land, will you send a message out to the people in front of the TV?
Oda-sensei	A message?
Host	Yes.
Oda-sensei	Well, Happy New Year. Let's spend this year like the last, with no problems to worry about.
Host	Yes, let's do it.
Oda-sensei	Yes, do our b--
Reporter	Huh?
Oda-sensei	Let's do our best!
Host	Let's do our best!
Oda-sensei	Let's do our best!
Host	Let's do our best! Yes, we shall do our best.
Oda-sensei	Yes.
Host	Right?
Oda-sensei	Thanks.
Host	And so... um... it's extremely easy for him to draw, but he's not that great with speaking....
Oda-sensei	I'm not good at speaking.
All	(laughs)
Oda-sensei	I'm sorry.
Host	Oh, it's all right. We'll be cheering for you, so do your best as well.
Oda-sensei	Thank you very much.
Host	So support ONE PIECE!
Oda-sensei	Please do.
Host	And so, our guest today was Mr. Eiichiro Oda.
Reporter	Yes. Thank you so much for coming today.
Oda-sensei	Oh, thank you.

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