( yet another) Yuki Obata interview ~ Journal du Japon

Wow. After the interview posted on Manganimation here's another one published by Journal Du Japon. I am thrilled!
So , the link to the original page (in french) is here . Below, you can find the Q&As in english.

Can you describe the story of "Bokura ga ita"?

. Yuuki Obata: Two students meet and face together the trials of life. Nanami Takahashi is a bit naive, Yano Motoharu is rather mysterious. At first, she feels idle facing him, then discovers he has lost his girlfriend and she wants to help him to overcome his pain .

How the series "Bokura ga ita" was born?

YO: I had already created three series on the theme of high school life ... The staff of Betsucomi "asked me to draw another one, but with a different approach.
When I started working on this series, I found difficult to capture the personality of students and I was afraid that the story, about a young boy whose girlfriend is dead, could come across as banal. I still wanted to continue and eventually it has been well received, so I'm happy.

After 13 volumes, have the characters matured?

YO: I do not want to make them grow up too quickly, I want it to be a progression. Of course, they are becoming adults, but they may take a step back, and then move forward again. I often feel that they do nothing but taking steps back, I wonder if they really progress at all (laughs) . The protagonists are still very young, the tests are therefore more difficult for them. Ultimately I wonder if it isn't a little too much and if it remains credible ...

In France, the release of the 13th volume has just been announced , what is its characteristic?

YO: Readers are expecting the meeting between the two protagonists , finally it has arrived ... (laughs)

What have you retained from your previous professional experiences (Rain Drops ...)?

YO: My first memorable experience is the first story I wrote but this was never released in France. During this period, I could draw anything I wanted to express. I had to stop when I changed magazine.

What difficulties have you encountered in working on this series?

YO: The pace of publication was hard for me to keep up with. It was difficult picturing the series as a whole, imagining what would happen next.. At first I had to publish a chapter a week, and for each chapter, I had to find a twist to keep the story interesting.

What made you become a mangaka?

YO: When I was young, I read lots of manga, a habit I lost when I started high school. After high school, I restarted and felt emotions that reminded me of my childhood. I wanted to translate those feelings by drawing. More generally after my studies, I had to think about what I wanted to do as a profession, becoming mangaka grew on me.

What is a normal working day like?

. YO: It starts with the "proto", a synopsis of the chapter. Even if the team I work with writes me a script, I can't find inspiration easily, I do not have a lot of ideas. Then we proceed to the stage of "nem", which consists of an initial drawing. Since I struggle on the "proto", I take much more time on the "nem", I discuss it with members of staff, and carry on like this until the publication.

Is this the first time that you're in France to publicise one of your series ?

YO: I visited Aix-en-Provence and Nice three years ago and I have already been in Paris twice, but it was for personal reasons.

What is your relationship with your french readers?

YO: I had no idea there were so many readers! What a discovery! (Laughs)

Can you tell us about your plans and projects for the future

YO: First I want to finish "Bokura ga Ita", then I hope to work on a more personal project , where I can really put a bit of myself, without depending on the public opinion. I am recording personal experiences, movies, music etc..