Daisuke Igarashi is an award-winning manga creator who began his career in 1993. His series Majo received the Excellence Prize at the 2004 Japan Media Arts Festival and was nominated for the Fauve d'Or Best Comic Book Prize at the 2007 Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême. Little Forest was nominated for the 2006 Ozamu Tezuka Cultural Prize. His current series Children of the Sea is the winner of the 38th Japan Cartoonist Award and runs in IKKI magazine.
| 1993-2002 | Soratobi Tamashi---1 volume |
|---|---|
| 1994-1996 | Hanashippanashi---2 volumes |
| 2002-2005 | Little Forest---2 volumes |
| 2003-2005 | Majo---2 volumes |
| 2003-2007 | Kabocha no Bouken---1 volume |
| 2006- | Kaijuu no Kodomo---3 volumes ongoing |
| Published in English by VIZ Media as Children of the Sea ---1 volume ongoing |
Daisuke Igarashi is the award-winning creator of such series as Children of the Sea, Majo, and Little Forest.
A page from Igarashi sensei's sketchbook. When he finds a piece of scenery that he likes he'll make a sketch of it. These sketches help him create final images for what he wants to express.
Q: How did the idea for the Children of the Sea story first come to you? What elements did you want to focus on compared to your past work?
A: The main theme of this story is the sea. The first time I went on a boat journey is when I realized how much I loved the sea. I was raised in an inland city, and yet when I stood by the seaside, all sorts of emotions stirred up inside me. As I thought about why this happened, I came up with the concept of the story. I wanted to convey the different faces of the sea—its beauty, its strength, its terrible power.
Q: You have a very distinct, beautiful art style. Your illustrations of oceans and landscapes seem to entice the reader to linger on the panels, spending time soaking in the scenery. What is your goal in the balance of art and storytelling? Do you intend your manga to be read at a certain pace?
A: My style originated from a certain experience I had. I was standing in a small, old forest near my house. As I stood in this forest, with the sun filtering through the trees and the breeze blowing, I suddenly noticed how beautiful this world is. Since then, my most important concern has been to show the beauty of this world. When I draw Children of the Sea, I try to be conscious of the rhythm of the waves. For example, as I draw quiet, gentle scenes, I want the readers to feel as though they're walking along the beach as the sun sets in a clear sky.
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