News On Japan

"Detective Conan" Creator Gosho Aoyama Faced Idea Shortage Shortly After Serialization Began

KAT-TUN's Yuichi Nakamaru Enthralled by Advice from "Detective Conan" Creator Gosho Aoyama

TOKYO, Feb 04 (News On Japan) - Yuichi Nakamaru of the pop group KAT-TUN appeared on the "Majissuka" segment of the Nippon Television network show "Shuichi," broadcast on the 4th (every Sunday morning from 7:30 am). He engaged in a special conversation with Gosho Aoyama, the creator of "Detective Conan." Aoyama revealed behind-the-scenes stories of "Detective Conan," a manga series that began serialization in Weekly Shonen Sunday in 1994 and is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024.

Unaware of the guest identity beforehand, Nakamaru walked into the room and was taken aback to meet Aoyama, a manga artist of great seniority. When Nakamaru straightforwardly asked whether Aoyama ever runs out of ideas, Aoyama admitted, "I've run out of ideas," revealing that he experienced a creative block just three months after the series began. Now, he devises tricks with his editor and two others.

Aoyama also disclosed that parts of his own personality are reflected in characters like Kogoro Mouri and Ai Haibara. He confessed that Haibara's lines such as "It's the end of the world for such an incident to occur" represent his own thoughts, as they echo the words he himself would say. Nakamaru, learning about the writing process, expressed his excitement, "That's fascinating! I'd love to watch the movies and works with that knowledge."

During the show, Nakamaru, who is also a rookie manga artist, presented Aoyama with a copy of his first serialized manga, "Yamada-kun's Restless Time." Although Nakamaru was nervous about Aoyama reading the manga on the spot, he was overjoyed by Aoyama's praise, saying, "It's better than I thought! Very easy to follow," to which Nakamaru gratefully responded, "Thank you!"

Aoyama provided detailed advice, such as suggesting a larger panel following a certain one, which had Nakamaru leaning in eagerly. Upon discovering a reference to Arashi's Jun Matsumoto in the manga, Aoyama suggested, "If it were me, I'd draw Matsumoto's face in the next panel." Nakamaru was thrilled by this new technique, remarking, "I see! I'll need to get permission for that!"

Source: MDPR

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Rain affected parts of Japan on Tuesday morning as a low-pressure system and front moved through, bringing heavier downpours in some areas. Skies are expected to clear across much of the country this afternoon. However, yellow sand drifting in from the Asian continent is forecast to spread over a wide area, raising concerns over reduced visibility and worsening health conditions.

Japan's weather agency and the Cabinet Office issued a 'Hokkaido-Sanriku Offshore Subsequent Earthquake Advisory' after an earthquake measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale struck off Sanriku.

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was found in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture believe his father moved the remains between several locations over a number of days in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Entertainment NEWS

In today's video, we explore the April performances at the Kabuki-za theatre in Tokyo! (Kabuki In-Depth)

A man accused of violating copyright law by publishing so-called spoiler articles summarizing films on the internet was handed a suspended prison sentence after the Tokyo District Court ruled that the posts infringed copyright.

A theater directly connected to Tokyo Station is set to open in May inside a large-scale redevelopment complex scheduled to fully launch in autumn, marking a new step in efforts to strengthen the area’s cultural and artistic presence.

A farewell performance titled "Farewell April Grand Kabuki" is being staged at Osaka Shochikuza in Chuo Ward, Osaka, which is set to close in May due to the aging of the building, marking the beginning of a two-month run of kabuki performances that have drawn audiences with comedies and dances featuring a colorful cast of characters, continuing through April 26th.

Today we have a look at the kabuki performances taking this April at the Shochiku-za theatre in Osaka! (Kabuki In-Depth)

A talk event was held at a bookstore in New York on March 9th to commemorate the publication of the English translation "SAKURA" of the bestselling novel "Sakura" by Naoki Prize-winning author Kanae Nishi, who appeared alongside American translator Allison Powell to discuss the book’s central theme of family love.

The winner of the 2026 Japan Booksellers Award, in which bookstore staff across the country vote for the book they most want to sell, was announced on April 9th, with Ryo Asai, 36, receiving the top prize for the novel "In the Megachurch," published by Nikkei Publishing.

Athletes from across Japan boasting finely trained physiques are set to gather in Okinawa for a major fitness competition, as more than 300 participants prepare to compete in the "Muscle Gate" body make contest, marking the event’s first-ever staging in the prefecture.