Meet The Artist: Episode 5 - Ruri Hazuki

Hello everyone! We have another episode of Meet The Artist! I'm Lilyka-chan!~ Today's fifth episode has a nice guest who has been with us for a while! Please welcome Ruri Hazuki-sensei who has made works such as "Saturday Lunch Menu 1" and "Wednesday - See You at the Altar"! Let's get started shall we? Lilyka: Hello Ruri Hazuki-sensei! Thank you for your time today. How are you doing? Hazuki: Thank you for giving me the opportunity for the interview. As of now, I am healthy for the most part, but not 100% energetic. I feel that you might feel the same. It would be great to say "I'm fine" from deep down soon. Lilyka: I completely understand how you feel. Hopefully, we all can be back to our cheery selves soon! Let's start with a fun question first! Do you have a favorite musical artist? Hazuki: I've had many over the years, but since childhood, I've been a fan of George Tokoro. He writes folk songs with lyrics inspired by day to day life, but the way he portrays it is funny. Sometimes I laugh thinking about it. Lilyka: That's so nice. I had to check him out for myself! I think my favorite song is "Swim! Taiyaki Shop Man!" (泳げたいやき屋のおじさん) Now then, switching gears, how do you like being an artist? Hazuki: Honestly, I don't feel any change from before I published my first work as an artist. I've been drawing for a long time, so I think it's wonderful that I'm able to receive so much feedback from people. Lilyka: That's interesting, but it makes sense! It's nice to have many perspectives on the work you do. It's a very enriching experience! When it comes to your art, do you have any special influences? Hazuki: Although the influences aren't apparent, I've been inspired by many people. Among anime and manga works, I especially like Sailor Moon. This isn't because the title is easy for non-Japanese people to grasp. It's truly my favorite. Everyone on the team supports Tsukino Usagi-chan so much, and the supporting enemy characters are also fairly attractive. I feel maybe that's why there are so many characters in my work. It's because of Sailor Moon's influence. Lilyka: That makes a lot of sense. I watched a lot of Sailor Moon growing up myself! The characters are just so much fun. Sailor Mars was my favorite. Your inspiration really does shine through. That leads me into my next question. Your stories take on the more mature side of relationships in the office environment. What is your process in constructing them naturally? Hazuki: Well, I also work in an office so I draw inspiration from every day life. I'm the type of artist who writes the plot in detail first. Then, I list the episodes and what I want to include in the story to sort it out. When I convert the ideas to drawings, I am careful not to make the gestures or dialogue unnatural. So, I'm happy to hear that they come off as natural. Lilyka: Your attention to detail is quite admirable. It really pays off in the end as well. Now, how do you come up with the titles to your stories? They are quite interesting. Hazuki: Basically, I'm not good at coming up with titles, so I often come up with them at the end. Sometimes, I line up words that are related to the story and combine them. Other times, they just come out of the blue. "See You at the Altar" came to me while taking a shower. It was the day before I had to submit the manuscript. Lilyka: That method is definitely creative. It really adds a flare to your work that makes it stand out. In closing, do you have any final words for your fans? Hazuki: Thank you for reading. If you're reading this interview because you're interested in me as a person, you may get a different impression than from my work. I think people are interesting because they can be viewed in so many different lights. I very much enjoy creating that character. I'll continue to enjoy my craft in creating, so I hope you will enjoy reading my work. Lilyka: That's such an insightful way to end things off. Thank you so much for you time Ruri Hazuki-sensei, and thank you the reader for taking the time out to read this! As always, that's all the time we have for today! I hope you enjoy the next installment of the series, Meet The Artist! Tune in next time! Follow Ruri Hazuki-sensei on social media! https://twitter.com/ruri_hazuki https://www.lilykamanga.com/online-store/hex%3A7365617263683f6b6579776f72643d727572692068617a756b69

Lilyka-chan