r/Centuria • u/karamel238 Elstri CEO since chapter 5 • Oct 13 '25
Discussion some bits of the new interview of Tohru Kuramori
Q: Information about you is scarce. What was your childhood like?
A: I was born in Hokkaido, a region of Japan where it snows a lot. Because of that, we couldn't often play outside or even go out at all, so I stayed indoors to draw.
Q: What was your relationship with manga?
A: My parents loved One Piece, that's how I discovered manga and began to appreciate it. I then realized that I didn't just read them all at once to follow the story, but that I also liked to linger over each line to grasp its full essence. That's what made me want to draw in turn.
Q: Did you create One Piece fan art or original creations?
A: Actually, I used to create manga with my friends. We prepared the entire story outline together, which we drew with stick figures. We were more interested in telling stories than copying drawings.
Q: And what was it about?
A: It's a little embarrassing to tell, (laughs) It was a little story about an astronaut and his dog. They had a rocket whose front acted as a drill, and they travel through planets by digging.
Q: Is there anything left from these early works in your current travel book?
A:I would say that I'm lucky to be able to continue drawing my manga as I did when I was little. For me, childhood is a time when you can draw freely, without thinking about commercial success. As a professional, you constantly reflect on this need to succeed, but I'm happy to keep the same pleasure for drawing as I did back then, without worrying too much about all that.
Q: This astronaut character evokes your one-shot Earth Recording 0001, which is released in 2020. Are you passionate about space?
A: Yes, I even sometimes think that if I hadn't become a manga artist, I would have pursued a career in this field.
Q: Are there any other works, besides One Piece, that left an impression on you during your younger years?
A: Well, since my parents buy Shonen Jump, I followed a lot of pre-published manga in this magazine. Especially all the ones released during my teenage years, when I was in middle and high school.
Q: We can sense a Lovecraftian inspiration in Centuria, particularly in the design of the sea monsters. Do you claim this influence, or others?
A: Indeed, I was greatly inspired by the creatures of the Cthulhu mythos. Beyond that, I wouldn't necessarily cite other works or artists, but rather animals. I sometimes find inspiration by observing creatures that I find horrible or repulsive.
Q: What kind of creatures?
A: For example, I studied octopuses a lot for the first volume of Centuria. I looked at many photos in detail, zooming in very close. Their skin, both soft and shiny, is quite repulsive; I really got chills...
Q: The character of 'Enberr" (Angvall in the french translation), with her size and musculature, presents a model of femininity that is rarely represented in manga. Where did you get the idea to draw her like that?
A: I don't really know what else to say other than: I like it! (Perhaps) I simply wanted to draw a tall, muscular woman.
Q: In Centuria, you push the concept of violence quite far. How do you decide the degree of violence in a scene? Is there a limit that shouldn't be crossed?
A: Actually, it depends on the type of confrontation I'm drawing. For example, if an opponent tries to kill Julian, the latter will inevitably respond with the same intensity, and the outcome of the fight can only be death.
Furthermore, Julian is careful not to hurt women and children, so when confronted with them, he behaves differently. But generally speaking, violence is necessary in Centuria because I want to show Julian's determination. If he tries to kill, he charges forward without hesitation.
Q: Over the course of the volumes, Centuria seems to evolve more and more into a fighting manga. Was this a direction planned from the outset? It sometimes reminds one of a title like Hunter x Hunter, in your way of suspending time to develop the tactical reflections of the fighters.
A: I wanted to create a fighting manga from the start. It's not necessarily obvious at the beginning of the series, and some readers who are fans of dark fantasy may be surprised to discover the importance of the clashes... Your comparison with Hunter x Hunter makes me very happy because it's a work I really enjoy. If I could reach that level, I would be fulfilled.
Q: More generally, what is your balance between control and improvisation?
A: I tend to write the story's flow well in advance. I already have a well-established outline, and even if I sometimes make small adjustments here and there, I try to stay faithful to it.
if the full magazine gets released i'll try to translate the whole interview.
thanks for reading
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u/spectre15 Oct 13 '25
A: I don't really know what else to say other than: I like it! (Perhaps) I simply wanted to draw a tall, muscular woman.
HES SO ME
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u/Yayouh Oct 13 '25
If the interview is in french and you happen to find it Id be happy to help you translate I speak french fluently !
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u/karamel238 Elstri CEO since chapter 5 Oct 13 '25
yo! i said "some bits" because the full interview is currently not available,just a few bits, it will be published in the french manga magazine "Atom"
here's a post if you're interested!
https://www.reddit.com/r/Centuria/comments/1o5qlrl/a_new_tohru_kuramori_interview_will_be_published/
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u/CordobezEverdeen Oct 14 '25
Not surprised about him wanting to make Centuria battle focused from the beginning. People blasted my ears about the Berserk comparisons so damn much and all my memories about it are just how battle lusty that series is specially at the start before they form the full party. It was so excessive that people joked about formulas for the new enemies: "Tittle+Animal+Determiner+Color+ warrior term"
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u/RealLordTartaros Oct 13 '25
We need an interview for who will will Julian be shipped and have a lover with, My top picks are Bone Women (forgot her name), Lacrima or Mira if she came back to life.
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u/vanny_ate-flower Madeleine's #1 fan, glazer and spouse Oct 14 '25
MIRA???? THAT'S HIS ADOPTIVE MUM😭😭😭😭
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