——Are there any tools you use that you're fond of or find indispensable to your process, besides pens and regular illustration equipment? I heard that you use a one-of-a-kind left-handed glove when you draw manga...

That's true. It's a glove that covers my pinky and ring fingers but leaves the rest of them exposed. I always wear it when I'm drawing sketches or inking.

The reason is so I don't leave any smudges or smears with my fingers when I'm sketching and inking. I lose it all the time, so actually I have about three or four of them.

——Are there any other items that are essential to your work, besides the glove?

My smartphone and TV. I use my phone to play music, the radio, or YouTube, and I use my TV to watch shows that are airing or that I recorded, or I use streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. If I don't have something playing in the background, I can't get anything done.

And these aren't necessities per say, but I also use the following pretty often:

・Facecloths (for washing my face quickly in the morning or when I need to feel refreshed)
・Iced coffee (Starbucks always gives me a pick up)
・A cold compress (helps me avoid getting drowsy and makes me feel refreshed)
・Megashaki (a type of energy drink in Japan that's good for fighting drowsiness. The guarana flavor makes me feel like a new man)

And so on.

A shot of Toyotarou's work desk. The TV he mentioned and its remotes are on the left side of the table.

——Do you incorporate both digital and analog techniques into your process? And if so, how?

When I'm doing a manga, I draw storyboards and sketches with a mechanical pencil, scan them, then print them in blue. Then it's time to ink them.

The reason why I print them in blue is because that color doesn't show up in a scan, so I can skip the whole process of erasing unnecessary lines when I'm finished inking and I'm ready to scan the picture again. Then I import the inked page back into the computer and finish it digitally.

——I see! Is that what you did with this illustration?

I didn't actually print Majin Vegeta in blue this time, but rather I inked the sketch directly. Since it was only one sheet and not a whole manga chapter, erasing the lines wasn't that much work.

——Can you tell us about how you add color? And what aspects of coloring Majin Vegeta specifically did you keep in mind?

I wanted to convey a sinister vibe, so I gave the whole drawing a darker tone.

I went with a brush paint rather than anime-style paint this time because I felt it did a better job at expressing Majin Vegeta's aesthetic.

*Several coloring techniques exist, including anime-style "solid-tone" painting and "brush painting" which uses a brush-style to add gradation to the image.

——There are two versions of the Majin Vegeta illustration. What kind of image were you looking to create with the red shadow version?

I used the red lighting reflections to convey a sense him being in the center of some kind of fiery, war-like destruction.

——I see, the red definitely looks like it's from something burning! Lastly, please tell us your favorite scene or line from Vegeta.

This is probably the same answer that a lot of Dragon Ball fans give, but I love the line, "Good luck, Kakarrot... You are the champion!!"

If we're talking about a comedic scene, I like the line, "Ho ho ho! Don't feel too bad. My boy just comes from better stock!" It gives you a sense of the changes Vegeta went through while living on Earth, and I like the sentiment behind it.