>>880Here's the relevant portion of the interview with the editor:
"Inuyasha was rather serious and hard-hitting, so Takahashi-sensei said, "The next one will be a comedy that can be read casually." As a big fan of Ranma 1/2 I was overjoyed to meet with her to discuss the new serial.
However, although the setting and the stage were decided upon, the image of the main character, which is the basis of Takahashi-sensei's works, seemed to be difficult for her to grasp, and then, two weeks before the start of the serialization, I suggested, "How about the main character living in a school?" "Why?" she asked, "Because he is poor!" I replied.
Suddenly, the teacher turned serious. "Poor… Poor? I see… that could be interesting." "Does being poor mean that you have been wearing the same jersey all your life?" And then, in no time at all, Rinne Rokudo was born. I remember I was so thrilled because I felt like I was witnessing the moment a character came down to Takahashi-sensei.
Sensei loves TV and always checked out the comedy programs. Her favorite comedian changed every year, and in a good way, she wasn't picky, and I think she always caught the mood of the times when it came to "what makes people laugh." The low tension interaction between Rinne and Sakura was totally novel, completely different from the high tension gag character Tatewaki Kuno, who I liked the most in Ranma.
The page I chose is from the first chapter, where the identity of the main character is revealed. Immediately after this page, Sakura has a puzzled expression on her face, "What's going on…?" The monologue is "My name is ●●! And my occupation is ●●!" and give some flavor to them. The dialogue between the two is classic…! This is my favorite scene that made me realize once again that Rumiko Takahashi is a genius.
Kyokai no RINNE 1st editor - Shunsuke Moteki (茂木俊輔)
Takahashi: Even after you were no longer assigned to this project, I was very grateful for your occasional comments. I'm very happy that it has been adapted into an anime."
I find it sort of incredible that an off-the-cuff comment two weeks before the start was what fundamentally defined Rinne Rokudo. Wouldn't be Takahashi otherwise, I guess.
I messed up posting this. But I can't delete it since the password changed and I don't remember it. Whoops.
