Sugoi-Con - Akira Gajou

Because of her pen name, some people think that the creator of the Love Drive erotic manga published by Studio Ironcat is a man. However, it was very clear at Sugoi-Con that Akira Gajou (on the left, flanked by Ironcat's Steve Bennett) is a woman. So why the masculine-sounding name? She explained that she liked the sound of Akira, and "Gajou" is one of the Japanese words for castle or fortress. But Gajou was firm in saying that she didn't want people to think she was a man. She noted that female manga artists can be very uninhibited in their stories, noting that there were younger artists whose stories were more explicit than hers.
So how does she create the erotic stories of Love Drive? Gajou said she has to keep both men and women in mind when she creates the stories. She admits that men and women...uh, "enjoy" the stories in different ways. "I ask my friends what fantasies they have, then the editors let me know what they want and I create a story," she said. Gajou always draws with the Japanese MTV channel on her TV set, and likes R&B and hip-hop videos the best.
Gajou has a direct link to artist Ippongi Bang. She worked for Bang as an assistant, then got a chance to create her own books. It was while visiting Bang's studio that Ironcat officials noted Gajou's works and decided to publish them in North America. The artwork has to be un-censored to reverse the limitations required in Japan. And often story lines are banned; Gajou said that if there's a notorious crime story in the news, similar manga stories are not allowed for a while.
The most distinctive part of Gajou's art style is the eyes on her characters, large even by manga standards. "It's whether or not I can get the correct expression out," she said about the eyes. "I try to use the lines to express the emotion I want to convey." And yes, the eyes are still important in erotica manga that emphasizes other body parts.

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