Artist
You Higuri grew up with manga, anime and the Takarazuka theater, and
all of these are reflected in her artwork, soon to get new exposure in
the U.S. through a release by DC comics. "To express my feelings in
drawing, it was a natural thing and really enjoyable," Higuri said at
an interview session. "As I drew and showed it to the children around
me, I was very pleased and I was very proud of it. In the end, that's
why I ended up getting a job like this." While Huguri has become known
for her boys' love stories, she prefers European historical drama from
the Renaissance and the 19th century "'It's got a really grand view of
the world and there's a lot of action associated with that," said
Higuri. "When we talk about boys' love, the scale of the story becomes
much smaller because it's about the interaction between two persons."
While some part of manga is unique to Japan, the emotions from those
stories are universal, she said. The Takarazuka theater, famed
worldwide for its stage productions with all-female casts, is a part of
Higuri's neighborhood and her life. That theater lets fans dress in
troupe costumes and pose for pictures, and she once took advantage of
that to put on an elaborate court gown.
Manga
characters showintense emotions through their eyes and faces, and
Higuri said those emotions flow directly from her soul onto the paper.
"It's often like I'm just mirroring myself. When I have to express an
emotion, when my character is surprised, I'm surprised. That goes
through my hands and onto the paper. It's like I'm acting and that's
directly linked to what comed out on a piece of paper." Boys' love
stories, once considered to appeal to women in Japan only, have become
popular among many English-speaking females. On that popularity, Higuri
explains that "There are many good looking attractive boys who are
attracted to each other. To the female audience, it's like they can
observe what is happening from a distance and they don't have to feel
jealous - like if one of the boys was taken by another girl. That gives
the female audience a sense of relief." Higuri also observed that in
male chauvinistic Japan, some women don't mind seeing male characters
emotionally hurt in those stories.
Artist
You Higuri grew up with manga, anime and the Takarazuka theater, and
all of these are reflected in her artwork, soon to get new exposure in
the U.S. through a release by DC comics. "To express my feelings in
drawing, it was a natural thing and really enjoyable," Higuri said at
an interview session. "As I drew and showed it to the children around
me, I was very pleased and I was very proud of it. In the end, that's
why I ended up getting a job like this." While Huguri has become known
for her boys' love stories, she prefers European historical drama from
the Renaissance and the 19th century "'It's got a really grand view of
the world and there's a lot of action associated with that," said
Higuri. "When we talk about boys' love, the scale of the story becomes
much smaller because it's about the interaction between two persons."
While some part of manga is unique to Japan, the emotions from those
stories are universal, she said. The Takarazuka theater, famed
worldwide for its stage productions with all-female casts, is a part of
Higuri's neighborhood and her life. That theater lets fans dress in
troupe costumes and pose for pictures, and she once took advantage of
that to put on an elaborate court gown.
Manga
characters showintense emotions through their eyes and faces, and
Higuri said those emotions flow directly from her soul onto the paper.
"It's often like I'm just mirroring myself. When I have to express an
emotion, when my character is surprised, I'm surprised. That goes
through my hands and onto the paper. It's like I'm acting and that's
directly linked to what comed out on a piece of paper." Boys' love
stories, once considered to appeal to women in Japan only, have become
popular among many English-speaking females. On that popularity, Higuri
explains that "There are many good looking attractive boys who are
attracted to each other. To the female audience, it's like they can
observe what is happening from a distance and they don't have to feel
jealous - like if one of the boys was taken by another girl. That gives
the female audience a sense of relief." Higuri also observed that in
male chauvinistic Japan, some women don't mind seeing male characters
emotionally hurt in those stories.
