#tome mezato and tsubomi are all so completely different from each other. their interests and ambitions are unique to them

[ledians]

random thought but i know that one of the major criticisms i see for mp100 is the lack of female characters, but honestly? the few female characters it *does* have are more interesting/developed than anime where half the cast is female

[katyatalks]

PASH! ILLUSTRATION FILE 2017 (January 2017) - Character Designer Kameda & Director Tachikawa - Character Design Notes

Here’s Director Tachikawa & Character Designer Kameda’s notes on a few Mob Psycho character designs from PASH! ILLUSTRATION FILE 2017 (January 2017). Includes a bunch of interesting info including Reigen’s shoujo manga love interest roots, Ritsu’s hair changes, and Teru’s connection with Neon Genesis Evangelion. Characters covered; Kageyama Shigeo, Reigen Arataka, Dimple, Kageyama Ritsu, Onigawara Tenga, Hanazawa Teruki, Mezato Ichi, Kurata Tome, Tsubomi, Gouda Musashi, Kamuro Shinji, Suzuki Shou.

KAGEYAMA SHIGEO

Tachikawa; “Deciding how big to make Mob’s irises was something that often caused a bit of trouble. There were plenty of times where I’d look at him on paper, or I’d draw him and think that his irises were an OK size, but then actually looking at him animated they’d be too small and a little scary...”

Kameda; “I’ve become aware that when I draw him, I make his irises not too small, but so that they reach about half-way down the whites of his eyes. I think Mob’s face around volume 9, 10 of the manga is really good!”

REIGEN ARATAKA

Kameda; “I paid attention to the way he stands, so that just by looking at his silhouette his character would stand out. In contrast to Mob-kun’s spaced-out standing pose, Reigen exudes confidence. I pay attention to the line his body follows, so that it resembles an S shape. I imagine Marmalade Boy’s Matsuura Yuu-kun, and apply that coolness to Reigen.”

Tachikawa; “Sakurai-san’s performance as him is also great. There’s a slight shadiness to his voice, so to say…”

Kameda; “It gives Reigen this handsome vibe (laughs).”

DIMPLE

Kameda; “I wanted his form to sway in the anime, so I drew him like a fireball with his edges spinning clockwise. Actually, the way his edges move differs depending on the episode; in some, it’s an anti-clockwise spin, and in others it’s a movement from both sides that spits off at the top, and so on (laughs). Also, when he possesses the security guard, he has wrinkles under his eyes. Without those lines, he’s too fresh-faced. He’s the sole adult within this work * - I’m also conscious of that.”

Tachikawa; “I’m glad that Ootsuka-san’s cool voice was able to add a liveliness to this work. I wanted there to be some weight when he plays the funnyman.”

KAGEYAMA RITSU

Tachikawa; “The volume of his hair proves a struggle.”

Kameda; “Actually, when I draw him, I have two ways of doing so. From episodes 1 to 8 I gave his hair a big volume and made the ends pointy, but episode 9 onwards he rounds out a little. When he reconciles with Mob-kun and the darkness in him fades, the spikiness of his hair also decreases (laughs). I kept that a secret. So this amusement park art takes place during a time in which Mob-kun and Ritsu-kun have reconciled.”

Tachikawa; “So, when you look at Ritsu’s hair, you can see how he’s doing mentally (laughs).”

ONIGAWARA TENGA

Kameda; “What stands out in his design is the plaster on his left cheek. I proposed his design should have something that identifies Onigawara as some king of the punks. In the manga, he only has the plaster when he first appears, and following that it’s typically gone, but I think the plaster is good in that it gives him this delinquent vibe.”

Tachikawa; “Also, he has eye bags and two lines there.”

Kameda; “Yes. Much like the manga, I gave him those two lines.”

HANAZAWA TERUKI

Kameda; “When I draw Teru’s hair, I imagine Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Nagisa Kaworu-kun, & I give it that kind of square silhouette. What also stands out in his design is the way that bundle of hair jumps at his parting. Also, when his hair is at 150%, I have the ends of his hair be a little wriggly. Seems like plenty of our staff thought that drawing that ‘bundle of hair’ feeling was difficult.”

Tachikawa; “There were also people who made the ends of his hair bounce cleanly.”

MEZATO ICHI

Kameda; “She’s cute.”

Tachikawa; “That’s right. I also love her.”

Kameda; “When I drew her, I did so with the impression that she’s one who’s got her eyes open. She is sharp sighted, after all.”

KURATA TOME

Kameda; “Tome-san strikes me as a character who pulls a lot of blank faces.”

Tachikawa; “She appears in this amusement park art… and yet she seems bored, doesn’t she.”

Kameda; “She’s at an amusement park, and yet, she’s playing a video game (laughs).”

TSUBOMI

Tachikawa; “Tsubomi’s anime design is completely different to how it is in the manga.”

Kameda; “She’s /the/ bishoujo. However, with each character in the Mob Psycho 100 manga they have distinct lines that mark their upper and lower eyelids, so I drew the anime’s Tsubomi while respecting that rule.”

GOUDA MUSASHI

Tachikawa; “I feel I really put my all into drawing Gouda.”

Kameda; “He’s got plenty of special aspects to his design such as his faux hawk and centipede eyebrows, but contrary to expectations he’s difficult to draw. I tend to give him droopy eyes…”

KAMURO SHINJI

Tachikawa; “Onigawara has them too, but I think Kamuro’s eyebags are his special feature.”

Kameda; “I agree.”

Tachikawa; “I suppose those lines under his eyes that go toward his cheeks are also a feature.”

SUZUKI SHOU

Tachikawa; “Shou distinctly has pupils, so when you compare him to the others characters he looks a little different.”

Kameda; “Definitely! Since he has pupils, he’s the only character who looks like a foreigner.”

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* Cast have taken digs at Reigen being an adult ‘only in age’ before

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Originally posted on twitter here.

The interview that comes with these notes was translated by Kaga, here.