Your manga Chobits has a more mature content.  Have you created it thinking of a more mature audience than usual?

Ohkawa: By now we design manga since many years (since 1989) and since always we have tried to explore new frontiers of making manga. It all begun with doujinshi, until arriving to the recent Card Captor Sakura and ANGELIC LAYER, and these last two were addressed to a rather young audience. Right now we are turning to a more mature audience with Chobits and also with Gouhou Drug. We had wanted to create a story based on a robot for a long time, and Chobits has been the completion of that plan. It is true that the thematic is addressed to mature boys, but that’s exactly what allows us to create gags and create a funny story.

What can you tell us about X? By now it’s been running for over nine years!

Ohkawa: X has entered in the final phase of the narration, and we’re truly sorry for that. It has given us many satisfactions and it has been a pleasure to draw it, but by now it is time to conclude it. As far as the TV series, we have left everything in the hands of staff in charge for it, including the scripts, the cast choices and everything else. We are simply spectators this time just like everybody else.

Changing topics. How do you keep in shape?

Ohkawa: I do not have much time to dedicate to it; often for job reasons I go to bed past midnight. Last year I have gone to the gym. In order to keep in shape I use the bicycle, the treadmill, the rowing machine, and I take some walk. Unfortunately I drink a bit of alcohol, but not much (laughs).

Which are your favorite TV shows?

Ohkawa: Right now I am following the series of Star Trek Voyager, which is broadcast on SuperChannel CS. I like it very much, because the captain of the ship is a woman, and it shows how women can occupy leadership positions. I would love to do a manga that takes place in the space.

Have you seen any of the American adaptations or your works?

Ohkawa: Recently I have only seen the American editions of Card Captor Sakura and X. I think the X adaptation was done fairly well, and also the story was kept faithful to the original. Sakura instead is a lot different from the original and I didn’t like it very much.

We have finished our talk, would you like to say anything else?

Ohkawa: Have fun reading X, ANGELIC LAYER, Gouhou Drug and Chobits as we have fun in making them. Please look forward to them.

 

Translated from Italian by Chibi Yuuto.

 

Source

It is unclear where and when this interview was first published. Judging by the answers, it looks like it was published sometime around 2001. Original interview in Italian available at: http://clamp.altervista.org/gazzetta/gazz4.html

 

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