I always thought I would be successful

The interview takes place in Tokyo, at the headquarters of I.T. Planning, a state-of-the-art, three-story building (completed in July of this year) that houses both the studio and the residence of the creator of SLAM DUNK.

Takehiko Inoue greets us with his wife and manager, showing from the very first moment an extremely friendly and youthful demeanor. His simple and spontaneous manners immediately put us at ease, making our pre-interview anxiety vanish completely.

After the pleasant chat, he takes us on a tour of the spacious rooms of the building, where we notice, despite the late hour, people still hard at work. Passing through the workstations of his assistants, we finally arrive at the heart of the company: his studio. On the drawing table, there are a few storyboard pages for an episode of Vagabond, his latest endeavor. The walls of the room are lined with numerous shelves filled with books and photographic collections of all kinds, as well as manga by friends and fellow artists. Meanwhile, hats, T-shirts, shoes, and basketballs, most likely signed by famous American players, are proudly displayed everywhere.

Finally, his charming and delightful wife, Miyuki, invites us to have dinner with them, giving us an exceptional evening during which the conversation touches on a wide variety of topics.

Throughout the time we spent together, the author gave us the impression of someone who, despite the incredible success he has achieved, has remained the same person he always was.

MANGA ARTIST – To start, could you tell us when you were born and if your name is a pseudonym?

TAKEHIKO INOUE – I was born on January 12, 1967. I’m 31 years old now... (Laughs) I feel like I’m introducing myself! And the name I use is my real one.

MA – Can you tell us how your career began?

TI – Well, I won a prize in the Tezukashō contest, dedicated to Osamu Tezuka and organized by Shueisha. The story I won with was later published in a magazine.

MA – Can you tell us about it?

TI – It was a basketball story like SLAM DUNK, with a high school boy as the protagonist. In SLAM DUNK, there’s a character named Kaede Rukawa... and the protagonist of that story had the same name, but his personality was a little different. That was my very first story.

MA – What was the title?

TI – Kaede Purple.

MA – Purple?

TI – Yes, purple.

MA – Did you start SLAM DUNK immediately after that?

TI – No, well... When that story was published, I was still living on the island of Kyushu. Later, I moved to Tokyo and worked as an assistant for a while.

MA – Whose assistant were you?

TI – Tsukasa Hojo, who was working on City Hunter at the time.

MA – For how long?

TI – Let’s see... Less than a year... About ten months.

MA – Was that the only time you worked as an assistant?

TI – Yes.