Discover through a thrilling interview behind the scenes of the exhibition celebrating the half-century of this emblematic Japanese shoujo bimonthly.
In Japan, the name of the magazine Hana to Yume, bimonthly dedicated to shoujo manga, is known to everyone. At the peak of its circulation, it sold up to half a million copies every two weeks. If the name of the magazine perhaps finds less resonance in France, the series which were born there have undeniably marked the heritage of shoujo manga. There we find, among others, works such as: Glass no Kamen (Laura or the passion for theater), Please Save My Earth, Fruit Basket, Alice Academy, Skip Beat! Yona or the Princess of Dawn or the recent success Kamisama School (best shoujo launch in France in 2023). If we add to these famous series nuggets like Sukeban Deka Or Patalliro! (more than 25 million volumes in circulation in Japan), we are beginning to understand the importance of this emblematic magazine within the world of manga.
To celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, the publisher of the famous magazine, accompanied by the event teams of the Sankei Shimbun (one of Japan’s leading daily newspapers), organized a major exhibition. The latter retraces, through more than 400 original plates, and numerous goodies, five decades of constantly renewed creativity. For L’Internaute, Takahiro Hasegawa, the current editorial director of the magazine Hana to Yume, agreed to tell how and why organizing this anniversary exhibition was obvious.
Linternaute.com: When was the idea of doing an exhibition for the 50th anniversary ofHana to Yume ?
Takahiro Hasegawa: We were approached by the teams of Sankei Shimbun, 2 or 3 years ago. And from that moment on, we worked together to bring this project to fruition.
Why is it important to have an exhibition to celebrate this anniversary?
50 years, half a century, is a very important milestone. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to take a step back and appreciate how far we have come.
How was the choice of Tokyo City View made?
From the moment we decided to celebrate this fiftieth anniversary, it was obvious that we were going to need a gigantic venue. We then selected a list of several possible locations in Tokyo, but our choice fell on the Tokyo City View (which houses the Mori Tower 52nd floor in Roppongi Hills, Editor’s note), particularly on the criteria of space, of its openness and its capacity to accommodate very varied scenographies.
Once it was decided to have an exhibition, how were you appointed to curate the exhibition?
It’s actually a collegial role. We worked withinHana to Yume with the editorial departments, for which I am responsible, with the events department. Of course, the teams of Sankei Shimbun were also involved, as well as several external speakers. I am far from the only person to have been involved in the success of this exhibition.
What was the biggest challenge in organizing this exhibition?
With 50 years of history, there are obviously paths that have diverged. Some mangakas have left the profession, or no longer work with Hakusensha. Some interlocutors lost touch. The main difficulty was getting in touch with all the authors.
Fortunately, we managed to contact the majority of them and all agreed to lend us their precious original works.
How did you choose the number of artists (74) to highlight in this exhibition?
We would have liked to be able to highlight all the creatives who worked within Hana to Yume over the years. But with space limitations, we were forced to make choices. We have chosen to focus on the titles that have particularly marked our readers over the last 50 years.
Once the artists and works were selected, how did you choose the boards to use for each panel? Have you proposed a list of iconic scenes to the mangakas? Or was it an exchange with them?
We asked the teachers to choose the scenes. For example, the climax of the work or a passage from the first chapter. Or that particularly resonates with their hearts. And that’s how this eclectic selection appeared.
Quite surprisingly (but positively), there are a majority of color illustrations. Is it a choice or a coincidence of programming?
As we have a large number of artists in the exhibition, the number of original works exhibited for each mangaka was in fact limited. This is why the number of original color illustrations which are the face of the comic strip can seem significant in view of the volume of production.
Did you learn anything from the magazine? Hana to Yume when organizing this exhibition?
It’s not really a discovery, nor a surprise, but looking at these 50 years of manga production put together made me aware again of the incredible editorial diversity that has developed withinHana to Yume.
What was your biggest surprise?
All the designs are magnificent. Each board is a delight of finesse and delicacy. But I was particularly struck by the beauty of the oldest works. Looking at these original plates, I could sense the complexity of the patterns and textures with gradients so fine that they could not be reproduced by prints at the time. I was also very surprised that this fineness of the textures was achieved entirely by hand, before the wefts appeared.
You can post anything as long as it’s captivating.
Why are photographs of works prohibited?
There are several factors that are taken into account to arrive at this type of decision. Original images are delicate works of art, they may degrade over time if exposed to bright light over time.
We are also concerned that in some cases, high resolution photographs may be used in a context that does not respect copyright.
Some manga artists may say that they don’t mind having their works photographed, but due to various concerns, we have decided to prohibit this practice.
Finally, authorizing photographs increases visiting time and can cause a risk of congestion within the exhibition during busy times.
How did the idea of showing mangaka offices come about?
The idea came when we asked ourselves the question of showing something other than original works. And we also looked at what was happening in other exhibitions in the world of manga.
One of the (many) reasons for the popularity ofHana to Yume is the incredible richness of the genres of stories published. Why do you think this magazine is one of the richest in terms of editorial diversity?
It’s very simple, the motto of the first editor-in-chief was “we can publish anything as long as it’s captivating”. There were no “gender” constraints under his leadership. It is this culture which emerged in an atmosphere which values free thought which opened the way to a magazine as free and therefore rich as Hana to Yume.
In your opinion (without reading the answer) how many kissing scenes are there in the exhibition? And tears?
Answer: There are 14 kissing scenes and 6 tearful scenes. Tell us if you are surprised by the result (yes, I counted them).
These typical scenes are very important and requested by readers of shôjo manga. It is therefore normal that these scenes are so represented in the world of the magazine and therefore of the exhibition.
In recent years, more and more mangakas have gone digital, there are no longer analog boards to display. Did this impact you?
I think you can appreciate both. Obviously, when you observe the details of original analog works, you will appreciate the finesse of the pen stroke and the realism of the painting. But if we print a digital work with a very high degree of finesse, we can then achieve a reproduction faithful to the artist’s intentions. Which allows you to see and appreciate things that you wouldn’t be able to see in a magazine or a bound volume.
What were your expectations for this exhibition?
More than expectations in terms of business, this exhibition is above all our way of thanking our loyal readers. And we are delighted to be able to give them back a little of their love through this exhibition. I am delighted that this exhibition has allowed more people to discover the magazine Hana to Yume.
Were you surprised by the enthusiasm of the fans?
I am grateful to all the fans who were able to come to the exhibition. For as long as I can remember, I have been an avid reader of the magazine Hana to Yume, I wouldn’t say that I was surprised by the enthusiasm, but rather that I was very happy to see so many friends joining in this celebration.
Speaking of foreign fans, manga is more popular than ever around the world. Do you think that the exhibition Hana to Yume could be required to travel the world?
Obviously, if a request were made to us, we will take it into consideration. But as a large number of works highlighted in this exhibition have not been published abroad, it is likely that such a request would be accompanied by a change in content.
How did you choose which goodies to make for the exhibition? Can you explain to us, for example, why certain goodies were ultimately excluded?
The merchandise company gave us a lot of ideas. I don’t know if there are any products we couldn’t make, but we have a traveling exhibition coming up, so hopefully we can bring you some more new products.
Thank you to the teams ofHana to Yume and to those of Sankei Shimbun for their valuable help throughout the organization of this interview.