Ranking of Kings: the origins of an incredible success story

Ranking of Kings

When the principles of adventure shonen – a hero whose dream seems impossible who will give everything to achieve his goals – meet the world of fantasy, one would expect an epic in the wake of works like DragonQuest. But it is nothing. Ranking of Kings is an incredible UFO, sometimes funny and full of optimism, sometimes as hard as a Game Of Thrones… Impossible not to fall in love with Boji, this character who, despite his silence and deafness, is unparalleled in his expressiveness. The anime adaptation has already won the hearts of many viewers and, on the occasion of the publication of the manga by Ki-oon editions, Sousuke Toka, its author, answers questions from LInternaute.com. The latter, who decided to quit the traditional world of work to become a mangaka at 40, cut his teeth as an illustrator with a publisher who ended up filing for bankruptcy before self-publishing his manga online.

Linternaute.com: you have an atypical career and only became a mangaka at 41 years old. And you’re even self-published online. Can you tell us how and why you became a mangaka?

I have always dreamed of living from my pen. I resigned because I said to myself that it was time to try everything for everything. I was planning to give up for good if it didn’t work out after a year.

Your first manga, Ranking of Kings, was rejected by the majority of publishers. You found a publisher through self-sacrifice but they went bankrupt before publishing the manga. So you published it online because you believed in it a lot and, after several months of publication, you won an award for best webcomic and the title exploded in popularity, with several hundred thousand readings…

Ranking of Kings was never refused by anyone, because I never offered it to publishers. You probably misunderstood. It’s a publishing house of illustration books that went bankrupt. Before my series was talked about on the internet, I was approached by three publishing houses, but I refused their proposals. I know the rule in this industry, which is that any publication that does not sell must be stopped. That’s why I didn’t want to be edited at first. I first wanted to continue my story and increase its popularity.

I’m careful not to draw just for myself.

How did you feel then?

It was the first success of my life. I could not believe it.

You have published a manga on your atypical journey, Datsu Sara 41-sai no Mangaka Saichôsen Ôsama Ranking ga Bazuru Made. It feels like your experience is a real shounen story. If you had to give one piece of advice to budding mangakas, what would it be?

Show his manga to many people. Be honest and accept feedback. Demonstrate an analytical mind. Keep in shape to draw on the length. Think about his readers. I’m careful not to draw just for myself.

Your parents are unaware of your career as a mangaka and think that you are still a salaryman. Why hide this job from them? With over 1.5 million copies sold, isn’t that stable enough as a job?

As I don’t live with my parents, I don’t feel the need to let them know.

In addition, they do not have a very positive idea of ​​the medium of manga, anime or video games. All the more reason not to say anything.

Where did the spark for the project come from? Ranking of Kings ?

At first, I wanted to make an illustration book out of it. I then changed the format to make it a manga. I started this series as a training exercise, in a certain spirit of levity.

Does Bojji’s name have a special meaning? If so, can you explain it to us?

This name comes from “Daidarabotchi”, a giant from Japanese mythology. I got “Daida” and “Bojji” from it.

How close is Bojji’s character to you?

Bojji doesn’t look like me, but I might project an ideal of what I would like to become.

And how much Shadow looks like you?

Ombre doesn’t look like me, but I would really like to become like him and that’s my ideal.

Bojji, despite many handicaps, keeps the strength to smile and move forward towards his dream. Is his unwavering will his greatest strength?

His smile serves as a shield against the problems raised by his disability. His dream was defined by his mother, and he tries somehow to achieve it. However, that doesn’t mean that’s what he really wants. His greatest strength is his righteousness. But without Shadow at his side, he would probably have fallen into oblivion.

You borrow many tropes from rather “Western” fairy tales: kings, giants, evil stepmother, magic mirror. What are your main references in this area?

I was inspired by console RPGs, like for example DragonQuest Where Dark Souls.

What other sources have inspired you to Ranking of Kings ?

Berserk by Kentaro Miura.

Is it implied that Ranking of Kings have a happy ending suddenly?

I don’t want to draw dramas that end badly.

The first narrative arc ends in the 12th volume. Did you already know the end of Ranking of Kings from the start of the story? Or did you adapt it following the success of your manga?

I didn’t have the end in mind when I started. It was through the pages that the outcome came to my mind.

Do you already have an idea for the second story arc? Can you tell us a bit more?

I haven’t put everything in place yet, but I’m thinking of bringing back Gueslain and Poiz, who appear in volume 1.

Queen Hiling (Bojji’s mother-in-law) is sometimes a mean stepmother, sometimes a kind mother. Why did you choose to represent it like this?

I don’t see her as mean. For me, right from the start, she’s a character of a severe but loving mother-in-law.

What is your graphic inspiration for this character?

I wanted her to be recognizable at first glance, that’s why I drew her with a long nose. That is just about everything.

I read in an interview that The never-ending story impressed you a lot. Bastian (Editor’s note: the hero of The never-ending story) was also being martyred at school. Is it a source of inspiration or a model for Bojji?

Bojji is not really martyred, he just suffers from a lack of understanding. But I find stories that feature victims of bullying raising their heads or changing their fates to be interesting as well.

Bojji and Ombre will both fight against the destiny that predestines them to a role that hardly suits them. Is this a metaphor for your role as a salaryman that has been imposed on you for so many years?

It’s true that I’m alone too, but my situation is in no way comparable to theirs. This is just a staging trick.

You draw digitally, tell us about the advantages of this use?

I also tried analog drawing, but digital is much more practical. Solid black or frames are done in one click, it’s magic.

Ranking of Kings, Ki-oon edition, 7.65€ (Buy it on Amazon)