#gray record

Volume 5, Chapter 44: The panda’s (!?) true identity

The gaze that bothered Allen back then was in fact Suman’s. After that,  Suman lost consciousness and a local family helped him out.

Volume 6, Chapter 52: Thanks to Suman, I found Johnny’s role

Ever since I was a newbie, I’ve had this habit of putting characters like Johnny  by the protagonist’s side. I felt a strong affinity with him because of that and wondered if perhaps a day would come for him to play an active role in the story. From the start I was also choosing which character(s) would support and help Allen once he ended up isolated, and Johnny was one of my options. As I wondered about what to do with him, Johnny just started to talk on his own after being told about Suman’s betrayal. Everyone who learnt of Suman’s betrayal and future death due to his Innocence kept their feelings aside, but not Johnny. He cared for Suman and started to cry for him. Once I drew that scene, his role in D.Gray-man was decided.

Volume 6, Chapter 53: I wanted to show the Innocence’s frightening side

In the Fallen Arc, I wanted to show that “the Innocence has a frightening side too.” The Innocence may be a power to destroy “evil”, but I don’t think the “power” itself is “good.” Something like “power” isn’t by nature good or bad; it depends on the user. I’m glad I got to draw this, but it was a tough turn of events for Allen… If Timcanpy didn’t slap him, what would have happened to him?

Volume 7, Chapter 60: The planned event about Bak’s great-grandfather

At the start, I had the intention to include a brief story about Bak Chang’s great-grandfather concerning the “Sealed Gate”. However, I decided to delay it as the plot concerning the revival of Allen’s Innocence ended up being more complicated than expected. Because by that point I loved the Chang Clan and the Asian Branch, I thought there would be more chances to bring it up in the future.

Volume 7, Chapter 62: Bak Chang saved the struggling Hoshino!?

I was struggling and worrying as I progressed through the evolution of Allen’s Innocence into Crown Clown, exactly like he did. I just couldn’t think of anything that felt completely right, which annoyed me to the point that Allen’s irritation was a perfect match to my own. I have the feeling that back then I was 100% synchronized with Allen… I included the scene about Bak Chang’s peeping at that moment, intending him to buy me some time (bitter laugh).

Volume 7, Chapter 64: A part born from its last scene

Before drawing the battle with Eshi, an image of Lenalee extending her arm towards something came to my mind. I had this feeling, that she was extending it to the world she, together with Allen and the others, wanted to protect. In my desire to include this image, I created the scene in which Anita lends Lenalee hairbands. I’m glad it also gave me the chance to put Anita in another scene.

Volume 9, Chapter 77: Jasdevi exists in reality…!?

Jasdero is modelled after a friend, Adam, who made a drawing for D.Gray-Theatre. Both his appearance and personality were taken from her. For Devit I used Adam’s close friend, who was always with her. I’m really grateful I got to use such pretty and stylish women as models for the Noahs.

Volume 9, Chapter 83: The new Innocence, undecided until the last moment

I already decided that Crown Clown would look like a clown, but I was missing something essential: how to combine that with Allen himself. At the very last moment, the phrase “The left arm for the AKUMA,…” came to me and thanks to that I became confident with Allen’s Innocence being right as it is. I still remember how careful I was to not mix up the right and left arms back then.

Volume 12, Chapter 108: The unplanned return of Eliade

My idea was to never draw Eliade again, convinced that her never appearing again was for the better. Yet when I was working on the name for this chapter the characters just moved on their own and there she was. Perhaps it was Krokins who summoned her back. I left her face out intentionally in this part. I was sure readers would imagine what her expression was, so I tried not to draw her more than necessary.

Volume 12, Chapter 118: Troubled by Lavi’s one-to-one battle

At the Ark battle, there was something that I worried about a lot: how would I make Lavi, an observer, fight…? Being a Bookman, earnestly fighting to the death was out of the question, so I decided in the end for him to have the mind battle against Road. It gave me the chance to introduce an event about him as a “Bookman,” so I’m satisfied with the result. In fact, I was enjoying myself quite a bit as Lavi suffered over his exposed memories… Speaking of the Bookman Clan, it would be possible to fill one manga volume just with the material I have on them from the start, yet Lavi rarely talks about himself due to his situation. Even for me, the author, the Bookman Clan are difficult to handle because they have a tight guard. That made it impossible to bring up the depths of their story no matter how much I wanted to, and the reason why the battle against Road was so fun for me.

Volume 14, Chapter 135: Allen and Johnny’s chess practice

I wanted to include a scene with Johnny and Allen talking about Suman on page 122 of the volume 14, after the second panel. My wish was to make a short story about Allen, who saw all of Suman’s memories, “challenging Johnny to a chess match” after getting back to the Order. Sadly, as D,Gray-Man was serialized weekly back then, that story I would have filled a chapter’s worth of pages. That, combined with bad pacing, made me cut it. In the end I lost my chance to draw it, so I started to include in a casual manner the image of them playing chess together after the Fallen Arc.

Volume 14, Chapter 135: The “mark” in Link’s forehead was an insurance*!?

My plan was to make Leverrier appear as someone to represent Central, and at first I didn’t think much of Link’s existence. At first, I wasn’t even sure if there would be a chance to make use of his background as a skillful fighter and ex-CROW, so for the time being I put the meaningful “:” on his forehead. Afterwards, once it was decided that the story would develop in a way that made it possible to exhibit his skills as a CROW, I put the same mark on the other CROWs. So that mark was born as an “insurance*”.

* That’s the literal word she uses. I think she means it as a “reminder”, a sort of promise, but I didn’t feel with the confidence to change it

Volume 16, Chapter 157: Reconciliation out of nowhere?

At the exposition scene about crystal-type there was definitely a degree of reconciliation, but at that point I was thinking of drawing something on the topic of Komui and Lenalee’s strained relationship. Komui couldn’t accept the fact Lenalee drank the Innocence in front of his very eyes and became crystal type at the invasion, so he was putting distance between them… that’s what I had in mind. Yet I forgot it completely and the Komuvitan D situation started without me drawing it. Was I tired from the Invasion Arc…? (Bitter laugh). However, the ghost girl that appeared in that arc fixed it up nicely for me, giving me a way to dispel the bad feelings between those two. For those interested, you can read it at volume 17, pages 45-47.

Volume 17, Chapter 167: Allen’s hair partition, signifying his determination

I changed where Allen’s hair parts from the center to the left, over his curse, immediately after his meeting with Cross. Given that he is the type to conceal his feelings with a mask of gentlemanly manners and normalcy, I wanted something visual to represent his resolve. Finally, to show the changes in his mental state, I decided to put the pentacle, hidden until then, in the open. But when I went to draw it, I felt Allen’s turmoil. He was desperate after what happened, or so I think. I’m also sure Lenalee noticed the change, but said nothing about it. From that day on, Allen started to prove that “he was loved by Mana” by using the curse Mana gave him.

Volume 18, Chapter 179: The special!? Anti-AKUMA Weapon with Assistant included appears!

Thinking about child exorcist Timothy’s Innocence was fun, but it also brought me some mixed feelings. On top of being small, still a child, he is a “parasyte-type”. They have to send someone like him to the battlefield. What came up after wondering what kind of Innocence would be right for him was the Assistant “Tsukigami.” An Innocence with an Assistant like Timothy’s is a first in the history of the Order and so Tsukigami, who can only be seen by its accommodator Timothy, has become a new research object for the science division. I’m looking forward to this Innocence in the future.

Volume 19, Chapter 186: The illusionary third exorcists mission

I was thinking about making a mission for the third exorcists’ debut just after this chapter, but I was unable to do it in the end because of the magazine change. By the way, Tokusa being so talkative was a surprise even for me, the author (laughs). I would still like to include the scenes I had to set aside later on, whilst Tokusa and the others are working for the Earl. Of course, I want to do the same with their bond with Link too. The story of the thirds continues. I can’t wait.

Volume 20, Chapter 193: Alma’s omitted rampage scene

A lot was omitted in Alma’s rampage scene. I had it all thought out: in which order he had killed them and what he talked about with Edgar in the end, before impaling him. But my editor pointed out to me that the Reminiscence Arc was too long, so I hurried to the battle between Kanda and Alma. A part of me thinks it’s fine this way, but the other still has regrets over being unable to draw it. There was a lot I was unable to bring up: the depiction of the Asian Branch and Marie on the verge of death after the rampage, a scene about Bak on the other side of the wall and more.

Volume 24, Chapter 215: Tim’s unknown conflict!?