Entrevista a Katsuya Iwamuro, el genio detrás de «Shibatarian»: ¡Prepárate para el terror y la intriga!

Originally published on the online platform Shonen Jump+ by the Japanese publisher Shueisha, the horror manga Shibatarian, written and illustrated by Katsuya Iwamuro, has garnered a significant audience following since its debut.

Shibatarian tells the story of Hajime Sato, a high school student who one day stumbles upon a fellow student buried under a tree, Hajime Shibata. Despite no one seeming to know the latter, the two strike up a friendship – bonded by their shared passion for cinema – and decide to collaborate on making a film together. From that moment on, things take on an unexpected, surreal, and grotesque turn.

In Italy, the manga has been translated by Star Comics. To mark its debut, the publisher also hosted Katsuya Iwamuro himself, along with his editor Takuya Ito, at Comicon Napoli 2024, which took place from April 25 to 28 at the Mostra d’Oltremare.

During the festival days, we had the chance to meet Iwamuro and talk to him (and Ito) about Shibatarian and the work behind its creation.

First of all, how did you become a manga author?

Six years ago, I started drawing, then I submitted a one-shot story to Shonen Jump+. The editor noticed me and contacted me. I then created more one-shots, which were published. That’s how I made my debut.

How did you experience the transition from one-shot stories to a series like Shibatarian? How has your way of working changed with this transition?

Being a series, after one deadline comes another immediately. So it requires energy, and I also have to pay attention to my health.

[Takuya Ito] The master’s talent was already remarkable, but for the one-shots, he had always focused on comedy situations, whereas for Shibatarian, it is in the horror genre. It was something new for him, but he is improving with each chapter.

The initial premise of the series is that of a person that only the protagonist can see, a sort of imaginary friend. Where does this idea originate from? Did you also have an imaginary friend as a child or teenager, as many do?

I am an only child, so yes, I often played with Godzilla and Gamera. [laughs] Actually, although in the first volume it seems that Shibata is just an imaginary friend, as the story progresses, you discover the reason why no one else can see him. It’s very similar to the movie Fight Club.

By the way, where does the love of the protagonists for cinema come from? Are you also a cinema enthusiast?

I love cinema a lot, but when I started studying the details of Shibatarian, I first imagined this scene, the ending of the first chapter. It’s set in a cinema, and the protagonist realizes that there are many Shibatas around him.

I imagined this scene first and then developed the story, which is why, inevitably, the protagonists became cinema enthusiasts.

But has cinema influenced you in any way?

Yes, a lot.

Who are your manga and authors of reference within the horror genre?

Definitely Junji Ito. Like how Tomie multiplies, right? When I draw Shibata, I realize his influence on me.

What attracts you the most about horror?

Among the movies I watched as a child, the ones I remember the most are horror films. Jaws, Gremlins, Hitchcock’s The Birds, Child’s Play… If we talk about romantic movies, war movies, or any other genre, if a child watches them, they won’t remember anything. They can’t grasp the story. The feeling of fear in horror movies, on the other hand, is a universal sensation, common to all.

How difficult is it as an author to instill fear in readers?

[Takuya Ito] In his one-shots, the master focused on comedy. In the Japanese comic world, it is said that creating comedy manga or horror manga follows very similar logic. For comedy, you create scenes, characters that make you laugh, and then people laugh. In horror, there are scary scenes, with characters getting frightened. That’s why the master has succeeded in portraying horror very well, in my opinion.

The character Shibata’s eyes have a very particular shape. Is there a reason why you draw them this way?

I wanted to make Shibata’s character unsettling, without any particular expression. I tried drawing it in various ways, and in the end, this vertical, emotionless eye shape convinced me.