"Dragon Goes House-Hunting" has gained popularity for its unique worldview of a comedy manga set in a fantasy world and for the many charming characters it features, but what kind of person is the author of this work? With an anime adaptation due to start in April 2021, many people are probably curious about it. So this time, we've looked into the two people in charge of illustrations and the original author of "Dragon Goes House-Hunting". We'll also introduce the types of expressions they're good at while analyzing their works, so be sure to read until the end.
A mysterious manga artist! !
Both Ayako and Kawo Tanuki have not been recorded to have worked on any other works besides "Dragon Buys a House," so they are truly people shrouded in a lot of mystery. So in this article, we will analyze the characteristics of "Dragon Buys a House," the only work they have worked on so far, and also analyze the two of them themselves.
No information at all about either of them! ?
I tried to find out more about the author and illustrator of this work, but I couldn't find any information other than that they were in charge of "Dragon Buys a House." Maybe they are active while keeping such information secret.
The only work they have is "Dragon Buys a House"!?
Currently, there is no information on any of their works other than "Dragon Buys a House." I'm very curious about what kind of works Ayako and Kawo Tanuki have drawn so far, so it's a shame that we can't see their other works.
Twitter is also not found
Nowadays, many manga artists use Twitter as a tool to disseminate information, but it seems that neither the original author nor the illustrator of "Dragon, Buy a House" have a Twitter account. I was unable to confirm their personal Twitter accounts, but the official account for "Dragon, Buy a House" sometimes posts comments and illustrations from the two of them, so if you are interested in them, please check it out.
Let's think about the characteristics of each
So, here I would like to analyze the characteristics of these two manga artists from the only source available, "Dragon Buys a House." Through their work, we can see what kind of expressions and themes they are good at, so I would like to introduce it to you all.
Introducing the fun of "Dragon Buys a House"
In addition, we will introduce the appeal of this work while introducing the characteristics of the two people, so we would like to explain it for those who want to know about the original author and the illustrator, but also want to know about "Dragon Buys a House"!
If you look at the work, you will see the author! !
In any case, since the author creates the story and characters of the work, the explanation of the story and the explanation of the author are inseparable, so let's understand both at once in one article!
Let's analyze the artwork
Among the many features of this work, the artwork is perhaps the most notable. Here, I would like to explain the features that Ayako Ayako, the illustrator, uses to draw the many characters in an attractive way, as well as the characteristics of Kawo Tanuki's artwork.
Flavor of the Showa Era
The biggest feature of Ayako-sensei's drawing is the way she draws characters, which is reminiscent of "Showa era shojo manga." All of the characters that appear in "Dragon Buys a House" are drawn with fine lines reminiscent of Showa era shojo manga, and the characters' expressions and feelings are depicted in a way that is easy for readers to understand.
The expressions are old-fashioned! ?
As you can see, the artwork is generally very Showa-style, and the characters' expressions are bold, reminiscent of Showa-era gag manga. When a character is shocked, vertical lines are blatantly drawn on their face, and "manga symbols" are used in many scenes. For this reason, many people may find the characters' expressions a little old-fashioned at first glance.
The old-fashionedness is exquisitely addictive
However, although the explicit expression may feel strange at first, as you read further, the explicitness of this expression becomes exquisitely addictive. The slightly exaggerated expression that is far removed from reality matches well with the fantasy world, leading to the fun of "peeking into another world" as if watching a puppet show.
The perfect expression for a gag manga! ?
And above all, "Dragon Buys a House" is a gag manga set in a fantasy world, so it is necessary to draw the gags at a good tempo so that the readers do not get bored. Considering this, the characteristic of this work's frequent use of "manga symbols" can be said to be a good way to create conditions that make it extremely easy to draw the character's reactions and facial expressions, and it can be said that it is an ingenious device that suits this work very well.
Carefully written
Furthermore, one of the characteristics of the artwork in this work is the detailed drawings that can be seen everywhere. In this illustration, there are notes that will make many readers chuckle, such as the "ice cream with a Cassandra poster on it" drawn next to Pi.
The meaning of careful writing
This kind of writing is a device that makes the reader think that "Casadora is taking ice cream out of this refrigerator and eating it" in the world of the story, and it is a device that can create a sense that "the characters are living in the world of this work". The fact that such careful ingenuity is used everywhere can also be said to be a characteristic of the illustration of this work.
It is difficult to draw a dragon with expressive faces! !
The reason for this Showa-era flavor in the drawings is probably because the main character is a dragon. Unlike humans, dragons have difficulty expressing facial expressions, but by frequently using "manga symbols" like in Showa-era girls' manga, it became possible to draw dragons, which are difficult to draw, with rich expressions.
The skill of Ayako-sensei
In this way, "Dragon Buys a House" is packed with manga drawing techniques, and you can see the high level of skill of Ayako-sensei, the illustrator, as a manga artist.
Feminine drawing
The gender of the illustrator, Ayako-sensei, has not been revealed, but judging from the delicate handling of lines and detailed drawings in this work, it is likely that she is a woman.
Thinking about Kawo Tanuki's skill and story structure
Here, we will consider the story structure of this work to explore the skill and characteristics of Kawo Tanuki, who was in charge of the original work. "Dragon Buys a House" depicts a unique worldview that is completely different from his previous works, which are gag manga set in a fantasy world, and the story structure is a level more difficult than his other works.
Get a glimpse of the author's skill
By examining how the author, Kawo Tanuki, manages to fully depict such a difficult worldview, we can get a glimpse of his skill and ingenuity.
Comedy Manga
Before considering Kawo Tanuki's skill, it is necessary to consider that this work is a "comedy manga". Gag manga is a genre that has many shortcomings, such as not being able to express things that are possible in other genres of manga, and it is also a genre in which it is difficult to draw original works.
Disadvantages of Gag Manga
Unlike regular manga, gag manga needs to include gags at a good tempo so that readers don't get bored. Therefore, if it includes a complex world view or setting like a regular manga, it is not possible to balance the explanation of the world view or setting with the tempo of the gags, and the gags and the setting will both fall apart.
So what about fantasy?
I explained that a complex worldview and a comedy manga don't go well together, but how does the fantasy worldview of "Dragon Buys a House" go with a comedy manga?
Kao Tanuki's ingenuity
Normally, the fantasy world is an unrealistic world where various monsters roam, so it may seem like a complex worldview that is incompatible with gag manga. However, Kao Tanuki's greatest ingenuity was combining this fantasy worldview with gag manga.
Why gag manga can be created in the fantasy world
The world of fantasy is certainly complex, but at the same time, it is a world that we have come into contact with in many works, and many people probably have a fixed idea that "fantasy is like this world." A world that is complex like this, yet can be accepted by many readers without any explanation, is the fantasy world.
Tanuki Kawo is amazing! !
In this way, the biggest ingenuity of the original author, Kawo Tanuki, is that he tried to write a gag manga in the fantasy world, which at first glance is often thought to be incompatible with gag manga.
Summary
What did you think? This time, we have considered Kawo Tanuki and Ayako Ayako, the original author and illustrator of "Dragon, Buy a House". There is still little information about this manga artist, but information about a manga artist is not limited to his or her profile. You can dig deep and find out "What kind of ingenuity and what challenges are they taking on?" from the manga he or she actually draws! I hope this article will help you realize how amazing "Dragon Goes House-Hunting" is. Thank you for reading the article to the end.
