INTERVIEW: Agatha Christie's Masterpiece Gets First-Ever Manga Adaptation – Young Artist Behind the Project Shares Insight: “Its Legacy Gave Me Strength”

A Self-Taught Style Informed by Many Influences

— You studied art in school—what manga or creators have influenced your work?

Nikaidō: I can’t name just one. I’ve learned from countless artists, picking up things I admire and storing them for future use. In that sense, I’ve been influenced by every manga I’ve read. That said, I especially admire Kamome Shirahama’s layout and design in Witch Hat Atelier, Gege Akutami’s depiction of running scenes in Jujutsu Kaisen, and Kōhei Horikoshi’s expressive faces in My Hero Academia.

Running poses are tough—they often look static. But in Akutami-sensei’s work, the characters move fluidly even without motion lines. It’s amazing.

— So you’ve always enjoyed shonen manga, but you initially chose illustration over comics?

Nikaidō: Yes, even though I occasionally received manga offers while working as an illustrator, I always declined. I didn’t think I was cut out for it. I doubted my drawing skills could keep up with dynamic storyboarding, and I was convinced I lacked the talent to craft stories from scratch. But one editor guided me so skillfully that before I knew it, I was drawing manga.

Since And Then There Were None had an incredible story already, I didn’t need to create something from zero. The pressure was intense, but the fact that it was already a masterpiece became a source of strength.

Source : ORICON NEWS