I usually live an extremely normal life, since I live in the countryside. Even when people call me 'famous' and such, I can't really fathom it, even now.

I felt that working at an office from the early morning was impossible for me. Anyway, I wanted to be free from that lifestyle as soon as possible. I wanted to take it easy.

I say that I've never been late with a manuscript, but I don't mean to be arrogant; it's that I simply want to get it done as soon as possible so I can be set free.

Maybe I'm just like a child. I'm full of curiosity about things, and it's fine as long as it's fun at that time, yet at the same time, I hate things that are tough.

When I got into the second half of 'Dragon Ball,' I had already become more interested in thinking up the story then in drawing the pictures. Then I started to not place much emphasis on the pictures.

I generally leave the television on while I'm working.

When I draw something, the incredibly annoying thing is that it doesn't come out like I pictured.

It's too bad that 'Dragon Ball,' which I drew for a very long time, has ended. Just kidding. I'm incredibly glad. Now I can just leisurely sit around!

I'm a lazy person, but if I'm not absent-mindedly doing something, I can't really relax. I can't just veg out.

When I look at it, I don't really like people, and socializing is really awful. Outside of my family, friends, and those connected to my job, I don't think I actively want to meet anyone. I've always lived in the country, after all.

When I'm out and about, it's rare for me to be recognized. But for some reason, every now and then, someone will know who I am. It might be because my picture occasionally appeared in 'Weekly Jump.'

I'm just a manga artist, so I can't stand being scrutinized.

Both my assistant and my wife tell me that during battle scenes, when a character is making a 'guwaa' sort of face, my face also ends up going 'guwaa.' So afterwards, my whole face is tired. I guess it's because I'm the kind of guy who gets caught up in his own work.

In the second half of primary school, I liked live-action shows and giant-monster movies, and then in junior high, I got into regular movies.

I don't remember the very first animation I saw, but the one that stays deepest in my memory is definitely 'Astro Boy.'

Basically with everything, I choose my criteria based on what can be easy. If I made the real world the setting, I'd have to draw looking at reference materials for stuff like buildings and vehicles. When you do that, people complain even if it's just a little bit off.

I guess that if I was a normal cartoonist who did things properly, I'd think up the background information first and then come up with the story. Saying that, you'd think that I don't really think through anything.

I use a G-Pen from Zebra. Different people have different preferred pen nibs. I don't put much force on it when I draw, so I'll generally use a single nib for about three chapters.

I use Pilot's document ink, but their drawing ink is OK, too. It's just that I don't like the impression that clings to the pen tip.

I believe that comics are entirely for entertainment.

I used to play role-playing games a lot when I was younger, but once you start an RPG, it takes a lot of time. So I like things like action games you can just pick up and play.

I'm always going to the toy store; I even have a room full of plastic models.

For characters where, in a comic, I'd avoid using screen tone because it's such a bother, I'd deliberately use it in animation in order to highlight their individual characteristics.

So many, many people have helped me out with 'Dragon Ball' through the years. Obviously, there are the fans from all over the world who've cheered me on.

Come to think of it, even though I've received tons of fan letters and presents from everyone, I've never written anyone back. How rude of me!

I'm entirely of the mindset that when it comes to books, they've got to be paper.

A number of years ago, when I had an exhibition of my work, the people in charge who came to pick up my manuscripts saw them piled up haphazardly in the garage and were shocked. 'What? They'll grow mold like this!' they said. People who do things properly apparently make a dedicated manuscript room, where they can control humidity.

Basically, I'm always coming up with ideas for mixing the things I want to draw with things targeted at children.

For a long time, I've loved the kind of characters who are boastful yet petty. I was originally a gag manga artist, after all.

Awww, I was so shy about watching my own work broadcast on TV.

The women I draw all have the same sort of personality. I can't draw gentle girls; I only know how to draw ones who are strong-willed.

'Dragon Ball''s villains were easy to draw: Piccolo, Freeza, Majin Boo.

I think comics are faster to draw with a pen and then fill and tone by computer. But my illustrations are all done via computer. I even draw the lines on a tablet.

I was a mischievous child. I was also on the tall side.

There was a manga boom, so I read 'Astro Boy,' 'Osomatsu-kun,' and such. But what influenced me the most were things like 'Popeye' and Disney animation.

What I regret most after becoming a cartoonist is having used my real name. At first, I figured there was no way I'd sell anyhow, so I didn't even consider using a pen name.

I would often draw in my sleep. That alone made for twice the work... I couldn't use the weird stuff I drew while dozing off, so I'd end up having to draw it all over again.

I have absolutely no preferences when it comes to food.

I don't like music that much... I put on the TV. But I often play things like fast-tempo disco or Queen. I've liked those since way back when.

A teleporter would be nice. There are lots of places I want to go, but getting there is a pain.

I think it's best to know about lots of different things besides comics. I don't think you can become a cartoonist if you look at nothing but cartoons.

Ever since I was little, I've shied away from romance. It's not that I dislike women, but I'm not good with them.

Weekly, monthly, or whatever, I'm just not good with being told I have to finish up according to a set schedule.

If I had moved to Tokyo, I might even have become a completely different person... although, ever since the start, I've never wanted to move to Tokyo. I just can't handle there being so many people.

I'm good at - or, rather, I like - giving names to characters.

With manga, in my art style, I don't do much in the way of techniques to create depth. But even though I don't do depth techniques through my art, I am conscious of depth itself.

With things like 'Dragon Ball,' in the case of fight scenes, I'd take the panel layout across two pages when the book is opened and alter it by angling them, and making them bigger or smaller, to give movement to the panels themselves.

Lumped in as a hobby, I don't really like drawing pictures all that much, but thinking of it as work, it's the greatest.

When I draw, I always recall my mindset when I was a child.

In manga, nothing actually moves, and you just have to draw the poses in each panel, but in anime, you have to draw the movements between those poses.