Ciao! This is your favorite MANGA.TOKYO otaku writer, Ayumi, who dedicated her whole three years of high school to Katekyo Hitman Reborn! with no exaggeration.

I, the hard-core Reborn! freak, heard that the Akira Amano Exhibition would be in Kyoto, so I went straight there on the opening day for an exclusive photo report just for you, the dedicated otaku readers of MANGA.TOKYO.

Today we’ll look at some of the beautiful original drawings and character designs you can see at the Akira Amano Exhibition. Also, I interviewed the editorial department of Shueisha, the people to whom you can show your own manga! In addition, I talked to the editor who was in charge of Golden Kamuy!

This article is dedicated to all of you who like Amano-sensei or Reborn!, and who want to be famous mangaka! Read till the end, because MANGA.TOKYO has a special giveaway with all the items I managed to get from the exhibition!

‘NEW Akira Amano Exhibition In Kyoto’

Venue: Kyoto University of Art & Design

The venue for the exhibition is Kyoto University of Art & Design’s Department of Character Design and Department of Manga. I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought, ‘Oh, it’s at a university? For an original drawings exhibition??’ It’s surprising, isn’t it?

It’s such a refreshing event to be held at an university. In fact, there a reason behind it: it’s called ‘one source multi-use: To encourage students to learn at this one-stop place by importing the field of mega-hit content creators (creators, designers and writers) popular across many forms of media (such as anime, manga, movies, games, novels, commercial goods etc), speakers (producers), distributors (sales).’

It’s a collaboration with MOVIC, which is famous for Karakore (http://manga.tokyo/report/going-from-comiket-to-ikebukuro-via-an-anime-bus/) and their dedication to helping companies and universities.

Apparently, this project will have more parts. They said that they can’t reveal the titles yet, but I wonder what anime and manga will be picked?

At this point, I seriously thought that if reincarnation is true and I get another life, I’d definitely like to go to this university as a hardcore otaku.

I took a bus to Kyoto University of Art & Design. There I saw a long line even though the exhibition hadn’t opened yet. I regretted my assumption of a sparse crowd, ‘It’s a university and it’s in Kyoto haha’. Apparently, some people had been lining up since around the time of the first train.

This is the items shop on the way to the entrance of the exhibition. It was such a nice shop that I thought, ‘Is this really at a university?’

Reborn!, ēLDLIVE, and PSYCHO-PASS!

You can’t usually take pictures at exhibitions like this, but surprisingly it was allowed. Apparently, this is because Akira Amano said that she’d like this event to exist in many forms of media. When I heard this, I wanted to bow down before her. Thank you Amano-sensei!!!

Staff recommendation: the panels you can take pictures with. Become Chuuta-kun!

The mini (chibi) characters were drawn exclusively for this exhibition.

There was fan who’d been crazy about these works for around a decade and who couldn’t think properly during this rare treat. He ended up asking the cameraman in broken language: ‘Take… a picture… please…’

This is just part of the exhibition. There were a lot of beautiful illustrations in the open space.

The colored illustration of ēLDLIVE.

The colored illustration of Reborn!

The character profile pictures of PSYCHO-PASS.

Original sketches of memorable scenes!

All I could say was: ‘beautiful…’

I want somebody to compliment me for staying sane when seeing the original pictures of my favorite manga which I had been cherishing for a decade. I feel like I’ll hear the readers’ validation saying, ‘You don’t need to say it, I know!!’ Amano Sensei’s original pictures are really meticulously done. You can see the breathtaking beauty, ‘She draws with such detail…’ I thought. I drooled in front of the subtlety of the characters’ emotions.

XANXUS-sama’s piercing eyes are overwhelming. The original picture had a chilling impact on me.

There was a rapturous event for fans: The original pictures of the 3 most voted episodes were exhibited unedited. For your information, I had voted for chapter 220 in vol 24. I tried so hard not to be absolutely ecstatic.

If it were a cheer screening, I’d have thanked the anime gods out loud. So in style!

There were a whole lot more original pictures exhibited. Those who spent their youths with Akira Amano Sensei, should visit the event. It’s worth visiting even if you live far away.

A Yukata Was Part of the Exhibits

This yukata was designed by Akira Amano-sensei herself, inspired by the exhibition being held in Kyoto.

The yukata is available on a made-to-order basis!

The details are so cute!

I’d like to roam Kyoto during the summer in this yukata.

Next, let’s look at the anticipated collaboration food. I interviewed some of the students who made them, and asked what they found challenging and fun.

You can’t miss this aspiring manga artists! I also talk to the editor of Weekly Young Jump…!? Don’t miss it, even if it costs your life! FAITO!