googuru_girl & impassionable here to give everyone an update to Arina Tanemura's Q&A panel that happened at San Diego Comic-con! We're both really sad that we didn't think of recording everything in hand writting (since that was the only option given to us at the panel-- no one was allowed to take photos, videos, ect at the panel or autograph sessions).

I'm pretty sure that Shoujo Beat will release a full question and answer section in the next issue of their magazine, but just in case, here is the Q&A panel session that we can remember! Keep in mind that these questions are not in the order they were picked and answered. Probably because everyone (like us) were giggling over how cute Arina and her editor were picking the questions out like a deck of cards!

Please enjoy everyone!

To Shoujo Beat

1. ION - April 2008
2. Time Stranger Kyoko - June 2008
3. Firecracker Is Melancholy - August 2008
4. Full Moon wo Sagashite Art Book - Fall 2008

This will make all of Arina's series released in english!

To Ribon Editor

Q. What is popular for shoujo manga series in Japan?
A. The most popular thing for a shoujo manga right now is for a girl to be surrounded by many cute guys. Again, everyone laughed! (Because it's true!)

To Arina Tanemura

Note: Questions marked with an * (asterisk) are multiple questions compiled together into one for the purposes of this report.

*Q.  What are your favorites?
A.  She answered that her favorite colors are red, pink, and white. Her fave video games are Final Fantasy series, Tales of the Abyss, and Kindgom Hearts. She loves to sing while she draws (since she draws, no pun intended, inspiration from the melody and beat of the music she listens to) and she also loves karaoke! Her fave band is Morning Musume. When asked if she likes Utada Hikaru she said that she isn't a huge fan of hers, but likes her as a person.

*Q.  What inspires your story and character designs?
A.  She said that she is inspired a lot by music! She sings while she draws and grabs inspiration from the melody and beat. She would also put herself into her character's situations, imagining if they were real and how she would react to those situations. For her character designs she draws costumes that she wishes were in real life so she could wear them! Another way she comes up with characters is by associating them with a color and what their favorites or dislikes would be. For example, with Takuto and Meroko she wanted to create a cute bunny character who was in love with a cute cat character. Also, she explained that Meroko's name came from "mero-mero" which means "to be infatuated" with someone.
She also comes up with the ending of her stories, but it's the getting to that point that is the process.

Q.  Out of all your characters, who is your favorite?
A.  After much pondering and blushfull thinking, she said she loves all her characters equally lol!

Q.  Like Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne being based off of Jeanne D' Arc's time period, would you (Arina) do another historical referenced-manga?
A.  She said that as much as she would like to, it wouldn't be very popular at all, because not very many people in Japan like reading manga with stories about historical events. (Our theory is because the Japanese use manga as an escape from studying for school haha)

Q.  Did you (Arina) intend to have Mitsuki and Takuto together?
A.  She did initially want Takuto and Mitsuki together, but she likes Ecchi-kun and Mitsuki. She still believes that Mitsuki is not over her feeling for Takuto even at the end of Full Moon wo Sagashite, but that Takuto would be there to help Mitsuki. "Ganbarre Takuto", Arina cheerfully said (Good luck Takuto!)
There were actually a lot of questions about Takuto and Mitsuki to which Arina would ask each fan that submitted the question if they liked Takuto. Apparently, in Germany, he is a favorite character!

Q.  Why do you use crosses in your stories (ie. Fully Moon, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Shinshi Doumei Cross)?
A.  In the stories, she explains that she uses them more as symbolic images rather than religious ones. Though she believes that she may have been a christian in her past life.

Q.  When Izumi died as a child, why did he look like an adult Shinigami?
A.  Izumi died a youngun and was a shinigami as an older guy because his mental state as a child was that of an older, mature person. Shinigami appearance was based on their mental state and mind.

Q.  What series did you (Arina) feel closest to both during and after production?
A.  She said she felt closest to Full Moon wo Sagashite. She also said that when she was finished writing it, she felt it was almost as if someone else had written it (maybe that is why she likes it the most? lol ^^; )

Q.  Will you do a BL (boy love) series?
A.  :After much laughing from everyone in the panel she said she wasn't cool enough to do a BL manga LOL

Q.  After Shinshi Doumei Cross, do you have any other plans for a continuing series?
A.  Arina was saying that Shinshi Doumei Cross will most likely extend up to 10 volumes. She also has three other ideas for other manga after Shinshi Doumei. Arina wants to a future manga to be based on figure skating or an action manga.

Q.  A boyfriend submitted a question for his girlfriend who could not make it to Comic-con that went like this: What advice would you give to an aspiring artists like my girlfriend?
A.  If you are going to create a story that will make someone feel pain or cry, you need to feel that emotion at first. Then you can create a story that will make others happy.

Q.  Will you return to America again?
A.  Arina (Editor, and Shoujo Beat staff) laughed and said she would return again!

Extra

One question that a fan submitted was if Arina would sing for us! She did! Arina sang a piece from the Full Moon wo Sagashite's Mangetsu wo Sagashite - Full Moon Final Live cd (track 15.) Smile, which she originally sings. If you have yet to hear the cd, please visit Some Day Music for a sample (under the artist Changin' My Life). It was so adorable and almost brought us to tears!!! Seriously! When she finished singing, she hid her blushing face behind her hands. too cute!! One fan in the audience offered to sign her up!

The panel (sadly) came to an end and Shoujo Beat was kind enough to give away a special prize: Official Ribon released Shinshi Doumei Cross Imperial Academy Ties! At least six ties were given out to fans who correctly answered the following questions (not in this order):

1. What is the name of Maora's pet sheep?
2. How much was Haine sold for to the Kamiya family?
3. What two characters cross-dressed in the first volume of Shinshi Doumei Cross?
4. What did Ushio want from Shizumasa?
5. What did Maguri have to look for at the race?
6. What is Haine's astrological sign?

Right after the panel was over, Arina stepped down to be greeted by fans who she generously gave hugs out to! Shh, she even snuck an autograph in a fan's journal (originally, she was not allowed to sign anything but the art boards being sold/given out by Viz at the Autograph sessions). Unfortunately, her editor said that she could not take pictures with fans when she looked over to him and asked.

A small band of Arina stalkers cosplayers (ktmonkeyj, googuru-girl, impassionable, ycysusan, Ryoko and Yami) who surprised Arina at the first autograph signing and sat together in the front rows in front of her got together for a private photoshoot! You can find our pictures and fangirling at these links:
Arina cosplay pictures
Topic on cosplay.com concerning Arina's visit

In the next issue of Shoujo Beat (September issue), the editor commented that there will be a contest giving away Arina prizes (ie. books autographed by her) and a drawing lesson done by Arina herself for readers! Please look forward to it!

If anyone else went to the Comic-con panel and has any more information that we might have left out, please comment and we'll update it!

This update has been cross-posted and shared with:

• Shinshi_Doumei
• Imperial Academy Forums
• Arina Tanemura FanClub

Important Additional

Added in by Access Time of the Arina Tanemura FanClub

Rather than using the link above for only a sample of Smile as sung by Arina Tanemrua the Arina Tanemura FanClub has the complete file has the complete file for download by clicking this link: smile-arina-vocal.mp3
We also have that file avaliable in a streaming audio player which can be opened by clicking this link: Music Player