CATDOLL: The four giants of games and animation create a comic of "A Chinese Ghost Story" or enter Japan

Recently, a fantasy comic "A Chinese Ghost Story" adapted from the NetEase online game of the same name has attracted the attention of many anime fans and game players. It is reported that the production of the comic will be led by Fanfan Animation, with participation from domestic and foreign animation giants such as Japan's Shueisha and Taiwan's Pili International Multimedia Co., Ltd., and is expected to be serialized in the "Manhua Xing" magazine in March 2015.

Looking at the industry, this kind of in-depth cooperation between online games and animation giants is the first in China, which makes people curious: How did this cooperation start? What kind of excitement will the "A Chinese Ghost Story" comics present to everyone? What impact will this in-depth combination of "games-animation" bring?

Now let us find out through interviews with Ms. Liang Juqing, editor-in-chief of "Manga Xing", Mr. Kazuyuki Masuda, acting director of the Electronic Business Department of Japan's Shueisha, Ms. Huang Wenjie, deputy general manager of Taiwan Pili International Multimedia Co., Ltd., and Lin Jie, executive author of the comics.

(Figure 1: The characters of the comic book A Chinese Ghost Story that have been revealed: Mo Wangchen, Yin Ziping, Miao Danqing, Chu Lingqian)

Shueisha's Masuda Kazuyuki: Optimistic about the "A Chinese Ghost Story" manga entering Japan

Reporter: Why did you choose "A Chinese Ghost Story 2" as the theme for cooperation?

Kazuyuki Masuda: When Fanfan Animation, Shueisha's closest partner and friend in China, first introduced "A Chinese Ghost Story" to me, I was very interested in this theme that combines fantasy and Chinese martial arts. I thought it should be a very interesting and meaningful attempt. I personally also want to deepen my understanding of ancient Chinese traditional culture by directing this work.

Reporter: What kind of guidance does Shueisha provide in comic creation?

Kazuyuki Masuda: After communicating with Ms. Hayashi, the main writer of the comics, I found that she is a very mature cartoonist and has a strong control over the story. Therefore, I will not interfere too much with her creation, but will tell her my experience and let her make the judgment. In addition to giving opinions and guidance on the production of comics, I also want to give feedback on this work on behalf of Japanese readers.

Reporter: There are very few comics based on large-scale online games on the Chinese market. What is the biggest challenge in this new attempt to make a comic version of "A Chinese Ghost Story"?

Kazuyuki Masuda: In fact, there are many comics adapted from games in Japan, so this path is completely feasible. After reading the first episode of the comic "A Chinese Ghost Story", I think the overall arrangement of the story is very successful. The more difficult part is whether the game's huge world view and the characters' very gorgeous moves can be accepted by readers when presented in the comics. After all, a paintbrush is not a computer and cannot produce special effects, so the performance of the picture and the presentation of the plot are very important, which requires the assistance of the team to achieve.

Reporter: Boys' comics with ancient Chinese backgrounds are very popular in China now. What does Shueisha, which specializes in boys' comics, think about depicting the growth of boys in a Chinese style?

Kazuyuki Masuda: Regardless of the subject matter of a work for young people, the purpose is "the growth of the protagonist." This is also true for "One Piece" and "Naruto." The experience of a young boy and his friends reveals that life will always present new challenges, and tells readers that only by overcoming difficulties can they truly grow. The truths to be told may not be profound, but they must make readers think and enjoy reading.

Reporter: There are many Chinese elements in Japanese comics, such as the background setting of "Dragon Ball", Kagura in "Gintama", and Li Nali in "Darksiders". Do you think it is possible for the Chinese-style comic "A Chinese Ghost Story" to enter the Japanese market and be loved by Japanese readers?

Kazuyuki Masuda: The Japanese market has never been resistant to good works. The work "Mo Fei Zheng Zhuan" that we launched in cooperation with Fanfan on "Manhua Xing" is a very Chinese comic. It is currently published on "JUMP+" and has received rave reviews. I am also looking forward to the day when the "A Chinese Ghost Story" comic enters the Japanese market.

Reporter: Jump's three main principles are friendship, hard work, and victory. If you were asked to use three words to summarize the spirit of the manga "A Chinese Ghost Story" created and directed by Shueisha, what would they be?

Kazuyuki Masuda: From what I know now, I think if the spirit embodied in "A Chinese Ghost Story" can be summarized in three words, they should be: responsibility, courage, and dream.

Taiwan Pili Huang Wenji: Game player preference data guides comic scripts

Reporter: Pili served as the creative director of the comic script of "A Chinese Ghost Story". What opportunity prompted you to cooperate with NetEase Games?

Huang Wenji: When Fanfan introduced this work to me, he said that its story and style were very similar to Pili, and the game itself received very good responses in mainland China. I also like this theme very much, so this cooperation came about.

Reporter: What is the biggest difficulty in adapting a large-scale online game into a comic?

Huang Wenji: First, we must base ourselves on data. The plot of Pili is quite subjective and arbitrary. To put it jokingly, whoever Mr. Huang (editor's note: Huang Qianghua, the plot leader of Pili puppet drama) wants to die will die, which sometimes even makes it difficult for the audience to understand. But comics adapted from games cannot be like this. Game users must have their own preferences, and preferences will be expressed in the form of data. Therefore, comic adaptations must first be based on data to see which character is the most popular and which plot is the most acceptable. It may not be easy to get real and effective data, but it is very important.

Second, we need to distinguish between regional market differences. The most popular characters in Taiwan may not be so popular in mainland China, and this must be firmly grasped.

Third, we need to grasp "human nature". Just because he is the protagonist, he cannot be perfect. He must have some forgivable shortcomings, and it is not easy to create such a character.

Fourth, the number of main characters. I personally think that the number of characters should be small rather than large.

Reporter: When writing a script, which one do you focus on more, story, plot, or characters? Do you set the characters first or think about the story first?

Huang Wenji: From my personal point of view, characters should come first and then stories. With characters, there will be connections between them, and with grievances and hatred, the story will come out naturally.

Reporter: The Pili puppet show has a grand plot. What kind of world view and plot line will the comic book "A Chinese Ghost Story" directed by you present to us? Can you reveal a little bit?

Huang Wenjie: I will keep the world view and main plot of the story secret for the time being. At present, I just want to reveal the way of telling the story: it will be in the form of chapters, with biographies of the characters, and the game world view will be made into a world view map. Every experience will be a legendary story.

Reporter: Pili has many classic lines. Nan Feng Bu Jing's line "I have a heart for the world, but I lose a lot of love" instantly killed many people. In the comic "A Chinese Ghost Story", will the character's language style be more inclined to the second dimension or the ancient style?

Huang Wenji: I studied English literature, and many people in Pili also studied Chinese, so the audience may feel that the lines are more ancient. But the character's language style still depends on the character setting, not all characters are suitable for ancient style.

Liang Juqing, editor-in-chief of "Manhua Xing": Long-term planning for comics - single volumes and animation

Reporter: First of all, we would like to ask about the origin of the comic book "A Chinese Ghost Story". Can you tell us about it?

Liang Juqing: I first learned about the cooperation with NetEase to adapt the large-scale online game "A Chinese Ghost Story 2" into a comic book a few months ago. "A Chinese Ghost Story 2" is a very successful brand, so adapting it into a comic book will definitely be a great honor and pressure.

Therefore, after learning the news, our "Manhua Xing" editorial department held several discussions in succession to sort out information about the comic adaptation of "A Chinese Ghost Story". At the same time, combined with the feedback from the current comic market and readers, we made a preliminary judgment on the style positioning of the work. After repeated deliberations with other departments, we finally reached a consensus and had the comic version of "A Chinese Ghost Story" that is currently in progress.

Reporter: A Chinese Ghost Story is the first comic adapted from a large-scale online game published in Manhua Xing. What do you think is the difference between it and other works?

Liang Juqing: As a comic adapted from a large-scale online game, A Chinese Ghost Story is very different from traditional comics. The biggest difference lies in the treatment of the relationship between the characters and the world. Simply put, it is about telling a story from small to big or from big to small.

In traditional boys' comics, the protagonist is the core of the story, and the core idea that the cartoonist wants to express is reflected through the protagonist's behavior and the protagonist's growth. However, the worldview of "A Chinese Ghost Story" is complete and complex. You cannot judge what happens in this world with a single value, because the real and complete world cannot be summarized by simple right and wrong. This diversity is the difficulty of creating "A Chinese Ghost Story" comics, and it is also a very important highlight of this story.

So we finally decided that the protagonist of the comic version of "A Chinese Ghost Story" is an ordinary person. He will not easily change the world, but live his own life as a part of the world. He will meet different people, and those people also have their own lives, beliefs, pursuits, and memories. By describing these characters well, we can show the readers the feelings of the entire world of "A Chinese Ghost Story".

Reporter: When will this work start serialization? How many chapters are expected to be updated?

Liang Juqing: The creation of "A Chinese Ghost Story" is proceeding in an orderly manner. The creators we have assigned to this comic are working smoothly with the instructors. It is expected to be officially released in "Manhua Xing" in March next year, with 12-15 episodes tentatively scheduled. I have said before that the comic is a story based on a small character. After the story of this character ends, there will be more stories. I hope to improve the entire series through the way of character history.

Reporter: What platforms and resources will be involved in the promotion of comics? Will friends outside the mainland have the opportunity to see the comic series of "A Chinese Ghost Story"?

Liang Juqing: Fanfan Animation Group, where we publish Manhua Xing, has been committed to the operation of copyrights of Chinese and foreign works. In addition to cooperating with domestic publishers and operators, we are also very experienced in promoting cultural works abroad. Excellent works like A Chinese Ghost Story will surely be loved by readers in many countries.

Reporter: Will your future works be posted on online platforms or published as comic books?

Liang Juqing: Electronic reading is becoming more and more important. The placement on online platforms is a very important part of the entire project. In addition to paper media platforms, we will also publish on cooperative online platforms.

For paper media operations, publishing a single volume is the first step. We have set the first issue of the comic "A Chinese Ghost Story" to have 12-15 chapters. This number was originally considered to cooperate with the publication of the single volume.

Reporter: Many excellent comics have been adapted into animations. Will you consider adapting the comic book A Chinese Ghost Story into an animation?

Liang Juqing: Animation is a very important stage for a comic book. It is an important opportunity for a comic book to break out of its original audience and enter the field of universal audience. An animated work represents more than just the work itself. It represents a brand's official entry into the entire animation industry chain. The "A Chinese Ghost Story" comic book is a very excellent work. I believe that when the time is right, it will be able to take this step smoothly.

Lin Jie, the executive author of the comics: All major professions in "A Chinese Ghost Story 2" will be included in the comics

Reporter: How did you feel when you were confirmed as the main writer of the comic book "A Chinese Ghost Story"?

Lin Jie: I feel like I’m in big trouble.

Reporter: The "Poem of the Mad Warrior" you participated in before can be regarded as a super hard-core new martial arts comic. So how do you define the "A Chinese Ghost Story" comic?

Lin Jie: "Poem of Mad Martial Arts" is based on realism, while "A Chinese Ghost Story" is a work of wild imagination.

Reporter: Is there anything unique about the comic book "A Chinese Ghost Story"?

Lin Jie: The comic is adapted from the NetEase game "A Chinese Ghost Story 2". In the first issue, we took the new profession Painter as the protagonist and designed a series of characters to tell a wonderful story with them as the main line. This not only facilitates the transition from game to comics, but also helps to test readers' reactions.

Reporter: Will all 20 protagonists in the game "A Chinese Ghost Story 2" appear in the comics? Do you have a favorite character?

Lin Jie: As the story progresses, various professions will appear one after another as supporting roles. Personally, of course I have a favorite character, but I’m afraid of misleading the readers, so I won’t point it out.

Reporter: The four characters announced so far all have very distinct personalities. Which one do you like best?

Lin Jie: My favorite character is our little painting soul, Miao Danqing. He is a completely original character. In order to make Miao Danqing look different, I considered adding Chinese patterns in ethnic minority style to make him look more designed.

Reporter: The male lead and the male second are red and blue, and they have a strong sense of couple. Now that gays are popular, will they have some similar interactions in the story?

Lin Jie: Their meeting was actually accidental, and they inadvertently became each other's "friends in life".

Reporter: In the game "A Chinese Ghost Story 2", female players account for a large proportion, and the comics, from the information revealed so far, are orthodox boys' comics. Do you think female readers will accept and like this comic?

Lin Jie: Shounen comics are not the same as only teenagers like to read them, this is a misunderstanding. I hope that this time I can create a work that incorporates the youthful sentiments of "running towards the rising sun" and is as bright as the sun, full of positive energy, and touches every reader.