Tanaka Mugi, Artist Behind Urahara

1. Tanaka Mugi, why do you go by “Oplant”? Is there a story behind that name?

Oplant is my DOUJIN circle name used in event like a comic market and it is read as “eggplant” (“O”=egg). I have used this account name since I started my first website in 2008. The origin of the name is that I like eggplants.

「Oplant」とは、コミケなどで使うサークル名で、これで「エッグプラント」と読みます。ナスが好きなので、最初にサイトを作ったときからこのアカウント名を使っています。

2. How would you describe your artwork and style?

My drawing’s outline is little fuzzy, and I don’t draw straight line like vector pictures. Coloring is separated by base color and shadow color clearly like animation cells. I introduced the way of drawing because pictures looked clearly in thumbnails.

私の作品の主線はフリーハンドで歪んでいます。塗りは地と影がはっきり分かれていてアニメ塗りに近いです。サムネで縮小したときの見栄えから、この画風に落ち着きました。

3. What the inspiration behind each of your pieces?

When I draw clothing items, I check out several apparel web sites and ZOZOTOWN. Items in the background are objects that are actually in my room.

服を描くときは好きなブランドのサイトを見たり、ゾゾタウンを眺めたりします。背景にあるものは自分の部屋に実際にある小物が多いです。

4. Were you always into the art scene, or is there a reason why you decided to become an artist?

I like drawing since I was child. When I was a primary school student, a high school student, or an university student, I always doodled in the corner of my notebook during class. I love a moment of looking at my drawing that I have never seen. I think there are no difference between now and past.

子供の頃からずっと落書きをしており、小学校から大学まで授業中に落書きすることを生きがいにしていました。今まで見たことがない自分の絵が生まれる瞬間が好きで、この気持は昔も今も同じです。

5. I was checking out all your different artwork and I noticed that each of the characters have their own personality and clothing style. Do you relate to any of these characters?

I don’t think about their relations except for the PARK characters. Girls in my drawings are a little lazy in common and their rooms are untidy that trash is lying around there. The clothing style which I draw often are collar shirts, knitwear, rib socks and lace-up boots. I like these items in the real world.

PARKキャラクター以外は関係性や細かい設定は考えていません。しかし私の絵の女はだいたいだらしなく、部屋が汚いです。服はいつも意図せず同じような感じになってしまいます。（現実の世界でも襟付きのシャツとニット、靴下とヒモがついた靴が好きなので）

6. Your artwork is well known at PARK Harajuku (since you created their characters), as well as URAHARA, the anime series. How did this come about? Is there a story behind how you became a part of these projects?

For the opening of PARK in Harajuku in May 2014, I got an offer to design the characters from the PARK’s staff. First of all, PARK sells original character goods,  and the Crunchyroll staff found it one day. After that, we started serial illustration novel “PARK: HARAJUKU Crisis Team!” and the story is originally contributed by Patrick Macias. So, PHCT was made into an anime thanks to various professionals at the center of Crunchyroll.

2014年にPARKをオープンするにあたり、PARKスタッフからキャラクターを一緒に作って欲しいという依頼がありました。それからクランチロールのスタッフがPARKのキャラクターを見つけ、一緒にイラストノベル「PARK: HARAJUKU Crisis Team!」が始まりました。それから、クランチロールを中心にアニメ化プロジェクトが始まりました。

7. Since you created the characters for PARK Harajuku, are you into fashion? If you are into fashion, do you have a fashion idol?

I am not good infashion, but other PARK staff are professionals of clothing wear. I am making an effort to drawing charm points of clothing items recently, such as, watching embroidery, thinking color of a lining, and attracting attention to joints of clothes.

自分はファッションには詳しくないですが、PARKの店長や他のスタッフはアパレルのプロです。自分でも、実際の洋服の刺繍や裏地、縫い目を観察したりして、洋服のディティールを表現できるよう努力しています。

8. Since there were some clothing with the PARK Harajuku characters on them, would you plan on creating more clothing with other original characters?

Rito, Kotoko and Mari became famous these days, but there are more characters in PARK. We are making a new short animation that 4 new characters(is imaged character of Magazine “CO;RYU” producted by UNIT www(steering body of PARK), by origin) are active in PARK. At some time, I wish I could make new character’s items that we have never seen before.

りと、ことこ、まりは最近有名になりましたが、PARKには他にもキャラクターがいます。PARKを運営している団体の「unit www」が発行している情報誌「CO;RYU」のイメージキャラクターを元に、PARKを舞台にした新しい4人の物語のショートアニメを現在制作しています。いつかこの4人で見たこともないような新しいアイテムを生み出せればと思います。

9. Of all of your pieces, do you have a favorite one?

First, I like the top picture. The work is cover of my art book “URBAN”. The background is a landscape of golden froth (looks like unko) of Asakusa. Secondly, for the picture on the bottom,  I like the best in my raw taste artwork. I can feel atmosphere of silent winter and soft right from this picture.

まず、お気に入りは左の絵です。これは私の最新のイラストブック「URBAN」の表紙です。背景は浅草の金のうんこです。つぎに右の絵は、落書きの中では一番好きなものです。静かな冬の空気を感じられてgoodです。