#2 is here

We were able to spread the word about the greatness of Liar Game to the literary world!

–I’d like to ask you about your manga Gaslight Stray Dog Detectives (hereafter Gaslight), for which you are the original author. But first, congratulations on winning the triple awards of the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize, the Mystery Writers of Japan Prize, and the Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize for your novel Jiraigo Glico (KADOKAWA). Can you honestly tell us how you feel about winning?

Yugo Aosaki (hereinafter, the same)Thank you. It feels like “this is something amazing.” Since I’m interviewing Shueisha, I’d like to start with this story. I was inspired by the manga “Usogui” in Young Jump when I wrote “Jirai Glico.”

–I see! It’s true that they are both in the same genre of “fighting games” but…

“Usogui” is my favorite manga in the world. Every work I’ve written so far has “Usogui” at its core.

The manga “Gaslight Stray Dog Detectives” is currently being serialized in Young Jump and is written by Yugo Aozaki. ©︎Yugo Aozaki/Toshimitsu Matsubara/Weekly Young Jump

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–For example, what about “Jirai Glico”?

The interpretation of the rules, the important role of the referee, and the big game that uses poker as an arrangement are also great. I received three awards this time, and I feel happy that I have been able to convey the greatness of “Usogui” to the literary world.

“Usogui” ©︎Toshiro Sako/Weekly Young Jump

–Now that you mention it, I feel that Gaslight has something in common with Liar Game in that it is a mystery but also has plenty of action scenes.

That’s exactly right. Since “Jirai Glico” is set in a school, I couldn’t include any fighting action, but in “Gaslight” I put emphasis on that.

Mr. Yugo Aosaki
Mr. Yugo Aosaki

–When Gaslight began serialization, Sako Toshio, the author of Liar Game, was serializing Batuki. Have you ever met Sako in person?

No, I don’t.

–If you met, what would you like to talk about?

I wonder… When “Usogui” was being serialized, I was a university student and belonged to the Mystery Research Club (hereafter, “Mystery Research Club”) and had many opportunities to talk with mystery fans from other universities, but at the time, no matter which university I met, everyone was excited and said, “Usogui is amazing.” It was a work that received tremendous support from mystery fans. I want to convey that.