“I thought, ‘If only I could slip into a box that has some slightly different elements.’

––––You started submitting to Margaret when you were in college.

That’s right. To tell the truth, I had hardly read any of Shueisha’s shojo manga up until then. I liked manga that had a different story and a love romance mixed into it, but I had hardly read any works that centered on love between boys and girls who go to school. So why did I submit my work to “Margaret”? Well, that’s the story (laughs).

The style of drawings I could do wasn’t suitable for a boys’ magazine, and a friend who was submitting his work to a Shogakukan magazine told me, “Riko-chan, submit your work to Shueisha’s magazine… Margaret” (laughs). From there, I borrowed and read the Margaret Comics.

––––What did you think after reading it?

I borrowed some masterpieces by Satoru Makimura and Mariko Iwadate, and they were all really interesting. However, I didn’t think I could draw them. As expected, my submissions kept getting rejected.

But just when I was about to give up, I entered an award jointly held by Margate and Betsuma, which were held at the time, and that’s how I was able to make my debut.

––––And it went smoothly from there?

No, no. When I was around 27 or 28 years old, my editor-in-chief at the time told me, “With your illustrations and stories up until now, we won’t be able to get any more serialization slots.”

I consulted with many people, and while many of them said, “Why don’t you move to another magazine?”, there were also people who said, “Why don’t you try something more daring?” While wondering what “daring” meant, I talked to my friend who said, “Riko-chan is at Shueisha,” and he said, “Erotica is popular in ‘Shojo Comics,’ but it’s not in ‘Margaret,’ so I think it’s a good idea.”

So I did some research and drew a slightly erotic manga called “Hana ni Nare!”

Although “Hana ni Nare!” is erotic, I have set a standard for myself that “I won’t go that far in ‘Margaret'” (laughs).

––––Do you mean you were also conscious of something “Margaret-like”?

It’s a little erotic, so I’m not conscious of making it “Margaret-esque” (laughs). When it comes to “Margaret-esque” stuff, I can’t compete with the writers who have been reading “Margaret” for a long time and are writing afterwards. Everyone is really good at it.

––––How would you put what is “Margaret-like” into words?

I think “Bessatsu Margaret” has established itself as a classic school love story, but “Margaret” has always had manga with slightly different elements. I would like to slip into that category.

Also, the fast pace of releases, twice a month, makes it easy to try new things.

––––So the twice-monthly format has a big impact on serialization. Many of the authors in this interview series mentioned this.

I think it’s a big factor. Two or three years ago, I changed it to a monthly 31-page serialization, and I was surprised at how different the way it was made was.

If the number of pages is large, the way the story unfolds is different and it’s easier to add “gaps”. On the other hand, if it’s twice a month, the number of pages is small, so it’s difficult to add gaps, and you have to immediately create a hook for the next issue. That’s why there’s also the advantage that it’s easier to change direction based on the reader’s reaction.

Also, when reading digitally, I think manga with a fast pace that draws you in to the next chapter quickly is easier to read, so I think there are good points to both.