Rockin’ Out With Sumiko Arai, The Man She Was Alive to In Wasn’t a Man at All Manga Creator

When Sumiko Arai launched The Man She Was Alive to In Wasn’t a Man at All on her Twitter account in 2021, she may now not have predicted its meteoric upward push in popularity. From social media to pixiv Laughable, the four-page serialization rapidly grabbed attention for its hanging inexperienced accent color. Since its debut The Man She Was Alive to In Wasn’t a Man at All received very top web manga at the 2023 Next Manga Awards, ranked #2 in the 2023 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! listings for female readers, and ranked in the head 10 on BookScan’s graphic novels list for February 2025.

Readership continued to grow as fans watched the gyaru Aya crush on the cold and clean track shop employee, Mitsuki. The discovery that Mitsuki was actually her female classmate added a twist to the narrative, as each girls’ emotions developed from a friendship into something more, fueled by a shared adore for Western rock track.

Anime News Network sat down with Arai-san for her first-ever English interview to talk about her characters, lesbian adore stories, what track she has in rotation, and that anime adaptation that each person looks to be so angry about.

Can you discuss designing the lead characters, Aya and Mitsuki? When it came to capturing Mitsuki’s coolness, who or what may have been your inspiration?

Sumiko Arai: I took probably the most extroverted aspect of myself and acquire of amplified it and establish it into Aya, and then took probably the most introverted aspect of myself and establish it into Mitsuki. I mediate that’s the two very different facets of myself was characters, and I mediate I understand them that way the finest. I really have loved polar-reverse acquire of pairings in any narrative, and that’s apt always been something I wanted to write down.

Are there other fictional couples that signify a similar sizzling-cold to you, even if they build no longer without delay inspire Aya and Mitsuki?

Sumiko Arai: Okay. Successfully, I mean, obviously, right here’s in a totally different atmosphere, but I loved Shelby and Toni from The Wilds. That was something that I was watching as soon as I created these characters, but it certainly’s totally different. I apt savor their dynamic a lot.

Can you share your artistic amble with us? When did you first initiate drawing, and what appealed to you about telling stories thru the comedian book medium?

Sumiko Arai: I started drawing at a younger age, but I always grew up with manga. I didn’t really mediate that I may be doing this in the long race. I apt really loved the art and the beautiful issues in there, and I apt tried to repeat it and recover at it. So that was acquire of my amble with art, and I mediate with comics, , a lot of Japanese kids aspire to be something savor that. Or no longer it’s really, it be a really cold job. However I mediate what’s really appealing about comics, in general, is that you are feeling more personal with all the characters because there is a visual attached to it. And that’s how I felt.

I can retain information larger. I really feel savor I can relate to the characters larger because I gaze them visually, and I gaze their expressions; it acquire of helps me out. I am no longer a expansive book reader, ? Even probably the most mundane acquire of dialogue can be made into a very impactful scene apt by it being paired with this expression of a character. That’s what makes it beautiful.

Some moments are apt totally different whenever you can gaze the reactions on the characters’ faces compared to what you may envision whenever you happen to are reading it in book acquire. That art really sticks with you. And there are certain visual images in manga and comedian books that I mediate have almost transform pop culture images that we all associate with.

Sumiko Arai: Oh yeah, for certain. Yeah. That’s so cold.

Your manga has a peculiar publishing format, and each chapter is released in about four pages, which I mediate is how it originally debuted on social media. Is that this format challenging for the storytelling that you near up with because you are restricted within four pages?

Sumiko Arai: So personally, I mediate that longer formats may be more intimidating for me now. I really feel savor I am more traditional to the short format. I mediate it be acquire of hard to position out four pages and be savor, “Oh, please be sufficed by this.” Everyone wants to read a runt more each week, but the challenge is that I have to carve a lot of dialogue or runt details that I’d establish in there if it had been longer. I have to make certain that it be short and concise and has a rhythm of its have, I assume, so that each person can bag the information and message they need from the chapter. However I mediate I savor the format. I mediate although it be acquire of frustrating regularly, to maintain it short.

There are dramatic beats that the characters hit at various facets. Is the format harder for that, or is it because it has its have rhythm already, and you are so accustomed to it that it really works?

Sumiko Arai: Yeah, it really works now. I mediate it was harder before, but I am certainly more satisfied with it now.

Western track plays an important role in connecting Aya and Mitsuki. Is there a Western track album that played an important role on your lifestyles in a similar way? And is there an album you suspect you can have got listened to probably the most?

Sumiko Arai: So I grew up with a lot of overseas track because of my dad as soon as I was runt. He supplied me to Beck as soon as I was a baby. And I really loved Beck’s album Guero. Or no longer it’s far the album with the white, pink, and black camouflage. However it certainly’s really cold. I mediate that’s the album that’s my lifetime favorite.

However for track or albums that I’ve listened to a lot, savor, entrance to back, I have a couple. Not necessarily rock, , I really feel savor I pay attention to other genres, too. Can I list them all?

Certain!

Sumiko Arai: I’ve always listened to the Beatles a lot, and Revolver is a expansive one, and Deftones. Around the Fur is a really apt album. I mediate in my teen years, I listened to a lot of Half Moon Hasten, so Dark Eyes is a really apt album. And a lot of Clairo. A lot.

These aren’t all rock bands, are they?

Sumiko Arai: I mediate some may be folks, acquire of folky. I mediate Half Moon Hasten is a runt more pop-folks. I mean, I am acquire of all over the place a runt bit.

On your understanding, how can track earnings these who relate to Mitsuki? Of us who have a “different rhythm?”

Sumiko Arai: I mediate that whenever you are feeling a certain way, you are feeling savor you can relate to this share of track that somebody you do now not know wrote and have a shoulder to lean on a runt bit. Or no longer it’s savor a buddy that you do now not really have who understands it totally. I mediate in that way, it really does earnings you. However also, one song is all it takes so that you can obtain a neighborhood that really likes the variety of stuff that you savor and can relate to. I mediate that’s how track can be really beneficial.

Or no longer it’s a great way to attach of us.

Sumiko Arai: Yeah, yeah. To search out a neighborhood, , and gaze that you aren’t really alone on this world at all.

Have been you already a fan of yuri stories before you started The Man She Was Alive to In Wasn’t a Man at All? What accomplish you suspect makes yuri manga special?

Sumiko Arai: So I savor yuri, but I was savor always scouring the information superhighway for any variety of irregular, savor woman-loving-woman series or motion footage, because there really aren’t a lot to watch. I’ve always been searching for something that I can relate to; I was a fan. I certainly saw a lack [of options] in it, so I wanted to make something to contribute, maybe. However apt woman-loving-woman [media] in general is peculiar and special as it’s far, and I mediate that’s what I adore about it.

What had been your emotions when it was announced that your manga would bag an anime adaptation? Can you share if the color inexperienced may play an important role in the anime’s visuals?

Sumiko Arai: I was very angry. Very angry. I really wanted to bag the information in the market to the readers because I had been seeing some of us talk about it as something they wished would happen, and it be hard to know that information and no longer be able to say anything.

Of us are tweeting, “Oh, I am hoping this becomes anime,” and it would.

Sumiko Arai: Yeah, I was really pumped to bag it out and to gaze each person’s reaction. It was very warm. That was great. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about the visuals at the 2d, but I am really hoping I can share some issues soon.

Is there any importance to the explicit songs that Aya and Mitsuki pay attention to collectively at some stage in the series? End they signify a development in their relationship?

Sumiko Arai: Yeah, I mediate a few of them accomplish. Some of them are apt, , songs that they’re paying attention to at that time and want to share with other of us. However I mediate a lot of the time, I mediate about their headspace and what they’re feeling at that 2d, and attempt to obtain a song that fits them. Occasionally, stories near to me thru paying attention to that song, and I mediate that’s what’s really special about this comedian.

I saw they ended up making an official playlist for the series.

Sumiko Arai: Or no longer it’s on Spotify, Apple Track, and every part. That is the official playlist that I picked out the track for the series, but the premise is that the characters picked it, and I mediate that’s what makes it acquire of personal.

My last query is, what 5 track artists or songs are at the 2d on your playlist?

Sumiko Arai: Okay, let’s gaze. I am at the 2d paying attention to Bloc Party and The Hives. I am also paying attention to Cream; I am acquire of all over the place.

Cream, Like Eric Clapton Cream?

Sumiko Arai: Yeah. And what else accomplish I have? I have always loved Car Seat Headrest. They’re gonna establish their original album out soon, so I am acquire of pumped for that. And another, The Treatment.

The Treatment is on permanent rotation, I mediate, real?

Sumiko Arai: Yeah, always, always.

The Man She Was Alive to In Wasn’t a Man at All manga is available in English from Yen Press. Yen Press will release the third quantity on October 25, 2025.

Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. Yen Press, BookWalker Global, and J-New Membership are subsidiaries of KWE.