Jones: Furukuton is an interesting title. What inspired the name?

Finitsu: Well it wasn’t always “Furukuton!”, back when I first wrote it I had the idea to make it “Fruit Punch”, like the drink, after being inspired by Fujimoto sensei’s Fire Punch. But after much consideration I thought it would be more interesting to give it a unique name that sticks in your memory. So I combined “Fructose”, because of the fruit-based powers, and “on”, like you’re turning on your powers! And thus: Furukuton!

Jones: Mmm… Fruit Punch is a great one too. It had to be difficult discarded that for Furukuton even though thats a cool title too. And the fruit based powers were unique it reminded me Suda51 style of games. I can see this with your artstyle too being a grasshopper game. Like lollipop Chainsaw and no more heroes.

Finitsu: Thank you! Yes I love the Suda51 games. I remember watching people play Lolipop Chainsaw when I was young and I still remember the first time I played No More Heroes, I still listen to its soundtrack to this day! Charmingly bizarre games, with great character design too.

Jones: Yes i can definitely see the inspiration. I saw recently on a post you made about a certain band being your go-to while working on Furukuton. Is music also a part of the process of you writing stories? And what’s your favorite genre? I’m a music geek so I’m curious lol.

Finitsu: Yes, definitely! When I write stories I almost always have some music playing, the genre varies with the type of mood and feelings I want to portray.
That band I usually listen to while writing is Red Orca! They have a very energetic and punk sound that I think fits well with what my idea for Furukuton’s vibe would be.
As for favorite genre, it’s a little hard to decide, I honestly like pretty much anything. at the moment I have been enjoying Frutiger Aero type music, it’s very nostalgic and fits with one of the stories I’m writing next!

Jones: Cool, cool back to the one-shot, the MC Baby her ability to puke up weapons it was like reading dorohedoro with how the panels were framed. I do feel that some of the action scenes were hard to follow but overall seeing her puke bananas and her expressions while doing it, felt like a mix of something you’ll see from Chainsaw Man and Dorohedoro.

Finitsu: Fujimoto sensei and Q sensei are huge inspirations for me, I’m glad I can compare to them in any way! But yeah Baby’s puke ability is a pretty interesting one, I just thought: “what would be the weirdest possible way to summon your power?” and that was the answer haha.

Jones: Both her and Cherin puke their abilities right? It’ll be interesting to get a more indepth back story on there time in the H.E.R.O organization.

Finitsu: I’m planning to do that! I already have pretty much the entire story written out, including why they puke their abilities. I used to say that if the manga gets enough traction I would think about keeping it going, and it seems, for the time being, that it’s going alright so stay tuned for future updates!

Jones: I’ll definitely be looking out, Baby and Cherin reminded me of the protagonist and antagonist from the game mitsurugi kamui hikae. You ever heard of or played it?

Finitsu: You know I actually never heard about that game, but it looks pretty interesting! Actually, this isn’t the first time Baby and Cherin have been compared to other characters, once I was told Baby looked very similar to a character named Shira from a game called Bloody Roar, but similar to now I hadn’t heard about the game before then!
I’m happy that my designs can be compared with such beloved franchises, and I’ll try my best to keep on bringing more interesting designs!

Jones: Well i was comparing there interactions in the game the antagonist makes cameo and you instantly know they have history by the chemistry they convey. It felt similar in that aspect. As far as art style, I’m confident Boichi had a some inspiration? I maybe wrong lol.

Finitsu: Yes, Boichi is also another artist I deeply appreciate, his anatomy and the way he draws hair has been very inspiring to me, plus the fact that he is a successful foreign mangaka is also a huge inspiration, and I hope to one day be able to find a similar path!

Jones: What magazine would you submit for if/when given the opportunity?

Finitsu: The dream is to be published in Shonen Jump/Jump+!  Though it would also be an honor to be published in Monthly Animal House, Monthly Ikki or Zenon. All these magazines hosted amazing, talented artists that served as inspiration for me and many other young mangaka, but honestly I would just be happy to get published anywhere!

Jones: Too bad Monthly Ikki isn’t around anymore your style definitely fits the experimental side.

Finitsu: Thank you so much!

Jones: I like that Furukuton left me with questions yet still felt one and done as if more is to come. In my opinion one-shots that artist may want to see be established series should leave room for readers to want to return in hopes they’ll get an experience more complex than the last. Would you agree?

Finitsu: I totally agree, after all when making a story, especially though the medium of manga where it’s very much “what will happen next?”, it’s important to leave the readers wanting more, and I am really delighted to know that it also felt like a complete experience.

One of the main dilemmas I had when writing this One-Shot specifically is if I should make it a one and done story or make it actually count as a first chapter.

I have a hard time creating short stories, usually I want to lead them up to something else, I’m really glad readers are engaging with my one-shot!

Jones: I always recommend beginners to start with short stories to learn exactly what type of stories they want to tell and fits them most. It also helps with learning how to pace out information needed to get the theme across in a short span of time. That way when it comes to a series you can measure how much information is needed with in a chapter to lead to a proper climax and conclusion.

Finitsu: Absolutely, as a mangaka who has done quite a few short stories before, I think it was thank to those experiences that I was able to pace myself a little better when creating bigger ones. Though I still have much to learn, I’m excited to prove myself in the future!

Jones: Glad to hear it and I’m looking forward to your next one-shot.

Finitsu: Thank you very much!

Jones: Well we’re at the end of the interview where I’ll ask a question. 

What in your opinion makes a story timeless?

Finitsu: Hmm… that’s a very good question. Well, I would have to say the questions it tries to explore.
Although a story in its most basic definition is intended as escapism, to be transported to another world and to engage with bigger-than-life characters you would never interact with in a million years, it also has to have a message to convey.

Stories that explore morals, ideologies and philosophies tend to stick around for a long time. Like, is love stronger than duty and loyalty?- Romeo and Juliet; Is it morally righteous to steal from the wealthy and give to the poor? – Robin Hood; or a more recent one: is true pacifism the correct way to handle adversity?- Vinland Saga.

These stories make us think about our actions, question our decisions and ponder the correct path in our life, they’re stories that stick because they seek to answer some question that maybe we all  thought about but never gave it time to find an answer, it’s not about popularity or how “hype” something is, because hype dies down and popularity is a constantly changing variable.

I hope to one day be able to fulfill my role in creating a story like that, but for the mean time, I just hope you enjoy!