NYCC2017 Panel Recap: Fairy Tail Chat With Hiro Mashima

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*** 11:00 am Fairy Tail: Hiro Mashima Live Panel Discussion will have updates located below ***

10:58 — a panel that is actually starting early!?!? This can’t be right…

Justin from funimation on the stage giving quick introduction.

‘Trailer’ being shown, but it is more of a catch-up from past episodes…

More Fairy Tail coming on Blu-Ray next year…. Teasing Rave Master right now. Everyone in attendance can download Rave Master 1-5.

Chance to win a bunch of free stuff by using #ThanksYouMashima and tweet what Fairy Tail has meant to you.

11:03 am — Hiro Mashima takes the stage…. one of the loudest ovations I have heard this weekend, honestly. Hiro: “Welcome New York! I love you!”

Hiro: My name is Hiro Mashima, I actually cant speak that much english. (now his translator) I must express how greatful I am for you all to be here today.

We all want to thank you for completing the Fairy Tail manga, it is a tremendous feat.

H: Thank you. I honestly owe it to you all. Everyone that is a fan of Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail was serialized for 11 years. And it was just completed this July, Volume 1-61 are available now… and 62 and 63 are coming soon.

Rumor has it… you have never taken a week off for the entire time you have serialized this?

H: This is actually true. This whole time I was motivated by the fans and the voices that was looking for the next chapter. I could hear the fans voices asking for that next chapter.

What was the first thing you did when you finishd the manga?

H: I did a lot of doodlings.

How do you feel about being in NY and at NYCC?

H: I am feeling all of hte enthusiam from the fans. I am really enjoying this. This goes for not just Fairy Tail. I see a lot of cosplayers for other anime and manga and that is amazing to see it here in New York City.

What inspired you to become a mangaka:

H: Back when I was younger, my grandfather collected ercycled manga and I enjoyed reading them. So I started to copy and draw the characters from those pages. When I was younger I was really into Dragon Ball and Ultimate Muscle.

How did you start working with Shonen Magazine?

H: When I was aspiring to do this there was no manga that dealt with fantasy and dragon an dmagic, so I thought this was my chance to stand out.

We hear you are also a big gamer… what are you playing?

H: It is actually something I got inot about a year ago… Ive been playin Overwatch. I main as Lion Heart because I am not good at shooting. Im not going to let anyone pass my back.

When you are looking to create fantasy world, what were some inspirations? Particularly around the rules of magic?

H: I get inspired by lots of things .Other manga, movies, video games. Things tt I am exposed those are inspirational to me.

How do you come up with the battle sequences?

H: I try to prioritize what readers will be interested in. Which character versus the theroand who is stronger and those things that interests the readers interest me.

Why ae you done now after 11 years?

H: I was sad to say goodbye, but I am ready fo ra new challenge. But I know that all hte characters from Fairy Tail live within all of you. And so I feel good to transition to osemthing new.

More Q&A with Hiro

Did you get this to the ending that you wanted and are happy with?

H: Yes. 

We have a lot of fans here of Rave Master, too, this was the first of your creation … 35 volumes, which is a lot … any interesting stories behind Rave Master?

H: So when I was working on Rave, I created a character named Plue .. so this character cant talk he can only say one work and doesnt do much and it made it hard to work with this character. So that is when I realized when a mascot doesnt talk it is hard to do anything with him, so when I made Happy, I had to make sure he is very chatty. I was like Pikachu is the greatest mascot character of all-time. 

A lot of people were introduced through the anime, and now with Fairy Tale Zero… 277 episodes… we are excited to get the last season coming next season. 

H: Thank you. 

Recently, we had Fairy Tail Dragon Cry. (Scene showing of the film)

Dragon Cry and Fairy Tail Zero coming through Funimation next year. 

It is one thing to create manga, and another to get an anime. How did you feel to learn it was coming to anime?

H: I am happy. Very happy. At the same time. I was very worried too, how was it going to turn out. I had a lot of faith in the team that was working on it that it would be a success. Because of the anime created by the talented team a lot more people got to learn more about the world of Fairy Tail. Not just in Japan but overseas, like here, to learn about it. 

How involved were you in the adaptation?

H: Since I relied on the animation team, I was hands off of the project myself. There were requests from the director of the anime to check the scripts so I chose to check those scripts because they asked me to. 

In regards to the animation, which arc was best adapted?

H: Often these animes are made off the manga story but at the same time there are segments where it is jsut anime original stories. Very early on there is an arc where the characters swap with the personalities and body and I enjoyed that arc. It is kind of popular tropes in Japaneses manga. 

Are there any parts of Fairy Tail based off real-life experiences?

H: Quite a bit, yes. Not the body swapping but Id like to expereince that. I guess that is like cosplaying. 

Any particular experiences you can share?

H: It is kind of hard to point to specific moment but one of the examples of the guild and friend getting together and making a ruckus that is like me and my friends in our college days. For example, there is several people who are females that are really good at drinking alcohol or ladies like Elza who are really scary… or people like Gray who just takes off clothes in the middle of everywhere, like myself, back when I was younger though not any more. 

What character is best represented from mange to anime?

H: Happy. 

Is Happy based on someone in real life?

H: I really love cats… so… 

Does fan interaction influence where you take the story?

H: No, no, no. I love fan interaction on social media. I like sharing my doodles. Since  I started twitter I realized how many of my fans were overseas. But I do not let those interactions move the show. 

What differences are there between fans in the East and in the West?

H: Fans in general have a similar bond amongst themselves. Fans over here are so cheerful towards creators like me and cheering us on to be here and talking with them. The feedback from a Japanese crowd, even with a hype man screaming, everyone in the crowd just sits there and barely responds. 

Since you like cats so much, which of them would you like to have?

H: Uuuuhhhhh…. Frosh? He is super cute. 

Now we have the whole list of magic powers and everything is on the table now. If you became a wizard which magic would you use and why?

H: The magic that I can turn one day into 48 hours instead of 24. Time wizards. If there was more hours then I can draw more manga. 

We are done with Fairy Tail manga, but what is next for you?

H: I honestly cant talk too much about the next story I am working on, but… as I am taking a break right now, I am thinking about the plot of the next series which I hope I can start on very very soon.

Anything you would like to say to hte Fairy Tail fans out there?

H: I got to continue with this story for 11 years because of the support of the fans. Thank you. Even when I start on the next series I want you all to think, ‘Whoa, Oh my God.’