The Eastern Edge

First of all, just a quick note that there is an anonymous voice in this discussion every so often that asks questions etc., and is represented in the original text with a straight line where the name would be. This is quite common in Japanese magazines to denote the interviewer or moderator, and/or to tie the conversation together after the fact where there may have been edits in the text.
Anyway, I will represent questions and comments by the anonymous voice using six stars, like this ******

Also, the art posted below is not from the magazine, it's from last Thursday's chapter of Vagabond in Weekly Morning.

I just thought it fit the conversation.

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****** Mr. Oda, When did you start reading Vagabond?

Oda: I read them all at once when the tankobon come out. Of course, I've got every volume. Ever since the serial started, it's been the rage amongst us young creators. It's so engaging, has deep themes... More than anything, I can't get enough of Inoue sensei's art. It's like, just how far can this guy take his artistry? I've been pursuing that ever since Purple Kaede.*

Inoue: Well, I'm sure I've improved since way back then. However, it's weird, because when I was doing "Purple Kaede" I thought, "Hey, I'm a pretty good artist!" (laughs). Now, though, it's not something I would want to show people.

Oda: I saw your Last Manga Exhibition work and, well... I don't even understand it's meaning - if it's good or what it is, because it's just way over my head. How can art like this even be done? Like the huge mural of Musashi, it's so big but yet the proportions aren't off even a little.

Inoue: Actually, if you really look at it you'll see that the proportions are skewed. There are still pieces (in the exhibit) that I'm concerned about.

Oda: I don't think so at all! Every piece is fantastic and on a level that's beyond my comprehension.
Lately I've been really into Edo period Japanese art. People in Edo times didn't have the internet, comic stores, and I don't think they had as many forms of entertainment to occupy their time as we have now. On the flip side of that, I think they were able to dedicate more time and focus to their given craft than people nowadays are capable of. Because of that, they accomplished things on a level that average ability can't match. When I look at Edo period ink paintings, they are amazingly good. In just a casual painting, they can create unified lines that are full of life. Even art that's been drawn with extremely finely-honed skill, and with (outside) information shut off, probably can't reproduce that.
I think that your art has attained that kind of Edo period level. I wonder how a modern person could possibly draw like this. It boggles my mind.

Inoue: I'm humbled! (laughs)

Oda: And at the Last Manga Exhibition, there are 150 of those drawings, right? I can't even imagine it.

Inoue: If you're put under pressure from people, you can get a surprising amount of things done.

Oda: I've been under the gun with deadlines, and I've managed to survive a number of times but... I couldn't go this far.

Inoue: If it's your own art, you could do it.

Oda: No, no, I can't! I end up looking to attain a certain goal with each page.

Inoue: Ah, I see.

Oda: I'm not really finished, but I get to a certain point and I'm like "okay, I'm done!" I can't seem to get to a place where I really believe in my white space.

Inoue: For me, that white-space can be very important. It's difficult, isn't it?

Oda: I think that's artistic sense.

Inoue: It might be more my personality. Even with a goal in mind, getting to a certain place as planned doesn't interest me. While I'm drawing, if I start to think it's working out, I can just shut it down right there and finish. It's an irresponsible type of personality.

Oda: Do you have a complete mental image of what you want before you begin? There are some amazing people who I hear have it down to the last line and they just follow that image.

Inoue: I'm not sure. I guess I do have an image in my head, but it isn't absolutely clear.

Oda: For me it's so fuzzy you'd wonder if it's a complete image at all. But as I'm drawing I get a clearer fuzzy map-like image and I just try to follow it with my pen.

Inoue: I think that might be close to how it is for me too.

Oda: I haven't been able to get to the level of artists who can draw decisive lines right off the bat. I have an artist friend with a photographic memory, who never forgets a drawing after only seeing it once.
So, once he's drawn a certain character, he can draw that same character again with no visual reference at all. That's an amazing ability. I forget characters I did a while back very quickly. If I want to bring them back, I have to dig up my old work and look at it again.

Inoue: I'm the same way. I look up my old characters all the time. I sometimes forget to draw things like inadvertent beards and other details.

Oda: Really? That's a relief. I feel like I can carry on (laughs).

Oda: From where do you get your ambition and inquisitiveness for your art?

Inoue: Well, it's simple. When you look at your previous art, it's embarrassing, right?

Oda: yeah, a little.

Inoue: I think it comes from the feeling that you can do better.

Oda: I always thought I was one of the more ambitious artists, but after seeing the Last Manga Exhibition, it made me feel woefully inadequate in that department.

Inoue: No, that's not the case at all. How many years has it been since One Piece started?

Oda: 12 years.

Inoue: That's amazing. Doing a serialization for that long in itself makes me feel the same way.

Oda: No way! I think that Slam Dunk is the optimum length for a long-form comic series. Initially, I had a 5 year plan for One Piece... It's taking me more than double that.

Inoue: Reading up to the latest volume 52, it doesn't seem like it's coming to an end anytime soon.

Oda: Yes... Thanks to (it's success)、my whole life's plan is in disarray (laughs).

Note: * Purple Kaede is the name of Inoue's debut comic in Weekly Shonen Jump back in 1988.

The conversation goes off on a completely different tangent from here, so this seems like a good place to cut it off.
Part 3 is already in progress. I'll get it posted as soon as I can.