Here we are. A touched up copy of the Q&A transcript. Probably not done to the best it could be as I didn't word them from her perspective but rather from the translator, but oh well. I'll have my friends check over it and make changes as necessary based on what they remember happening and what I remember.
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Q: What inspired you to become an artist?
A: She immensely enjoyed anime and games, wanted to draw and get involved with it.
Q: Are you working on any new game at the moment?
A: Yes.
Q: I can draw female characters, but how do I draw cute female characters?
A: Think of what their most important feature is, start from there, and emphasize it.
Q: When designing a character for someone else's work, how much control do you have over it compared to a character whose appearance has already been determined?
A: For the PC games, she comes up with a rough draft first and from there, someone will colour it for her under guidance. She will generally only do it herself if it is important.
Q: Did you start drawing at a young age?
A: Yes, although she was quite bad as a child and would always turn to a friend of hers early on. Once she reached middle school, she started to become much better and drawing and relied on herself.
Q: Favourite series as a kid?
A: Urusei Yatsura by Rumiko Takahashi.
Q: Are you working on a new Haruhi light novel at the moment?
A: Amongst what she is working on right now, Haruhi is indeed one of them. Some new material will be coming next month in whatever magazine it is that Haruhi comes out in. (Failure on my part here in regards to the name of the magazine. Can't remember what name was given.)
Q: When coming up with the characters that you do, how does it feel to create games that are played so heavily by a male audience and enjoyed the way they will?
A: It's not really that uncomfortable since it is a given that men will buy it and want cute females so it is simply part of the design process.
Q: Is there anyone in particular you would like to work with for a manga or anime series?
A: No one in particular comes to mind. If anyone, she would like to work with a novelist who has different tastes or otherwise is in an entirely different area compared to what she works in.
Q: Have you ever wanted to make your own series?
A: She is unable to come up with plot or stories and prefers to focus on character design. She loves to bring life to someone else's world. She has some interest in it some day, but she would need to learn how to come up with a plot and such first.
Q: What does your family think of your work in regards to her 18+ works?
A: Her family doesn't know, as far as she knows at least. They know she is an illustrator and they support her for
that, but if they did find out, she would probably apologize despite the fact they would accept what she does.
Q: How was it working on the Haruhi movie and what did you think of it?
A: She barely had anything to do with it outside of some of the promotional material. She did enjoy the movie though.
Q: Of your works, what would be your favourite series to work on?
A: She says she loved them all so naming one would be impossible.
Q: What was your first comiket and your thoughts on it?
A: Her first appearance at comiket was as a regular attendee but she eventually joined a circle which has stayed small in order to avoid the feel of being too commercial and enjoy the feeling of being a small party.
Q: How much time do you spend on drawing and what is your favourite medium to work in?
A: It varies greatly from picture to picture. Generally, one character will take half a day from the rough sketch to a proper polished work. For the most part, she enjoys just picking up a pencil and doing hair. If it becomes too much of a hassle though, she switches over to colouring.
Q: I am a huge fan of yours. My name is Godzilla, will you please marry me?
A: Sorry, I am already married.
Q: Who is your favourite character and do you play any of the games your characters are featured in?
A: She was unable to pick a favourite because she loves all her works, but she does make it a policy to play through all the games that she works on.
Q: Has there ever been a time when there was a dispute between you and the people you are working for?
A: No, there hasn't.
Q: With regards to people who scan your doujinshi and upload it online due to the difficulty in obtaining it over here, what are your thoughts on it?
A: She appreciated our love for her work, but thinks we should obtain it all legally.
Q: With the character Wilhemina from Shakugan no Shana, are there any comments on her or her design?
A: She talked with the creator to get a rough idea of how to portray her. Due to her overall lack of expression being the most important part of her, she had envisioned her as a doll and gone from there.
Q: With your work, how much has been inspired by traditional Japanese art from the 18th-19th century?
A: She couldn't really speak much about tradition art and its inspirations, but it has certainly given Japan a mysterious feel to it which she draws upon. For instance, the first Shakugan no Shana art book, she used black and then put yellow on top of it to give an impression of Japan for the cover.
Q: Do you use a reference for your character outfits or do you make them up as you go along?
A: Sometimes she thinks of an outfit immediately and she runs with it, otherwise she will go out, take a walk, and see what people in the city or in magazines are wearing.
Q: Have the studios at JC STaff or Kyoani presented any difficulties in translating her designs from print to anime?
A: There have been no real troubles with adapting he works to animation. It has gone very smoothly.
Q: The colours and thickness of the lines in your images can vary at times within the same images. How do you decide how to represent the character through these?
A: When drawing, first she inserts herself as much as possible into the mind of the character or someone else in the world who would be capable of seeing that person. From there, she thinks about the characters personality to help finalize what she has in mind for them.
Q: What do you think of genderswapping Haruhi characters and have you ever drawn any yourself?
A: She knows quite well about the subject, thinks it to be hilarious, but is afraid that if she were to draw any of the characters, it would be perceieved as offical art and so she can't join in.
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Q: When designing some of your more iconic characters like Haruhi, Yuki and Shana, did you have anything special in mind while doing so, or were you just acting off what the authors had envisioned?
A: She reads through the original material first to get a feel for the characters and the world, and then see what the author says. However, she will still rely heavily on any inspirations that come to her.
Q: There are several groups out there which translate games for the enjoyment of the English speaking community without going through the Japanese companies for permission. What are your thoughts on people translating the eroge your art has appeared in?
A: She is happy to have more people experience her work, but wants people to go through the official channels to do so.
Q: How did you get your start in the eroge industry and can you share something with us from your experiences gained from working in it?
A: At the start, a job in the eroge industry was all that was available so she took it. She enjoyed the work and says it really helped her learn how to pose people while drawing.
