Undead Unluck Unveiled: Let's Talk Muscles with Yoshifumi Tozuka

Yoshifumi Tozuka, a rising star in the world of manga, has captured the imaginations of readers with his captivating series, Undead Unluck. With a unique blend of supernatural elements, intricate plotlines, and dynamic characters, Tozuka's work has garnered widespread acclaim since its serialization.

At Anime NYC 2023, we had the opportunity to sit down with Tozuka, delving into the origins of his captivating manga and the inspirations that fuel his boundless imagination.


──Undead Unluck is your first major and long-running work. How do you feel about it becoming an anime?

Being a Weekly Shounen Jump title, my goal was to "survive" [in the magazine] per se, and I was really pouring all of my energy into this when the offer came. So at that time, I was more astonished than happy. It felt like receiving a huge reward while I was just working hard and running as fast as I could.


──The director of the anime, Yuki Yase, applies a certain style to the anime adaptation. What is your impression on how the anime looks and the way it's directed?

It was a direction that didn't come out of my head, but when I saw the finished product on TV, it seemed to fit perfectly. My designs are harsh, or rather have a powerful feeling, and I think they fit well with Yase-san's opening and ending images, as well as the atmosphere of the anime. This experience has given me a lot of motivation, so I think I was able to meet a really great person.


──The story revolves around Fuuko and Andy, who are both Negators. The idea of powers based on negation is quite creative. How did you come up with the concept?

The ability to negate (否定) came from immortality (不死), and it all began because there were various words that had the kanji for "un-" (不) attached to them. Then, with "undead" (不死) and "unluck" (不運), I was able to create characters that were always giving off a slapstick comedy vibe and always having fun on screen. I just earnestly tried to make it look fun, like something interesting is happening on every page.






──Many elements of the story follow rules. Aside from Negator's powers, UMAs also have abilities based on certain rules. Why did you choose to focus on rules?

Before Undead Unluck, when I was writing various ideas as rough drafts for approval, I was looking at social media and wondered things like, "If there was a world without this, if there were no rules and systems like this, would the world be running smoothly? It wouldn't be, right?" Sometimes I would think that it's not the people posting who are at fault, but rather it's the system that allows them to say such words. These thoughts materialized in the form of UMA. I thought it would be interesting to create a manga that simulates a world where rules disappear by defeating something, so UMA came about.

For example, when I see an animal called an alpaca, I wonder if it really existed in this world before I actually saw it. Things like frilled lizards and bubble tea that suddenly became popular [in Japan], I wonder if they were really in this world before I knew about it, or if something added them as a rule, and then everyone suddenly found out. UMA were born out of that sense of discomfort.

What if there were a world which had nothing that everyone hates, like war? But if that were the case, then the fear arises that competition would also no longer exist. This concept was created by considering such ideas.




──What was your inspiration for introducing a main character naked in the beginning chapters? How did Andy become so muscular?

When I first brought the rough draft of Undead Unluck [to the publisher], I didn't have much pride anymore. I wanted to use everything that I had inside of me and just make it enjoyable for the readers, so I came up with Undead Unluck. Slapstick comedy was always there, and if you mess around with immortality and bad luck, you'll end up naked no matter what you do. However, if I had to increase the number of panels each time or take some other measures to have him wear clothes or not be naked, I thought, isn't it fine if he's naked all the time? Since he's always doing amusing things, I wondered if he didn't need to wear clothes or hide himself or anything. Kind of like a point of defiance.

About Andy's muscles, it's a battle manga afterall, and I wanted him to be a cool guy when he fights. In my works, there are many muscular characters, men especially (and to some extent women as well). This is purely my preference, but when characters put their lives on the line to do something, I want them to have muscles. I don't really like lanky characters who get by only with special abilities. If the character is also mysterious, then that's fine. But if you have a special ability, I think you should also build some good muscles. I don't want to have characters where you wonder what they have left if you take away their abilities.



──The story starts with Fuuko being content that she has read the ending to her favorite manga. Do you also have something that you really want to do or accomplish?

This is my first time going overseas, but I've always wanted to do something like travel around the world after the series ends. But when I came here this time, I realized that it would be impossible to travel alone. Everything was taken care of for me, like the flight and hotel bookings, but still I think this trip was difficult. So, what I want to accomplish at the moment is to finish the series in a good way while still putting my best into it.




──Speaking of the beginning of the story, the anime surprisingly starts out reenacting the manga scene that Fuuko is reading. What did you think about this anime original addition?

At first, I noticed that some strange time passed during the dubbing of that episode. Then, when I saw the episode for the first time at the preview screening, I felt like I had made a mistake and was watching the wrong anime. But then the feeling you get when the book is closed and the scene comes back is really valuable. I think that starting with that scene had strong merit, and so I was grateful that they included it in there.



──Looking at the volume covers and the anime key visuals, Undead Unluck seems like a fun action series. However, we are also quickly shown serious, reflective, and even emotional moments. What kind of feelings do you wish to invoke in your readers?

That's true. I think in real life there are people who were once living extremely happy lives, but due to various things such as accidents, they are no longer able to do what they used to do or what they wanted to do. This kind of thing is represented in the manga as chosen to have Negator powers. Still, they're able to overcome this by connecting with the people and friends around them, and become a little stronger than before. I wonder if all my characters can be like that or can do that.





──Quite a few of the characters in Undead Unluck are faced with past trauma that lead them to take drastic actions. What was your motivation behind giving these characters such a grim outlook on life and did you ever find it difficult to write about these characters in such a manner?

Is it okay if I tell a serious, depressing story?

──Of course.

When I was writing my second one-shot, I think I was around 26 years old; my mother passed away while I was working on the manuscript. My mother was the person I wanted most to read my work, but at that time, I hadn't even begun to conceive the story for Undead Unluck. I really wish I could have put something out sooner so that she could read it. That was the most confusing time of my life, and I avoided manga for a while. Nevertheless, sometime after that, the editor in charge at the time contacted me when he had some free time, and I decided to draw manga again. A while after that, Undead Unluck was created.

I never attended any funerals for my relatives, so "death" was far away from me. My first experience facing death was with my mother, and I think that experience is a big factor in my outlook on life, and how I portray death and various emotions in my work. When you feel like you're at the lowest point in your life is when you often decide to do most things. That's why I thought Fuuko would try to take her own life at first, but after receiving help, she would turn herself around. I've hit rock bottom once in my life, and I was able to change my mind and think that it's okay to do whatever I want for someone else. I think that experience has had a big influence on me.




──In the 3rd Popularity Poll taken at the beginning of this year, Fuuko overtook Andy as the most popular character. What are your thoughts on the results?

This is after a specific event, right? Fuuko is the main character after this event (well she was the main character before, too), and with Andy's absence, she has to carry the burden of being the protagonist alone. I think she's a great main character, even more than I've imagined her to be, almost as if I'm being left behind. I feel that the way she approaches things in a straightforward manner, which she probably learned from Andy, is incredibly powerful. The fact that Fuuko came in first place in the popularity vote I think means that the readers can also sense that and enjoy it.



──On the topic of characters, which character do you enjoy drawing the most? Is there a character you find difficult to draw?

There's a character named Feng who uses Bajiquan (Chinese martial arts). He's a battle maniac who loves to fight, and at those times his facial expressions are so crazy that he's the most fun to draw. It's fun, and also his expressions aren't measured; I can quickly draw faces that indicate whether he's on or off, which I'm grateful for. It's not a spectrum with him, but something like 1 or 100. The most difficult character to draw is Juiz, the Unjustice character, because her facial expressions are so subtle.



──Do you have a message for your fans?

Both the original work and the anime have a full-throttle feel, and I think it becomes more and more interesting with every chapter and episode. I hope that those who are reading Undead Unluck will enjoy it, and that those are interested in reading it in the future will also enjoy it.




Read Undead Unluck on VIZ Media: https://www.viz.com/undead-unluck
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