Happy New Year!
What better way to start things off about talking about a brand new title? Well, not necessary too new, as the anime of Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits aired this past spring.
If you watched that, you might be interested to know a bit more about Shojo Beat’s release of the manga, which is out in stores today.
So here’s the editor of Kakuriyo, Pancha Diaz, who goes over what makes this particular supernatural shōjo manga an interesting read.
TheOASG: In one sentence, how would you describe what Waco Ioka’s Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits is all about?
Pancha Diaz: When you get down to the meat of it, Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits is about navigating complex family relationships, doing your best to thrive (not just survive) in tough situations, and delicious food.
Did you need to have a different mindset when it came to working on this since it’s based off a light novel, or did that not impact how this was edited?
The translator has copies of the light novels, and refers to them sometimes for backstory or information that is not included in the manga. But it hasn’t affected how I edit the work.
If we were releasing the light novels too, I would coordinate terms and dialog so everything matched, but as it is I am just focused on the manga and making it a great reading experience for fans.
How would you describe how Aoi manages to change as she works at Tenjin-ya inn, but also change how the spirits view her and humans in general?
Aoi has a very stable personality from the outset, so her character arc isn’t really about how she changes. It’s more about how coming to Kakuriyo has started to reveal secrets from her past. She learns things about her grandfather that cast her whole life in a new light. Even her cooking isn’t the simple skill she once thought it was!
There is a mystery element to this manga, and I get a sense that in addition to doing her best to avoid being eaten and working off her debt, Aoi will be investigating her unexpected connections to Kakuriyo.
As a general stereotype, spirits don’t have a lot of respect for humans, although they do find them tasty. But as Aoi discovers, the ones at Tenjin-ya have a long history with humans, and her grandfather specifically. This isn’t exactly to her benefit, but her steady head, generous heart and amazing cooking give her a chance to win them over. I’m looking forward to watching her work her magic on her harshest critics.
What turned out to be the biggest surprise so far in editing this manga?
I was not expecting the mystery element and how entwined Aoi was with Kakuriyo even before she was spirited away. There’s a very rich history to this story that I’m eager to see play out.
Finally, what should readers expect when they check out Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits?
Readers should look forward to a strong minded and considerate protagonist winning over her enemies with snacks and a brusque kindness. They should expect some melancholy, humor, and action but not too much horror (despite the threats of human-eating). The food scenes are lots of fun, and readers can even recreate some of the easier recipes themselves. And as the cherry on the top, lots of attractive spirits to enjoy!