Track 07 Notes
Started: November 2 2007 Finished: June 17 2008
Even with my wedding fast approaching, I managed to finish track 07!! It was my goal to finish it before "tying the knot," so I'm very proud of myself for accomplishing it. ^_^
First of all, I was hoping to slip more of ~PHANTASM~ into track 07, but it didn't work out that way. ^^; I promise they'll be making more appearances in track 08 and beyond! (those boys are just too hot to ignore! XD) It's also noteworthy to say that in April I was able to actually see D'espairsRay live in concert and they were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! It totally inspired me to see their performance because they are so close to how I imagine Orochi if Orochi were a real band! Experiencing the thrill and rush of a live J-rock concert was the best "homework" I could do to make future concert scenes even more authentic and awesome. Please, do look forward to that, won't you? :D
Some of you may have noticed that Yumi has begun referring to Toshio simply as "Toshio" instead of "Toshio-san." This is a cultural phenomena that needs explaining for the largely Western audience of TWTYH. In Japan when a boy and girl officially become boyfriend and girlfriend, it is appropriate to refer to each other without the honorary "san" (or even "kun" or "chan") due to the closeness of the relationship.
Another cultural difference that should be explained is on page 13. Miyabi asked right away if "Little Mouse" would become his girlfriend, whereas in Western cultures it's more common for two people to date and get to know each other before becoming boyfriend/girlfriend. In Japan, if you're interested in someone, you confess to them the way you feel and ask if they'd be willing to become your boyfriend/girlfriend. Of course, this is a generalization, but I've learned these things from my dear fiance who is Japanese.
It was fun to illustrate a new, hot-blooded side of Toshio! XD He's quite a passionate character, and I'm so excited to get more into that. hehehehehe...
Orochi in suits!!!!! It's true that you gotta dress to impress, and I just love the way the boys look in their suits! Actually, when I was first drawing page 25 I thought that they looked like "hosts," which basically are attractive and stylish young men who entertain and converse with paying female clients. XD Again, another Japanese cultural aspect that we seem to lack in the west. :p
I do hope that the back story of Yumi's mom isn't too distasteful (teen pregnancy is always such a grim subject), but I was glad to be able to illustrate it. It'll have more significance as the story progresses. It'd be a spoiler if I said anymore now. ^_^
So Orochi is signed to a major record label!!!! What awaits them? Please read on to find out!

If you have any comments, please feel free to email me!

Next is "Longing For You"

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