Scanlated by @victor_rochas

MAKING OF TOWER DUNGEON WITH TSUTOMU NIHEI
Interview by Jean-Samuel Kriegk and Lloyd Chéry.

In “Making of,” you’ll discover the secrets behind some of the most iconic works of art. After going behind the scenes of the film We Are Zombies in our eleventh issue, today’s column welcomes a master of the ninth art. On the fringes of a manga industry, too often trapped by its own codes, Tsutomu Nihei stands out as a major and solitary figure, sculptor of labyrinthine universes where architecture devours humanity. For nearly thirty years, since the explosion of Blame!, Nihei has been charting a trajectory as singular as it is bewildering. A journey that now leads him to a new project, Tower Dungeon, which seems far removed from the science fiction that made him famous. In 1997, Tsutomu Nihei burst onto the scene in Afternoon magazine with Blame!, a seminal work characterized by expressionistic and visceral artwork that leaves readers feeling truly dizzy. At the heart of a stunning cyberpunk universe, a taciturn protagonist named Killy wanders through endless corridors. The vertical architecture becomes a character in its own right: titanic, mysterious, and oppressive. From series to series, the mangaka develops his visual signature while remaining faithful to his fascination with colossal architectural structures, whose perspectives overwhelm the characters. Biomega (2004-2009) and Aposimz (2017-2021) explore the post-apocalyptic subgenre, while Knights of Sidonia (2009-2015) tackles space opera. These sagas renew the artist’s obsessions while each time taking a step aside, creating a surprise effect in the drawings or the subjects addressed. This is undoubtedly what defines a great author: the ability to mix the same themes, to work on the same ground without ever repeating oneself. An artist who is as rare in interviews as he is sparing with his words (much like his characters, who are rarely talkative), Nihei-sensei did us the honor of granting us an exclusive interview on the occasion of the French release of the first volume of his new series: Tower Dungeon.

Until now, you had explored various subgenres of science fiction such as cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic fiction, and space opera. What drew you to the dark fantasy of Tower Dungeon?
I have a nagging obsession, an unchanging desire to depict architectural spaces. This aspiration transcends genre boundaries: it doesn’t matter whether it’s science fiction or fantasy. For this new series, I felt the urge to reconfigure the structures that inhabit my work within a medieval setting, to orchestrate their rebirth in a more ancient mythology.

What challenges did you encounter in moving from futuristic worlds to a medieval fantasy universe?
The awareness of any kind of “transition” didn’t really cross my mind. Once I put pen to paper, I found that my creative process remained, in essence, fundamentally intact. However, this time, as I was drawing on elements such as dragons and established heroic tales, the process differed from building a world from scratch. It was a unique creative experience, fueled by a pre-existing mythological heritage.

As in Blame!, the hero of Tower Dungeon, Yuva, moves vertically. How did you design the massive, labyrinthine architecture of the dragon tower?
I am particularly fond of buildings that have stood the test of time and undergone various modifications and extensions over the centuries. Stone architecture fits perfectly with this concept, and I really enjoy designing these spaces freely, not for the sake of historical accuracy, but in my own way.

How do you think Yuva’s quest to save a princess differs from traditional heroic quests?
I deliberately chose to keep the narrative structure very simple, as I thought this would make it easier for readers to immerse themselves in the story. Although the quest itself may not differ fundamentally from traditional heroic tales, it is precisely this familiar structure that allows me to play freely with the details and explore more subtle nuances.

What were your main sources of inspiration for the Tower Dungeon universe? People often think of video games like Elden Ring or Demon’s Souls.
There are influences, of course. I do feel an affinity between my manga and games like Demon’s Souls and Elden Ring, where the player is immersed in a universe with very little prior explanation. This approach, which lets the viewer discover the world for themselves, is very much in line with my narrative vision.

Your graphic style evolves considerably from one series to the next. How do you adapt your drawing to your stories? Do you use the same techniques as when you started out?
My drawing style evolves naturally depending on the story. In Tower Dungeon, I focus more on the feeling of oppression generated by the spaces and the effect of lighting than on the density of the linework. Technically I only work digitally, but I want to retain something of the traditional touch I had when I started out.

How do you start a new series? Is it the story that inspires you or an artistic direction that guides you?
What first comes to mind are vague images of spaces or isolated scenes. My creative method often involves letting these images multiply until I begin to glimpse the outline of a story and a narrative flow takes shape.

Since Blame!, how has your approach to framing evolved? How do you choose the scale of your shots?
Today, I prioritize readability above all else. As for the scale of the shots, it’s difficult to determine an optimal size because reading devices and screen sizes vary from person to person. I don’t dwell too much on these technical aspects and instead rely on my intuition.

From series to series, your dialogues become denser. You also give more and more clues to understanding the rules of your world. How do you explain the evolution of your storytelling?
I have sometimes not given enough information, which could block some readers from the outset. So for Tower Dungeon, I chose to reveal a little more about the rules and structure of the universe. However, I’m careful not to reveal too much about the most important elements. Yuva is a simple hero, initially untouched by adventure. He reveals himself during the quest, rewarded for his actions at the end of the first volume. Yuva is an ordinary, unremarkable young man with no real experience. I wanted to explore how someone like him observes and evolves in extreme situations and show this human evolution. What will he see? How will he change? I would be happy if readers could say to themselves, “I understand this character a little.”

Your characters have become more expressive over time.
That’s probably because I wanted to reduce the distance between them and the reader.

What aspects of your previous works did you want to avoid or improve in Tower Dungeon?
If I remove too many explanations, readers may feel lost, so I made some adjustments in that regard. I also place more emphasis than before on the characters’ emotions and the relationships they develop with each other.

Your ability to create believable worlds and universes is impressive. Is there a “Nihei method”?
I don’t have an established method. My way of working differs for each series. I don’t always approach things in the same way, and I’m not attached to any specific logic. I simply give shape to what I want to draw, as I want to draw it at that moment. My only “secret” is, at the beginning of each story, a lot of work and effort on the backgrounds.

This interview will appear in Métal Hurlant, the magazine co-created by Moebius and Druillet, which published Enki Bilal, several of your acknowledged influences. What is your history with these authors?
Their works have been translated into Japanese, and I have often come across their names. Their comics are very different from Japanese manga, and I was truly shocked when I discovered this form of expression. These authors have had a great influence on me.
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With Tower Dungeon, Tsutomu Nihei takes a risk by diving into a medieval fantasy universe for the first time. Yet we immediately recognize the author and his talent for building immense paper cathedrals, this time in the form of a tower inhabited by supernatural creatures. After exploring the far reaches of space, Nihei flourishes in the dark fantasy genre with characters that are better defined than in the past, and charms us once again.