Manga Staff Discussion Thread

[Memento]

I thought it might be interesting and useful to start a thread dedicated to discussing and appreciating the staff of women who helped Naoko with the manga. I think most of us already know that Naoko did not write and draw the manga all by herself, but many of us may not know the names of the women who assisted her or what they contributed to the series, so I'd like to compile that information here (and then maybe someone could make an article about them for Wikimoon?).

In the fourth volume of the original tankouban release of the manga, Naoko thanks her staff.

Here's the Tokyopop English translation:

Miss Agnes Honma: I'm sorry I always make you draw the fine lines in the background. I'll learn to draw handsome guys, so please don't leave me.​

Miss Kanashiro-P: A hidden soldier. I'm counting on you. Thank you.​

Miss Izumi Ueda: Thanks for all the good ideas and books and tone. I'm counting on your pretty black flashes and crowd scenes.​

Miss Rie Kosaka: I'm sorry I always cause you such hardship. I'm really grateful.​

Miss Kawamura-chan: Thanks for the pretty flowers. Come to Tokyo soon, I'll take care of you.​

Miss Chie-chan: Thanks for the signed book. Let's stay up 'til morning talking sometime.​

and Miss Aiko & Yurika: Thanks for bringing snacks and meals, etc. Don't forget Naoko even after you get married.​

and Miss Marie: Let's cruise! Let's shop! Let's travel! Let's live strong without guys.​

And here's (my English translation of) Glénat's French translation:

Miss Agnes Homma: Forgive me for bothering you with my backgrounds. I promise you I'll draw still more handsome guys.​

Miss Kanashiro: You're really talented! I count on you!​

Miss Izumi Ueda: You always have good ideas for my stories​

Miss Rie Kosaka: Thanks for the pretty flowers. Return quickly to see me in Tokyo !​

Miss Chie: Thanks for your book dedication. I'd love to chat longer with you​

Miss Aiko & Miss Yurika: Thanks for the good meals. We'll continue to see each other even after your marriage, OK?​

Miss Marie: Let's go for a ride in your car, let's go shopping! You know like me that you can't count on men.​

I'm inclined to trust the Tokyopop translation a bit more since Glenat omitted Kawamura-chan/merged her with Rie Kosaka, but otherwise they're not really that different. Anyway.

From this we can see that Agnes Honma/Homma was responsible for the background art to some extent, and that Izumi Ueda helped with crowd scenes, tone, and contributed story ideas. (Would love to know what story ideas.) As for everyone else...

1. Does anyone know what their roles might have been? It's possible some were just Naoko's personal assistants or friends who gave her moral support (she also thanks her parents, and of course Osabu) and didn't do any actual manga work.
2. Does anyone know of any other times where Naoko (or even Osabu) thanked her assistants by name (or otherwise)?
3. Does anyone know if Naoko kept the same staff throughout the run of the manga? If not, does anyone know of any other manga staff not named here and what their roles were?
4. Does anyone know if any of these women have worked on other series (possibly their own; it sounds like Chie-chan at least is an author, and Miss Marie is probably Marie Koizumi) or if any of them are on social media?

I'd just really like to see everyone get the credit/recognition they deserve.

 

[Memento]

For anyone interested, Naoko thanks her staff again in Act 20 (volume 5 of the tankoban):

Miss Agnes You're the one who'll stay right to the very end. I can really count on you.
Miss Kanashiro You're the big sister to everyone here at the workplace We all depend on you I'm really grateful
Miss Kawamura You're the one with all the power and energy! Let's all go on a trip together soon
Miss Izumi She's the Taki fan! I can leave Pluto to you
Miss Yurika I'm sorry to work a happy newlywed so hard You're my talented manager. I'm counting on you
Miss Marie I'm sorry to keep you from your novel writing Thanks for listening to my complaints Let's go for a drive, and shopping, and a night out sometime

Either Miss Aiko, Miss Chie-chan, and Miss Rie Kosaka did not stick around, or they weren't members of her staff and just people she wanted to give acknowledgment to for being moral support or something.

 

[Memento]

From volume 3 of the tankoban:

Miss Agnes Honma: You are a genius Even as Sailor Moon's backgrounds and effects get more and more complicated, you keep on coming.
Miss Chie Waseda: You always respond brightly to my sudden requests Come over again, please
Miss Kawamura-chan: You came all the way from Nagoya so many times sniff I'm so moved! Come to Tokyo soon
Miss Tago: I like your perfect, cool, under control style
Miss Kurimaru: Thanks so much for the beautiful effects
Miss Ikeda: Please come by again I hope you make your debut soon
Miss Ryo Arisawa: Let's go to karaoke or out partying next time
and Miss Urako, Keiko-sama: Sniff Don't leave me
Miss Yayoi: Bring us some snacks again
and Miss Aiko, Emi, Yurika, and Ikuko-mama: I love you Thanks for bringing those wonderful, delicious meals to the workplace They keep us going on! Hugs and kisses

 

[Seira Hazuki]

I’m curious at what point Oumori Madoka was Naoko’s assistant during the manga?

For people who don’t know her, she published the smutty Sailor Moon doujinshi Earth Wind under the pen name of “Kumiko Kinjo.”

 

[Memento]

I somehow missed that Naoko also thanked her staff in volume 2 of the tankoban:

Miss Honma: Without you there wouldn't be a background. Thanks for this second book too. Let's go to another SMAP concert sometime.​

Miss Ojira: I'm really grateful. Your beautiful buildings are the best. Let's do something naughty sometime.​

Miss Rica: Come and chat about materials and technique again sometime.​

Miss Kurimaru: Thanks for the beautiful FX and the lovely demons​

Miss Maruyama: Lots of thanks for that time on [the Cherry Project]. Come again sometime.​

Miss Mio Mizuki: Stop by again after class!​

Mr. Tanaka: Come and play Street Fighter II again sometime. (I'm gonna getcha!)​

Miss Hazuki, Miss Tago, Miss Hattori: Thank you​

Miss Yui-sama: Thanks for your patience. Let's talk fan-stuff again sometime.​

And Miss Urako, Nami~n, Keiko-sama, Takase: Come and play again sometime. I'm always grateful.​

Mr. I: Thanks for the special items.​

And finally Mr. DM: We're always happy for your midnight snacks​

And Osa-P: I depend on you. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have Usagi.​

​

I wonder if any of the staff members thanked in the tankoban worked on coloring the manga...?

 

[Clow]

I wonder if Naoko would continue the manga or reboot the story if she had the chance to work with all these people again.

 

[Memento]

In Volume 8, she thanks her staff as follows:

"Miss Kana-p, V-p, Agnes, Mika-p, Kuze-chan, and Miss Ono-sensei (Ana-sensei? It's hard to make out her handwriting). Miss Tachibana-sensei, Miss Ojira and Yurika and Tama-chan and Iwasa-sama and Irie-cief and Saito-kun, Osida-kun and Osabu."

 

[Akari @ria]

1. Does anyone know what their roles might have been? It's possible some were just Naoko's personal assistants or friends who gave her moral support (she also thanks her parents, and of course Osabu) and didn't do any actual manga work.

I think it's her staff or her closest collaborators, assistants and so on. some of these people have also become mangakas, for example Chie Waseda, i think the kawamura of which Naoko writes is Mika Kawamura, who created the illustrations for the "panic in nakayoshi world" video game.
Some of Naoko's collaborators have left special thanks to the author collected in the infinity artbook if I remember correctly.

4. Does anyone know if any of these women have worked on other series (possibly their own; it sounds like Chie-chan at least is an author, and Miss Marie is probably Marie Koizumi) or if any of them are on social media?

Chie waseda works:
Baka-Updates Manga - WASEDA Chie

Mika Kawamura:
Baka-Updates Manga - KAWAMURA Mika

Rie Kosaka:
Baka-Updates Manga - KOSAKA Rie

Ryo Arisawa:
Baka-Updates Manga - ARISAWA Ryou

Mio Mizuki
Baka-Updates Manga - MIZUKI Mio

if there's one, the official page is shown on the site i've linked