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Glass Mask Creator Has Mixed Feelings About English Readers
posted on by Kim Morrissy
Glass Mask creator Suzue Miuchi stated that she has mixed feelings about the international readers of her manga. At a talk show in Kichijoji on December 7, Miuchi was asked how she felt about the international popularity of the series.
“I haven't signed a contract for an English version,” she responded. “So anyone who reads Glass Mask in English must be reading a pirated version.
“I get a lot of questions from the international media, but I find it hard to answer them because they know about my work through reading a pirated version. It gives me mixed feelings.”
She brought up a case where she talked to a fan who claimed that they had read Glass Mask in Japanese to study the language, but they also told her that they had read a “digital” version of the manga. At the time, an official digital version of the manga had not been released.
Miuchi mentioned that Glass Mask has an Italian version and is also available in various Asian countries, so her skepticism does not apply to all international fans. However, because English is a lingua franca overseas, many international fans use it to read Glass Mask.
Nevertheless, Miuchi remarked that she was flattered that the appeal of her work transcended national borders. “It makes me want to keep creating interesting works,” she said.
Although the manga is not published in English, HIDIVE is streaming the original Glass Mask television anime adaptation under the title Glass Mask 1984. The anime is available to users in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Central and South America. The manga also inspired a 2005-2006 anime remake, two live-action television series, and a three-part video series that started in 1998.
At the talk show, Miuchi also commented she has been working hard to complete the story of Glass Mask. In May, she shared on Twitter that she plans to continue drawing Glass Mask until its final volume, even though the Bessatsu Hana to Yume magazine in which the manga was originally published has now ceased publication.
Source: Suzue Miuchi talk show in Kichijoji
