Charlotte Alderdice: And then I ended up here. He he.

José Cruz: So what, this was like, just sort of a ri- a wave you were riding, kind of thing?

Charlotte: Uh yeah, I mean I think I hadn’t really- you know I had always wanted to learn Japanese. Um sort of as a- just- I just wanted to learn it, (Sure) um but I didn’t sort of think about doing it in university, I didn’t really think that that was an option you know it’s not- you know you live in the North of Scotland you don’t really expect (No) there to be a…

José: No, you don’t really expect- that’s right. (No) So well then, now that you’re here, and at least the the- the little bit that I heard you speaking Japanese you seemed pretty good at it (Thank you) and you’re only going topronounced, “GONNA” (0:36) get better in the year that you’re here what are you thinking as options after you’re done all this? (Uh) What do what do- what do you want topronounced, “WANNA” (0:42) do with this?

Charlotte: I honestly don’t really knownote Charlotte’s pronunciation at the end of “know”; it has a little “R” sound at the end of the word (0:44). Um I have sort of like my own life goal dream which doesn’t really have anything to do with Japanese (Japanese) language, but it’s uh, it’s not really one that would necessarily be a sort of career. Um, Still I want to be a manga artist at some point. (Oh my) Um, you know I- I didn’t- I mentioned I wanted to do art like I uh really enjoyed drawing comics and things. Um so one day I- I would like to have a book published I think that would be pretty cool like uh…

José: Of of your manga art.

Charlotte: Yeah yeah like like a graphic novel. (Holy cow) I’d really like to do that.

José:, That would. well sounds to me that that’s something, if you were to really pursue it, would require Japanese. (I mean) You’d want to study here, no?

Charlotte: I mean I don’t know, becausepronounced, “KUHZ” (1:27) obviously there are like graphic novelists and such in the UK and America, so. I don’t know but I mean Japanese sort of- I find it interesting learning about, you know the the source of where that came from or learning where it got popular for sure. But also I just like languages.

José: Mm, of course you know that’s- in and of itself, that’s fantastic. But manga being it’s own form of graphic novel (Mm) Uh I- I don’t knowpronounced, “DUNNO” (1:52) just how bi- you know I haven’t actually been back to the West, to North America for now maybe about 20 years. (Oh OK) I literally haven’t been back. (Wow) So I don’t know just how um, manga or even anime uh has really become part of whatever sub-culture, niches or genres in North America, but I imagine more so than when I left. (Probably) And are are there a lot of western artists that do manga based- uh based on North American lifestyles and publishing- so basically there are manga artists in North America now?

Charlotte: Um I mean, yeah there are some (Really) Like there’s there’s some that are just sort of you know normal graphic novels that just takes a slightly more manga-esque look. Um but, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Mark Crilley?

José: Sorry no, that’s where I uh (Oh OK) I know comic books from when I was a boy, and I notice that when I would sometimes go to the bookstore and pick up a comic- a couple of comic books, (Mm) and, “Wow these are looking really Japanese” (Yeah) So I figured, you know there’s, there’s an influence. (It is) But I don’t know names or anything like that.

Charlotte: There’s there’s a lot more of it these days. I’d say. And Mark Crilley, is- he’s also a YouTuber, so he does a lot of sort of how-to draw stuff and he he’s published basically manga books. Um and he he’s also done sort of illustrations for um novels and children’s books and magazines. Um he’s done he’s done all sorts of artwork and stuff. I think he’s worked for some big comic companies sort of like as a one-off before as well.

José: Where did he pick up his manga style then, in Japan? Or he picked…

Charlotte: Yeah I think so. Um because he he was an English teacher in Japan for a while.

José: Of course he was. Of course he was. He he.

Charlotte: Yeah. Um and I think he had done art all through school. (Ah) Sort of you know he’s very very good at his realism, like it’s shocking it looks like a photograph. Um and I think. Yeah I think he he would come up with little stories and stuff. And then when he was in Japan he did a lot of drawing um architecture and nature and such.