Every great series must come to an end. Now that Bakuman has come to a conclusion, SJ Alpha got ahold of the phenomenal writer and artist duo for an exclusive interview for the first time in America!

Takeshi Obata is on another level when it comes to drawing. Since his debut, he has been raising the bar of shonen manga art and creating a new standard for the genre. No one else could’ve made a manga about competing manga artists so exciting and visually stunning as Obata.

Q: How did you come up with the character designs for Bakuman? Also, what were you conscious about when designing characters who are mangaka and editors?

Takeshi Obata: Ohba Sensei creates characters who have realistic personalities. When I draw them, I slightly reference real-life people that I’ve seen in this industry and exaggerate their qualities to turn them into manga characters.

To read the rest of this interview in this week's SJ Alpha (May 7, 2012 issue)! For more members-only exclusives, become an SJ Alpha member today!

Related Links:
Obata & Ohba Full Interview (coming soon!)
Takeshi Obata Creator Sketch Video
EXCLUSIVE: Ohba & Obata Spotlight
EXCLUSIVE: Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro Spotlight
EXCLUSIVE: Eiichiro Oda Spotlight
EXCLUSIVE: Masashi Kishimoto Spotlight
EXCLUSIVE: Tite Kubo Spotlight