Review Fix Exclusive: Inside Her Impact!

Review Fix chats with the team behind the new manga series Her Impact!, to find out what inspired it and its goals for 2018.

Review Fix: What inspired this manga?

Mikel Miles: Great question, what inspired me to write this manga was some elements from “Hajime No Ippo”, but, I wanted to make a woman as a protagonist in my manga, showing diversity, because what you see in the manga industry is that women are portrayed as background characters only. So, I wanted to write something different with my character. Now, I’ll let Digikame talk through this Q&A. Take it away DiGikame and Lavender.

Review Fix: How is it different from your previous work?

Digikame: I’ve never collaborated with a team with this much people. Usually, in my experience, there’d be just a writer and the artist, or one person doing both jobs to create a comic. I think it’s more fun to have a team where we can rely on each other rather than dealing with everything on our own. There’s strength in number.

Review Fix: What makes this comic special?

Digikame: The main character, Sadie, is quite a rare type to be found in manga/comic, especially in the genre of sport/action, and especially in sports genre; woman, who is also of African-Japanese descendant and also a decent one. Surprisingly, when I read the script of the first chapter, I really had a lot of respect for her. She can be very goofy and stuff, but at the same time, she has that part of her that feels realistic as an everyday adult human being trying to figure out her life. This is a character that, I feel, harbors both the fighting spirit like that of a younger protagonist in other stories we’ve read and also the world-weariness of an adult who’s been through some ups and downs. And I think that will make her appealing to older readers too.

Review Fix: What creators do you think have influenced you the most?

Digikame: In the field of Manga, that would be Naoki Urasawa, the creator of Monster and 20th Century Boys; and Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of Akira.

Review Fix: What Was It Like being an Editor Of This Manga?

Lavender: I’ve been addicted to Anime and Manga for a very long time now, and I’ve always been wanting to do something in this field, so, when I got the opportunity to work on this manga, I was very excited. Naturally, I enjoyed working with my team and it was a lot of fun getting to know these talented people. The storyline was obviously very impressive for someone like me, who loves strength in women, which is another reason why I love being an editor for ‘Her Impact. Also, I can learn about the storyline before everyone else, which is every reader’s dream.

Review Fix: How do you want it to be remembered?

DigiKame: As a series that is brave in the way that it chooses to focus on the type of character that is rarely represented in today’s manga or comic. Most of all, I want it to also be fun.

Review Fix: How did you guys feel that Mikel added mostly women on this team?

Lavender: Umm, I mean, I’m totally down for women being the majority in the team as I myself am one, but, we also have guys helping us with this manga. So, I think the ratio is equal. Haha.

Digikame: For me I think it comes down to skills, regardless of gender. I don’t mind if I’m in a team with more male or female members, but it’s definitely more relaxing for me to have other women around as well. So thanks for that.

Review Fix: Why does manga still matter?

Digikame: I think it’s like asking why do books still matter, isn’t it? I don’t think people want to look at the computer screen and moving images all the time. Of course, we can read manga online these days and that’s fine, too. But for me, some part of me still prefer to hold the hard copy in my hand and touch paper and appreciate the artwork printed on it. And also because it’s my job.

Review Fix: What’s next?

DigiKame: Issue #1, hopefully, and #2 and #3 and so on. Improvement on the flaws we have, and finally, I hope, success. I’m also working on my own comic.

Review Fix: Favorite Anime of all Time & Current Anime That your Watching Now?

Lavender: I LOVED Death Note, and it will always be among my top favorites. I like school life and music related anime, but my main focus is to find out something that is memorable. Something that has lots of plot twists and action. I like fantasy and Sci-fi genre as well. I still am obsessed with Kuroshitsuji (manga) and some Korean webtoons and just finished watching ‘Blame!’ (Movie).

Digikame: Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade directed by Hiroyuki Okiura. It’s depressive and very political, but pure quality if you’re into that stuff.

I don’t have any current anime that I’m watching now, but the most recent one was Netflix’s Castlevania, which has only 4 episodes.

Mikel: Favorite Anime Of All Time, I have a few that I like To share Dragon Ball Z, Samurai Champloo, Afro Samurai, Naruto, Psycho-Pass, Death Note & More. What I’m currently watching Lupin The 3rd (2015), My Hero Academia & Attack On Titan.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Digikame: I hope people relate to the characters in ‘Her Impact,’ especially the main character. I hope they like her. I like her. We’re kind of taking baby steps here and learning along the way. I hope we land on the right track.