△ The way we met... maybe it was destiny?!😆

Q. Before and after becoming a creator, has there been any pleasant change in the way you view everyday life?

A. Every time I safely deliver the finished work to my PD, I feel a small sense of accomplishment, thinking, 'I did it again.'
   The sense of achievement I get from that keeps me confident wherever I go.

Q. When storyboarding, is there a particular direction you pay extra attention to, thinking, "This scene absolutely has to capture the readers' attention!"?

A. Since the genre is Rom-Fantasy (RoFan), I think I put a lot of care into the visual and romance cuts.
   Artist heehee drew them so beautifully that I only have memories of being amazed every time I received the final edits.

△ We were of the same mind 🥰

Q. If you were to create your own original work later, what kind of subject or message would you like to explore? 

A. I don't have anything definite like "I want to try this" just yet.
   However, given my personality, I think it would likely be a cozy slice-of-life story filled with comfort. 

[About <heehee>] 

Q. Unlike your previous work, 'Teach Me, Senpai', which was a modern story, this one is a period piece.
   While preparing for this project, what new attempts did you make that differed from your previous work?

A. Costumes were a big homework assignment for me—something I really wanted to do but wondered if I could pull off well.
   So I referenced a lot of various materials and designed many different outfits.

△ The outfits? They're so radiant I can barely look at them ✨

Q. When designing a new character, what is the first point you breathe life into?

A. I think the shape of the eyes heavily influences a character's impression, so I pay special attention to drawing the eyes.
   I try to design them so that each character's personality shines through.
   As a side note, Lilliana and Helio's eye shapes are very different, and for the overall vibe of their daughter, Lilith,
   I wanted to mix Lilliana and Helio perfectly.

   Her eye color and hair color resemble Lilliana's, so I drew her eyes to resemble Helio's, and I was so happy that the readers noticed it! :D

△ Born with Lilliana as mom and Helio as dad...🎊

Q. If there's a part of your artwork you could call "This detail is my pride!", what would it be?

A. I'd say it's the hair styling to match the outfits and situations! ;)

   Since I show various costume designs, I also try to draw a variety of hairstyles.
   I think it's one of the joys of reading Rom-Fantasy, so I ponder, 'Should I tie it up, or braid it?' depending on the outfit,
   and I'm always researching new styling.

Q. In the 'coloring' process that determines the atmosphere of the panel, what is the standard you consider most important?

A. When I read the novel, there were a lot of political elements, but the overall vibe I felt was a healing story.
   So, right from the start of the webtoon, I worked with my coloring assistant, who I've been teaming up with for a long time, to set a color palette that gives a soft feel.
   Since it's a Rom-Fantasy it's bound to be flashy, but I'm making sure not to lose that soft and warm feeling.

△ I bow deeply in the direction of our coloring artist. 🙇‍♀️

[About <Must the Reincarnated Mother Always Die?>] 

Q. When you first encountered this story, what was the first impression that moved your hearts?

Jusang (A)  It was just, "Wow... seriously, wow... this is fun..."
        The original work was so fun and the storyline was solid, and I remember really looking forward to the female lead's growth as I read it.

△ Are our hearts really this aligned...?

heehee (A)  I first came across this work when I was in the final stages of my previous webtoon, <Teach Me, Senpai>.

        So I was listening to the audio version while working on my manuscript, and Lilliana and Helio kept popping up in my head,
        so the thought of 'I want to draw them quickly!' was really strong.
        The PD proposed the project and sent me 20 chapters, but I was so curious about what happened next that I paid for up to 60 chapters on KakaoPage
        and read them all in one go.

        To think I've already drawn over 70 episodes of that very work brings back so many new emotions.

△ I hope this work becomes an epic saga. (Serious)

Q. In order to capture the charm of the original work in the new medium of a webtoon,
   what was the deepest conversation or core concern you two shared before starting the serialization?

Jusang (A)  For me... the pacing and volume were my biggest concerns.
        I wanted to unfold the entire story without leaving anything out, but there were limits to doing so within a set number of panels.
        So I mainly thought about how I could compress and show the detailed psychological descriptions of the characters from the novel.

heehee (A)  I think it was important to preserve the flavor of the scenes I imagined while reading the novel when adapting them into the webtoon.
        Everyone's imagination isn't the same, but I drew it hoping it would closely resemble what many fans of the original work had pictured.
        So I try to incorporate the costumes and backgrounds into the webtoon by referencing the descriptions written in the original as much as possible.

Q. You have to compress the extensive descriptions of the novel into the limited panels of a webtoon.
   Among the numerous episodes in the original work, what was the story you absolutely "could not delete" during the adaptation process? 

Jusang (A)  It was the male lead, Helio's past.
        Because it was through the story of Helio's mother, the Empress Dowager, that Lilliana and Helio's relationship first began to grow closer.
        It allowed them to realize they both lived with similar loneliness, building a narrative foundation for their relationship,
        so I considered it personally important.

△ These two children grow up to become each other's salvation. 💝

Q. As an adapter, when characters that only existed in text were brought to life through Artist heehee's drawings,
   which character or scene gave you the biggest thrill? 

Jusang (A)  As expected, the moment I first saw the main characters, Lilliana and Helio, was the most thrilling.
        When I first received the character sheets and the initial completed manuscripts, I was amazed because it felt like they had truly jumped right out of the novel. 

Q. Lilliana is a very lovely and brave character, even though she knows of the tragic future of her 'death'.
   When drawing her expressions, beyond simple cuteness, to capture her complex emotions,
   what are your unique details? 

heehee (A)  I think immersion is vital when reading webtoons.

        When you read with immersion, you synchronize with the protagonist's emotions and end up crying and laughing together with them.
        Emotions are conveyed through dialogue too, but if more detailed and subtle emotions can be captured alongside the expressions,
        I believe the feelings are maximized, so I pay a lot of attention to that.
        Therefore, I carefully consider the conversations and situations they are in while painstakingly drawing their expressions. 

Q. A character's personality is reflected even in the patterns of their clothes, props, or background.
   Are there any color palettes or design points you intentionally used to visually contrast Lilliana with the imperial palace figures? 

heehee (A)  I've been drawing them with specific distinctions in mind, so I'm glad you noticed 😃

        For Lilliana, I wanted to emphasize a warm and lovely feel in pastel tones, so I tend to use a lot of motifs like ribbons and flowers.
        For Helio, I made him visually splendid to exude the dignity of an Emperor, but since I figured he wouldn't like cumbersome things,
        I generally design him neatly.
        For the Empress Dowager, I try to use elegant and graceful designs and colors.
        And for Visti, I go as flashy as possible! Villainous and intense! Designing her like that provides a stark contrast to Lilliana, which is subtly really fun.

        In this way, I'm drawing the costume and background designs with differences to highlight the atmosphere and characteristics of each character.
        Also, because I want to match the clothing colors to each character, I always draw the character first when working on their costume design sheets. 

△ It's so radiant I can barely look ✨ x22222222222

Q. Like the intense early incident of 'getting caught trying to steal the Emperor's horse,' are there any
   'technical masterpiece scenes' you pride yourself on where adaptation and artwork met to maximize synergy? Please give us a hint. 

Jusang (A)  Out of so many scenes, episode 46 is the most memorable. (Mom and Dad made up.)
        Through their conversation, they were able to show that they hold deep affection for each other,
        and Artist heehee expressed these scenes so perfectly that I think it conveyed the emotion even better. 

△ The readers already knew 😏

heehee (A)  I really like Author Jusang's direction. So I try my best to preserve the author's intent.
        There are many scenes, but among the ones I've worked on recently, in episode 68, Lilliana realizes she wants to fully occupy the space beside Helio
        and tears up.
        The direction was done so well that I got immersed too, and the desire to 'bring this scene to life perfectly!' was huge.

        I think it turned out quite well, so I'd like to pick this scene 🥰 

△ Cheer up, Lilliana!!!!!!!

Q. As you continue a long-running serialization, it's natural for your affection for the characters to deepen.
   Based on the parts you've worked on so far, who is the unexpected scene-stealer that
   made your hearts ache the most or made you laugh the loudest? 

Jusang (A)  No long words are needed. Marquis Willem, I love you.

△ Me too! (Beep-)

heehee (A)  Naturally my affection for the two protagonists is the deepest, but thinking of an unexpected scene-stealer, it's Turnz for me.
        The combination of Turnz and Lilliana is especially a harmless and soft duo, so just looking at them puts my mind at ease, and he's subtly a really funny character.
        When the atmosphere between Lilliana and Helio gets serious, there are times it softens thanks to Turnz, so he's a character I cherish.

△ Sir Turnz, if you're struggling, shake the carrot 🥕

Q. The Imperial Palace was a 'prison' Lilliana needed to escape from, but it gradually transforms into a 'family space' where her precious people are.
   How are you visually realizing this psychological space transformation through the tone of the adaptation or the lighting (coloring) of the artwork?

Jusang (A)  Lilliana's progression of gradually relying on the imperial family, who were initially just difficult to deal with,
        was refreshed through adaptation with a cuter and lighter atmosphere.
        Thus, by frequently introducing bright and warm tones even in front of the imperial family,
        I think I tried to appeal a bit more that the imperial palace had become comfortable for her.

△ If Lilliana is happy, we're happy too 🐰

heehee (A)  I didn't intend it, but as Lilliana experiences more moments of warmth,
        I think it naturally seeps into the directing and coloring. 

△ Following Lilliana, my heart also feels fluffy 🫧

Q. Among the directions in the storyboard, was there a sentence that was the most difficult to translate into a drawing?
   Or conversely, was there a moment when the adapter saw the artist's drawings and modified the story's flow to be richer,
   or gained inspiration from them? 

Jusang (A)  The artist draws so incredibly well... I always gain inspiration whenever I see the final manuscripts.
        Especially since the artist draws expressions so beautifully and expressively, I often keep that in mind and incorporate it when making the storyboards. 

heehee (A)  Actually, the adapting author includes such great explanations that there haven't been any hugely difficult parts. 
        If I think about areas where I was influenced by Author Jusang, I get the feeling we have opposite tendencies.
        Thanks to that, I get to study and compensate for areas I'm not good at, which I believe positively affects the work.

[Outro]

Q. While preparing for this project, what is the area you feel you've grown the most in, or something new you've realized?

Jusang (A)  For me... it's the fact that my deadline speed got faster, which was the most surprising.
        I sometimes heard I was a fast worker before, but meeting deadlines is a whole other story.

heehee (A)  While doing this project, there were many tasks in areas I hadn't tried before.
        Before doing them, I was just at a loss, thinking, 'How do I do this...?' or 'Can I do it?', but when push comes to shove, I somehow managed to get it done.

        So nowadays, when I face difficult tasks, even if the thought 'Can I do this?' pops up,
        'my mindset has changed to, 'Once I start, I'll somehow pull it off, so I can do it!'

Q. Please share a warm word of support or encouragement for each other, having worked so hard preparing for the serialization.

Jusang (A)  Thank you... thank you so much.
        During the preparation period, now while it's serializing, and even until the future moment when the serialization eventually ends,
        I think I should express my gratitude that you are always with me.

        I look forward to our continued work together, Author.

heehee (A)  Thank you for the always-wonderful storyboards. I'm always eagerly waiting and looking forward to the day I receive them!
        Every time, I happily read them, thinking, 'Oh, so this scene was directed like this.'

        Let's gather our strength for the rest of the work together! <3

Q. Lastly, if you have anything you'd like to say to the readers who have loved <Must the Reincarnated Mother Always Die?>, please feel free to share.

Jusang (A)  Since my skills are lacking, I will always do my absolute best in my work.
        I ask for your continued passionate interest in our webtoon, and thank you for always watching over us.

heehee (A)  Thank you so much for taking an interest in and supporting <Must the Reincarnated Mother Always Die?> among so many works out there.
        Thanks to the readers, I was able to work joyfully as well.

        Please continue to support us until the very end! Thank you!❤

Thank you for joining us for this long interview.