Interview with Chiroyugo, Author of <Enoch: The Shining Tree>
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vol. 235
[Enoch: The Shining Tree]
Author Chiroyugo | NAVER WEBTOON
The natural course of life, where a tree bears fruit and spreads its seeds.
Twisting that divine providence,
the battle against death, which deceives human will, begins.
A masterpiece continuing the legacy of first-generation classic fantasy has arrived!!
The interview with Author Chiroyugo of <Enoch: The Shining Tree>,
Starts right now!
[INTRO]
Q. Hello, Author Chiroyugo! It's an immense honor to have you for this interview! Could you briefly introduce yourself before we begin?
A. Hello, I am Chiroyugo, the author of <Enoch: The Shining Tree>.
I'd like to express my constant gratitude to everyone who watches over my work with such interest. Thank you.
[About Chiroyugo]
Q. Could you tell us how you debuted and what the process was like?
A. Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to create something of my own through comics and drawings.
From print comics to webtoons, I was fascinated by the mechanisms that draw out the emotions and thoughts I felt while reading them.
"I want to create things like this too," was my main driving force.
Fortunately, I seemed to have a knack for drawing. As I kept dedicating myself to it, I thankfully got the opportunity to showcase my work.
Q. Many recently debuted authors tend to use pen names, but you don't seem to use a separate one.
Did you consider any pen names while preparing for your debut?
A. I did think of some joke names like 'Miyazaki Muyaho' or 'Murakano Haruki'.
But I found that nothing beats my real name. Usually, I use the ID 'Chiroyugo' online, which comes from my phone number, 7565.
Q. Looking at your work, we can see meticulously designed elements, from the grand worldview down to the minor settings.
What do you focus on most when conceptualizing a story?
A. I tend to focus a lot on the question, "Why?"
Why did the world turn out this way? Why did the characters act like that? I usually build the story by finding answers to these questions.
During this process, meaningful cause-and-effect relationships are sometimes created, but
there are also times when natural causations, like instinct or reason, come into play.
I often think that those are good questions and good answers in and of themselves.
△ If you're curious about the stories of these characters... you know what to do, right? 😏
Q. Your work is brilliantly expressed as a webtoon, but the quality of the narrative and dialogue text alone is also astonishing.
Usually, when reading a great webtoon, people naturally hope for a live-action or animated adaptation,
but your work feels like it would also make a fantastic fantasy novel.
If your work were to be adapted into a different format, which would you prefer?
A. I would simply be happy with any format.
In the case of a video adaptation, I could look forward to diverse scene direction utilizing sound and runtime,
while in the case of a novel, I could anticipate in-depth descriptions that couldn't be depicted on the page or through comic directing.
△ Honestly, I get completely immersed just reading the narrative.
Q. Many readers are drawn in by your unique art style. (...I'm talking about myself here.) How long does it take you to work on a single episode?
A. Actually, I used to spend quite a lot of time on the art.
During the preparation period, there were times when I worked on a single episode for over a month, and even now, one week feels barely enough.
Because of this, I often have a lot of regrets regarding the artwork.
I tend to utilize every single second of my given time,
so if I were given a month, it would take me a month, and if I were given three months, I would spend three months working on it.
△ Studio view
Q. Please tell us about your favorite comics or any series you still enjoy reading!
A. I really enjoyed <Denma>. I often thought about wanting to steal Author Yang Young-soon's abilities.
<Evangelion> is the series that made me start drawing comics, and I remember being completely absorbed in <Hunter x Hunter>.
They are works with many unforgettable scenes.
Q. Is there any media you often watch or music you play in the background while working?
A. I mostly listen to YouTube channels that feel like softly spoken radio shows. Lately, I've been listening to a lot of horror radio channels.
Q. If there are any memorable post-apocalyptic works similar to your own that you'd like to recommend to the readers, please share!
A. It's a slightly older manga, but <Blame!> left a deep impression on me.
This series doesn't kindly explain its worldview to help you understand it;
but I still remember the thrill I felt when I encountered glimpses of understanding amidst that unfriendliness.
I would also recommend <Knights of Sidonia> by the same author.
Q. You don't seem to use social media. Do you have any plans to start using it in the future? Where should fans go if they want to shower you with praise?
A. I did use social media once, but...
I quit because I felt my life was too monotonous to keep up with regular updates.
Perhaps when I have a bit more free time, I might start using social media again!
[About <Enoch: The Shining Tree>]
Q. This is the series that won the Grand Prize at NAVER WEBTOON's 2021 Greatest Contest on Earth.
Now, three years later, it has been officially released. How have you been during the preparation for regular serialization?
A. So many things happened that three years actually felt short.
After winning the award, my mother was diagnosed with a serious illness, which meant I had to step away from preparing the series for a long time.
I spent a long period in sorrow, and even after my mother passed away, I struggled emotionally.
Because of that, I feel even more regret about the lost time.
Q. After wrapping up your debut work, <Messiah Complex>, in the second half of 2020, you submitted <Enoch> in the first half of 2021.
Considering the expansive worldview and deep lore of <Enoch>, it feels like you prepared it for quite a long time. When did you first conceive the idea for this series?
A. Since it started from a small idea, I think I had been continuously conceptualizing the story over time.
In the case of <Enoch>, it was actually a reconstruction of an abandoned project that shared the same setting.
Through the process of gradually tweaking the protagonist, supporting characters, and world-building, it eventually became the series it is today.
△ Messiah Complex (Left) / Enoch: The Shining Tree (Right)
Q. While webtoon subjects have become incredibly diverse lately, ironically, it feels harder to find works that maintain genre authenticity.
In that sense, <Enoch: The Shining Tree> is highly praised as a series carrying on the legacy of first-generation classic fantasy.
Were there any specific settings you paid extra attention to for the sake of the genre's characteristics, or anything you were particularly mindful of while working?
A. Just as you mentioned, I tried to focus on the traditional methods of fantasy comics.
Because of this, I thought it might seem cliché in a way, and it would be hard to completely shake off an "old-school" vibe.
That's why I made a conscious effort to focus more on the characters' psychology and their situations.
I believe character conflict is less affected by era or trends. Just as the struggles people face remain similar even as generations change.
Q. The concept of witches introduced in the story was very intriguing. Usually, to manifest illogical powers like magic, traditional methods like spells or magic circles are used,
but your work utilizes a method called a 'Trigger'.
You described the Trigger as 'an act of praising the laws established by God' to be granted the 'power to twist those laws.'
The concept of triggering an illogical power through the use of physical force was incredibly fresh.
Were there any materials you referenced or were inspired by when conceptualizing this?
A. I thought about how the physical laws discovered in modern times might have been perceived in the past.
The reasons why it rains or why the wind blows are now common knowledge with proven mechanics,
but wouldn't those phenomena have been perceived as sheer magic in ancient times?
Starting from this idea, my thoughts expanded to, 'If there was "someone" who established these modern physical laws, it must be God.'
'If God established the laws of physics, He would surely take immense pride in them. Rightfully so.'
Thoughts like these led me to formulate the concepts of praising those laws and being granted the power to twist them.
△ Emma's Trigger is 'Breaking.'
Q. I found the script style of the series very unique. Usually, when writing narrative text boxes in webtoons, they are either monologues from a character's perspective or brief situational explanations,
but the text boxes in <Enoch: The Shining Tree> primarily use objective narration.
When I first read the beginning of the series, I thought, 'This feels different from other webtoons, but what is it exactly?'
The moment the text box appears, it suddenly feels like reading a novel instead of a webtoon.
Is this a unique directing choice of yours? Or is it simply your natural writing style coming through?
A. I've always found writing to be difficult. Much more so than drawing.
Because of this, I tend to try and pare down the text, including dialogue, as much as possible.
It's probably my way of hiding the fact that I'm not a great writer.
However, there are times when it serves as a better medium for delivering information.
In those cases, as I think about the easiest way to convey the story while trimming the fat, objective narration naturally takes the forefront.
It would be better if I were a more skilled writer, though.
△ If you were any better at writing, what would happen...?
Q. I am confident that if this series were adapted into an animation, it would be loved globally. How would you feel if you received an offer for a screen adaptation?
A. I don't think I'm in a position to be picky. As I said earlier, I am simply grateful for any interest in my work. (sob)
△ Praying for an anime adaptation 🙏
Q. The design of the 'God of Death' is quite striking. Along with the design, the very definition of death in the story was fascinating.
Usually, 'plucking fruit' is widely used in a positive sense, meaning to bear fruit or achieve results,
but you completely subverted the meaning negatively with the setting 'fruition = death.'
Was this concept planned from the beginning? Or did it solidify into its current form while contemplating various methods of expression?
A. Characters who cannot reach death (fruition) appear in the story. They are the 'Cursed Ones.'
They are beings who have lost themselves because they cannot bear the fruit of their long lives.
I thought that if there were beings who lived eternally, the value of their lives would diminish just as their lifespans lengthen.
I believe humans live passionately and strive not to waste their time precisely because they know their lives have an end.
I believe fruition is just fruition itself. The true value of the fruit lies in the process of bearing it.
And at the end of that fruition, there would be seeds, and new trees sprouting. I felt this mirrored human life.
I tried to represent all of this through the motif of the fruit.
△ The inner thoughts of the 'God of Death' are absolutely chilling.
Q. Later, Enoch encounters the God of Death in various forms. The most memorable scene was the illusion sequence featuring the dead wolf.
I slapped my forehead at your incredible directing skills. I imagined you must put a tremendous amount of effort into storyboarding to achieve such dramatic directing.
How much time do you spend on the storyboard when working on an episode?
A. I actually struggle a lot with storyboarding. When my storyboard is delayed, there have been many times I pondered over it for nearly five days.
I think I severely underestimated just how difficult weekly serialization is...
Q. Subtle comedic moments are sprinkled throughout. This is another charm of the series.
The humor stands out even more because the art style doesn't break down in those moments, making it even funnier.
You've serialized somewhat heavy works so far, but how do you evaluate your own sense of humor?
A. I am quite greedy when it comes to comedy, but I hold myself back since there aren't many appropriate places to show it.
There are actually quite a few comedic moments I've thought up but ultimately left out.
Around my peers, I'm generally considered to be surprisingly quite a funny guy.
△ Fill in the blanks to test your own comedic chops.🤭
Q. Readers who love classic fantasy can't help but marvel at the properly implemented medieval armor designs and the bodily expressions of sword fighting in this series.
It seems you did extensive research during the preparation period. Could you share what kind of reference materials you used?
A. Before preparing for <Enoch>, I was also caught in the common misconception that wearing armor makes it difficult to move.
Then, by chance, I came across information about the flexibility of armor and its structure designed to accommodate joint movement, which exposed me to a lot of materials that shattered those myths.
For the swordsmanship part in particular, I frequently referenced videos by Kim Sang-yoon from the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) Association on YouTube.
△ Looking at them all together, they're even cooler... How is this possible?
Q. Your art style is characterized by predominantly using low-saturation colors.
Was this a deliberate choice based on the genre's characteristics and atmosphere? Or is it a tone that naturally reflects your personal taste?
A. I think it's likely a tone that reflects my personal taste. I'm just relieved it matches the genre's characteristics well.
△ The color palette that permeates the entire atmosphere of the series.
Q. The series is currently in the thick of serialization. So, I’ve started diligently spending my Coins.
To help us mentally prepare for how many more Coins we need to spend, could you give us a little hint on roughly how many episodes the story is planned to be?
A. I think <Enoch> will conclude around May 2025. It's a series I have some regrets about, but I will do my best to wrap it up well!
[Outro]
Q. You've begun the long marathon of a serialized webtoon. Are there any routines you're paying special attention to in preparation for the journey ahead?
A. I've faced many difficulties during this serialization. If I am able to work on my next series, I'll definitely need to pay more attention to delegating parts of the workflow.
Since I spend so much time on the artwork, I think I'll need a lot of help.
Q. We hope to see you through various works in the future, but once you become a veteran author, is there a specific genre or project you definitely want to challenge yourself with?
A. Right now, the first thing that comes to mind is trying out a mecha genre.
I imagine it would similarly be a heavy and dark series. Realistically, I think it would be difficult, but... someday...!
Q. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer this long interview. Please show off your work to the future readers who are about to experience <Enoch: The Shining Tree>!
A. It's an honor to meet you through my work, despite its shortcomings. <Enoch> is a series that I launched after a long period of preparation.
It claims to be a classic fantasy and depicts the journey of revenge surrounding a character named Enoch.
There are many aspects I wish I had done better, but I would be truly grateful if you enjoy reading it!
Q. Lastly, if you have any words for the readers currently following <Enoch: The Shining Tree>, please share them freely.
A. I am always grateful for your interest in the series, and I will do my absolute best to meet your expectations. I would appreciate it if you continue to watch over the story.
May the joy of a peaceful life be with you.
Thank you for joining us for this long interview
