Manga Artist Inio Asano Uses Real-Time Tools | Spotlight | Unreal Engine

[@nonamez1263]

When Inio Asano says.."The kind of manga that I draw isn't for everyone".. HE'S NOT LYING!!

[@Shayan89]

Definitely, Punpun made me miserable and I could never finish it.

[@poultriarchy]

The author for Gantz did a similar thing with his works. Cool seeing artists use software in this sort of way. Oyasumi Pun Pun was exceptional.

[@anemptyboxcar8150]

Gantz is like the black sheep of the manga family and is better than anything out there

[@Joe-dy7bb]

Oku literally takes pictures and makes them grayscale. He's a hack.

[@silentkiller2mm]

@@anemptyboxcar8150 Meh, the last third was story wise okay-ish, IMO. The ending was pretty bad. Nonetheless, the drawings and how they were done are impressive. I think Oku was among the first who used 3D as reference (or rather he would draw over it), and probably the first to use it on a large scale in his manga.

[@MaxIronsThird]

He's been using 3D since the 90's.

[@ShadoWolfxNinja]

@@Joe-dy7bb I wouldn't say that at all. That's like saying everybody who makes a game using 3D models that they bought instead of taking all the tedious effort and time to make them by themselves is a hack. You try drawing constant backgrounds weekly and you'll see that it's not easy at all!

[@LiquidVelocity9]

wow, this is an unexpected cross-over. I would recommend everyone to read Oyasumi Punpun, it is legitimately my favorite work of fiction across any medium, this man is a legend.

[@LiquidVelocity9]

@Jay Marlin Yep! It is probably his most prominent work and was published from 2007 to 2013. He has mostly written shorter stories apart from that and his current project Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction.

[@LiquidVelocity9]

@Jay Marlin I don't know that unfortunately, since I first learned of his use of Unreal through this video.

[@_j4nw]

word.

[@marverickmercer1968]

"I would recommend everyone to read Oyasumi Punpun" woah dude slow down. Introduce that kind of psychological trauma to someone you barely knew on the net is kind of much isn't it ?

[@nightzzmixx]

I'll definitely check it out (cool Sweet JP picture)

[@ShinigamiArts69]

next level of talent

[@avgchoobafan]

This is a unexpected way to use the Engine, it really shows that it's usefull for almost everything. Great video! And i think I'm gonna read some of his creations

[@kmsomebody]

His ongoing manga "Dead Dead Demon's Dededededestruction" uses the technique that's shown in this video. It's about an alien invasion, but the focus is on some highschool girls and how the invasion affects their lives instead of focusing on the military. A very interesting angle. You can see the UFO at 1:20 in the video. His most critically acclaimed manga is "Goodnight Punpun". As far as I know, he only uses photographs in this one, no 3D renderings. This manga is VERY depressing, so this isn't something for everyone.

[@number1zaya]

good luck on reading goodnight pun pun

[@wushurichardreallife4768]

I use blender the same way

[@blackbonexxx]

It's really a powerful tool. There is also anime already using it for the backgrounds (at least one I can remember). I assume the biggest advantage is the rendering time which can be basically instantaneous. Also, this guy is a legend and I had no idea he even used digital media.

[@Skywohka]

M4TT. The man changed my life, please do so!

[@Rosalina102798]

The greatest mangaka alive, in my opinion. His works have changed me, for better or worse.

[@anemptyboxcar8150]

what a legend. He's at the forefront of manga innovation.

[@wowwow9679]

Before him already did this

[@limbsmith]

@@wowwow9679 also he did manga since like 2000’s and used photos at first, dude’s 40yo he’s not some rising star he’s a very unnoticed and underrated oldschool mangaka

[@pureilluzion]

I've seen many photos of his works and always wondered how he could add so much detail and be so precise with his perspective lines, now i know.

[@pachucodreams]

He's the reason I decided to finally practice illustrating again. His work along with Tsutomo Nihei and Takehiko Inoue's finally pushing me back into it. I shoot photography and work as a gaffer, but it's a fun challenge to deconstruct what is 'tangible' or immediate and try to replicate it.

[@randomizer2240]

The object oriented nature of game design & 3D assets is so perfect for this. As Asano says, you just need to create fully realised locations. As most manga are set in the same locations you just reuse and re-frame the camera's position for different backgrounds. I know Hiroya Oku of Gantz fame tried out similar techniques with 3D modeling software but i think this is the first time a game engine has been used in this way.

[@Musashi246]

I was thinking: 'Damn, if only unreal engines creators knew about that' - Then I saw the upload channel

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

I've been thinking of doing something similar for a project of mine, creating a city in a 3d engine and taking screencaps from around it to use as backdrops for different scenes. Cool to see somebody is already doing the same, it proves it's a valid way to approach background images.

[@NihongoWakannai]

Making an entire city first is kind of a waste of time if you want to be efficient. You'd want to roughly plan out the city, but only really build any particular section if you decide to place a scene there.

[@rbsalmon7895]

In a different video, he talked about it a bit further and mentions that it's really difficult to make a town by himself and his staffs, so he consulted a company that does just that. And for a 1 square kilometer of a town that is based on tokyo will cost about 300 million yen so he would like to rethink on how to approach it. That video was 2 years ago so who knows? maybe it's cheaper or they are more experienced on how to use unreal engine now so maybe its not that out of their reach at the present.

[@rifqyfadhilahrahman2498]

@@rbsalmon7895 They should outsourced their works to Asian countries especially Southeast Asia countries for the cost of hiring talents to do that will be much cheaper. The works can be easily transferred to any country in the world, even I witnessed outsourced accounting job from Europe to Indonesia with lower annual wage if we compared to how much that kind of job should be paid annually in Europe.

[@monkeydgoofy8074]

but I would still draw them by hands since ulike Inio Asano who's tied with a busy schedule , I can use this as a chance to build up on my background sketches, since that's mu weakest part

[@monkeydgoofy8074]

@@NihongoWakannai well he can build the entire city first or have someone else build it for him and once he's done , he can start with his manga/comic

[@amalirc7935]

Omg I struggle with background for so long... and i just found the answer... I’m not crying you are

[@zion6570]

wouldnt this kind of hinder art skills though? im wondering if its okay to completelty get a shot from the engine and photoshop it right into the manga... but im not sure, it kind of feels like cheating because youre not actually drawing it

[@Unfazed1888]

@@zion6570 Hmm, It would hinder your skills if you have no idea how to draw backgrounds in the first place, and would still need a grasp on perspective otherwise your characters and the background would have a disconnect. It’s not cheating at all, I promise. It’s like digital art- it speeds up the process but you still need to learn the fundamentals for the best results.

[@zion6570]

@@Unfazed1888 ah yes this is the answer i needed people like you make this world better thank you :)

[@Unfazed1888]

@@zion6570 You’re welcome! 😀

[@timemonkscomics1454]

Awesome affirmation. Similar thought process behind why I use Unreal Engine for my graphic novel. Especially the idea that you can build a world where everything takes place, plop your characters in and move about capturing scenes with the camera. It seems to get quicker and easier over time because of it.

[@rayrengher6604]

Wow, in looking for a comic artists to explain me about these 3D programs... I'm struggling through this... this program has free maps such as cities? or i mean, can you explain a little bit more... I'm just trying to launch my project but I can't because of the backgrounds...! Thanks for reading!

[@timemonkscomics1454]

​Imagine you were drawing your comic and for the background you just took a picture of your kitchen and traced it. Or you took a video at the library and paused it and traced that. Using Unreal is like that except the world is something you create. Just put it in game mode and fly around like a video game then take a screenshot. Or you can just get something on the Unreal Marketplace. You can find entire free environments already set up as levels. Did I mention free? You can do it.

[@Senayoshy]

This is honestly awesome, iv known about unreal engine for the longest time and but was always too afraid to take my first step into the software thinking it would overwhelm me, however I think I'll download it tonight and really start learning to use it for real.

[@sesequatch2598]

Just remember it's free. So don't be scared to use it and also there is a wonderful community on it :)

[@canadianturtle7240]

GoodNight PunPun and Solanin are my favourite works by him. I love both series. I remember reading Solanin first and falling in love with the story. It was unexpected because I randomly picked up the book from my library because I was bored. I didn't even think that I'd like the book, I only picked it up because I kept seeing it on the library shelf for years. I was like "I might as well read it, it's only 1 volume long." After reading it, I absolutely loved it, and went onto binge GoodNight PunPun right away! And that was even more of a heartbreaking story.

[@rbsalmon7895]

I've read Goodnight punpun when i was 17. I think I should reread it again to appreciate it more since I just slogged through the whole thing so it kinda just went over my head. And about Solanin, How would you compare it with the movie adaptation? Cus i've seen the movie but haven't read the manga yet.

[@canadianturtle7240]

@@rbsalmon7895 For Solanin, I liked the manga better. Asano is very good at character expressions, and emotionally engaging moments. And I think those fared better in the manga. The movie adaptation was very awkward to watch because it seems that certain things didn't translate well from paper to film. I definitely recommend reading Solanin, it's only 2 volumes long, so it's a really short read. As for PunPun, I'm actually thinking of re-reading it again. I also read it back a few years. I think I must've been 23 or 24 when I first started reading it. I'm 26 now. I think it's one of those stories that you enjoy more the second time.

[@incognito8272]

For those who are not familiar with his works, you can start with his short story collection (especially Nijigahara Holograph)

[@MaxIronsThird]

Then Solanin, Oyasumi Punpun and the recent Dedede

[@Darkkavatar]

The promotional intention is barely noticeable.

[@abloshow91]

Bro i didnt notoce thay it was a add till half way

[@FaizalKuntz]

can't imagine the use case of software in manga could be like this

[@eddyalvaross2195]

3d is the future for manga backgrounds and environments.

[@GRNKRBY]

AI art backgrounds. 😮

[@eddyalvaross2195]

@@GRNKRBY No because AI doesn't give you the option to choose the perfect angle and to customize your scene. However, if AI is used as an assistant for the generation of the environment in your 3D program, then it's something else.

[@EkNeechInsaan]

@@GRNKRBY No, AI generated content is unethical. DO NOT PUT 3D design in the same category as AI.

[@masterdementer]

I'm looking forward to create a Game Mechanics in the software in the Unreal Engine with all the typical coding stuff. But this guy literally found a innovative way to utilise this Engine even without knowing how to code. That's some very interesting innovative idea

[@寂び侘び-b6s]

Inio Asano is a Genius. Oyasumi Punpun is the best thing I've ever read.

[@CBs-House]

wow, i had no idea it was free. I actually spent weeks 3d modeling areas for the express purpose of setting comics in them. Literally exactly what this guy wants to do, I have done. It really made the creative process awesome. But I did that all in Sketchup. That is really low quality for comics but with unreal I could do amazing stuff. It's exciting

[@DodaGarcia]

Have you tried Blender for modeling? It used to be very unintuitive but last year their UI got a major makeover and now it's a pleasure to use, to the point that they're getting massive donations from companies such as Ubisoft and even Epic themselves. It's also 100% free, I highly recommend it for your modeling and sculpting before taking your assets to Unreal.

[@CBs-House]

@@DodaGarcia yes, been using it for a few months now

[@benderthefourth3445]

Wow! This was and idea I thought about years ago: A 3d simulation of a city well made ad quite realistic accessible for artists to be bale to pan around and select snapshots to use for illustration and comics. Sort of like google maps... Of course that would evolve to have actually today's cities as they are and we could virtually visit and take virtual pictures to use for creative work. Well sooner or later it will be a thing. Also Love Asano!

[@skwizzzb3904]

Oyasumi punpun featuring UE4

[@abcqer555]

Great process and I love his passion

[@Slickfoot]

Dude, I'm definitely gonna try this out

[@MegumiHayashida]

Huge gain of time = more productivity 💪

[@ryovanny]

It does make sense about having one point of view of an image instead of having various perspective of the environment~

[@MarkoPot]

Woahh this is a very interesting and innovative way of using UE!

[@eclairJess]

man i love inio asano, what a master u_u

[@GrigoNiko]

0:23 Is that a picture of Tove Jansson (moomintroll creator) on his bulletin board? What a surprising source of inspiration, Asano-sensei!

[@4eetu]

Yes. I was suprised as well. She is a very inspriring person though.

[@AnimatedAndrew]

I was considering whether or not I should implement UE4 into my art process. Seeing this inspires me to use it for help with environmental and lighting refs! Tho I also wonder if creating environments in Unreal, slapping post-processing/painterly effects on them, and exporting them as images to be used as backgrounds in my art would also work nicely... I'm the kinda guy who always takes pride in hand-rendering everything but the prospect of saving time instead of hand-painting everything for hours also seems very tempting. XD

[@kevinoswalt2128]

写真の加工して背景にしているのは知っていたけどUnreal Engineまでしようし始めていたとは。この手法は漫画制作の主流になるんじゃなろうか。

[@nervun8097]

We must turn Asano's manga into a game

[@Nero_PR]

Related to the topic. I remember seeing that the School in Mahou Sensei Negima was all modeled in CAD, because it would appear a bunch of times throughout the whole manga. Modeling it would take a huge effort, which would compensate and cut drawing time in the future quite significantly.

[@Holgast]

Wow, I remember that show! I forgot about it until just now!

[@abdulhfhd]

such a legend

[@elgritton]

Some purist will be enraged and call it cheating. I call this innovation. Imagine instead of waiting for a good manga chapter to come out earlier.

[@WotanSkyFather]

So inspiring and freeing!

[@Brainles5]

Tove Jansson on the wall @0:28

[@upsidedownhorror]

me gusta como acepta que le cuesta dibujar vida salvaje y edificios, o sea el tipo crea calidad y asi expone al publico que es lo que no sabe humildad

[@Bdizzle304]

we need a full length documentary on how people are using unreal for manga production then one for Anime production!!!!

[@tabby842]

I relate to the point when he said that with drawings you can only portray something once, whereas in 3d you aren't limited. In 3d I feel like I own what I make because I can reuse it and repurpose whatever I made however I wish. I didn't really feel that with 2d, if I drew something it only exists in the way that I drew it.

[@SuccPapo]

someone tell this guy that there are cel-shading post-processing effects available for relatively cheap

[@pipeliner8969]

this will blow his mind

[@aamirahmad5817]

And also about the free megascans

[@himikosaihara7933]

He obviously knows that

[@joancaic2853]

Yes and no. Actually I didn't see a trully great cel-shading post-processing manga effect. It's hard try to recreate the human ink process, actually. I meam, Dragon Ball Fighterz is almost perfect. But it isn't 100%. Maybe in 5-10 years.

[@mionagase1093]

as one of his fans he doesn't really relies on to that much he like to do it manually he likes detailed art work he said that on the interview he said he would die if he didn't put any details into his art

[@MischievousSnake]

Really interesting idea and I hope to see more of it in the future. This'll combine well with Blender if he chooses to learn 3D modeling. Hopefully this would also mean we could see more manga in color as I view the medium digitally, there won't be any ink cost and the biggest assist will be knowing who is saying what in certain situations (In the manga). Anyway, I wish him well in this project.

[@MaxIronsThird]

If you want manga with color, just start reading manhwa. Manga won't be in color, at least in the foreseeable future.

[@jupiterjumper1749]

The manga shown is dead dead demons dedededestruction. Its also at oyasumi punpun level of being good.

[@Gabriel1999]

For anyone interested I made a video "reverse engineering" asano's techniques with photos (it's an old video and my English pronunciation is terrible tho, but people seemed to liked it)

[@popsziclez]

punpun and downfall 💖

[@A.J.Interactive]

Man does he look overworked, I can’t help but notice a tiredness in him

[@Skywohka]

Amirhameed Amirjalali Well, the man works on multiple manga at once, innovates using new CG technology, streams on KZbin, has free time, and makes music. Maybe he’s just livin’ it up.

[@emmanuelk1608]

If I worked on the most depressing manga of all time for years on end I'd probably look equally as dead as him, so you can't blame that guy.

[@PropheticGamesProductions]

That's right, I recently used UE4 for the same reason. He helps me a lot. Thanks to the Epic game team!

[@Mipetz38]

This video feels like watching a "Here's is Led Zeppelin composing Stairway to Heaven using Unreal Engine" of manga

[@omdano6432]

Lad idk who this guy is but if he is near stairway to heaven you need to link me his works

[@ameh4257]

man I love his manga so much 💕

[@M_SVD]

What a cool workplace man

[@Deadlineinsane]

언리얼 엔진을 배경으로 쓰는데 펜으로 직접그리는 원고를 같이 그리고 있으니 정말... 알수없는 기분이 드네요...

[@FF-ch9nr]

Asano is a king

[@CITYBOY1210]

데데디디 보고 와 이걸 어케 그리나했더니 개효율적으로 하는구나 ㄷㄷ 미우라 켄타로가 이걸 습득했더라면...

[@찬현-n3b]

미쳣네..worker 생각으로 안 하고 자기가 찍고, 만들고 그리고.. 이미 몇 십년간 도가 튼 사람이긴 하지만

[@IamSpacedad]

I'd love to find some tutorials on how to use Unreal for comic or 2d animation backdrop stuff.

[@veloce5491]

the engine is not meant to be used for comics or 2d animation. this guy just uses it to create backgrounds and then traces them.

[@MaxIronsThird]

People usually use blender

[@apollog7764]

I would fucking kill for the 3d models he made for punpun. I would KILLLLL FOR THEM

[@yoyolol22]

Make them yourself

[@caetanyyy]

I think for punpun he did not used 3d models, only photography. For dead dead demons he is using 3d

[@MrGoatFish10]

that's a great idea.

[@cheesejuice_]

I do not own a hardware to run it but I spent last. Wait how long its been free? Years, preparing assets and even before that time keeping my journal since 6th grade and now I even got to know industry artists. Very Nice. On personal note I am still unemployed living off of parents fridge they fill using money from people who got it from their parents and so on. I have not been kidnapped yet. I repeat.

[@innerguardianXIII]

This was one way I planned on doing it myself :D

[@billykotsos4642]

Fascinating

[@Deadstarable]

But is he keep his background the digital file, or does he print it and trace it by hand on a light box?

[@michellereionodera]

I thought before he was using photographs

[@mk8_it]

i do this with a custom GTA V map i make my own buildings then i snap shot the locations i use auto desk and adobe i can even spawn my own custom charters i made in blender into the world or even with mmd characters

[@fandrawerNgundam]

just wondering : does he has to pay for royalties too? if he use ue4 for this besides game

[@riddif]

I think not the ue4. He uses the free version, the old engine.

[@fandrawerNgundam]

@@riddif but new engine also free

[@plankcaller]

he doesn't use the engine itself in his work, more like screenshots and renders of it that he ends up altering anyway so i don't think he pays much more than the assets he buys

[@rbsalmon7895]

He buys the assets that he needs so maybe there's no need for royalties? idk

[@reverielab]

So cool!

[@purrfo4489]

Anyone who knows the background music?

[@saucyshounen4448]

GOATED. My hero

[@vokoaxecer]

He should also try BLENDER

[@BRIAN09157]

I’d like to try this method but I have no idea of how to use UE , any tips?

[@MaxIronsThird]

Ask when you've actually tried using it, failed and has any actual concrete questions.

[@ntgfire3764]

Oyasumi PunPun gets really weird and strange sometimes

[@billyyfire]

Subarashi!

[@rayrengher6604]

Anyone here knows what program is he using to navegate into a 3D escenary? And where could i download free files? That'd be useful asf!!

[@MaxIronsThird]

WTF? Have you even watched the video to the end?

[@rayrengher6604]

@@MaxIronsThird Nah i didn't lok

[@joemontana2264]

where could i find a proper video that explains this?

[@wanashthegash]

Explains what? just start using Unreal engine, start experimenting with it, and what the videos on this channel.

[@AWafer]

Doesn't oku hiroya use a similar technique?

[@MaxIronsThird]

He's been using it since the 90's.

[@mallangs]

That is sooo coooooooll!!!!

[@hideokzm]

can i know monitor brand he use?

[@MaxIronsThird]

It's a Mac

[@blackeesh463]

@@MaxIronsThird you can literally see he is running windows.

[@severiussnapes9165]

anyone knows what monitor is inio asane sensei using?

[@LeoChou]

Great share! Manga is traditional industry add new 3D technology!

[@O-san4]

Why the hell is the legendary Inio Asano using Unreal Engine? Edit: okay now I understand

[@theprocrastinator6813]

I remember seeing a video of Miyazaki making something using 3d software . Yes im talking about Hayao Miyazaki

[@calliss510]

I just realized, look! He makes these environments as references and then actually draws them in ink.

[@nishantbodkhe7443]

No, he monochromes them and then manipulates it in photosop and sometimes may draw it.

[@rayrengher6604]

Any one know where or at least if is it possible to get free items like home assets, street stuff to make our own enviroment in UE4?

[@Keln02]

I wish tsutomu nihei would recreate BLAME! Please make that happen :D

[@BinaryDood]

It is perfect as is. Dont need no recreatin.

[@sugarcandy654]

@@BinaryDood his artwork has improved tremendously though

[@BinaryDood]

@@sugarcandy654 but its not the same thing

[@ntgfire3764]

Nah blame is perfect.

[@MJPG4]

Why? Tsutomu Nihei's style has only decayed and diluted over time. Blame! It's perfect. I wish I could have the expressiveness that he had in his early times.

[@CSOCSO]

Did they even show a single example of his work? drawn manga with unreal backdrop?

[@TooEazyCG]

Big brain plays

[@kharismamuhammad6437]

LMAO sorry for you Atheists folks,but here in this video you are able to see god in his human form.

[@Pcf-GamesD]

Niceee bro

[@seans.383]

wonder if there's a good tutorial for this?

[@Thejellybaby]

Art and technology collide to make something wonderful.

[@OSKESIS]

And inwant it to bebused as a filmmaking tool

[@noiJadisCailleach]

Actually, I've been using UE when i'm having a hard time or being lazy with object and environment perspectives for digital paintings for a long time now. This isn't exactly new. A lot of artists do this. Digital or traditional.

[@zentriceggofficial]

He didn't say it was new... he said his way of working became stale after 10 years. Unreal is new for him.

[@noiJadisCailleach]

@@zentriceggofficial I'm more of pointing at Epic. They showcased it like they just discovered a different use of UE for other people.

[@sket3887]

Dead dead demons dededede destruction

[@jascrandom9855]

I'm pretty sure you can do this in Blender.

[@fireflyloverokay]

UE4 is literally free and u dont even need to set up rendering bruh

[@Marcusrafaelfet]

@@fireflyloverokay Blender is free and has good realtime rendering features aswell

[@jascrandom9855]

@@fireflyloverokay Blender is free, and has Eevee, a real time engine.

[@aamirahmad5817]

UE4 has free megascans

[@Purbow]

Hey, they are both great tools ! Epic Games supports Blender with $1.2 million, the two company are great friend !

[@juliusromero6229]

such a goat

[@bengens6070]

genius

[@thronosstudios]

"There are unexpected ways of looking at ZA WARUDO"

[@roguespartan2854]

not bad, but the games im familiar that use this engine, Fortnite, Paladins and Dishonored, they all move slow to the point where they're basically walking. I'll help my brother build gis PC now so I can use this

[@MaxIronsThird]

???

[@AleksandarPopovic]

I thinking to jump from godot to unreal i have inspiriance with programing and game engines and modeling, i dont know realy, unreal graphics is amazing???🤔🤔