We interviewed Yuki Ikeda, the original author of ‘Thunder 3,’ and he spoke for a full hour about everything from his thoughts on the anime to his unique manga drawing style. – GIGAZINE
Jul 15, 2026 20:00:00
We interviewed Yuki Ikeda, the original author of ‘Thunder 3,’ and he spoke for a full hour about everything from his thoughts on the anime to his unique manga drawing style
The TV anime ‘ Thunder 3 ,’ which began airing and streaming on Fuji TV’s ‘+Ultra’ block and other channels on July 8, 2026 (Wednesday), took a dramatic turn in its first episode, revealing that the story follows the protagonists as they fight to rescue their sister, who has been kidnapped in an alternate world in the multiverse. This work is based on a manga that was serialized in ‘Monthly Shonen Magazine’ from 2022 to June 2026. To coincide with the anime’s broadcast, we had the opportunity to interview the original author, Yuki Ikeda, and asked him about various things, such as how he created the work, what he thinks of the anime, and how he draws manga in the first place.TV anime ‘Thunder 3’ official website
https://thunder3-anime.com/
About the birth of ‘Thunder 3’◆ About the anime ‘Thunder 3’◆ How do you draw your manga?◆ About my favorite works and how I spend my days◆ About the creation of ‘Thunder 3’GIGAZINE (hereinafter referred to as G): First, I’d like to ask about the origins of this project, ‘Thunder 3.’ Was it a project you drew because the editorial department asked for it, or was it a project you pitched to them? How did it come about?Yuki Ikeda (hereinafter, Ikeda): I brought this idea to the editor-in-chief, and after he saw it, he said, ‘This could work.’G: Was the plot already in the same form as the serialized version when you submitted it? Or were there significant changes based on your advice?Ikeda: I had discussed the plot before submitting it, but it was difficult to convey it through words alone (laughs). When I showed it to them again after it was in manuscript form, they said, ‘This will work.’G: I see, so once you showed them the completed first episode, they understood what kind of work it was. What was it that wasn’t getting across before that?Ikeda: I think the idea that ‘there are two worlds with different art styles, and simpler characters enter the world of intricate illustrations’ might not have come to mind as a concrete image. Indeed, this visual might not come to mind with just a verbal description.
G: I understand that you had been discussing the plot even before submitting it, but does that mean you had the idea itself even earlier?Ikeda: It’s been there for a long time, many years.G: What was the inspiration behind the idea of going to a different world with a different art style?Ikeda: Hmm… I don’t really remember that part, but I do remember suddenly thinking, ‘It might be interesting if this was drawn in a different style.’ It was quite a while ago, so I don’t remember when or what the moment was, but when I actually started drawing it, it felt right and it took shape.G: The title ‘Thunder 3’ is short and memorable, but was that something you came up with early on?Ikeda: The idea of a trio was already in the planning stages, and we wanted them to do something like the ‘Three Stooges’ comedy show, so we decided on ‘Thunder 3’ fairly easily since there were three of them.
G: The idea was that it would be interesting if characters from one art style entered the world of another. When you were drawing, did you draw the two art styles separately, finishing one first and then drawing the other? Or did you draw them together without separating them?Ikeda: I’m drawing them simultaneously.G: Wow, that’s amazing! Is it relatively easy to draw them differently?Ikeda: This isn’t really a chore at all; I can actually finish the work quickly if it’s the simpler illustrations of Pyontaro and the others (laughs).G: (lol)Ikeda: So, it’s hard to put into words, but it was an ‘easy job’ (laughs).G: That’s pretty blunt (lol). On the other hand, the mechanics and such seem very intricate and difficult to create.Ikeda: We outsource the mechanical aspects, including the 3D modeling, so all we have to do is move the camera. The mecha designs in anime are also amazing.
G: Are you leaving the entire mecha design to them, or are you only responsible for the rough sketches?Ikeda: Basically, I draw rough sketches from one direction or so, but I leave the details and the back to the artist. In terms of difficulty, drawing the Rebellion’s combat uniforms is quite challenging… there are many characters, but I’m the only one drawing them.G: You draw all of that by yourself?! I thought you had assistants doing some of the work…Ikeda: My assistants basically handle the PC work, and I do all the character drawing myself. I draw all the background characters too, so it’s been quite a challenge. Whenever the Rebellion characters appear, I think, ‘This is never going to end…!’ (laughs) But when only Pyontaro and his friends appear, the work is finished so quickly (laughs)G: There’s a big difference between the episodes that take a long time to make and those that don’t (laughs). Now that it’s been made into an anime, were there discussions about an anime adaptation from quite early on?Ikeda: No, no, there was no talk of that at all in the beginning; it was something that came up much later in the serialization. In fact, I was relieved when the anime adaptation came along. At first, it didn’t sell very well and there was a real risk of it being canceled, and there were times when I wondered, ‘Is it going to be okay? Will it end around volume 5?’ But then it was featured on a TV program, and then this anime adaptation came along, and I thought, ‘Great, now it’s okay, I think I can finish drawing it.’ I feel like I’ve somehow managed to get this far by sheer luck.G: So that’s how it all started. Because of its bold structure, I was wondering if it was a project that was intended to be adapted into a film from the beginning.Ikeda: That hadn’t even crossed my mind.◆About the anime ‘Thunder 3’G: The interview will be published after the anime has started airing, but before the second episode airs. Have you already watched the anime?Ikeda: Yes, I got to see quite a bit ahead. It was genuinely interesting. Everyone’s voices sounded natural, as if they’d jumped straight out of the manga. They were so immersive, it really felt like Pyontaro and Futaba were alive, and I was left with a very positive impression.G: The animation brings movement to the story, but is it similar to what you had envisioned in your head? Or are there some differences?Ikeda: I believe that ‘if it’s going to be animated, it wouldn’t be interesting if it was exactly like the manga, and if it’s going to be a different medium, the composition and other things can change,’ so I’m satisfied thinking, ‘I see, there are good things that are different from the manga.’ When Pyontaro and the others moved, I was happy because I thought they were cuter than the pictures I drew. The music and direction in the part where the Rebellion characters use their special abilities were really good, and I thought, ‘This is so much better than the manga’ (laughs). It’s not just that it’s working well, even though I’m the author, I thought, ‘This is interesting.’ It’s something I drew, but there are parts that I’ve forgotten how they turned out over time, so I’m excited to see what happens next (laughs).
G: (Laughs) When it came to the anime adaptation, did the staff consult with you about anything? Also, was there anything that particularly stood out to you, like, ‘Oh, so this is what they were concerned about’?Ikeda: There were a few minor things to confirm, but I don’t recall any unexpected questions.◆How do you draw your manga?G: First of all, what were your feelings and thoughts when it was decided that your work would be serialized?Ikeda: Although the ideas that came to me took shape as a shonen manga, I was a little worried about whether it would be well-received. ‘Monthly Shonen Magazine’ is a magazine where the tastes of its readers are very clearly reflected, so I wondered if it would be okay. I wanted readers to be around the same age as Pyontaro and his friends, from middle schoolers to upper elementary school students, to read it, and although it is a science fiction work, I wanted it to be something that could be read without requiring too much literacy.
Thunder 3 (1) (KC Deluxe) | Yuki Ikeda | Book | Online Shopping | Amazon
G: I see. When I first read it, I thought from the descriptions that the author must be a big fan of science fiction, but what kind of works do you like to watch or read?Ikeda: I don’t read novels, but I love Hollywood sci-fi movies like ‘The Avengers.’G: I suppose some of the elements you’ve incorporated are inspired by the desire to depict the powerful scenes from those movies in your manga. Recently, I’ve noticed that many manga use a 50:50 split across double-page spreads, perhaps with digital viewing in mind. However, ‘Thunder 3’ uses double-page spreads in a striking, cinematic way. The action scenes are also depicted with remarkable skill and realism.Ikeda: Yes, we do try to create an experience similar to watching a movie on a big screen. As for the action, we were probably aiming for that feeling you get in Hollywood movies when a hero uses their power and the asphalt crackles, but we also tried to make it look realistic, like, ‘If this actually happened, this is what would happen,’ or ‘It would be amazing if the asphalt melted from the heat, or shockwaves were blasting out,’ trying not to make it too cartoonish… Pyontaro and the others are cartoon characters (laughs), but we try to make the phenomena that occur look as real as possible.G: While monologues aren’t uncommon in shonen manga, it feels unusual to see them written in such large, sweeping letters as in this work. Why did the author choose to depict them in that style?Ikeda: I thought that if a child reader saw a long string of small print, they might think, ‘It’s hard to read, I don’t understand it,’ and skip over it.G: Was this done with the target audience in mind? By the way, you mentioned that the target audience was upper elementary school to middle school students, but what were your thoughts on other types of readers?Ikeda: When I first decided to draw a shonen manga, I wanted boys to read it, but I also had in mind that it would be read by all sorts of readers. Ultimately, I figured that if I was lucky enough to finish it, it would be fine no matter who read it.G: I see. And I know this might sound strange coming from someone who serializes a manga in a monthly magazine, but why are your drawings so good?Ikeda: Thank you (laughs). Well… I don’t know, but maybe it’s because I practiced because I wanted to get better (laughs). I’ve loved drawing since I was a child and drew a lot, but I wasn’t good at it. I practiced because I thought, ‘This is the only way to get better.’G: So, you wanted to become a manga artist from a relatively early age?Ikeda: I simply enjoyed drawing, but from around the fourth grade of elementary school, I wanted to become a manga artist. I thought about ‘how can I become a manga artist?’ and practiced, which helped me improve, and eventually I became a professional…that’s how it went.G: I hear that manga editors are all different, with a wide variety of personalities. What kind of person is the editor for ‘Thunder 3,’ and what kind of interactions do you have with them?Ikeda: In the case of ‘Thunder 3,’ I was just finishing the manuscript as I went along, and I hadn’t told them what was going to happen next, so I would show them the finished manuscript and ask, ‘What do you think this time?’ and they would say, ‘It was interesting,’ and then we’d just chat and exchange information… (laughs)G: (lol)Ikeda: Since they are professional editors, they read it carefully and notice the good points, so I feel relieved when I see their reaction.G: I imagine there’s been a lot of reaction online, but do you ever look at those online comments?Ikeda: Well… I’m the type who uses my smartphone a lot and I do a fair amount of browsing the internet, but I make a point of not reading any reactions to my manga, including Amazon reviews and message boards. It would be fine if only good things were written (laughs), but there are always people who write nasty things, so I try to avoid those kinds of places.G: I see. What smartphone do you use?Ikeda: It’s an iPhone.G: Is there a reason you chose that?Ikeda:
Well, it just happened naturally.G: I assume you primarily create your manuscripts digitally, but have you always done it digitally? Or did something trigger a shift from analog to digital?Ikeda: There wasn’t any particular trigger; it just happened naturally. And with digital art, applying screen tones is much easier.G: Do you use a drawing tablet? What are its dimensions and other specifications?Ikeda: Larger sizes are easier to draw on.G: Do you use any left-hand devices?Ikeda: None, only the dominant hand.G: Given the meticulous detail of that manuscript, I assumed there would be quite a few layers, but is it actually surprisingly few…?Ikeda: No, it feels like there are infinite layers (lol).G: Infinite (lol) It seems they’ve created and divided things into quite a lot of detail. In that case, the amount of data must be quite large, but what about experiences with data loss…?Ikeda: I have lost data before, but fortunately it didn’t happen in Thunder 3.G: Perhaps the OS or software has become more stable. What kind of software are you using?Ikeda: Well, I use a variety of things. I use Photoshop, Illustrator, and 3DCG, and so on.G: I don’t think you used that kind of software when you were a child, but do you believe that we should embrace technology as much as possible? Or is it mainly because, for example, as you mentioned earlier, ‘it makes applying tones easier’?Ikeda: The most important factor was ‘efficiency.’ When I thought about serializing a manga, I realized, ‘If I draw at this density, I’ll never finish it if I do it by hand using traditional methods’ (laughs). When I wanted to create visuals like those in Hollywood movies, I naturally arrived at the conclusion that the only way to improve efficiency was to incorporate 3D CG. If I had done it by hand using traditional methods, I don’t think my manga would ever have been published (laughs).G: (Laughs) So, thanks to the benefits of digitalization, I suppose your writing speed is quite fast, Professor? I’m not sure what to compare it to, though…Ikeda: Yes, I think that’s relatively early.G: Is it the type of drawing where there’s minimal preliminary sketching, almost like a one-shot drawing?Ikeda: It’s not quite that simple, but I do a rough sketch first, then ink it directly. I add the details in the final version.G: Are you experiencing any problems with your wrists or other areas, such as tendinitis, from using a drawing tablet?Ikeda: I’ve never had tendinitis. Maybe it’s because I don’t put too much pressure on my hands when I draw.G: Is your tablet positioned upright or lying flat?Ikeda: Now that I think about it, I might be tilting it quite a bit. I’m not standing it upright, but I’m leaning it over just a little bit.G: You stand for quite a long time, don’t you? I imagine your job involves sitting for very long periods. Are you okay with the strain on your body?Ikeda: I’m fine for now, but I do have a bit of lower back pain, and my Pilates instructor told me, ‘You have a ticking time bomb in your back, so you should do Pilates.’ But I haven’t been doing it at all despite being told to, so the bomb might explode one day, but for now I’m okay (lol).G: Oh… Do you have any advice for aspiring manga artists who are aiming to start a series, such as, ‘After trying out a series, I realized this drawing style might have been better,’ or ‘This seems like a good approach’?Ikeda: Well… there’s nothing in particular to mention… I’m not really in a position to be talking about other people, since my project almost got cancelled midway through (laughs).G: I heard that ‘Thunder 3’ was in danger of being cancelled before it was offered an anime adaptation. After receiving such news, did you discuss any measures to revive it?Ikeda: I received a call from the editor-in-chief saying something like, ‘Things can’t continue like this…’ so I thought, ‘Well, I guess I have no choice but to brace myself.’ There were no changes or anything, so I just thought, ‘Oh well, where should I end it?’G: That’s bold! (laughs) So, if the anime adaptation hadn’t been decided, it might have been canceled?Ikeda: I think it probably ended at some point along the way.G: The final chapter of this series was published in the magazine before the anime aired, and it has been announced that it will be a 10-volume series. Depending on the answer, this might be a question I shouldn’t ask, but… ultimately, was this series able to reach its conclusion?Ikeda: Yes, I was able to run through to the very end feeling great and reach the final episode.G: Oh, that’s good… So, the developments leading up to the final episode were planned fairly early on?Ikeda: That’s right. It went exactly as planned from the beginning, without any issues or shortcomings.G: I see, if they had the whole picture in mind from the beginning, then I understand why they would have to give up when they were told it was being cancelled…Ikeda: That’s right. At this point, all we can do is pull ahead and say, ‘Our battle is just beginning!’ (laughs)G: You’ve managed to draw the story all the way to the final episode as planned, and the anime has just started, but have you already started planning your next project?Ikeda: No, I’ve run out. I’ve used up all my ideas (lol).G: (lol)Ikeda: I’m retiring now!G: What?! Does that mean you’re retiring after giving it your all?Ikeda: I’ve given it my all, and my dream has come true. Now I’m going back to my hometown to take over the family business!G: Really!? (lol)◆About my favorite works and how I spend my daysG: That was quite a shock, so let me change the subject. I noticed that Professor Ikeda was wearing a Superman shirt. You mentioned that you like superheroes, but are you particularly fond of Superman?Ikeda: I like it. I even went to see ‘Supergirl’ on its opening day.G: You’re a die-hard fan! What do you like about Superman?Ikeda: In the Superman movies, I like the 1978 version starring Christopher Reeve and directed by Richard Donner the best, and I don’t think anything has surpassed it. What I like about it is how it clearly portrays the duality of Clark Kent and Superman, and I think that’s the only film that does that well. The others seem to overemphasize seriousness, and the balance feels off. The newer films have cool action, and I think Man of Steel is good too, but in terms of the Superman character, Christopher Reeve is the best fit, and I think he’s the quintessential Superman.G: Whether it’s the DC Universe or the MCU, the multiverse development in movies made me think, ‘Is that even possible?!’Ikeda: Speaking of which, the idea of the multiverse in ‘Thunder 3’ existed even before ‘Spider-Verse’ and similar films came out, but before we released it, the term and concept of ‘parallel worlds’ itself was still relatively minor, and I thought that not many people knew about it. Thanks to the multiverse becoming more mainstream, the concept has become easier to accept, and ‘Thunder 3’ was accepted as ‘Oh, another one of those trendy multiverse films,’ so I felt lucky about that.G: I see. If you were only told about the idea of ‘Thunder 3’ without knowing the concept of the multiverse, it might be difficult to understand. By the way, you mentioned that you went to see ‘Supergirl’ on its opening day. Do you usually have a good amount of time to go see movies?Ikeda: Most movies start on Fridays, so I take Fridays off and go see them first thing in the morning. Yes, I don’t go if there isn’t a movie I want to see, but if there is, I take the day off. If you read my manga, you’ll see that I love movies and that element is incorporated into it.G: I understand you usually go to the movie theater to see movies, but what do you think of watching movies via streaming services?Ikeda: When I get back from the movie theater, I watch Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. I also subscribe to most streaming services like U-NEXT and Disney+.G: What was your schedule like while the series was running?Ikeda: It’s like my assistant and I take turns drawing the characters while the assistant creates the backgrounds, so it feels like we’re working continuously throughout the entire session.G: Do you get relatively little sleep?Ikeda: That’s not true at all; I make sure to get about eight hours of sleep. I also eat lighter meals for breakfast and lunch, and a normal amount for dinner.G: Quite regularly, then. Is there anything you eat often?Ikeda: Doutor’s ‘Milano Sandwich A’ is so delicious that I order it via Uber Eats almost every day.G: You have a bottle of green tea nearby; do you drink tea most often?Ikeda: I love green tea, and I drink so much of it every day that I can’t even count. Coffee doesn’t seem to agree with me very well; it gives me headaches, so I don’t drink it.G: And now that it’s finally time, since I think there are people who have come to know ‘Thunder 3’ through this anime adaptation, could you tell us again what you recommend about this work?Ikeda: I think this movie will appeal to people who like major Hollywood movies and superhero films, but even if you’re not, I think it’s a film that you can enjoy without getting too obsessive. It includes scenes that you’ve probably never seen before, so I hope you’ll enjoy those parts. I hope you’ll just enjoy it without overthinking it (laughs).G: I see. Thank you for taking the time to answer all of my questions, even though some of them may have been difficult to answer.Ikeda: thank you very much. The TV anime ‘Thunder 3’ is currently airing every Wednesday at 24:45 on Fuji TV’s ‘+Ultra’ block and other channels. It is also available for streaming on Netflix.TV Anime ‘Thunder 3’ Main PV | Airing Every Wednesday – YouTube
©池田祐輝・講談社／「サンダー３」製作委員会
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Jul 15, 2026 20:00:00
in Video, Anime, Interview, Posted by logc_nt
