"So I'm a Spider, So What?" Creator Q&As (Virtual Crunchyroll Expo 2020)

Virtual Crunchyroll Expo is just around the corner and we have another pair of mini interviews to get everyone primed for it! This time we had a few questions for the guests behind "So I'm a Spider, So What?", author Okina Baba and illustrator Tsukasa Kiryu! Virtual Crunchyroll Expo is this weekend (September 4-6) and will feature a panel with the pair as well as several other events! More info can be found below!

Since Virtual Crunchyroll Expo is this weekend, make sure to register HERE. It's free so you have no excuse!

Okina Baba

A-to-J: Can you tell us a bit about what inspired the rather unique world of "So I'm a Spider, So What?"
Okina Baba: Stories where people reincarnate in another world were popular on a novel site, and I was simply trying to ride that wave. But then I thought, “Why is there a game-like system?” and then decided to create a world where it would be natural for such a system to exist.

A-to-J: Spiders are usually an insect that most people despise, probably the worst, what were some of the difficulties making the character likable and relatable?
Okina Baba: I actually didn’t struggle with that. In reality, I wasn’t thinking about popularity when I started writing. I mean...it’s a spider. I wrote the protagonist as she is, and it just became popular.

Tsukasa Kiryu

A-to-J: Making a spider look "cute" seems like an impossible task. How did you manage to do that for "So I'm a Spider, So What?"
Tsukasa Kiryu: I piled up an immense amount of rough drafts and retakes with the editor. The goal was to make it cute so that people who hate spiders would be fine, and in the end I produced close to a hundred patterns. I referenced some preceding characters like the Fuchikomas/Tachikomas from “Ghost in the Shell” and spider-type pokemon. I think actual spiders are cute too in how they’re always silently doing something.

A-to-J: What do you think is another traditionally disliked insect or creature that you could make look appealing?
Tsukasa Kiryu: The first time I drew centipedes was for this series, and I was surprised that the actual centipede (Thereuonema tuberculata) had a very cute face. If I get the chance I would like to draw it again.

I’ve also recently developed a hobby of drawing familiar animals as dragons, and drawing slugs has been particularly fun. It’s been popular in Japan to draw a yokai called an Amabie (it’s said to ward off sickness)  as a wish for the COVID-19 pandemic to subside. I’ve started drawing the similarly-named Amaebi (sweet shrimp) a lot.

Okina Baba & Tsukasa Kiryu Virtual Crunchyroll Expo info can be found HERE.

Crunchyroll Originals Presents: Talk with the Creators of "So I'm a Spider, So What?" 
Saturday, September 5 from 2:00-3:00 PM PT
Crunchyroll Stage

Online conventions have become the norm in 2020, but Virtual Crunchyroll Expo looks to be a very unique one with its unique and diverse lineup so we really encourage every to register and make some time in your weekend for some of the amazing events and panels!

Virtual Crunchyroll Expo Website:
https://expo.crunchyroll.com/