Special Contents

Character Initial Design Collection

To celebrate the launch of the official website, we're unveiling early design sketches illustrated by Keiji Mizoguchi. We're sharing sketches for characters Mashiro and Sorata along with comments from Mizoguchi!

Mashiro Shiina

Tsurime Eyes Final Ver.

Mizoguchi: "This is the current design. I designed the uniform with Mashiro in mind to emphasize her transparency, which ended up making it quite blue. In this design, she's wearing knee-high socks. Realistically though, I don't think Mashiro would be able to put those socks on herself, so I think she'd end up wearing ankle length socks more often."

TN: Tsurime eyes are style of eyes where the outer corners slant upwards, ending in a distinct sharp point. They're used for a lot of things, but they typically convey a sort of seriousness and in Mashiro's case, expressionlessness. (Is that a word?) For more info, look at TV Tropes.

Tarame Eyes Ver.

Mizoguchi: "This was the first design I created for Mashiro. I didn't have a complete idea of who she was yet, so she ended up looking more emotional than she does now. After reading the manuscript, I felt that this was the only hair color I could use, so it was kept until the final version."

TN: Tarame eyes are a style of eyes where the eyes droop or sag at the corners, usually depicting softness or fragility. For more info, look at TV Tropes.

Short Hair Ver.

Mizoguchi: "I was asked for both a short and long haired version with the Tsurime eyes, so I drew a short-haired version as well. The tsurime eyes + short hair version inevitably gave her more of a sophisticated look, and while that may be cute in its own way, I felt it wasn't quite Mashiro."

Sorata Kanda

Mizoguchi: "There was also a design with shorter hair, but I figured that the longer hair looked more natural so I settled on that instead. I initially added some subtle details like his tie and shirt sticking out, but I quickly forgot about that until now. That's the kind of mindset I've had this whole time..."

Misaki Kamiigusa

Mizoguchi: "I tried making a design based on the concept of a lively and petite yet busty character, and it ended up getting approved. Despite that, she's the most difficult character in Sakura Hall for me to draw. Whenever I'm asked to draw her with an expression that contradicts my image of her, I struggle."

Jin Mitaka

Mizoguchi: "I've never drawn a handsome guy with glasses before, so I always struggle with this one. However, this design came to me pretty naturally after reading the manuscript, so it went along smoothly."

Nanami Aoyama

Mizoguchi: "Looking back, her screen time in the first volume was incredibly short, so I couldn't come up with any design ideas at all. I never imagined she'd become such a main character, so I was at a loss as to what to do, but in the end I settled on my favorite: a ponytail. Ponytails are the best!"

Chihiro Sengoku

Mizoguchi: "Similarly to Jin, this was a kind of design I've never drawn before. When I read the manuscript, though, this was the only thing that came to mind, so the design itself came together rather quickly. However, teachers don't wear school uniforms, so I always struggle to figure out what kind of clothes to put them in."