The Suicide Rehearsals tells the story of Seki and Momoka, two girls who meet at the absolute depths of despair. Having given up on life for their own tragic reasons, they make a bizarre pact: to practice their suicides together. But, as they rehearse their final moments, an unexpected bond forms between them, and they slowly regain their reasons to live. Click the link below to read this sad, yet beautiful coming–of-age story.

READ The Suicide Rehearsals IN ENGLISH HERE!

To commemorate the award, a Q&A article with Ciwaz was published in the magazine alongside The Suicide Rehearsals. Read on to learn more about what inspired Ciwaz to create this award-winning manga!

How do you feel about winning this award? 

Simply having people read my work is more than enough for me, so receiving such an honor is an absolute privilege. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout the creation of this piece.

How did you think of the idea for The Suicide Rehearsals? 

When you are overwhelmed with sadness, standing in a high place and looking down can suddenly terrify you, yet if you happen to look up at the sky, it can feel strangely beautiful. I thought, “If you could wrap sadness in ‘beauty,’ wouldn’t that be a little romantic?” That idea was the starting point for this story. From there, the concept of “practice for girls who lack the courage to kill themselves” came to life.

What do you think is the best part of this piece? 

Even though both girls are essentially trapped in their own heads, they somehow become intertwined and unable to part. I think that part of their relationship is the highlight. The way Momoka slyly prevents Seki’s suicide comes from a desire to have someone by her side when reaching her own limit. Yet Seki, who was dragged into everything by Momoka, ends up being saved by her in the process.

My personal favorite moment is the Ferris wheel scene. Momoka is smiling, but stars dwell in her eyes, like tears. I really hope readers will look out for that scene, which captures the emotional contradiction.

What did you struggle with when creating this piece? 

I’m not very good at drawing swimwear, so figuring out how to render it was a bit of a struggle. I tried my best to make it look as natural as possible.

What kind of manga do you want to draw next? 

Up until now, I’ve mostly drawn restrained, subtle emotions, so moving forward I’d love to try creating works featuring characters who express their feelings more directly. I have so many ideas I want to explore. I’m very interested in horror and fantasy, too. Oh, and as a personal preference, I’d love to draw a manga featuring handsome young boys someday! (laughs)

Do you have any final comments for the readers? 

Thank you so much for reading this work. May your sadness always be met with gentleness.

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