The Story Behind the Concept of 'Expressing Luminescence' in Our Masterpiece 'Master Spark: Marisa Kirisame'
Hello, I am Sakura, the illustrator for the Touhou Project printmaking circle 'ApiApi'.
Today, I would like to talk about the production concept behind ApiApi's masterpiece and popular work, 'Master Spark: Marisa Kirisame'. (I initially started writing this as an 'explanation,' but when I re-read it, I thought, 'This isn't really an explanation,' so I changed the title to 'The Story'.)
Introduction to 'Master Spark: Marisa Kirisame'
This work was unveiled at the Shizuoka Reitaisai held on March 23, 2025.
Thinking, 'If it's the protagonist Marisa Kirisame, it has to be Master Spark!', I drew her signature move, Master Spark, in a composition that captures it head-on.
At the Shizuoka Reitaisai where we debuted this new work, it was so popular that the stock we brought—thinking, 'This should definitely be enough'—sold out completely.
It was an opportunity to reaffirm the popularity of the character Marisa Kirisame.
We had to express 'Master Spark = Light'
When we decided to create a work featuring Marisa Kirisame, it was internally decided quite early on that we would use 'Master Spark' as the subject.
However, it ended up taking a staggering two months from that point until the illustration was finished... This is because many illustrators have already created works based on Master Spark. While using the same subject, I spent an incredible amount of time considering the composition, wondering, 'Is there a composition that will truly resonate with the viewers?'
The fact that we are producing 'printmaking' also influenced why this composition study took so long.
When trying to express the super-massive laser that is Master Spark, the standard approach is to draw a composition from a distance from Marisa. However, as I tried sketching various illustration ideas, the center of the thick laser became mostly 'white,' lacking 'weight,' and I fell into a situation where the impact was significantly diminished in printmaking. (Looking back now, I sometimes wonder if a pitch-black laser idea could have worked.)
In this way, by choosing Master Spark as the subject, we inevitably hit the problem of having to 'express light within the constraints of printmaking.'
In other words, this meant that 'if we could express light well, the work would be perfectly complete.'
Because of this background, the concept for the production of Marisa Kirisame naturally settled on 'expressing luminescence.'
What did we refer to in order to express luminescence?
To realize the concept of 'expressing luminescence,' I referred to various materials and sought answers in diverse media, including manga, anime, and films.
Then, I recalled a particular expression.
It was the Kamehameha from Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball.
I remembered thinking, 'Come to think of it, even though manga is black and white, I perceived the Kamehameha as actually glowing.'
I went to a manga cafe and read Dragon Ball, and sure enough, even though it was black and white, it looked like it was glowing. The moment I saw the scene in the Cell Games where Goku and Gohan were firing a Kamehameha toward the viewer, I thought, 'This is it!'
Until then, I had been considering compositions that captured Marisa from the side, diagonally, or from a distance. However, I decided to change this.
I completely shifted my strategy, thinking, 'If I capture Marisa head-on and make the Mini-Hakkero, the source of the laser, glow, that would make for a Master Spark composition!'
Pros and cons of a head-on composition
Advantage 1 of a head-on composition: No need to draw the laser
When I decided to draw Marisa Kirisame and her Master Spark from a head-on composition, the first advantage was that there would be no need to draw the Master Spark laser.
This allows me to draw the character Marisa Kirisame larger within the limited space.
This is a huge advantage for woodblock prints. A woodblock print is not finished just by drawing the illustration; it is completed when a sculptor carves it based on that drawing.
Therefore, it can only be drawn with a level of detail that is possible for a human to carve by hand.
This is a major difference from digital art. Digital art can be zoomed in on by swiping during both creation and viewing, but woodblock prints cannot; they are constrained by the need to be drawn with lines that can be handled (carved) by the naked eye.
Therefore, within the 15cm x 10cm range of the woodblock print master plate, not having to draw an extremely thick Master Spark means that a larger area can be secured to draw the character, which is a massive advantage as it allows for more of the character's charm to be incorporated.
Furthermore, being able to draw the character larger also leads to being able to carve details like the character's expression more finely, which is another major advantage as it overwhelmingly increases the means of expressing the character's charm.
Advantage 2 of a head-on composition: It can be drawn with a composition rarely seen elsewhere
When considering how to capture both Marisa and the Master Spark in a single image, the most natural idea that comes to mind is to 'draw a massive, thick Master Spark beam across the screen, with Marisa viewed from a slight distance or from the side'.
This is not to say that such a composition is bad because it is cliché, but I believe that this composition is one whose appeal is maximized only through digital or hand-drawn art, where a high level of intricate detail can be ensured.
After all, since our creations are 'woodblock prints,' I believe we must have the resolve to pause and reflect at this point.
This is because our woodblock prints are products subject to extremely significant constraints:
we can only use black and white
we cannot use gradients
we cannot compete with the intricacy of digital art due to the carving process
.
Therefore, it is only natural that we must rely on 'originality' to touch the hearts of our viewers.
Capturing the Master Spark from directly in front and at close range is a composition that is somewhat difficult to draw, so being able to increase the degree of 'originality' in that respect is an advantage.
As a result, although the flow was drawing the Master Spark -> difficult to depict the entire laser due to woodblock constraints -> close-up angle without the laser -> a somewhat rare composition, I was able to arrive at a composition that seems capable of producing a certain level of originality.
Disadvantage 1 of the head-on composition: Having to express the Master Spark without drawing the laser
The biggest disadvantage is, after all, the need for ingenuity to express that Marisa is firing a Master Spark and ensure the viewer understands it without actually drawing the laser.
It is a picture of a Master Spark, yet the Master Spark laser is not drawn... this ultimate contradiction requires us to search for the wisdom, ingenuity, and expression to make it work as a natural image, which is indeed the biggest disadvantage in terms of time.
That said, don't you think it's a rather interesting gimmick that it's 'a picture of a Master Spark, yet the Master Spark laser isn't drawn,' and 'yet you can still tell it's a Master Spark'?
I thought, 'If I can overcome this disadvantage, it will have an effect of boosting originality.' In other words, if you can overcome it, a disadvantage turns into an advantage.
I believe this disadvantage is what pushed me to decide on this composition.
(Usually, benefits push you forward, but it's quite interesting that drawbacks are what push you forward instead... haha)
In conclusion
That concludes my summary of how I arrived at the concept of "drawing Master Spark not as a 'laser,' but as 'light' or 'luminescence'" during the illustration planning process.
What do you think?
In this composition, it looks like she is glowing while firing the Master Spark, and even though the Master Spark laser isn't drawn, doesn't it clearly look like a Master Spark scene?
The concept of "expressing luminescence" and the fact that it looks like a Master Spark illustration even without drawing the laser are things I am proud to have captured well.
I will explain the techniques and ingenuity used to realize this concept in a separate article.
To give you a tiny spoiler first... actually...
the timeline of this picture differs depending on the viewer
It is that kind of painting.
Thank you for reading until the end!