The horror yuri series This Monster Wants to Eat Me held its US premiere at Otakon 2025 in Washington, DC. Anime Trending had the opportunity to speak with the manga’s creator Sai Naekawa, manga editor Takumi Kamemaru, and anime producer Ena Hamabe prior to the October 2025 debut of the TV anime adaptation.
Interview and article by Kwok-Wai Hanson. Questions by Kwok-Wai Hanson and Melvyn Tan.
Manga Creator Sai Naekawa
Anime Trending: First, we’d like to start with Naekawa-sensei. What led you to create this manga?
Sai Naekawa-sensei: I was originally inspired by the theme of the sea, and when I was thinking about my next work, I wanted to tackle that theme that I had been wanting to draw for a while.
What was the reason behind making one of the main characters, Shiori, a ningyo*?
Sai Naekawa-sensei: The reason why I made Shiori a ningyo is because I thought that [when] you think about the sea, [you then think of] yokai. I thought ningyo was very fitting because a ningyo is both a beautiful and scary yokai.
*ningyo: A Japanese mythological creature, traditionally depicted as a mermaid-like being with a human upper body and fish tail.
What types of stories do you normally enjoy? Do they influence This Monster Wants to Eat Me?
Sai Naekawa-sensei: I wouldn’t say they really influence me on what I produce because normally I read about girls and they tend to be the same things, like love comedies and serious [stories], but I don’t think they really influence my work all that much.
What stands out to you about Japanese ningyo compared to Western mermaids?
Sai Naekawa-sensei: I think Western mermaids are immediately linked to beautifulness and everything, but in Japanese, they have an ominous flavor to them or have a grotesque feeling to them too. That’s the point that I want to emphasize in This Monster Wants To Eat Me.
What do you like the most about the main characters’ relationship and contrast?
Sai Naekawa-sensei: I think the entire thing between Hinako and Shiori is important of course, but the way that Hinako and Shiori are enemies, yet are working towards the same goal because they have the same objective is very interesting. I like drawing that too.
Lastly, is there anything else you would like to share with your overseas fans?
Sae Naekawa-sensei: Definitely for people watching the anime, please enjoy the anime. And also, please have interest in the Ehime prefecture in Japan!
Manga Editor Takumi Kamemaru
Could you talk about what it was like editing Naekawa-sensei’s work?
Takumi Kamemaru: Personally, I think what Naekawa-sensei wants to make and what I have interest in are very similar, if not almost the same. So I think the entire editing process went very smoothly and there weren’t any disagreements, really.
What is something that stands out about Naekawa-sensei’s work?
Takumi Kamemaru: I think the most appealing thing about Naekawa-sensei’s work is that she is able to draw expressions, and her expressiveness of the expressions is very wonderful. It’s not about the lines, but the drawing being emotional. The pictures are also very beautiful.
Could you share any funny or memorable moments while working on this series?
Takumi Kamemaru: What I think is very interesting about Naekawa-sensei is that she has lots of interests and she goes to lots of places and trips. She is also very prompt on the submissions. She even submits things early. So I’ve wondered, “Where does she get the time?” It’s a very rare talent to be both fast and [maintain a] beautiful [quality] with her drawings.
For fans not familiar with the series, how would you describe it to them?
Takumi Kamemaru: I think the topic that’s being addressed in This Monster Wants to Eat Me may be dark and sad, but it’s not just about sad emotions. There is fun there. Also, what it means to live is a very central topic, too. I think it should be a very fun anime.
Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to your overseas fans?
Takumi Kamemaru: I think the anime is being done to a very high standard. The anime is successful in producing the strong parts about the original work, but also has the strong parts specific to anime, so I think you will enjoy it a lot.
Anime Producer Ena Hamabe
First of all, could you talk about how you discovered this series and why you wanted this to become an anime series?
Ena Hamabe: I think the bottom line is that I wanted to spread this work more by having it become an anime. I originally read it when it was coming out in Dengeki Maoh. The first chapter of it really inspired me to make it into an anime. Hinako wanting to die may resonate with lots of people now, so I think this is worth spreading to more people.
For fans who don’t know this series, how would you describe it?
Ena Hamabe: I think this is one of those works where silence is beautiful. There are many points, and getting to know one after another kind of triggers an “aha” moment, but that “aha” moment then turns to understanding the love behind each moment. I think that’s one of the enjoyable things about this work.
What is the animation staff working on this series focusing on? What points are the production staff in the two companies devising?
Ena Hamabe: I think the serious and beautiful story is definitely a part that we paid attention to, but then there are parts of the story where it’s a lot more comical. We also focused on the fun school life that was there as two sides of the same story. One is the fun, slice-of-life part, but the other is the serious and slightly sad part.
Is there anything that the production staff are particularly focused on in the anime adaptation?
Ena Hamabe: We especially paid attention to balancing the original works’ beauty and the visuals in terms of the [real] landscapes of Ehime prefecture. This Monster Wants to Eat Me is very beautiful, but at the same time, we paid attention to real people, real folklore such as the yokai, and the people surrounding the story.
Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to your overseas fans?
Ena Hamabe: If you do enjoy the anime, please share that love over to Japanese people because I think the Japanese side would definitely like to hear your love for this work.
Special thanks to PONY CANYON, Otakon 2025, and the guests for the special opportunity. This Monster Wants to Eat Me is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is being published in English by Yen Press, with volumes 1-4 currently available.