The Future Direction of Hope Princess Santaria: From Hope to the Cross, Prayer and Peace

Summary

Our members have decided that, beginning with the next stage of production, “Sacred Cherry Blossom: Hope Princess Santaria” will look more deeply than ever before at “the Cross,” “religious life,” “prayer” and “peace.” The works we create from now on will stand as a continuation of the creative philosophy of “art of light and hope” that we have pursued since 2007. The story of angels and hope will continue to flow as before, but we will now go one step further in showing where that hope comes from. Production may not be swift, but we will proceed without haste and with sincerity.

Background

From 2007 to the present, IBCh has held “angels,” “light” and “hope” as consistent creative themes. These are not decorative motifs that adorn a story; they are the central subjects through which we seek, in the form of art, to contemplate anew the hope that a person can keep even when placed in deep darkness, the holy light that quietly shines in, and salvation and peace. In our work so far, we have built up themes such as angels, light, hope, the Cross, church music, sacred art, oil painting, the heavenly world, peace and salvation through three dimensions: painting, music and words. Our expression of hope in the form of manga has also gradually taken shape over this long period.

“Sacred Cherry Blossom: Hope Princess Santaria,” now in production, is an important work for deepening this journey further. At the present stage, however, we cannot yet say that the work fully stands as “a work of the Church,” “a work that carries prayer” or “sacred art.” Judged only by the outward form of its story, it may be received as a character-centered fantasy or as a story for girls, and we do not reject that reading in itself. What the work truly seeks to convey, however, lies beyond it.

• Why we create this work
• What hope means in this work
• What meaning the Cross holds
• How prayer and story are joined

The work itself has not yet reached a point where it can quietly answer these questions. This understanding was shared among our members in frank discussion, and in response we have set our creative direction from the next stage onward.

Additional notes

The Cross will be placed at the center of the story, not as a symbol or design element, but as a sign of suffering and forgiveness, and of the strength to rise again. Hope does not lie outside of suffering; it appears on the far side of passing through suffering. The story of the Cross and hope is an attempt to speak of this quietly.

As a manga on the theme of prayer, the work will portray with care not only dramatic events but also the quiet, unremarkable hours: daily prayer, silence, and the repetition of morning and evening. The stillness of a story of religious life and prayer is not showy, yet we believe it remains long in the hearts of readers. As a fantasy on the theme of the Church, we will also treat depictions of the sanctuary, the way light enters and the resonance of music with greater care than before. As a manga on Christian themes, we will continue to review the work through both research and prayer so that nothing in it lacks reverence.

As a story of hope and prayer, we will take time to shape the work so that readers may quietly return to their own daily lives through it. We aim to portray the small light that shines in the darkness not as decoration but as prayer. We would be grateful if you would continue to watch over the journey of Sacred Cherry Blossom: Hope Princess Santaria.