"Miyuki" and "Touch" Were Serialized Simultaneously!? A Special Conversation Between Manga Artist Mitsuru Adachi and Voice Actress Noriko Hidaka Comes True!

To commemorate the 55th anniversary of popular manga artist Mitsuru Adachi's career, who continues to create works beloved across generations, the "―55th Career Anniversary Commemoration― Mitsuru Adachi Exhibition" is being held from Friday, December 19, 2025, to Wednesday, January 14, 2026. This article brings you the special conversation between Adachi and voice actress Noriko Hidaka, which took place on Thursday, December 18, the day before the exhibition opened.

Mitsuru Adachi, who has created numerous masterpieces such as "Touch" and "Miyuki" during his 55-year manga career, and Noriko Hidaka, who played the role of Minami Asakura in "Touch" and also serves as the audio guide navigator for the "―55th Career Anniversary Commemoration― Mitsuru Adachi Exhibition." Immediately after taking the stage, Hidaka commented, "This is my first time talking with Adachi-sensei in front of people with a microphone!"

When asked about his impression of the exhibition, Adachi responded in his characteristic style, "I didn't think it would become such a big deal, and I regret casually coming out here."

The talk unfolded with reflections on his representative works in accordance with the exhibition content, starting with the topic of "Miyuki" and "Touch," which were serialized during the same period. "Miyuki" began serialization in "Shonen Big Comic" in 1980, and "Touch" started in "Weekly Shonen Sunday" in 1981. These two works representing Adachi's oeuvre had a period of simultaneous serialization.

"I've been in this career for 55 years, but for about five years after starting 'Miyuki,' I have almost no memories other than work, and I think it was a period when I worked diligently. Really," Adachi reflected on those days.

Regarding the year "Miyuki" began serialization, Hidaka reflected, "I thought, that's the year I made my debut as a singer. Though this was still before I became a voice actress," and revealed that as a behind-the-scenes story from recording the audio guide, she was surprised to learn for the first time that "Miyuki" and "Touch" were serialized simultaneously.

When the topic turned to the expressive depiction in Adachi's works that doesn't make characters say much, Adachi said, "I think I was consciously drawing that way. When you put things into words, they take on meaning, so I liked thinking about ways to convey things without words. To make that work, I placed mature supporting characters around the protagonist who could read between the lines."