One Heart, Two Worlds
Upon Ruri’s request, Yuto talks to Yuzu about her relationship issues- but can he reconcile with what he’s done as Yuya in real life?
Afterword
Comic Dub
Coming soon! Will be updating this section later when the video goes live
Free Talk
- Ever since seeing Yuto (and the other Yu-boys) revive as digital avatars/ copies in Duel Links, I’ve always wanted to read a story exploring what this means for him to lead a dual life of sorts- as himself online, and as Yuya in real life. Duel Links truly opened a new can of worms for Arc-V.
- Yuto and Yuzu do have a very strong chemistry. I like to think of them as close friends, but considering how Yuto is technically Yuya (and Ruri is Yuzu) in post-canon, thinking how their minds work makes my head spin…
- In Duel Links, Yuto and Ruri interact like a married couple, while Yuya and Yuzu still have that ‘best friend??’ vibe. I really want to honor that in this comic, and made extra effort to show how their relationships differ- Ruri and Yuto actually stand closer (and have more physical interactions) compared to Yuzu and Yuya on here.
- Pages 3-8 are illustrated in grayscale as I initially thought that I could work faster compared to full color (and then I realized that this was not necessarily the case aHaHA). It did cut down the time for background paintings though.
- There was originally a scene where Yuto comforts Yuzu by validating her feelings. I liked the idea, but the page dragged down the pace and ultimately did not make the Final Cut.
- The last line of the comic (‘Ruri and I… are now Yuzu and Yuya in the real world’) took a lot of thinking to nail down. Considered alternatives include ‘We are the same people across different worlds’, but it didn’t quite hit true, so I re-tweaked it based on how I feel Yuto would accept loss in his life.
- Drawing this comic while maintaining regular updates on social media burned the life out of me. I remember waking up at 5 AM to grind this and having serious doubts on my life choices.
- The comic is drawn from right to left, Japanese manga style, but the paneling and art style takes huge inspiration from American comics. As such, lettering this felt weird, and I ended up following American comic conventions instead.
- Added the Afterword because I wanted the comic to end on a more light-hearted note! Life is tough, I hope people who enjoy my work can feel better afterwards…
WOW my rants are getting longer and longer. Thank you for reading up to the very end! This comic was one horrible grind, but the story ended up as one of my favorites.
May everyone find comfort in the new reality after life-changing loss, and may dawn always break after the night.