Interview with Cédric Biscay – author of Blitz, the booming chess manga
“In an exclusive interview with Tatiana Flores, Monegasque manga author and businessman Cédric Biscay talks about his passion for chess and his ambition to share it with the world. He talks about what it was like to work with the great Garry Kasparov to “bring the game to the younger generations in an attractive way” and answers questions about chess and its increasingly strong relationship with pop culture. He also gives insights into the backstage world and the creation process of his internationally successful Japanese chess comic Blitz!
Cédric Biscay is not only the only manga creator in his country, but also the founder of Shibuya Productions. The Monaco-based entertainment company specialises in the creation and production of manga, animated films, video games and documentaries. It has produced major titles such as Shenmue 3 and Twin Mirror, and has an Astroboy reboot animation project in the works. Biscay’s Shibuya Productions also organises the popular pop culture event MAGIC (Monaco Anime Game International Conferences) in Monaco and Kyoto. Biscay has also been appointed Ambassador for Women’s Rights by the Government of Monaco and was recently made a Knight of the Order of St Charles, the Principality’s highest honour, by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.”
Blitz, the Chess Manga from Monaco – A Review
“The internationally successful Japanese chess manga “Blitz” stems from the imagination of Cédric Biscay, was inked by mangaka Daitaro Nishihara and put into the grids by co-scenarist Tsukasa Mori. “Blitz” impresses with its accurate and detailed artwork and with its precise depiction of the chess game. A review by Tatiana Flores.
Tom Hazuki, a young student at the International School of Shibuya (ISS) in Japan, who tends to get into trouble, decides one day to learn the rules of chess in order to impress his crush, Harmony, a junior chess champion and the talent of her school’s chess club.
When Tom wants to join the club, its proud president, Laurent (who can’t stand Tom), gives him an almost impossible challenge. If Tom can win a game against him, he can join the club, but if he loses, he’ll never bother any of the club members again…”
