The Way to Your Heart is a story I started creating around the year 2000. At the time, I was obsessed with Japanese visual kei bands and shoujo manga/anime, specifically with the series "Hana Yori Dango." I wanted to create a comic merging my interests together, and so this story began to take shape.
You'll notice quite a difference in the art from the early pages to the most recent. Being just 18 when I started this comic, my skills have definitely grown since the first pages went up. I consider TWTYH to be an experimental work as I've learned the ways of comicking, and I'm grateful for the practice it's given me.
As for the characters, Yumi is loosely based on me, and Toshio has some things in common with my husband. Some of the situations Yumi and Toshio have and will experience are based on our experiences. Yayoi was inspired by a friend and co-worker I had once from Ukraine (but not her craziness--that's all her own!) Orochi has been inspired by several real J-rock bands, like X Japan, BUCK-TICK, Girugamesh, D'espairsRay, Schwarz Stein, etc. and ~PHANTASM~ is mostly inspired by Alice Nine.
TWTYH is rated older teen because of some mature content and language. The story depicts some violence, betrayal, negative emotional outbursts, lying, premarital sex and brings up issues like rape.
I'm not shy about depicting this kind of content because I want the story to reflect what young people have to deal with in the real world each and every day. The characters are free to choose what they will and then deal with the consequences that follow... just like every living human being!
About The Author
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Emily Muto is a comic artist living in Seattle, Washington, USA. Born August 9, 1984, she's been drawing all her life and began experimenting with comics at age 12. She's always enjoyed creating stories and has written several prior to TWTYH. She was married in July 2008 and works part-time at a college, spending her spare time on her art and with her family. Her website emi-art.com hosts all of her ongoing and completed comics.
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