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Kohei Horikoshi’s Author Comment in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 5/6 (2023), Shueisha

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"A single manga consists of separated volumes, while a single volume holds several chapters, and a single manga chapter has an average of 18-22 pages."

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Otaku Fantasy - Anime Otaku, Gaming and Tech Blog

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As an avid manga reader, you have probably noticed that every manga title has a release schedule. There are two ways to learn these important dates - one is when you check and judge the pattern of the dates of the released chapters. The other is when you catch up to the latest and finally know the consistency of their issues.

But one shocking news for the otaku fandom is when a manga enters the dreaded hiatus. When it happens, these schedules suddenly have no meaning, and the best we can hope for is that it won't be an indefinite break.

While there could be many rationales behind this scenario, the most alarming among all is the deteriorating health of the mangaka, which sometimes leads to death. Throughout the lifetime of their masterpiece, authors experience significant health risks due to various factors.

Everyone who has been consuming anime content for some time and came across an anime or manga on indefinite hiatus must have realized the intense stress of working in this industry as a manga author.

The tragic death of Berserk's Keitaro Miura, being one of the most recent devastating demises in the enterprise, is due to a rare medical diagnosis caused by hypertension. While not all mangaka deaths are associated with hypertension, most of these conditions we've heard of are stress-induced.

There is an unimpeachable pattern in how mangakas overwork themselves to death. While some people work multiple jobs to make ends meet, something is unhealthy with a manga author's career that burnt their lifespan quicker than a matchstick.

So how do manga authors work themselves to death, and why do they need to do so? Read on to fill yourself in.

Brutal Workloads And Schedules

Since the medium of manga became prominent in Japan, it is no doubt that these are for financial profits. Who are we to blame them because they do it for a living? The manga industry supports over : editors, publishers, artists, and other people involved in marketing and publication. On top of that, it supports bookstores and other businesses responsible for printing, distribution, and retailing.

However, the repercussion of such pressure is that it creates expectations for the thousands, if not millions, of consumers when it comes to releasing schedules. Moreover, Japan is infamous for its intense work ethic, tantamount to slavery.

Because of this practice, authors find themselves in a spot where they have to consistently release chapter by chapter of manga content, ignoring recommended work hours. Thus, it leaves them with no time for exercise as they munch daily on unhealthy instant foods.

Their Creative Passion

Artists may be dedicated to their craft-however, the reality of time constraints and human limitations can only handle so much. All the hours slumped on the floor with their backs in awkward positions would take its toll no matter how much they love what they're doing. Yoshihiro Togashi of Hunter x Hunter is still suffering from severe lower back pains, and this puts the famous manga on indefinite hiatus.

Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Phoenix and known as "The Godfather of Manga," is a perfect example of a mangaka whose passion for drawing persists until his final moments on his death bed.

Tezuka died of stomach cancer, but while it is not clear if over-exhaustion or health neglect was the cause, the nurses had to take away his drawing equipment so he could rest. We can only assume that the legendary artist consumed himself even when he's supposed to reserve his energy to battle for his life against the disease.

The Complexity Of Drawing A Single Chapter

A single manga consists of separated volumes, while a single volume holds several chapters, and a single manga chapter has an average of 18-22 pages. But what makes it hard for them to finish a single chapter?

There are many factors to focus on to finish a chapter without compromising the quality. These factors include shading, drawing, inking, editing, script, storyline, and dialogues. Some are lucky enough to have their manga release a chapter once a month, but that doesn't mean they have it easier since their page numbers are significantly more than the weekly issues. Others would hire assistants, but it's not necessarily enough to deliver a manga if they don't want to disappoint.

Work Quality Pressure

It is basic knowledge that a good manga has to have a good story and art. Manga authors attaining a certain quality requires time and effort aside from their creative minds and artistic talent. Since manga publishing is a corporation, creating high-quality works means more readers, which leads to more profit.

Though the credit mostly goes to the authors, it is undeniable that they absorb most of the pressure. Attaining the quality they desire doesn't mean it's successful as a manga. Consistency and growth make the consumers keep going back to follow the chapters.

Knowing the Japanese obsession with stellar quality, they'd finish their chapters up to the tiniest detail, no matter the sacrifices to their health and social life.

Emotional Impact

Behind closed doors, artists receive cruelty from their editors. While the creators are famous for their works, they still need to answer to their superiors who may abuse them physically and emotionally.

Editors play a vital role in story development. Most of the time, they dismiss the artist's ideas, even though excellent, and insist on their suggestions. The harshest editor in the industry would tear down the entire submitted work even if the mangaka toiled hard to finish the chapters within the weekly timetable.

While the Western world would quickly punish this harassment, this scenario is normal in Japanese workspaces, especially if the editor treats everyone like this. The artists may speak up, but they fear that the editor would retaliate, so they finish the work as instructed to get by, no matter how overwrought and ripped they are.

Unhealthy Habits

Stress forces us to commit frequent gratification, which may sometimes be harmful. Smoking, alcoholism, and binge-eating are some of these vices that could easily destroy a healthy body.

Some mangakas would smoke during their break periods, while others gobble up the nearest junk food they could grab. In some instances, work itself is a coping mechanism that many artists drown themselves in continuous hours of hustling without meals or sleep.

In many cases, minor health conditions exacerbate because these authors would undermine the sickness and choose to continue working.

The best example of this would be Eiichiro Oda of One Piece. In 2020, back when COVID-19 cases were rampant, and deaths were everywhere, the popular mangaka had to take a break from work due to a peritonsillar abscess. Oda admitted that he set aside his health, which led to a far worse condition and painful treatment.

The One Piece man's hiatus scared many fans. Who would want to exist in a world with the unfinished Pirate King's story? We already have enough bleeding hearts because of Berserk and Hunter x Hunter. Our feelings can't handle any more suffering and longing!

Is The Current System Of Manga Publication Curable?

The manga industry can use an overhaul to accommodate the needs of its creators. We've already had so many brilliant minds who perished due to the systemic overwork problem. It's high time for the sector to take care of these people through uncomplicated solutions, so they can deliver more celestial masterpieces or at least finish their life's work and have enough time to savor the fruits of their hard work.

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How Manga Authors Work Themselves To Death

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As an avid manga reader, you have probably noticed that every manga title has a release schedule. There are two ways to learn these important dates - one is when you check and judge the pattern of the dates of the released chapters.

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This is a collection of sources (articles, videos, tweets, and pictures) to be used in my video where I will prove that the manga industry is responsible for the poor health of mangaka (manga creators). I plan to start off, prefacing the question by discussing the passing of Kentaro Miura, Mangaka of the series Berserk. After posing my question, I will explain why I have taken an interest in the topic. Then I will provide a somewhat detailed introduction to the manga industry, to give viewers a baseline understanding of what is meant by the term "manga", as well as other aspects of manga that will be referenced later in the video. I will then introduce my main text and, using panels from the manga, explain the lifestyle of a mangaka. After this, I will read segments of the different articles I found, that speak on the working conditions in Japan, the different Mangaka and their ailments, and the causes of their illnesses. During this segment, I will also reference tweets and author's notes that pertain to their poor health. I will then speak on what the manga industry is doing to reduce the number of sick Mangaka.

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"Manga artists spend most of their time throughout the week storyboarding, writing, drawing, inking, and meeting with editors. If their manga is picked up for franchise adaptations, the artist needs to serve as a consultant as well.

Artists can hire assistants, but if they cannot afford one, then they have to do the work alone. Pay can also be low for manga creators and artists; one former assistant illustrated this by pointing out an artist getting paid $100 per page at 32 pages a month (an average length for a monthly series) only makes $3200 a month.

If an artist is working on at least one manga chapter a week, that means they have to produce dozens of pages every week. A collected tankoubon can have around 200 pages, which means about ten chapters per volume in demand. "

"Comic projects in the United States usually have a writer, penciler, and inker. The work is split among a team who specializes in different tasks. The page expectations are also different: an American comic produces about one issue per month, ranging from 20-32 pages."

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By: Priya Sridhar October 23, 2019 |

Manga artists have done a great service for international comics. They have given readers stories like the realistic drama of Baby & Me or the surrealist existentialism of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Their work has provided emotional pathos, catharsis, and an aesthetic that has influenced people across the globe.

With all the good manga provides, you would expect that readers and publishers would do what they can to ensure creators can keep making manga. However, we readers instead see an unsettling trend of writers and artists burning out. This leads to forestalled careers, sickness, and even death.

This cannot stand, for the sake of basic decency. Publishers, both in Japan and internationally, need to improve the manga industry to protect creators' health. I would also like to talk about the smaller power that readers have, to influence the manga industry and turn the tides. We can start with preconceived notions about the industry and how often artists work. Readers can change how we think, and that in turn will help the artists.

Buried by the Workload

Manga artist schedules are one primary factor in burnout. Per one weekly schedule provided as a sample, an artist only gets about "three hours of free time" per week working on a story serialized weekly. The calendar even regulates sleeping hours, limiting them to a paltry two hours on Mondays.

Manga artists spend most of their time throughout the week storyboarding, writing, drawing, inking, and meeting with editors. If their manga is picked up for franchise adaptations, the artist needs to serve as a consultant as well.

Artists can hire assistants, but if they cannot afford one, then they have to do the work alone. Pay can also be low for manga creators and artists; one former assistant illustrated this by pointing out an artist getting paid $100 per page at 32 pages a month (an average length for a monthly series) only makes $3200 a month.

If an artist is working on at least one manga chapter a week, that means they have to produce dozens of pages every week. A collected tankoubon can have around 200 pages, which means about ten chapters per volume in demand.

Even American comics, for all their problems, do not put this much pressure on artists and writers in the mainstream. Comic projects in the United States usually have a writer, penciler, and inker. The work is split among a team who specializes in different tasks. The page expectations are also different: an American comic produces about one issue per month, ranging from 20-32 pages.

For webcomics, creators mention releasing several pages a week independently if doing a long-form comic. The book How to Make Webcomics (written by Brad Guigar, Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub) stresses the need for a buffer for this reason.

These expectations take a definite mental and physical toll on artists. Several creators died in their early sixties, including Tezuka Osamu, the so-called "god of manga." We should not sacrifice life expectancy for good art. Urasawa Naoki, author of Tezuka-inspired Pluto, says as much in a conversation with Eguchi Hisashi, when he quotes Mizuki Shigeru, who outlived many of his contemporaries: "I sleep nine hours a day and look at me now-everyone else is dead!"

Lost With the Pages

Takeuchi Naoko, the creator of Sailor Moon, recalls her burnout in the memoir comic Return to Society Punch. We know Takeuchi for the Sailor Moon franchise, which started with ten tankoubon volumes, but she also had previously worked on other titles such as The Cherry Project, which was about a figure skater navigating romance and her jumps.

Takeuchi said she was working all the time and Sailor Moon's success did not alleviate her stress: "I was doping every day to endure the tension. My stomach was upset, and my skin was wearing out." She also said that she was burned out after working on the last Sailor Moon chapter and had to work on her subsequent five-month vacation. Takeuchi outright called her schedule "impossible."

During this time, Kodansha assigned her to work on PQ Angels, a new magical girl series about warriors that could turn into insects. After she ended part one, she drew more material to collect into a book. Kodansha then lost seven of those pages. No one could find those pages, and it was a time before comics were drawn digitally.

While Takeuchi adhered to the deadline the Kodansha editors imposed on her, they couldn't responsibly handle the work they demanded. Takeuchi, feeling stressed and heartbroken, aborted the project. She quit drawing for Kodansha and took a year-long break from working on manga. After the break, Takeuchi then switched companies to Shueisha, where she worked on her Punch memoirs.

Since then, Takeuchi has not finished any of her subsequent manga, and none of the incomplete ones have officially been translated into English. She has focused on expanding the Sailor Moon franchise with a live action series and anime reboot. Since the 1990s, she has married and written a children's book for her son.

As someone who enjoyed the parts of PQ Angels that I could find, Takeuchi's bitterness strikes a nerve. If someone at Kodansha had actually listened to what she wanted-a proper break and for her work to be respected-she could have continued working on the story. She might have also finished her subsequent works, such as Love Witch and Toki*Meca.

While it certainly wasn't Kodansha's intention to hurt Takeuchi, they did. They created an expectation that she always had to work, even during breaks. If she wasn't working, then what was she doing? As she recounts in Holiday Punch, a fan mentioned that they thought Takeuchi had died. She quickly clarified that she wasn't dead, just taking a break.

Fandom's expectations for constant creative output is even more noticeable with Takeuchi's husband, Togashi Yoshihiro, whose popular series Hunter x Hunter has been on-and-off hiatus for years now. While the exact reason for each hiatus is not always specified, illness and back pain have both been cited in the past. Still, this doesn't stop some entitled fans from accusing Togashi of laziness or even claiming he's "faking" his health problems. These demands from manga fans are unrealistic and contribute to the unhealthy work culture.

CLAMP Health Costs

It'd be one thing if Takeuchi and Togashi were a manga artist anomaly. They're still alive and with us. But we have numerous other cases affecting women and men alike.

To cite just one example, CLAMP is known for their versatility and prolificacy as an all-women team of artists who have collaborated to create works such as Chobits, XXXholic, Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, and dozens more. As a team, you might think workload conditions are better for them, but this does not appear to be the case.

In 2012, members of CLAMP put Drug & Drop and Gate 7 on hiatus due to illness. One of the artists referenced having a lumbar compression fracture, a result of sitting and working at a desk for nineteen hours a day for weeks on end. CLAMP also posted a notice that, despite their busy work schedule, they don't want to sacrifice anyone's health for the sake of a deadline.

Clamp serves as a canary in the coal mine for other creators. If even a team of artists face issues of overwork in this industry, then individual creators face similar or even bigger threats.

The CLAMP team knows the risks of working in the manga industry. Making art should not take a toll on a creator's health. Rather than pushing manga artists to crank out pages and pressure them to keep writing and drawing, publishers should create a healthy work-life balance.

Manga artists have recognized this problem, and are suggesting solutions.

Steps to Create A Better Life for Artists

Japan has a term for death from overwork: karoshi. Currently, people inside the industry are working to prevent burnout and health complications. This is what Japan is doing now; these are actions we can also support.

Manga artists currently have a union, the Japanese Cartoonist Association, founded in 1964 and incorporated twice. They negotiate on behalf of their members for fairer work conditions and for better health insurance. Currently, the industry in Japan is working to improve conditions, but it will take time.

What can readers do? In theory, not a lot to change the conditions themselves unless we work at manga companies. But there are small ways we can support creators and their health. Raising awareness of mental health can help. Donating to organizations and unions will do the same. Unions exist to protect workers' rights. Japan has one manga union and the number can only grow.

Artists in the meantime use social media to increase their online presence and promote their art. One benefit of the Internet is that we can glimpse into the artists' work lives. Readers can share the art and view discussions about manga work in real-time.

A good portion of webcomics in Japan exist under publisher umbrellas, but alternatives are appearing. Pixiv has created Fanbox, the Japanese equivalent of Patreon, so that readers can directly pay artists. While crowd-sourcing payment systems have their own share of potential pitfalls, these efforts may lead to more freedom from the stressful workday and more manga creator independence. Fanbox may very well lead the way for manga creators to publish online or in smaller presses with better business practices, so that they don't have to rely on massive publishing companies with potentially exploitative attitudes.

Fans and readers can also do their part by changing expectations and not pressuring creators for constant output. Common decency dictates that manga artists should live beyond their sixties. They shouldn't get lumbar compressions from drawing. And readers shouldn't turn on them or assume they died if they need to take a break for a few months.

While we cannot easily enter the industry to press for changes ourselves, we, as readers, should first recognize they deserve better. We should promote and support artists in their endeavors to create their works in a healthy working environment. Manga artists aren't just creators; they're human beings. It's high time they were treated that way.

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What We Owe to Creators: Burnout in manga artists and how to prevent it - Anime Feminist

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By: Priya Sridhar October 23, 2019 | Manga artists have done a great service for international comics. They have given readers stories like the realistic drama of Baby & Me or the surrealist existentialism of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

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Article speaks on what the Manga industry is doing to take care of Mangaka

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Article speaks on what the Manga industry is doing to take care of Mangaka

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"On the other hand, even if the law isn't helping manga artists directly, the growing awareness of overwork-related problems is having a noticeable effect on the industry...
The fact that it's becoming more common for popular manga to take breaks also points in that direction....The shift to digitally drawn manga and online distribution is also a welcome trend...So while it's true that many manga artists suffer from health problems, and only the most successful will reliably get the support they need, the industry is already moving in a better direction overall."

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Answerman - Why Do So Many Manga Artists Have Health Problems?

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We hear about manga artists taking breaks due to poor health regularly; is there anything that can improve their work conditions?

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"Rather than pushing manga artists to crank out pages and pressure them to keep writing and drawing, publishers should create a healthy work-life balance.

Manga artists have recognized this problem, and are suggesting solutions.

Japan has a term for death from overwork: karoshi. Currently, people inside the industry are working to prevent burnout and health complications.

Manga artists currently have a union, the Japanese Cartoonist Association, founded in 1964 and incorporated twice. They negotiate on behalf of their members for fairer work conditions and for better health insurance. Currently, the industry in Japan is working to improve conditions, but it will take time."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By: Priya Sridhar October 23, 2019 |

Manga artists have done a great service for international comics. They have given readers stories like the realistic drama of Baby & Me or the surrealist existentialism of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Their work has provided emotional pathos, catharsis, and an aesthetic that has influenced people across the globe.

With all the good manga provides, you would expect that readers and publishers would do what they can to ensure creators can keep making manga. However, we readers instead see an unsettling trend of writers and artists burning out. This leads to forestalled careers, sickness, and even death.

This cannot stand, for the sake of basic decency. Publishers, both in Japan and internationally, need to improve the manga industry to protect creators' health. I would also like to talk about the smaller power that readers have, to influence the manga industry and turn the tides. We can start with preconceived notions about the industry and how often artists work. Readers can change how we think, and that in turn will help the artists.

Buried by the Workload

Manga artist schedules are one primary factor in burnout. Per one weekly schedule provided as a sample, an artist only gets about "three hours of free time" per week working on a story serialized weekly. The calendar even regulates sleeping hours, limiting them to a paltry two hours on Mondays.

Manga artists spend most of their time throughout the week storyboarding, writing, drawing, inking, and meeting with editors. If their manga is picked up for franchise adaptations, the artist needs to serve as a consultant as well.

Artists can hire assistants, but if they cannot afford one, then they have to do the work alone. Pay can also be low for manga creators and artists; one former assistant illustrated this by pointing out an artist getting paid $100 per page at 32 pages a month (an average length for a monthly series) only makes $3200 a month.

If an artist is working on at least one manga chapter a week, that means they have to produce dozens of pages every week. A collected tankoubon can have around 200 pages, which means about ten chapters per volume in demand.

Even American comics, for all their problems, do not put this much pressure on artists and writers in the mainstream. Comic projects in the United States usually have a writer, penciler, and inker. The work is split among a team who specializes in different tasks. The page expectations are also different: an American comic produces about one issue per month, ranging from 20-32 pages.

For webcomics, creators mention releasing several pages a week independently if doing a long-form comic. The book How to Make Webcomics (written by Brad Guigar, Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub) stresses the need for a buffer for this reason.

These expectations take a definite mental and physical toll on artists. Several creators died in their early sixties, including Tezuka Osamu, the so-called "god of manga." We should not sacrifice life expectancy for good art. Urasawa Naoki, author of Tezuka-inspired Pluto, says as much in a conversation with Eguchi Hisashi, when he quotes Mizuki Shigeru, who outlived many of his contemporaries: "I sleep nine hours a day and look at me now-everyone else is dead!"

Lost With the Pages

Takeuchi Naoko, the creator of Sailor Moon, recalls her burnout in the memoir comic Return to Society Punch. We know Takeuchi for the Sailor Moon franchise, which started with ten tankoubon volumes, but she also had previously worked on other titles such as The Cherry Project, which was about a figure skater navigating romance and her jumps.

Takeuchi said she was working all the time and Sailor Moon's success did not alleviate her stress: "I was doping every day to endure the tension. My stomach was upset, and my skin was wearing out." She also said that she was burned out after working on the last Sailor Moon chapter and had to work on her subsequent five-month vacation. Takeuchi outright called her schedule "impossible."

During this time, Kodansha assigned her to work on PQ Angels, a new magical girl series about warriors that could turn into insects. After she ended part one, she drew more material to collect into a book. Kodansha then lost seven of those pages. No one could find those pages, and it was a time before comics were drawn digitally.

While Takeuchi adhered to the deadline the Kodansha editors imposed on her, they couldn't responsibly handle the work they demanded. Takeuchi, feeling stressed and heartbroken, aborted the project. She quit drawing for Kodansha and took a year-long break from working on manga. After the break, Takeuchi then switched companies to Shueisha, where she worked on her Punch memoirs.

Since then, Takeuchi has not finished any of her subsequent manga, and none of the incomplete ones have officially been translated into English. She has focused on expanding the Sailor Moon franchise with a live action series and anime reboot. Since the 1990s, she has married and written a children's book for her son.

As someone who enjoyed the parts of PQ Angels that I could find, Takeuchi's bitterness strikes a nerve. If someone at Kodansha had actually listened to what she wanted-a proper break and for her work to be respected-she could have continued working on the story. She might have also finished her subsequent works, such as Love Witch and Toki*Meca.

While it certainly wasn't Kodansha's intention to hurt Takeuchi, they did. They created an expectation that she always had to work, even during breaks. If she wasn't working, then what was she doing? As she recounts in Holiday Punch, a fan mentioned that they thought Takeuchi had died. She quickly clarified that she wasn't dead, just taking a break.

Fandom's expectations for constant creative output is even more noticeable with Takeuchi's husband, Togashi Yoshihiro, whose popular series Hunter x Hunter has been on-and-off hiatus for years now. While the exact reason for each hiatus is not always specified, illness and back pain have both been cited in the past. Still, this doesn't stop some entitled fans from accusing Togashi of laziness or even claiming he's "faking" his health problems. These demands from manga fans are unrealistic and contribute to the unhealthy work culture.

CLAMP Health Costs

It'd be one thing if Takeuchi and Togashi were a manga artist anomaly. They're still alive and with us. But we have numerous other cases affecting women and men alike.

To cite just one example, CLAMP is known for their versatility and prolificacy as an all-women team of artists who have collaborated to create works such as Chobits, XXXholic, Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, and dozens more. As a team, you might think workload conditions are better for them, but this does not appear to be the case.

In 2012, members of CLAMP put Drug & Drop and Gate 7 on hiatus due to illness. One of the artists referenced having a lumbar compression fracture, a result of sitting and working at a desk for nineteen hours a day for weeks on end. CLAMP also posted a notice that, despite their busy work schedule, they don't want to sacrifice anyone's health for the sake of a deadline.

Clamp serves as a canary in the coal mine for other creators. If even a team of artists face issues of overwork in this industry, then individual creators face similar or even bigger threats.

The CLAMP team knows the risks of working in the manga industry. Making art should not take a toll on a creator's health. Rather than pushing manga artists to crank out pages and pressure them to keep writing and drawing, publishers should create a healthy work-life balance.

Manga artists have recognized this problem, and are suggesting solutions.

Steps to Create A Better Life for Artists

Japan has a term for death from overwork: karoshi. Currently, people inside the industry are working to prevent burnout and health complications. This is what Japan is doing now; these are actions we can also support.

Manga artists currently have a union, the Japanese Cartoonist Association, founded in 1964 and incorporated twice. They negotiate on behalf of their members for fairer work conditions and for better health insurance. Currently, the industry in Japan is working to improve conditions, but it will take time.

What can readers do? In theory, not a lot to change the conditions themselves unless we work at manga companies. But there are small ways we can support creators and their health. Raising awareness of mental health can help. Donating to organizations and unions will do the same. Unions exist to protect workers' rights. Japan has one manga union and the number can only grow.

Artists in the meantime use social media to increase their online presence and promote their art. One benefit of the Internet is that we can glimpse into the artists' work lives. Readers can share the art and view discussions about manga work in real-time.

A good portion of webcomics in Japan exist under publisher umbrellas, but alternatives are appearing. Pixiv has created Fanbox, the Japanese equivalent of Patreon, so that readers can directly pay artists. While crowd-sourcing payment systems have their own share of potential pitfalls, these efforts may lead to more freedom from the stressful workday and more manga creator independence. Fanbox may very well lead the way for manga creators to publish online or in smaller presses with better business practices, so that they don't have to rely on massive publishing companies with potentially exploitative attitudes.

Fans and readers can also do their part by changing expectations and not pressuring creators for constant output. Common decency dictates that manga artists should live beyond their sixties. They shouldn't get lumbar compressions from drawing. And readers shouldn't turn on them or assume they died if they need to take a break for a few months.

While we cannot easily enter the industry to press for changes ourselves, we, as readers, should first recognize they deserve better. We should promote and support artists in their endeavors to create their works in a healthy working environment. Manga artists aren't just creators; they're human beings. It's high time they were treated that way.

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What We Owe to Creators: Burnout in manga artists and how to prevent it - Anime Feminist

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By: Priya Sridhar October 23, 2019 | Manga artists have done a great service for international comics. They have given readers stories like the realistic drama of Baby & Me or the surrealist existentialism of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

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Information regarding the late Berserk Mangaka Kentaro Miura

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Information regarding the late Berserk Mangaka Kentaro Miura

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Jujutsu Kaisen tweet regarding missed weekly SJ due to Mangaka's poor health

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Jujutsu Kaisen will be on break in this week’s issue of Weekly Shonen Jump due to Akutami-sensei’s poor physical condition. The manga will resume with chapter 178 on March 19. https://t.co/Rieuwn8Y7Z

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Jujutsu Kaisen will be on break in this week’s issue of Weekly Shonen Jump due to Akutami-sensei’s poor physical condition. The manga will resume with chapter 178 on March 19. https://t.co/Rieuwn8Y7Z

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週刊少年ジャンプ15号(3月14日(月)発売)に掲載予定でした『呪術廻戦』ですが、芥見先生が体調不良のため、休載させていただきます。
なお、現在は体調を回復されており、次号の16号(3月19日(土)発売)から連載再開いたします。
よろしくお願いいたします。

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Jujutsu Kaisen will be on break in this week’s issue of Weekly Shonen Jump due to Akutami-sensei’s poor physical condition. The manga will resume with chapter 178 on March 19. https://t.co/Rieuwn8Y7Z
— Jujutsu Kaisen (@JujutsuKaisen) March 10, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Jujutsu Kaisen will be on break in this week’s issue of Weekly Shonen Jump due to Akutami-sensei’s poor physical condition. The manga will resume with chapter 178 on March 19. https://t.co/Rieuwn8Y7Z

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.includes.tweets[].text
週刊少年ジャンプ15号(3月14日(月)発売)に掲載予定でした『呪術廻戦』ですが、芥見先生が体調不良のため、休載させていただきます。
なお、現在は体調を回復されており、次号の16号(3月19日(土)発売)から連載再開いたします。
よろしくお願いいたします。

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Jujutsu Kaisen will be on break in this week’s issue of Weekly Shonen Jump due to Akutami-sensei’s poor physical condition. The manga will resume with chapter 178 on March 19. https://t.co/Rieuwn8Y7Z

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Jujutsu Kaisen will be on break in this week’s issue of Weekly Shonen Jump due to Akutami-sensei’s poor physical condition. The manga will resume with chapter 178 on March 19. https://t.co/Rieuwn8Y7Z

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週刊少年ジャンプ15号(3月14日(月)発売)に掲載予定でした『呪術廻戦』ですが、芥見先生が体調不良のため、休載させていただきます。
なお、現在は体調を回復されており、次号の16号(3月19日(土)発売)から連載再開いたします。
よろしくお願いいたします。

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MHA tweet regarding missed weekly SJ due to Mangaka's poor health

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MHA tweet regarding missed weekly SJ due to Mangaka's poor health

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By Amanda Pagan, Children's Librarian

So you want to start reading manga?

We're here to help. Here, we break down the basics you need to know before delving into the wide, fantastic world of Japanese graphic novels, a.k.a manga.

What is manga?

Manga is an umbrella term for a wide variety of comic books and graphic novels originally produced and published in Japan. Unlike American comic books, which are usually printed in full color, Japanese manga are almost always published in black and white. Full-color prints are often only used for special releases.

Japanese manga is read right-to-left rather than left-to-right, which is the norm for English language publications. This can take some getting used to if you have only ever read English publications, but you will hardly notice once you've practiced enough.

In Japan, manga are typically released on a monthly or a weekly chapter-by-chapter basis through manga magazines such as Weekly Shōnen Jump, (which has been in circulation since 1968). If a series is popular enough, its chapters are then collected and published into volumes called tankōbon volumes, which usually feature a few chapters of the overall story.

Most manga series are long-running and can span multiple volumes. This is something to keep in mind when starting a new series as it is imperative you read the volumes in the correct order. This might be easier for small series, such as Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon, which only has about 12 volumes, versus longer-running series such as Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball, which has 42 volumes.

What is the difference between manga and anime?

Anime is yet another umbrella term for all forms of animation created and published in Japan. When most people hear the word 'anime,' they think of adaptations of manga series, such as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. Both television shows boosted the popularity of Japanese anime in the west when they aired on American TV during the 1990s.

If a manga series is popular enough, it might then become an anime, as was the case with both Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon. In some cases, the opposite is true; a popular original anime will be given a manga adaptation. However, the two terms are not interchangeable.

Anime is animation. Manga is print. That is the difference.

Where should I start?

The most important thing to remember about manga is there is something for everyone. Whether you like high school romantic comedies or high-fantasy epics, there is a manga for you.

Manga is chiefly categorized by audience first, then genre. For example, CLAMP's Cardcaptor Sakura is a shojo (young girls) "magical girl" (sub-genre) manga. However, this does not mean a boy cannot enjoy the series. That is simply how they are marketed. If you were looking for manga for a young boy who likes fantasy or mystery, you would search for "shonen (boy) fantasy" or "shonen mystery" manga.

We would need an entirely different blog post to cover the gargantuan number of manga genres and sub-genres that exist so, for now, we will simply cover the types of audiences to which manga are marketed. If you are looking for more information on manga genres and subgenres, then check out: Beginner's Guide to Manga 3: Genres and Subgenres.

Don't forget to check out our handy Manga for Middle-Schoolers guide for further recommendations!

Primarily, there are five demographics of manga:

Is there anything else I should know about manga?

There is no rule stating a grown man cannot read a shojo series or, likewise, a teen girl cannot enjoy a seinen series. It all boils down to personal taste.

Many manga series cross gender and age divides to be enjoyed by everyone, such as Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist. There are also manga that defy the conventions of their genre, such as Kaiu Shirai's Promised Neverland and Kiyohiko Azuma's , which are technically shonen manga, although both feature female protagonists.

We mention this so readers can have a better understanding of what differentiates certain manga series. More often than not, people assume all manga is geared towards teens or children, which can lead to problems if a well-meaning educator, parent, or librarian unwittingly gives a young child access to a sexually explicit manga meant for adults.

As with any other form of narrative, manga can run the gamut from serious, heart-wrenching drama to silly, mindless fun. Most manga feature over-exaggerated situations, comedy, or art, as over-exaggeration is practically a staple of the brand.

A Brief Warning: Fan Service and Oversexualized Characters

Fan service is also something to keep in mind. This refers to art that only exists to please or titillate the fans. Acts of fan service never further the plot or offer character development, and simply serve as gratuitous content, such as featuring a series' prominent character in a revealing costume or pseudo-sexual situation. Nakaba Suzuki's Seven Deadly Sins is a high-fantasy series that features an overabundant amount of fan service that makes it unsuitable for young children. Fan service appears in almost all types of manga and can range from harmless fun to seriously disturbing.

Unfortunately, a large chunk of manga (specifically those targeted towards the male demographic) tend to feature a disproportionate amount of oversexualized female characters. It is not unusual for female characters to randomly lose their clothing, wear revealing clothing, or be accosted in a sexual manner by the other male characters. Sexual assault is not something to be taken lightly, however, it is often played for laughs within these manga. For this reason, we encourage you to double check and read through the manga yourself before giving them to your children, especially young impressionable boys. There are plenty of thoughtful, well-developed series out there that are perfectly appropriate for readers of all ages. We have listed several titles for younger children in our Manga for Middle-Schoolers guide.

Our job is not to censure readers, but we do want to empower and inform our patrons so they can make their own decisions. Again, we mention this as a warning to parents, educators, and librarians before they unwittingly give someone the wrong material.

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A Beginner's Guide to Manga | The New York Public Library

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Want to start reading manga? You've come to the right place. We've defined five major categories of this Japanese-based comic book art, and...

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Take a screenshot of Chibi Reviews profile

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News article that goes into detail regarding the working conditions in Japan, and reasons mangka are getting sick.

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News article that goes into detail regarding the working conditions in Japan, and reasons mangka are getting sick.

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"First of all, desk jobs—or any job that requires prolonged sitting—have a bunch of associated long-term health risks. They can cause pains in your neck, back, and shoulders and compromise your metabolic system. These increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and cervical spondylosis, among other serious problems, and generally lower your life expectancy."

"Working as a manga artist has all those problems, compounded by the highly stressful nature of deadlines and the physically taxing work of drawing for hours on end. It's common for artists to get cramps and repetitive strain injury (RSI) due to using a pen too much, and these can develop into more severe problems down the line."

"Although Japan has a cultural problem with overwork, manga artists have it much worse than other occupations. Recent legislation limiting the amount of overtime for employees has little bearing in an industry where 98% of artists identify as self-employed. This means that there's nothing stopping people from working 18-hour days, and some artists freely admit to doing just that to meet tight deadlines."

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Answerman - Why Do So Many Manga Artists Have Health Problems?

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We hear about manga artists taking breaks due to poor health regularly; is there anything that can improve their work conditions?

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This is a video uploaded by Chibi reviews on 3/12/23 which provides some information regarding the health concerns of My Hero Academia artist Kohei Horikoshi

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This is a video uploaded by Chibi reviews on 3/12/23 which provides some information regarding the health concerns of My Hero Academia artist Kohei Horikoshi

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Horikoshi's Health Gets Worse Causing MHA To Go on Hiatus & Studio Bind has a Important Announcement

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An article that speaks to the potential causes of poor Mangaka health as well as the risk of death involved in their line of work

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An article that speaks to the potential causes of poor Mangaka health as well as the risk of death involved in their line of work

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"While there could be many rationales behind this scenario, the most alarming among all is the deteriorating health of the mangaka, which sometimes leads to death. Throughout the lifetime of their masterpiece, authors experience significant health risks due to various factors.

Everyone who has been consuming anime content for some time and came across an anime or manga on indefinite hiatus must have realized the intense stress of working in this industry as a manga author.

The tragic death of Berserk's Keitaro Miura, being one of the most recent devastating demises in the enterprise, is due to a rare medical diagnosis caused by hypertension. While not all mangaka deaths are associated with hypertension, most of these conditions we've heard of are stress-induced.

There is an unimpeachable pattern in how mangakas overwork themselves to death. While some people work multiple jobs to make ends meet, something is unhealthy with a manga author's career that burnt their lifespan quicker than a matchstick."

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Otaku Fantasy - Anime Otaku, Gaming and Tech Blog

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As an avid manga reader, you have probably noticed that every manga title has a release schedule. There are two ways to learn these important dates - one is when you check and judge the pattern of the dates of the released chapters. The other is when you catch up to the latest and finally know the consistency of their issues.

But one shocking news for the otaku fandom is when a manga enters the dreaded hiatus. When it happens, these schedules suddenly have no meaning, and the best we can hope for is that it won't be an indefinite break.

While there could be many rationales behind this scenario, the most alarming among all is the deteriorating health of the mangaka, which sometimes leads to death. Throughout the lifetime of their masterpiece, authors experience significant health risks due to various factors.

Everyone who has been consuming anime content for some time and came across an anime or manga on indefinite hiatus must have realized the intense stress of working in this industry as a manga author.

The tragic death of Berserk's Keitaro Miura, being one of the most recent devastating demises in the enterprise, is due to a rare medical diagnosis caused by hypertension. While not all mangaka deaths are associated with hypertension, most of these conditions we've heard of are stress-induced.

There is an unimpeachable pattern in how mangakas overwork themselves to death. While some people work multiple jobs to make ends meet, something is unhealthy with a manga author's career that burnt their lifespan quicker than a matchstick.

So how do manga authors work themselves to death, and why do they need to do so? Read on to fill yourself in.

Brutal Workloads And Schedules

Since the medium of manga became prominent in Japan, it is no doubt that these are for financial profits. Who are we to blame them because they do it for a living? The manga industry supports over : editors, publishers, artists, and other people involved in marketing and publication. On top of that, it supports bookstores and other businesses responsible for printing, distribution, and retailing.

However, the repercussion of such pressure is that it creates expectations for the thousands, if not millions, of consumers when it comes to releasing schedules. Moreover, Japan is infamous for its intense work ethic, tantamount to slavery.

Because of this practice, authors find themselves in a spot where they have to consistently release chapter by chapter of manga content, ignoring recommended work hours. Thus, it leaves them with no time for exercise as they munch daily on unhealthy instant foods.

Their Creative Passion

Artists may be dedicated to their craft-however, the reality of time constraints and human limitations can only handle so much. All the hours slumped on the floor with their backs in awkward positions would take its toll no matter how much they love what they're doing. Yoshihiro Togashi of Hunter x Hunter is still suffering from severe lower back pains, and this puts the famous manga on indefinite hiatus.

Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Phoenix and known as "The Godfather of Manga," is a perfect example of a mangaka whose passion for drawing persists until his final moments on his death bed.

Tezuka died of stomach cancer, but while it is not clear if over-exhaustion or health neglect was the cause, the nurses had to take away his drawing equipment so he could rest. We can only assume that the legendary artist consumed himself even when he's supposed to reserve his energy to battle for his life against the disease.

The Complexity Of Drawing A Single Chapter

A single manga consists of separated volumes, while a single volume holds several chapters, and a single manga chapter has an average of 18-22 pages. But what makes it hard for them to finish a single chapter?

There are many factors to focus on to finish a chapter without compromising the quality. These factors include shading, drawing, inking, editing, script, storyline, and dialogues. Some are lucky enough to have their manga release a chapter once a month, but that doesn't mean they have it easier since their page numbers are significantly more than the weekly issues. Others would hire assistants, but it's not necessarily enough to deliver a manga if they don't want to disappoint.

Work Quality Pressure

It is basic knowledge that a good manga has to have a good story and art. Manga authors attaining a certain quality requires time and effort aside from their creative minds and artistic talent. Since manga publishing is a corporation, creating high-quality works means more readers, which leads to more profit.

Though the credit mostly goes to the authors, it is undeniable that they absorb most of the pressure. Attaining the quality they desire doesn't mean it's successful as a manga. Consistency and growth make the consumers keep going back to follow the chapters.

Knowing the Japanese obsession with stellar quality, they'd finish their chapters up to the tiniest detail, no matter the sacrifices to their health and social life.

Emotional Impact

Behind closed doors, artists receive cruelty from their editors. While the creators are famous for their works, they still need to answer to their superiors who may abuse them physically and emotionally.

Editors play a vital role in story development. Most of the time, they dismiss the artist's ideas, even though excellent, and insist on their suggestions. The harshest editor in the industry would tear down the entire submitted work even if the mangaka toiled hard to finish the chapters within the weekly timetable.

While the Western world would quickly punish this harassment, this scenario is normal in Japanese workspaces, especially if the editor treats everyone like this. The artists may speak up, but they fear that the editor would retaliate, so they finish the work as instructed to get by, no matter how overwrought and ripped they are.

Unhealthy Habits

Stress forces us to commit frequent gratification, which may sometimes be harmful. Smoking, alcoholism, and binge-eating are some of these vices that could easily destroy a healthy body.

Some mangakas would smoke during their break periods, while others gobble up the nearest junk food they could grab. In some instances, work itself is a coping mechanism that many artists drown themselves in continuous hours of hustling without meals or sleep.

In many cases, minor health conditions exacerbate because these authors would undermine the sickness and choose to continue working.

The best example of this would be Eiichiro Oda of One Piece. In 2020, back when COVID-19 cases were rampant, and deaths were everywhere, the popular mangaka had to take a break from work due to a peritonsillar abscess. Oda admitted that he set aside his health, which led to a far worse condition and painful treatment.

The One Piece man's hiatus scared many fans. Who would want to exist in a world with the unfinished Pirate King's story? We already have enough bleeding hearts because of Berserk and Hunter x Hunter. Our feelings can't handle any more suffering and longing!

Is The Current System Of Manga Publication Curable?

The manga industry can use an overhaul to accommodate the needs of its creators. We've already had so many brilliant minds who perished due to the systemic overwork problem. It's high time for the sector to take care of these people through uncomplicated solutions, so they can deliver more celestial masterpieces or at least finish their life's work and have enough time to savor the fruits of their hard work.

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How Manga Authors Work Themselves To Death

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As an avid manga reader, you have probably noticed that every manga title has a release schedule. There are two ways to learn these important dates - one is when you check and judge the pattern of the dates of the released chapters.

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Article speaks to the death of Kentaro Miura, Mankaga of Berserk, and the Manga industry as a whole, specifically poor treatment from editors

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Article speaks to the death of Kentaro Miura, Mankaga of Berserk, and the Manga industry as a whole, specifically poor treatment from editors

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"Kentaro Miura's tragic death came far too early. The immensely talented manga artist's cause of death was due to acute aortic dissection, a rare medical condition often caused by hypertension. One major cause of hypertension is extreme stress, and a systemic issue often associated with working in the manga industry is artists being subjected to intense schedules, which produces such high stress.

While Berserk had long delays between chapters, every page took meticulous work to get perfectly right. Miura's cause of death indicates that his passing might be a symptom of a vast, dangerous problem undercutting the entire manga industry. There are many manga creators who end up suffering from their work, either forced to work long hours that affect their physical or mental health or suffer direct abuse from the system. Ultimately, something needs to change to protect the health and lives of the endlessly overworked creators."

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Kentaro Miura's tragic death came far too early. The immensely talented manga artist's cause of death was due to acute aortic dissection, a rare medical condition often caused by hypertension. One major cause of hypertension is extreme stress, and a systemic issue often associated with working in the manga industry is artists being subjected to intense schedules, which produces such high stress.

While had long delays between chapters, every page took meticulous work to get perfectly right. Miura's cause of death indicates that his passing might be a symptom of a vast, dangerous problem undercutting the entire manga industry. There are many manga creators who end up suffering from their work, either forced to work long hours that affect their physical or mental health or suffer direct abuse from the system. Ultimately, something needs to change to protect the health and lives of the endlessly overworked creators.

RELATED: Yu Yu Hakusho's Most Dangerous Villain WASN'T From Demon World

While every mangaka is different, the average creator might have a mere three hours of free time a week when working on a manga. An example of this was seen first hand when Hiroshi Shiibashi, creator of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, showcased his work schedule. Eiichiro Oda, the One Piece creator, reports a very similar schedule -- one he has worked on since the series' creation. Unfortunately, the trend continues with many creators working on weekly manga productions, often leading to many physical problems.

Yoshihiro Togashi, the manga creator behind Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter, has suffered health issues for quite some time, made only worse by his intense work on his manga. Specifically, Togashi suffers from severe, debilitating back pain that can make daily tasks excruciatingly difficult.

Tite Kubo, while and shortly after working on Bleach, suffered from an extreme deterioration of his health. The muscles in Kubo's shoulders tore due to constant stress, following years of failing health as work on his epic manga took a physical toll. However, the emotional impact, the extreme isolation of working on one manga for years on end, took an intense toll on his mental state as well.

The frequency of stories like these speaks to the frightening reality faced by many manga artists' relentless schedules -- often leading to overwhelming physical and emotional distress. Unfortunately, this is far from the only recurring issue in the industry.

RELATED: Welcome to Demon School!: 'Evil Iruma' Is FINALLY Here - and Too Cool For School

Emotional Abuse in the Manga Industry

Some manga creators face overt cruelty from editors and publishers without any resources for help. Editors are often credited for pushing manga to be better -- most famously, when Akira Toriyama's editor's suggestions led to the creation of Cell. However, other editors have used their power to abuse their talents emotionally and physically.

Yuu Watase is the manga creator behind several fantasy manga, including Fushigi Yugi, Ceres Celestial Legend and Alice 19th. In a blog post, Watase reported her experience working on Arata: The Legend and the cruelty she faced behind closed doors from her editor. Watase would work tirelessly, not sleeping, to produce the chapters for the weekly schedule, only for her editor to tear down all of her ideas and demand she created the material he felt worked better.

As it turned out, seemingly every idea -- even the ones she initially pitched to the publisher -- was dismissed in a cruel and hostile fashion. Aside from the intense physical toll drawing and completely redrawing entire manga chapters, if Watase told anyone about the abuse, the editor would retaliate against her. As it turned out, however, this particular editor treated everyone around him like this.

To quote Watase's now-deleted blog post, "It was pretty much Hell. At some point, I was no longer doing it for the sake of the readers, or even for the sake of the manga as a body of work. I was just drawing storyboards and layouts solely to get his approval and keep going."

RELATED: Fate/Stay Night: Why Saber's Legendary Holy Sword Excalibur Is Her Signature Weapon

How Can the Manga Industry Improve?

One of the most uncomplicated and straightforward solutions to the systemic problem of overwork is to allow manga creators to take regular breaks to recover.

Very noticeably, Hunter x Hunter has undergone several hiatuses over its long run. This has allowed Togashi to take the time to recover from injuries. In addition, Kubo has also taken up a lighter load on his manga creation with Burn the Witch. Similarly, Sui Isida suffered physical and mental burnout while working on Tokyo Ghoul. Now, with the recently-begun serialization of Choujin X, he's taking a lighter, more sporadic schedule to avoid burnout again.

Even editorial abuse is being handled. Watase's anonymous editor was removed from the company, albeit far too late after many talented manga creators were abused. If the manga industry is to help its talent survive the workload, support needs to be issued to them to help them endure the burdens of the workload.

KEEP READING: Dende Is the TRUE Unsung Hero of Dragon Ball Z

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The Manga Industry Needs to Stop Hurting Its Talent

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Kentaro Miura's tragic death came far too early. The immensely talented manga artist's cause of death was due to acute aortic dissection, a rare medical condition often caused by hypertension. One major cause of hypertension is extreme stress, and a systemic issue often associated with working in the manga industry is artists being subjected to intense schedules, which produces such high stress.

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Article update on health of World trigger creator Daisuke Ashihara

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Article update on health of World trigger creator Daisuke Ashihara

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Daisuke Ashihara, creator of World Trigger, is sick with unspecified sickness (not covid-19) and his manga will miss the March and May issues of Shonen SQ (monthly magazine)

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World Trigger Manga on Hiatus Because of Creator's Health

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Daisuke Ashihara has been dealing with health issues, and it's getting in the way of the release schedule for World Trigger manga.

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Article looks at concerning authors notes from Hunter x Hunter artist Yoshihiro Togashi and relates them to the manga's longest ever hiatus

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Article looks at concerning authors notes from Hunter x Hunter artist Yoshihiro Togashi and relates them to the manga's longest ever hiatus

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Hunter x Hunter artist Yoshihiro Togashi has been transparent with his fanbase, on his health concerns. He describes his debilitating back pain through author's notes. Even with such severe pain, he continues writing and says he plans to finish the series, even if it takes time.

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Hunter x Hunter Notes Sheds Light on Creator's Health Issues

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Earlier this year, Hunter x Hunter broke a record of its own where its hiatus is concerned. The manga is on its longest hiatus ever at the moment, and there are some fans who weren't very pleased by the news.

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Jujutsu Kaisen manga will be on indefinite hiatus due to creator Gege Akutami’s health.

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Jujutsu Kaisen manga will be on indefinite hiatus due to creator Gege Akutami’s health.

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Gege Akutami, creator of Jujutsu Kaisen, is taking a break due to "poor physical" health. He wrote an apology tweet, along with a handwritten letter, claiming that the sickness wasn't serious and that his mental health is fine.

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Shonen Jump has just confirmed that the Jujutsu Kaisen manga will be taking a break due to creator Gege Akutami's health.

Currently in its 151st chapter, the manga is set to take an indefinite break due to his "poor physical" health. A tweet was shown along with a handwritten letter from the artist apologizing for the inconvenience to its fans. Many fans have replied to the tweet sending positive messages, and were relieved to also learn that the hiatus is not due to a serious illness and that Akutami's mental health is "completely fine."

週刊少年ジャンプ29号(6月21日発売)より芥見先生の体調不良のため、『呪術廻戦』はしばらくの間休載させていただきます。
芥見先生からの直筆コメントも合わせてご覧いただけますと幸いです。
なお来週6月14日（月）発売の週刊少年ジャンプ28号では『呪術廻戦』は掲載されております。 pic.twitter.com/ntgiKuICFn

- 少年ジャンプ編集部 (@jump_henshubu) June 10, 2021

In other entertainment news, Stranger Things adds four new cast members for season 4.

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'Jujutsu Kaisen' Manga to go on Indefinite Hiatus Due to Gege Akutami's Health

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Shonen Jump has just confirmed that the Jujutsu Kaisen manga will be taking a break due to creator Gege Akutami's health. Currently in its 151st chapter, the manga is set to take an indefinite break due to his "poor physical" health.

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Update on the status of My Hero Academia manga and the health of Kohei Horkoshi

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Update on the status of My Hero Academia manga and the health of Kohei Horkoshi

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Kohei Horkoshi, Mangaka of My Hero Academia, has had to miss multiple Weekly Shonen Jump due to his unspecified health issues. While his health issues arent public, he makes mention of shoulder pain so sever he would rather not have shoulders it an authors comment.

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From Hunter x Hunter's Yoshihiro Togashi's infamous chronic back pain to World Trigger's Daisuke Ashihara's neck and spine, mangaka have gained an infamous reputation for pushing their bodies to their physical limits in order to produce the art they love - and not even Plus Ultra could spare My Hero Academia mangaka Kohei Horikoshi from recently joining their ranks.
RELATED: 'Hunter x Hunter' Mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi's Latest Updates Raise Concerns Over His Ongoing Health Issues
the official My Hero Academia Twitter account announced on February 2nd that the series would be going "on hiatus due to the author's poor health."

In a particularly deflating for fans, the series' upcoming absences comes just on the heels of Shigaraki's self-liberation from the control of the the villainous All for One in the latest chapter, thus leaving them with an unexpected and extended cliffhanger.
RELATED: Latest Chapter Of 'My Hero Academia' Sees Deku Power-Up, Mangaka Kohei Horikoshi Apologize For Series Going Beyond Original End Date
Worryingly, this latest hiatus announcement comes almost immediately on the heels of Horikoshi's last forced break, which saw the mangaka's best-selling take a one week absence from Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in December 2022.

Likewise, this brief hiatus was undertaken because of "the author's poor health."

While the exact nature of the mangaka's health problems have yet to be made public, his recent 'Author's Comment' in the combined sixth-and-seventh issues of Weekly Shonen Jump have led some fans to speculate that his body has fallen victim to the requirements of drawing a 19-page weekly serialization.

"My shoulders hurt so much," vaguely declared Horikoshi. "If it was gonna hurt this much, then I wish I never had shoulders."

Regardless of the cause for this break, the good news for fans is that, barring any setbacks, Horikoshi and My Hero Academia are set to return to the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump on February 19th.
NEXT: Anime Industry Insider Reveals Why Multiple Series Are Suddenly Going On Indefinite Hiatus

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'My Hero Academia' Manga Goes On Two-Week Hiatus Due To "Poor Health" Of Mangaka Kohei Horkoshi

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From Hunter x Hunter's Yoshihiro Togashi's infamous chronic back pain to World Trigger's Daisuke Ashihara's neck and spine, mangaka have gained an infamous reputation for pushing their bodies to their physical limits in order to produce the art they love - and not even Plus Ultra could spare My Hero Academia mangaka Kohei Horikoshi from recently joining their ranks.

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This is a video uploaded by Chibi reviews on 3/9/23 which provides some information regarding the health concerns of Hunter x Hunter artist Yoshihiro Togashi

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This is a video uploaded by Chibi reviews on 3/9/23 which provides some information regarding the health concerns of Hunter x Hunter artist Yoshihiro Togashi

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Togashi Breaks His Silence on His Health and The Future of Hunter x Hunter