Truths & Myths of being a Mangaka

I have seen a lot of misconceptions about the "Mangaka's life" quite often, and even though we are no way near "pros" yet there are some things that are just wrong when some people think about the job of a Mangaka.

So for today I would like to share some Truths and Myths about the life as a Mangaka!

A misunderstood life

• Mangaka's do silly things to get references

Due to some recent Anime series that describe the life of young males as Mangakas people have been wondering if some of the behavior is actual truth or just part of the Anime unrealistic nature as a way to deliver humor. 

While it might seem a bit odd..or even  weird at times, Mangakas do need a wide variety of references, as not everything can be pulled out of imagination without a good idea of what it should look like.

And some of the things that has to be done to get them..might be a bit extreme (except taking photos to food..that is kinda normal nowadays), it is an important part of the job.  

Anything for a good reference!

• Mangakas are Perverts

-Bishoujo Figures-

Another thing that is asked quite often, there is indeed a huge amount of adult oriented Manga, Doujins and Games. 

Due to this most people in the west think Manga or anything that comes from Japan or anywhere that aims to be like them, has to be in some manner perverted or with a good amount of well proportioned females and lack of clothes.

And to that I SAY! is partially true....there is no denying that adult content sells..and sells pretty well, nor that Japanese males that enjoy Anime have such bad reputation there as they have it on the west, that is practically impossible to think about "Otakus" and anything related to them to be free of some sort of perverted material or the like.

Yet there is a bigger portion of Manga, Doujins and Games that do not rely on such contents to sell, also there is a  wide variety of Mangakas and some even get married. 

Mangakas  think the practical way!

• Mangakas use their friends

Keeping up with the reference related topic, sometimes people wonder how a mangakas can keep a relationship as they work several hours a day and often do it indoors and can't do much but work...and keep working.

Work is always first!....kinda..

Creating Manga is indeed an arduous and long process, it takes so much time to be done and requires a huge amount of skill, yet there is still a way to make friends and keep relationships, even if most of them can only be related to work or for the sake of work.

Use your friends skills...wisely!

Finding a way to make friends with those involved in your work or a way to make your friends help you with work is indeed useful. Might sound a bit...mean, but if you can get your friends or people you care for to help you with work, you will be able to enjoy it just even more.

• Mangakas come up with bad names

One thing  even I have complained about at some point. The lack of creativity of some Mangakas to name their characters, using either common objects to even sillier things like veggies or fruits.

Yet after working on Manga myself I have realized why is that so often Mangakas can't come up with good names or just use regular simply names again and again.

And the truth behind this is!!!!

Names are hard to think...

I know  it might sound like a really bad excuse, but the truth is naming a character is difficult not for the lack of names available, but more for their characterization.

A character name has a big impact on how the audience or readers will think of the character, for that reason picking just the right name to describe how we visualize the character or if the name will have a deeper meaning. All of these are element to consider when naming a character and thus making it hard for use to think of a good name.

• Mangakas hate their Editors

This one...is quite personal for me as a former editor, yet  often there is certain hatred between editors and Mangakas, since they are in a "boss-employee" kind of relationship.

The hate

It is true that there are editors that can behave like real jerks, making Mangakas work harder just to draw what the editor would like the chapter to look like even if it's not to improve the original work, but rather just to please their own selfish desires.

Jerk ↑ Graphical description

Though not all editors are complete idiots that just want to take credit for the success of the serialized Manga they are editing nor the Mangakas are completely out of fault for the way some editors might get...eer..irritated.

-No commnets-

There are several reason why delays cause the company a huge finantial cost, and having the work being delayed even more just...make some of use want to...take some extreme measures.

I been there too buddy...

Yet most are understanding and whit a good reason why the work needs to be delayed, is common that the relationship between Mangaka-Editor is a healthy one were each part helps the other grown more experienced and progress in the industry.
Besides we editors have to follow the golden rule!

Editor's  Golden Rule ↑

• Mangakas earn lots of money

That one might be due to some reports about how much the authors of the most popular Manga  earn, or due to something happening in an Anime like this:

Nice ride~

The truth is, some do and some don't, there must be taking into consideration that the earnings depends on the magazine, the % that the Mangaka will receive for merchandise and  volumes of their work sold. The most popular ones obviously get good earnings, yet they still need to pay for the place they work(renting sucks!!) and if they have assistant, their salary will be paid by the Mangaka.

Not to mention all the materials and other things that are needed for work, there is also the argument that some have a bunch of money due to the lack of expenses and that is certainly true...on a kind of sad way. The work is so abundant and the average Mangaka  wont sleep more than 3-5 hours a day, all the money they get if there is still some after paying their assistants, materials and rent. It just lays there since they don't have time to enjoy it.

The life of a Mnagaka is hard

• Mangakas scum of society?

The ultimate truth?

Last but not least, we have this one, which is kind of my personal favorite.

To some people, Manga and those who make it are really just  people that couldn't success in life and thus they are doomed to work in something so humiliating as it is the production of "comics" for children.
A fate even comics had to face at certain point, yet Manga is also infamous around certain sectors of society since, as we discussed earlier, it's perceived as a  perverted form  distribution of all sorts of adult material. Which includes several types of fetishes that could only be created in japan like the infamous...

Japan in a nutshell?

Well this one requires further investigation before we can say exactly if it's true or false.

In any case, I hope you all have enjoyed this post about the Truths & Myths about the Mangaka's life.
Don't forget to leave your thoughts, opinions and suggestions on our comment section down below.
This is Kyou wishing you all a nice day and be sure to check DMS for more Doujins and Myths!...Truths!....you know the drill...

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