Give me manga, manga, and more manga. As a manga lover, I can think of nothing better to entertain my time with. Anime? A close second, to be sure. If you’re new to the world of manga, don’t worry. There’s something for everyone in the manga shelves of a bookstore. Just give it a try and you’ll be whisked away to fantastical worlds where magical girls fight in mecha suits, where mystical ninjas train to be the best in their village, and where mischievous wizards give their all to protect their guilds. But how are these series even created in the first place? What does it mean to be a manga artist today?

I’ve always been fascinated by the work manga artists achieve in a week alone. Imaging having to create a whole new story every seven days? Extreme deadlines, built-up stress, and little to no sleep are a recipe for disaster—a common experience manga artists face in the industry. As someone who has tried their hand at drawing amateur manga panels as a hobby, I’ve come to the conclusion that bringing characters to life does indeed take a toll on you mentally, physically, and emotionally.  

One of the most important manga publications to know about is Weekly Shōnen Jump by Japanese publisher Shueisha. It’s a famous magazine known for producing bestselling hits like Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto, One Piece by Eiichiro Oda, and Bleach by Tite Kubo. The magazine is always searching for new, promising talent. In an article by Matt Alt, he breaks down the daily life of a manga artist, specifically twenty-four-year-old manga artist—or mangaka—Takeru Hokazono, the creator of Kagurabachi. To provide you with a short synopsis, it’s “a bloody tale of revenge set in a fantastical modern-day Japan ruled by crime syndicates and sorcerers.” The main protagonist, Chihiro “is the son of a blacksmith whose enchanted katana blades are in demand among assassins.” But when his father is killed, Chihiro takes matters into his own hands to hunt down these murderers and seek retribution. Relationships are tested, broken, and forged. Also, there’s lots of cool sword and magic fights. 

Alt describes Hokazono’s living conditions and physical state as an up-and-coming mangaka. With hard deadlines to meet, Hokazono works relentlessly on his Wacom touch tablet to finish in time. In twenty-four hours, he only sleeps about two before returning back to drawing the panels of his latest chapter. Hokazono’s editor, Takuro Imamura, is on stand by, offering food and support for the young mangaka. This lifestyle is very demanding, as “producing high-quality stories week after week can take a tremendous mental and physical toll on mangakas; many have time for little else.” However, new mangakas want to follow in the footsteps of their famous predecessors and are willing to endure the many pressures of this career.

Earning an advantageous income isn’t the main goal for mangakas as they pursue this line of work because they have a huge passion for manga. Mangakas aren’t alone in this endeavor, as they have a team of assistants to help them draw everything else that isn’t the main characters. Remote collaboration is becoming more common these days as well. On a positive note, “concerns over mental and physical health have led to an industry-wide reckoning. Not long ago, Shueisha launched an internal support system that offers its mangaka free consultations on everything from child care to health checkups.” 

You may be asking yourself: Why do mangakas have such rapid production schedules? Well, Weekly Shōnen Jump has only twenty weekly serial slots in their magazine, which many mangakas fight over to be featured. Each week, new chapters must be released. As Alt explains, “Weekly serials are compiled in paperback collections, called tankōbon, that are sold in bookstores. Popular series are often licensed to animation companies, which turn them into anime that are streamed around the world.” Through hard work and determination, Hokazono has earned himself one of these slots in Jump and is working tirelessly to keep his position, lest another rising mangaka take his place. No mangaka wants to be kicked off a magazine, so they trudge on despite the grueling work conditions.

In essence, manga and anime are booming businesses that bring in billions of revenue. But we shouldn’t forget how tirelessly mangakas are working to give us new stories each week. Remember to support your favorite mangakas and give them grace when they ask for it.

Source:

Alt, Matt. “How Weekly Shōnen Jump Became The World’s Most Popular Manga Factory.” The New Yorker, 25 Aug 2025, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/09/01/how-weekly-shonen-jump-became-the-worlds-most-popular-manga-factory.

Photo credit:

TourBox on Unsplash.