People who read Tokyo Higoro

soulfulbongos

a manga about manga from a master mangaka. at only 24 chapters, this is a short read, but it feels longer because the emotions linger. it takes a really big talent to say something as corny as 'it's really the journey that's brought me joy' and have you actually feel it, but that one sentence is well earned. so much romanticism and yearning for manga. for creation and expression.

there are so many reasons to love this: sharp observations about creative labor and artistry, loveable and diverse characters in various roles from creator to editor to businessman (would read a spinoff on every single one from the crotchety editor who got shiozawa's magazine cancelled, to aoki's cats), and meaningful reflections on the current manga industry (shiozawa's just an analog girl living in a digital world...) its melancolic but never pessimistic. it celebrates the queer and the offbeat and the niche. it champions moving forward, no matter how things change around you, or within you.

when you can't finish your work, when do you give it up?
inertia
what's your plan B?
how do you cope with the pressure of success?
why did you lose your spark?
digital vs analog
profit vs artistry
selling out to survive
how do you draw when the storyboards become nightmares?
MAKING THE ULTIMATE MANGA
drawing when you're not in the mood.
what does your manga mean?
time passing
how do you handle real life creeping into your creative cocoon (child support payments, rent due, your health's not what it used to be, your mother's dying, your day job's calling)
do you have anything worth making?
why do you create?
magical gloves with special crystals that break down the barrier between you and the things you touch (only 30,000 yen)
how to get along with your overly critical editor?
how to get along with your overly sensitive artist?
the incredible privelage of making manga
procrastination
will i ever draw again?
the intimacy and vulnerability of creation
how do you make anything when your creative partner is gone?
that euphoric unpredictable burst of inspiration
the unparalleled pleasure of someone loving your art.

seya-san

[DELETED]

July