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Forum - View topicAnswerman - Why Do Manga Artists Prefer To Stay Anonymous?
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FilthyCasual
Posts: 2412 |
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This gives a funny image, even though the word often is probably implied at the end of the sentence. And yeah, dodging stalkers and crazies is a really valid reason for author anonymity. Just image some crazed otaku constantly hounding you complaining about his favorite girl not being the main love interest or something. Euuuuuuuulgghh. |
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sailorstarsun
 Posts: 172 Location: Japan |
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And then you have Takeshi Konomi...
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Great Rumbler
 Posts: 335 Location: Oklahoma |
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It's pretty much the exact opposite with American comics/comic artists. Even the ones who aren't super-famous are still recognizable in public and make lots of convention appearances. I don't know if that's due to difference in the way the different industries operate or if it's cultural or what, though.
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10467 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Interesting to note that there are quite a number of Japanese manga-ka that do make public appearances for fans, sometimes at North American events, but ask that people do not take their photos. Most fans, and the Japanese press tend to abide by their wishes. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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You beat me.  He has his own photo album, CD+DVD, and even a concert.
IIRC at least two mangaka visiting Taiwan had requested event organizer to surround the stage for autograph session with 8-feet tall cubicle walls. While other mangaka didn't have such extreme request, no photo was allowed, particularly for online media (sometimes press from printed materials are allowed to take photos); of course, Takeshi Konomi was an exception. |
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Loveless100
 Posts: 82 |
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I'm so glad someone else thought of him too (haha) |
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Fenrin
 Posts: 703 Location: SoCal |
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Pardon my bluntness but this seems like a rather stupid question that doesn't warrant much discussion. Basically: people want to keep their private lives private and Japan has a culture of anonymity. Also, with the development of the internet of course they're going to have to be stricter if they want to control their image.
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Miskos3
Posts: 13 |
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No wonder when you have people sending death threats to authors when they attempt to kill popular characters...
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1770 |
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The most extreme example I've personally met was huke when he was at Anime Expo a couple years ago. The man dressed in military fatigues, complete with gloves and a face mask obscuring even his eyes. I also seem to recall him not wanting to talk into a microphone and instead he'd speak to his interpreter who would then broadcast the translation. While I respect his desire for privacy and take no issue when an artist requests that his/her picture not be taken, in huke's case, if you're going to such great lengths to keep your anonymity, why even meet with your fans?
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relyat08
 Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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Haha, wow, yeah, that's pretty absurd. That's a seriously funny image. By contrast, pictures and information on Anime Staff is hardly difficult to come by. I wonder why that is so different? I can pull up pictures of most animators, directors, and scriptwriters that I follow pretty easily, but I've never once seen a picture of Tsugumi Ohba or Nisioisin. Not that I really care what they look like. |
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Tamaria
 Posts: 1512 Location: De Achterhoek |
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Most anime conventions take good care of their guests, and that artist may simply have seen an opportunity to visit another country in exchange for a minimal (but unpleasant) amount of work. Or he went there intending to meet with fans, but wussed out at the last minute. I remember AnimagiC 2014. The author of Inu x boku Secret Service was one of the guests, but her social anxiety started acting up before the signing session. I think they still held it in the end, but during the ending ceremony it was her editor who went up on stage, not her. Her editor was very shy as well. The other Japanese guests on stage (mostly music artists, and anime producers used to meeting fans) tried to encourage him to have some fun and have the audience do a wave (which we had done for every other guest), but the whole experience just seemed to scare the crap out of him.
My guess is that it has to do with the occupation. A mangaka doesn't need to interact with many people. All they need to do their job are an editor and some assistants (and not every mangaka can afford those - they need to rely on family and friends during crunch time). Producers and directors, the types of anime staff you usually see interacting with fans, need to communicate with others to do their job. A lot. |
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Camiru Mylle
 Posts: 141 |
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Takehiko Inoue and Akiko Higashimura are also out there.
Both respectable mangakas. There's really nothing wrong with exposing yourself just a little. Some people are just extreme fans, ah life. |
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Tenchi
 Posts: 4555 Location: Ottawa... now I'm an ex-Anglo Montrealer. |
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Nico Tanigawa (the pen name for two people) mentioned wearing cat masks for an autograph signing in the author's notes manga at the end of Watamote volume 8, although they said this was a last minute decision after the male writer mentioned to the female artist that the popularity of someone else's manga went down after the manga-ka was photographed at another autograph session.
I haven't seen any field reports from Nico Tanigawa's autograph signing at QVC Marine Field for the Watamote x Chiba Lotte Marine baseball team cross-promotion last month as to whether Nico Tanigawa were wearing masks again. |
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tentensan
Posts: 102 |
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I could see why some mangakas would want to keep their identity hidden. I would hate to see one of my favorite authors bugged from a fan of their works. I do have a question though, isn't this also evident in the idol industry? The idol duo Claris never show their face, and their voices are amazing! However, from that point of view, I can see why. Idol fans are super scary.
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animalia555
Posts: 467 |
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For a western example of why someone might not want their name published, or why they might regret doing so:
George R.R. Martin got tons of letters from fans who were/are afraid that he'd die before finishing A Song Of Ice And Fire (ala Robert Jordan) to the point where he got fed up with it and posted a video of him flipping them off. On a more professional note Imagine having every work you create judged not by its own merits but by the merits of what you did before. Apparently J.K. Rowling still publishes new works sometime. But she publishes them under a pseudonym to prevent them from being compared with Harry Potter against which they would undoubtedly fall short. |
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