In the manga industry these two mangakas, George Morikawa and Hajime Isayama, have become massively famous and have impacted many with their works. Even though their works Hajime no Ippo and Attack on Titan respectively very much differ in genres and storylines, they both share a surprising similarity that might offer comfort to their creators.
It’s been babbled out by both mangaka that they have a commonality: neither Morikawa nor Isayama believes they truly know how to draw manga, despite their success. Their shared experiences provide a valuable lesson for aspiring manga artists in general.
The Humble Giants of the Manga Industry- George Morikawa and Hajime Isayama
Geroge Morikawa’s Hajime no Ippo is a boxing manga series that has acclaimed immense success in the sports genre. The serialization began in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in 1989. However, Morikawa took on Twitter (via AnimeHunch) with a surprising confession, claiming “It has been almost 40 years… I still don’t know how to draw manga.” It is nothing short of astonishing coming from an artist whose work has over 130 volumes.
In a similar way, Hajime Isayama has expressed his self-doubts about his art styles in drawing Attack on Titan‘s manga panels. In an interview (via Mangabrog), Isayama spoke about his perceived shortcomings, stating that he feels his art looks ‘awkward’ and that he can’t create the kind of mature, smart characters he admires in other manga.
In fact, both artists acknowledge their unique art styles, which some might consider unconventional or even ‘ugly’. Even Isayama noted he prefers to stand out with memorable, if imperfect, art:
I was scared of being a run-of-the-mill tree with run-of-the-mill leaves that would blend right into the forest. Better to have memorable art, even memorably bad art, and stand out.
Whereas Morikawa emphasized the importance of drawing more and more and reflecting on one’s work. He encouraged newcomers, saying:
I write this in the hope that it will reach all of you newcomers. It is okay to make mistakes. I am only accumulating 40 years of reflection. All you have to do is draw and draw and reflect.
Their advice, coming from a veteran perspective with decades of experience, undermined the iterative nature of artistic development. They both suggest that success in the manga industry is not solely dependent on technical skill, rather it is the ability to connect readers to the manga.
Unconventional Art Styles Impact
Both George Morikawa’s and Hajime Isayama’s success is due to the unconventional nature of their art styles. Because of their self-criticism, or maybe their acknowledgment, they have developed amazing visual representations that have become an integral part of their works’ identity.
On one hand, Morikawa’s boxing scenes in Hajime no Ippo have stolen the whole show for decades, still, he claims that he’s learning how to draw manga. Isayama’s Attack on Titan on the other, for instance, is often described as ‘ugly’ or ‘terrifying’, and yet he acknowledges that his “art is idiosyncratic to me in its ugliness.”
Their stories project that even the most successful artists grapple with self-doubt and a constant driving force for improvement. Moreover, their experiences highlight the subjective nature of art. This is what most artists might view as a shortcoming but could be precisely what endears their work to readers. It might provide realization for creators who may be overly critical of their own art.
Hajime no Ippo is available to stream on Netflix and Attack on Titan is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
