The most recent episode of the second
season of “ Oshi
no Ko ” has become a trend due to a direct
criticism of the manga industry, specifically from the perspective of authors
who publish weekly in magazines. In a key scene, Yoriko Kichijouji ,
who in the anime is the author of the popular manga “I'll Go With Sweet
Today,” expresses her frustration toward Abiko Samejima, her former
assistant and now successful author , with the following words:
- « Weekly
publishing is not a job for humans! It's the work of a soldier whose mind
has been fine-tuned for weekly serialization! The job of manga
editors is to create manga that sells. And once they sell well, don't let
them end .
This dialogue has generated an intense debate among
Internet users about the problem of mangas that, by becoming too
successful, publishers are reluctant to end. This leads to many
stories, which were originally good, spreading unnecessarily, affecting their
reputation. The debate also brought to light opposing cases such as
“Assassination Classroom” and “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”, which ended suddenly despite
their great success.
Below are some notable comments from Internet users:
- « On
the same day, an article that said that it is no longer necessary to do
long series also became a trend. Is it because “My Hero Academia” ends in
the next issue? ».
- « I
think it's because now you can expand the business using the intellectual
property of the manga, even if the original story has ended. Every week I
see “Demon Slayer” collaborations in Jump magazine .
- « When
a series becomes a great franchise, it is no longer just an editorial
problem. Television stations, merchandise and international distribution
are affected .
- « The
job of editors is to continually release successful works. Sticking to a
single series and prolonging it unnecessarily, harming the author, is bad
practice .
- " I
always thought that the job of publishers was to create and maximize sales
of successful works, not necessarily to prolong them indefinitely ."
- " In
long-term terms, it is better to end a work at its best, which benefits
both the author and the fans ."
- « I
think “Jujutsu Kaisen” will also end in a similar way ».
- « This
issue was already talked about in mangas like “Bakuman”, showing that it
is not a new problem .»
- « Since
“Kuroko no Basket” ended satisfactorily, it seems that the trend has
changed . »
- « Recent
works have such elaborate worlds and plots that trying to extend them with
new enemies can be incoherent. The current trend is to make spin-offs .
- « If
the author plans the ending from the beginning and includes it in the contract,
the series can be finished. This should be known to any aspiring mangaka .
- « In
the case of “Demon Slayer”, the editor and the author planned the ending
together and the editor predicted that the series would need around 20
volumes, which came true . »
- « What
to do with series like “Hajime no Ippo”, where neither the author nor the
editor seem to want to end it? Outside of Weekly Shonen Jump there are
many extremely long series .
- « The
trend of ending series quickly is because you can now make long-term money
with merchandise, games, anime and movies. It is more efficient for
authors to look for a new success .
- " It's
healthy to end series properly, but this can leave fans feeling like
there's a lack of content in magazines like Jump ."
- « When
reading the last volume of “Oshi no Ko”, I noticed that the author seemed
to have gotten tired. The story lost quality in the last volumes .
- « Extending
series for commercial reasons can be seen as a culturally inferior
practice. Ending a series when the author decides improves the position of
the manga .
- « The
tendency to unnecessarily extend series is a thing of the past. The mental
and physical health of the author is now considered, allowing long breaks
or moves to monthly publications .
- " The
season format in anime has helped maintain the longevity of the business
without the need to prolong the original story ."
- « Series
like “Hunter x Hunter” should be closed if the author has no intention of
continuing. The author can resume the series whenever he wishes .
The comments reflect a mix of opinions on
how publishers handle successful series, from those who defend commercial
extensions to those who advocate well-planned endings. The “Oshi no Ko”
episode has reignited this discussion that had already arisen in the original
manga , highlighting the tension between art and business in the manga
industry.
Source: Yaraon!
