Today, I feel like I've gained a slightly clearer understanding of the difference between manga artists who succeed and those who struggle, so I want to share that insight.
When ranking the types of people who become successful manga artists—those who keep drawing consistently and gain many readers—there has been an update to the number one spot.
What is it?
Have you ever deeply wished to understand the human heart?
I feel this factor influences success immensely.
Why Character Emotions Become Symbolic
Characters might be similar to yourself, but they are ultimately not you. Because of this, emotional expressions often end up feeling symbolic or generic. This is a common symptom.
Why does this happen? It's often because the creator hasn't truly taken an interest in emotions themselves.
You can only grasp these nuances by imagining "What is this person feeling right now?" Whether you understand what the other person is feeling is crucial for emotional expression.
So, how do you achieve that understanding? I believe it comes down to experience—the sheer volume of times you have vigorously imagined "What is this person feeling right now?"
Trying to Understand vs. Making Assumptions
Since we can never absolutely know another person's mind, humans generally take one of two stances:
- The stance of continuously trying to understand.
- The pattern of assuming: "They must be feeling this way."
When I thought about this, I had a sudden realization. There are indeed people who assume others' feelings. Like saying, "He's just that kind of guy."
I wondered if this is a defense mechanism against the uncertainty of not knowing someone.
It's fine if you use a hypothesis like "Maybe they're this kind of person" as a starting point to deepen your understanding. But stopping there with something like, "He looks down on me. End of story," is problematic.
This attitude of labeling people and halting your own understanding seems ill-suited for being a manga artist.
Ultimately, Can You Keep Spending Imagination Calories?
In the end, it all comes down to imagination.
You don't know what others are thinking. Naturally. But the question becomes whether you possess the robust imagination to try to figure it out anyway.
People whose imaginative vectors are directed toward others—whether characters or readers—tend to succeed. You really don't know how readers will receive your work. But you imagine it anyway.
This requires infinite calories. After all, you don't know.
I currently believe that those who don't give up on this effort are the ones who ultimately succeed!
