The video showcases a day in the life of Reiji Miyajima, a 34-year-old mangaka (manga creator) living in Tokyo. Reiji creates the popular manga "Renting a Girlfriend" for the Japanese weekly Shonen magazine. The video follows Reiji's daily routine, from waking up early to work on his manga, to meeting with his publisher, and finally, celebrating the completion of the week's episode with his assistants.
Reiji's work process is showcased, including his use of digital drawing tools, his method of creating a rough sketch (nemu) that is reviewed by editors, and the finalization of the manga draft (genko). The video also highlights the importance of teamwork, as Reiji works with his assistants to complete the manga on time.
Additionally, the video provides insight into Japanese business culture, including the seating arrangement at a meeting, where the person sitting at the furthest location from the door is considered the seat of honor.
Throughout the video, Reiji shares his advice for aspiring mangakas, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, finding one's unique strength, and being open to learning from others.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Reiji Miyajima is a 34-year-old manga creator living in Tokyo.
2. He is married with kids, but they do not live with him in his apartment, which he uses as a separate office.
3. Reiji's apartment office is a short walk away from his home studio.
4. It is typical for mangaka in Japan to work from their home.
5. Reiji's home has a first floor used for the office, while the upper floors are for family use.
6. Reiji starts his day by cleaning the first-floor bathroom.
7. He has a studio office with extra desks assigned to his assistants.
8. Reiji built his house about five years ago and designed the area specifically for his manga studio.
9. He creates the manga "Kanojo or Karishimasu," which translates to "Renting a Girlfriend," a popular love comedy.
10. The manga has been serialized in the Japanese weekly Shonen magazine since 2017.
11. Reiji's manga is created digitally, which helps him meet the weekly deadline.
12. He has four to five assistants who come in every Wednesday to help with the manga.
13. Reiji's assistants rarely need to get out of their seats to work with him, as they share drafts in Dropbox.
14. Some mangaka hire 10 assistants on a shift basis, but it depends on each mangaka's preferences.
15. Reiji's production cycle is one week, and he meets with publishers on Monday to discuss the plot.
16. He works on the final sketch on Tuesday and finishes the genko (final draft) with his assistants on Wednesday.
17. From Thursday to Sunday, Reiji works on drafting and creating the story for the next episode.
18. He advises aspiring mangaka to keep trying to submit their work to publishers or manga websites like Pixiv.
19. Reiji uses women's magazines as a reference for female characters.
20. He uses actual models for his drawings.
21. Reiji's assistants have finished the genko and are working on their own manga projects during their free time.
22. Reiji has an irregular meeting with his editors after work, which he attends after dinner with his staff.
23. In Japanese business culture, seating arrangements are based on a hierarchy, with the kamiza (top seat) being the seat of honor and the shimoza (lowest seat) being closest to the door.
24. Reiji sits in the kamiza seat during his meeting with his publisher.