Jump Manga Artist Recalls Harsh Reality Nearly 30 Years Ago: Ranked No. 2 Behind ONE PIECE but Still Denied a Hiatus

Oguri, known for manga including Hanasaka Tenshi Ten-Ten-Kun, updated his X account on July 15 and reflected on his experience serializing the series in Weekly Shonen Jump, published by Shueisha.

Hanasaka Tenshi Ten Ten Kun ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1997 to 2000. It was Oguri’s first serialized work and remains his best known series.

The gag manga explores the theme of human talent through the angel Ten Ten and elementary school student Hideyuki Sakura. It was also adapted into an anime series.

Oguri recalled:

“I was in poor health and my eyelid was twitching, so I asked my editor if I could put the series on hiatus. However, I was not allowed to take a break.

“I thought that maybe I could take some time off if the series became more popular. I desperately worked on an episode, and Ten Ten Kun ranked second in the Weekly Shonen Jump reader survey, behind only ONE PIECE.

“Even then, I was not given a hiatus. That was the reality of being a Jump manga artist in the late 1990s.”

Source : ORICON NEWS