Is Nagatoro’s Author Bankrupt?

Nanashi, the author of Nagatoro, recently found himself caught in a misunderstanding with the international audience. The confusion stemmed from one main factor: the lack of knowledge about how Japan works. As a result, people quickly jumped to conclusions about his personal life.

On March 10, Nanashi posted the following tweet:

In his message, Nanashi shared that he was thinking about moving—something he hadn’t done in a long time. However, he mentioned that since he is currently “unemployed,” he might not be able to rent a new apartment.

Is Nagatoro’s Author Bankrupt?

Many fans misinterpreted his statement as: “What? The author of Nagatoro is out of money and unemployed?” Since Nagatoro is a divisive manga, some critics were quick to celebrate this supposed news.

Let’s take a look at some of the reactions:

• “Nagatoro’s author is unemployed!”
• “How are you broke after creating Nagatoro?”
• “What do you mean you’re unemployed?”
• “I don’t understand how a famous mangaka selling millions of copies can have no money.”
• “The royalties system for mangakas seems terrible in Japan.”
• “Sometimes I think these people are just bad at managing their money.”

One user even shared an in-depth analysis of mangaka earnings, stating:

“Successful mangakas with popular series can earn substantial amounts, ranging from $100,000 to several million dollars per year. Eiichiro Oda is in this category.
Those who are starting out or have less popular series may earn between $20,000 and $50,000 annually. Nanashi is probably in this category.
Nagatoro has sold 3.3 million copies, which is not bad. This does not include digital page views on Kodansha’s app. However, the money he earned came during the publication period.
This doesn’t mean he’s broke, but not working on a manga means he could face financial difficulties for a while.”

As you can see, most people assumed Nanashi couldn’t afford a new apartment. But that’s NOT the case! In fact, he later addressed this misunderstanding in another tweet:

“Because of my previous post (where I said I might fail the rental application because I’m unemployed), some foreigners thought I was bankrupt. But don’t worry! Twitter really needs to improve its translations…!”

What’s the Truth?

One key thing to understand is that renting an apartment in Japan is different from other countries.

In Japan, freelancers, self-employed individuals, or people without a stable job often struggle to rent a place. Unlike some countries where proof of income is more flexible, Japanese landlords and real estate agencies prioritize financial stability to avoid risks of non-payment.

It doesn’t matter how much money you have in the bank—without a steady job, you can be rejected from renting an apartment. There have even been wealthy VTubers who shared their experiences of being denied a lease simply because their job was not considered “stable.”

 

In Nanashi’s case, he is currently not publishing a manga. He has plenty of money, but since he isn’t actively working at the moment, his income is considered unstable, which could lead to his rental application being rejected. This doesn’t mean he is broke.

Professions like mangakas and artists often face similar challenges due to their irregular income streams. Nanashi’s concern was not about lacking money but rather the rental system itself, which many foreigners misunderstood.

So, no, Nagatoro’s author is not bankrupt—it’s just a case of international fans misinterpreting Japan’s rental policies.

via Você Sabia Anime