Makoto Raiku Cried While Creating an Animal Land Scene

The passion of a mangaka can be as intense as that of their protagonists. Recently, Weekly Shonen Magazine’s editor-in-chief, Shintaro Kawakubo, shared an emotional story about Makoto Raiku, the creator of Zatch Bell!, during a manga industry event in Tokyo.

During the session “Manga Book Report Contest Presents: The Four Major Shonen Magazine Editors’ Talk Session,” Kawakubo was asked by a child if there were any editors who resembled shonen manga characters.

Makoto Raiku Cried While Creating an Animal Land Scene

In response, he mentioned a remarkable moment involving Makoto Raiku while he was working on the manga Animal Land. Raiku was creating a storyboard in a shared workspace at the Weekly Shonen Magazine office, where several artists worked simultaneously.

While developing a crucial scene in Animal Land, he suddenly started crying uncontrollably. Other artists feared it was due to a personal issue, but the truth was different. “He was so deeply immersed in the story that he couldn’t hold back his emotions,” Kawakubo recalled. “He truly has the passion of a manga hero.”

This emotional intensity is commonly seen in manga and anime like One Piece, Naruto, and Zatch Bell!, where characters express emotions intensely, often through tears and explosive battle scenes. Raiku’s case is a perfect example of how art imitates life, proving that the passion of creators can be just as strong as that of the characters they bring to life.

Animal Land has the following story synopsis: “Welcome to the world of Animal Country. In this world, there are thousands of animals, except 1; man. That is, until a strange baby was found by the young raccoon Monoko. Now, she has taken on the duty of being the child’s mother in this world where the strong eat and the weak are eaten!”

You can purchase Gash Bell volumes at a discount here.

via Oricon