Originally published as a one-shot on social media, the unique premise of an old man and woman rejuvenating quickly gained popularity, leading to the publication of a book and an anime adaptation. But have you heard of the original author, Shinchogen? He primarily interacts on social media, so he may be unfamiliar to manga fans who typically encounter his works through weekly magazines. However, a deeper look into the author, Shinchogen Hara, reveals he's a manga artist of a new generation, completely different from previous manga artists. While the circumstances surrounding modern manga artists are changing dramatically, Shinchogen is a particularly up-and-coming artist, arguably a representative figure in contemporary manga. In this article, I'd like to briefly introduce Shinchogen, a manga artist of the next generation. He seems to embody the future of manga artists, so be sure to check him out.
Who is Shin Momogen, the author of the sudden hit "Grandpa and Grandma Rejuvenate"?
Shincho's masterpiece is undoubtedly "Grandpa and Grandma Rejuvenate," which is scheduled for an anime broadcast in 2024. This work features a unique setting in which an old man and woman rejuvenate and relive their youth, a unique story unlike any other.
Enthralling Popularity, Especially on Social Media
This series has enjoyed explosive popularity on social media, particularly among younger generations. It's not uncommon for a series to gain popularity as a one-off on social media, rather than as a serialized work in a weekly magazine, and then become a long-running series on social media. However, there are very few works that have made it to an anime adaptation, demonstrating the high quality of this series.
Before we knew it, the manga was released and an anime adaptation was decided.
This work, in particular, gained immense popularity with its first episode, which was posted as a stand-alone work, and attracted attention from the moment it was released as a manga. As a result, the time it gained public attention and the decision to adapt it into an anime was extremely short, resulting in a rise in popularity that is unmatched by other weekly manga serials.
This novel and unprecedented setting will grab readers' hearts!
The reason for this series' extraordinary success is, of course, the popularity of Shincho's characters, but more importantly, the unique setting depicted throughout the story has captivated readers. In particular, this work, "Grandpa and Grandma Rejuvenate," features a unique setting that has never been seen in previous works: the grandfather and grandmother rejuvenate.
New-age manga artists making full use of social media
This kind of adaptation of a manga that gained popularity through social media was something that was previously unheard of in the manga industry. In recent years, many manga artists, like Shincho, have emerged who have gained popularity through social media. It can be said that manga artists like Shincho who make full use of social media are truly representative of the new era of manga artists.
X and pixiv are my main platforms of activity
X and pixiv are social media platforms that are often chosen by manga artists like Shincho-sensei to flourish. While X is primarily a text-based social media platform, you can also send a small number of images, utilizing this feature to reach a larger audience. On the other hand, pixiv is a social media platform entirely focused on illustrations, allowing you to publish multiple images at once.
Internet Native Generation
The increasing number of manga artists using social media to publish their works can be attributed to the rapid debut of manga artists from the Internet Native Generation. The Internet revolution that began in the early 2000s brought about innovation in many industries, and it also brought about change in the manga world, with up-and-coming manga artists rapidly gaining support on social media.
Reader feedback is reflected immediately
Publicating your work through social media, in particular, has the advantage of directly communicating reader feedback to the manga artist. There are many manga works, such as Dragon Ball and Yu Yu Hakusho, that have incorporated reader feedback, changed direction, and become even more interesting as a result. Reflecting reader feedback is extremely important. When focusing on reflecting reader feedback, social media is arguably the best tool.
Was a student at Hirosaki University
While Shincho is a manga artist of this new era, he apparently attended Hirosaki University in the past. Hirosaki University is located in the Tohoku region, so he likely spent some time there working as a manga artist. The fact that Shincho was active in Tohoku is a clear indication of the changes in the manga world, so it's definitely worth paying attention to.
The shock of becoming a manga artist while still studying in Tohoku
What's so shocking about Shincho-sensei's success in Tohoku is that, in the manga industry, the only way to get your work published is through connections with editors who publish manga magazines, and those editors are usually found in big cities like Tokyo. For this reason, it's common for people to be unable to make their debut as manga artists simply because they live in a rural area. However, Shincho-sensei was able to make his debut despite these circumstances.
Are regional disparities in the manga industry beginning to disappear? ?
The reason he was able to debut despite living in Tohoku is simple: Shincho-sensei primarily posts his manga on social media. If he can reach a wider audience through social media, there's no need to publish his manga in a weekly magazine, and living in a rural area is no longer a disadvantage. The fact that Shincho-sensei, who primarily works on social media, was able to debut while living in Tohoku shows that the rise of social media in recent years is beginning to eliminate regional disparities in the manga industry.
"Grandpa and Grandma Rejuvenate" is also set in Aomori.
"Grandpa and Grandma Rejuvenate" is set in Aomori, a setting unique to Shincho, who was a student at Hirosaki University. Until now, most manga artists lived in urban areas, which inevitably led to fewer manga works set in rural areas. However, as in Shincho's case, the environment is now favorable for artists to debut in rural areas, so we may see more works set in rural areas in the future.
Works He Has Created
From here, I'd like to briefly introduce the works that Shincho-sensei has created to date. Although he is still a manga artist with a relatively small number of works published, all of his works are of extremely high quality and have garnered popularity. If you've read this work and are interested in Shincho-sensei, be sure to check out his other works.
"I Want to Get Along with My Childhood Friend"
"I Want to Get Along with My Childhood Friend" is Shincho's debut work. Despite being his debut, it's extremely polished, and the setting is Hirosaki University, where Shincho attended, making it incredibly realistic. The story itself is a classic romantic comedy that begins with a reunion with a childhood friend, making it enjoyable for anyone.
"The Undertaker"
"The Undertaker" is serialized in Monthly Magazine. It depicts the conflict between the "Resurrected" - beings who are resurrected after death and feed on human life - and the organization formed to eliminate them. While Shincho's works are often romantic and comedic, this work has a unique setting, and many of its settings are uniquely Shincho's. This work is recommended for fans looking for a highly original manga like "The Old Man and the Old Woman Rejuvenate."
"Grandpa and Grandma Rejuvenate"
"Grandpa and Grandma Rejuvenate" is the work that has attracted the most attention from Shincho-sensei to date. Originally a one-shot story published on social media, the unique premise of an old man and woman rejuvenating attracted attention, quickly gaining popularity and leading to an anime adaptation. This manga best showcases Shincho-sensei's strengths, so fans who haven't read it yet should definitely give it a read.
What kind of manga artist is this?
Though living in the Tohoku region, Shincho-sensei has produced a wide variety of works. But what kind of manga is he? From here, I'd like to briefly introduce the characteristics and highlights of his work. These are characteristics that can be consistently applied to his other works as well, so be sure to check them out.
Catchy Content
Shincho's works are based on extremely catchy plots. Just hearing the theme of the work—"What would happen if an old man and woman suddenly became younger and began enjoying their youth again?"—is enough to pique your interest. It's clear that this manga artist has a unique and interesting eye for story structure.
Complete and easy-to-understand story development
Furthermore, each story depicted in his works is concise and easy to understand, making it moving for anyone. As a manga artist active on social media, many of his stories are structured in a way that makes them enjoyable even when read in fragments.
A Manga Artist with a New Sensibility
As such, Shincho's works are crafted to be enjoyed by a wide audience on social media, and it can be said that he is an artist with a significantly different sensibility than previous manga artists who have serialized their works in weekly magazines. He is a manga artist who is active by utilizing a new perspective never before seen in manga, so we are looking forward to seeing more of his future works.
Why we're excited for Shin Momogen's future
Shincho-sensei is a very different type of manga artist from previous artists, so we're excited to see what he does next. Here, we'll briefly explain why we're excited for his future endeavors.
A completely different debut path than previous manga artists
One of the reasons we're excited to see what Shincho-sensei will do next is that he's made his debut in a completely different way than previous manga artists. While many manga artists have gained popularity through social media, very few have managed to get their works adapted into anime. Furthermore, there are still very few manga artists who have had such a career path, so there's no precedent for what path Shincho-sensei will take in the future.
He started his career in 2018!!
It's also worth noting that Shincho-sensei only began his career in 2018, so he's still considered a young artist. It's amazing that he's been able to release so many manga works in just six years since his debut, and it speaks to his incredible potential.
Perhaps a true masterpiece is yet to come!?
Naturally, it's safe to say that Shincho-sensei is a manga artist who will continue to produce many works, so there's a chance that he will create even greater masterpieces than this one. In fact, it's safe to say that Shincho-sensei's heyday is just beginning, making him a manga artist worth keeping an eye on.
Summary
So what did you think? This article was a brief introduction to Shincho-sensei, the original author of "Grandpa and Grandma Rejuvenate." He has an unusual background that defies conventional wisdom in the manga industry, including his active use of social media and his time writing in the Tohoku region, so we'll definitely be keeping an eye on him in the future.
