"Undead Unluck," which has been the talk of the town and won the "Next Manga Award 2020," has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since August 2020 and is abbreviated as "Undera." It has become a hit, with a total circulation of over 1.5 million copies. Furthermore, an anime adaptation is scheduled to begin airing in October of this year, which is also attracting attention. But what kind of person is the original author who created such a popular work? In this article, we will introduce the author, focusing on his background, hobbies, and more!
Original Author: Yoshifumi Tozuka
The original author is Yoshifumi Tozuka. Born in August 1989, he has been serializing "Undead Unluck" in Weekly Shonen Jump since August 2020. He made his debut as a manga artist in 2013, finishing as a runner-up in the Treasure Newcomer Manga Award with his work "Space Tourism Sea Ark." He has loved manga since high school, and was a particular avid reader of Jump manga. This is why he had a stronger desire than most to debut with a Jump title. He had been submitting his work to editorial departments since high school, and finally achieved his dream of publishing his debut work in Jump. While he got off to a strong start as a manga artist, it wasn't all smooth sailing from there. It took about seven years for his next serialized work, Undead Unluck, so he likely went through a lot of trial and error and struggle. Totsuka himself has admitted that he struggled to break out of his shell. Since the series began, his energetic and unrestrained style has attracted a lot of attention.
Hobbies
Totsuka is known for his hobbies of Yu-Gi-Oh! card games and fighting games. In Street Fighter V, he is a fan of the character Zeku. He once tried to serialize a fighting game-themed manga, but unfortunately, the project was scrapped. Looking at Undead Unluck's style, it seems like it fits the fighting game atmosphere perfectly. Andy, in particular, would be a very strong character in the game. I'd love to read a fighting game manga drawn by Totsuka someday! His favorite manga is "HUNTER×HUNTER," which he describes as "a manga that's always in the depths of my heart."
He's also known as a Gundam fan
He's also known as a fan of the "Mobile Suit Gundam" series. He likes series like SD Gundam and Char's Counterattack, and seems to have a special attachment to SD Gundam. After the series began, Totsuka purchased the SD Gundam DVD box set and has been listening to it constantly while working. Totsuka's work also features several settings and little tidbits that seem to be influenced by Gundam.
Message in the Work
In an interview, Totsuka spoke about how "the spread of social media has transformed us from an era of negativity to an era of affirmation," and the importance of this change. In the story, Andy affirms and accepts Fuko, who brings misfortune to her, and Fuko begins to search for her own way in life. People in difficult circumstances surely have a desire to affirm themselves, and Totsuka said he wanted to convey that message in his work. Coincidentally, the series' serialization coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this message may have resonated deeply with those suffering from the pandemic.
Summary of the Author
Mr. Totsuka has a strong attachment to Jump manga, and being able to have his work serialized in Jump must have been an absolute joy for him. While he likely faced many challenges and trials along the way, "Undead Unluck" has now become a popular and talked-about work, and has even been adapted into an anime. We're already looking forward to the anime adaptation, scheduled to air in October of this year! That's all for today. Thank you for reading.
