Back in 2022, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Makoto Raiku's manga series Zatch Bell! announced a sequel, "Zatch Bell! 2." Fans were absolutely hyped to see an older Zatch and Kiyo's story continue years later, with many beloved characters from the original series making a comeback. The sequel is still ongoing!
Recently, creator Makoto Raiku shared a hilarious anecdote on X: his new wallet keeps getting him stopped by strangers! Turns out, it's a "Kanchomé wallet." Many netizens, not realizing it was Raiku himself posting, were absolutely floored, exclaiming, "Wait, it's the author?!" and the post quickly went viral.
Raiku stated, "I've been using this wallet when I go shopping, and so far, I've been approached about it about five times."
People would ask him, "Um... is that Kanchomé from 'Zatch Bell!'?" or "That's the character from 'Zatch Bell!', right?" He chuckled, adding, "Everyone's reactions have been great. Kanchomé is pretty famous now, huh? (laughs)."
This wallet was actually a previous collaboration item with graniph. It's super cute and playful, and who would've thought even creator Makoto Raiku would be rocking it?
The post quickly blew up. However, once people took a closer look at the account name, they had a sudden realization: the person who posted it was Makoto Raiku himself! Meaning, the guy walking around daily with a Kanchomé wallet is none other than the character's creator.
This unexpected reveal sent Japanese netizens into a frenzy, with comments like: "Who would've thought the person carrying that wallet was the author himself...?" "Huh?! It's the sensei himself! Why is he using a Kanchomé wallet, lol?" and "Nobody would ever guess the creator himself is such a big fan of this wallet."
Those who recognized Kanchomé on the street and actually struck up a conversation must have been absolutely floored when they saw this post, LOL!