Ongoing manga series often face hiatuses. Usually, it's for research trips, health concerns, or unspecified reasons. For fans following a series, it's pretty common knowledge, as serialization is no easy feat, especially for weekly titles.
However, " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sonohara Futsu, the artist behind the ongoing manga "I Shall Survive Using Potions! Continued," recently announced a temporary hiatus because they "are going for Self-Defense Force training." The series is expected to resume in about two weeks, and the artist hopes for fans' understanding. This unusual reason quickly sparked heated discussions online, with many surprised by such a unique situation.
One X (formerly Twitter) user posted, noting that reasons like "author's illness," "busy with tankobon production," or "maternity leave" are common. But "author taking a hiatus for Self-Defense Force training"? That's a first! And it turns out the author is a Reserve Self-Defense Force member?!
Naturally, fans are absolutely on board with this reason. After all, it's about contributing to national defense. Still, it's quite surprising to find someone in the manga industry with such a background – talk about hidden talents!
Incidentally, the original light novel author for "I Shall Survive Using Potions!", FUNA, is also quite the powerhouse, holding licenses for amateur radio, small boat operation, and meteorology. FUNA was also a former member of the JGSDF (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force). It seems both creators are seasoned professionals with military connections!
This revelation prompted netizens to recall other bizarre hiatus reasons from the past. For instance, " target="_blank" rel="noopener">we previously reported on mangaka Kunitomo Shotaro, who took a week-long break to "care for an adopted stray cat," a reason that left a lasting impression on many.
Then there's Satoru Noda of "Golden Kamuy," who once paused serialization because the author went hunting... seriously!
Atsushi Ohkubo of "Fire Force" also had a peculiar reason for a hiatus: "Although progress is smooth and the manuscript is complete, I'm quite interested in the idea of taking a break, so I've decided to take one issue off." That one definitely left people scratching their heads!
While a hiatus for "Self-Defense Force training" is truly rare, the artist has promised to return to serialization in early April. It just goes to show, mangaka hiatus reasons are truly limitless!
via： togetter