Shuhei Chiyoda, the Shogakukan editor who helped bring the hit manga "Chi. -On the Movement of the Earth-" to life, recently pulled back the curtain on his daily grind and salary system in a YouTube video on the "Ura Man - Manga Behind the Scenes -" channel. And let's just say, it got people talking. Chiyoda, 31, is a University of Tokyo graduate who previously worked at "Weekly Big Comic Spirits" before moving to the manga app "Manga ONE," where he's been instrumental in launching titles like "Chi. -On the Movement of the Earth-" and "Nihon Sangoku."
The video offers a full day-in-the-life look, starting at 1:30 PM, capturing everything from his volunteer alumni interviews to lecturing new editors on the new serialization development process. Beyond just showing the nuts and bolts of editing, Chiyoda also dished out the honest truth about Shogakukan's salary structure.
He revealed that Shogakukan doesn't have a performance-based bonus system. That means even if a manga he's working on becomes a massive hit, it won't directly translate into a fatter paycheck. "Sometimes it gets frustrating," he admitted, "but once my income reaches a certain level, I don't particularly crave earning more money."
Despite the salary reality, Chiyoda acknowledged that if he truly wanted a significant income boost, going independent might be the way to go. However, he chooses to stay at Shogakukan. His reason? "Being trusted, praised, or feeling positive emotions from others – that recognition is my biggest motivation."
The video quickly racked up over 410,000 views, with viewers flooding the comments section with surprise and admiration. Many praised Chiyoda for his candidness about the editing profession, while others lamented, "No performance bonus, really?" and "Of course, he's a Todai grad, no wonder he's so excellent."