It is very common for manga writers and creators to not show their faces or reveal their identities to the general public. Many creators and mangakas choose to hide their identities for various reasons. Nowadays, they disguise their faces behind alter egos or animal masks, as well as pen names of a group, to appear as a single person. And there are a plethora of reasons to desire that anonymity. One of the primary reasons is that many creators do not feel comfortable being recognized in public. Perhaps they want to keep a part of their personal history buried.
But that is not the case for popular anime and manga creator Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man. He has revealed the reason for keeping his identity a secret and it’s because of the fans of his work.
Tatsuki Fujimoto Reveals the Reason for Keeping His Identity Secret
Tatsuki Fujimoto is a manga artist best known for his works Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man. He chose to hide his face and never reveal his identity because of the fear of fans. Due to Chainsaw Man’s massive popularity and the amount of letters he receives from fans Fujimoto has opted to continue not showing his face, specifically saying “I don’t show my face for fear of being killed.” His editor also commented that because of how sensitive some Japanese fans can get in regards to characters being killed for instance Fujimoto is no stranger to death threats which only amplifies his fear of being killed if people were able to recognize his face.
Despite being a well-known manga creator, no one knows what Tatsuki’s face looks like. He also dispatched a Jump editor to represent him on stage at Jump Festa 2021, the only place where all of his admirers might have seen his face. The manga writer has also not exposed his face on any social media platforms like as Instagram or Twitter, and no one knows why. However, now the creator might have to reveal his face according to the new Japanese Law.
Read More: “There was the risk”: Chainsaw Man Creator Revealed Flaws of Drawing a ‘Jump-like Manga’
New Japanese Law May Force Manga Writers to Reveal Their Identity
A new Japanese rule due to go into effect in October 2023 may significantly alter how these creators can conceal their identity from the broader public. In October 2023, Japan intends to implement a new invoice filing system. As a result, mangakas, vtubers, illustrators, and other anonymous artists would be forced to divulge their identities. Their genuine identities will be maintained in a database that the general public will have access to.
Tsugumi Ohba (Death Note), Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell), Koyoharu Gotouge (Demon Slayer), and many other creators live quietly under aliases. If that privacy is violated, fans may expect significant changes in the manga industry.
Source: 2Spooky
