One Year of MangaCraft!

Happy Birthday to all this.

On this day last year, I had resolved to start spewing my love of manga onto Substack starting in 2024, but I decided to do myself one better and start it on December 31st, because why not.

What began as a fun little way for me to throw thoughts on a platform I didn’t understand became so much more than I ever expected it to be. I remember celebrating when I had 4 followers, that became 100, and I’m excited to see where it goes from here. I was never in this for the followers, but the best part about this has been engaging with you all and finding others who are doing what I’m doing—sharing their writing and their passions.

Let’s get personal for a second. In case you didn’t know this already, I’m a creative writer myself, I’ve written and published gobs of writing in various forms, but the elusive end goal of having a book out there remains, well, elusive. When I started MangaCraft, I found an outlet for joy in writing without gatekeepers and judgement, and that has become invaluable to me. So a big, hearty thanks to all of you who have been a part of this journey so far, and I look forward to sharing more of it with you in year two.

Okay, enough gushing, let’s talk about fun things and recap how this year has looked. I’ll start with five unforgettable reads from y’all, then recap some of my faves from here on MangaCraft.

5 Great Reads From You

• How to be Unhappy, by

  PJ
  . Happiness is such a weird concept, especially as an artist when everything is so unstable literally all the time. This glorious summation of happiness and joy, and the endless pursuit of it, is a gem.

• Is Dark Lights by RDCWorld a perfect OEL shonen?, by

  Tapirclip
  . Since I’m still a relative newbie to manga, OEL manga were so far off my radar that they didn’t even register. But after reading this piece, I realized how much I was missing, and ever since, I’ve been eagerly submerged in finding more.

• Character Analysis: Yuji Itadori, by

  Rhyan Aneev
  . I’ve let my thoughts on Jujutsu Kaisen fly free, but one truth I will always hold to is that Yuji Itadori is a very well crafted protagonist, with gobs of intrigue. This analysis fully and comprehensively captures what makes him so special.

• Epilogue of Failure, by

  Syd
  . Legends of Korra is on constant repeat in my household, and it feels like every time we watch it here, we identify more and more with Korra’s struggles and failures. This piece captures the brilliance of her character.

• Otaku Hot Girl, by

  maria
  . Perhaps the most comprehensive take on an all-too prevalent problem in shonen manga—the way female characters are written. It’s wild how this continues to be a problem, but with articles like this, maybe consumers can start to see the problem more clearly and, oh I dunno, adjust accordingly.

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My 5 Favorite MangaCraft Deep Dives

• Wind Breaker: Inverting The Hero’s Journey. If I was only ever allowed to show one piece from MangaCraft, it would be this one. Wind Breaker has had a profound impact on me, one that feels like an old friend that’s always there for me. I hope it lasts forever.

• Hell’s Paradise: The Many Faces of Narrative Tension. This was the first piece I wrote for MangaCraft that really made me feel like I was doing something more than gushing. I went deep into the weeds of Hell’s Paradise and extracted so many storytelling elements that were, in a word, remarkable. I’ve always had difficulty qualifying what makes a story really special. Hell’s Paradise helped me break through that difficulty.

• Gachiakuta: Setting Informs Character. The best feeling is when you read a story and it unblocks something you’re hung up on as a creative. As I mention in depth in this piece, I have always hated setting. Really hated it. Mostly cause I just can’t grasp how to make it work for me. Gachiakuta changed that in a big way and I loved sharing that experience.

• The Fable: The Many Moods of Silence. Another one that has personal ties (well, they all do I guess), but I feel like July 2024 was my The Fable month. I wanted nothing to do with any story that wasn’t The Fable. It truly dominated my brain waves and its shiniest bauble is the mastery of silent stares.

• Hell’s Paradise: Mastering The Moment. Anyone who’s been paying attention to MangaCraft in 2024 will not be surprised to see Hell’s Paradise holding two of my five favorite slots. Telling stories is really hard and the hardest part, especially in a lengthy series, is keeping readers guessing. No series does that like Hell’s Paradise. None.

My 5 Favorite One Great Panels

What’s coming to MangaCraft in 2025

It’s not lost on me that sometimes things need to shake up a bit, and there are a lot of things I’ve been wanting to bring to MangaCraft, so what better time than now, in the year of our Gojo 2025. Barring any unexpected additions to my very full plate, here are two new things you’ll be seeing on MangaCraft soon:

1. Interviews with creators and editors! This has been a long time coming. I can talk about craft all I want, but hearing from the creators themselves is a valuable perspective. And while creators know their stories better than anyone, if ever there was anyone close to knowing it as well, it’s editors. It’s literally their job. Get ready to hear from some editors too.

2. A Podcast. I have a long history in podcasting. I actually used to teach it. And I’ve been whittling down angles for a MangaCraft Podcast. It’s coming.

Thank you all for being a part of my manga journey this year. See you in 2025!