Mangaka, Author


I used to live my life with no particular dream or ambition; I just lived my life as a normal primary school kid. I never took interest on the things that revolved around me nor study seriously.
Ever since young, I had loved drawing, though my teachers and classmates used to mock at them. I still remember vividly how I cried when I saw my classmate’s drawing; it was a million times better than mine, as I could only draw stick figures back then. At that time, I guess I was probably around the tender age of four or five, when the teacher scolded me for ‘drawing the butterflies flying higher than the birds’.
But despite all those setbacks, I continued drawing until the time when I was around six; I could finally draw ‘fleshy’ people. I remembered the teacher complimenting me for drawing and colouring so nicely. She used to give me six stars and above for my hard work and I felt incredibly pleased.
I wanted to be an artist, but I didn’t know what kind of artist. But the answer to my question unexpectedly came in November 2005.
My teacher allowed us to watch the anime, Naruto. At first, it wasn’t a big deal to me or anything, but as the movie continued, a tremendously massive like for anime began to sprout like a seedling in my heart. After the movie, my craze for Japanese anime grew and grew. I wanted to know who made the story, how did they do it, and so on. At that time, 2005, you could call me a ‘computer idiot’ as I knew absolutely nothing about the Internet. But as I wanted to find out more, I fiddled around with the computer until I managed to get what I wanted.
I soon found out that Naruto was a manga, Japanese comic, created by Masashi Kishimoto. Ever since that day, my eyes opened and showed me a new world. I could finally have something to work on in life, not just idle around, living each day aimlessly and pointlessly. I wanted to become a mangaka, or it was also known as Manga Artist. I wanted so much, to create life with my only by using my hands, ink and paper.
As I was a beginner, and had utterly no idea where, or how to start, I began to search for websites on ‘How to draw Manga’. The response was overwhelming and I became increasingly encouraged as there were quite a few tutorials which could help aid me on my quest to fulfill my dream.
However, I could not draw as well as I thought and put my dream off for awhile. I guess you could call that ‘taking a break’. Soon, I took interest in something else; reading. Like drawing, I had always loved to read when I was young, and had become an official ‘bookworm’ in the eyes of my classmates. One day, I came across a book named ‘WARRIORS’. I didn’t know it at that time, but that book has changed my life…in a good way.
In the past, I used to read books without much thought about the people who wrote it. It was only when I read that amazing book; I began to wonder how those authors came up with their stories. It was fascinating to read a book and realize that it was like entering a new world which was created by nothing but a creative human mind, ink and some paper.
This new perspective of seeing things made me feel recharged again. I wanted to create a story too! I felt that it was necessary if I wanted to be a mangaka; I would need a storyline to draw.
Since then, I became very proud of a story which I created last year, 2006. I finished it and made a note that it was to be used in my future manga productions. But then, I become conscious of the fact that I was only a kid and had no idea how to get to Japan to study more about the Art of Manga. My mind soon became extremely restless with nothing to do and I knew I had to create more stories to satisfy my brain.
Up till now, I have been indulging my mind with many stories which I planned to create when I was older but that still wouldn’t make me feel satisfied. I needed to do something which I could do, now. I’d always acknowledged myself as a mere existence of being. I think that was how other people viewed me as too. I wanted to be someone. Someone who’s existence isn’t just a small blob of protoplasm compared to this vast world. I wanted to prove myself that I had talent to do things everyone, and myself, thought I couldn’t do.
When my teacher told me that my compositions were good, the thought of becoming an author clutched my mind and I decided to give writing a go.
Either I’m fussy or something, but writing the stories I made, gradually came forth to as ‘lame and boring’. I needed nicer stories to spark the reader’s interest. Because of my fickleness, I have created at least five to six elaborate stories this year; not inclusive of the other twelve stories I created last year.
I took it as that, I wanted to be a full-time mangaka, and a part-time author.
To me, both of them were very closely related as they both involved creating a whole new dimension with lives and their stories which you could control!
To achieve my outrages dreams, (the reason why I said ‘outrages’ was that; the only way to become a mangaka was to live in Japan and work there. And I can’t draw well nor speak Japanese either.) I would have to do whatever it takes to learn manga art and go to Japan to achieve that. However, I, myself am not sure about the path I need to take to reach my dream. It will be an arduous and time-consuming journey and whether I would be able to accomplish my goal still remains a mystery that can only be solved as I carry on with my life.
I also want to prove my mom wrong. She has already told me several times that I can never be a mangaka. She said it was impossible and, I have to prove her wrong. In this generation, everything is about money. Money, money, money… I’m SICK of that word!
It was one of my greatest obstacles in life as I am unable to attend any classes or schools that have to do with my dreams. My mom also thinks that being an artist would not help you earn money at all. I know that wasn’t true; I knew of some famous mangaka(s) who were really rich because of the manga they produced. And I wanted to like them.
That fiery passion for manga art and writing has swelled up in me and has embraced my entire body, soul, and mind… my life. And I’m living my life to achieve these goals and I believe that as long as I trust that I can do it. Nothing is impossible.
My current goal is to complete my latest novel. There isn’t a fixed deadline as I tend to give up after writing the first ten pages. I really hope I can push myself this time, like David Lim, and finally be able to sell my first book.

THANKS FOR READING SOMETHING SO LONG-WINDED