King Hiroethe talented creator of the popular manga franchise “BLACK LAGOON“, recently shared a series of disturbing posts on his Twitter account, revealing his personal struggles with mental health and the impact it has had on his work. His comments have generated significant concern among his followers and the manga community at large.

In one of his tweets, Hiroe wrote:

• «The tweet that says "You'll lose 10 years if you suffer from depression" is spreading, and it's true. It took me four years to release a single volume, working through an irregular serialization without really managing to recover. I still panic when deadlines are tight, so I need plenty of writing space. As a serialized manga author, I haven't been able to recover half of my working capacity, so be very careful.».

In another post, he added:

• «Still, it was good that at least I was able to keep my desire to create (I'm the type who can't move my hands when I try to work). Some people reach a point where they can't even think, and when that happens, they can only sleep all day. I was close to reaching that point.».

These statements reveal the degree of difficulty Hiroe faced due to depression., a condition that seriously affected his ability to work regularly and meet the demanding deadlines of the manga world. His testimony highlights the gravity of the situation and the need to treat mental health with the seriousness it deserves.

The “BLACK LAGOON” franchise is known for its intense action and complex characters, which has gained a loyal fan base since its debut. However, Hiroe's struggle with depression resulted in long periods of inactivity and delays in publishing new volumes, something he noted as a direct consequence of his mental state.

Hiroe's honesty in sharing his personal struggles It also opened an important dialogue about mental health in the manga industry.a profession known for its extreme demands and grueling work pace.

• «Health comes first, so please don't push yourself too hard, Hiroe-sensei, and work at your own pace. And I really think that work that doesn't lose its luster over the years is amazing.».
• «No, really, thank you very much for your effort. Please don't overexert yourself. We will wait patiently.».
• «Even if you stop taking the medication, it will take a few years to get back on track. And even if you recover, you will never reach your previous peak capacity. The longer you take the medication, the longer it will take to recover.».
• «Depression is hard, right? (I've had remissions and relapses several times.) For Hiroe-san, the irregular and forced serialization without proper recovery is probably the reason he can't achieve remission... Really, thank you so much for your efforts. It's okay to work at your own pace. Please don't try too hard.».
• «I'm in my tenth year... I worked in the food industry, but at least in the old sense of the word, returning to my previous professional life is impossible. The only thing left to do is earn money my way and with a new approach.».

Source: Hachima Kikou