As a fresh college graduate, the main goal is to find a stable job to earn money so that you can move out of your parents' house and live independently. Although it would be nice to continue living under one's parents' roof, it comes with certain responsibilities which some people may prefer to live without.
For young adults, there is a tendency to want to forge their own path and detach themselves from their parents, which would allow them enough leeway to make their own decisions in life and pursue whichever career they want or whatever interests they may have. Such a thing is quite uncommon in Asian households.
Generally, Asian children tend to tread the path their parents have suggested, or sometimes, expected of them. However, times are changing. Children and teenagers are now seeing opportunities outside the conventional path that older generations see as the road to success in life.
Nowadays, we have young creators making their own content and monetizing it. We have artists who post their art online, build a community around it, and later, sell merchandise plastered with their art on them. There are now many avenues toward the kind of success for which those of the older generation strived.
However, the most difficult part in all of this is starting on that path. Since there are still many parents who would not approve of that kind of life and career trajectory, they might kick their children out of the house to teach them a lesson. That leaves the young people on their own to fend for themselves, and although that can provide invaluable life experience, it's quite a risky venture and subject to factors outside of one's control.
That's where places like content houses give burgeoning creators the space they need to grow and pursue their dreams. In Japan, something similar is giving new manga artists the chance to focus on their work without having to worry about paying rent and utilities.
Free-rent apartment models have existed in Japan for quite some time with the first ones being the Tokiwa-so Apartments, which were established in the 1950s and continued well into the 80s, and produced manga legends like Osamu Tezuka of Astro Boy fame and Doraemon creator Fujiko Fujio. These apartments were subsidized to support artists pursuing a career creating manga but have yet to establish themselves in the scene.
In that same vein, especially with increasing interest in Japanese culture, particularly anime and manga, not just within Japan but also throughout the world, companies are taking advantage of this surge to push for more content.
So, through the collaboration of Japanese tech firm Cyber Agent and publisher Shueisha, the Manga Apartment VUY was given birth. These apartments will be able to house 20 to 30 manga artists starting next year, providing free rent and utilities as well as amenities conducive to bringing out the ideas and talents of fledgling manga artists.
Those who will be accepted into the apartments will stay at least one year, depending on whether their works get serialized, in which case they may extend their stay at the apartment. Furthermore, the apartments include a community lounge and library, as well as access to Shihei Rin, editor of Chainsaw Man and Spy x Family, who instigated the initiative, and will provide crucial advice and mentorship to the new artists.
Other partners for this initiative include No.9 Inc., who will help with editing and art direction. VUY is not the only apartment launched for this purpose. Last year, Manga-so also built eight apartments for artists who will create webtoons, an online version of manga, in a long strip format, designed to be swiped vertically on one's phone.
Hopefully, with these initiatives, we can expect more amazing stories and artwork coming out from creators in Japan.
(Image credit: Manga Apartment VUY/X)