PROFILE
Pen Name / Name: Yuzuki
Social media profiles: Instagram: @yuzuki_.draw
Age: 17

Favorite manga: Attack on Titan
Favorite movie: Zootopia
Favorite quote: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” — Steve Jobs

Entry title: “Desk War”
Round: SMA Taiwan Round: “Smiles”
Award: Honorable Mention

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“Make the most of the opportunity! Joining a competition is a great chance to grow and see how far you’ve come.”

About SMA

How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award?
I was honestly shocked. I never imagined I’d win. When the email came in, I legit thought it was some kind of scam at first!

What was the inspiration behind your awarded work?
I realized I’m happiest when I’m doodling nonsense with friends on scrap paper. There’s something beautiful about communicating feelings through drawings.

What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?
The hardest part was the pacing. I kept reworking the storyboard repeatedly. Eventually, I tried looking at it like a movie—panel by panel—to check if the message was coming through clearly.

READ ‘Yuzuki’s Awarded Work HERE!

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About Your Manga

How and when did you start making manga? What do you wish you knew as a beginner? What advice would you give to someone who wants to start drawing manga?
I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, but I started making actual manga a few years ago. I wish I had known earlier that finishing is more important than making it perfect. My advice for beginners: don’t be scared of making mistakes—just start drawing.

Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools?
I mainly draw digitally, using Procreate.

What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live?
The first manga I ever read was DRAGON BALL. In Taiwan, manga is super easy to find—it’s carried at bookstores, libraries, rental shopsーeverywhere, really.

Which manga changed your life?
Definitely Attack on Titan. Its storytelling and foreshadowing blew my mind. It showed me how powerful and meaningful a story can really be.

Which manga character do you most identify with? Why?
I feel like I’m Yamaguchi from Haikyu!!. I’m not the flashiest or the most important character, just an ordinary person without any special talent or super-strong heart. Still, I want to work hard at what I can do and keep pushing myself to improve.

What kind of manga do you want to make next?
I want to turn my real life into a manga—I want to capture all the sweet and bitter parts of being young. In Taiwan, though, making manga doesn’t pay very well, so it’s hard to treat it as a full-time career.


About You

What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax?
I usually listen to music, play guitar, play volleyball, and catch up on schoolwork. As for relaxing? Sleeping, of course.

What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)?
I’m a senior in high school.

Where do you see your manga career in five years time?
As someone new to making manga, I hope that within five years I’ll have found my own style.

What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Don’t be afraid. Just draw. All the hesitation you have now won’t matter later.

What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®?
Make the most of the opportunity! Joining a competition is a great chance to grow and see how far you’ve come.

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Thank you, Yuzuki! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!

The deadline to join SMA24 is May 10th. Enter for a chance to develop your potential as a manga creator with us in Japan!