PROFILE

Pen Name / Name: Deiji or I-Deiji
Country: Chile
Social media profiles: X: @IzumiDeiji Instagram: @deijisart YouTube: @Izumi-Deiji
Age: 34
Favorite manga: I have several favorite manga and I can only choose one. How difficult… I guess I’ll choose Billy Bat by the master Urasawa.
Favorite movie: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Favorite quote: “El diablo sabe más por viejo, que por diablo.” (The devil knows more because he’s old than because he’s evil.)
Entry title: “De Aquí a las Estrellas”
Round: SMA23 “My Dream”
Award: Honorable Mention

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“I know that, along your path, many people will tell you how useless it is, and that there are better ways to earn a living, but you are at the reins of your own life. So don’t give up, create manga, move people, and give meaning to their lives with your works. I believe in you!”

About SMA

How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award?
It feels encouraging. At my age, many things I didn’t appreciate before are now among the most valuable things in my life. Recognition for both small and big achievements is one of them. 

What was the inspiration behind your awarded work?
My feelings of frustration when stories accumulate in my head, but don’t go anywhere, contrasted with the optimism and desire to keep creating more. These two parts of me are always the inspiration for these stories. 


What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?
I got stuck thinking that I didn’t have any ideas for this round. Then, I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity: what if the whole story of an adult’s efforts were just a kid’s imagination while talking about what he wants to be when he grows up?

READ I-Deiji’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 started drawing manga as a hobby in 2017 and stopped in 2019. In 2023, I took it seriously again and started creating work after work. I did everything with paper, pencil and ink, and then I moved to digital.

Back then, I wish I had known what to do to create manga before the drawing phase. Then, I might have gotten to this point earlier (lol). I advise you to learn how to ask an interesting question before writing and drawing your story, since this is the soul of all the stories you will create. For example:

What if someone died because their name was written in a notebook? (Death Note)
What if a powerless boy suddenly had to be the biggest hero of all time? (My Hero Academia, To Be Hero X)

Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools?
Right now I draw digitally, but in the future, I want to go back to traditional, or a mix of both, maybe. When drawing traditionally, my favorite tools are a G-pen, soft paper, a ruler, brushes, ink, and correction fluid.



What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live?
Back in 2017, the first manga I got my hands on was Bakuman. At that time, there were a few comic stores, but manga wasn’t that accessible. Even today, manga is expensive in my country (although it’s quite accessible now, and more and more people want to draw in a manga style). Back then, I decided I wanted the first manga I bought to be about what it’s like to work in the manga industry.

Which manga changed your life?
Billy Bat, Buddha, and Erased changed my way of thinking about why I draw. It also made me rethink how the world is different through the eyes of every individual, how our past grounds us, and why our desires and decisions take us down radically different paths.

Which manga character do you most identify with? Why?
No one. Every character has their experiences, desires and decisions. They are part of someone else, and here I am, just being me all the time in my own life until the end. None of them have my experiences, and that’s why I can’t identify with any of them. I can empathize with them, but that’s a very different story.

What kind of manga do you want to make next?
I’m working on a story that has satire in it; that’s for another contest, actually. In Chile, there aren’t editors like in Japan, so I don’t have a mentor to work with me as a team with me and guide me. I always go in blind and study any manga tutorial I can find on YouTube. 

About You

What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax?
Sometimes I go out with my husband for a walk, other times we get together with my friends and spend the day together. There are also days when we play games or watch movies. Sleeping has also been a way to relax after many sleepless days working on a manga close to the deadline (lol). 

What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)?
I’m just a housewife, so it’s just a matter of keeping things tidy, waiting for my husband in a warm home, and being mindful of expenses hehe.


Where do you see your manga career in five years time?
I hope to have my own monthly series. I want my stories to reach everyone, especially since making manga is what I can do and what I’m good at. I just regret not discovering this sooner.  

What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Please don’t think you’re wasting your time; making manga has given your life meaning. I know that, along your path, many people will tell you how useless it is, and that there are better ways to earn a living, but you are at the reins of your own life. So don’t give up, create manga, move people, and give meaning to their lives with your works. I believe in you!

What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®?
This is where you’ll learn the most. You’ll receive feedback, opportunities to grow, and get ready to become a pro. What are you waiting for? Participate! 

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Thank you, I-Deiji! 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!