Enokids
Description
Enokids, also known by the Japanese nameえのきづ, is a Japanese manga creator. Their primary claim to fame is as the original author of the manga series The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura, known in Japanese as Kotoura-san. This work represents their commercial debut and most significant contribution to the anime and manga industry, having been adapted into a television anime.
The creator began their career in the realm of doujinshi, or self-published works. The series that would become their breakout hit, The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura, originated as a fan comic. The project took a pivotal turn when Enokids was approached by an editor from the publishing house MicroMagazine at the Comiket convention, a large event for doujinshi creators. This encounter led to the series being picked up for professional publication, marking Enokids' entry into the commercial manga world.
Prior to its serialization, the original concept for The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura had already achieved notable recognition. It won the highest award, the Most Excellent Prize, in the Manga Of The Year 2009 competition hosted by the mobile phone manga website Manga★Get. Following this success, the manga was formally serialized online on the MicroMagazine-affiliated website Manga Goccha under the title Kotoura-san Manga. The serialization ran from October 14, 2011, to March 26, 2015. A print magazine version was also concurrently serialized in Megami Magazine from the December 2012 issue to the May 2013 issue. The complete series was compiled into seven tankobon volumes, all published by MicroMagazine. A follow-up series focused on daily life, sometimes referred to as Kotoura-san Nichijou-hen, began serialization in August 2015 on both the Manga Goccha website and the official website of Kotoura Town in Tottori Prefecture.
The story of The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura centers on a high school girl named Haruka Kotoura, who possesses the involuntary ability to read the minds of those around her. This power causes her to become socially isolated and leads to turmoil within her family. After transferring to a new school, she slowly begins to open up to others, starting with her classmate Yoshihisa Manabe, and later joins the school's ESP Research Club.
The series' popularity led to a television anime adaptation, which aired for 12 episodes from January to March 2013. The animation was produced by the studio AIC Classic. The announcement of the adaptation was made in August 2012. The broadcast of the anime had a significant impact on the manga's commercial success. Reports indicate that before the anime aired, the first three volumes of the manga had sold approximately 100,000 copies. Following the anime's broadcast, sales surged dramatically, and by the time the fourth volume was released in February 2013, the first three volumes alone had sold about 350,000 copies, with total series sales reaching approximately 420,000 copies.
Beyond their most famous work, Enokids has created several other manga series, demonstrating a diverse range. These include Magical Girl Paracel, Akureki published in Monthly Action, Sakura no-san迷走中! which ran in Manga Time Jumbo, Nadeshiko also in Manga Time Jumbo, Torarokko, and the series Hyoryu-kei Joshikosei, which began serialization in Monthly Action in 2017. Enokids' journey from a doujinshi creator to a commercially published and animated artist illustrates a common yet notable path within the manga industry, where grassroots success at fan events can lead to mainstream publication and multimedia adaptation. The significant sales boost for The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura following its anime adaptation also serves as a clear example of the symbiotic relationship between manga and its animated adaptations in promoting a work to a wider audience.
The creator began their career in the realm of doujinshi, or self-published works. The series that would become their breakout hit, The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura, originated as a fan comic. The project took a pivotal turn when Enokids was approached by an editor from the publishing house MicroMagazine at the Comiket convention, a large event for doujinshi creators. This encounter led to the series being picked up for professional publication, marking Enokids' entry into the commercial manga world.
Prior to its serialization, the original concept for The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura had already achieved notable recognition. It won the highest award, the Most Excellent Prize, in the Manga Of The Year 2009 competition hosted by the mobile phone manga website Manga★Get. Following this success, the manga was formally serialized online on the MicroMagazine-affiliated website Manga Goccha under the title Kotoura-san Manga. The serialization ran from October 14, 2011, to March 26, 2015. A print magazine version was also concurrently serialized in Megami Magazine from the December 2012 issue to the May 2013 issue. The complete series was compiled into seven tankobon volumes, all published by MicroMagazine. A follow-up series focused on daily life, sometimes referred to as Kotoura-san Nichijou-hen, began serialization in August 2015 on both the Manga Goccha website and the official website of Kotoura Town in Tottori Prefecture.
The story of The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura centers on a high school girl named Haruka Kotoura, who possesses the involuntary ability to read the minds of those around her. This power causes her to become socially isolated and leads to turmoil within her family. After transferring to a new school, she slowly begins to open up to others, starting with her classmate Yoshihisa Manabe, and later joins the school's ESP Research Club.
The series' popularity led to a television anime adaptation, which aired for 12 episodes from January to March 2013. The animation was produced by the studio AIC Classic. The announcement of the adaptation was made in August 2012. The broadcast of the anime had a significant impact on the manga's commercial success. Reports indicate that before the anime aired, the first three volumes of the manga had sold approximately 100,000 copies. Following the anime's broadcast, sales surged dramatically, and by the time the fourth volume was released in February 2013, the first three volumes alone had sold about 350,000 copies, with total series sales reaching approximately 420,000 copies.
Beyond their most famous work, Enokids has created several other manga series, demonstrating a diverse range. These include Magical Girl Paracel, Akureki published in Monthly Action, Sakura no-san迷走中! which ran in Manga Time Jumbo, Nadeshiko also in Manga Time Jumbo, Torarokko, and the series Hyoryu-kei Joshikosei, which began serialization in Monthly Action in 2017. Enokids' journey from a doujinshi creator to a commercially published and animated artist illustrates a common yet notable path within the manga industry, where grassroots success at fan events can lead to mainstream publication and multimedia adaptation. The significant sales boost for The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura following its anime adaptation also serves as a clear example of the symbiotic relationship between manga and its animated adaptations in promoting a work to a wider audience.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview