Pom
Description
Pom is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator from Hyogo Prefecture. The creator initially worked as an in-house illustrator for a company, where they primarily designed LINE stickers, including the popular "Kurumi-chan" series. Motivated by a desire to expand their skill set and secure their professional future, Pom transitioned from illustration to manga creation. This background as an illustrator heavily influenced their approach to comics, particularly the use of full-color, vertically scrolling webtoons.
Pom is best known as the sole creator of the manga series Senpai wa Otokonoko. The concept originated from the artist's self-professed difficulty in drawing male characters. After a friend suggested drawing a series where a male character dresses as a girl, Pom developed a short story titled Otokonoko ga Kōhai ni Kokuhaku Sareru Hanashi. This pilot was submitted to Line Manga's debut program for independent creators in December 2019, leading to a weekly serialization contract within four months. The series was serialized digitally on the Line Manga platform from December 7, 2019, to December 30, 2021, and was later compiled into ten tankōbon volumes by Ichijinsha. A prequel series, Senpai wa Otokonoko: Deai-hen, began serialization on December 21, 2023. Beyond this signature work, Pom has authored other manga, including Noah is Ark and an adaptation of GReeeeN's song "Jibun Kakumei".
The success of Senpai wa Otokonoko led to a multimedia adaptation. A twelve-episode anime television series produced by Project No.9 aired on Fuji TV's noitaminA programming block from July 5 to September 27, 2024. This was followed by an anime film titled Eiga Senpai wa Otokonoko: Ame Nochi Hare, which was released on February 14, 2025. The series has garnered significant industry recognition, winning third place in the web manga category of the Next Manga Awards in 2021 and ranking first in the fifth edition of the "Most Wanted Anime Adaptation" ranking in 2022.
Pom's artistic identity is defined by a narrative focus on serious themes of human relationships, self-identity, and love irrespective of gender, though the creator has stated the story was not written specifically to combat prejudice. Pom has expressed a preference for balancing darker, more serious scenes with lighter moments to prevent the overall tone from becoming too heavy. The creator intentionally limited the main cast to three characters to maintain a focused narrative without tangents. The story was developed without a detailed long-term plan, with Pom allowing the characters to guide the plot, and has described the characters as each containing parts of the author within them. The creator is also known to enjoy incorporating animals into their work and cites a preference for reading serious manga while presenting those themes in an accessible way. Pom has achieved significance in the industry as a successful example of a digital-first creator whose webtoon successfully transitioned to print and then to mainstream anime and film adaptations.
Pom is best known as the sole creator of the manga series Senpai wa Otokonoko. The concept originated from the artist's self-professed difficulty in drawing male characters. After a friend suggested drawing a series where a male character dresses as a girl, Pom developed a short story titled Otokonoko ga Kōhai ni Kokuhaku Sareru Hanashi. This pilot was submitted to Line Manga's debut program for independent creators in December 2019, leading to a weekly serialization contract within four months. The series was serialized digitally on the Line Manga platform from December 7, 2019, to December 30, 2021, and was later compiled into ten tankōbon volumes by Ichijinsha. A prequel series, Senpai wa Otokonoko: Deai-hen, began serialization on December 21, 2023. Beyond this signature work, Pom has authored other manga, including Noah is Ark and an adaptation of GReeeeN's song "Jibun Kakumei".
The success of Senpai wa Otokonoko led to a multimedia adaptation. A twelve-episode anime television series produced by Project No.9 aired on Fuji TV's noitaminA programming block from July 5 to September 27, 2024. This was followed by an anime film titled Eiga Senpai wa Otokonoko: Ame Nochi Hare, which was released on February 14, 2025. The series has garnered significant industry recognition, winning third place in the web manga category of the Next Manga Awards in 2021 and ranking first in the fifth edition of the "Most Wanted Anime Adaptation" ranking in 2022.
Pom's artistic identity is defined by a narrative focus on serious themes of human relationships, self-identity, and love irrespective of gender, though the creator has stated the story was not written specifically to combat prejudice. Pom has expressed a preference for balancing darker, more serious scenes with lighter moments to prevent the overall tone from becoming too heavy. The creator intentionally limited the main cast to three characters to maintain a focused narrative without tangents. The story was developed without a detailed long-term plan, with Pom allowing the characters to guide the plot, and has described the characters as each containing parts of the author within them. The creator is also known to enjoy incorporating animals into their work and cites a preference for reading serious manga while presenting those themes in an accessible way. Pom has achieved significance in the industry as a successful example of a digital-first creator whose webtoon successfully transitioned to print and then to mainstream anime and film adaptations.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview