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The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Manga Creator Says He Receives No Profit From Anime
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. manga creator Shūichi Asō revealed on Twitter last week that although he is the creator of a franchise that now includes anime, an upcoming live-action film, games, novels, and various merchandise, he has not profited from the story spreading into other media.
In now deleted Tweets posted on Friday, Asō said that he is often asked if he earns a lot of profit from his manga becoming an anime. He said that the anime did help to sell more copies of his manga, but he has not received "even one yen" in royalties from sales of home videos, video games, and other goods. However, he added in a separate deleted Tweet that he is thankful that his work was even made into an anime.
Asō also tweeted replies to related comments and questions from fans. In response to a question asking if he was involved in some way with the production of goods or the anime, he said he has almost no involvement. Another Twitter user suggested that he could file a claim or request for compensation. Asō replied that such an action would make him appear troublesome as a creator, and people involved with the anime's production might say something along the lines of "Ugh, this guy won't shut up about the money, the money...."
A different Twitter user said they thought a creator would receive some sort of fee when their work is made into an anime. Asō said he had once thought the same thing and still finds himself musing about if he might receive that type of payment someday.
Still another commenter responded that Japan has an unprofitable system for creators. Asō said people say that, but he has been able to receive a disproportionate amount of money from his manga even though he had no proven abilities or qualifications when it debuted. In addition, he confirmed that he can generally receive goods based on his work if he asks for them.
The official website for the television anime of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. revealed last month that a second season is slated to premiere in 2018. The manga's live-action film adaptation will open in Japan on October 21.
The manga centers on a high school boy named Kusuo Saiki. He possesses supernatural powers that cause unfortunate events in his everyday life.
[Via Yaraon!]
