No Dandadan Fan Would’ve Forgiven Yukinobu Tatsu Had He Not Saved the Manga from a “Truly Frightening” Experience

SUMMARY

• Yukinobu Tatsu revealed in volume 3 of Dandadan that he had overwritten the data on some pages of the manga.
• It was a frightening experience for the mangaka as he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
• Another interview revealed how exhausted the author was from the continuous rejection of his ideas before Dandadan got approved.

After the end of Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia, manga lovers were drowning in the post-serialization blues. But Yukinobu Tatsu’s Dandadan debuted its anime at the perfect time to save everyone. The anime has received some great reviews, further boosting the manga as well.

The author has created a dynamic series that can appeal to comedy, action, and romance lovers alike. Fans are looking forward to new chapters and episodes of Dandadan like hawks. But an update from the author almost gave everyone a heart attack.

Yukinobu Tatsu’s Frightening Comment About Dandadan

The poster for Dandadan [Credit: Science Saru]

Volume 3 of Dandadan was released on December 3, 2021, in Japan, and the volume was released in English on April 11, 2023. It covered chapters 15 to 23 of the manga and the introduction of Aira in the series.

Like all other volumes, it also contained comments from the author, Yukinobu Tatsu. But while fans expected some light-hearted commentary or update on the mangaka’s daily life, what came out was a chilling confession:

Dandadan is released on a weekly basis, which means the author has less than a week to create a whole chapter. One misstep and the manga could go on a break. Erasing the data of a chapter with no backup is probably the most stressful thing that can happen to any mangaka. Of course, fans would be affected by this issue too.

The author must have come too close to a mental breakdown to pour his heart out to fans via the volume’s comment section. Yukinobu Tatsu creates his manga manually, that is by using ink on paper. But he also uses digital tools for editing and the finishing touches.

Yukinobu Tatsu Couldn’t Bring Himself to Draw Before Dandadan

Momo and Okuran from Dandadan [Credit: Science Saru]

The author of Dandadan already had a few series to his name before creating his hit masterpiece. However, none of them were too popular and were shut down within a year or two of their debut. Some of his works include Seigi no Rokugo, FIRE BALL!, and Yamada Kiki Ippatsu.

Before Dandadan, Yukinobu Tatsu had come up with new ideas every time there was a serialization meeting. However, none of them were approved. According to an interview, the author had also submitted a proposal for a story about Jiangshi in the summer of 2019. But it was rejected as well, as it had a long-lasting effect on the mangaka.

Turbo Granny from Dandadan [Credit: Science Saru]

In the interview, the author admitted that once he begins to think something isn’t good enough, he can’t bring himself to draw from that point onwards. Afterward, the author was advised by his editor to just draw freely without thinking about it. It was after hearing this soothing piece of advice that Dandadan‘s idea finally formed in Yukinobu Tatsu’s mind.

Dandadan manga is available to read on Viz Media and MangaPlus, and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu.

Written by Aaheli Pradhan

Articles Published: 534

Aaheli is an anime content writer at FandomeWire. With four years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cat.