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Wednesday, 28th December 2011
In Japan Entertainment News,
Doctor quits medicine to become manga author
An Indonesian doctor has abandoned her career to become a manga artist, becoming the first female Indonesian author of the Japanese comic book genre in the process.
Coming from a family of doctors Vivian Wijaya was discourage from following her dream of becoming a manga author but after qualifying as a doctor she felt that something was missing.
Taking a leap into the unknown, Ms Wijaya trained to hone her skills before embarking on an apprenticeship to learn the industry from the inside, and last month saw her work debut on the Shogakukan Inc website, the Japan Times reported.
Born in Tokyo but raised in Jakarta, the artist had always been a fan of anime and manga.
"My parents bought me many manga so I wouldn't forget my Japanese language," she told the news provider.
"Becoming a comic or manga author has been my dream since I was a kid."
However, after her initial artist training she was told she had little chance of making a career out of it.
Undeterred, she secured an apprenticeship with the famous author Kenjiro Hata where she learned the tools of the trade and was delighted to see her first comic - Kokkyonaki Gakuen - published.
Ms Wijaya's achievement is all the more commendable as the manga industry is one of the most competitive in the world, with thousands of hopeful artists never getting to see their work realised despite their talents.
Written by Mark Smith
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