Kumichi Yoshizuki, the artist behind Nankai Trough Kyodai Jishin (Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquake), is stepping away from the manga for a while to focus on recovery.
Yoshizuki shared the update on X, formerly Twitter, saying the decision came after speaking with multiple medical professionals. The break is expected to last around two months, arriving shortly after chapter 33 was released for premium users on Kodansha’s Magazine Pocket platform.
The health situation sounds pretty rough, not the usual “short break, see you next week” kind of thing. Yoshizuki mentioned several issues, including a cervical disc herniation from last month and likely depression. They are also dealing with problems involving the autonomic nervous system, which has made normal manga work difficult — sitting at a desk for long stretches can lead to pain and nausea, while proper extended sleep has also become hard.
For manga readers in Malaysia and SEA, this is one of those reminders that the weekly or digital chapter grind is brutal behind the scenes. We often talk about delays like they are just schedule problems, but manga production is physically intense: long hours, constant deadlines, desk work, and pressure to keep readers engaged. When an artist’s body starts rejecting that routine, a hiatus is not just reasonable — it is necessary.
Nankai Trough Kyodai Jishin launched on Magazine Pocket in July 2024, with Yoshizuki handling the art and biki writing the story. Kodansha released the manga’s fifth compiled volume on April 23.
The series focuses on a realistic portrayal of a possible massive megathrust earthquake linked to Japan’s Nankai Trough, built around detailed interviews. It is heavy subject matter, especially because Japan has long expected another major quake in that region. The last megathrust earthquake there happened in 1946.
That premise also hits differently for SEA readers. Malaysia may not be Japan-level earthquake country, but the wider region is no stranger to natural disaster anxiety — from Indonesia’s seismic zones to flood seasons, landslides, and Sabah’s own tremor history. A manga that tries to portray disaster preparedness and human response seriously is not just “Japan news”; it connects to how our region thinks about risk, infrastructure, and survival.
Yoshizuki’s name may also be familiar to older manga fans. They previously worked with Yuhei Aoki on Aa Shūkatsu no Megami-sama (Ah My Job-Hunting Goddess), a spinoff based on Kousuke Fujishima’s Oh My Goddess! manga. That series ran in Monthly Afternoon from January 2018 until October 2021.
Yoshizuki is also known for Someday’s Dreamers, a magical slice-of-life manga based on a story by Norie Yamada. Tokyopop released the manga in North America, and the franchise went on to inspire two TV anime, two spinoff manga, and a live-action film. Sentai Filmworks released both anime series on home video in North America.
For now, the best move is simple: let the creator rest. A two-month pause is a small price if it means Yoshizuki can recover properly and return without forcing their body through more damage.
Source: Anime News Network