Boichi asks mangakas to stop copying the Shonen Jump style

If you've recently felt like every new fighting manga is an exact copy of the last one, you're not crazy. The legendary Boichi, the South Korean illustrator who gave us the brutal visuals of Dr. Stone, has just said exactly the same thing. This master of ink warned that new mangakas' obsession with getting into Weekly Shonen Jump is about to become a disaster for the industry's diversity.

The danger of creating pure generic clones

Boichi made things very clear on his social networks. He loves the publisher Shueisha for publishing him and showcasing his works, but he is quite concerned that rookie artists only have eyes for that magazine. By trying to force themselves into Jump's standards, they end up drawing the same styles, recycling the same protagonists, and using the same old clichés. Basically, if everyone aims for the same editorial goal to ensure commercial success, we will end up reading identical stories, and that, in his own words, is a tragedy for the world of Japanese comics.

And the truth is, this guy has all the authority to give lessons. Before drawing Senku's science, Boichi blew our minds with hyper-realistic and raw works like Sun-Ken Rock, proving that you can jump from the mob to science fiction without losing your essence. For him, the secret is to create from real passion. He gave the example of someone who loves cows and decides to make a manga about raising cows; that rarity and authenticity is exactly what the manga industry lacks today to stay fresh and relevant.

In the forums, the community is unanimously agreeing with him. Many independent illustrators admit they feel a massive pressure to imitate the trending shonen style just to get their first break, sacrificing their original ideas in the process.

Do you think Jump is to blame for there being so much generic manga, or should authors take more risks with their ideas?