My Hero Academia ended its decade-long run back in August 2024, and the series' creator, Kohei Horikoshi, has never seemed quite as lively as he does now. Horikoshi appears to be flourishing without the weight of the serialized manga on his back, once again presenting the problem of how overworked mangaka are.

My Hero Academia's decade-long run has already seen a massive improvement in the quality of Horikoshi's art. There's certainly something to be said for working consistently at one's craft for so long non-stop, and Horikoshi was already a talented young lad when he began. However, there's a different sort of change in the art that he's released since the series ended. There's a sense that he's having fun again, and that he really enjoys his artwork. Even as detailed as Horikoshi's art in My Hero Academia could be, there's a new level of attention being paid, simply because he can.

What Has Changed for Kohei Horikoshi Since the Manga Ended?

Horikoshi is No Longer Constrained by Tight Deadlines

While My Hero Academia did receive a bonus chapter in November, serialization ended in August, meaning that it's been about 8 months (at time of writing) since Horikoshi has had to keep to a deadline. Fans who read the final chapters of My Hero Academia as they were released were well aware that Horikoshi was sometimes struggling to meet these deadlines, causing delays and hiatuses, in part due to the physical toll of overworking on his body. Meeting these weekly deadlines could be incredibly stressful, and it likely impacted his work as much as it did his body.

Without this stress, Horikoshi seems to be doing a lot better, just based on his behavior on social media and public comments. His output of artwork over the past few months has still been absolutely prolific, posting high-quality pieces every few weeks, in addition to whatever other commitments he's still had to keep up with. It's easy to see that he truly loves the characters and world of My Hero Academia which he created, as they're often the focus of these pieces, but now, there's a distinct feeling that he's enjoying himself as well, which wasn't always the case before.

Horikoshi's Struggles as a Mangaka Are Symptomatic of a Bigger Problem

Horikoshi's Case is Emblematic of the Issues With Japan's Manga Industry

Manga is big business in Japan, responsible for hundreds of billions of dollars worth of economic activity, especially when one starts to consider things like merchandise, adaptations, movies, and so on, which all spawn from manga. However, these manga released each week are often written and drawn by just a single person, perhaps with a few assistants to help with detail work. Deadlines are tight, and one missed chapter (especially early in one's career) can mean the end of everything they've worked so hard to build. That leads to incredible stress, which can ravage the body.

Horikoshi is far from the first mangaka to suffer for his art. The legendary Akira Toriyama was said to sleep as little as six to seven hours a week when Dragon Ball was in full production, something that's just plain unsustainable for the human body. Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter X Hunter, suffered debilitating back injuries and went through many periods of severe illness due to overwork, leading to the massive hiatuses seen for Hunter X Hunter. To this day, Togashi is unable to sit upright in a chair, and primarily draws while lying down.

These problems are endemic in the manga industry, and have been for decades at this point, if Toriyama's is anything to go by. Becoming a manga artist is a dream of many children, both in Japan and beyond, but few understand just how physically demanding the job really is. In fact, the desirability of being a manga artist is part of why the companies that publish manga are able to treat their artists so badly; there's a long line of people who will be willing to do just about anything to achieve their dream, so if someone who's gotten their shot doesn't give it their all, they'll be replaced before long.

Will Horikoshi Ever Go Back to Weekly Manga?

Horikoshi's Love of Art May Yet Inspire Him to Return

Even before My Hero Academia finished, there were rumblings and rumors that Horikoshi wanted to create a horror manga for his next series. He certainly does seem to have a fascination with horror tropes, as many of his artworks since the end of the series have had horror elements to them, such as the previous image of Shigaraki. But will Horikoshi really be so eager to start up a new series after finally finishing the ten-year journey that was My Hero Academia?

Horikoshi seems to be enjoying his newfound freedom from the constraints of manga serialization on his life, and it may be a difficult decision to go back to that. At the very least, Horikoshi would do well to take more time off and recover further before attempting to start up another long-term serialized story. He could always do one-shots in the meantime, if so desired, and fans will definitely be eager to read whatever Horikoshi comes out with next. Rushing into a new series could be a potentially fatal mistake, so approaching it with caution and only once he's well rested is what's best.

Kohei Horikoshi has certainly earned his freedom, crafting one of manga's greatest works over the course of a full decade. It's time for him to have some fun and enjoy the fruits of his labor, but it's also a good reminder of just how much the overworked manga artists have been suffering, even if they themselves aren't always fully aware. The manga industry needs to change so that creatives like Horikoshi are able to lead normal lives, even while working on a serialized project. It's not too much to ask that they be allowed to sleep at night. For now, My Hero Academia will stand as a testament not only to Horikoshi's artistry and skill, but also to the intense labor and suffering that went into its creation.