Recently, the creator of the popular romantic comedy Rent-A-Girlfriend (Kanojo, Okarishimasu) captured readers’ attention with an unusual public appearance. Reiji Miyajima, the author and illustrator of the series, revealed his face—uncommon among manga professionals in Japan, who typically keep their personal identities private—through photos and educational materials shared by the manga school Kakikomi.

The secret to a perfect first chapter

During his role as an instructor at the school, Miyajima provided direct guidance to aspiring artists on how to build a strong first chapter, a major challenge when starting serialization. The author explained that novice artists often make the mistake of trying to include too many ideas at once. To avoid this, he emphasized the need to identify the central focus and main axis of the story from the first page. Without clear direction, he warned, it becomes difficult to decide which elements to discard, weakening the narrative and making the chapter feel scattered and unfocused.

“What you like” vs “what sells”

Miyajima’s lesson also delved into his personal creative philosophy, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between “things you like” and “things that sell”. The author detailed his thought process for defining exactly what he wants to represent in his work, structuring the plot so the central axis doesn’t deviate or lose its direction over time.

These tips are backed by the overwhelming success of his own work. Serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine since July 2017, the manga has surpassed 15 million copies in circulation worldwide. Currently, as the anime adaptation is airing its fifth season, this rare appearance by Miyajima serves as a practical testament to how a disciplined narrative approach can sustain a story’s success over nearly a decade of publication.