Studying Manga in Japan

Hello, my name is Zul. I am 22 years old and born on September 30, 2002. From a young age, I have always had one dream: to become an artist. The colorful world of anime and cartoons like Naruto, Dragon Ball, and Doraemon captured my imagination, and I yearned to create something just as captivating someday.

Unfortunately, in 2010, my progress came to a halt for reasons I cannot recall. In middle school, while others effortlessly drew detailed anime characters, I found myself only able to doodle stickman figures during classes. This left me feeling frustrated and angry with myself. Despite my efforts to pick up drawing again, the demands of life got in the way. Between helping out with my family’s home retail business, managing schoolwork, and caring for my younger siblings, finding time to focus on my passion became nearly impossible. Eventually, I lost touch with drawing altogether.

Then, things took a turn for the worse. My school denied me advancement to my final year due to frequent tardiness and absences caused by juggling responsibilities at our family store and caring for my siblings. I witnessed this one student in the same class as me who barely showed up to school and to the final year exam get to move on to the final year of school while I was held back shattered me.

Truthfully, I wanted nothing more than to prostrate myself on the ground and repeatedly hit my head against the floor in front of the principal. I was dead serious about not wanting to be held back, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it when I thought about how disappointed my parents would be if they saw me like that.

Even after explaining my circumstances to the principal, they refused to give me a second chance. This experience broke me, leading me to drop out of school entirely.

From 2018 onwards, I felt completely adrift. I worked alongside my older brother at our many family business, and although we experienced moments of success and joy, it was not without its challenges. We were not well-off financially, and every success seemed balanced out by setbacks. My dream of becoming an artist began to feel more distant than ever before.

But in 2021, something inside me reignited that old passion. I stumbled upon an opportunity to study Manga and drawing in Japan, and I was determined to make it happen. I started working hard and saving up money, that time we were doing hotel and real estate business, but once again, family responsibilities took priority. I had to use my savings to support our struggling business, and just like that, my dream slipped away once more. I felt lost and unsure of my next steps.

However, on November 24, 2023, everything changed. While scrolling online, I came across a video by Pewdiepie where he taught himself how to draw in just 30 days. Watching him inspired me and pushed me to try again. I picked up my pencil, followed tutorials, and little by little, I began to see progress. For the first time in years, drawing made me truly happy again. While I am still a beginner, this newfound determination pushes me to keep going.

Recently, I discovered an incredible opportunity to study manga for three months in Japan, and I am beyond excited. This could be my chance to finally live out the dream I have cherished for so long – learning traditional arts and creating my own manga stories.

As of now, I am also teaching myself how to cook in preparation for living in Japan. This way, I can rely less on restaurants or fast food and live more affordably while focusing on my studies.

That is why I am reaching out for help. Today, I am starting this fundraiser to support my journey to Japan, and I humbly ask for your assistance in making this dream a reality. Every contribution means the world to me and brings me closer to achieving my goal of learning the art of manga and sharing my stories with the world.

The institute i will be studying is at
Kudan Japanese Institute
Which 3 months course is 416,000 Yen
My initial target is around 800,000 Yen for apartment rental, but i will focus on course first and i would be grateful if i can reach that goal.

I will share some pictures of my drawing progress for you all to see

Thank you sincerely for taking the time to read about my aspirations and considering supporting them.