Anime ID (@AnimeID)

an American artist moved to Japan and ended up winning a manga contest...but would she suggest other artists do the same?? Q: Would you recommend other artists come to Japan and/or enter manga contests? If so, what advice do you have for them? Linnea Kataja: "Whether someone should come and live in Japan is going to vary a lot from person to person. "Some people love it here, while others don't mesh with it and end up returning to their home country because it wasn't what they expected. "If you have the opportunity to live in a foreign country, even for a short time, I would highly recommend it. Living abroad can give you new perspectives on both your own life and the country you grew up in that you wouldn't have had otherwise. "In general, the people I see doing well in Japan tend to be fairly independent and have clear goals for what they want to accomplish here, whether that's building a career or creating a family life they enjoy. "If you're serious about moving to Japan, learning Japanese is essential. If possible, try to become conversational or fluent before moving here, since it will open up many more opportunities and make daily life much smoother overall. "As for entering manga contests, I think they can be a valuable experience simply because of what you can learn from them. Many contests offer editor feedback even if you don't win a prize, and that feedback can help you understand what you need to improve in order to create more professionally viable work." **please check out Kataja's contest-winning oneshot "This Foreigner is Too Otaku to Make Her Dreams Come True" on her X profile (Keiko Kup)