Fist of the North Star (Hokuto No Ken) creator Buronson (Yoshiyuki Okamura) has spoken candidly about his current life as a manga original author, revealing that despite his legendary status, he no longer receives offers from publishers and now personally submits manuscripts in hopes of getting serialized again.
Buronson, now 78, is best known as the original creator of Fist of the North Star, a series that has surpassed 100 million copies in circulation worldwide. The franchise is also receiving and remake and is scheduled to air in 2026. However, despite the franchise’s revival, the veteran creator says this has not led to new writing opportunities.
“Right now, if I just wait, no offers will come. So I have no choice but to bring my manuscripts in myself,” Buronson said. “So far, they don’t use them at all. But at this age, I want to see whether my ability as a writer still works with today’s readers.”
He added that he continues submitting his work directly to editorial departments, even while joking about how he may be perceived.
“They’re probably thinking, ‘Oh no, the old man is here again. What a pain,’” he said with a laugh.
In recent years, Buronson has also devoted significant effort to supporting younger creators. He invested 400 million yen of his own money to establish Saku Mangasha in Nagano Prefecture. He also runs the “Buronson 100-Hour Manga School,” which has trained 126 students, with 30 successfully making their professional debut as of December 2025. The lessons were taught by the popular mangaka such as Gosho Aoyama (Detective Conan) and Mitsuru Adachi (Touch).
Reflecting on why he began mentoring young creators, Buronson spoke about the harsh realities of the industry and the mental toll it has taken on many artists he has worked with over the years.
“There are a lot of manga artists who are serious and clumsy in a good way,” he said. “Some of them try to create something even better than what they drew with my original story, and they end up stopping completely. Two people I worked with died after becoming mentally unwell.”
He explained that his advice to younger creators is often about survival rather than purity.
“When you try to draw freely with only pure feelings, everything overflows. I always tell them to muddy things a little so they can keep running for a long time.”
Despite positioning himself as a mentor, Buronson says he refuses to stand apart from his students. He completes the same assignments given to those in his school, driven by a competitive spirit.
“I can’t lose to the younger ones,” he said. “Watching the students makes me realize I still have a long way to go. Starting the school actually made me feel more energetic.”
Buronson’s most recent serialized work, “Too BEAT!” concluded in 2023, but he continues writing new drafts and pitching stories in genres he has never attempted before, including golf, horse racing, AV actresses and con artists. While remaining realistic about his age, he approaches the future with characteristic bluntness and humor.
While continuing to work energetically with his 80th birthday approaching, he says, “You never know what might happen, so I suppose I should start thinking a little about the future,” and then adds with a grin: “The scariest thing would be dying during s*x, right? Aim for death in bed! Hahahaha!
The interview offers a rare look at the realities faced by veteran creators in the modern manga industry, even as their most famous works return in new adaptations. For Buronson, legacy alone is not enough, he continues to write, submit manuscripts, and test himself against a new generation, refusing to step away from the field he has spent his life in.
Source: Bunshun
