Tokyo Ghoul creator Sui Ishida has opened up about the punishing schedule he followed while producing the manga for weekly serialization. In a recent interview with Shueisha’s Manga Million, Ishida explained that he regularly worked through the night for most of the week to keep up with the series.
According to Ishida, the workload was so demanding that he no longer remembers which specific days of the week he worked. He estimated that he spent five or six days each week working overnight, with his daily workload reaching approximately 12 to 13 hours.
“I just know I spent five to six days each week working all through the night,”
Ishida said.
“I was probably working at least twelve to thirteen hours per day.”
The demanding routine did not end when the drawing work was finished. Ishida explained that he and his staff would meet at 10 a.m. to work on storyboards, with those sessions lasting between 30 minutes and an hour.
The Pressure Also Changed How Ishida Approached the Story
The interview also sheds light on how Ishida handled the creative challenges that emerged toward the conclusion of Tokyo Ghoul:re. He said he encountered numerous problems while developing the endgame and eventually sought assistance from both a trusted friend and his older sister.
Their feedback gave Ishida a different perspective on the creative process. More importantly, it changed how he viewed collaboration when developing story ideas.
“That helped me realize how much fun it is to think up ideas together with other people,”
Ishida explained.
Ishida previously discussed the physical and emotional toll of working on Tokyo Ghoul:re, including how his health deteriorated during the manga’s serialization. He has also described the series as consuming much of his time and personal life.
His latest comments provide more context for just how intense the weekly production process became.
Ishida is currently creating Choujin X, which began serialization in 2021. Unlike Tokyo Ghoul, the series does not follow the same rigid weekly schedule, with chapters released on a more irregular basis. VIZ Media continues to publish the manga internationally, with its latest chapters available through Shonen Jump.
Ishida’s experience with Tokyo Ghoul highlights the enormous workload that can accompany weekly manga serialization and helps explain why the author eventually moved toward a less restrictive publishing schedule.
