In the manga world, Ajin is often praised for its realistic gunfights and military gear. However, recently the series’ creator, Gamon Sakurai, shared surprising details about his own expertise.
“I didn’t even know what an M4 rifle was!”
Despite widespread praise for the authenticity of his weapon designs, many assumed Sakurai was either a military expert or an avid enthusiast. He quickly dispelled those notions.
He admitted that before starting Ajin, he had no idea what an M4 rifle was. Although he enjoyed American action movies, his technical knowledge of firearms was basically zero.
The secret is in the budget and research
The meticulous detail in Ajin’s art doesn’t come from prior passion, but from serious investment. Sakurai revealed that whenever he needed to draw a specific piece of equipment, he immersed himself in piles of reference materials.
Notably, for a chapter involving special operations, he spent over 1 million yen (around 160 million VND or $8,000) gathering information and visual references to ensure absolute accuracy. According to him, the quality of the artwork directly reflects the time and budget the artist dedicates to research.
The obsession called “research hell”
After going through what he calls “research hell,” Sakurai once considered using fictional weapons in future works to ease the burden. However, his dedication to the craft wouldn’t allow shortcuts. Even when designing original weapons for characters, it took him six months just to finalize the arsenal for the main cast.
Gamon Sakurai’s story proves you don’t have to be an expert to create a masterpiece, but you must invest seriously and respect your audience.