Tamiki Wakaki

Wakaki-sensei's self-depiction

Tamiki Wakaki (若木民喜, Wakaki Tamiki), born on May 9, 1972 in Ikeda, Osaka. He is a Japanese mangaka and graduate of Kyoto University. He is notable for his manga series Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai.

The Life of Tamiki Wakaki

Wakaki Tamiki was born in Osaka, and graduated from Kyoto University. He studied manga and submitted his first one shot in 1993 (at age 21), achieving the 'Shogakukan Comics Award' grand prize. He was at first acclaimed to be 'Rising new figure whose future 10 years are anticipated'.

After receiving some bad reviews from the manga editor of some of his various oneshots though, he left the manga industry due to great shock. After a year, he returned to start anew and started his first assistant job under manga artist Takemura Yuuji.

Even though he gained more experience, Wakaki continued to fail at receiving a serialization. Thereafter, he became a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) and moved back to his hometown of Osaka. Wakaki returned to Tokyo, 6 years after he received his first award, now at the age of 27 years old. In January 2000, he submitted another new oneshot, 'First Touch' (ファースト タッチ), but he again failed to receive a serialization.

Wakaki continued to submit multiple one-shots after 'First Touch', all failing to get serialized. In 2006, 13 years after his days of hell began, now at age 34, Wakaki was able to serialize a series named Holy Crystal Albatross (聖結晶アルバトロス, Seikesshou Albatross). However, his suffering did not end there.

Vol 4 cover

Cover on the magazine

The content itself was based on one of his old one-shot called Information Thief Group Albatross, which he presented in 2004. The series was serialized for around a year, but ended up getting canceled by the staff because the editors said it was an accidental-serialization. Something that is more saddening is that he was never able to finish the series properly. For instance, the story was something about collecting 5 crystals, but ended with only collecting 2 and suddenly got an axed-ending. Wakaki Tamiki made a blog post to explain all the plot+foreshadows+questions regards to storyline due to his sudden cancel... He said 'Now my bank balance fell below 10,000 yen. If I don't get any sort of cash by next week, I can't pay any public utility charges, thus I'm going back to the stone-age.' Interestingly enough he state that he had three choices left; 1. Lowering quality 2. debt 3. Canceling preorder of NINJAGAIDEN2. His choice was number 2... He ended his blog with 'it's a world of majors which I longed and longed for, but why is it so painful...'. His life changed with the one-shot Koishite!? Kami-sama!! ( 恋して!? 神様!!).

Cover of the one shot

The reception of this one shot wasn't the best. In Internet + otaku communities, it was groundbreaking series for them, but for everyone else, they thought it was complete garbage. Since there was too much spare space in the magazine Shonen Sunday, it just went through into the serialization as the series we know of now: The World God Only Knows.

With the actual series, editing department never liked it at first. However, it gradually got recognition from general readers, not just eroge/galge otakus who were already treating it as a 'Godly Manga'. Finally, Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai hits its 18th volume now, and even received two seasons of anime. He escaped from the endless cycle of NEET, and became one of the most influential mangaka in Shonen Sunday.

Life in his Manga

Wakaki Tamiki's dramatic history is portrayed greatly in Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai

1. You find it how the first 4 captures go with the "lightning-speed" pacing. That's all became for he was afraid that this series might get the same treatment as Holy Crystal Albatross, which got canceled and and received a screwed ending due to slow pacing issues. Wakaki Tamiki went with the pacing that long-term serialization work tends to take for Seikesshou. It was the worst kind of approach when mangaka does not have any sort of fanbase to ignore the "slow-pacing during the start" issue. Knowing this failure of his previous work, he had to go faster this time from the start.
2. "Keima = Wakaki Tamiki" is largely accepted by everyone who knows his history. All those knowledge of galge is based on his own gaming experience also.
3. Keima frequently says 'Reality is garbage/sh*t'. That's what Wakaki Tamiki said all the time in his blog. (...)
4. He frequently describes that he experienced by 'himself'. Due to his 13 years of NEET life, he experienced how 'ROTTEN REALITY IS' and how he 'DESPERATELY ESCAPED FROM IT' through gaming. After all, he is from Kyoto University, and smart enough to know what's going on.
5. He actually played female eroge by himself for the sole reason of drawing Yui Goidō's case.
6. He never EVER takes a break. He says 'I'm afraid of taking a break'. He has taken a few, but it is only because of very strict reasons.
7. He describes Keima as "A person who insist upon his thoughts, leads the situation as if it is the right thing, but 'A LUNATIC'." (Wakaki knows he was once crazy during his 13 years of NEET.)
8. In 8th Volume, he wrote his sad story in the extras.

Brief Timeline of Wakaki's History

Age - Summary

21 - Shogakukan Comics Award Grand Prize, praised to be 'Huge new figure who's future 10 years are anticipated'
22 - Trashed for not being able to adapt to the serialization system + cult material
23 - Not employed
24 - Game
25 - Game
26 - Determination to finally do something
27 - After 6 years, going back to Tokyo for return
28 - Again got criticized for the theme, breakdown
29 - deceived himself with gaming
30 - cannot escape anymore
31 - Finally realize that it is irrevocable
32 - Outcries, 'go to hell this damned world!'
33 - Albatross serialized due to staff's mistake
34 - Albatross canceled due to staff's power
35 - "I checked my bank balance and it was 10,000 yen".
36 - After 10 years of gaming experience, Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai announced, offline treats me as madman, online thinks me as god. There were some sayings in editor department, 'Let's just cancel this since it is annoying'.
37 - 'Shogakukan Comics Award' .... REJECTED.
37 - various events created some topics, tears for additional printing that he heard for the first time during his career.
37 - Animation announced, drew chapter to commemorate it.

Manga Works

Series

• Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai(神のみぞ知るセカイ)(2008 issue 19-,Weekly Shōnen Sunday)
• Seikesshō Albatross (聖結晶アルバトロス (Sacred Crystallization Albatross) (2006 issue 1-51,Weekly Shōnen Sunday)

One-shots

• First Touch (ファースト タッチ Fāsuto Tacchi) (January 2000, Weekly Shōnen Sunday Tokubetsu Zōkan R)
• Captain Sweetheart (キャプテン スイートハート Kyaputen Suītohāto) (March 2001,Weekly Shōnen Sunday Chō)
• Coming to Japan! Brazil-kun (来日! ブラジルくん Rainichi! Burajirukun) (February 2002,Weekly Shōnen Sunday Chō)
• Galaxy-style Trial Teacher (銀河式お試し教師 Gingashiki Otameshi Kyōshi) (October 2002,Weekly Shōnen Sunday Chō)
• Information Thief Group Albatross (情報盗団アルバトロス Jōhō Tōdan Arubatorosu) (February 2004,Weekly Shōnen Sunday Chō)
• The Scarlet Gem Phantom Thief Albatross (緋石の怪盗アルバトロス Hiseki no Kaitō Arubatorosu) (2004 issue 27,Weekly Shōnen Sunday)
• Mister Sister Gorilla (ミスターシスターゴリラー Misutā Shisutā Gorirā) (2007 Golden Week issue,Weekly Shōnen Sunday Chō)
• Koishite!? Kami-sama!! (恋して!? 神様!! Koishite!? Kami-sama!!) (2007 issue 32,Weekly Shōnen Sunday)

Trivia

• Despite having Keima being based on him, a key difference between Wakaki and Keima is that while Keima hates sweets, Wakaki loves them.
• Wakaki was an assistant of Takemura Yuuji (creator of Master of the Seas).
• Wakaki wrote the song Happy End in the TWGOK anime series with lots of references to other galge. He also wrote Dreaming Traveller of an Integrated Circuit (as the lyrics were already present in the manga series).
• During the tenth episode of the first anime season, Inside of Me..., Wakaki voices one of the male students during the Librarby Committee meeting regarding the new DVD shelves. This student's name is also mentioned to be "Wakaki".
  • As a lampshade of Wakaki being a gamer, this male student asks for games such as "Dead or Alive" and "Idol Master" to be put on the shelf. Anime only.
• In an Omake, Wakaki calls himself a "complete pessimist". He still claims that he doubts the popularity of TWGOK.