Sankakuhead, creator of the popular comedy manga and anime Himouto! Umaru-chan, recently uploaded a YouTube video detailing events from his personal life that took place during the manga’s publication (between 2013 and 2017). The video comes with several “viewer discretion advised” notices and a warning that says, “Watching this video may completely change your perception of Umaru-chan, so please watch at your own risk.” The following paragraphs will cover the contents of the video, so please keep in mind the author’s warning before reading on.
Sankakuhead explains that he originally modelled Umaru-chan after his younger sister – aiming to capture the comical duality of a girl who’s elegant on the outside but turns into a lazy couch potato at home. He describes having a good relationship with his sister, with the two of them often drawing manga together while growing up. When Himouto! Umaru-chan was approved for serialization by Sankakuhead’s publisher, his sister was happy to have served as the inspiration. However, around the time the comic’s 6-7th volume came out, she was diagnosed with a serious disease and hospitalized long-term. By the time the manga was at its 10th volume, the disease had progressed, and Sankakuhead’s sister passed away.
“Rather than feeling sad, I just remember thinking ‘What’s going on?’ I couldn’t understand what was happening. Rationally, I knew every person had to die at some point, but I couldn’t help but wonder why it had to be my sister,” he commented.
Since Himouto! Umaru-chan’s protagonist was modelled after his sister, Sankakuhead became unable to draw the manga for a while. He took breaks to recover emotionally, but felt conflicted about doing so as the timing coincided with the anime adaptation’s first season beginning to air. Ever since her death, the author has been hesitant to talk about it publicly or via his afterwords because he was worried readers wouldn’t be able to enjoy the manga in the same way – as a light-hearted comedy. However, now that he’s started his personal YouTube channel, he’s decided to be open about everything. Additionally, he wishes that the memory of his sister will live on among his readers through Umaru-chan.
