Manga creator Koji Oishi is taking a break from publishing new chapters of Lycopene the Tomatoy Poodle. The hiatus comes after the mangaka confirmed that the latest update on the title will not be published in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #15. Interestingly, Oishi then posted an official apology where he states that the hiatus has nothing to do with the action role-playing game Elden Ring!
Last week, Koji Oishi tweeted about the latest update on Lycopene not being featured in the magazine. On Sunday, he posted his official apology for the hiatus, jokingly adding that "I definitely wasn't playing the hit game Elden Ring." Since then, the tweet has gone viral on Japanese Twitter and fans are joking about how Oishi is taking some time off to continue playing the game.
Interestingly, the mangaka's funny apology also allowed him to share his discontent about how creators rarely get some free time.
"My pure feelings towards my readers are so strong that I spend so much time on trial and error and go overboard. I hope you can think of my hiatuses as something along those lines," Oishi wrote. He then added that fans are not aware of this because creators get some extra help.
"It is not uncommon for manga artists to sully their manuscripts with their own blood and for their assistants to white it out," Oishi wrote.
He continued to compare being overworked to playing Elden Ring.
"Elden Ring is the same," Oishi wrote. "When I manage to land an attack on the enemy, I have a tendency to get carried away, thinking, 'I might be able to land one more hit.' But then I'd be the one taking damage. It's said to be a difficult game, but the key to victory is watching your opponent carefully and not taking on more than you can chew."
It's a great way to explain the surprising hiatus. We're hoping that Koji Oishi gets enough rest and maybe more time to play Elden Ring.
Lycopene the Tomatoy Poodle is currently on hiatus. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.
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