Hiromu Arakawa, the creator behind Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon, and Noble Farmer, has built one of the most respected careers in manga, all while avoiding social media completely. At a time when creators are usually expected to stay active online and keep fans updated constantly, Arakawa’s decision to stay offline goes totally against the norm.
Despite her work selling over 80 million copies globally, she’s kept a low profile and stayed away from the constant online chatter. So why has she taken this route? A recent interview gave some direct answers.
“If I Have Time to Spend Online, I’d Rather Spend It With My Kids”
One of the biggest reasons she gave was time. In a recent interview, Arakawa said, “It’s partly because I’m busy and even more so after having children. I’m already someone who works 365 days a year. So, if I have time to spend online, I’d rather dedicate it to my children.”
Working as a manga artist is way more intense than most people realize. It’s not just about drawing pages; there’s story planning, character writing, pacing, deadlines. It’s nonstop. Add parenting into the mix, and social media just becomes another thing draining time and energy.
Her mindset is simple: if something doesn’t help her work or family, it’s not worth the time.
“I Vent By Drawing”
Arakawa also explained that for her, manga is how she expresses what she feels. She said, “I’m the type to express myself through manga, so I probably vent by drawing.” That’s her outlet.
Some creators use social media to speak their mind or share opinions, but Arakawa puts all of that directly into her work. Her manga is her voice. No tweets needed.
That perspective makes sense when you look at her stories. Whether it’s the emotional beats of Fullmetal Alchemist or the calm honesty of Silver Spoon, her work speaks volumes without her needing to explain anything online.
She’s Used the Internet Before – But It Didn’t End Well
Interestingly, Arakawa wasn’t always disconnected. She used to be pretty active online — especially in the early days of the internet. Back then, she hung out on bulletin boards for history fans. Those spaces even helped her meet other artists who supported her move to Tokyo.
But things changed when Fullmetal Alchemist blew up.
She had a personal site with a fan bulletin board. After her manga gained traction, the site started getting swarmed, and then it got hacked. Someone stole the admin password, messed with the site, and she ended up shutting it down right before the anime launched.
She’s also talked about a scary trend from that era, back when addresses were sometimes printed in self-published doujinshi. Overenthusiastic fans, known as “toti,” would actually show up at creators’ houses. Arakawa called it flat-out scary. That kind of invasion of privacy left a real mark.
She’s Seen How Online Feedback Can Hurt the Work
Beyond privacy, Arakawa also doesn’t like how online feedback can mess with the creative process. In the interview, she shared a story about another manga artist who got really into reading comments on 2channel. That artist actually started adjusting the plot based on what fans were saying, and the series ended up doing worse because of it.
She explained her thinking this way: “Everyone predicts future developments and writes about them. If they guess correctly, it’s like, ‘See, I was right.’ And if not, they might think, ‘Did she change it after reading the posts?’ Distancing myself from the internet helps me avoid being swayed by readers’ reactions.”
It’s about protecting the story and not letting outside noise change the direction she originally planned. Arakawa believes that if you keep chasing approval or trying to react to fan takes, the work can lose its purpose.
She Does Read Feedback – But Only in Specific Places
Arakawa isn’t against reading comments completely. She just chooses when and where to do it. She said she checks feedback on Gangan Online, where her manga is published digitally, and also occasionally reads comments on YouTube, like for the Noble Farmer anime.
These platforms are more contained and don’t have the same chaos as open forums or Twitter (now X). It’s a way for her to stay connected without letting the internet shape her work.
And even though she’s offline, she’s still aware of internet trends. In Yomi No Tsugai, she made a nod to the viral Fullmetal Alchemist meme, “I hate perceptive brats.” That meme, from way back in volume 2, blew up online, and she poked fun at it in her own manga years later.
Source: Kyoko Shimbun
