Manga Legend Moto Hagio Opens Official X Account and Announces Indie Convention Participation

Moto Hagio, one of Japan's most prominent shojo manga artists and a designated Person of Cultural Merit, has launched an official X (formerly Twitter) account. Alongside the account launch, it was announced that she will participate as an indie artist circle at COMITIA 157, a convention for self-published original manga. The legendary creator's sudden debut on social media and entry into the indie convention scene have sparked overwhelming excitement and shock among fans and fellow creators across social platforms.

Helped by guidance from a long-time fan site administrator who previously shared information about her work, the long-awaited launch of Hagio's official account quickly went viral. While fans cheered with reactions like "Absolute joy!" and "I never imagined we'd get an official account!", her announced participation in the original works convention COMITIA delivered an even bigger surprise.

According to the announcement, Hagio will participate as a circle at COMITIA 157. Although Hagio herself will not be attending the venue in person, the news that a master manga artist is joining a self-published works convention has generated massive buzz, with people calling it "the biggest shock of the Reiwa era" and "living in an incredible timeline."

Hagio's oeuvre has had a profound impact on younger generations of manga artists and creators, prompting a flood of emotional posts on social media, such as "She is the origin master who inspired me to draw" and "This is a historic moment." Following the launch of her official X account, great attention is now focused on her future updates and event involvement.

The context

Moto Hagio is widely regarded as one of the most influential pioneers of modern shojo (girls') manga. She is a prominent member of the "Year 24 Group," a group of female creators born around 1949 who revolutionized shojo manga in the 1970s by introducing deep psychological themes, science fiction, historical drama, and sophisticated narrative techniques. Her famous works include The Poe Clan and They Were Eleven. In 2019, she was designated a Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government. COMITIA is a major convention in Japan specifically dedicated to original, self-published comics (doujinshi), setting it apart from events like Comic Market which heavily feature derivative fan works.