Amin Abbas

DUBAI: Prominently known for her ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ and ‘Tokyo Revengers’ fanart, Nunu is a freelance Iraqi illustrator and comic artist. She published her first manga, ‘Cosplay Cop,’ with VIZ Media under the Original One-Shots program this year. She also creates illustrations and other content on social media for her audience, having partnered with many notable brands.

‘Cosplay Cop’ follows a young anti-goblin police cadet, Uchi, who has to pass his final field exam to graduate and become an officer. Hiding a painful past behind a smile, he is faced with a tough choice against a powerful enemy.

“This story is very inspired by the themes of some of my favorite shonen manga and my real-life experiences,” the artist told Arab News Japan. “‘Cosplay Cop’ specifically explores the themes of classism, oppression, and justice. Uchi, who has a strong sense of justice, struggles mentally more than physically to do his job as a cadet. The manga balances lighthearted, heart-wrenching moments with thrilling action scenes to create a perfect blend of all the tropes I love from my favorite shonen manga.” 

Nunu had worked on amateur webtoons in the past but was not sure if she wanted to pursue creating manga professionally. “I knew that in my heart, I wanted to draw manga,” she said. “But it seemed that the webtoon market had more opportunities for growth, and I had the experience for it. Coincidentally, VIZ Media opened their submission portals for original series.”

“So, it was a no-brainer to write up a pitch. I decided to condense my long series idea into a one-shot, which I storyboarded in thumbnail form. When I finished my pitch and my storyboard, I submitted it and forgot about it. Surprisingly, VIZ got back to me in less than a day. They actually had rejected my first pitch, but it seemed they were still interested in my revision, so they introduced me to Hisashi Sasaki (the previous editor-in-chief of Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan), who spoke with me about how I can improve my storytelling. Sasaki is incredible, because after one 30-minute call with him, I came up with a completely new story with the same premise and characters using his advice. After some revisions and tweaks with his help, that one-shot was greenlit and came to be Cosplay Cop. I always express how incredibly honored I feel to be able to have worked under his guidance,” she added. 

Nunu shared that she was nervous upon sharing her manga with her audience, as they mainly know her for her fanart. “I was pleasantly surprised because my audience and new readers gave me very positive feedback and even expressed their desire for ‘Cosplay Cop’ to be extended into a potential series. A lot of people said they were moved by the story and the characters, and they even enjoyed the art.”

“As for how I feel about being published by VIZ Media, to be honest, I think I don’t quite feel the excitement of it yet. I believe I have a bit of imposter syndrome. It is an amazing opportunity and something I would have never imagined being a part of, but a part of me feels like I need to work harder to be worthy of calling myself a manga artist. The best part about this entire program for me is definitely being able to work with Sasaki. If it weren’t for his involvement, to be honest, I’m not sure if I would have pitched my manga at all. I have received portfolio reviews from a handful of professional comic publishers, but I never once received feedback as valuable as I received from Hisashi. The one thing I can say is that this program opened up my eyes and gave me hope for a brighter future for artists who did not grow up in Japan but want to create impactful stories just like the Japanese manga we all look up to,” she added.

Unlike many Arabs who were introduced to anime through watching it dubbed when they were younger, Nunu shared that she grew up in the United States so she discovered ‘Naruto’ on the TV channel Cartoon Network when she was seven years old. 

“Being attached to the story, characters, and world, I wanted to start the series from the beginning, as the TV network rarely aired the episodes in order. So, I Googled the rest of the episodes online, which is how I ended up learning that ‘Naruto’ is originally Japanese, is actually referred to as an anime and is actually an adaptation of the original source material known as manga. The style of storytelling in ‘Naruto’ is very character-driven and emotional, but also exciting and action-packed with a creative premise,” she shared.

Nunu visited Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka in 2023. Reflecting on her experience, she said, “I can’t really say what was the most enjoyable for me since every day was really fun. Even though I went to Akihabara and a ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ exhibition, which are the best attractions for manga fans, I can’t help but feel like the best part about going there was the rich cultural presence. I loved going to places that weren’t necessarily tourist attractions but preserved the cultural history of some of the Japanese communities. I liked to curiously look at temples and shrines and see how the older Japanese men pounded mochi. If I receive the opportunity to visit again, I definitely want to see more of the nature and historical attractions.” 

The Iraqi artist started drawing when she was eight years old and published her first comic in 2017. “I was very immature and did not know anything about storytelling except that I wanted to do it,” she said. “I gained a following for my comic, but I wasn’t very confident about my art so I left it for a while to focus on illustration. I started illustrating fanart of anime like ‘Tokyo Revengers’ and ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ for social media, which unexpectedly garnered millions of views. That was the first time I gained a large social media following on TikTok and Instagram and became more confident in my work

Regarding her upcoming projects in the near future, Nunu said, “I hope to create more manga in the future, whether it be for contests or publications. If given the opportunity to, I would also love to work on a series in the future. For now, I’m enjoying creating manga one-shots for people to read.”

‘Cosplay Cop’ is available now on Japan’s leading digital manga platform, Kadokawa’s Book Walker.