J-Drama Spotlight: Sleepeeer Hit!
Stories about the publishing industry make up some of my favourites. I love learning about the work that happens behind the scenes to bring a novel or manga to life, be it from the perspective of the mangaka, writers, or editorial team. So, of course, I was fascinated by the idea of Sleepeer Hit! (Juhan Shuttai!), which is a J-drama set entirely within the editorial department for a weekly manga magazine: Vibes.
Key Details
Sleepeeer Hit! is based on a seinen manga series by Naoko Matsuda, which ran in Monthly Big Comic Spirits between 2011 and 2023. This drama adaptation aired on TBS in early 2016 and is directed by Nobuhiro Doi (In This Corner of the World, Is Love Sustainable?) with scripts by Akiko Nogi (Where Does the Sea Begin, Public Affairs Office in the Sky). There is a large and recurring cast, but our protagonist Kokoro Kurosawa is played by Haru Kuroki (Silver Spoon, Million Dollar Man).
The Premise
Our story follows protagonist Kokoro Kurosawa, who was a contender for the Olympic Judo Team until she suffered an injury, forcing her to retire. Now she’s taken a different direction in life and, following her life of manga, begins working for the weekly manga magazine Vibes. Here she works under senior editor Kei Iokibe, learning what it means to work with mangaka to create a weekly chapter, as well as the many other important parts of the job. She must discover and nurture new talent, work with the sales department to ensure the manga she’s helped produce sells, and most importantly. aim for a sleeper hit!
Note: Sleeper hit is defined as a series that doesn’t look like it will sell much to begin with, but unexpectedly earns a reprint.
Why It’s Worth Watching
In a similar way to manga series Bakuman or Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san, Sleepeeer Hit! is a love letter to the manga industry. Within these ten 45-minute episodes, we learn a lot about every aspect of the manga industry. This includes watching over the editors working with mangaka, but also the constant tension between the editorial department and the sales department as they fight against the decline of print sales and the rise of eBooks.
Although Kokoro is our protagonist, the series is more of an ensemble piece where every episode revolves around a different main character or collection of characters. This offers us a lot of variety in that you get to see a wide range of stories from those working in different sections of the industry. Be it creators, editorial, sales, or even those working in book stores. Everyone works in the manga industry for different reasons and has taken different paths on their way to coming to work for or with Vibes.
This does have the unfortunate effect that after the initial episode, Kokoro often feels sidelined or that she exists to move the plot forward rather than as a character in her own right. She’s outshone by the stories of the rest of the cast, and that is the biggest issue with this drama. But at the same time, that doesn’t become a problem that nullifies everything else Sleepeer Hit! has going for it. I learnt a lot about the industry from watching this show, things that I’d never thought about before, despite reading and watching a lot of stories that take place in similar environments.
Another thing I appreciated is that although this series presents a relatively optimistic and idealistic take on the manga industry, it didn’t shy away from some of the problems it faces either. The lower sales of print magazines are one example, with several Vibes editors coming from a former magazine that was shut down, and then there are issues they face trying to convince creators to let them sell their works as eBooks. There can also just be fundamental issues in how a creator and editor get along; if their views don’t align, then they’ll never be able to produce their best work. Rather than paint the industry in a good light, it feels like the hope and optimism depicted is simply due to how much the original creator genuinely loves literature.
In Closing
Sleepeer Hit! is a story with a lot of ups and downs, but it’s very consistent in its efforts to leave the viewer with the feeling of love for the publishing industry. It’s a charming series that will teach you a lot about the industry, and well worth your time if you’re even slightly interested in what it means to publish a weekly manga series.
Sleepeeer Hit! is available to watch on Viki in Japanese with English subtitles.
©TBS
