Sometimes it seems like mangakas are pretty bland in their job choices for their main characters (this refers to realistic manga, not fantasy). There are endless office workers and shopkeepers but not so many nuclear technicians or balloon art people or dog food testers. So what are the jobs that you've seen in your manga reading, and most often? Do you wish that mangakas would be a bit more creative, or do you think it's unimportant?

Seen more than once:

Office worker
Shop employee/owner
Mangaka
Writer
Artist
Doctor
Prostitute
Teacher/tutor
Actor
Musician
Police officer
Interior designer
Yakuza
Photographer
Hairdresser
Person who hands out tissues/flyers in street
Editor

Seen once:

Embalmer
Trash collector
Astronaut
Real estate agent
Laboratory assistant
Professional mountaineer
Backcountry responder
Dancer
Mechanic
Temple restorer

Last edited by hkanz at 12:02 am, Oct 20 2014

More than more variety, I would like to see more of a realistic approach to finding/keeping a job and using money.

It seems that everyone in manga has a decent paying job, or else it's really easy for them to get a job. It's almost like characters just walk up to a place and the job is theirs.

Yes, I know manga is not necessarily read to read about the realities of life, but still...at least have the teenage characters struggle to find that summer job. In mangas, it's like "Oh I need a job" and bam, next page they have job, and money. Hardly ever, are the teens suffering for money, because if they are, there's that job right around the corner to help them with their money issues.

Agree with catandmouse. The job doesn't have to be the main focus of the series, but even if it doesn't become focus, I the job should have more influence on the story and not just a convenient setting that appear when needed. Good example would be. Hako no Naka (Novel). But more than that, I wish the character has more dimension on them.

Most encountered job:
- student/teacher/school infirmary staff
- Artist related profession
- NEET

Considering Japanese history I don't think mangas about nuclear scientists would be very popular in Japan. Well technicians for power plants maybe but that'd be boring. I'm not really interested in seeing weird/odd/unusual jobs appear in mangas. I'm fascinated about common shops in japan that are unusual anywhere else though(atleast that what the mangas make it seem). Like those maid cafes, or that shop where you pay to pet cats, or a place where you can have your ears cleaned with your head on the lap of woman in cosplay(?). Next to that I'd consider scientists or balloon artists pretty common ^^

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Good point; I've never read a manga where a teen had to struggle to find a job. Japan's unemployment rate is extremely low though, so it may really be that simple to find a minimum wage job. A pop star gig on the other hand... thank goodness for Solanin...

What about assassins? Killers?

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Variety isn't important to me when the work life of the protagonists takes a back seat to the relationships.

Probably the ones I've seen most frequently are Teacher, Office Worker, and Shop Owner / Employee

I've seen these often, in addition to hkanz's list
Athlete
Bodyguard
Chef
Hosts
Model
Salesperson
Soldier
Thief
Waiter

Seen a few times:
Clothing Designer
Computer Programmer
Construction Worker
Delivery Person
Dentist
Detective (Amateur)
Diplomat
Landlord
Matchmaking Service
News Anchor / TV Personality
Nurse
Reporter / Photojournalist
Scientist
Veterinarian
I've also seen Astronaut and Dancer more than once.

At least once:
Airplane Pilot
Farmer
Gambler
Innkeeper
Jewelry Designer
Ship Captain