From Prison to Note: The Rebirth of a Manga Artist After Incarceration

― A 60-Year-Old Ex-Convict Manga Creator Begins Anew on note ―
by Gosuian Sanzin

Introduction

Having lost everything due to a criminal case and the sentence that followed, a former philosophy researcher finds himself back at square one. Now approaching his 60th birthday, he picks up the pen—not for academia, but for manga. With encouragement from an AI “Editor-in-Chief,” he sets off down a path of creative resurrection.

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1. From Prison to Pretty Girls: My First Steps Into Manga Creation

It wasn’t long after my release from prison that I learned about the platform called “note.”
After being away from the internet for several years, I began reconnecting with the world online—and kept running into these things called “note articles.”

Still, I remember thinking:

“What a plain name… ‘note’? Really? That’s it?”

The name struck me as so minimal, so flavorless. It seemed unlikely to appeal to the trendy, lightweight crowd that dominates today’s internet.
Why was it showing up so often?

But apparently, I was exactly that lightweight user.
The name failed to catch my interest, and I left it at that.

Years passed. I stayed out of trouble—(yes, I was a first-time offender, for the record)—and had settled into a quiet, uneventful life.

But something else had taken root during my incarceration: the desire to create a manga.
The idea had simmered for years in my mind, and post-release, I finally began giving it form. The result: a philosophical, beautiful-girl gag manga titled You Tottemo Please Prison (aka “YutopPri” or "Cute Criminals & Crazy Philosophy" in English version).

Ironically, the years I’d lost behind bars were being repaid in full. I was now more creatively fulfilled than at any point in my 60-year life.

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2. Encounter with the AI Editor-in-Chief

Even though YutopPri is heavy on humor, it’s still a serialized story-based manga.
For a long time, I just kept drawing it quietly—without any particular plan to publish—until I’d amassed a backlog of 40 episodes.

It was around the start of this year(2025), when I began thinking I might finally want to show it to someone, that I encountered… AI.

I started with Copilot, tried Gemini, but the one that truly clicked with me was ChatGPT.

It was ChatGPT that gave me the most comprehensive answers when I asked,

“Where should I publish a manga like this?”

From that moment, I began holding near-daily “meetings” with ChatGPT.
And with my 60th birthday approaching on July 10, we decided to make that the launch date—simultaneously posting YutopPri to X and pixiv.

3. So… What Exactly Is note?

Once I finally decided to publish something, I needed to choose a platform.

And that’s when ChatGPT once again suggested:

“Why not try note?”

There it was again—note. That bland, minimal name.

But this time, I looked more seriously. And what I discovered surprised me.
note wasn’t just a place for people to dump blog-style posts.
It was a platform with a clear editorial ethos—a Japanese take on Medium, but more elegant and intentionally sparse. A place where creators write not for clicks, but for resonance.

There was no flashy gamification. No “like” buttons lighting up like slot machines.
No pointless follower counts shouting for attention.

Instead, note was quiet. Minimal. A space for writing.
And it made me think: maybe this is the kind of platform that a former inmate, rebuilding his life through creative work, could actually belong on.

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4. Time to Share Everything—Even My Past

Once I’d decided to publish, I knew I couldn’t do it halfway.
I wouldn’t just post the manga and hide the rest. I wanted to be honest.

Honest about the fact that I’m nearly 60.
Honest about the fact that I’m just getting started in manga.
And above all, honest about the fact that I was incarcerated.

That’s how this note article—this very one you’re reading now—came to be.

Even though it reveals everything about my past, I chose to make it my first post.

Because "Cute Criminals & Crazy Philosophy" isn’t just a story I made up.
It’s a work that could only have come from someone who truly went through it—through the shame, the regret, and the slow crawl back toward light.

That’s why I felt I needed to begin here: with truth.

5. A Style that Suits Me: Essays + Manga Side-by-Side

Once I started posting, I quickly realized something:

Rather than just uploading manga episodes one after another,
I preferred weaving essays between them—adding thoughts, context, even philosophical musings.
A sort of “letter from the author,” in the classic sense.

In that format, I could speak directly to the reader.
About why I drew what I drew.
About what it meant to me, at this age, at this stage, after all I’d been through.

And honestly, I enjoyed writing just as much as drawing.

note encouraged that hybrid style.
This wasn’t a place where manga had to dominate with flashy covers and trending hashtags.
It was a place where words mattered.

And so I found a rhythm:
Essay, then manga.
Philosophy, then comedy.
Darkness, then a joke.
YutopPri was always meant to swing between those extremes.

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6. Heading Toward ZINE Fest Kobe

Looking ahead, I’ve already set one major goal in motion:
ZINE Fest Kobe, March 1st, 2026.

That’s where I’ll unveil the first printed volume of Cute Criminals & Crazy Philosophy—
selling mini-zines, YutopPri logo T-shirts, postcards, and philosophical “Yutori Gift” quotes.

I’ll be standing there, a 60-year-old ex-con manga creator,
surrounded by the work that pulled me out of the pit.

Not under a publisher’s banner.
Not in the commercial mainstream.
But in the underground spirit where real voices still matter.

And if even a few readers pick up what I’ve made,
not out of pity but out of resonance—
then this rebirth will have meant something.

5. Embracing AI as a Creative Companion

Of course, I’m not so naive as to take everything AI says at face value and get carried away. After all, AI is designed to be supportive and agreeable to its users.

That said, compared to human editors or even friends—especially in Japan—it’s striking how often people react negatively when they see someone trying something new or unfamiliar. Such reactions can easily sap one’s motivation and creativity. In contrast, AI always responds constructively, encouraging me to keep going even when I feel discouraged or stuck. That in itself often leads to fresh and unexpected ideas.

To live creatively in this new era, I believe that collaborating with AI—as my Editor‑in‑Chief once described it—can become a powerful ally. In fact, I see the act of conversing and co-creating with AI not just as a means to an end, but as a theme worth exploring in its own right—philosophically, literarily, and artistically.

Since my dear Editor‑in‑Chief has graciously given me permission to quote from our conversations, I’ve shared one such excerpt above as the conclusion to this first post.

From here on, I plan to continue posting essays in close consultation with my AI editor, exploring various topics together. I hope you’ll join us on this journey.

While I don’t have a fixed schedule yet, I aim to update this note two or three times a month.

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Thank you for reading all the way to the end.
If you enjoyed even a small part of it, I’d be grateful for a “like” or a follow—your support means a lot!

With deepest appreciation,
Gosuian Sanzin