A manga artist named Shoichi Tanazono has published a book about his experiences skipping most of elementary and junior high school.

Growing up, he was haunted by the feeling that he "couldn't be normal." But he found solace in the words of another comic writer and began carving his own path.

Tanazono, whose real name is Masatomo Tanahashi, began skipping classes in first grade after he was smacked by his homeroom teacher.