I dont know the general opinion on art schools in Japan but in the states they are largely seen as useless since they dont really help your artistic abilities or guarantee a decent job in the future. With that being said ive noticed most of the really well known mangaka have gotten a degree is something art related way before they had their series serialized. I know how hard and grueling it can be to make a manga especially in Japans enviorment, so why do they decide to go for an art degree when 1. the series can easily never reach popularity and even though it might the labor is very harsh and 2. if they never make it as a mangaka they are stuck with an art degree. Also most of these mangaka have already done art their whole lives from a very young age, so why do they even feel the need to get a degree in it? Are art schools in Japan seen as something else entirely than they are in the states?
