What really goes on in the mind of mangaka when they draw manga? That is the premise of Super Cruel and Terrible Tales of Mangaka, Terrible Tales for short.

This manga doesn't follow a specific plotline, but rather an episodic, short stories that detail what goes on in the lives of mangaka. The chapters really dffer from a mangaka that just had a baby to the terrible, and dark lives of horror mangaka. It seems that there might be some actual truth behind this joke and does a good job of causing you to cut some slack on the mangaka for not doing a good job on a certain manga. Despite being a gag comic, it does a good job of using a different style that seems linear, but breaks in the middle to tell you what's going on. This is helpful since there are sudden time skips that need warning.There is also an issue with enjoyment. Certain chapters just aren't funny or become repetitive with certain gags (i.e. Stalking, assholeness, etc).

I have to say that this isn't for kids or anyone that can't take jokes. There are some scenes that contain nudity and at points spouse abuse. So if you can't stand to see a woman get hit without getting angry, maybe not for you.. The last chapters are pretty real and give all people who dream of being mangaka a wakeup call. I really enjoyed the last chapters feel and somewhat surrealness. The main problem with this manga is if you haven't dabbled in the most genres of manga you won't get the jokes. Certain jokes revolve around certain manga like Beserk and ecchi manga, at some points Mazinger. If you don't know your manga, it may be difficult to follow.

When you talk about gekiga-like manga or gag manga, art skill isn't a must. The art style has a very "what the hell" attitude and can be either a brilliant masterpiece, or a grotesque pile of crap. There are some crude scenes but from the cover alone you should be able to tell whether you will actually enjoy the manga. The facial designs are quite basic and look like a third grader made the screentones and shading, but a funny third grader. All in all, not that bad a job, but if it wasn't a gekiga it would be in trouble.

There is no certain set of characters, but a series of episodic mangaka that are editors, ero-mangaka, horror mangaka, etc. Most characters tend to be one sided and stereotypical, but there is some truth to it. It makes you think, "What was this guy thinking when he made the boobs so big"? and such. Most, if not all the characters are assholes and get portrayed as antisocial pricks who despise their careers or people are full of themselves.

All in all, this manga is not for everyone, especially if you've succumb to moe and cutesy manga. This is a recommendation to everyone, but if you're a fan of dramatic picture and gag manga that make you go "WTF?" then this is the manga for you. Make sure you read up on your manga before you read this.