[Planning and Draft] Kikusui Electronics
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your positive reviews of the first part of Haikawa!
I was concerned that this project might not be taken seriously and could receive negative comments.
The overwhelmingly positive feedback was a pleasant surprise, and the production team was thrilled to have completed this project.
After publishing the previous comic, we received numerous requests for a sequel. However, due to various circumstances, it was not easy to create one. Then the pandemic hit, and I retired, making it impossible to publish a sequel.
However, five years after the first part was published, the sales promotion manager contacted me enthusiastically, stating, “We want to respond to numerous requests for a sequel.“
I was a bit perplexed. The realization of the previous project was not an easy task, and in many aspects, we were lucky.
However, the manager would not back down (laughter). In the winter of 2023, I finally said, “If you insist, I’ll do my best.”
And now, finally, we are pleased to present “Haikawa Returns“!
This sequel features three types of products: withstanding voltage testers (hipot testers), electronic loads, and AC power supplies.
Compared to the previous comic, which focused on DC power supplies, topics covered in the second part are likely less familiar to readers, especially people without experience and young engineers. Furthermore, numerous technical details make explaining these products in a comic book format significantly more difficult.
Why did we deliberately choose three difficult-to-explain products? To paraphrase a famous quote, we climbed the mountain because it was there.
Our goal was not to focus on a single product but to provide a rough explanation for readers unfamiliar with the topic.
So, please don’t expect to be able to use the equipment after reading this manga.
We hope you will treat this comic not as an introduction but as a pre-introduction, a preparatory step before acquiring more in-depth knowledge.
The story is set at Zero One Robotics, the same robotics company featured in part one. It follows a confident and knowledgeable senior engineer (Utsugi) and an easygoing junior engineer (Kikunaga). Together, they explain the fundamentals of withstanding voltage testers (hipot testers), electronic loads, and AC power supplies. We hope you’ll enjoy their journey!
The title is a mouthful, so please feel free to call it “Haikawa Returns” or “Haikawa R” for short. Thank you!
Minami KikunagaMinami Kikunaga is a UI (User Interface) engineer in the Communication Robot Development Department. She has a background in information engineering and is skilled in programming, but her understanding of electrical and electronic engineering is limited. As a result, when it comes to product development, she often relies on the support of a senior employee, Utsugi. Kikunaga has a great personality, although she sometimes frustrates her senior colleague. She also has a cat named Dango.
Naoto UtsugiNaoto Utsugi is a firmware development engineer in the Functional Module Development Department with a background in hardware design. He often claims that, in recent years, he has become a “jack of all trades.” His junior colleague, Kikunaga, frequently turns to him for guidance because they used to work together. Although Utsugi appears cool and composed, he can be pretty sharp-tongued when talking with Kikunaga. His hobby is coffee roasting.
Minami KikunagaMinami Kikunaga is a UI (User Interface) engineer in the Communication Robot Development Department. She has a background in information engineering and is skilled in programming, but her understanding of electrical and electronic engineering is limited. As a result, when it comes to product development, she often relies on the support of a senior employee, Utsugi. Kikunaga has a great personality, although she sometimes frustrates her senior colleague. She also has a cat named Dango.
Naoto UtsugiNaoto Utsugi is a firmware development engineer in the Functional Module Development Department with a background in hardware design. He often claims that, in recent years, he has become a “jack of all trades.” His junior colleague, Kikunaga, frequently turns to him for guidance because they used to work together. Although Utsugi appears cool and composed, he can be pretty sharp-tongued when talking with Kikunaga. His hobby is coffee roasting.
Writing and Planning
Kikusui Electronics Corporation Sales Promotion Team
Translated
Polanski Adrianna
Comic Production
ad-manga.com
This comic is fact-based fiction.
Episode 1: Withstanding Voltage Testers (Hipot Testers) Part 1
What Are the Dangers of Electric Shock?
Episode 1 Column
The first three episodes focus on withstanding voltage testers (hipot testers). These testers are essential for evaluating the safety of electrical products. However, they are not very popular among engineers, and some people may have never even seen or used one. As we will explain in more detail later, using these testing devices is a legal requirement for manufacturers in order to comply with safety standards, especially when producing electrical products intended for global markets. Despite their importance, withstanding voltage testers (hipot testers) often do not receive much recognition. Unlike popular measuring instruments such as oscilloscopes, there are likely few engineers who are fond of withstand voltage testers, though KIKUSUI’s developers might be an exception.
We wanted to feature the withstand voltage testers in this comic because they are known mainly by engineers responsible for quality assurance. Using these devices requires knowledge of applicable safety standards and a certain amount of know-how is needed to interpret them. It is also challenging to keep up with the standards as they are revised frequently. However, in this field, it is not advisable to think that just because a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, we should leave everything to the experts. We want people to know at least the basics of testing (risks of electric shock, safety standards, etc.), as well as the testing equipment and its role.
The first episode begins with a description of the tragic accident that occurred in the United States. I first heard about it in 2018 and was a bit surprised, thinking, “Can a smartphone cause a deadly electrocution?” According to the report, the cause of this tragedy was an extension cord with a damaged sheath that was brought to the bathroom, not a USB (5V). It made me realize that such accidents can happen anywhere. When I was a young man (just starting out as a salesman), I had to help install an AC power supply at a customer’s site. I forgot to turn off the breaker on the distribution board, and a large spark flew at the connection terminal of the 200V power supply. Fortunately, I did not get seriously electrocuted, but I remember that because of the electric shock, my fingers were numb for a while. At that moment, I realized how dangerous electricity can be. Many people know that electricity can be harmful but do not understand what exactly is dangerous about it. Therefore, in the comic, Utsugi explains the danger of electric shock using a smartphone accident as an example. He emphasizes that there is no use in just being scared. We ought to be careful.
In the second and subsequent episodes, the section chief of quality assurance, called “the devil,” will explain safety measures that protect users from various hazards. He will also discuss the withstanding voltage testers (hipot testers), which are used to ensure the safety of electrical products.
