Tokyo, everyone is drawing comics, who still wants to fall in love?.

Chapter 295 Am I not even as good as a junior?

The Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs selects outstanding comic awards every year. Funny enough, most of them are related to animals.

The most obvious one is the 2022 Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Festival.

"The Receptionist of the Arctic Department Store" describes all the guests as animals.

"The Darwin Affair" is like Planet of the Apes.

"Star of Girls' School" describes the experience of raising a dog in a class.

"The Fox and the Civet Cat" is a story about how little foxes, raccoons and other animals integrate into human society.

Animal comics, to some extent, are synonymous with style.

But which of these works has good sales performance in the comics market?
The selection by the Ministry of Culture is really terrible.

Their judges must feel very aggrieved. As an official selection, there should naturally be an atmosphere of elegance and refinement, right?

The music is too high to be appreciated by many. It is like choosing a short person from a group of short people. Hmm? There are no tall people? There really are none...

So it was completely reasonable for them to make such a request to Oda Shingo.

Shingo Oda's "Parasyte" is the work they plan to award.

This work is indeed very profound in terms of environmental protection and human nature. It is not simply about fighting and killing, and it complies with the animal laws awarded by the Ministry of Culture...

Parasites are called beasts, so aren’t they also animals?

"It's difficult. Very difficult." Oda Shingo wanted to refuse directly.

But the assistant director said very sincerely that only a genius like Oda Shingo could accomplish this, and if it were anyone else in the comics industry, there would be no hope at all.

Is this a provocation or a flattery? Oda Shingo knew it in his heart, but since the other party was so sincere, it was not easy to refuse immediately, so he could only use a delaying tactic.

He thought for a long time and wanted to reply with the word "see".

But the words were on the tip of my tongue, and I had no Japanese words to replace them.

Poor Japanese! How can it compare to the profound Chinese culture! Oda Shingo despised it in his heart, but could only delay it for a while.

After hanging up the phone, he kept searching for educational animal comics in his mind.

The first thing that comes to mind is "Gung the Little Dinosaur", but it has little educational value and can be used as a negative example of grumpy little animals. When it was first serialized, Masashi Tanaka received many complaints.

"The Jungle Emperor" was very good in that era. Does anyone still mention it now?
"BEASTARS" will probably get a lot of complaints.

Oda Shingo couldn't think of it at the moment, so he simply put it aside and finished the three comics that were already being serialized.

After returning from school, Yuko Mikami kept blushing. She was carried by Oda Shingo in the crowd again, and her heart was still beating non-stop.

As for Fujido Kaoru, she seemed to be a beat slow and took a long time to react.

After taking a break and having lunch, she found an opportunity to pull Oda Shingo's arm in the kitchen and said with a blushing face, "You bought a luxury car just to save face for me, right?"

Oda Shingo touched the back of his head awkwardly and did not answer.

Yes and no, because I had originally intended to show off and embarrass myself at school, but I didn’t expect it to be of any use at all.

I originally wanted to buy a McLaren 720s for million yen, but I think it's a bit too extravagant. Although I can afford it, I'm still a student on leave after all, so I should be more low-key...

With Oda Shingo's income, it is definitely not a big deal to buy a McLaren 720s. Many cartoonists have the habit of buying sports cars, such as Takeuchi Naoko, Takaya Yoshiki, Fujishima Kosuke, etc.

Oh, and Fujishima Kosuke bought more motorcycles...

There was one unlucky guy, a cartoonist named Akira Miyashita, who was cheated out of a Ferrari sports car...

"When I first entered university, especially for a special recruit like me who was a student in the second art department, I was discriminated against openly or covertly." Fujido Kaoru said seriously, "I dragged you along before because I would feel guilty facing it alone."

"It's okay, it's nice to go with you. I usually draw comics, and it's rare for me to go out for a walk." Oda Shingo felt that it was beneficial.

I died suddenly in my previous life, so I must pay attention to the balance between work and rest in this life.

"But you must return this luxury car you bought!" Fujido Kaoru stared at Oda Shingo sincerely, "The lost deposit will be deducted from my salary."

"Ah? No need. You can return it, but there's no need to deduct your salary. Isn't it the same whether you deduct my salary or yours?" said Oda Shingo.

He thought, if I reduce your overtime pay, how can I get out of this? There is not much difference between them. However, Fujido Kasumizu heard something else.

Isn't it the same to tuck me and tuck you? She blushed.

Working by yourself is indeed earning a dowry...

She glanced at Oda Shingo, who had an extremely serious expression on his face, and felt her cheeks getting hot.

They were talking while standing in the kitchen. Fujido Kaoru glanced towards the work and living room and bit her lip.

"I'm glad you thought of me in advance..."

After saying these words of thanks, she suddenly stood on tiptoe, kissed Oda Shingo on the left cheek, and then ran away with her face covered.

“……”Oda Shingo covered his cheek and was stunned for a while.

The soft and tender touch remains on the face for a long time.

After a while, he returned to the studio.

Fujido Kaoki hid back on the second floor.

Oda Shingo returned to serious work.

I just daydream sometimes.

On the other side, in Nobuhiro Arakawa's studio.

"Strengthen it! Review the manuscript again! We want every stroke to be full of charm!"

Nobuhiro Arakawa roared and asked his assistants to work overtime, no, work overtime like crazy!

He just didn't believe it. Are his comics worse than Oda Shingo's?
Although after watching his last two works, I have to admit that he is a capable guy, but it doesn’t mean that I will give in to him!

Nobuhiro Arakawa himself was also inspired and started writing with full force.

The memories of those students approaching Oda Shingo as if they had seen their idol occasionally appeared in his mind, and they were like steel needles that kept pricking his nerves.

Oda Shingo! We haven't decided the winner yet!
But the cruel reality soon gave him a heavy blow!
The next day, a new issue of "Jump" was released, and Nobuhiro Arakawa was dumbfounded.

How come my own book, I’m the Great Leader of the Goblin Tribe, is ranked second? And Goblin Slayer is ranked first, and it’s a two-color print!

Nobuhiro Arakawa angrily called Noritaka Oyama and said, "I need an explanation!"

Noritaka Oyama knew very well what he was asking, and he first tried to persuade him with some words and explained that the magazine could not remain unchanged, and that "Goblin Slayer" was drawn by a newcomer, so we should also give it some chance.

But Nobuhiro Arakawa has a bad temper, so how could he possibly accept it?

After coaxing for a while, Koyama Noritaka became impatient and thought of Arakawa's disrespect for him, so he gradually changed his tone: "Well, Mr. Arakawa, please turn to page 24 and look at this female character created by Akechi Mitsuko."

His voice sounded a little cold on the phone.

"I'm watching." Nobuhiro Arakawa vaguely felt something.

"Mr. Arakawa, don't you think there are no such characters in your works? I don't mean the stereotyped characters, but the characters that readers will never forget and are full of fantasy."

"…You mean my work is not as good as a newcomer's?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant. If that doesn't make you feel better, then look at P376."

Nobuhiro Arakawa flipped to the page and saw the readers' popularity vote.

His eyes widened immediately!

How is this possible?! My work dropped to second place! And Goblin Slayer actually got over a thousand votes?!

"Actually, I have already taken care of you in the last issue." Noritaka Oyama briefly hinted at the previous ticket changes.

After hearing this, Nobuhiro Arakawa was speechless for a long time.

As a veteran cartoonist, how could you not know what this means?
Am I not even as good as a younger generation?

(End of this chapter)