Anime rating game

"I'm very sorry, are you the artist for Musashino?"

"No, my name is Kuzuryu Yaichi, and I'm the male protagonist of a current anime series in Musashino. Of course, not the voice actor, but the real person."

Since his opponent clearly wasn't interested in shogi, Kuzuryuu Yaichi didn't introduce himself, only saying this one sentence.

"Huh...? The male protagonist? What a coincidence. I am the male protagonist of the Musashino anime, Mashiro Moritaka. Hmm... I am the real one too."

As he spoke, Mashiro Moritaka was completely astonished. How come all of Musashino's anime are live-action adaptations?

Why don't I notice anything particularly interesting when I walk down the street?

What a coincidence!

As fellow male leads, we could have a good chat.

"The anime for next season probably hasn't even started production yet, right?"

"Yes, the project hasn't started yet; it's currently in the script refinement stage."

"I see. So, you're here to help the screenwriter refine the script?"

"That's right. There are some things that are really inconvenient to say over the phone; it's better to talk about them face-to-face."

"That's true..."

During their casual conversation, the two arrived at the president's office on the third floor.

After gently knocking on the door and receiving a response, I went inside.

"Why did you two come together?"

"We happened to run into each other at the door. I wonder if we have the same thing to discuss?"

"of course not."

Masamune shook his head slightly, looked at the two men, and pondered for a moment before saying:

"Kuzuryu, please sit on the sofa and wait a while. I'll have Watanabe come over."

"Regarding animation production, since the script will not be modified, the rest can be handled by phone."

"The reason I invited you here today is because of your match against a celebrity."

"What time?" Kuzuryuu Yaichi's eyes lit up, and he asked instinctively.

Previously, during the early stages of animation production, I worked with a renowned artist to guide the shogi characters in the animation, and we had some conversations.

He knew very well that he was also someone who was wholeheartedly focused on shogi.

However, there were many simulated games, but not a single official game.

In order to understand the way he defeated the Meijin in the anime, Yaichi Kuzuryu has been studying the Meijin's game records.

"The first match starts this Saturday. After all, it's a seven-match series, and even if it's not about the title and is just a preview, it would be a waste if no one pays attention to it."

Masamune paused for a moment, then said very seriously:

"Therefore, we reached relevant agreements with the TV station and the Shogi Association."

"This seven-game match will be broadcast on television, and the winner will receive a prize."

"An official match between me and a celebrity?" Yaichi Kuzuryu muttered to himself.

"That's right. Although it's not related to the title battle, losing the match will definitely affect my performance later on and my official match against the Dragon King Tournament this year."

"I will struggle with all my might."

"In the animation, it's a comeback from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3. You don't need to worry about that. Just give it your all."

"How could I possibly have the luxury of thinking about which game I'll win or lose?"

Kuzuryuu Yaichi took a deep breath, and after his excitement subsided slightly, he spoke again:

"I will try to adjust my state and do my best. I will at least win one game and I will definitely not make this match too ugly."

Seeing this, Masamune did not say anything more.

Ultimately, the celebrity is already well-known, and although he became famous at a young age, he is still just a new professional shogi player.

Many people think he got the title of Dragon King by sheer luck, and even he himself thinks so.

Even though it wasn't a formal match like a title contest, it was still a huge pressure for him.

"In that case, Watanabe will take you to find the famous later, and you can discuss the time and place of the seven matches together to see how to arrange them in a way that is beneficial to both sides."

"I understand, that makes sense."

Kuzuryuu Yaichi nodded slightly. Celebrities are both seniors and elders, so it was perfectly normal for him to pay them a visit.

When facing off against celebrities, you can't put all your hopes on the last four matches; the earlier ones are also crucial.

Mindset and condition are both extremely important; you must be in your best condition to compete.

Only in this way can we have a chance of winning.

"Considering the time constraints of animation production, the seven matches must be completed within a month. As for the location, it would be best to hold them in Tokyo and the surrounding area."

"no problem."

Without the slightest hesitation, Yaichi Kuzuryu had already prepared himself to travel back and forth between Tokyo and Osaka long before the anime even began production.

"Then it's Mashiro..."

Upon hearing Masamune call his name, Mashiro Moritaka, who was thinking, 'So the male protagonist next to me is a shogi player,' immediately snapped back to reality and subconsciously replied:

"Yes!"

Takagi Akito, who was standing next to him, also straightened his back and stood up straight instantly.

"Today is your first time visiting Musashino. We mainly want to discuss many things with you regarding the script. Although we have consulted Azuki, her commentary is too stream-of-consciousness and includes a lot of subjective opinions."

Should we discuss this with Azuki later?

"Understood. Akito and I will answer anything you need to know without reservation."

"Then, go directly to the second floor and find Azuki. Have her take you to the scriptwriting department upstairs."

"Huh...? Should I go by myself?"

Seeing the panic on Mashiro Moritaka's face, Masamune couldn't help but laugh:

"...Never mind, I'll take you there."

"Since today is your first day in Musashino, it's a good opportunity to introduce you to other people. We should have many opportunities to meet in the next two quarters."

call……

Mashiro Moritaka breathed a sigh of relief; he was finally going to see Azuki again.

Soon after, Watanabe Hayato came to pick up Kuzuryu Yaichi, and Mashiro Moritaka, led by Masamune, arrived at the office lobby on the second floor.

The moment I stepped inside, I froze on the spot.

Although there were many young and beautiful women in the room, at this moment, his eyes were only on Miho Azuki.

"Let me introduce you to these two. They are the main characters of our next season of the anime, Bakuman, namely Ashirogi Mutoha."

"So this is what Adou's boyfriend looks like. He's pretty ordinary."

"He doesn't seem to have the aura of a male lead. Standing next to the president, he looks like an ugly duckling."

Listening to the very quiet chatter inside, Mashiro Moritaka unconsciously snapped out of his reverie.

I'm really sorry, I'm not good-looking.

"Azuki, I...I...cough cough..."

Oh no! I actually stuttered a bit, now I've embarrassed Azuki.

"Long time no see, Moritaka. The president already told me about it. Let's go upstairs."

"Ah."

Chapter 312 President, I Don't Want to Work Anymore

Just a week later, a manga called "Bakuman" took over from "Perfect Crime" and began serialization in JUMP.

Because it was a succession between different comics by the same author, it caused a huge sensation as soon as it appeared, in every sense of the word.

"Why did Ashirogi-sensei's manga suddenly switch to a monthly publication? And why is there a new manga instead?"

"Maybe that's just how comics are. Bakuman is much more interesting than Perfect Crime. This first chapter got me all fired up, and I'm really looking forward to the second chapter."

"Yes, although Ashirogi-sensei's unorthodox manga is very mind-bending and wonderful, there is indeed a reason why mainstream manga is the mainstream."

"Mashiro Moritaka mustered all his courage to confess, and surprisingly, Azuki Miho accepted. This kind of pure affection between a boy and a girl is really nice."

"Yes, it really is very visually appealing. By the way, Azuki Miho is a real person. Although she's not particularly famous, she's one of the more watched voice actresses of the new generation. Could the storyline in the manga be based on real events?"

"If that's what you're saying, then I've thought of that too. Isn't Ashirogi-sensei a duo? Could it be that the origin of Ashirogi Yumeha's name is from choosing one character from each of the three names?"

"Impossible! What manga artist would turn their own experiences into manga? Even Masamune, who loves adapting real-life stories, didn't completely copy reality, did he?"

"I've found out! The real names of the two teachers, Mashiro Moritaka and Takagi Akito, are Mashiro Moritaka and Takagi Akito."

"Wow...! So, in the next chapter or the one after that, when they decide on the pen name, we'll see the origin of Ashirogi Muto's pen name."

"A shared dream of comic artists and voice actors, I can't wait! I love this comic!"

Inside the lobby on the second floor of Musashino, most people were browsing websites and forums on their mobile phones, constantly refreshing their screens.

Today is the weekly JUMP release day. It's early morning, just after I started work, and less than an hour has passed since the JUMP release.

The main buyers of JUMP are in the afternoon, and the morning is not the peak time, but even so, this manga still caused a sensation online.

Voice actress Miho Azuki suddenly became famous.

"It seems the manga has been a success." Karasuma Chitose paused for a moment, then said with a smile, "But that's to be expected. After all, anything produced by Musashino is bound to be of high quality."

Although there was no information about this online, everyone present was well aware that the animation script came out earlier than the manga.

This story was also written by Musashino.

“Yes.” Shizuka Sakaki nodded slightly. “This way, Miho should be able to get more leading roles.”

"Why……?"