Full-time comic artist

"Yes."

……

The news of the first edition of the ninth volume of "Slam Dunk" quickly spread among readers.

On October 15th, it was available in major bookstores.

The line was very long; everyone wanted to see this episode as soon as possible.

"The most important plot in the ninth volume is the match against Shoyo. I can't miss being able to watch it all in one go."

"Yes, Slam Dunk is great in every way, but it's serialized in a weekly magazine, so it's always a bit of a break when you're reading it."

The readers are eagerly awaiting it.

A single volume of "Slam Dunk" costs only 400 yen, which is perfectly affordable.

The recent games between Shohoku and Hainan have been so exhausting that I need to shift my focus.

In the bookstore.

Kuraki Riko looked at the long queue as if facing a formidable enemy.

She never imagined that her part-time job would lead her to run into Tori Akino Mirai again.

"Giving up the convenience of supermarkets and choosing bookstores, will I still end up being busy?"

She wanted to cry but had no tears.

If it weren't for the fact that the clerk would receive a complete set of "Slam Dunk" manga volumes after the event, she would have wanted to run away.

"It's about to begin!" The store manager took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Don't crowd, come one at a time," he shouted through a megaphone.

At times like these, it is imperative to do everything in our power to maintain order.

Give me the ninth volume of "Slam Dunk"!

The first customer, his eyes tired, shouted loudly!

Chapter 194: Manuscript Sales and Akira Toriyama's New Work "COWA!"

This busy period lasted all day before Kuraki Riko finally managed to sell out the collected volumes.

"5000 copies of the single volume sold out so quickly!" The shop manager's tone was incredulous.

There are more than 50 bookstores in Tokyo alone, and if you add them all up nationwide, the daily sales volume must be much higher.

"Perhaps it can sell 30 copies." Kuraki Riko exclaimed in surprise.

This sales volume is something most authors can only dream of.

Light novels and romance novels are considered quite successful if they sell 10,000 copies.

A manga volume that sells 20 copies is considered a popular work.

30 copies sold is an extremely popular number.

Kuraki Riko had never heard of anyone selling over 30 copies in a single day.

"That's terrifying!"

After a day's work, she received the single volume she wanted.

It consists of nine volumes, totaling 90 chapters.

From the moment Sakuragi Hanamichi joined Shohoku High School until the end of the Shohoku match.

Kuraki Riko clearly saw the growth of Shohoku High School and Sakuragi Hanamichi.

and……

During the friendly match between Shohoku and Ryonan, Akino Mirai meticulously drew the scenery of Ryonan.

The background of the Enoden is a view where the sea and sky meet.

In the summer, a boy in a basketball uniform smiles as the azure sea stretches out behind him.

"This angle..." Kuraki Riko murmured to herself, "is the photo I took!"

Not only that, there's also Kamakura High School.

Her alma mater is exactly the same as Ryonan High School.

It's like reality has stepped into a comic book.

"Kamakura is the same as Ryonan."

She watched as the Ryonan basketball team defeated Shohoku, and Sendoh displayed his divine power, and she laughed in a daze.

"That's really interesting!"

Riko Kuraki has become a fan of Akira Sendoh.

……

"This is terrifying!" Sasaki Hisashi exclaimed, holding the sales form, his eyes wide with shock.

"38 copies! 38 copies sold in just one day!"

An initial print run of 200 million copies was already an astonishing number, but judging from the current data, it seems to be too conservative.

"You've already broken the record, haven't you?" Yoshihisa asked in surprise.

Even in the hierarchical world of Jump, this achievement has never been seen before.

“Yes,” Sasaki nodded, “Even the manga ‘Dragon Ball,’ which holds the record for the highest average daily subscription for a single volume, has never sold more than 30 copies in a single day.”

In terms of popularity, Slam Dunk is certainly not as popular as Dragon Ball.

However, the average sales of the individual volumes of "Slam Dunk" are slightly stronger.

……

Ten days later, Sasaki informed Hibiki Higashino that the ninth volume of "Slam Dunk" had sold over 200 million copies.

Even the other volumes, after being reprinted, sold over 300 million copies.

Average sales of nine copies...

“It’s 289 million copies,” Sasaki said calmly.

"Okay, I understand."

Hibiki Higashino waited until Sasaki hung up the phone before putting his phone away.

Lying back in his chair, Higashino Hibiki wasn't overjoyed; instead, he felt a profound emptiness.

"I've already reached this point."

It seems there's nothing left to strive for in my comic book career.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! IP will be very successful, but it will still rank in the middle in terms of Shonen Jump's rankings and manga sales.

While One Piece is currently popular, it can never challenge the position of Slam Dunk. It can only be described as a work with popularity.

"The Mysterious Detective Agency" has its limits; although it's quite popular, it doesn't reach the level of a nationally popular work.

Higashino thought about it again and again, and then he had an idea.

"Can I relax a bit now?"

He always put his heart and soul into drawing the original manuscript of "Slam Dunk".

Any minor issues discovered will be corrected repeatedly.

They also pay great attention to details.

The characters' dialogue and the use of white space were carefully considered time and again.

"Perhaps I don't need to be so demanding of myself."

"The National Basketball Tournament is about to begin."

"I heard that the Sapporo Snow Festival is amazing."

"I've never skied before."

Hibiki Higashino had a series of things he wanted to do.

The corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

"Life shouldn't just be about working in a studio."

He thought about it again. After dating for so long, he hadn't spent much time with Akemi Akemi. He should make time to take her on a trip.

If you're not considerate of your girlfriend, there's nothing more to say if you get dumped.

"that's all!"

Hibiki Higashino stood up and decided to give up.

Just then, his phone rang.

The person who came was Eiichiro Oda.

"Ok?"

With a sense of doubt, Higashino Hibiki answered the phone.

"Teacher! Look at the TV! It's TV Asahi!"

Oda shouted excitedly.

Higashino Hibiki's eyes flashed with doubt, but he still turned on the television.

This is a news report.

"The new work of national-level manga artist Akira Toriyama, 'COWA', will be serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 12 days. I am really looking forward to Akira Toriyama's work."

This short sentence revealed some astonishing news.

But Hibiki Higashino already knew.

Perhaps right now, Akira Toriyama is troubled because he just wanted to draw manga, but he's been made the center of attention.