Full-time comic artist

Page 271

"Is that so?"

"In short, the content to come will be even more exciting!"

The Sannoh match was definitely the most exciting game in Slam Dunk.

It has only been serialized for a month, but it has already sparked a wave of discussion among readers.

With a mix of worry and anticipation, they would immediately buy Jump every Monday to catch up on the story.

Even people who had never read "Slam Dunk" started reading it in order to have something to talk about with their classmates and colleagues and to integrate into the "Slam Dunk" readership.

Once you start watching, you can't stop! Let's all look forward to next week's episode of "Slam Dunk".

As a result, the sales of the Slam Dunk manga volumes have been steadily increasing.

Breaking the 400 million average sales mark is just around the corner.

Torishima Kazuhiko waited patiently; this would be his last honor before leaving Jump.

On September 20th, the sales of the Slam Dunk manga volume broke records.

Yoshihisa Bozu excitedly ran up to Kazuhiko Torishima and shouted, "Slam Dunk Volume 19 has surpassed 400 million copies sold, with an average sales volume of 402 million!"

Torishima Kazuhiko nodded with a sense of relief.

The editorial office was completely silent.

After a while, an amazing cheer erupted.

"That's amazing!"

"400 million! Unbelievable!"

The editors of V Jump, located upstairs from Weekly Shonen Jump, stared in disbelief at the huge commotion erupting downstairs.

"What's going on here?"

"What's got you so agitated?"

"Has there been an overall salary increase?"

Five minutes later, the editor who had been investigating returned, his face flushed, and shouted loudly at the door: "Slam Dunk's average volume sales have surpassed 400 million!"

"Really?"

"Of course!"

"How terrifying!"

"This is a new era!"

Apart from "Slam Dunk", the record for the average sales of a single manga volume is "Dragon Ball" at 350 million.

The fact that "Slam Dunk" has sold an average of 400 million copies of each volume is an incredible and groundbreaking achievement.

……

The editorial office was noisy, but Kazuhiko Torishima did not stop it until Sasaki couldn't stand it anymore and pressed his hand in the air, at which point the editors quieted down.

Afterwards, Sasaki looked at Torishima Kazuhiko, who had been silent, with concern, "Editor-in-Chief?"

"I'm fine," Torishima Kazuhiko waved his hand.

“Yes,” Sasaki sat back down at his desk.

The editors resumed their daily work.

Torishima Kazuhiko was silent for a moment, then took out his phone and made a call.

Do you have time tonight?

"I want to draw comics."

Could you spare some time?

"I'll give it a try."

……

It was 10 p.m. in a bar.

Hibiki Higashino and Kazuhiko Torishima were sitting at the bar.

"Is there something you need?" Hibiki Higashino asked curiously. He had put down his work to meet Kazuhiko Torishima, thinking it was something important, but the meeting place turned out to be a bar.

Torishima Kazuhiko replied, "I just want to have a drink and talk to you some more."

He was already drunk before even drinking any alcohol, propping his head up with one arm while ordering two beers from the bartender.

"I heard you've given up drinking?" Torishima Kazuhiko handed Higashino a beer and asked, "Want to have a drink with me?"

Hibiki Higashino took the beer and replied, "Of course."

He could tell that Torishima Kazuhiko was troubled, so he decided to risk his life to keep him company.

After a couple of sips of beer, Torishima Kazuhiko felt much better. He patted his cheeks and returned to his usual self.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," he said excitedly, "Slam Dunk has surpassed 400 million copies sold per volume! Congratulations, Akino-kun, you've set a new record!"

"I don't know how many more years it will take before someone reaches your level of achievement."

Higashino Hibiki's eyes widened. "400 million? That was fast!"

This was a delusion he wouldn't have dared to entertain even before serializing "Slam Dunk".

After all, only One Piece could achieve an average sales volume of over 400 million copies for each volume.

It is an achievement unique to Eiichiro Oda.

He worked hard from 1997 to 2010, spanning 13 years, before achieving this amazing result.

Talent, hard work, and progress of the times are all indispensable.

“That’s right,” Torishima Kazuhiko nodded emphatically, “Even I never imagined that your achievements would be so amazing today.”

In 1993, among the unsuccessful entries in a manga competition, Kazuhiko Torishima selected Hibiki Higashino's "The War Between Gods and Humans".

It wasn't because he valued Hibiki Higashino's creativity, but because Kazuhiko Torishima had witnessed Hibiki Higashino's artistic talent when he was a child.

It's a shame that Jump overlooked a boy whose paintings can touch people's hearts.

That's how the summer of '93 came about.

Hibiki Higashino joked, "You originally planned to have me partner with Mr. Yamamura so that I could be one of the illustrators."

“Hahaha,” Torishima Kazuhiko laughed, “That hothead Yamamura Morimichi will definitely regret this.”

“That’s right!” Hibiki Higashino laughed along with him.

He saw Torishima Kazuhiko gradually fall silent as he laughed, and he also stopped smiling.

After taking another sip of wine, Torishima Kazuhiko said, "Even in the past, my judgment was flawed, let alone now."

The misjudgments of "One Piece" and "Millennium Actress" made him very upset.

Higashino was puzzled. "You're the Torishima editor who discovered Akira Toriyama and Masakazu Katsura, how could you think like that?"

“That was all in my youth,” Kazuhiko Torishima sighed. “As an old man, I can no longer understand shonen manga, and it’s time for me to step down.”

He finally spoke his mind, and all the pent-up emotions in his heart vanished, making him feel much better.

"That's right, I'm leaving my position as editor-in-chief."

Torishima Kazuhiko repeated the sentence, having made up his mind.

These words struck Higashino Hibiki like a bolt from the blue, leaving him speechless for a moment.

Why so suddenly?

He was very reluctant to part with it.

“Actually, we’ll have to wait a while,” Torishima Kazuhiko waved his hand, “probably about two years.”

After the report is submitted to higher authorities, there will definitely be a tug-of-war, and it's not impossible for the company to decline or resign three times.

After that, there needs to be a handover of work, ensuring a smooth transition period.

"By the way, when have you decided to stop serializing 'Slam Dunk'?"

Having relinquished his responsibilities as editor-in-chief, Kazuhiko Torishima recalled the promise he made years ago.

Hibiki Higashino met all three of the requirements he put forward.

"You don't need to worry, and you don't need to rush to finish it. Even if I'm no longer the editor-in-chief, I can still fulfill a man's promise."

"Let's not talk about work today, I'm not in the mood," Higashino Hibiki said, his mind in turmoil. He downed his beer in one gulp. "I'll tell you in a couple of days."

"Alright!" Torishima Kazuhiko slapped the table. "Two more beers, please."

Afterwards, he talked with Hibiki Higashino about Akira Toriyama, Nobuhiko Horie, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Eiichiro Oda.

"That kid will definitely be amazing in the future," Torishima Kazuhiko said confidently.

Hibiki Higashino retorted, "You have a good eye, but it's too late to say that now."

Eiichiro Oda is already quite remarkable.

In Jump's manga, One Piece has enormous potential.

Its world-building is excellent, and there are countless storylines to explore.

"Ah, yes." Torishima Kazuhiko nodded belatedly.

After midnight, the two left the bar.

Higashino Hibiki's belly swayed, and Torishima Kazuhiko became drunk.

Torishima Kazuhiko flagged down a taxi and let Higashino Hibiki sit first.

Hibiki Higashino declined, saying earnestly, "This is the editor's responsibility."