Full-time comic artist

If it weren't for his daughter's eager anticipation, Mr. Akimiya would have wanted to leave immediately. He had already seen what he wanted to see.

They waited for a short while before the host came on stage and announced the start of the event.

Because it was an official opening ceremony, many high-ranking executives from Shueisha were present. They all supported Kazuhiko Torishima, and "Jump Festa" was part of Torishima's new print media reform, so they attached great importance to it.

After they stepped down from the stage, someone said to Hibiki Higashino, "More than 80,000 people attended 'Jump Festa' today, all thanks to Akino-sensei."

Hibiki Higashino awkwardly replied, "You flatter me, but the staff on site deserve more credit."

"Yes."

……

On September 18, 1999, the "Jump Festa" held to celebrate the millennium began.

Amid cheers from the audience, Hibiki Higashino was invited onto the stage by the host.

"Tori Akino-sensei, welcome to the event."

"You're welcome."

Hibiki Higashino and the host sat down on the sofa, and he began to ask questions.

"What was your initial motivation for drawing comics?"

"I feel lost in life and want to do a meaningful job."

This is why the young Hibiki Higashino started drawing manga.

Hibiki Higashino continued, "And then there's the money. I've heard that many manga artists are millionaires, especially Akira Toriyama, which I envied. But then I realized how tough this industry is."

He wiped his sweat and began to talk about his original aspirations.

The audience laughed in a friendly manner.

"Haha, the teacher is so straightforward."

"Speak your mind, that's my way of the ninja."

"Hey, isn't that a line from Naruto?"

"It's very useful, so I used it directly."

"Tori Akino-sensei is also watching Naruto."

Hibiki Higashino said, "Kishimoto-sensei's manga is very interesting, and I never miss a single issue."

The host feigned anger, saying, "Please don't advertise."

The audience laughed again.

The host continued, "Many young people today love comics and dream of becoming comic artists. What advice do you have for them?"

The audience listened attentively.

Akemi Akemi quietly watched Hibiki Higashino.

“Becoming a manga artist,” Hibiki Higashino rubbed his cheek. “I’ve said this many times already. It’s a huge test of talent. There are people who work their whole lives but never get a serialization, and there are people who read Jump, think they can draw like that, and then become manga artists.”

"Out of ten thousand people who want to become cartoonists, only one may succeed. It's a highly competitive and brutal profession."

"While success or failure is important, the process is equally important. One may achieve something in the process of pursuing it."

After Hibiki Higashino calmly finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Many people seemed to be deep in thought.

I wonder if anyone will stand out from here in the future and realize their dreams?

The host cleared his throat twice and said, "Teacher Tori Akino's words are truly excellent."

The audience applauded.

"So, the next question is, why did you..."

He asked about all of Higashino Hibiki's manga, including the disappearance of Sai in "Hikaru no Go", the ending of "The Garden of Words", the creative process of Mitsui Hisashi in "Slam Dunk", and why he drew "Millennium Actress".

Higashino answered each question.

Finally, the host asked, "For the 'Jump Festa,' Ms. Tori Akino drew the short story 'Earring.' First of all, thank you for your hard work, Ms. Tori. Secondly, why did you draw this short story?"

The interview had been going on for over twenty minutes when Hibiki Higashino stretched his back and then said, "It's to flesh out the character of a certain person in 'Slam Dunk,' and it serves to complete 'Slam Dunk.' The content of the short story is too disconnected from the main plot, so it's just right to use it here."

If we were to follow the example of Takehiko Inoue's feature film and incorporate Ryota Miyagi's memories into the Sannoh match, it would likely cause dissatisfaction among viewers.

The match was so exciting, but it suddenly stopped. They didn't want to see Miyagi's flashback at all; they wanted to get back to the main match as soon as possible.

This is even more true for comics that are released once a week.

The flashback arcs in Naruto have been criticized for a long time.

Hibiki Higashino can't follow Kishimoto's old path...emmm...the path of the future.

The host chimed in, "This is really something to look forward to!"

The audience below the stage couldn't wait any longer.

Having said all that, let's move on to the next topic.

The host asked, "Could you share your impressions of Akira Toriyama?"

Hibiki Higashino said, "My impression of Akira Toriyama is that he's like a god of manga, reaching another dimension. I'm constantly trying to catch up with him, hoping to reach his level as much as possible. This applies not only to manga, but also to his thoughts."

"Throughout my life, whenever I feel lost, I think, 'If it were Akira Toriyama, what would he do?' And then everything becomes clear."

Higashino Hibiki answered seriously, and a person emerged from the shadows, smiling brightly as he said:

"Haha, I'm so sorry to hear you say that."

The audience all looked at him and then cheered.

"The dialogue between Akira Toriyama and Mirai Toriyama is finally here!"

"I've been looking forward to this for so long!"

Someone shouted, "After watching Dragon Ball when I was a kid, my dream became to become a manga artist! Toriyama-sensei! Over here!"

This drew the attention of everyone around.

"Hmm...this looks familiar..."

"It's Eiichiro Oda! You participated in the 98 Jump Festa! I remember you!"

"You've come too!"

A commotion arose from the crowd. Hibiki Higashino and Akira Toriyama looked down and saw Eiichiro Oda looking disheveled in the crowd. The two couldn't help but exchange knowing smiles.

Hibiki Higashino said, "Speaking of Toriyama-sensei, I'm reminded of the time I met Torishima-san. He asked me if I knew Arale?"

Akira Toriyama: "And then?"

“I’ve never seen it before,” Higashino Hibiki laughed. “But the person next to him said he had, and thought Mr. Torishima was cosplaying Dr. Masilitt. His face turned very ugly. Thinking about it now, it’s funny.”

"Hahaha, is that so? That's really refreshing." Akira Toriyama laughed along.

Years ago, tormented by Kazuhiko Torishima, he drew Dr. Masilito using Torishima's character design. Now that he knows it was effective, his pain has finally been released.

Someone who was secretly observing the scene couldn't help but clench their fist upon hearing the laughter from the crowd.

"Damn Akino!"

……

"Like everyone else, my favorite manga by Akira Toriyama is 'Dragon Ball.' And the most memorable scene is when Tao Pai Pai throws a pillar into the air and then flies on it. That design is so imaginative and cool!"

Hibiki Higashino said excitedly.

"Oh dear, don't flatter me like that," Akira Toriyama said shyly. "You never praised me like this when we were chatting in private."

"Because I would feel embarrassed," Higashino Hibiki said with a smile. "Only by using the guise of an interview here can I express my true feelings."

The two of them started chatting, leaving the host idle. He didn't mind; the atmosphere was so good that he didn't need to guide the conversation. Listening to two masters chat in the spotlight was a rare and precious experience.

Akira Toriyama said, "Then let me also share my thoughts."

"Many people like to see the muscles I draw, but they are not accurate and are not real muscles."

"After watching 'Slam Dunk,' what amazed me the most was the muscle lines of the characters you drew. It's very realistic, but it's also very hard work. To accurately depict the muscle shape requires an astonishing amount of work."

Hibiki Higashino nodded. "I did study this seriously. Before I drew 'Slam Dunk,' I watched many basketball games. I observed how the muscles exerted force and then drew it in detail."

Akira Toriyama: "It sounds like a lot of hard work."

Hibiki Higashino: "It's all something that should be done."

Akira Toriyama: "Because it's a sports manga about basketball, you used a realistic art style, which helps with the sense of immersion."

Hibiki Higashino: "The same goes for the teacher. Dragon Ball is an isekai (another world) manga, so the teacher drew a lot of animals and all kinds of machines. These ideas all require a lot of effort."

Akira Toriyama: "Actually, I just drew whatever came to mind, hahaha. Once the engine system and the location of the fuel tank were determined, the design drawings were roughly completed."

Hibiki Higashino said, "Only teachers would say it's just random drawing. For someone like me, it's dazzling. There are many mechanical elements, but I can still remember them because they are very organized and realistic."

The two of them were exchanging compliments, but the audience was watching with unusual seriousness.

There are no more people asking Oda for autographs.

Oda was so envious he was practically spitting out a maddening grimace.

He wished he were the one chatting with Akira Toriyama right now.

He also wanted to answer the questions that Hibiki Higashino and Akira Toriyama had discussed.

His favorite machine, his favorite colored artwork.

He really liked Lanfang's armpits and her muscles.

I like King Ralf's combination mechs.

Unfortunately, now he sits in the audience like a lackey.

"Actually, I've always wanted to ask Mr. Toriyama for a technique."

"Just tell me directly."

"That's the color artwork. The color artwork for Dragon Ball is fantastic. The colors are very light, so they're not glaring and are very comfortable to look at. The overall color scheme is also great, and the atmosphere is amazing."

"That's probably because of the long-term practice. I once spent five weeks drawing color sketches, and gradually I became more and more proficient."