Full-time comic artist

“Uh…” Kishimoto shut up and stopped talking.

He sighed softly and closed his eyes.

"Boom."

The driver's hair was completely messed up.

He also became withdrawn.

Chapter 307 Reversal of Reputation

Masashi Kishimoto got out of the car expressionlessly, Hibiki Higashino watched him leave expressionlessly, and the driver drove on expressionlessly. None of the three wanted to say a word.

After I got home, it was already 10 p.m.

He looked down into the bedroom; the lights were off, and Akemi Akemi was asleep.

Hibiki Higashino quietly opened the front door, walked into the entryway, changed his shoes, and after much deliberation, called Akira Toriyama to confide in him about the problems he was facing.

"Paprika has left readers very dissatisfied, which I find rather puzzling... Why is that?"

If you see content you don't like, just skip it. No one can guarantee that the works of their favorite artists will always be excellent.

The overwhelming response to Paprika shattered Hibiki Higashino's expectations.

“Haha, that’s only natural,” Akira Toriyama was still awake, handling some work. He chuckled after receiving the call, putting his work aside and replying with interest, “You know COWA!, right?”

Hibiki Higashino replied, "Of course."

This is a short manga series that Akira Toriyama began serializing after the conclusion of Dragon Ball.

Akira Toriyama said, "Then you should know that the problems you are facing now are the same problems I have faced before."

Readers don't want to see "COWA!", they want another "Dragon Ball", another "Dr. Slump".

During the serialization of "COWA!", many long-time readers mailed me letters questioning whether I was seriously drawing comics.

Is Akira Toriyama still Akira Toriyama?

You are far inferior to your disciple, Tori Akino Mirai, now.

Someone will always say that.

Higashino Hibiki's eyes widened. "But I've never heard of these things."

When COWA! was being serialized, everything was calm and peaceful.

Unbeknownst to him, Akira Toriyama had also faced criticism behind the scenes.

Akira Toriyama replied, "I guess my readers have all grown up. But you're also facing the fact that people compare you to Eiichiro Oda, right?"

“That’s right…” Higashino Hibiki was frustrated.

He stood up and sighed deeply. "It was like this during the serialization of 'COWA!'. It's not pleasant to be the center of attention. It wasn't until the serialization of 'KAJIKA' and 'Desert Adventure' that no one cared that these were Akira Toriyama's works, allowing me to create with ease."

Hibiki Higashino went to the balcony, enjoying the summer breeze, and listened attentively.

“So, Higashino-kun,” Akira Toriyama continued, “the reason why there is dissatisfaction with Paprika is because readers have too high expectations of you.”

"This is a manga by Akino-sensei, it must be very interesting." That's what everyone would think.

Long-running manga like "Hikaru no Go" and short manga like "The Garden of Words" have long raised the bar for readers.

Now that a film like *Paprika*, which is incomprehensible to many, has appeared, their reaction has been very strong.

Higashino Hibiki seemed to understand something. "I think I understand."

After Masashi Kishimoto finished Naruto, his new manga SAMURAI 8 was canceled because it was not good.

The readers' ridicule and incomprehension were more severe than those of other comics.

Because you are Masashi Kishimoto, you have to bear excessively high expectations. If these expectations are not met, they will turn into negative public opinion.

Akira Toriyama said, "You either draw works that readers like, or you draw works that you like. It's an easy choice, isn't it? As long as you're willing to take the consequences. If you weren't Akino Toriyama, this manga might not have been able to be serialized."

Higashino Hibiki's mind is becoming clearer and clearer.

Akira Toriyama saw things very clearly and resolutely chose the path he wanted to take. Compared to him, he was far inferior.

Tonight, after his former assistant Masashi Kishimoto sought his advice, he also consulted his teacher Akira Toriyama.

"Haha." Hibiki Higashino couldn't help but laugh; this was the kind of humor that Jump manga artists often shared.

Akira Toriyama asked, puzzled, "Why are you laughing?"

Hibiki Higashino smiled and said, "I think it's wonderful to be a teacher's assistant."

Akira Toriyama blushed a little. "You...you guy...why are you suddenly being so mushy? It's...it's kind of touching."

"hey-hey."

……

After a brief interlude, Akira Toriyama suddenly said, "Paprika doesn't seem to fit Jump or any of Shueisha's other magazines. It's a manga with a very small audience. I really don't know what you were thinking."

"However, it's very interesting! It's the most interesting comic I've seen this year!"

Comics are primarily for entertainment; only a small portion are considered artistic works.

Readers come to relax, not to cultivate their minds.

This is why Paprika failed.

Akira Toriyama, however, really liked Paprika. He was used to writing action-packed manga, and when he saw the unique content, he became completely engrossed in it.

Perhaps it was because he was getting older and his work became less demanding that he had time to focus his energy on reading novels and comics.

If Akira Toriyama put his heart into it, he would be able to appreciate the profound meaning of this manga.

The story of Paprika is very simple, but the comic is full of details, which together create a composition that is absolutely brilliant.

He guessed that Akino Tori must have finished drawing "Paprika" a long time ago. Otherwise, with so much content, weekly manga wouldn't give the author nearly enough time.

This is from the perspective of painting skills.

The storyboarding is even more impressive.

The different, imaginative dreams may seem scattered and unrelated, but they are actually closely connected to the theme, with foreshadowing and subtle clues.

The transitions between dreams were seamless. Before he could even react, he was already in another dream world.

In this respect, it is even more seamless than "Millennium Actress".

As for some minor advantages, such as the tension of the characters' movements, the continuity of the shots, and the various close-up shots, there's no need to elaborate.

"Paprika is your masterpiece, isn't it? It's the culmination of all the skills you've learned over the years of drawing comics. As your teacher, I'll give you a perfect score. Because that's the only score I can give you." Akira Toriyama praised him generously.

“Showing off skills? There is some,” Hibiki Higashino replied.

Such comics are beyond the capabilities of most people. Only experienced and constantly striving-for-excellence comic artists can attempt to create them.

Akira Toriyama said, "Please continue drawing. I look forward to the rest of the story."

“Of course, teacher,” Hibiki Higashino replied.

After a deep conversation with Akira Toriyama, Hibiki Higashino completely put aside the dissatisfaction of others, and he only needed to continue the serialization.

……

"Oda's One Piece is really interesting, as is Death Note, but I still don't understand Paprika."

Jin Ziyan sighed, sat on the sofa in the living room, and laid the Jump magazine open on the coffee table.

He is the son of filmmaker Shusuke Kaneko, and under his father's guidance, he has a great passion for literature.

While his high school classmates were rejecting Paprika, he was able to patiently and attentively read the comic.

Even after studying it thoroughly, I still can't understand it.

Shusuke Kaneko put down his newspaper, glanced at his son, and said, "A comic you don't understand? Let me take a look."

He casually picked up a Jump manga. "What's so interesting about it? It's just a comic book."

"Paprika, DCMINI... This..." After seeing the comic's contents, he put down his crossed legs and sat up straight. "This is Tsutsui-sensei's *Dream Detective*."

Holding the jump in both hands, Kaneko Shusuke was very surprised.

In 1996, he watched "Inception," and this wonderful world deeply attracted him.

So he knocked on Tsutsui Yasutaka's door and visited him, hoping to adapt the novel.

Yasutaka Tsutsui was very cooperative and enthusiastic about the film adaptation project.

The man was in love, and the woman was willing; it should have been a perfect ending.

However, after making serious preparations, Shusuke Kaneko realized that with his abilities, it would be difficult to tell the story of "Dream Raiders" clearly, and it would be difficult to film the imaginative dreams.

Ultimately, due to funding issues, the project had to be abandoned.

This was also a rare setback for Shusuke Kaneko.

"The comic book version of 'Dream Raiders' is really bizarre." He felt like he wasn't fully awake.

Has a comic book version been made of a work that has caused countless filmmakers to fail?

"I need to take a good look at this," he murmured.

"This section describes how Kosaku Tokita, after being reprimanded by Atsuko Chiba, puts on the 'DIMINI' and enters Himuro's dream in order to prove himself and salvage the situation."

Tokita got lost in a dream and became a robot.

Chiba Atsuko then entered the dream, where she fell from the sky and transformed into Sun Wukong, riding the clouds.

Anything is possible in dreams.

"The shots here are really good. If they were in a movie, they would definitely be amazing scenes for readers." Shusuke Kaneko couldn't help but sigh as he stroked his chin.

In the next part of the comic, frogs, dolls, lucky cats, tanuki-shaped decorations, household appliances that turn into human-like figures, big-headed dolls, animal-faced tiles, robots, mannequins from clothing stores, and other items parade through the city.

"These are all things that people have abandoned."

Torii gates and Buddha statues, lucky cats and animal-faced roof tiles represent religion and traditional culture.

Home appliances are also constantly being updated and replaced.

These things are completely contrary to the new era.