Full-time comic artist

Before his debut, Hibiki Higashino drew a short story called "Hikaru no Go". After the Jump editorial department saw that it was well received, the long-running manga "Hikaru no Go" came about.

What struck him as odd was that he saw a very familiar feeling in Hoshino Katsura's writing.

This art style looks very similar to my own when I first debuted, no matter how I look at it.

It is delicate and realistic, but with an added layer of exquisite splendor compared to myself.

This gave him the feeling that this comic was a product of his experimentation with a new art style.

"Huh?"

He was stunned for a moment.

……

"How can they be so similar?"

Yoshihiro Togashi looked at "Zone," stroked his chin, and smiled.

"Could this be a manga drawn by Tori Akino to bully the weak?"

This manga, in terms of art style, use of frames, use of white space, and perspective of characters, is similar to Tori Akino Mirai.

This gave Yoshihiro Togashi an idea: it was drawn by Mirai Tori.

"There's no mistake. Look, to avoid being noticed, he deliberately drew it poorly, the lines of the figures are all messed up. He's really cunning."

“How could that be?” Naoko Takeuchi said. “Tori Akino-kun doesn’t need to do that.”

If it's true, and it gets out, the fact that she competed with a newcomer for the grand prize will truly be an indelible stain on Tori Akino Mirai's reputation.

"That kid always messes things up. He ends up writing his comics all the time. It's not impossible for him to win a newcomer award."

Seeing that Naoko Takeuchi still didn't believe him, he picked up the phone. "I'll call him!"

……

"How could it be drawn by me?" Hibiki Higashino was so angry he almost laughed.

Katsura Hoshino is indeed a rare genius female manga artist, but as a newcomer, her works still show signs of immaturity.

The plot is decent, but not amazing.

If Hibiki Higashino had drawn it, the quality would have been even higher.

This is a gap in experience.

“If that’s the case… there is indeed a certain possibility…” Togashi murmured.

"Togashi-sensei, you've really gone too far, doubting me like that."

"Ah...no...sorry, my signal is bad, I'll hang up now."

Togashi ended the call.

……

Even Yoshihiro Togashi admitted his mistake, let alone the readers.

Is "Zone" a new work by Tori Akino Mirai? Is Hoshino Katsura a pseudonym for him?

Odagiri was confused. He saw the shadow of "Hikaru no Go" in "Zone", which made him feel very familiar with it and he developed a liking for "Zone".

"However... it probably wasn't drawn by Tori Akino-sensei. 'Zone' is far inferior to 'Hikaru no Go'."

He shook his head, put down his jumper, and went to his study to play a couple of games on the computer.

……

"Who said that Tori Akino-sensei only started serializing in 04? Tori Akino-sensei is so diligent, hasn't she already released new works?"

"Exorcist? That's an interesting premise."

"The Millennium Earl? That's a very fashionable name."

"It's still a short story, I really want to see a long-form comic."

"Let's wait a little longer. It's certain that Tori Akino will be serialized."

There's a lot of discussion online, and some people have already made a judgment.

However, some people hold different opinions.

"Hoshino Katsura is a fan of Tori Akino Mirai, right? He's totally emulated Tori Akino's art style."

"Looking at the details, there are too many problems with 'Zone'. The plot is not smooth enough, and the use of camera angles is far inferior to that of Akino Tori.

"No matter how you look at it, this is just a newcomer's comic."

……

"Tanaka-kun, isn't 'Zone' a work by the teacher?"

"Yes, we can draw that level of detail too."

Omori and Tanaka got together and discussed their rival, Katsura Hoshino's "Zone".

As assistants to Akino Mirai, they are very familiar with her and can draw conclusions based on their intuition alone.

“Actually, if readers think about it carefully, they wouldn’t have such a bizarre idea,” Tanaka said. “Ultimately, it’s just that the teacher is too lazy.”

Omori continued, "Everyone is eagerly anticipating the teacher's new manga, so any slight movement causes a huge uproar."

Many people really wish that "Zone" was drawn by Akino Mirai.

"It's just a coincidence, but..."

"This is very disadvantageous for us..."

They exchanged a glance and saw the distress in each other's eyes.

"Zone" has generated a huge amount of public discussion, and many people read this manga. Therefore, with this one move, Hoshino Katsura has already won half the battle.

The results of the "Golden Future Cup" selection were based on reader surveys.

Xiao Zheng has the best grades and the most votes, so he will be selected as the first-place winner.

……

"Is Hoshino Katsura the same person as Tori Akino?"

When Hideaki Sorachi heard this news, although he didn't know where it came from, he believed it in his chaotic state of mind.

"If even Tori Akino is participating, how am I supposed to win?"

Chapter 324 Hoshino Katsura: I'm very rich

"Oh, that's wrong news. How could 'Zone' be the work of Akino-sensei? Katsura Hoshino is a cute girl, and the similar art style is just a coincidence."

After Hideaki Sorachi questioned Editor Onishi, this reply finally calmed him down.

"That's good. After all, the entry to be published in the next issue is my 'Gintoki' from Yorozuya."

……

"What's 'Gintoki the Yorozuya'? What a mediocre name."

"But the background is quite interesting, there's also the Shinsengumi... oh, I mean the Shinsengumi."

"The background is similar to the Edo period at the end of the Edo period, with samurai respecting the emperor and expelling foreigners. The introduction of aliens is interesting!"

Many readers are quite fond of "Gintoki the Yorozuya," except for its unappealing name.

"Isn't 'King of Samurai' or 'White Demon' better than 'Gintoki'?"

……

Hibiki Higashino was also looking at Hideaki Sorachi's entry in the contest, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

"The land of warriors...that's what our country used to be called."

The Edo skies, once the dreamland of samurai, are now filled with foreign spaceships.

The streets that once trodden for samurai are now occupied by supernatural beings.

"It's great, these lines have the feel of Gintama."

This short story is already very close to "Gintama" and is a more mature work than "Zone".

With slight modifications, it can be used for serialization.

“Sorachi’s manga is very interesting, and his lines are great,” Akemi Akemi said, looking at Jump thoughtfully. “It’s just that the name ‘Gintoki’s Yorozuya’ is a bit too ordinary.”

Higashino Hibiki's eyebrows twitched, and he waved his hand, "This name is quite good, compared to..."

Take Gintama as an example.

After all, the comic's title is so vulgar, it's called "Egg," only this comic could be so vulgar.

……

"Are you ready to start drawing storyboards for the serialization? Yes, yes, thank you, Mr. Yoshida."

In the third week, Tanaka's manga was published in Jump. On Friday, Yoshida informed Kosei of his grades and also told Tanaka that they should start considering serialization.

This proves that Tanaka's "Secret Language" is popular and has the potential to be serialized.

This made Omori clench his fists, feeling suffocated.

So far, all three works published in the "Golden Future Cup" are very good.

Each one of them shocked and amazed Omori.

It's so interesting, but unfortunately, these works are all its own rivals.

At one of Jump's serialization meetings, only two or three works were allowed to be serialized. He felt a lot of pressure competing with these comics.

Gintama is a comedy manga, uniquely funny.

Comedy manga is more likely to be popular with readers, so there is a high probability that "Gintama" will continue to be serialized.

With its good artwork and positive public opinion, it would be difficult for "Zone" not to be serialized.

Now Tanaka's "Secret Language" is also highly anticipated by Yoshida, so what about him...?

……