Full-time comic artist

The assistants had no choice but to go home together.

Under the dim sky, they discussed, "It doesn't feel like we can keep this up for long."

"I'm afraid the newbie protection period will end after chapter 10, and the manga will be canceled."

"That's true. Magical Girl Duel is nowhere near as good as Akino-sensei's Puella Magi Madoka Magica."

"Teacher Longze is also losing confidence."

"Because my grades were very bad, and I was close to the teacher's work station, I vaguely heard that I was fourth in the class."

"Really? Only fourth place..."

"Ah."

"That's terrible."

"There are also criticisms of Teacher Longze online, saying that he is overestimating himself."

"Actually, before coming to Ryuzawa-sensei's studio, I didn't have much hope... I just ran out of money, it was too expensive in Tokyo."

"Me too."

"I hope the teacher can cheer up."

They reached the street corner, sighed in unison, and then parted ways.

……

On the weekend.

Hibiki Higashino takes Akemi Akemi to see an opera performance.

"I never thought I could be so relaxed."

When he first started drawing comics, he had no time to rest at all, and was busy on weekends as well.

Aside from going to school, I spend all my time working in the dormitory.

“Yes, I never expected you to bring me to see the opera performance,” Akemi Akemi remarked meaningfully.

Higashino Hibiki said sheepishly, "I didn't have time before... Hey, look, the performance has officially started!"

Akemi Akemi was too embarrassed to speak, afraid of disturbing others, so she pursed her lips and began to read.

Today's piece is "West Side Story," an adaptation of Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet."

The story is set in the slums of New York in the 1950s, and the protagonists are named Tony and Maria. They come from two irreconcilable gangs in the slums of New York. Although they are deeply in love, they eventually die tragically in the hatred between the gangs.

Although the background is a slum, the stage visual effects are gorgeous and delicate, and the female actors playing male roles are elegant and handsome.

With incredibly moving music and impeccable dance moves, many audience members were moved to tears.

Akemi Akimiya's eyes shone, and tears welled up faintly.

Hibiki Higashino also got involved.

Even he, who doesn't watch musicals, was captivated by the wonderful performance.

This opera company operates with the discipline and discipline of an army, with each character working in perfect harmony to create a realistic stage effect.

When the performance ended, everyone stood up and applauded.

After leaving the theater troupe, listening to the praise from those around him for the performance, Higashino Hibiki kept nodding and shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" Akemi Akimiya nudged Hibiki Higashino.

“No, I just…” Hibiki Higashino said, “I was thinking about Ryuzawa-sensei’s manga.”

I wonder if any of these actors experienced all-encompassing bullying like the students at Takarazuka University.

“Magical Girl Duel…” Akemi Akemi fell silent.

“We should just enjoy it,” Hibiki Higashino comforted her. “Don’t think about anything else.”

Those are just plots in comics; don't apply them to reality.

"Ah."

They could no longer immerse themselves in the afterglow of "West Side Story".

……

On Sunday, Koji Yoshida brought a sample copy of Weekly Shonen Jump.

Higashino Hibiki quickly took a look.

Yoshida stopped him. "Teacher, don't you care about the sales figures for the 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' manga?"

It has been a month and a half since the release of the first volume of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica".

During this period, Sayaka and Kyoko died, and the worldview of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" was revealed.

Whether readers approve of and accept "Little Circle" can be gleaned from the sales figures of its standalone editions.

“Teacher,” Yoshida took a deep breath, “I’m about to speak.”

"Hurry up," Higashino Hibiki rolled his eyes at him.

Chapter 348 God comes back

A month and a half after the release of the collected volume, Koji Yoshida visited Tori Akino Studio to share his findings.

"Wow, finally I don't have to endure it like when 'Death Note' was being serialized," Koji Yoshida grinned. "Tori Akino-sensei, this is an amazing achievement of 98 copies sold!"

The creation of "Death Note" required maintaining a balanced and somber state of mind. If the success of the single volume were celebrated joyfully, it would affect the tense and exciting atmosphere of "Death Note".

"98 copies?" Hibiki Higashino rubbed his chin. "That's even better than Death Note."

The Death Note manga sold over 100 million copies in two months.

"Little Circle" performed significantly better.

"98 copies? That's amazing! It's practically breaking the record for Jump!" That's what I thought after learning the results," Koji Yoshida scratched his head. "Looks like Akino-sensei is much more composed; she doesn't seem to care about this achievement at all."

"Really?" Higashino Hibiki was taken aback. "No, no, no, you've misunderstood."

He shook his head. "I'm just so happy that I don't know how to express it."

"Teacher, you speak your mind, that's really great." Yoshida gave another thumbs up.

“I’m telling you, Yoshida-kun,” Higashino winked at him, “you should stop praising me all the time.”

From any perspective, Koji Yoshida can lavish praise on Hibiki Higashino.

This made Hibiki Higashino, who loves being praised, feel uncomfortable.

“Yes,” Koji Yoshida readily agreed, then suddenly added, “However, the sales of subsequent volumes of ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ are unlikely to increase.”

"What a clumsy way to change the subject," Higashino Hibiki muttered to himself.

What Yoshida said is true.

The previous month, all readers who had expressed interest in purchasing it bought it.

To significantly increase sales, we'll have to wait until the "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" anime airs.

……

on Monday.

"Puella Magi Madoka Magica manga has surpassed 100 million copies sold! That's amazing!" Akihisa flipped through Jump and saw the news, unable to help but marvel.

"However, even a poor person like me bought the single volume, so it is perfectly reasonable that it sold 100 million copies."

He started reading "Little Circle".

"Please introduce yourself," the teacher said.

"Um... um... my name is... Akemi... Homura, um, this... please... take care of me..." Akemi Homura, who had pigtails and wore glasses, was very shy when introducing herself.

Her face was flushed, she was flustered, and she gripped her schoolbag tightly with both hands.

"what?"

At the very beginning of the new episode of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", Yoshii Akihisa stood up in shock.

"This...this is the aloof and arrogant Homura Akemi! It can't be."

She's clearly a shy, unsociable country girl.

She no longer possessed the charm of a "beauty" when she first appeared.

"I've already read 100 chapters?" Akihisa asked, quite puzzled.

"Perhaps this is the timeline that Homura Akemi experienced before, and what she looked like before she grew up."

Akemi Homura, who has been hospitalized for a heart condition, rarely interacts with people her own age and is somewhat introverted.

He couldn't do math problems either. When he went up to the podium, he held his pen for a long time, not knowing where to start, and could only feel embarrassed and ashamed.

During PE class, she became anemic from warming up, looking as frail as Lin Daiyu.

Akihisa pulled out the individual volumes and started comparing them.

Homura Akemi, who appears at the beginning of the manga, can easily solve math problems and is an all-rounder in sports.

"Tori Akino-sensei is so meticulous."

The contrast and echoing in the manga show Homura Akemi's changes and growth.

This is a very clever approach.

This also foreshadowed the events from the very beginning, setting the stage for the five months of content.

……

The reason Homura Akemi knew the location of the infirmary was because the mature and capable Madoka took her there.

"Wow, what a novel little circle."

The character settings have all changed.

She went from being self-conscious to being poised and confident.

"What is this?" Mingjiu asked, puzzled.