Full-time comic artist

“Of course not,” Yoshida said with a smile.

……

"This is so amazing!"

"My mom asked me why I was kneeling while reading comics."

"Tori Akino-sensei is no longer human. I feel so choked up, like there's a stone pressing down on me. I'm so sad."

"Why are you torturing Homura Akemi? Waaaaah, my little Homura!"

The effect of episode 20 of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" was far more astonishing than that of episode 19.

Episode 19 depicts a time loop, while episode 20 portrays the change in Homura Akemi's mindset.

From a somewhat timid and soft-spoken girl, she grows through countless reincarnations into a cold, unapproachable, and aloof beauty who keeps everyone at arm's length.

"I finally understand Homura Akemi's character. I used to hate her for always being the riddle teller and for not being able to save Mami Tomoe. It turns out that this was the result of her repeated trial and error."

"It's good enough that Homura Akemi is still thinking about saving Mami Tomoe. If it were me, I would just kill, kill, kill, kill! Kill the evil Kyubey, kill the Mami Tomoe who is going to break down, kill Sayaka who rejects me, kill everyone except Madoka. In short, kill them all."

"Are they crazy?"

"These two chapters of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' are simply divine. I have never felt such a shock in any other manga."

"The plot, storyboarding, drawing skills, details, etc., are all unbeatable by Polygon!"

The reporter showed the forum posts about "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", and then quickly scrolled down to the crazy posts without making a sound.

"Just as readers have said, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' is unparalleled in its excellence, flawless in every aspect, and its time loop setting is a groundbreaking and stunning creation. Mr. Toriakino, how did you create this manga?"

The reporter smiled, but his eyes held a hint of resentment as he interviewed Higashino Hibiki.

"It was only after polishing the work again and again that..." Higashino Hibiki said with a smile.

Interviews were being conducted in the lobby and manga studio on the first floor, while on the second floor of Higashino's house...

Higashino looked at Akemi Akemi quietly without saying a word.

Just a week later, more people came.

This daughter-in-law is a complete liar, a total liar.

Akemi Akemi turned her head awkwardly to look out the window. "That big tree is so green."

Higashino asked in bewilderment, "Isn't that a purple-leaf peach? Its leaves are purplish-red..."

……

"I will not be giving interviews anytime soon."

During lunch, Higashino Hibiki suddenly said something.

The interviewer for this interview was from TV Asahi. Hibiki Higashino's manga adaptation and Mirai-sha had both received favors from TV Asahi, so he had no choice but to agree.

"You're not kidding me, are you?" Higashino Shio didn't trust Higashino Hibiki at all.

"Why would you think that?" Hibiki Higashino asked, puzzled. "It's not like it's a big decision."

Akemi Akemi turned her head and showed Higashino Hibiki the back of her head.

"It has nothing to do with Akemi."

“Hibiki,” Higashino Ichiro began, “your magical girl…”

He paused for a moment.

"Little Circle".

"Oh, 'Little Circle'. Is 'Little Circle' very popular?"

Higashino Ichiro was puzzled. Why would so many TV stations be vying to interview him about just a manga?

He doesn't understand.

“It’s quite popular,” Hibiki Higashino said. “One in ten Japanese people knows about ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’.”

Those who don't know are either in the countryside, or are middle-aged or elderly people, or children.

“I can’t understand it.” Higashino Ichiro shook his head.

Works about magical girls have such a narrow audience, at least men wouldn't watch them, so how come they're so popular?

"How should I put it?" Higashino put down his chopsticks. "At school, if you don't know 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' you won't have anything in common with your classmates."

"It's roughly equivalent to Astro Boy from 1963."

The animated series "Astro Boy" aired in 1963 and achieved a viewership rating of 27.4%, marking Ichiro Higashino's childhood.

"Astro Boy!" Ichiro Higashino exclaimed in surprise, then asked excitedly, "Hibiki, are you now on par with Osamu Tezuka?"

“This…” Higashino Hibiki scratched his cheek, “is too different.”

Akira Toriyama wouldn't dare compare himself to Osamu Tezuka.

"That's really impressive!" Ichiro Higashino exclaimed.

……

On the weekend, Hibiki Higashino and Akemi Akemi were taking a walk along the river when they saw Ichiro Higashino fishing with someone.

Just as Higashino Hibiki was about to step forward to greet him, he saw Higashino Ichiro proudly say, "My son is Akino Mirai, the artist who drew Magical Girl Madoka Magica..."

"Puella Magi Madoka Magica? What's that? Do you know it?"

"I don't know."

"Magical girl? Higashino-san, your son's heart is really pink."

"Hahaha."

The fishermen burst into laughter, and Higashino Ichiro's face turned red with anger.

Taking advantage of the fact that they hadn't been discovered, Higashino Hibiki quickly pulled Akemi Akemi away from there.

"Dad is really something. He hasn't even read 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' yet he's showing it off to his friends." Higashino Hibiki was speechless.

……

At dusk, Higashino Ichiro returned home, still seething with anger.

He was laughed at today; he didn't catch any fish, he just helped others scoop them up with nets.

"Really! Ugh!"

Hibiki Higashino didn't dare to show his face.

Higashino Ichiro was still sulking.

"What do you mean? A comic book with a weird name!"

"What is it? It's a work that only girls would draw."

"Damn Nakano and his gang!"

Half an hour later, the Higashino family's landline rang.

"No one's coming to pick me up!" he shouted, then got up himself, walked to the landline, and asked gruffly, "Hello, who is this?"

"Brother Higashino, it's me, Nakano!"

Higashino Ichiro instinctively wanted to hang up the phone.

Not content with just humiliating him, you're thinking of calling to humiliate him even more?

"Is your son...Tori Akino-sensei? My...my grandson wants an autograph, please!"

Chapter 351 Cupid, Mankind, Livestock

Nakano returned home and put the fish he had caught into the refrigerator.

He sat on the sofa, secretly pleased with himself.

"Grandpa, you've stuffed so much fish into the fridge again, it smells awful." His grandson ran over, holding an ice cream cone. "It all smells fishy, ​​we can't eat this."

“It doesn’t taste like anything,” Nakano waved his hand dismissively. “The grilled fish my family eats are all caught by me.”

“Hmm,” his grandson pouted, looking at the ice cream in his hand, looking very conflicted.

"It's only because I was able to catch fish. You know, the Higashino family kids can't afford to eat these grilled fish." Nakano leaned back on the sofa, recalling Higashino Ichiro's envious and jealous look, and felt incredibly satisfied.

"Ah, this is the joy of fishing."

Ken Nakano had no interest in his grandfather's great achievements, and he had long since lost his desire to eat fish. He only wished that his grandfather would work hard but never reap the rewards.

Beef and pork are both delicious.

The thought of beef stew with potatoes and fried meat patties makes his mouth water.

But we just keep eating fish! We just keep eating fish!

He never wanted to face the fishy smell of ice cream again.

"Oh, by the way, that Higashino, he said his son's name is something like Bird... Bird... Bird Akino, what a weird name." Nakano said with a laugh, "What a funny guy."

"Tori Akino!" Ken Nakano's eyes widened. "Is he the manga artist whose full name is Toori Akino Mirai?!"

"It seems so. He's just a manga artist who draws magical girl comics and is showing off in front of us," Nakano shook his head. Magical girls? This old man doesn't like such childish works.

In terms of manga, it should at least be on the level of "Phoenix".

"A magical girl!" Ken Nakano became even more excited, feeling a mix of nervousness, eagerness, impatience, and trepidation. "Is this magical girl... is it from 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'?"

“Madoka? Hmm, yes, Madoka,” Nakano scoffed. “That Higashino guy talks about ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ as if it were the best in the world, calling it a national masterpiece. That’s utter nonsense.”

"It's actually true..." Nakano Ken's mind went blank after hearing only the first half of his grandfather's sentence, and he was so excited that he could hardly contain himself.

"Long live! Long live!" he shouted, jumping around.

"What's wrong with you?" Nakano looked at his grandson with a puzzled expression.

After a while, Nakano Ken, who had returned to normal and was panting heavily, told him, "Grandpa, you actually know the family of Tori Akino-sensei! That's amazing!"

He held his grandfather's hands tightly, his eyes sparkling, his body trembling with excitement.

Nakano was taken aback by the intense emotions his grandson rarely displayed.