Full-time comic artist

Akemi Akemi was stunned.

Time is a terrible thing. In the four years that followed, Akemi Akemi became a good wife and mother, and a capable assistant to Hibiki Higashino. She forgot the dream she once had.

"Drawing comics sounds like a really good idea."

Hibiki Higashino saw her smiling as she said this to him.

……

"Tori Akino-sensei! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

At the entrance of the villa, Hibiki Higashino and Akemi Akemi sat on chairs enjoying the winter sun while discussing the storyboard for "Bakuman".

Then a piercing scream was heard.

The surrounding dogs were startled and started barking in unison.

The visitor was Koji Yoshida, who had been busy teaching Shigeaki Yashiro lately and was unaware of Akino Tori's upcoming serialization in Weekly Young Jump.

He was proud of discovering a promising new talent, but it was through Yoshihisa's narration that he learned of the shocking bad news.

"what?"

Koji Yoshida was completely stunned.

He couldn't wait to get off work and rushed straight to Bird Autumn Studio.

All the way there, I kept thinking about whether I should ask for a transfer to the editorial department of Young Jump.

When he arrived near the Higashino family home, he finally lost his temper and started shouting to vent his emotions.

"So the protagonist started drawing comics because of the girl he liked?"

Akemi Akemi was asking Hibiki Higashino about the plot of "Bakuman" when she was interrupted by Koji Yoshida.

The incessant barking from Yoshida's dogs made Higashino feel dizzy and disoriented.

He explained in detail, "This is just the beginning; the most important thing is that Mashiro Moritaka is passionate about manga."

He then stood up and looked towards the doorway, where Koji Yoshida stumbled into Hibiki Higashino's line of sight.

Higashino shouted, "What are you barking like a dog?"

"Ah?" A wave of sadness washed over him, and he was filled with sorrow. Yoshida Koji wanted to question Higashino Hibiki, but he also wanted to say goodbye properly.

He was filled with mixed emotions, feeling sad and thinking about parting ways. He wanted to reminisce about their years of friendship and the past years when they first met, but all of that was choked up by Higashino Hibiki's words, turning into a bitter pill.

"Teacher...you scolded me so harshly..." Yoshida was almost crying.

“Ah, sorry,” Higashino pointed to the side, “I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to the neighbor’s dog. You’ve come at just the right time.”

He waved, "I just finished a new work, come and take a look."

Yoshida said sourly, "Isn't the teacher planning to publish a manga in Weekly Young Jump? I can't read it. We're not in the same department, it'll easily cause a rift."

Higashino Hibiki was annoyed by his awkward expression, as if he had eaten the most authentic version of braised pork intestines.

He gritted his teeth, "This is another manga I'm going to submit to Weekly Shonen Jump!"

"Eh! Really!" Yoshida, who was just feeling awkward, is now extremely excited.

He even wanted to jump.

"Where? Let me see!"

Hibiki Higashino submitted his work to two editorial departments, including Weekly Shonen Jump, which excited Yoshida enough.

He's not Lin Daiyu; he wouldn't ask things like, "Is it just for me?" As long as Tori Akino remembers Jump and remembers him, he's satisfied.

……

"A story about two boys collaborating on a comic? Hmm... sounds like a niche comic."

"Have you decided to draw this?"

He moved a stool and sat opposite the Higashino couple. Then he looked at Higashino Hibiki and Akemi Akemi, who was painting.

“I think it’s great.” Akemi Akemi tilted her head back, revealing her slender neck. “It’s very immersive.”

She saw a reflection of herself in the synopsis of the story told by Higashino Hibiki.

"Bakuman's success will naturally not reach the heights of Death Note, but," Hibiki Higashino said, "there will always be newcomers who aspire to become manga artists, and it's actually quite good to be able to educate them."

For example, Soma Satoru, who is in junior high school.

And there are also the countless readers of Hibiki Higashino.

In the letters they sent to Higashino Hibiki, many people expressed their dreams of becoming manga artists.

They had no direction and didn't know what to do.

Often, it is all in vain.

Hibiki Higashino remembers someone who, after reading "Hikaru no Go," said he wanted to draw a "Hikaru no Go" based on shogi, but Hibiki Higashino has yet to see such a work.

“Hmm, what the teachers said makes a lot of sense. Let’s start drawing the storyboard.” Yoshida stroked his chin, approving of *Bakuman*. “But, teacher, could you draw me in? Like a cool, sharp character, like Light Yagami before he found the Death Note.”

“Sure.” Hibiki Higashino smiled.

……

Hibiki Higashino will make some changes to "Bakuman".

For example, the second half of Nakai Takuro's story.

He didn't know what the big and small groups were thinking, portraying this still passionate and hardworking person as a clown.

In terms of the comic's content, it's completely unnecessary.

An additional storyline was added in the early part of the story: Mashiro Moritaka becomes a huge fan of Dragon Ball after seeing the collected volumes of the manga, and while admiring Akira Toriyama, he develops the idea of ​​becoming a manga artist.

This is to increase the sense of immersion.

Many readers have this thought when watching Dragon Ball.

Imagine creating a wonderful manga world, just like Akira Toriyama.

Hibiki Higashino is Akira Toriyama's apprentice, so we must make the most of his resources.

Copyright infringement issues? Just whine to the teacher and everything will be fine.

March has arrived.

Hibiki Higashino and Akemi Akemi were extremely busy.

One person has to write the storyboards, another has to draw the character designs, and still others have to collect materials.

Higashino Mirai dawdled on the side, constantly calling out "Mom," wanting Akemi Akemi to play games with him.

But his mother, focused on her work, only gave Higashino Mirai half her face, her paintbrush flying across the paper, and didn't say a word to him.

The child cried, looking at Higashino Hibiki with a wronged expression.

Hibiki Higashino struggled with writing the storyboards, even though he remembered the general plot of "Bakuman." But the storyboards still needed to be written well, so that readers could understand them clearly.

The same story, but with or without excellent storyboarding, can evoke vastly different feelings in readers.

One of the key factors behind the success of Dragon Ball is its storyboarding.

Seeing that her parents were ignoring her, Higashino Mirai ran to the kitchen, hugged her grandmother's leg, and burst into tears.

"My parents don't care about the future."

He wanted his grandmother to teach the forgetful couple a lesson.

"How could you do this?" Higashino frowned.

"Mm!" Future nodded emphatically, a smile appearing on her face.

Higashino squatted down and patted Mirai's head. "Mom and Dad are working hard. Mirai can play by herself. Don't bother them anymore."

"Ah..." Future opened her mouth wide, looked at her grandmother, and burst into tears.

……

The production of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" is almost complete, and it will be broadcast on TV Asahi in April, about a month from now.

Advertisements are everywhere.

During dinner in the afternoon, Mirai watched a TV series featuring an adorable magical girl and clapped excitedly.

The PV clips feature dazzling transformation scenes and adorable, fairytale-like battle sequences, which Higashino Mirai particularly loves.

With ribbons fluttering in her hands, Mami Tomoe smiled and said, "Tori Akino's future masterpiece, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' will air on April 1st. Remember to watch it!"

Higashino Mirai pointed at the TV and said, "Mom, Mirai wants to watch this."

“You’ll have to wait a bit longer,” Akemi Akemi said, wiping his mouth.

Hibiki Higashino said, "I really like it in the future. Dad will watch it with you then."

"Hmm!" Higashino Mirai stared intently at the television, not wanting to miss a single detail, even during commercials.

Higashino Ichiro was very surprised, "This anime is going to air? Wow, that's fast!"

“Because it’s Hibiki’s manga,” Akemi Akemi said, looking at Hibiki Higashino. “Are you going to Madhouse?”

“I have to go,” Higashino said, shoveling rice into his mouth. “The first and second episodes of ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ have been completed, and Director Araki has invited me to watch them.”

With all the news about "Hanzawa Naoki," "Bakuman," and the "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" anime happening at once, Hibiki Higashino hasn't been this busy in a long time.

……

The next day, around 9 o'clock, the editor from Young Jump arrived.

This editor, named Tomoyuki Go, is a veteran of Shonen Jump, having worked as an editor for the company for seven or eight years.

Tanaka Jun put a lot of thought into assigning him to be in charge of Higashino Hibiki.

"Tori Akino-sensei, the serialization meeting for 'Hanzawa Naoki' has been approved, and the first chapter will be published on April 7th."

Weekly Shonen Jump is released every Thursday.

"Hanzawa Naoki" was published in the magazine as soon as April came.

In this batch, "Hanzawa Naoki" was the first new manga to be published.

Other manga of the same period could only be ranked behind "Hanzawa Naoki".