Full-time comic artist

"Why isn't it a sports manga? I've rewatched Slam Dunk so many times."

"Yay! It's a manga similar to 'Hikaru no Go'!"

"It's good enough that there are his shonen manga, just make do with it."

The students reacted differently.

But overall it was a pleasant surprise.

……

After school, Soma Satoru rushed to his uncle's studio and told him about "Bakuman".

“Oh, this?” Soma Ichiro scratched his head. “I know.”

"Uncle, you know!" Soma Satoru exclaimed incredulously.

“Yes,” Soma Ichiro nodded, “Tori Akino-sensei said he would draw my story, but he needs my permission first.”

"You agreed?"

"Of course, what's the big deal? Toriaki also asked Osamu Akimoto, Toriyama, Togashi, Araki, Oda, Kishimoto... and they all agreed."

Soma Ichiro started counting on his fingers.

Chapter 370 contains 369 chapters of the manga series "Bakuman," a story that flourishes both in the manga and online.

"That's amazing!"

Soma Satoru stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

The people his uncle mentioned were all pillars of Weekly Shonen Jump, maintaining the magazine's dominant position for decades.

Of all these people, only his uncle... was not presentable.

He looked at Soma Ichiro with a puzzled expression. "Why? Why would Tori Akino-sensei look for you?"

Xiang Ma couldn't understand it.

“It’s probably because,” Soma Ichiro said with a smile, “my dedication to manga.”

He turned his head to look out the window, revealing a sense of desolation. "I guess I'm someone who loves comics, keeps trying, and never gives up, even though I always fail."

"Tori Akino-kun has a really good eye." He couldn't help but smile and burst into laughter.

"As expected of Uncle!" Soma Satoru looked at Soma Ichiro with admiration.

……

On the other side, the Higashino family.

Hibiki Higashino is watching TV.

Beside...

“I’m telling you,” Akemi Akemi wiped Higashino Mirai’s mouth, and seeing his dazed look, she couldn’t help but ask Higashino Hibiki, “What’s wrong with Mirai? You haven’t been in a good mood these past few days.”

She made Higashino Mirai's favorite hamburger patty, but the boy just stared blankly as he finished the whole plate, without the usual smile of enjoying the food.

"I don't know!" Higashino Hibiki shook his head violently. "It has nothing to do with me!"

Akemi Akemi looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I didn't say it had anything to do with you... That's strange, why are you reacting so strongly?"

"Ah, ah!" Higashino Hibiki sat up from the sofa, feigning sudden realization, "You must have found a little girl you like in kindergarten, right!"

The topic was indeed diverted.

Akemi Akemi was very interested in this.

“Really? Mirai-chan,” she said, fiddling with her son’s clothes, “then let Mommy change you into a cool and stylish outfit.”

Higashino Mirai remained silent, staring at Higashino Hibiki with dead fish eyes.

Today, he has a deeper understanding of his father.

Then they were taken away to change clothes.

……

Hibiki Higashino's works are flourishing, with "Hanzawa Naoki" serialized in Weekly Young Jump and "Bakuman" serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump.

"Hanzawa Naoki" achieved great success, becoming the flagship of Young Jump in just four chapters, and was about to crush the veteran Hiroshi Motomiya.

The movie "Bakuman" is about to be released.

This made Satoru Soma very curious: what kind of work could make Mirai Toriaki take the time to collaborate with others to create it?

It must have reached the point where they can't bear to let go.

There are many readers like him.

Akira Toriyama was curious: Akino Toriyama was pestering him for the copyright, so what kind of manga would she draw?

Akira Toriyama, who has been away from Weekly Shonen Jump for many years, no longer receives sample copies. His former editors have all left their posts, so he can only wait until Monday, when, like most readers, he sees this pre-released manga after the magazine's official release.

The protagonist of "Bakuman", Moritaka Mashiro, is an ordinary boy. He is 14 years old and is facing the pressure of entering high school. He is confused and at a loss.

He had no plans for his future.

I don't know what to do.

It is through the guidance of parents and teachers that one studies diligently, attends tutoring classes, and strives to be a good child.

This is a common thought among children nowadays. They are overly sensible, don't want their parents to worry, and know they need to study hard.

But unfortunately, they lack the youthful energy of teenagers, they have no dreams, they know how to weigh the pros and cons, and they mature too quickly.

Readers in middle school felt a mix of emotions as they read this passage, some with a touch of melancholy.

Like Mashiro Moritaka, this character can be seen as a portrayal of their inner world.

Akira Toriyama flipped through Jump and continued reading.

He didn't see anything particularly impressive in Bakuman. It seems this manga is simply telling a serious story.

Mashiro is in love with a girl, but he doesn't dare to confess his feelings; he's filled with timidity.

They had never spoken to each other before; it was a relationship that never came to fruition.

Mashiro Moritaka's life took a turn for the better with a top student named Takagi Akito, who had consistently ranked first in his grade for many years, and whose future success was foreseeable.

Get into a high school with a high deviation score, then enter the University of Tokyo, and have a wonderful life.

However, Takagi Akito, who is ranked first in his age group, invited Mashiro Moritaka to form a team to draw manga.

"I have literary talent, you have painting skills!"

"Japanese manga is a great culture praised by the world. Proof of being alive is to draw your name in a manga!"

Akira Toriyama scratched his head. "Is that so?"

The number one comic artist doesn't think that way.

He started drawing comics simply because he had nothing to do after quitting his job and wanted to earn money to fill his stomach.

"Do comics really have that much meaning?"

Takagi Akito was radiant, while Mashiro Moritaka, though young, was mature beyond his years and refused Takagi Akito's request.

"But I refuse!"

The comic strip introduced educational content about the harsh realities of being a cartoonist.

A comic that isn't popular will be canceled after ten chapters.

Only 0.001% of people can make a living from comics for a lifetime.

The vast majority of people are just gamblers.

……

“Sigh,” Soma Ichiro sighed.

That's how it is. Only one in a hundred manga gets an anime adaptation. Manga artists whose works are adapted into anime are barely surviving these days.

This is something that top-tier cartoonists can't see.

"How could Toriakino-kun have such insights?" he wondered.

Mirai Tori is a rare genius in the field of manga, even surpassing Yoshihiro Togashi. Some people call him the first person after Osamu Tezuka in terms of talent.

He started serializing "Hikaru no Go" while in high school, and later gained immense popularity with "Slam Dunk" in college. Each of his subsequent manga became more and more sought after. Why would such a successful genius have these kinds of feelings?

“Perhaps it has something to do with Akimiya-sensei, who he collaborates with.” Soma Ichiro scratched his head.

The manga describes Akemi Akemi as being 35 years old, but he has no recollection of the name.

"After struggling and working her way up, she developed superb drawing skills, which enabled her to collaborate with Tori Akino-kun? Her past is incorporated into Mashiro Takashi's character design."

"Yes, that's it."

Having resolved his initial confusion, he now had new questions.

"But what about me? Tori Akino-kun said the character I drew is at the beginning, so where am I?"

……

Satoru Soma was looking at "Bakuman".

He was somewhat disgusted by the awkwardness of Mashiro Moritaka.

This guy knows the rules of Weekly Shonen Jump so well, he must aspire to be a manga artist, but instead of seizing the opportunity, he looks so pessimistic.

Mashiro's tallest uncle is a manga artist named Taro Kawaguchi.

Takagi Akito was very shocked. He had loved Kawaguchi-sensei's "Legend of the Super Heroes" when he was a child. He had watched the anime and bought the collected volumes. He was a big fan of the series.

Kawaguchi Taro's drawing skills were particularly poor, and Soma Satoru immediately thought of his uncle, Soma Ichiro.

"I see, so Uncle is the model for Taro Kawaguchi."

"Doesn't that mean... Mashiro is the best?!"

He was shocked.

"Does that's how Teacher Toriakino sees me?!"