Full-time comic artist

"Will I end up like Tsubaki in this year's exam?" Koharu wondered to herself. "To entrust my dream of becoming a professional Go player to someone else... I... I don't want to!"

"I want to become a professional Go player!" he clenched his fist. "It's always been this way; I absolutely cannot give up. I can't lose to anyone in this year's exam!"

……

Tokyo Go Association.

Odagiri bowed to his opponent, stamped the victory record in the score sheet, and then began to pack up the Go board.

Shinoda, a fourth-dan player, noticed this and walked over in two steps.

After examining the game and reviewing it, he gave the two players some pointers, and then said to Odagiri, "Now that you've beaten Matsushita, Odagiri, you're a member of the same team."

Four months after officially joining the Go Academy, he rose from the bottom of the second group to the first group. This amazing growth surprised Shinoda.

A spur-of-the-moment choice led him to discover a hidden gem.

"I still have a long way to go." Odagiri became increasingly calm.

Shinoda nodded approvingly, "You can give it a try this year for the professional Go player exam."

"Eh! Really?" Odagiri was still just a child, and he looked at Shinoda, a 4-dan player, with excitement. After learning Go, he stepped into the examination hall, and his dream was just one step away!

“Yes,” Shinoda nodded, “There are still three months left, so do your best.”

“Yes,” Odagiri stood up, bowed respectfully, and turned to memorize the game record.

Looking at his retreating figure, Shinoda seemed to see Hikaru Shindo in his eyes.

Shinoda gripped his fan, looking forward to his future.

……

Higashino looked at Yamazaki Akira, who was crying in front of him, with some confusion.

She's been doing really well lately, hosting the Go lessons for the later episodes of "Hikaru no Go," which seems to have brought out some of her best qualities, making her very popular with children.

The viewership ratings for "Hikaru no Go" rose, with an average rating of 16.2%, and her contribution was also a factor.

Therefore, TV Asahi decided to strike while the iron was hot and launched a segment called "Go Teaching by 2-dan Yamazaki Akira".

I heard that it has one of the highest viewership ratings among educational programs.

She has become a big celebrity.

Why are you crying in front of me again?

Higashino Hibiki held the black chess piece tightly, forcing himself not to pay attention to her.

Focusing his energy on the chessboard and pondering carefully, he realized it was too late to turn the tide.

I lost.

Putting down the chess piece, Higashino asked, "You've already beaten me, so why are you still crying?"

Akira Yamazaki shook his head.

"After watching 'Hikaru no Go,' I was reminded of my exam days."

She barely passed the exam.

His strength is like that of Honda, an insei in "Hikaru no Go".

But he lost the game, shedding tears of resentment and crying helplessly.

"Thankfully, I won in the end. I really can't believe it, not because I became a professional Go player..."

Chapter 85: Countdown to the End of Dragon Ball

As a professional Go player, Akira Yamazaki's tone now only conveys a sense of relief.

It seems that the professional chess player exam back then really left her with a lot of trauma.

With hundreds of skilled participants, only three spots will ultimately be available for professional Go players. This odds are almost as low as making a living by drawing comics.

Hibiki Higashino didn't comfort Akira Yamazaki. She was the winner, a small minority among the majority, and in a small city, she was already at an outstanding level.

Looking down at the chessboard, Higashino began to review the game.

He is completely focused when he plays Go, without any distractions, which is one of the reasons why his Go skills have improved so quickly.

……

In April, Hibiki Higashino entered university.

Musashino had intended for him to speak as a representative of the new students, but Hibiki Higashino refused.

He didn't want to write two speeches in a short period of time, and besides, Musashino Art University was full of geniuses; his prestige wasn't high enough.

When someone creates a groundbreaking work like Dragon Ball, then they can still show off.

University life isn't as punctual as high school, and I have much more time to draw comics than in high school.

However, art students often need to go out to collect inspiration, which takes a lot of time.

Higashino Hibiki can take leave whenever possible, but for times when he can't, he has to coordinate with his assistant.

As a result, Yoshii and his traditional Chinese painting teacher, Akemi Akemi, would occasionally be absent.

The only thing that will remain unchanged is his reliable assistant, Eiichiro Oda.

Oda was puzzled by this when he was working as an assistant.

He asked with displeasure, "Now that you've become a cartoonist, why waste your time in university?"

Hibiki Higashino replied, "I don't know if I can make a living from manga forever. You have to leave yourself a way out. Besides, Hirohiko Araki once told me that inspiration for manga can be drawn from art, and if you want to improve your drawing skills, you have to learn the beauty of the best."

Oda shook his head. As for the drawing skills, they're good enough.

He disagreed with Hibiki Higashino's ideas. "I think the story is the best thing. In the future, I must draw works full of boundless imagination, fantastical adventures, all kinds of abilities, and epic manga that are interwoven together."

Hibiki Higashino glanced at him. "I believe you can do it."

This guy is Eiichiro Oda. The author with the highest future sales of collected volumes, and the strongest pillar of Jump.

"Oh! Really!" Oda exclaimed excitedly, "I'm really excited! I'm going to draw a lot more manga today and start serializing my work as soon as possible!"

Seeing his assistant like this, Higashino realized that he was almost sick of drawing comics lately, and that if his assistant could work harder, he could finally relax.

……

The first volume of "Hikaru no Go" has sold over 100 million copies, which should have been a very important piece of good news and something to celebrate.

However, the atmosphere in the Jump editorial department was gloomy; none of the editors spoke, and all wore stern faces.

Nobuhiko Horie's voice came from the conference room.

Has Akira Toriyama not given up on his plan to end Dragon Ball?

“Hmm…” Takeda Fuyumon answered weakly.

Caught between his idol Akira Toriyama and his boss, he was having a hard time, suffering from both sides.

"The Buu Saga ended after it was finished, why didn't anyone tell me?" Nobuhiko Horie was exasperated.

Before the Buu Saga began, Akira Toriyama had already agreed with Shueisha that he would end the serialization after finishing the Buu Saga.

The newly appointed editor-in-chief was completely unaware of the situation and hadn't even come up with a solution.

“I thought someone had told you.” Takeda was also aggrieved. Many people should know about this, including the fourth editor-in-chief, Torishima Kazuhiko, and Takahashi Toshimasa.

In fact, the beneficiaries, such as Bandai, Fuji Television, and Toei Animation, had already begun to assess the situation and choose a good time to minimize their losses before Akira Toriyama started the countdown to the series' conclusion.

All of this is being carried out in an orderly manner.

"So now, it has to end..." Horie Nobuhiko slumped down.

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have let Yoshihiro Togashi finish the story so hastily.

Right now, there are no more top-tier works left, and I wonder how much sales will drop...

He felt dizzy and lightheaded.

“You can leave now,” Nobuhiko Horie waved his hand.

"Yes." Takeda bowed, turned and left, his hand just touching the doorknob.

"Wait a minute," Horie Nobuhiko called out to him.

Takeda waited patiently.

"Please also call Sasaki in, thank you."

"clear."

……

Sasaki sat at his workstation, looking at the latest reports.

Hikaru Shindo becoming a professional Go player is arguably the most exciting plot point in the recent Hikaru no Go series.

Xiaozheng's feedback was very good, surpassing "Rurouni Kenshin" and taking second place.

This is a very rare achievement for a work like "Hikaru no Go".

“It’s not just the story that’s good,” Sasaki thought, holding the report, “but also Tori Akino’s artwork, which perfectly expresses the emotions he wants to convey. Sadness, pain, perseverance, and persistence, each with its own expression, are all portrayed very well. Together, they bring the story to life.”

"The interplay of light and shadow is also very well done. The reason why the Go-playing storyline is so captivating is precisely because of the stunning effect created by the interplay of light and shadow."

"Often, a single painting can be incredibly moving. It immerses the reader in the story, making them feel as if they are playing chess themselves. I've only been painting for a year and a half, and I've already grown to this level!"

"His future might see him become the most skilled comic artist!"

Sasaki's eyes lit up; with such a manga artist by his side, his dream could definitely be realized.

Become the editor-in-chief, then expand into overseas markets and promote Jump to various countries.

Just as he was lost in thought, Takeda tapped on the table. "The editor-in-chief wants to see you."

Finally, he looked towards the conference room.

Sasaki was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and said, "Thank you for your help."

When he arrived at the office, he saw Nobuhiko Horie staring at him with a pale face.

Thinking about the end of Dragon Ball, he shook his head.