Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

"Sunday!"

"Huh? Why?! Does the teacher read comic books too?"

"Sunday is so much fun!"

Everyone was in an uproar, finding it incredibly amazing.

How could a teen comic book, which is usually scolded by parents as a bad publication, become a textbook?

“Yes, even shonen manga has its merits.” Mr. Ito nodded, turned to the page “Uncle and the Elephant”, and showed it to the students.

"This is a sad and bloody story, and it's about the mistakes of the past. Everyone should listen carefully so that we can learn from it."

The students continued to make noise, but Ito paid no attention.

As he explained the content of the comic, he combined it with detailed information he had found to recount how the beasts were killed.

Strangulation, poisoning, starvation...

As he spoke, the students quieted down, their bright, darting eyes becoming vacant.

"Teacher! Is all of this real? This is outrageous!"

A student suddenly raised his hand, interrupting Ito's statement.

Ito nodded in satisfaction: "These are photos of the dead elephant. I've printed several copies; please pass them around and take a look."

Looking at the photo of the emaciated, lying elephant, some children covered their mouths, while others cried.

This lesson is just one step away from being successfully completed.

Ito concluded: "War not only harms humans, but also buries innocent animals. Those who start wars should be condemned."

The students listened attentively, their eyes filled with seriousness.

After the class, Ito left with a copy of "Weekly Shonen Sunday" in his hand.

He sat at his desk, thought for a long time, and then took out paper and pen.

"I am a primary school teacher, and today I used 'Doraemon' to teach a unique lesson. The students were very moved, and they learned lessons that are difficult to relate to from textbooks."

"Doraemon is an excellent work that can be both entertaining and educational. Please keep up the good work, manga artist!"

……

Beyond the classroom, "Uncle and the Elephant" has sparked a wave of discussion in Japan, with many people making their voices heard through newspapers and television.

"The government should apologize for this; otherwise, it will continue to exist."

"Don't talk nonsense, this is a smear on our own country's history!"

"If you're too naive, you won't do anything well."

At first, there were many voices against "The Elephant and Uncle", but when the shady things were brought into the light, the truth prevailed.

Past academic materials, children's picture books, and novels criticizing this incident have been unearthed, proving that this was undoubtedly an absurd atrocity under the wartime militaristic system.

People are talking about it, but the government is just playing dead and waiting for things to calm down.

Unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure, Ueno Zoo decided to hold a press conference.

At a press conference, the hospital bowed in apology and promised to erect a memorial for the animals and hold a memorial service every year to comfort the innocent souls of the deceased.

At the same time, Fuji Television launched the TV series "Hanako-san," which tells the story of Hanako-san, an elephant who starved to death, in order to reflect on the devastation of war on life.

One article, "The Elephant and the Uncle," stirred up all the channels of communication in Japan.

Some people profit from this, while others reflect on it.

This was completely beyond Fushimikawa's expectations.

……

"How amazing, teacher! NGOs, schools, TV stations... they're all telling the story of 'The Elephant and Uncle'!"

"In the Oikawa studio, Arima said excitedly."

"With such a large influence, shouldn't the Governor of Tokyo speak out?"

Fushimikawa remained silent.

Hirokazu Kenji took the initiative to speak, and as a law student, he said disdainfully, "How could that be? Admitting your mistakes is your own responsibility, and playing dead will prevent you from being held accountable. Those politicians make all sorts of grand promises before they come to power, but what promises can they actually fulfill? Especially those who believe that their historical sins are unrelated to them."

He was quite knowledgeable about Japanese politics, talking about things like local elections, parliamentary politics, and factional struggles.

Arima was dizzy and could only manage to say, "So, you mean, senpai, this will be treated as if nothing happened?"

“Yes.” Kenji Hirokane nodded emphatically. “Unless MacArthur comes, there is no room for negotiation.”

As he expected, the government departments remained silent throughout, and no one participated in the related activities.

Shogakukan faced questioning from lawmakers, but there was nothing they could do.

They're still sitting in the building that Fujiko Fujio earned, what else can they say?

Ignoring the crowd protesting "The Elephant and the Uncle" downstairs, Toshiki Takei shrugged.

"Let Oikawa-sensei draw to his heart's content."

Chapter Forty: The President Seems to Lack Long-Term Ambition

The protests of the die-hards were dealt with by the people of Shogakukan before they even reached Fushimikawa's ears.

Drawing "The Elephant and Uncle" brought Fushimikawa many benefits. First, "Doraemon" finally surpassed "Big Fool! Koshien" and "Incompetent Dad" to take first place in "Sunday" magazine!

This left many veteran cartoonists dumbfounded; an honor they had never received in their entire lives was won by a newcomer who had been in the industry for less than six months.

Doraemon has finally proven its potential; it may be comparable to Ashita no Joe.

This is something you won't see in other comics serialized in Sunday.

Therefore, Nobita and Doraemon will appear on the cover of the first week of next month's Weekly Shonen Sunday.

It has been featured on the cover, which will further increase its popularity and attract more readers.

The strong get stronger, that's how it is.

The second point is the good impression it leaves on parents.

It's a great thing that they don't object to their own children watching "Doraemon" and are happy to buy future "Doraemon" volumes.

This is a result that the editorial department could never achieve, no matter how much they promoted it.

Now that Doraemon has entered classrooms and been praised by many teachers, it has gained this popularity among the general public.

It can be said that the golden body has been initially created.

Ignoring the potential backlash from the right wing, serializing "The Elephant and Uncle" is practically a win-win situation.

"This is quite unexpected..."

Fushimikawa scratched his cheek. The overwhelming pressure he had imagined did not materialize. He was praised wherever he went.

In the eyes of others, he became a conscientious cartoonist.

"It's probably also related to having Fujiko F. Fujio's backing. I was criticized terribly by many people when I wrote novels back then..."

……

In early March, it was time for Waseda University to have its spring break.

Before the holiday, Fushimikawa received a lot of admiring glances.

Similar looks have been seen before, but they are not the same.

Previously it was about worshipping geniuses; now it's more like, "This guy's got guts."

This implied that he was admitting defeat and that he was inferior to Fushimikawa, which made him even happier.

Today's college students have an anti-authoritarian mindset, and "The Elephant and the Uncle" really resonated with them.

"He actually draws cartoons exposing the government's dark side, how amazing!"

"If he were to organize a student movement now, he would definitely be able to encourage many people to participate."

"As expected of our Waseda classmates, they have a strong sense of social responsibility."

Fushimikawa once again became a prominent figure, attracting attention wherever he went.

This made him feel uncomfortable, so he went to the rooftop to hide.

……

The wind was still a bit cold in early March, making Fushimi Kawa's face sting.

He tightened his trench coat, turned up the collar, and covered his face.

"Now that 'The Elephant and Uncle' is finished, what should we draw next?"

He was thinking.

With the 30-day spring break approaching, Fushimikawa and his assistants had already planned to get together and draw a short comic.

It's fine if it can be published on Sunday, but if not, just post it on .com.

The magazine founded by Osamu Tezuka should be discontinued; its financial situation is far from sustainable, and even his manga royalties are barely enough to cover the losses.

While "COM" is still around, Fushimikawa unlocks achievements for works serialized on it.

"Then there's no need to use commercial comics. After all, COM represents free creation, experimental, and unconventional comics, which are more suitable for this platform."

He pondered new themes for the future, and his eyes gradually brightened.

"There is great potential in the realist style."

……

"Clang."

The rooftop exit door seemed to have been slammed shut by the wind, making a loud noise. Fushimikawa subconsciously turned around and saw a slender figure with her rear end sticking out.

"President Fujiwara?"

Fujiwara Maki tiptoed around, gently closing the iron gate before patting her chest and letting out a sigh of relief.

"The noise is too loud; it might attract other people's attention."