Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

Even though Xiong's father was already swaying and about to give up, the teacher still forced him to do more work, arguing that soldiers were fighting for the country and he couldn't slack off.

Hunger, exhaustion, resentment, fear, and an uncertain future led him to contemplate suicide.

Just as he stepped into the river, a girl who looked like a white lily appeared.

Her skin was fair, and her large eyes were filled with affection for Xiong's father. Although she didn't say anything, the chocolates she gave him helped him through this difficult time.

Many years later, Xiong's father would still recount the past, which were happy and beautiful memories in his life.

Nobita and Doraemon travel back in time and discover that the girl is actually Nobita himself, who happened to be there by chance.

He saved his father, disappeared into the mist, and returned to reality.

"Yes, the plot is cleverly designed, unexpected yet reasonable. Most importantly, it connects with 'The Elephant and the Uncle,' allowing today's children to understand that war not only destroys other countries, but also causes suffering for ordinary Japanese people, and there is no benefit to it."

Closing the magazine, Osamu Tezuka exclaimed, "The drawing is truly excellent. Oikawa-kun is creating with such ease. He can already be called a top-notch manga artist."

"I don't know when he will arrive."

Turning on the television and watching the news program on Fuji TV, Osamu Tezuka felt a sense of anticipation: "I really want to talk to him."

……

Fushimikawa arrived at Osamu Tezuka's home in Nerima Ward.

After paying the taxi fare, he went up and knocked on the door.

The driver watched his retreating figure, muttering to himself.

"Why would this guest go from Shinjuku to Nerima via Nakano, instead taking the long detour to Taito? I really don't know what he was thinking."

But it was actually a good thing for him; he started the car and drove away.

……

"I'm so sorry to bother you today," Fushimikawa said to Tezuka Etsuko, who opened the door for him, as he picked up the fruit basket.

"You're too kind, guest." Tezuka Etsuko smiled gently, clasped her hands at her sides, and bowed slightly. "My husband is in the living room. Please come with me."

She accepted the fruit basket and led the way.

"This is troublesome." Fushimi Kawa nodded and followed behind her.

The closer they got to the living room, the more they could hear the television.

"Dear viewers, this is Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. As you can see, a memorial service is being held at the zoo to comfort the souls of the innocent animals who have passed away."

"Many people spontaneously came to the scene, and students from nearby primary schools also came to the scene with their teachers. Zookeepers, members of the public, and monks gathered at the memorial to remember the animals that died in the park over the years. They also used the ceremony to reflect on the tragedy of war, reflect on the cost of life, and advocate for the humane treatment of animals."

Standing at the entrance to the living room, Fushimikawa quietly watched the television, his heart devoid of sorrow or joy.

Osamu Tezuka was watching intently and was completely unaware that someone had come up behind him.

"Darling," Tezuka Etsuko called softly, unable to bear it any longer.

Osamu Tezuka turned around, saw Fushimikawa, and quickly stood up to greet him.

"You're late, Oikawa-kun."

Seeing that the two of them had started chatting, Tezuka Etsuko bent over and backed out the door.

The door was gently closed, leaving only Fushimikawa and Tezuka Osamu in the room.

"That's amazing! You and Fujiko actually managed to create such a huge spectacle." Osamu Tezuka looked at the television with a broad smile. "Last March, readers of 'Ashita no Joe' held a real-life memorial service for Toru Rikiishi after his death. I thought that was already impressive, but I never imagined that 'Doraemon' would have such a huge impact."

Our industry is booming.

As a pioneer and leader of the new Japanese manga, he is very gratified to see manga exerting an amazing influence and being loved by countless people.

Fushimikawa replied with a smile, "Fujiko-sensei and I simply illustrated history. That's what the zoo should be doing, and besides..."

He suppressed his smile: "The politicians haven't reflected on their actions or apologized yet, and the zoo is mostly using this to boost its profile and attract tourists."

Ueno Zoo has not yet introduced the most lucrative panda, making it essentially no different from other zoos.

Performing a proper memorial service is actually a good thing for them.

“Politicians…they won’t step forward. As for the zoo? Whatever the people behind it are thinking, it’s always a good thing.”

As Osamu Tezuka watched the children's sorrowful expressions on television, he said gently, "Their future selves will take this as a warning and simply cherish peace. That's all a manga can do, isn't it?"

Fushimikawa nodded slightly.

"Ah, please sit down." Osamu Tezuka snapped out of his daze and made room for her.

"Thank you." Fushimikawa sat down opposite Osamu Tezuka and explained his purpose, "At the Shogakukan annual meeting, the teacher asked me to contribute an article. This is my new work. Please take a look."

"Wow, that's fast!" Osamu Tezuka exclaimed in surprise. "Only two months have passed, and he's already drawn so much content."

Judging from Osamu Tezuka's experience, the original manuscript on the table was at least 40 pages long, more than enough to tell a story.

“How could I possibly compare to you, teacher?” Fushimi Kawa shook his head. He pointed to the manuscript and said, “These are just the beginning. To finish the content, it will take more than a hundred pages.”

“Hmm,” Tezuka Osamu pondered for a moment, then picked up the manuscript. “Let me take a look first.”

"Please go ahead."

……

Osamu Tezuka was stunned when he took the comic out of the brown paper bag and read the first page.

'I've never seen this style before!'

Numerous lines create a soft, realistic background; the character's 9-head-tall proportions are standard for real people; the facial features are well-proportioned, not at all like a cartoon character with a big head and big eyes.

"Is this a new art style?!" he asked impatiently.

"I incorporated elements from anime and drama, resulting in a style that isn't universally appealing. Please forgive me," Fushimikawa said.

“No, I like it very much,” Osamu Tezuka shook his head. “Those screenwriters like Sanpei Shirato were probably aiming for this kind of effect, reducing the roughness and gore, making it suitable for workplace and urban manga.”

He only pointed out the advantages of the realistic style, without mentioning its commercial shortcomings.

It is clear that no matter how many identities Osamu Tezuka had, his essence was ultimately that of a creator.

Pursuing commercial value is not important to him.

“Young people create the world, that’s so true.” He looked intently at Fushimikawa. “It’s truly enviable.”

Chapter 44 Yes, that's the expression I wanted to see!

Holding the original manuscript, Osamu Tezuka suddenly felt a great weight on his shoulders.

He jokingly said it was jealousy, but he was actually quite uncomfortable inside.

This young man, who is not yet an adult, has already begun to create a new form of comics.

It's as if they've gotten tired of cartoons and comics and are looking for something more suitable for them.

He found it in a short time.

Oikawa's art style is indeed, as he said, unappealing.

It's hard work to draw, requires mastery of comic techniques, and is difficult to commercialize.

But this is undoubtedly a powerful tool to attract countless young readers. It is neither as childish as cartoons nor as oppressive as dramas, and it will open up a new blue ocean.

"There are so many geniuses."

With a low sigh, Osamu Tezuka lowered his head and said softly, "I'll start watching."

……

Fushimikawa waited quietly for Tezuka-sensei to finish reading and then give his evaluation.

"Bang bang."

There was a knock on the door.

Fushimikawa looked up and saw that Tezuka Osamu was looking at him intently, so he cleared his throat and raised his voice: "Please come in."

The door was opened, and Tezuka Etsuko walked in carrying a tray with tea and red bean yokan (sweet bean jelly).

"Tezuka-sensei is watching very intently," Fushimikawa explained quietly.

"I'm so sorry." Tezuka Etsuko lowered her head, walked quietly to the table, and carefully placed the teacups down one by one without making a sound.

Carrying the tray, she pointed to the door and said, "Then I'll take my leave."

"Thank you for your trouble," Fushimikawa nodded his thanks, "Please go ahead..."

"Shh!"

The sound of pages turning filled the air.

The two were taken aback and glanced at him. Osamu Tezuka was flipping through a page of the manuscript with a look of impatience on his face.

He kept his head still, only his eyes followed the content he was reading.

A short while later, with another "whoosh!" sound, he turned to the next page.

Fushimikawa wondered, "Is Tezuka-sensei in a bad mood today?"

Tezuka Etsuko, knowing her competitive husband, lowered her eyes and sighed, "You drew it so well. It's been so long... since I've seen Osamu look like this."

He was clearly jealous of Fushimikawa, who had drawn the original manuscript.

……

The original manuscript was only forty pages long, and Osamu Tezuka initially thought it wouldn't contain much information.

But as he read on, he gradually discovered something terrifying.

When a cartoonist draws a comic, they usually draw the characters themselves, while an assistant draws the background.

Therefore, Osamu Tezuka paid attention to characters who had close-up shots.

At first, he could see the awkwardness caused by the change in art style, such as the characters' facial features being too exaggerated. Oikawa Ji undoubtedly sacrificed realism in pursuit of manga-like effects.

The human body's curves also often have problems.

It is precisely because it needs to fit the human body that it is easier to discover strange features.

Overcoming these challenges will take considerable time.

However, in just two and a half months, he was able to see remarkable changes in the original manuscript from beginning to end.