Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

"Teacher, you are very perceptive."

……

"Ikkyu the Clever" is a Japanese animated series that Fushimi Kawa watched when he was a child. It tells the story of how the young monk Ikkyu uses his wisdom to resolve crises for himself and the poor when he faces difficulties from privileged classes such as the Ashikaga Yoshimitsu shogun or the owner of the Kikyō shop.

It has a similar story logic to that of "Avanti".

However, he had forgotten much of the content of "Ikkyu-san," only remembering some plot points such as tying up the tiger in the screen and distinguishing between the real and fake mothers.

This gave him creative space and also motivated him more.

After confirming that the painting "Ikkyu the Clever" was relevant to the times, Fushimikawa began researching and searching for folk tales, only to belatedly learn about the character of Ikkyu.

He was the illegitimate son of Emperor Go-Komatsu of the Northern Court during the Muromachi Shogunate and the Nanboku-chō period. His mother was a noblewoman from the Southern Court, which was destroyed by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, so his position was quite awkward. He could be considered a remnant of another country.

Fortunately, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who controlled the shogunate, did not kill him. Instead, he forced Ikkyu to separate from his mother and became a monk at Ankokuji Temple when he was six years old.

This is the background story of "Ikkyu the Clever".

Ikkyu was able to trick Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and remain unharmed because he was also of extraordinary status, just as Afanti was not only a wise man among the common people but also a sage with religious prestige.

"The protagonist setting is quite clever, and the story is also quite exciting." After reading the first two chapters of "Ikkyu the Clever", Fujimoto Hiroshi was very surprised. He did not expect that Fushimikawa actually had the ability to serialize.

This is an achievement that many enthusiasts cannot attain.

The times may limit some people, but they cannot limit truly powerful people.

Children can watch it and learn a lot of lessons, which perfectly aligns with the current societal trend of edutainment in comics.

"Ikkyu the Clever" is the perfect choice for serialization.

"It'll probably be a hit," Fujimoto remarked. "You've only just started university."

Shotaro Ishinomori, the assistant, was so talented that Osamu Tezuka became extremely jealous and uttered the highly dismissive statement, "Jun is not a manga at all!"

This greatly affected Shotaro Ishinomori, who at one point considered ceasing publication and retiring.

Fujimoto Hiroshi probably understands Tezuka Osamu's thoughts now.

Genius is the best mockery of hardworking ordinary people. When a genius loses their balance and speaks presumptuously, their situation is pitiful.

'We should take Tezuka-sensei's example. His words are easy, but his act of personally apologizing is incredibly awkward.'

“I stand on the shoulders of giants,” Fushimikawa said frankly.

Fujimoto Hiroshi nodded with satisfaction: "Then keep up the good work! Do you need me to introduce you to an editor?"

“That would be perfect,” Fushimikawa nodded. “The editor recommended by the teacher must be very trustworthy. But we’ll have to wait until the beginning of ‘Ikkyu the Clever’ is completely finished.”

"Take your time, you're still young, there's no rush."

"Ah."

At six o'clock in the afternoon, Fushimikawa said goodbye. Fujimoto Hiroshi stood up and said without waiting for a reply, "There's a grilled eel rice place near the train station that's pretty good. Let's all go there for a meal."

Fushimikawa did not refuse.

Jiro Suzuki and another assistant named Tsutomu Adachi, who came to help, were delighted to hear this and couldn't help but cheer.

"Great!"

After washing his hands, Fushimikawa followed Fujimoto Hiroshi out the door. Once in the lobby, he casually asked, "Doraemon dreamed of making Nobita a manga artist, and even used a cheat device like a laugh spray to force readers to laugh. So why…?"

He organized his thoughts: "What if we don't use futuristic tools like artificial intelligence? We can generate comics directly through brainwaves or text descriptions."

Fujimoto Hiroshi was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.

"Indeed, a genius mind can bring a lot of inspiration. I've remembered this idea."

Chapter Nine: "Water Pipes Bear Witness to the Freedom of the American People"

At the entrance of Fujiko Fujio's studio lobby, Fushimikawa unexpectedly encountered Abiko Motoo, which reminded him of Onishi Naoya's request.

He almost became one of the four who went on a pilgrimage to the West, forgetting the requests he had made to others.

The four men walked up to Anson Suxiong.

“Oh, it’s Motoo. Let’s go eat some grilled eel rice near the station.” Fujimoto Hiroshi patted Fushimikawa on the shoulder with a smile. “And we can see this Waseda student off.”

"Hello, I'm Motoo Abiko from the Fujiko Fujio duo," the middle-aged man said with a grin as he took off his sunglasses.

He and Fujimoto Hiroshi were completely different in style; one was friendly with a touch of cunning, the other gentle.

Fushimikawa candidly replied, "Hello, I am Fushimikawa. I am a fan who admires Fujimoto-sensei and came to visit his studio."

“Oh,” Anson Tso-xiong nodded.

Since becoming famous for drawing "Q-Taro the Imp," he'd become accustomed to fans visiting him at his door. However, looking at his old friend Fujimoto Hiroshi's smug smile, he suddenly realized that Fushimikawa was no ordinary person.

……

The tram stop wasn't far away, and thanks to Yang Xu's urging, the four of them quickly arrived at the eel restaurant.

"In order to develop, the country has cut down all kinds of trees and planted these fast-growing trees. It's really annoying," Anson Tsuyuhiro complained with a frown.

The poplar catkins drifted everywhere like snowflakes, making one want to sneeze just looking at them.

“Hmm,” Fujimoto nodded. “I remember reading an article that said the United States imports timber from our country, then makes it into chopsticks and high-end furniture, which are then exported back to us. They neither pollute the environment nor fail to make the highest profits.”

Jiro Suzuki shook his head and said, "Probably not. Our country is a developed country, after all."

“So that’s what it used to be.” Assistant Adachi Mian pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the chopsticks on the table as if he could see the growing pains of development.

They chatted enthusiastically, while Fushimikawa remained silent.

None of this concerns him. That's right, none of this concerns him.

“It was written by an author named Namo San, right? He specializes in writing this kind of articles, oh!” Ansonko Sukō held up a finger. “Look there.”

He pointed to the water pipe in the back kitchen.

"My friend has been back from America for a long time, but he still can't get used to the pain of being far away from civilization."

I couldn't understand him, so he gave me an example, an example that shows the big picture from the small details.

The Second Amendment to the United States granted people the right to resist, and even ordinary children could buy guns, which is unimaginable in Japan, where guns are prohibited and rules are strict.

However, American politicians still felt it wasn't enough, and they set an almost insane rule.

In other words, America's water pipes must be perfectly aligned with the caliber of firearms to ensure that the people can still defend themselves in the most dangerous moments. Freedom and democracy illuminate America.

I remained silent for a long time after hearing this. Perhaps ensuring people feel safe and secure is the most respectable thing. "I still remember that article of his."

Anson Tsukyo shrugged and smiled.

Fushimikawa ate his rice without changing his expression, not joining the conversation.

“That’s utter nonsense,” Fujimoto Hiroshi retorted. “Using a water pipe as a gun barrel is utter rubbish; it’s simply impossible.”

"That's why I've remembered it for so long," Abiko Motoo said with a grin. "But back then, a lot of people took it seriously."

"Huh? Is it fake? I always thought it was real." Suzuki Jiro was surprised. He looked at Fushimikawa and said, "You have the most knowledge, so you tell me."

“I…I…I’ll go get the menu,” Fushimikawa said, standing up abruptly and walking toward the cashier.

“Wait, I’ll pay.” Fujimoto Hiroshi followed.

The topic finally shifted.

……

The eel rice was delicious. Fushimikawa was immersed in the aroma of the grilled eel's oil and didn't make a sound, afraid of continuing the previous topic.

His identity as a public intellectual, Nanwu San, is ultimately something that cannot be brought to light, which makes him quite embarrassed when facing acquaintances.

Even if he becomes famous later and the media exposes this incident, he is not afraid. After all, he was young at the time and could use the excuse of being influenced by the social atmosphere.

A child's inferiority complex has been exploited, and the public is afraid to confront this issue directly.

Moreover, Japan will be broken again in the future, and the Three Generals of Namu will live a second life.

He ate his meal in silence. Abiko Motoo frowned and said, "Fushimi-kun, you're a bit too quiet. A real man should be eloquent. I've suffered a lot because of my introverted nature."

Before Fushimikawa could answer, Fujimoto Hiroshi defended him, saying, "Fushimikawa isn't a shy person. He's probably just concentrating on his manga."

It's not uncommon for cartoonists or writers to become absent-minded because their minds are filled with plot ideas.

Several of us here have had similar experiences.

“Oh,” Abiko Motoo asked, raising an eyebrow, “Does Fushimi-kun also draw manga?”

Fushimikawa nodded: "That's right."

Fujimoto Hiroshi further stated, "Fushimi is a genius, his works are very interesting, and he might be serialized soon."

He looked at his friend with a smug expression, his eyes speaking volumes.

"You're worshipped as a genius, but you don't have my charisma."

Ansun Zisu Xiong understood these contents, and he could no longer sit still.

"Fushimikawa, which of Hiroshi's manga do you like?"

If it were "Little Ghost Q-Taro", Motoo Abiko would also have a place.

However, to his disappointment...

"Doraemon is my favorite manga."

Fushimikawa couldn't help but think back to his childhood, not in 1960, but around the turn of the millennium.

At that time, his parents worked away from home, and he was often alone at home.

He was accompanied by a TV on-demand channel, where wealthy men would often pay to stream "Doraemon," allowing him to watch this wonderful cartoon for free.

Even though the content was often repetitive, he enjoyed watching it immensely, marveling at the wonders of Doraemon's gadgets.

Bamboo dragonflies, memory bread, time capsules... these are all things he can never forget.

His heart skipped a beat, and an idea suddenly came to him.

……

Abiko Motoo frowned; he hadn't been involved in *Doraemon*.

Besides, why would a college student like a children's comic so much?