Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

The initial setting of "Naruto" benefited from the dedicated work of editor Kosuke Yahagi, who could even be said to have co-created the story with Masashi Kishimoto.

He modified Naruto's original character design, no longer portraying him as an animal whose true form was the Nine-Tailed Fox, but rather as a Jinchūriki who sealed the fox within him.

Fushimi went a step further here, directly establishing the fox spirit as the strongest of the nine tailed beasts.

The vast world-building was presented to Tomoyuki Fukuda in the very first episode.

Kosuke Yahagi also changed the Third Hokage's dog character to a gentle and tolerant elder.

Furthermore, Kosuke Yahagi was in charge of controlling Sasuke's personality changes.

After he was transferred, without Kosuke Yahagi's assistance, Kishimoto lost confidence in portraying Sasuke; he simply couldn't understand the character.

With the dedicated cooperation of the manga artist and editor, it's perfectly reasonable that Tomoyuki Fukuda couldn't find any errors or loopholes, and therefore couldn't improve the plot.

"An editor's job is not just to discuss the plot with the manga artist. There are many more things that Mr. Fukuda needs to do, so please don't underestimate yourself."

Fushimikawa's comforting words touched Fukuda Tomoyuki's heart.

He immediately asked, "Teacher, is there anything I can do for you?"

“First of all…” Fushimikawa’s serious expression made Fukuda tense as well.

"How capable is editor Osamu Kamei?"

"Huh?" Fukuda Tomoyuki was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied, "Although we're not in the same department, I know Kamei Osamu quite well. He's very capable and gets along well with his colleagues. He has a keen eye and can discover talented newcomers. He also has a good understanding of the market. I've heard that Editor-in-Chief Inoue Keizo always talks to him and asks for his advice."

“That’s quite an impressive editor, hmm,” Fushimikawa mused.

He seemed to be in a bit of a dilemma.

"Teacher," Fukuda Tomoyuki asked timidly, "why do you care about Kamei Osamu?"

"Because he will be the editor of my disciple, Mitsuru Adachi."

"so……"

"To be honest, Mitsuru Adachi's work will also be a groundbreaking masterpiece. I don't have confidence that the editor can beat him, even if he is also very capable."

Fushimikawa spoke earnestly, but Fukuda Tomoyuki couldn't believe it.

"How is that possible? Naruto is already perfect! There are no manga that can compare to it. I can't even imagine it."

"But that's the truth; miracles can happen all the time." Fushimikawa spread his hands, his tone calm.

It's actually his own fault; he's the one who taught the complete version of Mitsuru Adachi.

Otherwise, if he wanted to create a masterpiece, Mitsuru Adachi would need at least another ten years of experience.

"Touch has appeared ahead of schedule."

It was praised by Kazuhiko Torishima as the most perfect manga, and its rating was once even higher than that of "Dragon Ball," which he was in charge of. It was going to compete with Fushimikawa.

"House vs. elephant, both are heavyweights."

Chapter 108 Changes...New News

Oikawa Studio currently has four assistants: Megumi Asano, Mitsuru Adachi, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Eiko Ueda.

But when drawing manga, there are always six people in the studio, including Fushimikawa.

This hidden sixth person is none other than Adachi Mitsuru's older brother, Adachi Tsutomu.

He was always present at Oikawa Studio, contributing to the serialization of Parasyte.

Eiko Ueda was very surprised by this.

"Mr. Adachi won the Jump Newcomer Award, and Mr. Oikawa also mentioned that Mr. Fujio Akatsuka invited you to join his team and mentor you to become a manga artist. But why..."

Despite having the potential to become a manga artist, Tsutomu Adachi always spends his time with his younger brother, focusing all his attention on Mitsuru Adachi.

She even came to the Oikawa Studio and worked for free so that her younger brother could focus on creating his own works.

Ueda Eiko could not comprehend Adachi Tsutomu's selfless dedication.

Even when facing his younger brother, the older brother should have his own life and pursuits.

“Hahaha,” Adachi Tsutomu said without any embarrassment, scratching his head and saying casually, “Mitsuru is a genius. I brought him to Tokyo, so naturally I should take good care of him and let him focus on drawing manga without worrying about trivial matters.”

He was full of pride in his younger brother's talent, had the dedication of an elder brother, and spoke without any jealousy, only wanting his younger brother to shine.

Mitsuru Adachi fully understands this and is deeply moved by it.

He incorporated this emotion into his new work, Touch, where the older brother Tatsuya Uesugi's "yielding" to his younger brother Kazuya Uesugi is a projection of his own emotions.

Therefore, he depicted the brotherhood in "Touch" with incredible realism, imbuing it with a profound and moving power.

This kind of comic is naturally difficult to defeat.

Tomoyuki Fukuda, however, could not understand this.

In his opinion, Naruto is already perfect and is something that no other work can surpass.

In 1972, Osamu Tezuka was drawing "The Tale of Leo," but not "The Three-Eyed Boy" or "Black Jack."

We still have a very long time to wait for the appearance of "Urusei Yatsura", "Captain Tsubasa", and "Dr. Slump".

The era of manga still belongs to "Ashita no Joe", "Hara-kun Gakuen", and "Doraemon".

In an era when comics were still evolving, Naruto, the culmination of shonen manga, appeared ahead of time, aiming to stay decades ahead of the industry.

The idea that "no one can defeat him" became even more profound for Tomoyuki Fukuda after reading Oikawa's concept art.

The Five Great Nations, the Land of Waves mission, the Chunin Exams, the Akatsuki organization, the Nine Tailed Beasts... The Fourth Shinobi World War.

A vibrant world, teeming with life, was laid bare before him.

Even before the comic was serialized, he knew that this work would definitely be a success and reach amazing heights.

"This is a groundbreaking work!"

When the editor-in-chief of "Youth Future" asked Tomoyuki Fukuda about it, he sighed like this.

His expression of worship and utter admiration was completely undisguised as he appeared before Toshiki Takei.

“There’s absolutely no need to worry, Mr. Oikawa is still reliable.” Toshiki Takei shook his head and focused on his work.

……

October has arrived, and the launch of Weekly Shonen Future is just around the corner.

Mirai-sha's total number of employees has reached an astonishing 70.

The team grew from 30 people at its inception to more than double in just six months, but it still wasn't enough.

However, the editors are selective and not just anyone can join.

Maki Fujiwara is considering organizing a campus recruitment event for Waseda University graduates.

Waseda University has a rich history in humanities, and most people's understanding of it comes from its most famous humanities department.

Many editors in the publishing industry are graduates of Waseda University.

It would be a waste not to make good use of such a great resource.

"However, the most pressing issue is the cramped working environment."

Fujiwara Maki said to Fushimikawa.

“Now that we have two departments, a teen magazine and a youth magazine, it’s not good for the employees to be mixed together, and the 200-square-meter office space is far from enough.”

Fushimikawa understood: "So we just need to rent somewhere else. You can decide for yourself, right?"

“Of course I need to discuss such a big matter with you,” Fujiwara Maki said with a smile. “Actually, I’ve already found a place. A company moved out of the second floor of this building, so we can rent the whole floor.”

Have you asked the property management staff?

"I've already inquired. Although there's no such thing as a free lunch, the rent in the startup park is much lower than that of office buildings in other locations in Shinjuku with similar environments. This is a very good option."

Without Fushimikawa's knowledge, she compared prices from several suppliers, selected the optimal solution, and then discussed it with Fushimikawa.

Such a capable assistant is Fushimikawa's ideal business partner.

"You've really worked hard," Fushimi said, looking at her with pity. "You're always running around, you haven't had a proper rest in a long time, have you?"

“It’s nothing, I actually enjoy it,” Fujiwara Maki tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling, her voice wistful. “Akawa, do you know why that senior’s company downstairs, which had been in business for three years, moved away?”

"Why? Has the deadline for student entrepreneurship funding expired?"

“No,” Fujiwara Maki shook her head and looked at Fushimikawa, “My senior bought an entire floor of office space in a commercial building near Shinjuku West Exit! That’s great, he can have his own office. He doesn’t have to worry about all sorts of trivial matters. And… doesn’t that prove his success? He’s truly established himself in Tokyo.”

Her eyes sparkled, full of anticipation.

This reminded Fushimikawa of the spectacular sight he had seen when he visited the Shogakukan building, which was known as the Q-Taro Building.

"What's wrong with that?" He patted his chest, sulking like a child. "We're not going to do something as stingy as 'buying a floor.' We'll go all out and build a building that belongs solely to Future Society!"

At that time, the building could be called Naruto Building.

“That would be wonderful…” Fujiwara Maki was filled with longing as she listened to Fushimi River’s description. She imagined, “Seven floors in total, for seinen manga, shonen manga, shoujo manga, children’s manga… logistics department, marketing department… enough to accommodate thousands of people, encompassing the entire Mirai Company. We would become a truly large corporation, known to everyone. Japanese teenagers, young adults, middle-aged people, and even the elderly, all have read our works.”

"It definitely will, and it will happen in the not-too-distant future."

Fushimikawa and Fujiwara Maki, like two little kids, would hide in the office and brag, their laughter ringing out from time to time, leaving the employees completely baffled.

Is there some good news about to happen again?

Fujiwara Maki was decisive; after discussing with Fushimikawa for a short time, she successfully rented the entire second floor.

The sign for the editorial office of Weekly Shonen Future was hung up, and its area was even larger than that of its predecessor, Weekly Youth Future.

The younger generation surpasses the older generation; the future society will flourish.

The editors were very happy about this, although some editors of youth magazines were a little depressed, feeling that they were treated worse than newcomers.

But most employees feel a sense of pride and anticipation for the future when they see their company making continuous progress.

"Just do basic renovations, and you can move in in a month," Fujiwara Maki informed him.

……

Nothing new happened in mid-October.

The situation in society and the content of the cartoons are the same as before.

The Sino-Japanese Joint Statement issued two weeks ago has been gradually forgotten by people except for those involved.