Tokyo: Earth Online Manga Artist

Natsume Akane blinked, a curious expression on her face. "Where exactly is this wonderful place?"

Eri Aragaki glanced at her, feeling slightly strange.

But since Natsume Akane is a girl, she wasn't that wary.

She then told her the location of the apartment: "It's about a five-minute walk south from Kasuga Station, and the transportation is very convenient."

Natsume Akane subtly memorized the address, then smiled and said, "That's really convenient. By the way, I have to go now, I should head back."

"Goodbye, Natsume-san."

Eri Aragaki politely waved her hand and said.

See you next time.

Natsume Akane left satisfied, smiling as she spoke.

Near Kasuga Station in Bunkyo Ward... about a five-minute walk...

This information is more or less sufficient.

She believed that... her next "chance encounter" with Eri Aragaki would be just around the corner.

Natsume Akane smiled and left the convenience store.

Chapter Thirty-One Officially Begins Serialization

Eri Aragaki was unaware of Akane Natsume's inner thoughts; she had only come to catch up with Ayane Takeda.

Then the store manager reappeared, and she was grateful to the store manager who had taken such good care of her.

After chatting for a while, Eri Aragaki checked the time and realized it was almost time to go back.

She took some fresh ingredients, two bottles of tea, and a box of strawberries from the store, went to the cashier to have Ayane Takeda scan the code, and then went straight home.

……

In the days that followed, Eri Aragaki became a shut-in.

He spends his days lying at home or going to internet cafes; his life seems quite comfortable.

But she always had something... how should I put it.

I'm still a bit anxious, not with the previous sketches, but with the anxiety of waiting.

Specifically, there's the anxiety of waiting for the first chapter of her version of Attack on Titan to be officially serialized.

She was also familiar with some of the serialization rules of Weekly Shonen Jump, the most brutal of which was naturally...

If a comic doesn't perform well and ranks at the bottom for several consecutive issues, it risks being canceled.

It's a real possibility that a new comic artist's work will be canceled if it doesn't perform well from the start.

Some works didn't even make it past Shueisha's minimum unspoken rule of "giving at least 10 chapters for a new serialization".

Take, for example, an F1 racing shonen manga called "Soaring into the Sky! Rocket," which was only serialized for 9 chapters before being canceled due to its consistently low popularity.

It's cruel, but it's also very real.

After all, even popular manga artists can have their new manga canceled if it doesn't get the most popularity or is poor. For example, Masashi Kishimoto's new series after Naruto ended was canceled because of its poor popularity.

Therefore, there is even less reason to give opportunities to new comic artists.

Although Attack on Titan was a hugely popular work in its previous form, it shouldn't be at the bottom of the popularity rankings from the start.

However, Eri Aragaki still hopes that she will not only avoid being at the bottom of the popularity rankings, but also achieve a higher level of popularity right from the start.

Therefore, the process of waiting for the official serialization of the comic is somewhat torturous, just like a student who has already handed in their exam paper and is waiting for their grades to come out.

Eri Aragaki simply didn't want to appear this way in front of Erina.

So she continued to seem listless and aimlessly fooled around during this period, until...

……

7 month 23 day.

The latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump has been officially released.

Kagawa Prefecture, Takamatsu City.

Ueno Taku had already packed his schoolbag by the time the school bell rang.

He stuffed his textbook into his bag, stood up from his seat, and strode out of the classroom.

Several classmates were already discussing this week's JUMP in the hallway.

"I think this week's One Piece is in color."

"I'd rather watch Naruto; it just happened to be stuck at the most crucial point last week."

……

Taku Ueno did not join their discussion.

He went downstairs, changed into his outdoor shoes, took his own shoes from the shoe cabinet, put them on, and then pushed open the glass door leading to the school gate.

The June sun shone on my face.

He squinted, got on the bicycle parked at the school gate, and rode towards the shopping street.

It takes about fifteen minutes to get from the school to the bookstore.

He has been riding this road for almost two years.

Every Monday, the same time, the same route.

The bookstore at the entrance of the shopping street is a place he has frequented since childhood.

The bookstore owner was an elderly man in his seventies with completely white hair. He wore reading glasses and always sat behind the cashier reading the newspaper.

The latest issues of various comic magazines are displayed at the store entrance.

Taku Ueno parked his bicycle at the door, went inside, and picked up a copy of Weekly Shonen Jump from the shelf by the door.

The cover featured a character he had never seen before.

A black-haired boy wearing a Survey Corps uniform, next to a blond boy in the same uniform and a black-haired girl wearing a scarf.

The three people are facing away from the camera, with towering city walls in front of them.

A line of text was printed in large font at the top of the cover.

"A new serialization begins! Attack on Titan, a work by newcomer Bu Chi Li Zi, a nominee for the 73rd Tezuka Award!"

Taku Ueno stared at the cover for a moment, stunned.

Then he remembered.

"It's that short comic that won the award last month, right?"

He had read the Tezuka Prize supplement from last month.

The short story called "Attack on Titan" left a deep impression on him.

He still remembers the scene of the colossal giant peeking out from above the city wall, and the fact that the short story was really exciting and thrilling.

Unexpectedly... it wasn't just a short story, but became a full-length comic series?

However, such situations have occurred before. For example, Yu Yu Hakusho was actually based on the short manga Fly Street, which won the Tezuka Award by a manga artist whose name has a derogatory connotation.

After winning an award, if the short comic itself has a good premise, Shueisha will suggest that new comic artists expand their world-building and turn it into a long-running serialized comic.

Attack on Titan is not an isolated case, nor is it particularly unusual.

He tucked the magazine under his arm, walked to the cashier, and took out some change from his pocket.

The old man took the money, put the magazine in a paper bag and handed it to him, saying with a smile, "You come every time, young man."

Ueno Taku took the paper bag and said with a smile, "Yes... thank you, boss."

He walked out of the bookstore, put the paper bag in the basket of his bicycle, and rode home.

It takes about ten minutes to cycle from the shopping street to home.

The road is lined with low-rise residential areas, and occasionally you can see one or two vacant lots that have not yet been developed into residential buildings, overgrown with weeds.

Ueno Taku rode his bicycle to his doorstep, parked it in the parking shed downstairs, and went upstairs with the paper bag in his hand.

"I am back."

A mother's voice came from the kitchen, "You're back. There's barley tea in the fridge."

Ueno Taku responded, took off his shoes and went into the living room, took out a cup of barley tea from the refrigerator, poured himself a cup, and then went back to his room.

His room wasn't big, about six stories high.

The desk was piled with textbooks and exercise books, and there was a bookshelf in the corner with neatly arranged comic book volumes.

One Piece, from the first volume to the latest forty-something volume.

The complete set of Naruto is also included.

There are also Bleach, Gintama, Eyeshield 21, and several Claymore books.

He took this issue of JUMP out of the paper bag, sat down at his desk, and opened the cover.

As is his habit, he first reads his favorite serialized comics, while expressing his opinions as he reads.

"Luffy is still the same old guy, charging ahead no matter what's in front of him..."

"The intangible state is indeed powerful, but I have a feeling that there are even stronger enemies waiting behind..."

"Every time I watch Gintama, I think these guys are hopeless, but they are really funny..."

……

He then watched "Katekyo Hitman Reborn!", and this week's episode featured the battle between Tsunayoshi and Varia.

"The concept of the box weapon is quite interesting."

"The plot of D.Gray-man has been progressing a bit slowly lately."