Tokyo: Earth Online Manga Artist

Then she took the notebook and placed it aside in a convenient spot for drawing. She found an empty round table, laid the notebook flat on the white tablecloth, and bent down.

She then proceeded to draw a half-length portrait of Wenren Yixuan, starting with the facial contours, then moving on to his signature hair, and finally to the flame patterns on his shoulders and collar.

Although she drew with a ballpoint pen, it is clear that Eri Aragaki's drawing skills are extremely profound.

Even with a pen, she could distinguish the varying pressure and speed of the lines. Wenren Yixuan's half-body portrait leaped onto the paper, and the boy's eyes and fiery temperament were sketched out with just a few strokes.

She then signed her pen name next to it.

Akira Toriyama, standing to the side, smiled as he watched Eri Aragaki's drawing skills.

He leaned closer to look at the half-length portrait of Wenren Yixuan in the notebook, his eyes lingering on the ink stains for a long time.

Oda, with a look of emotion in his eyes, stood behind Akira Toriyama, tilting his head to look at the drawing in the notebook from the side.

Eri Aragaki's drawing skills are quite remarkable; he made a comparison in his mind.

He felt that he was no worse than him, Kenjiro, Tite Kubo, and Murata. This kind of control, which allows him to draw the expressions and tension of characters with just a pen, is something that not every manga artist has.

To be honest, Oda's drawing skills are seriously underestimated.

The unique art style of One Piece, coupled with the need to keep the plot exciting, sometimes leads Oda to create simpler and more casual designs when rushing to meet deadlines. The lines are not as refined, and the backgrounds are often replaced with a lot of speed lines.

Many people who haven't studied it carefully think that Oda's drawing skills are just average.

In fact, Oda's drawing skills are excellent, and he can definitely be compared with Kenjiro and Murata.

His perspective and dynamic expression are top-notch in the field of shonen manga, but he chose the drawing style that best suits the lively and adventurous style of "One Piece".

But now, seeing Eri Aragaki's casual sketches with a pen, he genuinely admired her skill.

First of all... Eri Aragaki's drawing skills have really improved by leaps and bounds thanks to the learning ability boost provided by the cheat code.

From being praised as "very good among newcomers" when submitting his work for the Tezuka Award to now being "able to sit at the head table of popular manga artists," his progress has been so rapid it seems inhuman.

But it hasn't actually reached the top level yet. It's just that sometimes it's hard to judge the difference between the top and the first-class, unlike the difference between the top and the second-class.

Even the difference between first-rate and second-rate drawing skills is obvious; you can tell at a glance whether someone has mastered the basics of composition, perspective, and human proportions.

However, the higher the level of painting skills, the harder it is to distinguish the differences, because at that level, it is no longer about basic skills but about personal style and aesthetic preferences.

Secondly, the art style has an impact. Oda's unique art style in "One Piece" makes people underestimate his drawing skills.

The traditional Chinese art style of "Fog Hill of Five Elements" made Oda and Akira Toriyama overestimate Eri Aragaki's drawing skills at this point.

That kind of ink-splashing landscape painting style is so rare in the Japanese manga industry that the visual impact itself makes them unconsciously give it a higher score.

At this point, Eri Aragaki's drawing skills were definitely not at a very high level. She hadn't reached the level where she could compare with Hirohiko Araki in composition or with Kenjiro Kojima in precision.

Eri Aragaki finished drawing according to Akira Toriyama's requirements, signed it, closed the notebook, and handed it to Akira.

However, she looked at Akira Toriyama and Oda, took her autographed book with both hands, and said, "Could I have an autograph from Akira Toriyama and Oda?"

"Of course it can."

Akira Toriyama readily agreed, smiling as he took the pen from Eri Aragaki and turned to another page in the notebook.

"Row……"

Oda nodded, showing no sign of refusal, and took the pen from Toriyama Akira to prepare for taking turns signing.

Eri Aragaki became excited and said, "Akira Toriyama, I've always been a loyal reader of Dragon Ball. I really love Dragon Ball."

Then she seemed to feel that she had neglected Oda, that Toriyama Akira's aura was too dazzling, and that her words just now were entirely directed at Toriyama Akira.

So she quickly turned to Oda and added, "And Oda-senpai, I also really like One Piece."

Oda's face, hidden behind the mask, suddenly stiffened, and his hand holding the pen paused for a moment.

He felt as if he had only been comforted.

Eri Aragaki clearly said her true feelings to Akira Toriyama first, and then remembered that he was standing next to her.

That's normal, after all, he's standing next to Akira Toriyama, who is at the very top of the Japanese manga industry.

Oda is used to this; he's a fan of Akira Toriyama himself, so he understands Eri Aragaki's reaction.

"that would be great."

Akira Toriyama said with a hint of happiness in his heart, his smile deepening.

It's wonderful to have your favorite cartoonist also be a reader who likes your work; that's more meaningful than any polite compliment.

The two quickly signed their names. Oda signed his name next to Akira Toriyama, and his signature was exactly the same as the one printed on the cover of JUMP.

Akira Toriyama even returned the favor by drawing a portrait of Super Saiyan Son Goku for Eri Aragaki, capturing his iconic hairstyle and sharp eyes in just a few strokes.

Although it was drawn casually, the essence of Sun Wukong is there; that's the skill of Akira Toriyama.

After they each carefully put away their autographs, Eri Aragaki gently closed her notebook and hugged it to her chest, while Akira Toriyama put his sketchbook back in his bag. Both Akira Toriyama and Eri Aragaki were in very good spirits.

Chapter 113 Epilogue

"Aragaki, your drawing skills are really good, you're amazing."

After signing his name, Akira Toriyama looked at the signature of Eri Aragaki and the bust of Wenren Yixuan in the style of traditional Chinese painting, and said with a smile, "Looking at your comics is like visiting the museum of traditional Chinese painting in the Republic. The way you use the shades of ink to express light and shadow is something you can't find in Japanese comics... Your inspiration must also come from the Republic."

"Yes, the inspiration came from ancient paintings of the Republic."

When asked about this, Eri Aragaki could only say, "I also really like the culture of the Republic, from literature to painting."

She was actually a cheater, but of course you can't say that.

"Have you ever traveled to the Republic? Do you have any plans to travel there?"

Akira Toriyama immediately asked, putting the notebook in his bag and turning to look at her, "Actually, that place is quite nice, especially if you travel there in recent years, it has changed a lot."

He has always been a big fan of the culture of the People's Republic of China. Actually, it wasn't just in recent years, but back in 1984 when "Dragon Ball" was being serialized, that he traveled to the People's Republic of China for research and inspiration.

Eri Aragaki nodded and said firmly, "If I have time, I will definitely go there for a trip."

After all, she has the soul of a citizen of the Republic in her bones. Why would she hesitate to go home and visit someone?

"However, the language barrier there will cause some trouble..."

Akira Toriyama was delighted. He clapped his hands and said, "How about this? I'll introduce you to some translators. I have several reliable translators I've worked with over there."

Eri Aragaki gave him a strange look. She blinked, pursed her lips slightly, and said, "No need. Actually, I speak Chinese."

Akira Toriyama asked curiously, "You speak Chinese. Did you teach yourself?"

How else could Eri Aragaki answer? She couldn't exactly say that she was a citizen of the Republic in her past life.

So she could only nod and say, "I guess so... I bought some textbooks and dictionaries and learned from them."

“That would be even more convenient. Actually, I also want to learn Chinese, but I'm too old, and Chinese is really hard to learn.”

Akira Toriyama said with a smile, a look of "I see" on his face.

He looked troubled and shook his head.

Eri Aragaki understands this, because Chinese is indeed difficult to learn on one's own, especially for native Japanese speakers who do not speak tones.

Akira Toriyama is indeed quite old. Born in 55, he is now over 50 years old. At this age, it's difficult for him to learn a new language from scratch due to his lack of energy and memory.

"It seems you're quite interested in the Republic, Aragaki-san. Well, I'm curious, do you have any plans to serialize a long-running manga similar to 'Fog Hill of Five Elements'?"

Akira Toriyama then smiled and changed the subject from learning Chinese.

Eri Aragaki was at a loss for words.

She hadn't thought that far ahead yet; according to the setting and general plot, Attack on Titan would take another three years to finish serializing.

Moreover, the later plot of Attack on Titan needs to be completely changed. The ending of the previous work was too controversial among readers. Since she copied this work, she can't let the same regret happen again.

The values ​​that should be promoted must at least be correct. Eri Aragaki also has some ideas at this time, especially in her super creative state. She occasionally thinks about how the plot will go in the future and brings those foreshadowing elements together in another direction.

Therefore, Eri Aragaki doesn't plan to start a new project so soon.

"I don't have any ideas yet..."

She immediately said, "Fog Hill of Five Elements is just a thought I had in my spare time, just something I was interested in... Attack on Titan is still being serialized, and I want to finish drawing this story first, without getting distracted by thinking about the next work."

Akira Toriyama looked somewhat regretful at this moment, and his expression did indeed show a hint of disappointment.

"To be honest, you might think I'm being nosy, but I really think you're better suited to drawing righteous manga."

He looked at Eri Aragaki, considered his words carefully, and then spoke up, "Attack on Titan has a darker tone. The sense of despair and oppression is indeed well drawn, but drawing too much of that can affect the creator's own mindset."

Is Attack on Titan... a dark fantasy?

This is indeed undeniable. The current plot is just the tip of the iceberg. As the story unfolds, readers will see what cruelty and darkness truly mean.

However, Eri Aragaki chose to copy this work because it was indeed very popular, and also because she was moved by the humanistic light shown in the early episodes beneath its cruel exterior.

To be honest, the early and later stages of Attack on Titan really don't seem like a manga.

Even Eri Aragaki reasonably suspects that someone else may have taken over Hajime Isayama's identity in his previous life...

It can only be said that the ending of Attack on Titan was regrettable.

Eri Aragaki felt that her proposed ending might not be much better than the original Attack on Titan, but at least it shouldn't repeat the same mistakes.

Eri Aragaki thought for a moment, then looked up into Akira Toriyama's eyes, "Yes, perhaps Attack on Titan has a darker side..."

She took another deep breath and said, "But actually, my thought is that although this world is realistic and cruel, love and peace will always exist."

Moreover, the more cruel and dark things are, the more precious peace and light seem.

If you depict a peaceful and beautiful world from the very beginning, that beauty will seem rather thin.

Akira Toriyama was taken aback upon hearing this, and even Oda was momentarily stunned.

Because what Eri Aragaki said seemed to make a lot of sense.

The idea of ​​using darkness to highlight light is not new, but Eri Aragaki earnestly tells them, "I draw these to express the preciousness of peace," and this gesture alone is enough to make people re-evaluate this work.

Akira Toriyama also asked, his relaxed smile fading and his expression becoming more serious, "Are you using cruelty and darkness to highlight the preciousness of peace and light? You mean you're not praising cruelty, but using it as a mirror?"

"Yes, actually what I said at the beginning, what I said at the Tezuka Award, was serious."

Eri Aragaki nodded and said, "I hope to tell a story about peace through Attack on Titan. The characters in Attack on Titan are all people who have been distorted by war, but it is precisely because they have been distorted that every kind choice they make is all the more precious."