manga artist Kirito

Page 151

At Amano Touko's request, Kiritani stroked his chin and thought for a moment before finally giving a reply that left Touko speechless.

Furthermore, Asuna narrowed her eyes...

P.S.: I think I caught a cold... I ate hot pot afterwards, and now I think I have a sore throat.

Gou Gou me!

336

[Updated NO.332]

"To be honest, this was just an experiment. I am still a light novel writer and student, and scriptwriting is only occasional... So, JUMP's attention doesn't really have much effect on me."

Asuna glanced at Kirito with a meaningful look, then calmly spoke to Amano Touko.

"Actually, it shouldn't matter if I don't pay attention, since my main job is still light novels, and writing manga scripts is just a hobby, and the styles are not very similar."

Following Asuna, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was also in charge of the script, gave the same answer as Asuna.

"Stop! Stop, my friend!"

Seeing Amano Touko's increasingly strange expression, Kirito raised his hand to stop his teammates from continuing their conversation.

After all, Amano Touko in front of us is the deputy editor-in-chief of JUMP. Although she's not a particularly powerful figure, we're still under her jurisdiction now. Even if we don't plan to work at JUMP in the future, we should at least give her a friendly look. Don't you guys understand the principle of not hitting a smiling face?

But to be honest, none of the creators here, except for Dark Souls which has already been submitted to JUMP, have any intention of developing their careers in JUMP... Kirito goes without saying, after all, he personally mentored Rouge en rouge. Perhaps he had a bit of a hard time dealing with Akane Kousaka, but at least he can still help out.

Eriri, on the other hand, felt that her style was not very suitable for JUMP. The genre here is mainly about shonen action and passion, and the style is too intense, making it difficult for her, an artist who can be considered a romance artist, to adapt.

As for Shiina Mashiro, there's no need to even mention her; a romance-themed artist isn't suited for JUMP!

"Hehehe... So it really isn't necessary after all..."

Amano Touko smiled somewhat awkwardly, "If I didn't know that you all have other main jobs, I would think you were looking down on the resources that JUMP was giving you."

...Sorry! Actually, I genuinely look down on them.

"So next, I need to finish the tasks the magazine assigned me, which you all know about: the interviews. Now... may we begin?"

Everyone calmly nodded, "No problem."

As the scriptwriter, Kasumigaoka Utaha's mind raced as she considered how to handle the upcoming interview.

Amano Touko casually picked up the notebook and pen on the table. "Well, you are all the runners-up in the Grand Prize, so the following interviews and questions will be published in the next issue, along with the work 'Dark Souls'. Therefore, please be careful with your words when answering questions!"

"Of course."

Asuna nodded. "We'll definitely be careful about this kind of thing."

After all, readers' evaluations of a work must be treated with great care.

"Now, let's begin with the questions, starting with the two teachers in charge of the script, Kasumi Shiko and Kamishirasawa."

With her pen resting on the notebook, Amano Touko looked at the two serious-looking girls. "The editors in the editorial department all have a very high opinion of the work 'Dark Souls.' For example, the editor-in-chief commented: 'Unexpected twists and turns, magical developments, you would never guess the ending after reading the beginning.'"

"If you have an editor-in-chief—an unimaginable subject matter that brings together many elements, someone who can control it might have the potential to become a god."

"Given such positive feedback, what are the thoughts of the two scriptwriters on this work?"

Touko Amano summed up the reviews people gave to Dark Souls in three words: wildly imaginative!

Then, with the addition of various outrageous and shameless elements, the combination of passion and comedy is undoubtedly the most common theme nowadays... Seriously, this work can be a great way to work up your abs while watching the comedic everyday moments, although as a fan of "Hate Her Mother," Amano Touko doesn't want abs at all.

However, Kirito's heart was actually in turmoil at such a question, and he had a faint urge to unleash a Hadouken.

—Imagine a wild idea?

No, no, no, it's just a collection of crazy ideas from a crazy person's mind.

When revising the script, Asuna was incredibly frustrated. She reviewed all the scripts Kirito had written in the past several times, then extracted suitable elements and added them in... Strictly speaking, it was a hodgepodge of a work... But alas, people nowadays like this style.

Kirito was curious to see how Kasumigaoka Utaha would answer Amano Touko's question.

"About this issue..."

With her arms crossed, Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned back on the sofa and pondered for a moment before flashing a business-like smile. "For creators, imaginative ideas are inevitable. The twists and turns must be unexpected, fresh, and unconventional... As the scriptwriter for this work, my experience is obviously not very sufficient. When I was writing the script for this work, I went through many revisions. At that time, all I could think about was the script... It was all for the sake of writing a heartwarming story."

"After all, I've only been in the industry for a short time and lack experience in scriptwriting, so it's not surprising. On the other hand, Mr. Shang Baize can be considered a veteran creator now, and he's much better than me in terms of scriptwriting alone. If we collaborate on a script... well, you could say it's a powerful alliance."

"It does sound like a lot of work."

Amano Touko smiled slightly, then looked at Asuna, waiting for her answer.

"It wasn't exactly hard work, was it?"

Asuna touched her lips with her pale finger, her expression slightly subtle. "It's just that all sorts of wildly imaginative ideas were a bit too prominent. Besides, there were concerns about whether the script would appeal to modern young people. After all, not every story is readable. In the end... after careful consideration and ruthless cuts, we finally came up with this exciting story that will make readers laugh out loud..."

"It's not just about healing; the real work we put our heart and soul into is the subsequent drama."

...Although the original plot of the main story is constantly being overturned and rewritten.

"I see, I see."

Amano Touko nodded with a sense of awe and wonder, seemingly marveling, "Even as a prequel, it has gone through so many processes and cuts... It's hard to imagine the original script. I'd really like to see it if I could."

"Although I really wanted to show it to Editor Orange, unfortunately, we don't have a backup."

Asuna maintained a gentle smile, Kasumigaoka Utaha was elegant, and beside them, Eriri lowered her head, Shiina Mashiro was expressionless, and Kirito... covered his face with one hand.

P.S.: I feel like I'm not in the best condition yet.

337

【NO.333 Mutual Praise】

What the hell!

Kasumigaoka, how dare you talk about the script? You dare to say that the original piece of garbage was fresh and original?

That piece of crap was obviously something you wrote on a whim. If it hadn't been revised by Asuna, I think it would have just been another masterpiece. And now you have the nerve to praise it to me?

A powerful alliance?

Asuna's one-sided god-like performance is dragging you down, you useless teammate!

And you're exaggerating a bit, aren't you? You can't even present something like this without modifying the original, terrible script!

Healing hearts... all you're thinking about is how to make your readers depressed!

And another thing, it's one thing for Kasumigaoka to shamelessly praise herself, but why did you have to support Asuna? Just say it openly and honestly, tell us how bad the original script really was—why did it almost turn into mutual praise in the end?

Kirito's lips twitched incessantly as he mentally ranted. Eriri, who couldn't bear to look at him, felt the same way, and even Shiina Mashiro was completely speechless.

But ah but!

Amano Touko's expression right now—admiration!

What?! Don't actually believe me!

You're the deputy editor-in-chief of JUMP, so pay more attention to Kasumigaoka's self-praise!

However, Amano Touko, her face full of admiration, was busy scribbling down what Kasumigaoka and Asuna had said in her notebook. Seeing Amano Touko's state, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but show a satisfied expression and nodded as she continued.

"However, this is only the beginning, and besides, our work didn't win... But if there's a next time, we will definitely not let the victory fall into someone else's hands!"

...Stop spouting nonsense and think back to when you were so afraid of losing face that you didn't even dare to think about submitting your work!

Second place was something you wouldn't have dared to dream of before, and now you're telling me you're disappointed about not winning?

Eriri rolled her eyes, unable to bear looking up and telling Amano Touko the cruel truth.

"Ah, I'm really looking forward to it."

Amano Touko smiled broadly, "While having lofty ideals is commendable, it's better for Kasumi Utako-sensei to focus on the present. After all, many fans are eagerly anticipating a serious drama about her mother's dark side, like me..."

"That's true. Although we didn't win, at least we're satisfied."

Kasumigaoka, that's enough!

Please stop blowing this up! I can't take it anymore!

Oh dear! This feels so embarrassing... Why are you so naive, Orange Editor? Are you also a hot-blooded idiot like Teacher Xiaojing?

…………

The interviews are still ongoing, but the self-praise isn't as outrageous as it used to be.

While Kiritani-sensei is known for his sharp wit, his inexplicable pity for Touko has forced him to speak the truth. Furthermore, as the lead writer, he hasn't been asked as many questions as Asuna and Kasumigaoka, who were responsible for the scriptwriting. So, he's mostly been talking about the change in art style and his personal views on classic shonen manga...

When asked about her situation, Shiina Mashiro simply gave a one-sentence answer that had little to do with the question: "I like manga, so I draw it."

It was simple and straightforward, but Amano Touko showed an expression of appreciation in response, clearly indicating that she really liked artists like Shiina Mashiro.

After that, Eriri just vented her frustrations briefly... without making any explosive remarks.

However, for some reason, Amano Touko seems to really like this team.

With such a powerful and luxurious lineup, each member possesses unique talents. When they come together, they will surely create even more and better works in the future!

However, it's still a bit of a pity, as this team doesn't seem to have any intention of developing within JUMP.

Bang bang bang!

Then, a knock sounded on the door.

"Feel sorry."

Apologize to everyone, Amano Touko looked towards the doorway and said, "Please come in."

The door was pushed open, and the intern editor who had initially welcomed Kirito and the others in walked in, followed by... a man who looked to be about thirty years old.

She was clearly dressed up, wearing a neat suit, but her hair was a little long, reaching her shoulders, and her face was rather ordinary and not very eye-catching.

Amano Touko greeted the man, "Yo, Horikoshi-sensei, you've arrived."

Horikoshi...?

Kiritani blinked, tilting his head to sized up the man who was approaching thirty. It seemed... he had heard this surname somewhere before, no, it should be a pen name.

"Come on, let me introduce you."

Amano Touko gestured for Horikoshi Kohei to sit down next to her, then smiled and said, "This is Horikoshi Kohei, the winner of this year's grand prize and the creator of 'My Hero Academia'."

"And these five are none other than Kaguya Houraisan, the creator of Dark Souls..."

"Uh, hello, I'm Kohei Horikoshi."

Upon hearing this, Horikoshi Kohei was stunned. Looking at the five beautiful girls in front of him, he felt a little strange. Horikoshi Kohei was well aware that Dark Souls was a strong contender for the championship, but he never expected that the creators would be... five people, and all of them were beautiful girls... They all looked like high school students, right?

Kiritani-kun, as the representative, spoke first, "Hello, we are Kaguya Houraisan."

"Hey, Horikoshi-sensei, don't underestimate this team. They may all look like high school students, but each of them is quite famous, like this one..."

Amano Touko pointed at Kiritani-kun, "I think you should have heard of Horikoshi-sensei, the creator of the hottest manga right now—Sword Art Online, Fujiwara Echizen!"

"Oh! It's Fujiwara-sensei! I really like this work of yours."

Kohei Horikoshi widened his eyes slightly, seemingly a little excited. "Speaking of which, everyone is really amazing. Although I thought about drawing manga when I was in school, I never achieved anything good. I participated in the Newcomer Award before, but this is my first time winning an award... Everyone is so young, it's really amazing!"

Hey! Are we about to start some mutual flattery?

"Especially Fujiwara-sensei, I remember she debuted a long time ago, and now she's become the most famous manga artist in Kusaka. It's so good to be young!"

Asuna wanted to rub her forehead... Okay, okay, I knew I couldn't avoid it.

I glanced at Asuna's phone under the coffee table. The screen displayed all of Horikoshi Kohei's works and information on various aspects. Asuna had asked Yui to quickly compile this after hearing Hitano Touko's introduction, and now... it was going to be used.

"It's not as scary as Horikoshi-sensei makes it out to be, and I really like Horikoshi-sensei's 'Twilight Zoo'..."

338

【NO.334 New Plan】

There was a minor conflict during the interview and conversation, though it was nothing serious in reality.

After all, Kohei Horikoshi is indeed a talented creator, and he debuted earlier than Kirito, or rather, earlier than everyone here. Perhaps his achievements are not as good as Kirito's, who debuted much later, but it is still quite impressive to have achieved this level at this age.

Furthermore, seniors always have unique insights in certain areas. There may be no need to listen to them, but at least you should pretend to be interested.

...Furthermore, Kiritani-kun saw in the information compiled by Yui that Horikoshi Kohei seemed a bit strange when facing fans.

However, this had little to do with Kiritani-kun. After the interview, Kiritani-kun and his group left and went to a hotel in Chiyoda Ward.

"I didn't expect you to be a fan of that Horikoshi guy... Horikoshi something-or-other?"

Eriri scratched her head. "According to Editor Orange, that guy's representative work is 'Oma Toki Zoo,' while 'My Hero Academia' is his third work serialized in JUMP... It feels a bit shameless. He's a veteran creator, yet he's trying to compete with a newbie for some award resources."

"Don't say that. This time, JUMP isn't holding a newcomer award. It's just a regular award. If it were a Tezuka Award or a newcomer award like this, he probably wouldn't have participated. After all, this is a genuine newcomer award, and I reckon he wouldn't be able to afford to lose face like that."