"The quality is impressive!"
The image on the screen was filled with thick smoke and fire.
The shading and special effects were already leagues ahead of what she'd seen in the other submissions, even rivaling those being serialized in magazines!
"Finally, a story I can actually read!"
Even though "magical girl" was a genre that might seem a little childish, Mihari couldn't help but feel excited.
It was like having eaten nothing but junk for days, and suddenly being handed a bowl of plain ricesimple, but satisfying.
That sense of relief, that burst of joy, was something only someone who'd been through it would understand.
Taking a deep breath, Mihari focused and started reading seriously.
"She's carrying too much on her own."
Amid the billowing smoke and fire, a slender figure emerged, with another girl watching her from a distance.
"This is too much."
"That's not fair"
The slender figure turned toward the viewer, her school uniform stained with blood, and her face twisted in pain.
The scene shifted, and a small, cute creature appeared.
"Madoka, do you want to change your fate?"
It was another girl, named Madoka by the creature, wearing the same school uniform, staring blankly at the figure in the distance.
When the creature asked, Madoka instinctively answered,
"Eh?"
"All you have to do is turn this world upside down."
"You have the power within you to make that happen."
"Really...?"
The panel showed Madoka's face, but her expression was hard to read.
In the distance, the other girl seemed to have overheard their conversation and turned around with a sad expression, reaching out as if to stop them.
But the distance was too great, and the words couldn't reach her.
"Of course."
The unknown creature smiled innocently.
"So, sign a contract with me and become a magical girl!"
The scene shifted again.
Madoka was now lying in bed.
"Was that a dream?"
...
The 29 pages of manga quickly came to an end.
"Wait, it's already over?"
Mihari blinked in surprise.
She was caught off guard by how much she'd gotten into it, but also
"It doesn't feel as childish as I thought?"
Unlike most magical girl stories, this one felt much more mature.
"Based on what I've seen so far, this isn't your typical magical girl story."
Normally, the plot follows a simple pattern: the protagonist faces a crisis, gains powers, becomes a magical girl, and sets out to help others.
That's the standard formula.
"The dream at the start, the new transfer student, the warning to 'not change yourself,' the pursuit of Kyubey, meeting witches, and then Mami-senpai's dramatic entrance."
It was all unfolding in a completely unexpected way, and
"I feel like there's something deeper going on here. Or am I imagining things?"
Mihari couldn't help but smile and shake her head.
"At this point, the magical girl genre is already being used to muchwhat could be the hidden twist? In the end, isn't it all just about becoming a magical girl, solving problems, and having fun right?"
"And the author's name is 'Warrior of Love and Hope'? That fits."
With this thought in mind, Mihari quickly jotted down her review at the end of the work.
"While it's a very common magical girl theme, the overall quality of the work is quite high! Readers who love cute, moe art will definitely be drawn to this charming style!
It's clear the author is trying something new with the plot, but since this is just one chapter, it's hard to predict where it's headed.
There may be some unexpected twists, but it could also end up following the usual clichs. It's worth keeping an eye on.
Rather than submitting it just for the competition, it feels like the author aimed for publication from the start, and then decided to submit when they saw the grand prize.
The author has a lot of potential."
"If they switch to a different genre or approach, they might really shine. A promising newcomer to watch!"
"What a shame, I'm just a small-time editor."
She is still a rookie in the industry.
With no real say in anything.
Mihari shook her head and pumped herself up, raising her fist.
"Just do my best! Go, Mihari!!"
She sent the file to her editor-in-chief, then opened the next email.
A little while later.
"Ahhh! My eyes! My eyes!!"
The girl's scream echoed through her quiet apartment in the middle of the night.
...
In the office of a certain editor-in-chief at Shueisha.
A little girl in a white dress with short green hair sat at her desk.
She was petite and looked like a young girl at first glance, but in reality, she was an adult and the editor-in-chief.
With a soft click, her eyes focused on the screen.
"Hmm? Did you find another decent work?"
"I wonder if this Tezuka Award will finally see an 'excellent' submission this time."
As Shueisha's most prestigious newcomer award, it's held twice a year, but not every time does it result in a 'selected' winner.
In fact, the last time a 'selected' work was chosen was three years ago.
"Time really flies."
The editor-in-chief shook her head, pulling her thoughts back and turning her focus to the screen.
"Magical Girl Madoka."
As she saw the title, a smile crept onto her face.
Time passed quietly.
29 pages of manga wasn't much, but it took her a full hour to finish.
"I wonder how it'll develop from here?" She muttered to herself.
"Mihari Otosuna that new recruit?"
She remembered her from when she first started.
"She's got a good eye and a fair review. If this talent is nurtured, she could probably become an editor-in-chief someday."
After thinking for a moment, she didn't make any changes to Mihari's review.
The editor-in-chief sent the file to the "Effortlessly Slacking Every Day"
discussion group on Line.
[004] Damn it! They're not letting me sleep!!
For most people, by 11 or 12 PM, they've usually finished spending time with their girlfriend and are getting ready to sleep.
But for editors, as long as there's work, whether it's day or night doesn't make much of a difference.
The quiet discussion group became active because of the package file sent by Minano Matome.
"This beautiful art style and storyboard treatmentif it weren't for the clear personal contact information written on it, I'd really wonder if a certain a mangaka created a new alias!"
"From the current level of expression in this story, even in the highly saturated 'magical girl' genre, it's a pretty good work! Editor Minano is pretty lucky."
"Such a pity. If it weren't for the 'magical girl' theme, this stunning art style and expressive potential could have the power to break through and get selected. Right now, it's more likely to be considered a 'near-selection.'"
"The work itself doesn't matter much; the most important thing is that the author named 'Warrior of Love and Hope' already has very developed art skills. Even without suggesting any edits, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' could be directly serialized in 'Shonen Jump' as a finished work. With proper nurturing, it might become one of the company's pillars in the future!"
"Congratulations to Minano-chan, I'm already crying tears of envy."
"Treat us! Treat us!!"
In the office.
Looking at the messages on the screen, Minano Matome couldn't help but smile.
An editor's salary is closely tied to the works they handle.
Whoever discovers a good piece is responsible for it, and while the only reward might be fame, if the work eventually gets a volume release, the editor will receive a small royalty.
"Since it was discovered by Mihari, let's have her take charge of it later."
Minano Matome thought for a moment, quickly edited a message, and sent it to Mihari Otosuna.
In a single-apartment.
After finishing another work, Mihari Otosuna couldn't help but sigh.
"Really, only a few works are worth watching."
After reading Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the works she had in hand seemed increasingly unappealing.
It wasn't that the stories were particularly outstanding or unforgettable, but...
Manga are all about expressing the story through illustrations, and it's clear how crucial the art is!
It's like how you can ignore the childish doodles in some Manga if the story is grippingonly one teacher, One-sensei, has been able to pull that off.
Setting the plot aside, the art in the submissions from other creators was simply not good enough.
Compared to Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the difference between the two was obvious, and naturally, she couldn't keep reading them.
Mihari Otosuna glanced at the time.
23:01
"Has it really gotten this late? I'll continue tomorrow then."
She powered off the computer, stood up, stretched, quickly washed up, and lay down in bed, pulling out her phone.
"I'll just watch one video before sleeping!"
Two hours passed.
"Hehehe, Maiko-chan is so cute."
Mihari Otosuna wore a foolish grin, twisting in her bed like a lovestruck person.
A casual glance at the time in the top-left corner of her phone.
02:13
"??"
"What's going on!? How did time pass so quickly?!"
"I only just watched 1462... videos! Damn it, I have to sleep! Otherwise, I'll be late for work tomorrow!"
Mihari Otosuna closed her phone and placed it aside, shutting her eyes.
Two minutes later.
"Damn it! I can't fall asleep!!"
The excitement from watching the videos had her brain buzzing; she was totally too excited to sleep.
"Forget it, let's see if there are any new messages on Line."
Mihari Otosuna grabbed her phone again, and then...
"Hm? Eh?! Is that... Head Editor Minano is sending me a message!? and it's from two hours ago?!"
"Oh no! I didn't see it right away! Will this leave a bad impression on the head editor?!"
Mihari Otosuna's composure broke, and she randomly scratched her hair.
"Forget it, let's see what Minano Matome has to say."
"Mihari, congratulations on discovering a good work. After the evaluation results are out, you'll be responsible for contacting 'Warrior of Love and Hope' sensei. Is that okay?"
"Eh?! I'm responsible!?"
Seeing the message, Mihari Otosuna was shocked, and then an overwhelming joy surged from her heart.
This was...
"Yess!!"
She had heard that editors typically get assigned to handle a author only after six months of employment. For a new hire like her to get this chance was like winning a lottery!
"I have to grab this chance!!"
Mihari waved her fist, determination on her face.
But then...
"Damn it!"
"Doesn't this mean I won't be able to sleep at all now?!"
[005] Busy Parents, No Car, But a House
Monday morning.
"It's time for school!"
Akifumi Mugiho woke up, glanced at the time, and sighed, his emotions mixed.
At first, when he regained memories of his past life, he was a bit excited about going back to school.
But after enjoying a few days off, that initial excitement had long disappeared.
It was like starting a novel. At first, you're full of energy and can write hundreds of words in no time. But after writing tens or even hundreds of thousands of words, it becomes a chore.
He shook off the thoughts, quickly washed up, got dressed, and left the house.
Unlike most transmigrator, who end up orphaned with no siblings and no property, Akifumi Mugiho's parents were still alive, he didn't have a younger sister, and they owned the apartment they were living in.
"I wonder where those two are now..."
His father, Akifumi Ye, and mother, Akifumi Nakui, were both archaeology professors at a university in Kanagawa.
As for why they worked in Kanagawa but lived in Tokyo, that story went back more than a decade, when Akifumi Mugiho was just born.
The details weren't too important, so let's skip over them.
To summarize, they worked in Tokyo at the time, and it wasn't until Akifumi Mugiho was six that they moved to Kanagawa.
Though Kanagawa was an important region in Japan, it still lagged behind to Tokyo when it came to educational resources.
Plus, since his parents often traveled with students for research, even when he was in Kanagawa, it didn't make much difference.
So, Akifumi Mugiho got used to living alone from a young age.
By the time he hit junior high, he just moved back to Tokyo.
"The Total is 360 yen."
Akifumi Mugiho snapped out of his thoughts and pulled out a 1,000-yen bill from his wallet.
"Thank you, come again!"
The cashier smiled brightly as she handed over his change, and Akifumi Mugiho grabbed the reheated rice balls and walked out of the convenience store.
In Japan, there are no places to buy breakfast.
Unless you make your own, the only option to fill your stomach is the convenience store.
Not to mention in his past life he was living alone for so long that it taught him how to cook.
He wasn't a master chef, but it was enough to get by.
Yesterday, his fridge was empty, and he hadn't had time to restock, so he had to resort to this wasteful choice.
Yes, wasteful!
"Five rice balls, averaging 72 yen each."
"Ingredients: glutinous rice, shredded seaweed, carrot bits, and lettuce fragments."
If you convert it to the raw ingredients, he could have made twelve rice balls of the same size.
If he ate four rice balls every morning, that'd cover three days of breakfast!
"Damn it!"
The more he thought about it, the worse the rice balls tasted.
Why was he fixating on something so small?
Well, of course, it was because he was out of money!
At school, a decent grilled meat lunch set cost 500 yen, so for a month, that would total 15,000 yen.
But with the usual four weekends and eight holidays, he'd only need about 10.000-11,000 yen.
If he cooked for himself, he was confident that he could keep his total daily food expenses under 400 yen!
With seasonings like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, his monthly food costs would be around 11,000-12,000 yen.
Both his parents were university professors. Even though archaeology is a niche field, their income wasn't bad.
Not to mention, they were fairly well-known in the academic world.
As their son, Akifumi Mugiho's living expenses were well-supported.
He got a generous allowance of 70,000 yen a month!
For a high school sophomore, that's more than enough, especially since he didn't have to pay rent.
Even without trying to save money, he could still live comfortably in Tokyo.
But here's the problem
It was only mid-April, and his pockets were already empty.
