"So, is drawing manga easy?" Kato asked again.
Akifumi thought for a moment before answering, "Of course not."
"Anyone who can get serialized in a magazine either has extraordinary talent or has worked incredibly hard."
"Getting a serialization alone is enough to trip up countless people. Once you start serializing, that's a whole new set of challenges."
"As for me, I'm special, so I'm not the best example."
After all, he's a transmigrator, even without the cheat-like system.
Just remembering all the details from his past life was already absurd enough.
Combine that with his abnormal physical abilities, and drawing manga became much easier.
"Why did Kato suddenly ask me about this?" Akifumi wondered.
Kato responded, "Because there's a kid at home who's curious and heard you're an expert, so I thought I'd ask."
Akifumi smiled and nodded. "I see. Is it a boy or a girl?"
Kato paused for a second before saying, "A girl."
'Ah, so she was lying after all!'
Akifumi chuckled.
Kato's poker face was incredibly deceptive, making it hard to tell what she was really thinking.
But it was clear to Akifumi, who understood her well.
That brief pause meant she hadn't expected to be asked this question and hadn't thought of an answer quickly enough.
'So why did she ask about this?' Akifumi wondered but didn't push for an answer.
Suppressing his curiosity, Akifumi smiled again.
"Drawing manga can be really tough."
"Well, I'm not sure if that kid is ready for it," Kato said casually.
Just then, the school bell rang.
The school day was short but fulfilling.
For the other students who had just come back from Golden Week, Akifumi couldn't really know what their school experience felt like.
A week passed.
Saturday evening's latest episode of Steins;Gate left countless viewers even more distraught.
It had already been heart-wrenching enough, but now the show was deepening the emotional bonds of the characters!
Watching Mayuri die over and over wasn't enough, they had to keep showing her death in dreams too?
Thinking this, everyone let out a complex sigh.
And as the timeline approached its critical point, with the assistant about to die, it felt like being poisoned by slow-acting venom.
The deep, soul-crushing pain surged through their hearts.
They were filled with a strong, inevitable fear of the coming death, yet there was nothing they could do but watch it unfold helplessly.
Then...
Akifumi's SNS account exploded once again!
"Damn it! Bastard, you really should die!!"
"Are you happy now, seeing us in so much pain?! Are you enjoying it?!"
"Ugh, my assistant! My assistant!!"
"Why do you have to make Mayuri remember those cruel images?!"
"Once wasn't enough to hurt Mayuri, now you make her relive those awful things! Are you even human?!"
"Your heart must be made of blades, right? How else could you do something so cruel?!"
"My heart hurts so much, can sending blade pieces to the bastard help ease my pain?!"
"Tomorrow, sensei's new work is being released, right? Rip it, I'm not buying it anymore!"
"Did you just tear up your money?!"
"If you don't want it, you can give it to me! What crime is money committing? The only criminal here is the bastard!"
"Punishing yourself like this, you're a fool!!"
Despite the countless condemnations and many saying they wouldn't buy Akifumi's new work the next day, when the next day came and bookstores opened, the scene outside made their faces turn green in an instant!
What the hell!
Wasn't it supposed to be a boycott against the bastard, vowing not to buy his new work?
Why is there such a long line?!
I'm just a temporary worker, how did I end up dealing with such a huge mess?!
The customers standing in line were also arguing.
"Hey, last night, weren't you swearing that you wouldn't give the bastard any more of your money after the 'Steins;Gate' ending?!"
"Haha, I'm paying for 'Akame ga Kill!' What does that have to do with the bastard?"
"You're quite the clever one! We're thinking the same thing!"
"Dammit! I've been tricked again!!"
"There are so many people here, do you think I'll still be able to buy it?"
"Just thinking about not being able to see sensei's new work right away makes me feel terrible! Like ants are crawling over me!!"
As the bookstore doors opened, the noise grew louder, and the entire street became bustling with chatter.
"I wonder if this story will be liked by these guys."
This work, both the anime and the manga, have many differences.
When it was adapted into an anime, the manga's story couldn't keep up, and with some added elements, many parts were heavily modified.
Moreover, the anime's limited length also restricted many things.
For example, the organization called Wild Hunt in the manga.
This is a terrorist group led by Syura, with most members being Empire Artifact users.
But unlike hunters, everyone in this organization is a villain.
In the manga, there are detailed descriptions of how Akame and others wipe them all out.
However, in the anime, this organization doesn't even get a chance to appear.
Even for viewers who only watched the anime, they wouldn't even know that such an organization existed.
Regarding the emotional lines and the deaths of characters, the manga gives much more clarity.
Perhaps losing your favorite character is still painful, but compared to the anime's completely unacceptable and brainless arrangements, the manga definitely handles this better!
Of course.
Even so, some content still needs to be carefully revised.
After all, the idea behind this work is excellent, but some of its execution feels too petty.
Also, the original author has a tendency for a bit of masochism and likes to sneak in his own personal biases.
These unnecessary aspects will surely be modified by Akifumi.
However...
"In terms of the ending, though, I think the anime's is better."
All the other male characters are dead, and the protagonist is the only one left alive?
How great is that!
[TL Note someone please teach this guy some common decency]
Putting these thoughts aside, Akifumi turned his attention back to the computer screen.
These are things to consider after a few volumes, since there's no need to revise the earlier parts; just draw them as they are.
Of course.
Just by having Akifumi's current art style, the quality of this work is already a few steps higher than its original foundation.
With the corresponding revisions to the later content, although there's still a gap compared to works like "Madoka Magica" and "Steins;Gate," it will definitely stand strong alongside "Your Lie In April," "WorldEnd," and "Anohana" in terms of quality!
The 180-page manga isn't too long, and many fans quickly finished reading it.
Yesterday's painful experience with "Steins;Gate" was somewhat healed by this new work.
Excited, fans flocked to the comments section.
"The new work is amazing! Can't wait for the next installment!!"
"So short, so short, why is it so short, bastard?!"
"The first twist at the beginning really surprised me, didn't expect that at all! Totally has sensei's usual style!"
"Eh, I feel like the twist was a bit too obvious, not quite like sensei's usual style."
"Isn't it possible that this isn't even a twist? Didn't the darkness of the empire get revealed from the start? This is just a normal plot progression, right?"
"The Night Raid group members are really cool! Their first appearance really shocked me!!"
"That's why they're called the main team, right?"
"With sensei's skill, I'm confident about the rest of the story."
"By the way... in this kind of traditional work, do you think there won't be any more knives?"
"I don't know if there will be knives, but the protagonist definitely won't be the one to suffer!"
"Who said there are no knives? Didn't they just kill off two characters right away?!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm already crying my eyes out! I suggest the bastard, seeing how badly I'm crying, don't put any more knives in the story!!"
"I'm crying too! My childhood friends from the same village, and just like that, two of them died, it's too tragic!"
"Your calculations are so obvious, I can hear them from the M87 galaxy!!"
"Don't worry, in traditional works, there aren't that many knives!"
"Still don't know when the next volume will be released, but I'm looking forward to it!"
"Exactly! Only releasing one volume, do you think I'm looking down on you?!"
"Even if I don't have money to buy it, I can always work, right? So don't hold back, give me more!!"
"I wish it could be like 'Your Lie In April'!"
"Not that I want several volumes to come all at once like in 'Your Lie In April,' but one volume per month seems fine, right?"
"I think that should be fine!"
"Although we'll have to wait for the new work to begin, didn't sensei say there's more coming on May 31st?"
"Can't wait for May 31st!!"
Time flies by, and a week quickly passes.
"The first-week sales of 'Akame ga Kill' were 84,000 copies?"
Akifumi is quite satisfied with this result.
Even though it's a traditional theme, this was a direct release of the single volume!
If it weren't for the accumulation of goodwill from his previous works, a direct release like this would've flopped.
With first-week sales approaching 100,000, calling it a miracle wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"What's on May 31st?"
"Well, well, when the time comes, you'll find out, won't you?"
[180] Kurisu is Going Crazy! [200 PS]
Time flies, and before anyone realizes it, a week has already passed.
Akifumi leans back in his chair, phone pressed to his ear as he chats with Mihari.
"The first-week sales of Akame ga Kill hit 84,000 copies?"
A small, satisfied smile tugs at his lips.
That was a solid number, far beyond what most single-volume direct releases could hope for.
If not for the goodwill he had built from his previous works, this kind of gamble could have ended in disaster.
Yet here they were, on the verge of hitting 100,000 in just the first week. Calling it a miracle wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"So, what's happening on May 31st?" Mihari probes, her voice laced with curiosity.
Akifumi chuckles, the amusement clear in his tone. "Well, well when the time comes, you'll find out."
'This guy is keeping secrets again!' Mihari clicks her tongue in frustration.
She knows him too wellif he doesn't want to spill, no amount of prying will make him talk.
Realizing it's a lost cause, she shifts the conversation.
"Anyway, have you decided on the second volume of Akame ga Kill yet? When are you planning to release it? We need to make preparations on our side too."
Akifumi taps his fingers on the desk, thinking for a moment. "For Akame ga Kill, I'm planning to release a volume every month. What do you think?"
Mihari exhales sharply. "That's an insane pace. Can you really keep that up?"
He chuckles, voice brimming with confidence. "Come on, you know me. I wouldn't joke around with my health, right?"
She isn't entirely convinced but lets it slide. "Alright. How about we aim for mid-month for the next one?"
"Sounds good to me. I'll send you the manuscript in a few days."
"Thanks for your hard work, Akifumi-sensei," Mihari says before the call ends.
Akifumi barely has time to set his phone down before it starts buzzing again.
Seeing the caller ID, a look of confusion crossed his face, but he answered the call immediately.
"Machida-san, is there something urgent?"
Machida Sonoko's voice came through with a hint of bitterness:
"Akifumi-sensei, WorldEnd has finished."
Ah, so it's this.
Akifumi, acting as if he didn't quite understand, replied, "Yes, it's finished."
"You've really put us through a lot these past months!"
"You should've made it harder for me!" Machida Sonoko screamed internally.
Some things, you only realize how precious they were once they're gone.
When WorldEnd project was confirmed and the first few volumes were being released, she had been working non-stop, often losing track of time.
Night and day blurred together, and she would constantly think:
Why is there so much to manage and coordinate?!
Akifumi-sensei, could you slow down just a little?
How about easing up on the writing speed?
And this wish was granted after the release of the third volume.
The first few days were a breeze, but after a month passed, Machida Sonoko started to realize something was wrong.
Sure, things were relaxed, but the pay was visibly shrinking!
Even though she had other authors to manage, those guys could barely meet deadlines!
Early submissions? In their dreams!!
One volume per month? Those lazy ones would never achieve that!
And it didn't help that the sales weren't even in the same league!
In just a short amount of time, WorldEnd had sold over a million copies across four volumes!
Meanwhile, those other authors, if they hit 50,000 copies per volume, they'd be popping champagne and celebrating their "successful" careers!
The more she compared, the more her frustration grew.
She couldn't help but envy Mihari, the editor.
Sure, the royalties between a chief editor and a regular editor differed, but the volume of work was what mattered!
Madoka Magica had two volumes, Anohana two volumes, and Your Lie In April had eleven volumes!
Not to mention the recently launched Akame ga Kill!
Just imagining it made her envious.
'Damn it!' she cursed internally.
'Why can't this kid just focus on writing light novels?!'
Here she was, the chief editor, envying a regular editor.
If she ever admitted this, she'd be laughed at for sure!
Of course, Machida wasn't the only one who envied Mihari.
If WorldEnd only had a two-month gap between the fourth and fifth volumes, she might have been able to endure it.
But when the fifth volume took three months to come out, especially since it was the final volume, she was deeply pained.
After enduring all this time, Machida Sonoko finally couldn't hold back anymore.
How could they waste such a perfect writing machine?!
"Akifumi-sensei, there's something I wanted to ask," she began.
"I saw you mentioned a new project coming on May 31st. Could you tell me more about it?"
"Sorry to disappoint, Machida-editor, but the new project isn't a light novel," Akifumi replied.
"As for the details, you'll just have to wait until then to find out."
