......
Friday at Shueisha.
No need for long introductions; we all know what happens at the editorial meetings by now.
At the meeting, the editor-in-chief, Torishima, went straight to the point.
"How were the sales of Madoka Magica Volume 2 last month?"
Everyone at the table held their breath, guessing the number in their heads.
'200,000?'
'210,000?'
'220,000?'
The first-day sales of 45,000+ had raised their expectations.
.....
[TL Note]
Hey there! If you're enjoying this, be sure to check out
p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL
Please remove the hyphen to access the page normally! Just a heads-up, there will be new advanced chapters every day in there! And thank you so much for reading!
[093] A Gift for the Fans!
But the reality was...
"323,587 copies."
"Woah."
Even though they tried to estimate high, the actual number still took everyone by surprise, and they couldn't help but gasp.
They were practically contributing to global warming with the heat of their reactions!
"Hahahaha!"
"Not bad, not bad!!"
Editor-in-Chief, Torishima Kazu, laughed heartily, beaming.
"I knew I was right to believe in this talent!!"
Everyone else paused.
Minano thought, 'Wait a second... last time, didn't you say you believed in this talent? Now you're claiming you discovered it?'
Wasn't it my little Mihari who found Akifumi-sensei, after all?
But Minano kept the complaint to herself.
There was no point in raining on the editor-in-chief's parade.
Other editors couldn't help but whisper amongst themselves.
"323k copies in just one month? Even with the summer break, that's unreal."
"It's not surprisingafter that first-day sales spike, hitting 300k by the end of the month isn't shocking."
"Hey, Kobayashi, could you stop shaking your hands before speaking? And your legs too! The whole table's vibrating."
"Looks like Minano hit the jackpot with this one."
"Why wasn't it us who discovered this 'Warrior of Love and Hope'?!"
They were all green with envy.
The sales numbers were crazy, and with Madoka Magica's quality and growing reputation, the sales would only continue to rise.
In fact, it could very well break a million in six months!
October's anime adaptation, along with some merchandise... Maybe even a signing event...
Just thinking about it made their eyes burn with jealousy.
After celebrating for a while, Torishima Kazu wiped his face and then asked, "By the way, how did Madoka Magica Volume 1 perform last month?"
"Thanks to Volume 2's success, Volume 1's sales reached 180,000 copies last month."
"Woah."
The room filled with gasps again.
How did it beat the first month's sales by this much, just two months later?
It was insane!
"Hahaha! Good, good, good!!"
"Excellent!!"
Torishima was ecstatic, while the other editors could only look on with envy.
"Now then, what's next..."
"Editor-in-Chief,"
Minano interrupted the meeting.
Everyone could already feel the dj vu creeping in.
When was the last time this happened?
Oh right... it was when they discussed the release of Madoka Magica Volume 2 and Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai's serialization plans!
"Could it be...?"
"No way... again?!"
But before they could wonder further, Minano spoke.
"Akifumi-sensei finished drawing 'Anohana'."
I knew it! That guy is like a printing press!
Started the project in July, and by September 1st, it's already finished!?
He'd already written 9 chapters in just two months!
A whole summer break spent drawing 15 chapters?!
Wasn't he supposed to be a high school student?
The whole industry couldn't even keep up with that level of work ethic.
The veteran editors rolled their eyes but remained silent.
It was summer break, after all. Who cared now?
Torishima, glowing with pride, said, "That's what youth is all about! Such speed!"
[TL Note Guy-sensei will be so proud]
"Where is the rest of Anohana content?"
"I've already copied it."
Minano said, pulling out prepared materials to hand out.
Torishima nodded in satisfaction.
By 9 PM, after saying goodbye to Inari and Mai, Akifumi sat at his desk, ready to get into the swing of things. But before he could dive into his game, his phone rang.
Caller: Otosuna Mihari.
This girl's working faster than ever!
Akifumi picked up. "Got good news?"
"Good news!"
Without skipping a beat, Mihari went on, "Anohana's second volume is releasing on September 15!"
"September 15th?"
By then, Chapter 10 would be in Weekly Shonen Jump, and Chapter 11 by the 11th.
That means they can wrap up the remaining chapters for the second volume.
They chose the 15th because it's a Fridayperfect for a weekend release.
Impressive planning by Shueisha!
"I got it," Akifumi said, grinning.
"So that news you kept teasing me about was for this moment, huh?"
"Well, who knows?" Mihari chuckled.
"It's all thanks to you!"
They hung up.
Instead of starting his game right away, Akifumi quickly opened up his social media.
The news he'd been holding back?
Obviously, it was the Madoka Magica anime announcement!
Edit, review, and send.
He'd done this so many times that it had become second nature.
"Hey everyone! How's the start of the school year treating you? Running into friends you didn't see all summerhow's that feel?"
"I'm so excited! My summer jail time is finally over! But wait, why's there a break after just one day of school? "
"Why do I call it jail time? Can you imagine spending all day, every day drawing at home and losing track of time? Yeah, that was my summer."
"Anyway, enough complaints. You all know meI don't post unless there's something great to share! And today I've got two pieces of good news that I'm sure you'll love!"
"First up!"
"Madoka Magica, which just wrapped in August, has officially been greenlit for an anime adaptation! And here's a secretit actually started back in July!"
"We kept it quiet because we were worried about the sales, but after Volume 2's first month, the sales were way beyond expectations, so now I can share this amazing news!"
"Volume 1 of Madoka Magica is now complete, and I have to give a huge thanks to Shinbo for the incredible work on it. The final product is so much better than I ever imagined!"
"Barring any unexpected issues, Madoka Magica will be premiering this October, and I couldn't be more excited!"
"Oh, and the Madoka Magica merchandise is in the works, including a USB drive featuring Mami! Hope you'll like it!"
"Now, for the second piece of good news"
"I did it! I finished all of Anohana's story this summer! "
"Since it's done, you probably know what's coming next, right?"
"ExactlyAnohana's first and second volumes will be released on the 15th!"
"The first volume goes up to Chapter 11, which will be in Weekly Shonen Jump on the 11th. If you're into the magazines, I'd recommend just picking up the second volume!"
"The second volume picks up from Chapter 12 through Chapter 22. All the mysteries will finally be revealed!"
"If you love Anohana, don't miss it!"
"Also, to celebrate the release, I'll be giving away a special surprise on the 15th. Be sure to check in before diving into the story!"
"That's it for today's update! Hope you all enjoy it!"
"Lastly, thanks as always for your continued support!"
[094] "Anohana" Final Volume Release! Get Ready to Cry!!
Akifumi saw a continuous wave of praise for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, drawing in a significant number of fans.
Many who were initially just curious ended up getting hooked.
After all, it's common for people to overlook a series just because of its title or synopsis.
But when friends keep recommending it, and online discussions and glowing reviews are everywhere, curiosity eventually wins.
Because of this growing buzz, the Warriors of Love and Hope SNS account nearly doubled its followers in just a monthgoing from before the release of Madoka Magica Volume 2 to an astonishing 600,000+ fans!
To put that into perspective, many mid-tier manga artists with multiple serialized works don't even have that many followers!
Only top-tier, actively publishing creators usually reach these numbers.
And yet, here was someone who had only published a single mangajust two volumesand had already amassed this insane following.
Aside from Akifumi Mugiho, who else could possibly achieve such a feat?
With such an enormous fanbase, it took less than a minute after the new post went live for the comments section to explode past the 99+ mark:
"First!"
"Sensei finally posted again! It's been over a month, right? So happy!!"
"I love how Sensei always drops a ton of exciting updates whenever they post! What's the big news this time? Can't wait!"
"Sensei, we'll always support you!! Keep going!"
Clearly, these were the type of fans who commented first and read the post later.
Soon, as more fans actually read the announcement, the hype escalated:
The anime adaptation of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, is set to air in the October season!
Official merchandise is in development, including a Mami Tomoe figure personally designed by Sensei!
The final volume of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day will be released on September 15!
On the same day, Sensei will be giving out a special surprise to fans on SNS!
And then came the chaos in the comments:
"Wait, Madoka is getting an anime ALREADY?! And with Shinbo at the helm?! LET'S GOOOO!!"
"OMG, Sensei and Shueisha are moving SO FAST! I LOVE IT!"
"No way, no waywho would willingly go through the pain of getting emotionally wrecked by the manga, only to suffer AGAIN with the anime? Oh wait that's me. Carry on."
"The animation is going to hit even harder than the manga I'M NOT READY."
"It's only the beginning of September, and I already want to skip ahead to October!"
"YESSS! The Anohana final volume is FINALLY coming out! Been waiting forever!"
"Sensei works at lightning speed, and the quality is STILL top-tier. Absolute legend!"
"That's because Sensei practically spent the entire summer in 'artist jail,' lol."
"Let's be real, if it were any other artist, even two months of 'jail time' wouldn't be enough to pull off this much content!"
One fan even did the math:
"Alright, let's break it down: Anohana started serialization on July 3. If we assume Sensei had three chapters in reserve, that means they drew five new chapters just for the August updates."
"A single manga volume is around 180 pages, which means in just this summer, Sensei churned out the equivalent of 14 full chaptersbasically three months' worth of work crammed into one!"
"And if we go by Madoka's volume page count, the real number is probably even HIGHER!"
"Holy crap, this analysis is next-level!"
"Sensei's work ethic is insane!"
"Meanwhile, I'm a high schooler who spent my summer just goofing off feeling kinda guilty now."
"Dude, don't compare yourself. Life isn't a fair race. Some people start ahead, are naturally talented, AND work harder than you. You just gotta accept it."
"So should we just give up entirely then?"
"Y'all really know how to comfort someone, huh..."
Then, another wave of excitement hit:
"Wait, hold upSensei's giving out a mystery gift with Anohana's release?! THAT'S SO HYPE!"
"I wonder what the gift will be! I'm so excited!"
"I LOVE Menma! I'm definitely buying it to support Sensei!"
"Hmm Anohana is great, but I feel like it doesn't hit quite as hard as Madoka. Is that just me?"
"Nope, not just you!"
Then came an in-depth analysis:
"Anohana captures the bittersweet reality of growing upthe childhood friendships that drift apart over time. It's grounded in nostalgia, warmth, and melancholy."
"Madoka, on the other hand, embodies childhood fantasiesboys dreaming of being superheroes, girls wanting to become magical girls. But in Sensei's story, the price of those dreams is steep, set against a brutally harsh reality."
"It's like a metaphor for chasing dreams in the real worldthe hardships, the sacrifices, the pain."
"And as Madoka's story unfolds, it escalates from relatable struggles to cosmic-scale existentialism."
"That contrast makes it feel larger-than-life compared to Anohana."
"Damn, that's deep!"
"Now I feel like I never truly understood either series..."
"Honestly? I just love Sensei's art. The sad parts hit hard, and that's enough for me."
"At the end of the day, everyone experiences a story differently. If you love it, great! If it's not for you, that's fine too. Personally, I adore both seriesMadoka is adorable, and Menma is adorable!"
"Adorable? Sounds like you just have a thing for cute girls, lol."
Then, a minor controversy broke out:
"Wait a secondMadoka didn't get a mystery gift with its manga release. NOT FAIR!"
"Sensei, you're playing favorites!"
"We demand a special gift for Madoka fans too!!"
"+1"
"+2"
"...+1000!"
Scrolling through the comments, Akifumi couldn't help but smile.
'Looks like everyone's really hyped for the anime and the manga release!'
Then, he came across the long analysis post.
'Did I actually think that deeply when I draw it?'
He pondered for a secondthen shrugged.
'Meh. Let the readers interpret it however they want.'
[TL Note Sometimes the reader who create the story lol]
After all, he was just a guy drawing manga.
There was no way he actually understood Madoka or Anohana, right?
Then, he noticed fans still arguing over the special gift.
'It's just a bonus gift, and they're already fighting over it'
Did they really think it was going to be something amazing?
Hadn't they learned their lesson yet?
Just as he was about to close the app ,Shiina Mahiru, called him for dinner.
[095] Final Scene
And just like that, time passed.
September 15 Lunchtime
"Damn it! It's impossible!"
Tadakuni and Tabata watched in frustration as Tanaka returned from the store, empty-handed.
"No luck?"
"Nope. No matter what I said, they wouldn't budge!"
Looking at the security guards standing firm like statues at the store entrance, Tanaka let out a defeated sigh.
"Guess we'll have to wait until after school?"
"But will there be any copies of Anohana left by then?!"
"It should be fine, right? The summer rush was just a fluke!"
"Yeah! Back then, everyone had free time and money. But now? We've been saving up just to split one copy between the three of us. Surely, most people have already spent their cash!"
