Full-time cartoonist

It's okay for "Weekly Shonen Jump" to be disparaged by its writers, but it's a big problem if readers approve it.

There will be fewer and fewer new readers, so it is very important to stabilize the basic base.

"So jump will launch a short comic competition," Nao Sasaki said, "combatants with serialized works will participate. I didn't want to tell you at first, after all, the serialization of "Slam Dunk" was too hard, but after thinking about it carefully, I still have to consider it. Your own thoughts.”

Hearing this, Hibiki Higashino was stunned, "Short comic contest?"

To be honest, his annual income is now more than 400 million yen. Comic competitions or royalties are just a drop in the bucket and he doesn't care about them anymore.

"Slam Dunk" has a lot of serial tasks, so Takehiko Inoue decided to end it early for this reason.

Therefore, there is no need for Hibiki Higashikata to increase the burden on himself.

"When will it start?" he asked.

Sasaki replied: "The original plan was to start in October."

"October this year?" Hibiki Higashino was surprised, "Even if it's a short comic, you have to prepare for half a year, right?"

"Well," Sasaki nodded, "Mr. Toriyama Akira's new work "COWA" will be serialized in October. It is a short and medium-length comic. Originally, he planned to use "COWA" as a gimmick for the short comic competition, but Toriyama-sensei refused."

Dong Ye shouted loudly. He looked ahead and was about to reach the main entrance of the school.

He said: "Toriyama-sensei wants to create works that he likes, so he doesn't care about results, so he won't participate in competitions to make readers look forward to it and put a burden on himself."

"Yes," Sasaki said, removing the fallen leaves above his head, "the short story competition plan has been postponed and will start around next spring."

It has become more important to give cartoonists enough time to come up with wonderful works.

"Then I'll wait until the New Year's party to answer you." Higashino Hibiki said.

"Um."

The two came to the school gate, Hibiki waved to him, and Sasaki disappeared from Hibiki's eyes.

…

Toei Animation is a big company, and it is like a family with TV Asahi, so Inoue Kaede does not go to the TV station at night to wait for the results of the collection.

At four o'clock in the morning, he received the call.

"How are the ratings?" Inoue Kaede asked nervously.

He didn't sleep well at all. He tossed and turned at night and finally fell asleep in a daze. As soon as the phone rang, he immediately became energetic.

"The ratings are 15.6%, that's amazing!" the staff said loudly.

Among this year's prime-time animation works, "Slam Dunk" is the only one.

"Only 15.6%?" Inoue Kaede frowned.

After hanging up the phone, he sat up from the bed. Under the dim moonlight, he looked a little lost.

This result surpassed "Arrival of the Holy Son" and crushed "Rurouni Kenshin", and "eva" is not worth mentioning.

But when Inoue Kaede learned about it, she felt very unhappy.

This era is a lonely era for animation.

Without fiercely competitive animations such as "Dragon Ball", "Ghost of the Soul", and "Yu Yu Hakusho", "Slam Dunk" is in a blank period.

The popularity of comic works is extremely high, and coupled with his painstaking production, his goal is actually to exceed 20%!

"What a shame."

…

Nao Sasaki was quickly notified of the news that the ratings of "Slam Dunk" were 15.6%.

Different from Inoue Kaede's reaction, Sasaki's heart was beating fast.

This result is already very good!

"'Slam Dunk' was serialized for one year and eight months, and the popularity of basketball is so amazing!"

More than a year ago, it was impossible for a basketball-themed animation to have a viewership rating of more than 5%, making it a niche within a niche.

"The influence of "Slam Dunk" is much stronger than I thought."

This was good news. He quickly found Torishima Kazuhiko and talked about the release of the single book.

"The average sales volume of the first eight single volumes of "Slam Dunk" is about 2.8 million copies. Now the animation ratings are 15.6%. It is time to consider reprinting. Driven by the animation, it will exceed the 3 million volume mark!"

The average sales volume is 3 million copies, and there are only three copies on Jump.

"Fist of the North Star", "Yu Yu Hakusho" and "Dragon Ball".

And these three works are all finished.

If "Slam Dunk" was serialized for only one year and eight months, the average sales volume of a single book would exceed 3 million copies.

That will probably become Jump's single-book volume with the highest average sales volume!

It's even possible.

"Breaking 4 million!"

It has become the highest average sales volume of a comic book in history!

"I also have this idea," Torishima Kazuhiko hit it off with him.

He quickly informed Shueisha's senior management about the reprint and the release of the ninth volume, and he quickly received approval, and the matter was settled.

As for the first edition of Volume 9...

"2.5 million copies!"

…

After the "Slam Dunk" animation aired for two more episodes, the long-awaited game still hasn't arrived.

It's still the story of Sakuragi Hanamichi's running-in, and the protagonist hasn't really fallen in love with basketball yet.

So the ratings didn't go up, but dropped slightly. The average is around 15%.

"Ah! I really want to see the friendly match between Xiangbei and Lingnan!"

Someone carefully calculated that it was already twelve episodes after the friendly match started airing, and they felt even more anxious.

"The comics are serialized so slowly!"

Someone complained.

The game between Xiangbei and Hainan is not over yet, and it has reached the most painful moment.

Akagi came on the field and showed his prowess at first, but soon Mu Shenyi's state reached its peak. The score that Xiangbei had just surpassed was chased back by Mu Shenyi.

The flexible Ryota Miyagi defended Shinichi Maki, but he easily bypassed him and broke through to the basket. Takenori Akagi jumped up to block the shot. Unexpectedly, he did not prevent the score, but was also given an extra penalty due to foul blocking.

"Miyagi, who is the fastest across Shohoku, collides with Akagi, who is the strongest in Shohoku, and he can actually score a field goal!"

Maki Shinichi has both the best skills in Kanagawa and great strength. He has no shortcomings.

At 51:52, Xiangbei fell behind.

Mu Shenyi continues to score points. If he cannot be stopped, Xiangbei will be in danger.

Akagi and the others decided to defend Mu Shenyi with all their strength, but in this way, Hainan's three-point shooter Kamizou Ichiro got the opportunity and scored a three-pointer.

The point difference widened to seven points.

Because Mitsui Hisashi wasted two years, his three-point shooting percentage is not as good as Kamizou Ichiro who practiced shooting 500 times a day.

Xiangbei is already very dangerous!

In addition, except for Hanamichi Sakuragi, everyone else's physical strength has reached the bottom, and Takenori Akagi still has an injury on his foot. Shohoku, after a full-court struggle, is getting further and further away from victory.

Coach Anxi, who had been silent, saw the players' efforts.

He chose to stop the game and arranged tactics.

Akagi, Rukawa, Miyagi, and Mitsui formed a defensive area to prevent Makaki from dribbling in.

The physical monster Sakuragi Hanamichi kept a close eye on Kamizou Ichiro.

As for other people shooting three-pointers, it just depends on luck.

This tactic worked!

Kamizou Ichiro has a soft body and a perfect three-pointer, but his physical strength and speed are no match for Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Even if he broke through Sakuragi's defense and jumped up to shoot a three-pointer, he was quickly caught up by Sakuragi. With a "fly swatter", the basketball was swatted away!

"The amount of exercise Sakuragi Hanamichi does is amazing!"

Xiangbei fast attack!

After Hanamichi Sakuragi missed the shot, Takenori Akagi grabbed the rebound and dunked successfully!

Finally recovered two points.

After landing, Akagi's face showed pain.

He jumped up and landed with a heavy weight, which put a lot of burden on his ankles.

Coach Anxi watched this scene quietly.

The same tactic, four players defend Mu Shenyi, this time he passes the ball to other players.

Whether you can hit it or not can only be left to God.

Fortunately, the opponent hit the iron, Akagi grabbed the rebound, and Sakuragi Hanamichi made a fast break!

But at this moment, Mu Shenyi has already reached the Hainan basket.

"bring it on!"

He looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi who was running towards him.

What I saw was a pair of determined eyes!

"I want to surpass him! I want to surpass Kanagawa's No. 1!"

This look shocked Mu Shen one by one.

He watched Sakuragi Hanamichi jump up aggressively and rush toward himself and the basket. He even slowed down by half a beat.

After reacting instantly.

"You're ten years too early!"

He jumped up and yelled through gritted teeth!

At this moment, it attracted the attention of everyone.

In an anxious game, with only five minutes left before the end of the game, this goal is extremely important.

What will happen to the new golfer who challenges Mu Shinichi?

"Foul by the thug! No. 4 in white."

As soon as Mu Shen landed, he gasped violently. In the end, his choice was to foul Hanamichi Sakuragi from dunking!

Because he knew Sakuragi Hanamichi would not hit the free throw, he chose to foul.

And Sakuragi Hanamichi himself knew this.

He chose to find another way.

Bend your legs slightly, hold the basketball in your hand and place it on your crotch, as if holding a urinal.

This strange posture made the audience exclaim.

Even readers find it strange.

"Are there any free throws like this?"

"Can we come in?"

Takasugi Kazuya looked at this plot and felt very familiar.

"this is not?"

The answer was soon given in the comics.

NBA basketball star Rick Barry used this action to shoot free throws, with an accuracy rate as high as 94.7%!

"it is as expected!"

…

Sakuragi Hanamichi was taking a free throw, and he was extremely confident that he could score it.

With this basketball, Sakuragi Hanamichi relaxed his whole body, stared at the basket tightly, and used his strength naturally to throw it towards the basket from the bottom up.

Under everyone's gaze, the ball hit the basket.

"Score!"

The second shot was still a hit!

Sakuragi Hanamichi recovered two precious points.

"Although the movement is very strange," Takasugi Kazuya pinched his chin, "doesn't this mean that Sakuragi Hanamichi has been thinking with his brain? He is learning how to play basketball. No wonder he has improved so quickly."

At the end of this comic, Xiangbei was trailing by four points, with four minutes left on the clock.

Everything still needs to be fought.

And Coach Anxi also has his own plan.

In these words, he seemed to have changed into a different person, concentrating on his duties as a coach and proposing tactics for the Shobei players.

"How strange." Takasugi Kazuya sighed again.

He already made countless strange noises.

This latest episode is exciting and breaks the rules. It’s really interesting!

“I want to watch the next episode right away!”

"I want to watch the basketball game of the "Slam Dunk" animation."

"I want it! I really want it!"

He was rolling on the ground and couldn't bear it anymore!

"Tori Akino-sensei will live in the teacher's dormitory." He suddenly had a dangerous thought, and he used up his rationality to suppress the thought.

…

Just like what Araki Hirohiko drew in "Diamond Is Forever", after learning the cartoonist's address, his readers would find it difficult not to peek at the original manuscript.

The administrator stopped another student.

"This is the teachers' dormitory, you little kid, get out of here."

"I'm a teacher." Takasugi Kazuya said seriously.

The administrator said bluntly: "As far as height is concerned, he is indeed the height that only someone in his thirties or forties would have."

Kazu Takasugi, who is 1.65 meters tall, was also hit.

"But how could the fluff on the corner of your mouth be a teacher? Get out of here quickly!"

When Takasugi Kazuya left, the administrator breathed a sigh of relief.

"There are so many people every day, it's really..."

If Hibiya Higashino hadn't given him a salary, he really wouldn't want to work anymore.

There are too many things to worry about every day.

"Tori Akino-sensei," seeing Hibiki Hibiki approaching, he stopped complaining and said respectfully, "You're back."

After all, this salary is the same as being an administrator, and it deserves a better service attitude.

He thought to himself.

"Uncle Nakamura," Hibiki Higashino said, "Thank you for your hard work."

He saw Takasugi Kazuya struggling with the administrator from a distance.

"Yeah, it's okay, it's okay."

"If there is such a person again," Hibiki Higashino said, "please inform him that the ninth volume of "Slam Dunk" has been released for the first time."

"yes."

…

Readers soon learned about the first edition of the ninth volume of "Slam Dunk".

On October 15th, it will be available in all major bookstores.

The queue was very long, everyone wanted to see this in time.

"The most important plot in the ninth volume is the match with Xiangyang. I can't miss it if I can read it in one breath."

"Yeah, everything about "Slam Dunk" is good, except that it's serialized in a weekly, so reading it is always intermittent."

Readers are waiting with excitement.

A single volume of "Slam Dunk" only costs 400 yen, which is completely affordable.

Especially the recent game between Xiangbei and Hainan was so exciting that I had to divert my attention.

In the bookstore.

Cang Mulizi looked at the long team as if they were facing an enemy.

She never imagined that when she was working, she would fall into the hands of Tori Akino in the future.

"You gave up the convenient supermarket and chose a bookstore. Will you still be busy as a result?"

She wanted to cry but had no tears.

If it weren't for the fact that the store clerk could get the complete comic book volume of "Slam Dunk" after it was over, she would have wanted to run away.

"It's about to begin!" The store manager took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Don't crowd, come one by one," he shouted through a loudspeaker.

At this time, we must do our best to maintain order.

"Give me the ninth volume of "Slam Dunk"!"

The first customer, with tired eyes, shouted!