Full-time cartoonist

Koji Yoshida claimed that he will graduate in two years and his dream is to become the editor of Jump.

It is very possible for Yoshida, who is studying at Tokyo Gakugei University, to become an editor of Jump.

Cartoonists are sometimes like students who need the care and guidance of their teachers.

"Yeah." Sasaki nodded.

As deputy editor-in-chief and future editor-in-chief. It's probably a good thing to have subordinates who are passionate about comics editing.

He also came through this way back then.

Although the Yoshida Koji in front of him showed a very excited expression, he still remained calm at this time, which he admired very much.

At this moment, Sasaki suddenly heard Tori Akino ask Yoshida Koji: "Do you like comics very much?"

Yoshida looked at Hibiki Hibiki and seemed to recognize him for a moment.

Yoshida's fingers trembled slightly, but he remained calm and quickly replied: "I like comics very much, and I also like football and basketball."

The atmosphere suddenly felt like an interview.

"Then if, I mean if," Hibiki squinted his eyes and asked, "What the cartoonist wants to do conflicts with the interests of the editorial department, what would you choose?"

"After all, if you like comics, you are likely to be emotional."

Sasaki was surprised. He didn't expect Hibiki Higashikata to start chatting with the young man in front of him.

Tori Akino Mirai is not a troubled person.

Yoshida Koji thought for a while, and this question was really sharp.

There will be conflicts between cartoonists and the editorial department, so what should the editor do?

"I will be the mediator," he said after a while. "This is the responsibility of the editor. Preventing cartoonists from treating me as an enemy is the first thing I should do."

“Sometimes the creative side is very emotional and sensitive and changeable.”

"So at that time, I will make my own judgment on the actual situation."

Judge for yourself? In other words, it will harm jump's interests.

Sasaki was right next to him, but he said it truthfully.

Koji Yoshida is very courageous.

Sasaki had a sullen face and said nothing.

"So one day, if you think it's a problem with the Jump editorial department, will you side with the cartoonists?"

This is something that neither Torishima nor Hiko did.

The ending of "Dragon Ball" was delayed again and again because of him.

"That's right," Koji Yoshida nodded and smiled, "Of course, I will convince the cartoonist first. I think the teachers are pretty easy to talk to, hahaha."

Hibiki Higashino smiled, "I'm looking forward to you becoming the editor of Jump."

This guy is quite interesting.

"Yes!" Yoshida said loudly. Then he realized that he was in a public area, looked around carefully, and shrank his head.

"Yoshida-kun," Sasaki said suddenly, "after a cartoonist publishes his work in Jump, the cartoon no longer belongs to him alone. I hope you can remember this."

His tone was cold and heavy.

Yoshida Koji grinned and responded softly, "Yes, I understand."

It was only later that he realized that when Nao Sasaki said this, didn't he mean to approve him as the editor of Jump?

At this moment, with his excited heart and trembling hands, he really wanted to cheer loudly.

Sasaki thought so. In editing, the most important thing is communication with cartoonists, which is also the prerequisite for work.

With a character like Koji Yoshida's, it seems that there would be no problem in becoming a bridge between cartoonists and the editorial department.

Jump does not need editors who stick to the rules. Those who have their own ideas and creativity are the ones Nao Sasaki wants to help.

But after he graduates, Sasaki still has to look at Yoshida Koji's performance.

…

Higashino Hibiki was preparing to say goodbye to Yoshida Koji, and his companions were also impatiently waiting.

"Tori Akino-sensei, you are Tori Akino-sensei!"

After the topic ended, Yoshida Koji became excited and stepped forward to pinch the corner of Hibiki Hibiki's clothes with an expression of admiration.

"It's me, that's right." He seemed to have changed. Higashikami silently shook off his hand, took a step back, and nodded.

"I love Slam Dunk!"

Unexpectedly, Yoshida Koji took another step forward. He seemed to have lost his mind.

This person answered the question very appropriately just now, but now he has become a crazy fan.

"It's because of "Slam Dunk" that I like basketball. This comic brings me a lot of freshness!"

"Calm down first." Dong Yexiang coughed lightly.

"Hug...sorry."

Koji Yoshida pushed his hair back and woke up.

"I've been thinking, if I were your editor on Slam Dunk, what would I do?"

"In the end, I found that this work is very difficult, the character description is always online, and the plot is very reasonable, but it can also bring out the spirit of youth, hard work, and fighting. It is full of passion and has some thinking."

“There are no shortcomings and obvious advantages.”

"From another perspective, I like "Slam Dunk" even more, and I understand how powerful you are, teacher."

Koji Yoshida explained.

"So I'm not a crazy fan."

He nodded.

Dong Ye answered the letter, after all, what he said was so sincere.

It has nothing to do with him being so serious about his praise.

"What you said makes sense," Hibiki Higashi said, "I understand you."

Sasaki frowned.

He couldn't understand it, but he was greatly shocked.

Koji Yoshida touched his chest and confided, "Actually, not only "Slam Dunk", I also like "Slam Dunk". The later plot is in line with my wishes."

"Anyway, I admire Teacher Tori Akino very much!"

He bowed so deeply that after he stood up, his hair covered his face.

"Thank you." Higashi Hibiki said seriously, "I hope to see you again in the future."

"Yes, that's it," Koji Yoshida clapped his hands and took out the signature sheet, "Teacher, please sign your name for me and write "See you in the future!"

Dong Yexiang agreed.

Afterwards, he and Sasaki looked at Yoshida Koji's retreating back, and he shrugged and said, "Yoshida-kun is very interesting."

Sasaki agreed.

"However, he is also a troubled boy."

The two of them could still hear the joking voices of Yoshida Koji's companions.

"Yoshida, you were too humble just now."

"He also said, "I admire Mr. Tori Akino very much!", hahahaha. "

"Stop being so nagging!"

Hibiki Higashino and Sasaki smiled, "Youth is still beautiful."

…

In spring, the cherry blossom season is over.

There was a man standing at the subway entrance, looking at his watch, and waiting nervously.

That day, editor Sasaki found him and said to him: "Mirai Tori Akino-sensei is going to start a serialization soon, and I hope you will be his assistant!"

He was so happy that he quit his job at a convenience store and came here immediately.

This is Tori Akino Mirai, and I should be able to learn a lot from him.

He left his hometown when he was twenty and came to Tokyo to work hard, hoping to become a cartoonist. Now that he is thirty, this may be his last chance.

"I wonder what kind of person Tori Akino-sensei is?"

Not long after, someone found him.

"Hello, is this Mr. Omori?"

His tone was friendly, and he addressed him with respect, so he seemed to be a good person.

It's just that the man in front of him is unshaven, his hair is messy, and his whole body exudes an aura of "mourning".

Kind of like a bum.

Fortunately, it was noon now. If it were night, he would definitely be questioned by the police.

"Yes!" Omori thought in his heart, but still answered immediately.

"I am Tanaka from Tori Akino Studio," Tanakai mustered up his courage, "Please come with me."

"Sorry to trouble you, Tanaka-senpai!"

…

Using only storyboards, after "Millennium Actress" was serialized, the agreed publication date was July 15th.

It's mid-May, there are still two months left, and there is not much time left for Hibiki Higashikata.

Higashino Hibiki, who now only has two assistants, Akimiya Akemi and Tanakai, is undoubtedly very busy.

Sasaki hurriedly found an assistant for him, Omori who was found by Tanaka.

He wanted to draw comics, and it was not good for Akimiya Akemi to meet a strange male assistant, so she had to leave it to the unsociable Tanaka.

Hibiki Higashikata was actually a little worried, but his current condition was not good, and his face was so thin that he looked like a mummy.

He hasn't rested for a long time.

I usually rely on coffee to cheer myself up.

Dong Yexiang picked up the coffee tiredly, but his hand was empty. He shook it, but there was no sound.

This bottle is finished.

The three bottles of coffee placed on the table fell to the ground, making a "clink" sound.

"Ah, no more."

Higashikata stood up and staggered towards the refrigerator.

The coffee bottle slipped to the bottom of his feet, and Hibiki accidentally fell down and fell to the ground.

Akimiya Akemi glanced at him blankly, then looked away.

At this moment, the door lock moved, the door opened, and Tanaka and Omori walked in.

"Hey!" Omori looked at Hibiki and exclaimed, "Who is he?"

Tanaka replied calmly: "It's Tori Akino-sensei."

"Why are you so calm!"

"Teacher, nothing will happen to him!"

"I have been looking forward to becoming his assistant for a long time. This is the first time I am so eager. Don't let any accident happen to me!"

He rushed to Dong Yexiang and checked nervously. In a hurry, he finally thought of something important.

"Quick! Call an ambulance!" Omori urged.

"It's okay," Tanaka waved his hand and returned to his work station, "I've gotten used to it these past two days."

"How can I get used to this!" Omori was angry. He approached Hibiki and was thinking about artificial respiration, but he heard snoring.

The source of the sound is Tori Akino Mirai.

"Ah, I fell asleep again, I'm sorry." Higashikata stood up, rubbed his cheeks to make himself more energetic, and then asked the stunned Omori.

"Are you the new assistant Mr. Omori? Hello, I am Tori Akino Mirai."

how to say? This teacher is also a good person, but he is so weird!

…

"Ahem," Sitting on the sofa, Higashi Hibiki talked about his work arrangements.

"Editor Sasaki told me that Mr. Omori you are now a senior assistant."

Omori nodded shyly, "I have been an assistant for ten years."

After saying this, he sighed inwardly.

He was an assistant ten years ago, and he is still an assistant ten years later.

In the city of Tokyo, I have not made any progress at all.

In fact, there are some, and the cost of a senior assistant will naturally be higher.

The daily salary of an ordinary cartoonist assistant is around 10,000 yen.

And senior assistants like Omori can teach new cartoonists not only about proficiency, but also about arranging cartoon work, and can arrange work for other assistants.

Have strong subjective initiative.

This also reduces the burden on cartoonists.

Therefore, the cost of a senior cartoonist assistant, based on current market conditions, is around 25,000.

If you work three days a week, your monthly salary is not low and can be on par with white-collar workers.

"As you just saw, I have a heavy workload here. So there will be overtime work. I will give you 30,000 yen every day, not counting overtime expenses. Can you accept it?"

Thirty thousand yen!

Omori looked surprised and bowed, "Thank you very much!"

If you can have 30,000 yuan, then you don't need to do odd jobs in your other free time, and you can spend more time improving your abilities.

"Tori Akino-sensei is a kind person."

"Then you agreed," Hibiki Higashi said, "Let's arrange work after that."

He took out the original manuscript of "Millennium Actress" that he had painted in the past two days.

"Editor Sasaki must have said that I will have a new series, this is it. Please take a look."

"Yes." Damori nodded.

This manuscript paper has 10 pages. You can smell the smell of ink, and Omori feels refreshed.

He looked at it and couldn't help but said: "It's amazing!"

This manuscript answered his doubts.

He had been thinking before that a cartoonist like Mirai Tori Akino would not be so exhausted because of double-opening. Now that he has read the original manuscript, he feels it is very reasonable.

The ten-page manuscript was very simple. Earthquakes occurred frequently, and Silver Shadow Photography Company was forced to demolish an abandoned studio. As a souvenir, Tachibana Geng also wanted to visit an actress who had supported Silver Shadow Photography Company for decades.

Also his idol, named Chiyoko Fujiwara.

Chiyoko is 70 years old and no longer has the youthful beauty depicted in the opening scene, but she still maintains her elegant temperament.

One look at her and it was clear that she was a beauty when she was young.

It is indeed such a plain story, just two people talking and telling about the past. But Tori Akino’s paintings are extremely serious.

This tree, this person, this building, all "exploded".

In detail, the textures on wood and clothes are clearly visible.

In the small frame, he painted carefully with a pen.

In Omori's eyes, this is unnecessary.

Shōnen comics, why do they take so much trouble to draw?

Not that much.

If it were simpler, readers wouldn't have any objections, but would think the painting was very good.

This can be called a paranoid painting method, no wonder it is such a waste of time.

and……

Omori was shocked, "Millennium Actress" didn't look like a shonen manga.

The manga is enveloped in a relaxed and calm feeling, and as Chiyoko Fujiwara recalls her past, the eventful years slowly emerge.

This comic, just like its name, just describes the career of an... actress?

Is this a shounen manga?

No combat, no superpowers, as of now. Not even love.