Full-time cartoonist

Looking at Yoshida's reluctant eyes, Hibiki thought of what he had done for himself.

For the sake of Tori Akino's comic career, he gave up his male identity and was willing to become a woman, encouraging Omori to make progress...

To be honest, Hibiki Higashino couldn't do this himself.

If there is really no suitable assistant, he would rather take a break from publishing.

"Yoshida-kun," Hibiki Higashino was very moved, "Fortunately you are a boy."

Otherwise, Akimiya Akemi would be worried that her marriage would be in jeopardy.

"Huh?" Yoshida felt confused.

"It's so nice of you to be my editor."

"I...hehe."

"Hey Hey Hey……"

Onishi Tsunehei found that his colleague Yoshida Koji was very strange, and he couldn't stop laughing for the past two days.

It's like winning hundreds of millions of yen.

"Yoshida-kun? Did something good happen?"

"No," Yoshida rubbed the back of his head and couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth, "There's nothing good about it."

"It's really strange." Daxi shook his head in confusion.

…

"Teacher Ryuzawa, "Magical Girl Duel" will be published tomorrow, and you are in this state..."

The editor looked at Long Ze's listless appearance and felt a headache for a moment.

He is obviously someone who has worked in the industry for many years, but he looks like a newcomer who has no confidence.

"It's really troublesome."

"Tomorrow?" Long Ze raised his head, looked at the top of his head, and said melancholy, "Ah, it's tomorrow, it's finally here..."

The editor was suffocating. He encouraged Long Ze, "Since we are going to serialize it, then do your best! You finally got the qualification to be serialized in Jump, are you going to give up easily!"

"But……"

"Think about your efforts and don't let yourself down!"

After the editor left, Long Ze rested his head in the quiet room.

"Can I beat Tori Akino-sensei?"

"High probability... no, absolutely impossible."

"But do I want to leave jump?"

"Absolutely not."

"All we can do now...is work hard."

He patted his cheek, trying to get some motivation.

"Don't think about it so much for now, come on!"

…

on Monday.

In a school.

""Puella Magi Madoka Magica" is as shocking as ever."

"Well, I didn't expect Kyoko to care about Sayaka so much. She went to the mermaid witch's barrier with Madoka, trying to summon Sayaka's consciousness back... but the ending was..."

Sakura Kyoko died in the fight with the mermaid witch.

On the color page of jump, Sayaka is sinking into the deep sea, with tears in the corners of her eyes. Kyoko smiles and hugs her, as if she is dancing.

Kyoko, who wanted to redeem Sayaka, finally slept with Sayaka.

"Why would Kyoko do that for Sayaka? The two of them were obviously incompatible with each other at the beginning." A girl asked sadly.

A boy raised his head and said sadly:

"Because Sayaka and Kyoko are so similar. Facing Sayaka, who has a strong sense of justice and is struggling with the fate of a magical girl, Kyoko regains her former self. Her nonchalant face shows that she has always been guilty, and her family was ruined after making a wish rashly. "

"When Sayaka became a witch, Kyoko also decided to save Sayaka's soul. She took the light that Sayaka gave her and eventually left the world with her.

This is a story of mutual redemption. "

In "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", the story line belonging to Sayaka and Kyoko makes people sad and sighing.

Madoka said: "I just let others fight and do nothing myself. Isn't it despicable?"

Kyoko enlightened her, "Risk your life to do something, only people who have no other choice would do this."

For example, Tomoe Mami is about to die.

Madoka, who has a happy family, doesn't need to be a magical girl.

Maybe Kyoko was thinking of herself here.

Just because my father has no believers, I make a wish when I don't have enough to eat. I am terribly stupid.

If you don’t have absolute faith in becoming a magical girl, you will only have regrets in the end.

In the classroom, no one spoke among the students gathered together, and they were quiet for a long time.

Until someone asked, "Hey, have you ever read that book "Magical Girl Duel"?"

"That's boring."

"It's just a bad work that uses darkness and depth as a gimmick to attract readers."

“I want to learn Puella Magi Madoka Magica, but it doesn’t have the depth of Madoka Magica.”

"Eh? I think it's pretty good."

"It's actually quite interesting, right?"

…

Tuesday, in Hibiki Hibiki's studio.

Xiaohe glanced at Higashino Hibiki.

Another look.

Look again.

"Oh," Higashino Hibiki put down the g-pen helplessly, "Mr. Xiaohe, if you have anything to say, just say it. Don't be coy."

"The teacher found out, I'm sorry." Xiaohe smiled apologetically.

"Look at how many frequencies I have..."

"Then let me tell you straight," Xiaohe asked, ""Magical Girl Duel" was published yesterday, and I have read it. I am also paying attention to the feedback from readers. Most people are saying that this comic is very elementary. It’s dark, gross, very disgusting and boring.”

"Teacher, what do you think?"

After Xiaohe finished speaking, he leaned forward.

Akimiya Akemi was also curious, stroking her hair and pricking up her ears to listen.

"Eh? Is the review so bad?" Hibiki Higashi said in surprise, "I think it's quite interesting."

"Is this what the teacher thinks?"

"Well, the setting is novel and interesting."

The first episode of "Magical Girl Duel" tells a story.

The protagonist is a student at the Takarazuka Conservatory of Music and longs to join the Takarazuka Opera Troupe.

At first, the manga is light-hearted and enjoyable.

She entered the famous school she had dreamed of for a long time.

And in this school, there are also high school seniors she once knew.

That was someone she admired.

Gentle, kind, beautiful...

It seems that all the beautiful words can be applied to senior sister.

The senior sister also helped many people who were reckless with her.

Therefore, he was able to attend the same school as his senior sister. In the early stages of the comic, the smile was always on the protagonist's face.

until……

She began to experience the "traditional system" of this school.

Saying hello to your senior is just a basic requirement, and you have to show obedience.

The expression of awe and nervousness is indispensable.

Another example is that on a rainy day, some senior students do not bring umbrellas, and those who do bring umbrellas have to accompany them in the rain.

The school girls have to clean the bathhouse for the school girls.

You should bow when a train passes by, because there may be seniors on the train.

The senior sister can criticize and educate the junior girls at any time, but the junior girls can only listen meekly.

Compared with other schools in Japan, there is more emphasis on seniority and inferiority.

In such a school, the protagonist gradually changes from cheerful and lively to submissive.

Dongye Hibiki felt very sad.

This is the process by which a person's personality is tamed.

The inevitable bullying ensues.

Collect protection money, slap in the face, burn your face with a curling iron...

In such an environment, the protagonist has been supporting himself with his dream of entering the Takarazuka Opera Troupe with his shining senior sister.

And then there’s…

She was bullied by her senior idol.

That beautiful person has forgotten the protagonist, and now he looks aloof, without any kindness at all.

So the protagonist collapses.

She realized that when she faced the juniors next year at Takarazuka Conservatory of Music, she would look like her current senior.

Ferocious, venting, like a wild beast.

She chooses to become a magical girl and change everything.

Start with revenge.

"Isn't this interesting?" Hibiki asked.

He thought of "Hell Girl", who chose to sacrifice his soul when facing injustice and let his enemies fall into hell.

Akimiya Akemi nodded subconsciously.

"But," she asked, "this manga is obviously a manga that follows the trend of Madoka, don't you have any objection at all?"

Xiaohe also wanted to know.

Most of the people who disparage "Magical Girls Duel" on the Internet are readers of "Madoka".

They don't recognize Long Ze's works because of the comics they like.

"Anyone can draw a dark and disabled magical girl, it's no big deal." Hibiki Higashino waved his hand, "I'm actually very curious about the development of this comic. It's the most anticipated work on Jump at this stage."

"Teacher, you are so courageous." Xiaohe smiled and gave a thumbs up.

He was actually quite awkward. He was fascinated by "Duel of Magical Girls", but subconsciously denied "Duel" because of Tori Akino's future assistant status.

The struggle of liking something but forcing yourself not to accept it is really uncomfortable.

…

On Friday, Hibiki Higashino learned about Xiaozheng's results in "Magical Girl Duel".

Koji Yoshida said happily: "It's fourth place."

Higashino Hibiki was confused, "Why is he only fourth?"

Most of the comics serialized for the first time on jump have achieved good results.

The first place is a bit difficult, most are the second place, and the fourth place is very low.

When he watched "Magical Girl Duel", he judged that it would be ranked third no matter what.

"The audience of "Magical Girl Duel" is all watching "Puella Magi Madoka Magica"," Yoshida explained.

Choose one between "Madoka" and "Duel", and anyone without a brain would choose "Madoka".

These readers who like to read dark magical girl comics voted for "Madoka" in the reader survey, so naturally they will not be included in "Duel".

"Also," Yoshida continued, "readers really don't like Duel following Madoka, and the manga has a bad reputation."

…

"It's only fourth place."

The assistants looked at Long Ze. The teacher's hand holding the mobile phone couldn't stop shaking.

After hanging up the phone, Long Ze was dejected and stopped drawing comics.

The deadline is almost here.

At eight o'clock in the afternoon, in Long Ze's frustrated mood, the fourth episode of "Duel" was finally completed after working overtime.

The editor was busy submitting the manuscript.

Long Ze's eyes were blank and in a daze.

The assistants had no choice but to go home together.

Under the dim sky, they discussed: "I feel like I won't be able to do this for long."

"I'm afraid that the 10-episode novice protection period is over and the comic will be cut in half."

"That's right, "Magical Girl Duel" is not as good as Tori Akino-sensei's "Madoka"."

"Teacher Long Ze has no confidence anymore."

"Because my grades are very poor. I am close to the teacher's workplace, and I vaguely heard that I was ranked fourth."

"Really? It's just fourth place..."

"Um."

"It's so miserable."

"The Internet is also criticizing Teacher Long Ze, saying that he does not overestimate his own abilities."

"Actually, before I came to Mr. Ryuzawa's studio, I didn't have much hope... I just ran out of money. It cost too much in Tokyo."

"Me too."

"I hope the teacher can cheer up."

They walked to the street corner, sighed in unison, and then separated.

…

During the weekend.

Higashino Hibiki took Akimiya Akemi to watch an opera performance.

"I didn't expect that I could be so leisurely."

When he first started drawing comics, he had no time to rest and was busy on weekends.

In addition to going to school all day long, I just work in the dormitory.

"Yeah, I didn't expect you to take me to watch the opera troupe perform." Akimiya sighed with a hint of meaning.

Higashino Hibiki said, "I didn't have time before... Hey, look, the performance has officially started!"

Akimiya Akemi was embarrassed to speak for fear of disturbing others, so she pursed her lips and started to read.

Today's program is "West Side Story," an adaptation of Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet."

The background of the story is set in the slums of New York in the 1950s. The protagonists' names have also become Tony and Maria - they come from two irreconcilable gangs in the slums of New York. Although they fell in love deeply, they eventually died tragically in the hatred between the gangs.

Although the background is a slum, the visual effects on the stage are gorgeous and delicate, and the men played by women are elegant and handsome.

Under the extremely contagious music and the exquisite dance, the audience shed tears.

Akimiya Minmei's eyes were shining, and there were faint tears.

Higashi Hibiki also got involved.

Even though he didn't watch musicals, he was impressed by the wonderful performance.

This opera troupe follows orders and prohibitions like an army, and each character cooperates tacitly to create a real stage effect.

At the end of the performance, everyone stood up and applauded.

After leaving the troupe, listening to people around him praising the performance, Dongye couldn't help nodding and shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" Akimiya Akemi poked Higashino Hibiki.

"No, I just..." Hibiki Higashino said, "I remembered Mr. Ryuzawa's comics."

I wonder if any of these actors have experienced all-round bullying like the students at Takarazuka School.

""Magical Girl Duel"..." Akimiya Akemi was silent.

"We just need to appreciate it," Higashi Hibiki comforted her, "Don't think about messy things."

Those are just plots in comics, don't substitute them into reality.

"Um."

It's just that they can no longer immerse themselves in the afterglow of "West Side Story."

…

On Sunday, Koji Yoshida brought a sample issue of "Weekly Shōnen Jump".

Dong Yexiang quickly took a look.

Yoshida stopped him, "Teacher, don't you care about the results of the single volume of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica"?"

It has been a month and a half since the first single volume of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" was released.

During this period, there was the death of Sayaka and Kyoko, and the revelation of the world view of "Madoka".

Whether readers recognize and accept Madoka can be gauged from the sales volume of the single book.

"Teacher," Yoshida took a deep breath, "I want to say it."

"Hurry up." Dongye Xiang rolled his eyes at him.