Bakuman 137

Whooo epic multitasking. This took a long time due to said multitasking. Online meetings, editing documents, moderating the forums, translating spoilers and TOCs, helping people on IRC, feeling insecure about the future, as well as translating Bakuman. All in a day's few hours' work, yes.



01
x1: Team Fukuda's fight to defeat "CROW" began in issue #26, which went on sale on the 30th of May
x2: Friday, 3rd June, the day the results for that issue come out
b1: You're in fourth, "CROW" is still first
a1: They didn't make it...
b2: !
b3: Dammit~~ It didn't change at all, huh...
b4: ...
b5a: There's no need to be so pessimistic
b5b: If you look at the number of votes alone, you got 21 more than last week
a2: Page 137 Lead Color and Center Color
b6a: There were a number of other series that also experienced an increase in votes, namely "GIRI", which also increased by 21 votes, and "Seigi no Mikata", which rose by 16 votes. Of course, for that to happen, there had to be a drop in votes for some other series
b6b: "CROW" fell by 33 votes compared to the previous week
b7a: Ah
b7b: That means the difference in votes between us and "CROW" has gone from 150 to less than a hundred, just like that
b8: ...
b9: Fukuda-san, Takahama-san and the rest are working hard too, so when we say we have a chance at first place, it kinda feels like we're depending on them, too
b10: That's not true
b11: It isn't...?

02
b1: The one that takes first place simply is the most interesting manga
b2: There's no two ways about that
b3a: That's true...
b3b: All of us in the editorial division are getting pretty restless too
b4: Restless?
b5: All of us are wondering which series will defeat "CROW" and take first place
b6: Eh...
b7: Right now it's not about whether "CROW" will or will not be beaten, but which series will be the one to beat it, that the veteran editors are all talking about. Well, placing their hopes on something is pretty big too...
b8: ...
b9: By... By the way, which series is the hot favorite among the editorial division?
b10: Right now it's...
b11: "Seigi no Mikata"
b12: Eh
b13: Seigi no Mikata

03
b1: You're in sixth, as always...
b2: ...
b3: We can do this, Miura-san...
b4: Three more chapters to the judgment reversal, and I've got the lead color pages in that issue, too
b5: I... I see! So you even considered that in your calculations!
b6: Yeah! We can do this!
b7: ... You've fallen from fifth to seventh...
b8: No... No way!! The day she calls me "Kazu-tan" is getting further out of reach...
b9a: It's okay, your sudden change in art just surprised your readers a little. You could see it as a sign of success
b9b: Once they get used to the new style, your rank will go up
b9c: I hope...
b10: I'll leave things to you, Nakai-kun, please make Hiramaru-kun's art improve further
b11: Okay
b12a: Uwaaaaah~ I can't take this anymore~
b12b: But I want to be called "Kazu-tan"~

04
b1: But "Seigi no Mikata" is in sixth this week, isn't it...
b2a: Next week will be even more interesting
b2b: I've only read the names, but the week after that this trial arc reaches its climax and the series has the lead color, too
b3: I see... A color spread just when the series reaches its climax, huh!
b4: On the contrary, if "Seigi no Mikata" fails to nail the number one spot this time, it'd be back at square one and wouldn't get a color page for a while. That's pretty rough
b5: Th... Then "P"... "PCP" should be up soon, right?
b6: No
b7: "Road Racer GIRI"
b8a: It's getting the lead color the week after "Seigi no Mikata" does
b8b: Since it's in third right now
b9: ...
a1: So "Seigi no Mikata" and "Road Racer GIRI" are both getting lead colors, huh...
a2: It's definite that both of them will stake everything on those chapters...

05
sign: Fukuda
b1a: Third again...
b1b: So "CROW"'s in first...?
b2a: Eh, it didn't change?
b2b: So the new characters and new machines had no effect?
a1: ... He's not as upset over it as I expected...
b3: The rank is the same, but votes-wise you've improved
b4: Is that so? In that case, the worst case scenario would be that we'll take first place a month from now
b5a: A month from now?
b5b: Ah, with the lead color?
b6:From the day I thought of the new machines, I started on the double-page color spread depicting GIRI straddling one of them
b7: Th... That's pretty early
b8a: Since we get informed about having the lead color a month in advance so as not to affect our schedules
b8b: I decided to make full use of the whole month to draw those color pages!
b9: O... One month is way too long...
b10: It's precisely because I spent a whole month that I'm gonna get first!
b11: I... I see...

06
b1: Lead color, huh... I'm so jealous... But "PCP" just got one for its two year anniversary
b2: I knew you'd say that, so I asked the deputy-editor-in-chief if you guys could have a color page
b3: Really!?
b4: Yeah, getting a lead color is tough, but he promised to give you two a center color sometime between now and issue #34
b5: Alright! Even a center color is something to be thankful for!
a1: ...
a2: Center color... So it all depends on my art, then...
b6: Of course, if there's a color page, it's easy to up your popularity for that week, but the most important thing is whether or not you can reach number one before that
b7: ...
b8a: The chapter with the color page is just one chapter
b8b: Let's focus on doing each and every chapter properly right now
b9: Yes, after all, even if we have a color page, if the story isn't interesting, it still won't do any good
b10: The new character Sigma's been well received, so let's continue to work on that
a3: ... We'd been counting on Sigma's appearance to do the trick... But even then we weren't able to make it...
a4: It's likely that this center color will be our biggest chance...

07
x1: The following week, Friday
b1: "PCP"'s in third
b2: It's gone up a rank from fourth!
b3: "CROW"'s in first
b4: ...
b5: "GIRI"'s in second, "Seigi no Mikata"'s in fourth
b6a: !
b6b: That's amazing...
b6c: Next week "Seigi no Mikata" gets the lead color, and the week after, "GIRI". These two may well usurp "CROW"...
b7: ...
b8: With this week's number one... Niizuma-san's achieved a streak of ten number ones with "CROW", hasn't he?
b9: That's right
b10: According to the original agreement between Niizuma-san and the editor-in-chief... "CROW" would have already been heading towards its end in another ten weeks...
b11: ... I see... When you think about it that way, it's kinda mortifying...
b12: ... Besides, I kinda feel like from Eiji's point of view, we're just some hindrances preventing him from ending "CROW", no?
b13: ...!
b14: Doesn't seem to be the case
b15: ?

08
b1: Is that so!
b2: It makes me happy that everyone's votes are increasing such that they're closing in on me
b3a: That's gotta be the way or it ain't interesting!
b3b: Thrilling!
b3c: If I can continue to maintain my streak under such circumstances, it'd be the coolest ending ever!
b4: zugyaaan
b5: dobabaa
b6: ... It's amazing that he can be so sure he's going to be able to end his manga, given the circumstances
b7: Just before I came here, Yuujirou-san told me that Niizuma-kun said that, and that he was really enthusiastic about it
b8: He said that...
b9: ...
b10: I, too, want to get the better of Niizuma-kun
b11: Let's beat him!
b12: Yes!
b13: ...

09
x1: "CROW" has managed to hold its place for eleven weeks straight, and now it is Friday, 24th June, where it looks like its streak will continue into a twelfth week
b1: ... Did "Seigi no Mikata" manage to get number one with the lead color!?
b2: Game on!!
b3: !
b4a: Second place...
b4b: Uwaaaah, so close...
b5: Sorry to say, Miura... But I guess it's gonna be "GIRI"'s lead color that beats "CROW" next week
sign: Takahama
b6: ... Is that so...
b7: You... You were really, really close
b8: ...
b9: I'm happy
b10: Eh? Happy?

10
b1: It's the first time I've even reached second place...
b2: Ah, I see...
b3: Not to mention that this isn't your first chapter. Getting second place on a series that's been serialized for over two years is amazing...
b4: There are still five more weeks till Niizuma-san draws the final chapter for "CROW", so I'm not going to give up getting the first place before that happens
b5: ?
b6a: Once I get that drama adaptation, I'll definitely show you that I can take the top spot and keep it!
b6b: I just have to do it
b7: The next one to rule that isn't a mainstream battle manga won't be an Ashirogi Muto manga, but mine
b8: Yeah! That's the way
b9: So Takahama-kun was second, huh...
b10: Yeah, he was real close, too
b11: That's good, in a way
b12: This way, the one to usurp Niizuma-shishou will be my lead color!!

11
x1: And thus came Friday, the 1st of July, the day of the results of issue #30 with "Road Racer GIRI"'s lead color
cover page: Lead Color Page | Road Racer
b1: *music notes*
b2: Here it comes! The celebratory champagne's all ready!
b3: Fukuda speaking!
b4: Second!?
b5: DAAAAMMIIIIIIIIT!!!
b6: !? Oi, Fukuda-kun...
b7: What the hell are you two doing opening them, idiots!
a1: Fukuda-kun's really upset this time...
a2: I should have known he'd wager everything on this lead color...
b8: Waah... I'm sorry...

12
a1: Fukuda-kun was already so upset, but there was a gap of 70 votes... To me, it's just as hard to give up as if the gap had been less than ten votes...
b1: He should have made the legendary racer appear here. He ended up weakening the impact of the new character he worked so hard to come up with
b2: Wha... What's up with this elitist tone of yours...? Hasn't "Bokutsuu" been stuck at sixth since forever?
b3: That's the thing. Maybe it was meaningless to have tried to make Hiramaru-kun's art better...
b4: But at this rate, no-one's going to be able to stop "CROW" from ending...
b5: ...!
b6: There are still four weeks!
b7: That's true, but...
b8: Besides, "PCP"'s got a center color in #34, maybe they'll...
b9: Both "Seigi no Mikata" and "Road Racer GIRI" weren't able to do it with lead colors, so a center color...
b10: ... It may well be difficult... Though the votes should go up as long as there's a color page...
b11: Looks like "CROW"'s already got a foot out the door, huh...
b12: I guess
b13: I'm telling you, there's still another four weeks to go! How can we editors give up?
b14: Yeah, but, you know...

13
b1: "GIRI"'s in second and "PCP"'s in third
b2: "PCP" didn't improve from last week... And even "GIRI" didn't make it, huh...
b3: ...
a1: Fukuda-san's double-page color spread was really intense and cool...
a2: And even so it didn't have any effect on the votes... Does that mean the opening page isn't more than just an opening page...?
b4: Anyway, it's been decided that "PCP" will get a center color page in #34
b5: Ohh, alright!
b6a: Wait a sec... #34...?
b6b: The results will be out right before Niizuma-san draws his final chapter, right?
b7: That's right, because it was a last minute thing, there isn't any time. The color page needs to be done by the 8th no matter what, so you have a week to do it
b8: If no one beats "CROW" before that issue, then #34 is everyone's final chance to do so, us included
b9: ...
b10a: ...
b10b: Right?
b11: ...
b12a: "GIRI"'s lead color
b12b: Was really well-drawn
on the page: Speeding to the end at top gear!!
b13: ...? Yeah, he spent a whole month on it

14
b1: "GIRI" just took second place, but even with the extra three pages of lead color, it wasn't able to usurp "CROW"...
x1: Lead Color
x2: Center Color
b2: "PCP" hasn't gotten past third place, so getting first place with just a single color page is... Tough...
b3: But no matter how much time he spends on it, I still think Saikou's color pages are more captivating than Fukuda-san's
b4: That's not it...
b5: Hm?
b6: I wonder if we can set something up using the color page... Something that can only be done in a series like "PCP"
b7: A set up that can only be used in a series like "PCP"?
b8: ?
b9: Yes
b10: Umm... Like, having something jump out at you if you look at it with 3D glasses?
b11a: That would mean that our readers would have to have 3D glasses on hand, which is kinda like foul play, no?
b11b: In the first place, can you even draw something in 3D?

15
b1: I mean, like, synchronizing the story with the color page opening...
b2: That's an interesting idea, but hard to execute
b3: But it'd be amazing if we could do something like that
b4: Yeaaaaaah
b5a: Tying the color page in with the story, huh...
b5b: It would indeed be great if you could tie it in to a "PCP"-esque trick...
b6: ...
b7: I'll think about it
b8: ...
b9a: I understand...
b9b: But you don't have a lot of time. You need to submit the color page a week from now, but please don't neglect the name for this
a1: We've only got four weeks left...
a2: At the end of these four weeks, we've got a center color
a3: We have to beat him there, worst comes to the worst...
x1: From that day forth, we both thought hard about how to effectively use the color page, but...
b10: Since it's a color page, how about drawing a rainbow and using "2 o'clock" as the code! What do you think? (TN: "rainbow" and "2 o'clock" are both "niji" in Japanese)
b11: ... Kaya-chan, I'm sorry but would you please be quiet?
x2: We couldn't think of anything viable...

16
x1: Four days later, 5th July
b1a: You don't have any more time
b1b: You have to submit the color page in three days' time. Give up on doing some special, you're better off just thinking of drawing something normal for the color page
b2a: How's this? Though I don't think it's very good...
b2b: But I thought it was at least a start...
b3: The sky is yellow? Isn't that weird?
b4: Sorry...
b5a: The opening page will be a group shot of the class, and this is a hint that's been sent from Sigma
b5b: It'd be something like, "Add that which is missing, and you'll know who is the key to this all"...
b6: And then, PCP notices that Aoi-kun isn't there (TN: Aoi also means "blue")
b7: Since blue is missing, they put a piece of blue cellophane over the picture, there'll be a scene like that in the manga itself
b8: The sky becomes green on this opening page, too
b9: And so the one who is the key is Midori-chan (TN: Midori means "green")
b10: ...

17
b1a: This won't do!
b1b: Even without this whole Aoki-kun business, it's just weird that the sky is yellow
b1c: It's the opening page, too, so it won't do if you don't have the protagonists drawn real big on it, either!!
b2: That's true, my bad...
b3a: It's only natural that if you have a color page, it'd be easier to get votes, but you should be fighting based on your stories
b3b: You'd merely be putting the cart before the horse if you keep thinking about setting something up with the color page but letting the story itself get boring, wouldn't you?
b4a: Think of a color page as nothing more than fanservice
b4b: Mashiro-kun, you have to draw a proper color opening page with the protagonists on it, and big!
b4c: Takagi-kun, you think of a story that will make Sigma look even cooler, since he's a character that you worked so hard to make popular!
b4d: Got it?
b5: ...
b6: Well, I'll leave it to you, then
b7a: Okay
b7b: Thank you
b8: Guess that didn't work...
b9: No, we're not giving up till the very end
b10: Eh
b11a: Hattori-san was initially enthusiastic about this idea, too...
b11b: I just need a day to draw a color page
b12: ...
b13: Yeah! Let's keep thinking till the very end!

18
x1: 8th July, deadline for the color page
b1: ...
books on table: The Curse of the Cross (top) | Monster Art (bottom) | Mystery Z (standing, right) | Seven Detective Mysteries (standing, left)
bottom left of CP: 9th
b2a: So it's Makoto, alone in his room, huh...
b2b: It's got a different feel from usual, making it tasteful and cool!
b2c: Yup, this is good! As one would expect from Mashiro-kun!
b3: ...
b4: The color page is fine like this, but is the story itself alright?
b5: Yes, PCP draw closer to uncovering Sigma's identity, and I'm now thinking of how to make Sigma look even cooler. I'll be done in another two or three days
b6: Well, contact me as soon as the name's done
b7a: Okay
b7b: Thanks

19
b1: ...
b2: Hattori-san didn't notice a thing!
b3: On the contrary, it'd been weird if he'd noticed anything with just that!
b4a: Including a set up in the color page opening...
b4b: Guess we made the right move choosing to focus on that...
b5: I think the set up's great, too
b6: All that's left is writing a story that brings that set up to life as much as possible
b7: Yeah
b8: Alright! This is our last chance to beat Eiji!
a1: What exactly is this set up...!?
b9: Let's put our all into writing it!!