Bakuman 70

Chapter 70

01

Title: Page 70 Second Time and Two Mangas
Text: Can she survive in the world of shonen mangas with ability as a novelist!?

Hattori: She did everything I taught her...
Hattori: Is this the ability of a student at Touou U?

Aiko: How is it?
Hattori: It's well done. It's much better as a shonen manga than I thought it would be.

Aiko: It's thanks to your guidance, Hattori-san. All I did was do what you told me to.

Hattori: With this, everything will be fine if I go like I had planned.
Hattori: Can you write a continuation?

Aiko: Eh?

02

Aiko: But you said this was a 45 page one-shot...
Hattori: Yes, but now I want to read what happens next.

Aiko: ...Isn't this meant to be a one-shot? I thought how I ended it was a bit unnatural, but...
Hattori: Yeah, I felt that ending it here made it seem a bit incomplete, too.

Aiko: So when will the next meeting be?
Hattori: No, I want you to write it on your own keeping in mind the basics I taught you. I want to see what you can do.

Hattori: It starts with a boy who happens to bend a spoon while watching a TV show about psychic powers.
Hattori: Then he teleports small objects and gains clairvoyance...
Hattori: He learns various ways to concentrate his psychic powers and slowly gains the ability to use psychokinesis.
Hattori: In the end, he incubates a fertilized chicken egg for 20 days and a creature that can neither be called a human or a monster hatches from it.

Hattori: I read this much of the story without a break.
Hattori: I want you to think up and write more things that will excite guys like this excited me.

Aiko: Will something I come up with on my own really be okay?
Hattori: I will of course look at it and point out where it needs improving. And if it's no good, I'll teach you why it's no good. Anyway, I want to see how far you can go on your own.
Aiko: Understood.

03

Takagi: Where should we change this storyboard?
Mashiro: Isn't that what we'll talk about at the meeting today?

Takagi: There's a limit to how many gags you can put in. And if we change it any more, we'll be changing the whole thing.
Mashiro: Now that you mention it, it does feel like that...

Takagi: Will it really make it at the next serialization meeting? We didn't make it the past two times, so third time's the charm, huh?

Takagi: There were only 8 storyboards submitted this time, so there are sure to be a whole bunch next time. And they'll only be choosing 2 or 3 of them...
Takagi: And most importantly, we know Miura-san's assurances can't be trusted.
Takagi: He said we'd definitely make it with 3 chapters. Are we going to be okay with having Miura-san as our editor?

Mashiro: Quit complaining. If we don't leave now, we won't make it in time.
Takagi: Oh.

04

Sign:
Jump
Square
Jump

Editor: That's quite an expression, Miura.

Miura: With "Business Boy Kenichi" ending, I don't have a single serialized manga. I really thought "Tanto" would get serialized.
Editor: It's better than having been handed some other manga. Now you can work on Ashirogi-kun and Takahama-kun's next mangas.
Editor: Well, you could also find someone other than them to get a new serialization with.

Miura: I know. Thanks. I at least have to get "Tanto" serialized next time.

Phone: Ashirogi-san are here for their 2:30 appointment.
Miura: I'll head down. Seat them at an empty table.
Phone: Understood. I'll send them to Table 3.

Miura: Ashirogi-kun are here. I'll be going.
Editor: Okay. Good luck.
Miura: ...Aida-san.
Editor: Hm?

Miura: How can I make this storyboard better? I can't see anything left to do.
Editor: Then use it as is at the next meeting.

Miura: You're no help...
Editor: How about you ask what those at the meeting thought of it?
Miura: I guess...

05

Editor: Didn't I tell you? Shizuka-kun has humanity issues.
Editor: Well I've had enough of it.
Editor: When I told him he didn't quite make it at the serialization meeting, he sent me this email and now I can't get a hold of him.

Editor: Didn't you say that his looking at getting a serialization as a game was amazing and a good way of thinking about it?

Editor: If you really want to do this right, stop talking to him through computers without meeting him in person and build a proper relationship with him as his editor.
Editor: ...Okay. I'll get his manga serialized next time for sure.

Miura: Don't joke. Not only did you get a serialization with Aoki Kou but you're going for another one?
Miura: I really have to get "Tanto" serialized...

06

Miura: That means the one-shot lowered the impact of the storyboard for serialization.
Miura: No matter how good the manga, it's never as good the second time you read it.
Miura: And that effect is even greater in a gag manga.
Miura: You need to power it up beyond the one-shot that got first in "Akamaru". That's all you need to do.

Takagi: But we've exhausted all of the characters we can use.
Mashiro: Our only choice is to make the gags better...

Miura: A rival! You haven't used a rival yet!

Mashiro: You said we could introduce an evil inventor if we were to make it more battle-like in the future, didn't you?
Takagi: Yeah, that would be a rival.

Miura: G-go with that! Leave chapter 1 as it is and introduce the evil inventor in chapter 2!
Miura: And don't tell me you don't want to.
Takagi: O-okay.

SFX: Vvvv
Miura: Hm? Excuse me for a second.

07

Miura: Hello? This is Miura.
Editor-in-chief: I'm speaking with Takahama-kun right now.

Miura: Eh? With Takahama-kun!? Why is he with you, editor-in-chief? He didn't tell me anything about this...

Editor-in-chief: You should be here. Come to the editorial department.
Miura: I'm in a meeting with Ashirogi-kun on the first floor right now. Do I need to come immediately?

Editor-in-chief: Bring Ashirogi-kun with you.

Miura: Sorry, but could you come upstairs with me?
Takagi: Takahama-san's here?
Mashiro: Why did he go to the editor-in-chief instead of you?

Miura: I have a guess, but...

08

Miura: Takahama-kun, why did you come here without notifying me?
Takahama: Sorry...
Mashiro: Let's stay back here.
Takagi: Eh? Okay.

Editor-in-chief: Takahama-kun asked me to change which editor oversees him.

Miura: Why?

Takahama: Because I can't draw what I want to draw.

09

Takahama: M-Miura-san doesn't let me draw what I want to.

Editor-in-chief: Is that your only reason?
Takahama: Yes.

Editor-in-chief: Okay.

Editor-in-chief: Saying that you aren't allowed to draw what you want...
Editor-in-chief: is admitting that you have no talent.

Editor-in-chief: If what you drew when you drew what you wanted to was an amazingly good shonen manga, we'd use it.
Editor-in-chief: But you don't have that ability yet.

Miura: Editor-in-chief...

10

Editor-in-chief: I won't change your editor.
Editor-in-chief: And this isn't because you're new. No matter how influential the author who gave me that request, my answer would be the same.

Editor-in-chief: If you can't work with Miura no matter what, you can just go to another magazine. I'll end the contract myself.

Takahama: U-understood...
Takahama: Sorry for asking something so conceited...

Mashiro: Not being able to draw what you want to does sound like an excuse someone without talent would use.

Miura: I-if you're dissatisfied with me in any way, just tell me directly. I'll fix any problems I may have.
Miura: I want us to work together.
Takahama: Okay...Sorry.

11

Editor-in-chief: It may be because I'm part of the editorial department, but I find that authors who blame the failure of their work on the editors are the most foolish ones.
Editor-in-chief: If you think your way is better then the editor's and go with a different genre or in a different direction than the editor advises, you're holding yourself back.

Editor-in-chief: Those works can succeed; I suppose you could even think of them as being the most pure.
Takahama: Understood.

Sign: Shueisha

Takagi: The editor-in-chief was really scary, today...
Mashiro: I really sympathized with him.
Mashiro: We've been saying that Miura-san is no good, too.
Mashiro: Let's quit saying it's all the editor's fault.
Takagi: Yeah. I've really reconsidered things.

12

Hattori: Yuujirou-san, do you have a moment?
Yuujirou: What is it?

Hattori: I can't talk about it here. Do you want to go get coffee again?
Yuujirou: Didn't you say it was creepy when I invited you to do that?

Yuujirou: This is really good... I've heard the name Akina Aiko before...Who is she?
Hattori: Keep it a secret, but she's Takagi-kun's rival.

Yuujirou: Rival?

Yuujirou: Well, she might be a good rival as far as writing goes... but who's going to draw it? Nakai?
Hattori: No.

13

Hattori: It's someone who will be much more willing to go up against Ashirogi Muto.
Yuujirou: Someone willing to go up against Ashirogi-kun? Who is it? They're art is pretty high-level.

Hattori: Niizuma Eiji.
Yuujirou: Huh!?

Yuujirou: What are you saying? You can't do that.
Hattori: Think about it for a second!

Hattori: You're always saying that Niizuma-kun hasn't been as into it since "Trap" ended.
Yuujirou: So you're saying if he draws that one-shot, he'll be more into drawing "Crow"?

Hattori: Exactly.

Hattori: If he draws it, it'll act as a trigger to Ashirogi Muto!
Hattori: Niizuma-kun is the one they want to outdo the most and Akina Aiko was Takagi-kun's rival when they were in middle school.
Hattori: Won't Niizuma-kun be glad to do it if he knows it'll act as motivation for them?
Yuujirou: ...That may be good for Ashirogi-kun, but what's in it for Niizuma-kun?

14

Hattori: Doesn't he want to make Ashirogi-kun create an even better manga to compete against him with?

Hattori: Authors who see each other as rivals are often driven by their competitive spirit.
Hattori: It's not a bad thing.
Yuujirou: I see. Now that you mention it...

Yuujirou: Wait! This is a 45 page one-shot. Even if he has more time since he graduated from high school, he just doesn't have the time.

Hattori: I'm not saying he has to do it now. I just want it to run before the next serialization meeting in order to spark everyone's rival spirits.

Yuujirou: So anytime is fine?
Hattori: Yes.

Hattori: This is for Niizuma-kun, Ashirogi-kun, and Akina-kun's sakes.
Hattori: And I forgot to mention that Akina-kun is Aoki-kun's underclassman in college, so it's for Aoki-kun's sake as well. And seeing how hard these young people are working should motivate the other authors as well.

Yuujirou: I get it. I get it.
Yuujirou: But only if Niizuma-kun says he wants to.
Yuujirou: I'm not sure he'll want to if someone else is writing it...
Hattori: He will. No, we'll make him want to.

Yuujirou: Why is he so confident?

15

Sign: Niizuma

Niizuma: And? And?
Niizuma: Ohhhh! It hatched!! It's a chick!?
Niizuma: What!?

Niizuma: This is amazing! The next part! Hurry! I'm so excited!
Niizuma: Fighting with something you brought into the world!?
Niizuma: Will more of them be hatched? Also...

Hattori: This is all there is for now.
Yuujirou: "For now"!?
Niizuma: No more!?

Niizuma: It ended right when it was getting good... So it's a one-shot... Who's doing the art?

Hattori: That hasn't been decided yet. Hopefully we'll find someone who can draw it well.
Niizuma: Could I draw it?

Yuujirou: W-wait a second!

16

Yuujirou: Even if you do draw it, you can't put "Crow" on hiatus. You can't do it if it means neglecting "Crow".

Hattori: Could you make a storyboard using whatever character designs you want?
Niizuma: Rogerrrr!
Yuujirou: Hey, listen to me...

Niizuma: Gunyaaah!
Niizuma: Spin, spin.
Niizuma: Careful, careful.
Niizuma: Bang bang bang
Niizuma: Nehhn nehhn
Niizuma: Power power
Niizuma: Move!
Niizuma: Careful, careful again
Niizuma: Silence

Niizuma: It's fun drawing a good story that I didn't come up with.
Niizuma: Shupipiiin!

Niizuma: And here...
Niizuma: Piri piri piri
Niizuma: Bikiiiii!
Niizuma: It came out!
Niizuma: So scary!
Niizuma: Gwohhh!

Niizuma: It's done.

17

Yuujirou: Crap. It's really good like this.
Hattori: It's even better than I thought it would be...

Yuujirou: Now we can't not do it... But what if it gets popular...?

Hattori: Niizuma-kun! I'm gonna propose this to my superiors! I'll tell them that you definitely won't put "Crow" on hiatus.
Niizuma: Agreed! I hope I get to draw it!

Niizuma: But if I do the art for this...

Niizuma: Let's go for a serialization!!

Yuujirou: Don't be ridiculous!

Hattori: Okay I'll get Akina-kun to write a second and third chapter and submit it for the next serialization meeting.
Yuujirou: Hattori!

18

Hattori: Akina-kun was Takagi-kun's rival in middle school.
Hattori: This will definitely get Ashirogi Muto fired up.
Yuujirou: Hey!

Niizuma: Yuujirou-san, we'll definitely get this serialized.

Yuujirou: D-don't be ridiculous. You can't have 2 serializations...

Niizuma: Some mangakas in the Showa era had multiple mangas published weekly! I'll do it too.
Niizuma: I can have them in "Week" and "Three".

Yuujirou: H-having it in another magazine's even worse.
Niizuma: Then I'll do it in "Jump"!

Yuujirou: I've never heard of an author having 2 mangas serialized in "Jump" simultaneously.
Niizuma: That just means there's no precedent.
Yuujirou: He doesn't have time...
Niizuma: Yuujirou-san, you know I can do a storyboard in a day and manuscript in 2 days.
Hattori: Wow. If you give him more assistants, he can do it.
Hattori: He only has to write one of them and he just made a 45 page storyboard in less than an hour.
Niizuma: I've got loads of time!

19

Yuujirou: But if you submit something with Niizuma-kun doing the art, we'll have to explain it to our superiors.
Hattori: Niizuma-kun, can you draw the storyboard so it looks like someone else did it?
Niizuma: So I just have to draw it so you can't tell I did it?
Hattori: Exactly.

Niizuma: A new artist will appear.
Hattori: We'll use a pen-name so they won't notice.
Niizuma: Rogerrrr!!

Hattori: We'll tell them once it's chosen at the meeting. Once it's chosen, they'll have no choice.
Niizuma: Ohh! A secret plan! This is gonna be fun!

Hattori: Niizuma-kun seems really fired up. This won't pose any problems for "Crow". And if it does, we'll deal with it.
Yuujirou: Hattori, you were aiming for this from the beginning, weren't you?
Hattori: Eh? I never thought it would go this far...
Yuujirou: Liar.

Niizuma: I'll become Jump's number 1 mangaka with 2 serializations!
Yuujirou: If this goes well, can I have half the credit...?
Hattori: Sure. I'm sure I'll get be in charge of the manga, but until the meeting, this is our secret project.

Left margin: A magnificent plan!!

Text at bottom: Next Chapter: Color pages as thanks for making this manga so popular!!