3 [3] JUMP's Editor
Not long ago, Kazuya had just finished drawing 'Jojo' part three "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure : Stardust Crusaders."
For most mangaka, the requirements of working tirelessly and staying up late didn't apply to him at all. After all, he could complete one page of original manuscript in an average of ten minutes.
Moreover, completing this part of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" meant that he had no financial worries for the future.
In his previous life, "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," serialized by Hirohiko Araki in 1987 and still ongoing when he crossed over in 2017, was an immensely influential manga. Even before his arrival, it had already become the twelfth manga in Japan to sell over a billion copies.
Just this one manga was enough for him to live a comfortable life. He might even follow in the footsteps of Hirohiko Araki, who was the only mangaka from Japan to have a solo exhibition at the Louvre, and collaborate with popular clothing brands.
Of course, these accomplishments could be attributed to Araki's exceptional social skills. Nevertheless, it clearly demonstrated the manga's power.
Unlike the future, where some readers might find the art style uncomfortable or unappealing, everyone here was accustomed to it. This was the norm in this world.
Although serialization of his manga was not entirely smooth, it passed the editorial meetings and began serialization. However, the situation was far from ideal. At best, it managed to avoid cancellation, with occasional minor bursts of popularity.
...
Ding dong...
The doorbell rang, and Kazuya put down his pen, went to the door, and glanced to confirm the visitor. He then opened the door.
"Hello, Iwamoto-san."
"It's been a while, Kurokawa," Iwamoto Yu, the editor, said somewhat helplessly. He didn't like visiting authors, but perhaps he had confidence in this case. After all, Kurokawa Kazuya had started with short stories and had progressed significantly since then. He couldn't just leave him be.
"Yes, Iwamoto-san." Kazuya nodded. Iwamoto Yu, at thirty-six years old, was his editor. "I apologize for making you come to pick up the manuscript in person."
"No, it's fine. You must be working hard under a lot of pressure," Iwamoto Yu said with a sigh of understanding. The latest chapter was ranked twelfth, and a slight misstep could bring it dangerously close to cancellation.
Not... exactly...
Kazuya's mouth twitched slightly. After all, the manga he drew was meticulous and enough to sustain years of serialization, especially in this world with time acceleration, which allowed him to meet deadlines without difficulty.
With the experiences from his previous life, he had no shortage of stories to tell. His manga skills were now at a superhuman level. The only time he felt tired was when he thought about his original manga. The rest of the time was quite easy.
He was aware of the current twelfth place ranking, but he didn't care. The art style of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" in its early parts wasn't very refined. Now, with his superlative drawing skills, he was making rapid progress.
Currently, his work had seen significant improvements compared to the ongoing part of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure."
He had even redrawn the entire second half of Part One!
Coupled with the next chapter featuring Dio Brando's transformation into a vampire, his artistry had taken a significant leap. He expected the ranking to improve, moving away from the danger zone.
"How has your recent work been? Let me take a look." Iwamoto Yu looked at the person in front of him and asked.
Kazuya, as tall as the JoJo characters in his manga at 195 cm, appeared robust and nothing like the typical height of a Japanese person. He didn't look like a mangaka at all. If someone said he was a boxer or a character from those muscular manga nowadays, people might even believe it.
"Follow me." Kazuya nodded and led Iwamoto Yu to his workspace.
"Would you like something to drink?" When they arrived, Kazuya asked him to sit for a moment.
"Um... then I won't hold back. Do you have coffee?"
"Yes, please wait a moment."
Iwamoto Yu smiled and looked around, then noticed the manga on the table.
"Um... what's this?"
Iwamoto Yu walked over and flipped through it. "Amazing artwork... there's a huge improvement compared to what's being drawn now. But... this isn't JoJo, is it?"
"Iwamoto-san, here's your coffee," Kazuya placed the coffee in front of Iwamoto Yu.
"Thank you..." Iwamoto Yu nodded and then frowned, "This... isn't JoJo, right?"
"Ah, you're right," Kazuya nodded. "This is a new manga I've been conceptualizing recently."
"Are you planning to conclude your current manga?" Iwamoto Yu said somewhat surprised. "Although the current situation of JoJo is difficult to describe as great, it's not at a point where it must end. It would be a shame to do so, wouldn't it?"
"Huh? No, it's not about ending it," Kazuya hesitated for a moment. "It seems like you've misunderstood."
As he spoke, Kazuya took out a package from a nearby shelf, labeled "Phantom Blood."
"This goes all the way to the end of Part One."
"Part One?"
Iwamoto Yu was momentarily surprised, then sighed as he took it. "It's quite heavy... looks like there's a lot... of pages."
Then, he opened the package and took out a thick stack of original manuscripts. His expression went from calm at the beginning to shocked. "This artwork? A tremendous improvement! It's possible! With this kind of progress, the rankings this time will definitely rise!"
He glanced at it slightly; this must be hundreds of pages!
"You got an assistant?" Iwamoto Yu said with a hint of oddity.
"No, not an assistant. I drew all of it myself."
Iwamoto Yu was taken aback, clearly not believing it. At the beginning, when Kazuya declined his offer to help find an assistant, he suspected that perhaps he knew someone in this field. Now, it seemed very likely. The original manuscript for this manga...
Compared to the initial "Rohan Kishibe Does Not Move" and the subsequent currently serialized "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," the progress in the serialized parts is immense, as if it's drawn by two different people. Without a careful look at the story, it's hard to tell, but the artwork has improved significantly!
At the start, "Rohan Kishibe Does Not Move" was at a beginner's level. Later on, "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" already showed a massive improvement. Now—there's another significant leap forward compared to the currently serialized parts—
No assistant? Who would believe that!
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