*zzzzz*
*zzzzzz*
Shueisha Monthly Margarine Editorial Dept.
Oh, no!
Post Office
Excuse me!
Express delivery, please!
Senpai, good morning!
Morning!
Huh? You've got something on your cheek.
*tee hee*
What's wrong?
It's a secret!
Please wait, Senpai!
I'm Saotome Roman, 17 years old.
My dream is to become a manga artist.
It feels like something good is gonna happen today!
Episode 42: Momoka's Sudden Road to Stage Actress
Nervous! Nervous! Nervous! Nervous!
Nervous! Nervous!
Nervous! Nervous! Nervous! Nervous!
Nervous! Nervous!
You're really good at singing, Momoka!
N-No I'm not, Ma'am!
You were super-cute!
I'm envious of your cute voice.
Lucky girl!
You could be a singer, too!
O-Oh, stop it, Ma'am!
That's what you say now,
but next thing you know, you'll be making your debut as a singer!
Right? You Cinderella!
Stop it, Ma'am!
Jeez, you're pushy, Himeko!
U-Um, thank you for hanging out with me today.
Ma'am, Switch... It's been a long time.
Oh, and Bossman, too.
I haven't had this much fun in a while.
But it was unusual for you to invite us out, Momoka.
Yeah...
Did something happen?
Well... I was worried about an acting job, so I wanted take my mind off of it.
Actually, I'm going to be in a play.
Really?! That's great!
And you're in TV dramas, too... As expected for a popular young actress!
It's a love story called, "Love Has Already Got You".
Momoka has the lead role.
Why didn't you tell us about it?
But that's really awesome, Momoka!
I'm not at all, really.
I always get scolded...
I am trying hard to meet the director's demands...
...but I've kind of lost confidence in myself.
So what kind of play is it?
I have the script with me.
Wanna read a bit of it...
...Ma'am, Switch?
Wait!
No, let go of me!
*This is from the script.
I'm not letting go of you anymore.
What do you mean?
Here...
I don't believe it!
What a bunch of cliches!
The whole thing is about Shinji and Mai's romantic relationship.
Is this even interesting?
The story and dialog are way too generic.
And yet, the play is very popular.
The director, Aonuma Tatsuzo, is famous for writing scripts with simple dialog.
He does it so the performers can freely interpret the meaning embedded in the lines
and bring out the character's personality.
His big draw is that the audience experiences something totally different, depending on the actors.
I get it...
But I'm not good at it.
He keeps telling me to read deeper into the script.
All right!
Let's try practicing with these lines!
I'll be Shinji!
Look, I'll interpret it my way, so go along with it.
Got it.
Ooh, this should be good!
It'll be interesting to see how well they interact with each other...
Ready? Then let's start!
Wait a second!
Oh, he looks pretty cool!
The performance is mostly in his face.
I said wait!
No!
Let go!
Ooh, Momoka's great!
What an actress! Check out that expression!
Bossun's acting is very good, too.
But that's to be expected from the man who can pretty much handle whatever is thrown at him.
I'm done letting you go.
Whooo! He's hugging her from behind!
Getting hugged from behind is girls' number one
"I'd be embarrassed if it happened to me, but I've always longed for it" situation!
And he's doin' it like it's no big deal!
But I feel a tightening in my chest!
What about Momoka's reaction?
W-What do you mean?
It's great! Friggin' great!
They're both fantastic!
All right, take 'er home, Shinji!
Here...
What the hell?!
Why the hell'd you bring out Anthony?!
You're totally killing the mood!
When you propose, are you gonna give the girl Anthony?!
What the hell else could I do?! I don't have a ring or anything!
How do you feel right now, Momoka?
Unbelievable!
Yeah, right?
But you both did a fine job.
Oh, stop!
Bossman's acting pulled me in.
Bossun sure is a jack-of-all-trades!
Oh, I don't know if I'd go that far...
Don't get a big head, idiot!
Still, even with that performance, the interpretation of the script was too bland.
Perhaps there is another meaning hidden in the script.
Another meaning...?
For example, there could be a wildly different interpretation
within the framework of the romantic story.
Let's try it. Voice change!
*click*
Wait!
No, you wait!
That image is too far off!
You think anyone could keep the scene goin' with acting like that, moron?!
She's goin' with it?!
So this is the end...?
He changed the line!
I guess the poison is starting to spread through my system...
Even though I finally got here...
What kinda story is this?!
Explain, damn it!
I... can't do that...
Don't give me, "I can't do that!"
And you're not supposed to answer the audience!
Tell me...
That's some interpretation!
Note: hanashite = let go -> hanashite = tell me
I can speak no more...
What do you mean?
They're actually having a conversation!
Here...
That doll...
Father?!
No way!
That's right.
Not "that's right!"
What the hell kind of twist is this?!
You're just doing whatever you feel like!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything...
Mai... Please be happy...
Father!
That's enough of this farce!
Father! I didn't know it was you...
I don't... This is...
Unbelievable!
And then you're back on the script!
What the hell were you two doing?!
If you ad-lib a few lines, anything goes?!
S-Switch's acting just pulled me in...
How obedient are you?!
FYI, this guy loves to play his pranks every chance he gets!
Still, we've proved that the way the lines of dialog are read or how they're interpreted
make a big change in the audience's impression.
Oh, I see. Hmm...
Hey, then how 'bout this one?!
Mai-T!
"Mai-tee"?
Instead of matte (wait), he said, "Mai-T".
He's American!
He's doing an American-y character!
Nah, that's just too much.
Even Momoka wouldn't be able to make something of that.
Iya! (No!)
She kept it going! The same way he did it!
Incredible acting spirit!
Next up is hanashite (let go)!
Can she do it?
Hanashite!
Wait a second!
You just said, "Have a nice day"?!
The line is "hanashite!"
You're just saying anything that sounds vaguely the same!
I mean, okay, they're similar, but...
Ah, whatever. I'll let it go...
Next, Bossun. Try saying, "Mou, hanasanai" ("I won't let you go anymore") in English!
Somehow, the point of this exercise has changed.
Mou hanasanai.
Mon Hun nice knight...
What was that?!
"More fun nice night"?!
What do you mean, "More fun nice night"?!
Don't talk nonsense!
No, I know what he said.
It was "nice knight"!
Dou iu koto? (What do you mean?)
I have no idea what she's saying either!
The grammar is wrong,
but her puzzlement gets across.
Kore wo... (Here...)
Who?!
An Italian?!
Enough, you two!
You're just sayin' shit that sounds like English!
Ah-hah. So this is another interpretation...
It is not!
Now what do we do?! This whole thing's just becoming a waste of time!
And what do you intend to do to get the situation back under control, huh?!
What are you snapping at me for?!
Um... Shinjira...
Shin...
Shinji!
Shinjirarenai. (Unbelievable.)
You're running away?!
And so, at the next rehearsal...
I'm not letting go of you again!
What... do... you... mean?
H-Here...
I... don't... believe... it...
Okay, stop right there!
What's wrong, Kibitsu?
Why are you turning this into a musical?!
This is what I came up with after deeply reading the script.
What kind of reading did you do?!
Ah, you see this a lot with newbies, where they get the wrong idea.
Someone probably put the idea in her head.
Hmph. Well, whatever...
You don't often see that kind of doe-eyed innocence and spirit in young actors today.
Take ten!
Kibitsu, give the script another careful reading!
Yes, sir!
Kibitsu Momoka...
She really is exceptionally talented...
Huh?
Producer Ozu, I didn't realize you were here.
I was just passing by.
Kibitsu Momoka is a true talent.
Yeah, she certainly is.
And so...
Kibitsu Momoka CD Release Set! Former Yankee Actress to Try a Singing Career
...voice, stage and TV actress Momoka would make her next debut as a singer!
So...
...what was our acting for?!
Oh, no! Oh, no!
Kobayashi Shiho
I decided to become a model!
Impressive, for someone so young...
She has a real goal...
Tryin' her best...
This girl's the same age as me.
Really, what's it all mean?
What I wanna do... The future...
Hey, Bossun...
Is there something you wanna do in the future?
I wanna do it!
I wanna do it! I wanna do it! Let me do it! Let me!
What are you, a little kid?!
Anyway, let me do it, too!
Oh, now you're gonna do it?!
What I wanna do...
When I think about it, there're a lot of people around me
who have special skills or who know what they wanna do.
Shimada-san wants to be a newspaper reporter.
Dante wants to be a professional musician.
Shinzou wants to be a s-samurai...?
Momoka's already an actress,
and she even made her singing debut.
I don't have anything...
Well, what do you expect?
The majority of high school students don't know what they wanna do yet.
There's no need to be impatient about it.
I don't have anything, either.
That's better than doing some kind of panicky search for yourself.
You don't have anything?
I thought you'd become, like, a detective.
Why would I be a detective?!
You tellin' me to spy on cheatin' spouses and look for lost cats?!
That would suit you perfectly.
That'd be right up your alley.
Cut it out! I thought the same thing myself for a second,
but stop imagining stuff like that!
Speaking of what one wants to do,
probably no one is more settled on that than Roman, right?
Yeah, that's right. She's dedicated to becoming a manga artist...
Come to think of it, Roman hasn't been around lately...
Is everyone here?!
Don't do that!
Come in the normal way!
*ahem*
I have something to report to everyone.
I-have-something-to-report-to-everyone...
Why say it twice?
And what's with that way of speaking? Like you're a robot?
Not a robot. An alien!
Recently, I'm into imitating aliens.
It started by reading sci-fi manga,
and once I tried talking like an alien, it was so much fun!
Aliens always say, wareware-wa when they're speaking, right?
But I changed it to win-dom-run-ding-dong, see?!
Win-dom-run-ding-dong...
What about the report?!
Oh, that's right! I have something to report to everyone today.
Somebody, anybody... I'm exhausted already...
Hang in there! She's just getting started!
Ta-daa!
Magarine Extra Even in the winter, these two get heated up!
"Margarine Extra"?
Is this the magazine you submitted to?
Look at page 269!
H-Honorable Mention!
Golden Jam Butter Prize Honorable Mention: 300,000 yen Bonus Prize: Digital Camera "Sudden Temptation", by Saotome Roman (17 years old)
R-Roman, is this...?
Mm-hm!
My manga won a prize!
N-No way!
Seriously?!
I don't believe it!
That's fantastic, Roman!
I was so excited that I yelled in a weird voice!
*tee hee*
And you won it with this?!
This month's hot pick, "Sudden Temptation", is included in this issue!
I don't understand their review standards.
What, was the judge feeling adventurous?!
*chuckle chuckle chuckle* Don't be surprised yet, everyone!
Check out the next page!
The next page?
What? "This month's hot pick,
'Sudden Temptation', is included in this issue?!"
It says, "Go to the next page!"
Hey, your story got printed this soon?!
With the Golden Jam Butter Prize in Margarine Extra,
the one story that grabs the judge's attention the most is announced and gets published!
This Month's Hot Pick -> Immediately Published
I made my one-shot story debut!
*giggle*
Hey, this is amazing!
It's in this very magazine?!
R-Roman's actually made her manga debut?!
Her debut story starts on the next page...
Should I... read it?
Of course! I want you to read it!
Will he like my manga?
We could hear that!
We can hear the voice in your head!
How...?
This time, I really did my best!
I just hope you enjoy it!
I'll tell you right now, I'm not going to comment on every little thing...
I don't have the energy.
Huh? What would there be to comment about?
Okay! Kick back and enjoy reading it!
The story will begin as soon as we turn the page!
I don't need that crap!
"Sudden Temptation"!
Oh, no!
I'm gonna be late!
This again?!
Is this the only way you know to start a story?!
I'm really late!
Did you just copy the first panel for the second panel?!
This panel is totally unnecessary!
Yo! Did you oversleep too, Chika?
Jesus, he's lame!
If you don't hurry up, you're gonna be late!
I have an old friend that I've secretly lost my heart to.
Who are you?
Whaaat?!
That guy's not the "old friend"?!
Morning, Chi-bou! You're gonna be late!
*th-thump*
Ah! Satoshi!
The genuine old friend is in da house!
Well, I'll see you...
Who the hell are you?!
Uh, this...
Satoshi Chika Angry Papa Mystery Alien Mystery Man
You don't put a "character who's who" with a one-shot story!
The Characters & Summary
And don't give away the whole story in the summary!
Chi-zers, I've been keeping this to myself for a long time, but actually, I...
I'm your big brother!
Don't suddenly throw in a shocking confession like that!
We're siblings who aren't related by blood!
What kind of topic is this for the walk to school?!
*th-thump*
I-I...
I guess things like this happen!
That's too easygoing! Chi-zer's reaction is way too easygoing!
Then from now on, I'm gonna call you "Big Brother", okay?!
What happened to your secret love?!
No...
Call me the Holy Shogun, Varius!
Satoshi?!
What the hell are you?!
Holy Shogun, Varius...
She calls him that?!
*rustle*
The moon will be full tonight.
Now, where shall I go?
To school!
Ah! Wait for me, Big Brother!
So she's gonna call him that after all?!
*whirrr*
I can see a UFO!
Don't be so matter-of-fact about it!
Something's coming down... You're my enemy!
Win-dom-run-ding-dong!
You're friendlier than I expected!
*nahaha*
What the hell's with this manga?!
Jeez, I'm beat! I spouted off more than I wanted to!
You can't just let something like this slide.
Well, the story itself was a mess, but I gotta admit, it was pretty fun!
Yeah, that's true. It was actually amusing in its own way.
Roman, you may really have talent.
Anyway, it's impressive that you made your debut.
She did great, right?
Totally! Good for you, Roman!
I'm glad.
I made my debut...
My dream came true...
...Prince!
Yeah.
You worked really hard.
*waaaah*
*waaaaah*
It must be really tough to stick with what you wanna do.
I wouldn't know from experience, but to achieve results, you have to make a big effort in private.
Unfortunately, having a dream can be painful.
I bet it was pretty rough completing an entire story all on your own.
And while going to school the whole time, too...
Yeah. To be honest, I have new respect for you.
It's a victory for hard work, huh?
My prince really understands me...
Uh... Did anyone else hear that?
I knew he would understand!
I did hear something!
I admire Roman...
Huh?
I know...
Yeah!
All right!
Let's fight, Master Octopus!
I'm not gonna lose!
*bash*
This'll take you down a peg!
A victory for hard work!
No. You're doin' it wrong.
No good...
I still need to work on distinguishing the characters from the environment...
The G-pen is a force to be reckoned with...
Senpai!
Senpai, I read your winning work!
I was so moved!
Thank you!
U-Um...
I tried doing my best in my own way, too.
Would you take a look at this storyboard?
Yes, sure!
Th-This is...
Senpai?
This girl is scary good!
The heroine is an average, klutzy girl...
The boyfriend is the son of a rich, distinguished family...
And the story is like a roller coaster!
She's got all the bases of girls' manga covered!
And on top of that, she's got serious laughs, too!
Um, Sen...
Fumi-chan!
Yes?!
Together, let's aim for a continuing series in the regular Margarine magazine!
And have it be made into an anime series within two years!
Yes, Senpai!
I am... Saotome Roman!
H-Hey, Bossun, I forget, what kind of movies do you like?
Hmm, like where the characters transform...
Where they transform?!
In fact, I also like the ones where they combine. Why?
H-Hey, listen. What about seeing a movie with me tomorrow?
Hah? Yeah, why not? So the two of us will go...?
You said yes?!
Suddenly, Himeko asks Bossun to see a movie together.
Is this a date? Really, a date?!
Is this anime going to become a romantic comedy?!
Next time:
"Bashful Girl".
Am I blushing?
Find out the truth next episode in...
Sket Dance!