Iwase
Hello?
It's Miura. Good evening.
Good evening.
Sorry for getting straight to the point,
but it was 15th in the final rankings this week.
15th?
Even my team leader said that if it weren't for Niizuma Eiji doing the art,
it would have been canceled a long time ago.
I read the script you faxed in,
and it's kinda dark.
Niizuma also said that he's been finding it boring recently.
I'll rewrite it.
Sorry, but I'll get him to make up for it with the art somehow.
Well, CROW's final chapter did take away some votes from you.
Have you read it yet?
Ending
Color Pages at page 31!
Niizuma Eiji is really something!
All right, next time I'll be counting on you for a bright, refreshing story more suited to shounen manga!
End of call
yu
me
yu
me
yu
me
yu
me
Dreams, dreams, dreams, dreams
ka
na
e
ru
ta
bi
ko
wa
re
te
yu
ku
yu
me
As soon as I reach my goals, it all falls through again
na
ze
so
re
de
mo
ma
ta
So why do I run...
bo
ku
wa
sa
ga
su
ha
shi
ri
tsu
zu
ke
ru
...and search in spite of that?
hi
sa
shi
bu
ri
ni
de
atta
We met after such a long time
"
fu
n
i
ki
ka
watta?"
"Has the mood changed for us?"
tsu
ki
hi
wa
na
ga
re
ta
da
rou
So much time has passed
"
a
no
ko
ro
no
ho
u
ga
ta
no
shi
so
u
"
"It seemed like more fun back then"
ta
ku
sa
n
na
ku
shi
ta
We've lost so much
so
n
na
ko
to
wa
ki
zu
i
te
ru
n
da
I already know that, though
sa
ke
bi
tsu
zu
ke
ro
mo
ga
ki
tsu
zu
ke
ro
Don't stop screaming, don't stop struggling
da
re
no
ta
me
ni
na
n
ka
mou
i
da
rou?
You've done enough for others
ma
da
tsu
ta
e
ta
i
ko
to
ga
a
ru
ma
da
ma
da
ma
da
I still, still have something I haven't told you yet
yu
me
no
sa
ki
ni
wa
yu
me
shi
ka
na
i
Beyond each of my dreams lies yet another dream
Zombies and Demons
Man, I can't believe CROW ended.
That really shocked me.
I'm telling you, those guys are pulling our legs by ending CROW and keeping NATURAL.
This week's NATURAL is so damn boring, too.
I haven't even read it yet.
Really?
The readers, the editors, and Niizuma, too...
They don't need NATURAL.
And there's a big gap between Takagi and I.
I don't know what to do anymore.
Takagi Akito
I can't.
Hi, this is Aoki.
Yuri!
This restaurant is self-serve, but their tea's really good!
Hiramaru, I'm on the phone right now.
Sorry, Yuri.
Hello? I'm sorry about that.
Sorry, I'll call back.
Huh?
What do we think is the best manga in the world?
There's a difference between what manga I think is the best, and what manga is my favorite,
but if I had to pick one, I'd say it's Tezuka's Phoenix.
I'd have to say The Rose of Versailles and Glass Mask.
I'm for SLAM DUNK all the way!
You can really tell a lot about someone by asking them what manga they like.
Yeah.
You'd say Ashita no Joe, right?
If you're asking me what my favorite manga is, then yeah.
But I would also give a different answer if you're asking me what I think is the best one.
What is it, then?
Barefoot Gen.
When I was a kid, I remember reading it here and not being able to sleep that night.
That's the kind of manga you can't put down until you're done reading it.
When we talk about those, I can't help but feel that our own manga pales in comparison.
I don't want to make something that's just popular during its own time.
I want to leave behind something that'll still be regarded as a masterpiece many years from now.
Well, something like that.
That's what Eiji is trying to do.
The next one I write won't just be the best manga in Jack...
It'll be the best manga ever written!
Oh? It's from Aoki.
Th-This is Takagi.
Yes.
Akina?
Oh, Iwase?
Iwase?
No, I haven't heard anything.
I see.
Is something wrong?
Akina called me a week ago,
but hung up quickly afterwards.
I got concerned and called her many times,
but she wouldn't pick up.
Have you tried her editor, Miura?
I had Yamashita ask him.
He said that Akina... wouldn't write anymore.
Huh?!
She won't write anymore?!
Did Iwase say that herself?
It seems that even when he visited her apartment, she wouldn't answer her door.
I didn't want to trouble you, but I believe you're the one
she opens up to the most.
Okay.
Thanks for letting me know.
What? What do you mean "she won't write"?
Kaya.
I can drop by Iwase's place, right?
Why do you have to go?
Because I'm worried about her, obviously!
Apparently she's been holed up in her apartment for days and won't answer anyone.
She said herself that she wouldn't write anymore, right? Iwase is so selfish.
I'll go.
Saikou?
It's okay. I know how Shuujin feels about this.
Do you know her address and contact info?
I'll just ask Miura.
But Mashiro, you've never really talked to her before.
That doesn't matter.
Like Eiji said, the rivals we compete with in Jack are also our friends.
There's no changing that fact.
Iwase
Akina, I was wrong!
Let's fix up NATURAL with the three of us: you, me and Niizuma!
So please, just answer me...
Miura!
Mashiro?
How's Iwase?
I think she's inside,
but she won't answer.
It's Mashiro.
Iwase, answer me!
Get on the intercom!
If you don't answer in the next ten minutes,
I'll call the police and get them to break down this door.
Iwase, answer me!
Iwase!
Keep it down! You're too loud!
Iwase! Iwase!
S-Sorry.
Iwa—
I'm here.
Thank goodness.
Thanks.
I won't shout anymore.
But listen to what I have to say.
If you want to quit, then quit.
What are you saying, Mashiro?!
However, in order to do that you'll need to talk to Miura and the Chief Editor
and go through the proper procedures first.
The way you're acting right now is childish.
It's not something the smart Iwase would do.
I knew it...
I don't matter to Ashirogi Mutou.
I don't want you to quit,
but if that's what you've decided, then there's nothing I can do.
Shuujin is grateful that you came into his world and competed with him on his terms.
He was happy to think of you
as a rival.
A rival?
I'm thankful that you're my greatest rival as an author,
and I think of you as one of my comrades who holds the same goals in regards to Jack.
This time, I'll be the one to say it.
Let's encourage each other, and do our best!
I was glad, too.
As Shuujin's rival, you gave him some motivation to keep improving.
But...
that's only what we hoped you'd be for us.
It's up to you whether you'll keep going or not.
That's all I have to say.
Well then, Akina,
I'll drop by again tomorrow.
Iwase, do me a favor.
Open the door.
Show me that you're okay, even if you have to fake it!
Please, Iwase!
I'm sorry for not realizing how you felt, even though you called me.
Stop being so stubborn and join Team Fukuda already.
If you do, you won't be alone with your worries anymore.
Come on, Akito.
If you want to quit so badly, I won't stop you.
But I just lost a strong rival in CROW,
so I don't want to lose my greatest rival as an author as well.
Hey.
I can't afford to lose to you guys.
I'll prove that I can rise to the top again.
All by myself, without joining a team!
Yeah!
That's Iwase for you!
Yeah.
Nice proclamation.
I'm looking forward to the next NATURAL.
Hey, Sasaki.
Come here.
Yes, sir.
The Chief Editor just got called to the executive room...
Maybe... the Chief is getting replaced?
Well, Hissho Jack is finally getting underway in April.
Speaking of which, the Chief has been so nice lately it's almost creepy.
You've helped NATURAL recover. Great job.
He's never said anything like that to me before.
A while ago, he called out "Do your best!" to me, too.
Heishi, come here.
Yes, sir.
Heishi is the next Chief Editor?!
Yu-Gi-Oh! is big, after all.
If Assistant Chief Editor Heishi becomes the new Chief Editor...
...then one team leader will be promoted to Assistant Chief Editor!
Editorial Department
Shounen Jack
Jack SQ
X Jack
In the end, Chief Editor Sasaki and team leader Nakano
were transfered to Hissho Jack based on the strength of their accomplishments.
As for Weekly Shounen Jack,
Heishi is now Chief Editor,
and Aida is the Assistant Chief.
You bet!
Hey, hey! You're forgetting something important here!
I'm a team leader now! A team leader!
Yeah, yeah.
Yuujirou.
Yes?
Can you make some time tomorrow?
I think so.
In light of this news, I'd like to pay my respects to all the authors.
What's Niizuma's schedule?
Niizuma
Eiji Ltd
I know this is sudden, but at the end of the month, I will be transferring to Hissho Jack.
And also, I'm going to become a team leader.
Niizuma...
You're in front of the Chief Editor!
Thank you for all you've done for me.
I was happy when you came all the way out to Aomori to see me.
It was me and the Chief back then, too.
Was that really eight years ago?
When you suddenly said "If I become the No. 1 author, give me the right to end one manga,"
I thought you were just a cheeky little kid.
But now you've gone on to become one of the most prominent authors of Jack.
I'm still expecting great things out of you.
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
I'm not really the best yet,
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
but I'm going to make the best manga in the world!
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
I have more.
Um, that's enough.
It's just a goal of his.
I'm not worried about you at all, Niizuma.
As the chief editor of a new magazine, I'll be watching over you.
Yes.
But before that...
The Chief Editor is coming all the way out here to see us.
I'm so nervous!
It'll be okay. Hattori will be with him.
We've been plenty selfish and caused a ton of trouble for him.
Like when I insisted on not going on hiatus when I was in the hospital,
and when we wanted to quit Tanto.
And before that, when we knowingly entered the amateur prize contest,
even though we were experienced authors under contract.
This is bad.
We have to use this opportunity to properly apologize!
He's here!
Good afternoon.
G-Good afternoon!
Excuse me for intruding.
O-Over here, please.
I don't smell cigarettes.
We don't smoke.
Oh, right.
He's been here before as the editor of Super Hero Legend.
Because I'll no longer be the chief editor of Weekly Shounen Jack,
I can tell you about the favor that Kawaguchi Tarou asked of me when he was still alive.
You didn't pass through the serialization committee.
I see.
They gave us some feedback, though.
Let's try for the next committee.
You're right.
I want to become an author who can put out one hit after another as I wait for Taka.
Taka?
My nephew.
He looks up to me and says he'll be a manga artist.
I don't want to let him down.
How old is your nephew?
He's still in elementary school.
He really loves drawing manga, though,
and comes here often to draw.
It's Heroman.
He's way better than you are.
Give me a break.
But he can become a far better manga artist than I could ever be.
That's what I think.
So, I want to be active until then.
So that one day you can both be serialized in Jack at the same time?
When he goes professional, take care of him.
Uncle Tarou said that?
When I learned that one of the two middle school students Hattori was meeting at the editing department
was Kawaguchi Tarou's nephew, I was surprised.
Or rather, I was pleased.
It was because of those circumstances
that I often couldn't keep my cool when it came to you.
I'm sorry.
Not at all!
We're the ones who have things to apologize for!
That's right!
No, now that I think about it,
deciding to put TRAP on hold when you were hospitalized until you graduated school was too strict.
The same goes for saying that PCP would be canceled if you couldn't draw even with Niizuma.
You turned those restrictions right back on me.
No, it's because you gave us those trials that we are who we are now.
We are truly in your debt!
Thank you!
You're exaggerating.
You're who you are now because of your own abilities.
You've done very well to get this far.
Because of Kawaguchi Tarou,
I would've probably treated you differently no matter what.
Not in a nice way, though.
If that's true, then I'd like to think that you favored us.
Because it was for our own sakes.
But that's all over with.
You are already prolific authors in Jack as Ashirogi Mutou.
And the one you must overcome is Niizuma Eiji.
Niizuma is an amazing manga author,
but if there's anyone who can surpass him,
I think it would be you two.
No, perhaps I'm just favoring you again.
No, we'll show you that you're not!
For sure!
I see.
I'll be expecting that, then.
When I went to visit Niizuma the other day,
he said he was getting his new manga ready.
He said he'll be ready to show it to me before I transfer.
Eiji's finally got a new manga.
And it'll be ready before the Chief leaves!
Best in
the World
Best in
the World
Niizuma,
I know you said that to the Chief,
but you really haven't decided what to do yet, have you?
What're you going to do?
I've already decided, though.
You really have?
On what? What kind of story is it?
Let's do one too! A new manga!
That's not as easy as you make it sound.
No, I actually thought of something after looking at that character you drew.
I have a story that'll work!
For real?!
Yeah!
So, what kind of story did you think up for this character?
The protagonist will receive power from a demon,
and he'll look like this while he's using the demon's powers.
So, you'll need to make a human version of him for when he isn't transformed.
A demon's power?
Using the power he received,
he can force his thoughts onto other people.
It sounds like just your kind of story.
The protagonist is an all-around excellent high school student,
but he's actually a fool for believing that his ideals and way of thinking is correct.
He's convinced that the world will become a better place if more people think like he does.
He's brainwashing people, but he thinks he's doing the right thing.
I get it!
He's a dark hero!
A dark hero?
I can't say much without seeing it,
but it doesn't sound very shounen-like to me.
I can't imagine many people would support that...
What's the protagonist like?
He's a zombie!
A dark hero with a demon's powers?
Because he's a demon, it's probably best to add some black.
Dark hero...
Unorthodox battle manga...
Human and standard unorthodox...
Detective TRAP, PCP.
This World is Money and Intelligence.
I've got it!
Yeah, what?
Shuujin, you're gonna portray him as a really dark character, right?
Huh?
He'll be completely insane!
Make him think that all evildoers he doesn't like should be eliminated!
Huh?! He'll look totally evil, then.
It's fine! If we go too far, Hattori will prune it back for us.
We shouldn't be so cautious! Let's go all out!
O-Okay.
Niizuma
Eiji Ltd
You've got a storyboard already?!
Yes!
Can I read it?
All that's left is the character design!
Even though he's a zombie, the readers have to like him immediately!
I'm gonna make a scary horror story.
He already knows without me having to tell him. Amazing.
This intensity from just a storyboard!
It's so exciting that I'm getting goosebumps!
I didn't really get it at first when you said "zombie," but this is amazing!
Making him fall in love with a human girl is an interesting idea!!
I'll make the heroine appealing!
It's a simple story, but there's a human drama here that wasn't in CROW.
This might even surpass CROW!
Niizuma really is a genius.
Maybe being No.1 in the world isn't just a dream!
How is it?
It's dark, all right.
The protagonist's ideals are pretty disturbing.
It's not good for it to be that dark, right?
Nope.
You're the one who told me to do this!
Shuujin, here.
What? A new demon?
Yes.
A demon of justice.
Justice?
He's cool!
So, what do I do with this?
This World is Money and Intelligence lost to Eiji's standard battle manga in NEXT.
PCP never really made it to the top either.
In the end, it never did beat CROW.
Detective TRAP didn't either.
It's because they don't follow the shounen manga archetype.
It's the limitation of an unorthodox style.
What's this all of a sudden?
An unorthodox style suits you, and you're good at dark and disturbing stuff, too.
This script is good,
but there's a limit to how far we can go with just unorthodox.
"Just"?
Yes!
That's why we'll introduce a real mainstream character of justice.
A young man who uses a demon's power for evil,
and a young man who uses a demon's power for good.
Two protagonists!
By bringing justice into the mix, this will become a standard battle manga.
We can break through the limitations we've had up till now!
So you told me to make it really disturbing because you thought of this?
Yeah.
It'll be interesting to show just how evil the black demon can get.
And the white demon will never forgive him for planting his thoughts on others.
I see.
It'll be a battle of ideals.
A battle of the humans on whom these ideals were implanted.
And a battle of these two protagonists!
Yeah!
And true justice will win in the end!
That's what shounen manga is all about!
The scale is different from anything we've done before!
Thanks, Saikou!
It's gotten a lot better!
Let's fight against Eiji with this!
So we'll end up doing a standard battle manga after all.
Yeah.
It's the end of thinking "Ashirogi does unorthodox and Niizuma does standard."
We didn't take any detours to get here.
We can draw this because we are who we are now, and no one else could do this.
A standard battle manga that only Ashirogi can do!
do
u
shi
te
da
ro...
i
tsu
mo
so
u
sa
Why, I wonder?
chi
ka
zu
ku
ta
bi
ka
ra
ma
wa
ri
no
yu
me
Whenever I am close to fulfilling my goals, all effort becomes fruitless
ma
e
wo
mu
i
te
shi
ga
mi
tsu
i
te
sou
su
ko
shi
zu
tsu
We walk ahead, hold each other, and with little things
ya
ku
so
ku
no
a
no
ba
sho
he
to
sa
e
ai
na
ga
ra
we support each other to reach what we promised
ji
shi
n
ga
ta
ri
na
i
to
ki
wa
mu
ne
ni
te
wo
a
te
When we lack confidence, we put a hand to our heart
bo
ku
ra
ga
tsu
zu
t
ta
pe
e
ji
yo
mi
ka
e
so
u
and reread the pages we assembled into a story
kyo
u
ma
de
so
shi
te
a
su
he
to
tsu
zu
i
te
yu
ku
no
sa
They lead up to today and continue into the morrow
ta
i
se
tsu
na
yu
me
ga
ka
na
u
so
no
hi
ma
de
We will always be ourselves
a
ri
no
ma
no
bo
ku
ra
de
zu
tto...
until the day that our dreams come true
Next Time
Preview
Who will win, Ashirogi or Niizuma?
We won't lose, Yuujirou!
Call me Team Leader!
Next time: Weekly and Monthly.
Weekly and
Monthly
Dreams start when you collide feelings with one another!