I am Really a Superstar

Friday.

Shōnen Publishing’s new issue of their weekly magazine went on sale.

In the morning, Zhang Ye’s mother called again. This was already the second day that she was nagging him.

“Are you coming back or not?”

“I will be going back soon.”

“When are you coming home?”

“Aiya, tomorrow.”

“Have you gotten so comfortable in Japan that you don’t wish to come home?”

“I have serious business to attend to over here.”

“Who are you fighting with again?”

“Heh, why does it always have to be a fight with others?”

“Hasn’t fighting become your main job these days?”

“Pfft! Goodbye, Mom.”

After hanging up and eating breakfast, Zhang Ye brought Ha Qiqi, Little Wang, and the others out. They strolled on the streets and went into a huge bookstore.

Such bookstores were very common in Japan. The size of the comics industry here was not something that any other country could compare with. Be it the bookstores or small shops, and even in many of the supermarkets, many comics were on sale. Moreover, they were all placed in very prominent, large zones in the stores. Standalone volumes ¹ of comics and comic magazines could be seen at every turn.

This was a country of comics and animation.

The comics and animation center of Asia.

Little Wang looked all around her. “There are so many comic series here?”

Little Zhou asked, “Which ones are from Shōnen Publishing?”

Little Sun immediately spotted it. “It’s over there!”

Everyone went over and picked up a copy.

Zhang Ye flipped open a magazine and found One Piece in an inconspicuous location. It was placed very far back in the magazine and could only be seen after flipping through many pages. The magazine was quite thick and had roughly 10 serialized comics in it. Actually, as a Chinese citizen, Zhang Ye found this sort of serialization method quite difficult to accept. At least, he wouldn’t have the energy to keep buying the magazine week in and week out, especially if he missed an issue, which would result in a break in the continuity of the content. But in Japan, the reading habits of the people were deeply ingrained. This was the result of cultivating it for several decades and the national sentiments being different.

One page.

Two pages.

Three pages.

The group of them were discussing as they read.

Around them, streams of people kept coming over and taking the magazines. In the blink of an eye, they watched several dozen copies of the magazine getting sold. The sales volume was alarming.

Little Wang asked, “How do we know if a comic is popular?”

Ha Qiqi replied, “By the sales volume?”

Little Zhou said, “But aren’t there a lot of different comics in one magazine?”

Little Sun said, “It will be based on a popularity poll, the most direct way of learning the statistics. Of course, the sales volume of the magazine will still be looked at. For example, a phenomenal national cartoon could increase a comic magazine’s sales by several times. That is to say, without a hint of doubt, there aren’t too many comic magazines out there that can depend on just a single comic to carry the publication. Also, the sales of a comic’s standalone volumes are also important. But since our series has only just had its first chapter released, there’s no chance of us getting a standalone volume published yet.”

Little Wang asked, “Eh, why we didn’t we just go straight to releasing a standalone volume?”

Little Zhou clapped. “Yeah, that would’ve been so great. We could have released 10 or 20 chapters at once!”

Ha Qiqi said, “With Director Zhang’s speed, it wouldn’t be a problem releasing two chapters a day. When it comes to update speed, no one is a match for Director Zhang!”

Zhang Ye bragged, “Two chapters a day? I can do three chapters a day!”

Little Wang said, “Yeah, are there any comic magazines that are sold daily? The weeklies are too slow. This business model is problematic. It’s too immature.”

Daily updates?

Three chapters a day?

Do you think that everyone is as abnormal as Director Zhang?!

When Little Sun heard this bunch of laypeople discussing the matter so seriously, he was overcome by a sense of exhaustion.

…

At a school.

“Hey, have you read it yet?”

“This week’s issue of Shōnen Magazine?”

“I just finished reading it. Martial King is still padding the story with filler.”

“This issue’s Dark Souls is quite good. It was really hot-blooded.”

“I like One Piece.”

“Ah, I know that one! It’s the newly serialized comic!”

“Yeah, the first chapter’s not bad. I’m looking forward to reading it.”

“It’s great, but the character designs are a little strange.”

…

On the light rail.

“Eh? One Piece? It’s a new series?”

“The character design is so strange.”

“Why are the eyes so small?”

“It’s a good read; try it.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t really get into it at first either. But once I got past the weird character design, the plot and setting pleasantly surprised me.”

“I like this comic too.”

…

At a company.

“Aoi?”

“A pure greenhorn? I’ve never heard of this person before.”

“It could even get serialized with character design like this? Motherfucker! But why can’t I seem to get enough of it?”

“Luffy is so cute!”

“Yup, yup, I like him!”

“I like Luffy too, although his eyes are a little small.”

“How is that just a little small? It’s basically just a dot!”

…

Noon.

In the editorial department of Shōnen Publishing.

Seto Kyoko and her colleagues came back from lunch.

“Kyoko, the comic that you’re in charge of has been serialized already?”

“Yup, One Piece.”

“Is it that one with the really ugly character design?”

“Don’t call it that. Every cartoonist has their own style after all. This drawing style is actually—actually quite unique. It leaves a deep impression on people.”

“Alright, if you say so. The popularity rankings should be coming out soon, right?”

“The first batch of statistics should be out soon. Let’s see how the rankings are for this issue. Who do you all think will get first place?”

“I don’t have a chance. One Piece was included as a stopgap for this issue. If there were any other comic worth choosing from during the editors’ meeting, I wouldn’t have been in the running. The deputy editor has already put it clearly that if One Piece does not perform well within 10 issues, it will be canceled. Hai, Heavens, why can’t you just give me a good comic series to handle?”

“Haha, Kyoko has such bad luck.”

“Yeah, Kyoko, you’re a veteran editor, but you’ve never had any of the comics under you get first place.”

“Hey, hey, can you people not bring that up?”

The group was teasing her.

Seto Kyoko was very disappointed.

On a drawing board that was hung on the wall, the result of the rankings was displayed.

A lot of editors surrounded it to take a look and were very concerned about the comics they were managing. If the titles under them consistently ranked at the bottom for too long, it would be possible for the comic to get its serialization run stopped.

Kyoko also wanted to look, but she was not brave enough to do so.

Please, oh, please!

Don’t let me be in last place again this time!

Close by, a lot of people were starting to exclaim.

“Ah!”

“Quick, look at this!”

“This…huh!”

“Kyoko! Come here, Kyoko!”

Everyone was shouting for her.

Kyoko was startled. “What’s the matter?”

She stood up and went over. Then she looked up at the drawing board.

#1: One Piece, 1023 votes.

#2: Martial King, 986 votes.

#3: Dark Souls, 922 votes.

Kyoko was dumbfounded!

The entire editorial department of Shōnen Publishing was also dumbfounded!

At some point in time, the editor-in-chief arrived, along with his two deputy editors, behind the crowd. They were all staring with hanging jaws at the drawing board, disbelief on their faces!

What?

One Piece got first place?

That weird comic that they used to fill in a spot for the comic magazine? It had taken first place in the popularity rankings right on the first day of serialization? Was this some kind of a mistake?

A second later, a lot of the editors looked at Kyoko in envy.

“Congratulations, Kyoko.”

“That comic is a dark horse!”

“You’ve hit the jackpot this time!”

“Congrats on getting first!”

Seto Kyoko was so happy that she almost cried!

A good comic?

A good series?

I’ve finally gotten one after waiting for so long!