The table was covered with a thousand sketches, all tied to one familiar face. The first would be the original 1998 series: Death Note, a notebook capable of stirring anything related to crime, suspense, and unforgettable villains in the eyes of the audience. With the official ending of the Van Helsing comic, and a small divergence from Fullmetal Alchemist, which had been delivered up to chapter 90, three different versions in alternate timelines were being presented—one of which would become a full-fledged film, while the others would continue their normal path.
—It's still astonishing. —whispered Raimon as he read the first chapter of Death Note. Billy had used the city of Chicago to give the characters a weighty foundation—shaping their temperament, defining their personalities, and crafting the villains. This time, he dove into the protagonist's childhood while expanding the series, avoiding the pitfalls of the original, playing with numerous elements that had not been fully explored and had once failed. The forced rush of the original author, pressured into exporting the series, had dropped the supreme narrative level by two full steps. Many aspects were incredibly meticulous—from the characters' behavior to L's discovery of Kira through an isolated, razor-precise accident, almost sketched straight out of a manga. But in reality, nothing was left unexplained except the genius itself—an almost impossible portrayal. If it had been possible, L would have caught him in under ten seconds. Billy refined every detail, crafting a monstrous-level masterpiece comparable to Real, where characters seem to come alive through the quality of the artwork, while he raised everything to the highest possible standard.
The author never let go of a certain naivety while describing these events, which is why—relying on his own funds—he hired two criminology experts, two detectives, to help polish the plot with obsessive precision and brutal honesty. He clarified the differences in technology and narrative structure, all neatly boxed in, while embracing the descent into madness that overtook Kira as he proclaimed himself a god. And he pushed the impact further—delving into the families of criminals seeking him out for killing their children, the cult of Kira, the government, the fear of the powerful, the collapse of public order, and countless other layers that enriched the world, pushing every character to the limit.
In a country where everything seemed on the brink of madness, anarchy became the focal point. And in a different way, the cat-and-mouse dynamic sharpened into a more cohesive narrative—because these variables extended the writing process but also created a suffocating anticipation about what the results would be.
—I really love this one. I almost feel like you created something haunting. —said Raimon, vividly struck by the image of death—much darker, infused with a mysticism rooted in religious culture, crafted with grotesque shapes that brought the being known as Ryuk to life in full horror.
—Well, that's all of it. Five hundred pages in six hours. —Billy replied, holding chapter six in his hands, while he waited for another series to pass through the hands of fans eagerly awaiting the ones on hiatus—like the revived Shaman King and Samurai X, two series he had stopped writing just over two years ago and was now returning to, determined to finish once and for all.
—My eyes hurt a bit. But come on, I think in the next five years there will be a true mob wanting to know the ending of every one of your series. —Raimon answered, glancing sideways at the Slam Dunk project. Sakuragi was no longer the rookie in high school—he was now the rookie in the NBA, drafted and facing real major-league players. Fortunately for Billy, they had lent enough time to bring their likenesses to life. In total, 24 NBA teams had allowed the use of their logos, and nearly 90 players had approved their portrayal in the basketball series that blended real NBA history with Slam Dunk—capturing basketball from the late '70s through the Jordan era, which was now complete. Jordan approved on the condition that he be depicted as the best in the entire series. It was written, and he would be compensated with ten of Billy's original manuscripts. Magic Johnson asked for eleven, and Larry Bird asked for money. Coaches joined in. It became a massive marketing effort to promote basketball worldwide.
—I'd like to see that one. —Raimon said, looking at the black notebook with the notes on the creation process.
—What do you think of Death Note? —Billy asked.
—Raw. Chicago is without a doubt a brilliant choice—the panels feel almost cinematic. —Raimon replied.
—Well, I tried to make every shot intense. —Billy said, fully aware that even when he wanted to do more, all he could do was draw and wait for the criticism at the end of the day.
—Visceral. It has so many details that I think I need a magnifying glass just to form a proper opinion. —Raimon answered, eager to look at Slam Dunk.
—It's like Real. —
Well, it's a bit harder to predict, but honestly every character is in for a surprise. Because it won't be what they expect. Sakuragi entered the NBA in '79 at age twenty, without attending college because he lacked sponsorships and financial support, while his rival Kaede rose as the star of the university circuit and entered the Draft. It's only a small push—but it means everything.
—That one has a different kind of complexity. —Billy replied, almost savoring the idea of portraying the NBA so vividly, while the story delivered the harsh truth of not being a god—not being the best. But of course, it was always satisfying to watch someone work tirelessly and break their own limits.
—Well, I'm just saying it will require a lot of work, and I think it'll end up with just under a hundred chapters. —Billy sighed, fully aware of how hard it was to make people overlook image rights issues.
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