He carefully took out another stack of manuscripts from his bag; the edges of the paper were slightly curled, indicating they were frequently looked through.
Takuya curiously leaned closer.
On the manuscripts were several young men dressed in strange armor.
Some armor covered the entire body, with complex and ornate designs corresponding to the constellations in the night sky; other young men posed in highly dynamic combat stances, with an invisible energy seemingly surging around their bodies.
Pegasus, Dragon, Cygnus, Andromeda, Phoenix…
Takuya's heart skipped a beat.
This was… early original artwork for saint seiya!
"This is a new story I've been conceiving recently."
Caruda Teacher's voice carried an irrepressible excitement, and a hint of anticipation for approval.
"I want to depict a group of young men who fight to protect a goddess; they can burn the energy within their bodies, called 'Cosmo,' and fight wearing 'Cloth' based on constellations."
He looked at Takuya, his eyes burning.
"What you said before, about 'the essence of power,' and how to 'visualize' abstract will and energy, gave me tremendous inspiration!"
"I thought, perhaps it could be expressed through this form of 'Cloth' and 'Cosmo explosion.'"
Takuya looked at these slightly unrefined, yet already containing the future magnificent momentum, original drafts before him, his heart filled with excitement.
He was actually witnessing the birth of this phenomenal work with his own eyes!
"Caruda Teacher, this concept… is amazing!"
Takuya did not stint on his praise, "The creativity is truly boundless! It perfectly combines trendy constellations, ancient myths, and youthful passion. The design of this 'Cloth' is even more imaginative, with extremely strong visual impact!"
Caruda Teacher's face broke into a wide smile upon hearing such direct affirmation.
Takuya changed the subject, his tone becoming sincere and serious.
"However, teacher, if I may be frank…" He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, his gaze returning to those powerful saint seiya manuscripts, with appreciation in his eyes, but also a hint of hesitation. Ooba Jutarou next to him also pricked up his ears; he felt Takuya was about to say something different.
Takuya carefully chose his words, trying to make his comments sound like a discussion rather than a judgment: "Your art style and combat scenes are undoubtedly top-notch, full of passion and impact, there's no doubt about that. Every time I read your work, I can feel that kind of visceral excitement."
He first affirmed, giving enough respect, and then carefully transitioned to the main point: "But based on my personal shallow understanding and observation, your previous works, including… well, Otoko Zaka, in terms of plot progression, seem to easily fall into a… a rather fixed pattern?"
He secretly glanced at Caruda Teacher; sure enough, the excited smile on his face had faded a bit, and while he didn't immediately show displeasure, the light in his eyes clearly dimmed.
Takuya steeled himself and continued, since he had already said so much, he couldn't give up halfway: "It's just… the protagonist team always seems to be constantly challenging one stronger enemy after another, improving their strength through battle. This itself is very exciting, very much in line with the mainstream of shonen manga."
"But," he slightly emphasized his tone, trying to highlight the upcoming point, "sometimes, in order to make the battle proceed smoothly, or to make the enemy appear strong enough, the motivations and logical behaviors of some characters give people the feeling… hmm… might they seem a bit… thin? Or, sometimes the shifts in character stances and attitudes lack a bit of natural buildup?"
He was referring to the indeed existing "level-up through monster-hunting" trope in Caruda Teacher's works, and the problem of insufficient buildup when some characters, especially villains, were redeemed or their stances changed repeatedly, making it seem a bit forced. This wasn't a fatal flaw in fast-paced shonen manga, but it was indeed an area for improvement.
The smile on Caruda Teacher's face completely disappeared, and his brow unconsciously furrowed. He didn't refute, nor did he defend himself, but simply lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edges of the saint seiya manuscripts.
Takuya's words, like a fine needle, precisely pricked a hidden corner in his heart, that secret pain about the disastrous end of Otoko Zaka. He had poured immense effort into that work, yet it had suffered an unprecedented failure, and criticisms about the plot being formulaic and character development not being rich enough were indeed present in reader feedback. However, hearing it from such a young "outsider" who had just given him great inspiration in visual presentation felt particularly complex.
He remained silent, and for a moment, only the faint rustling of paper could be heard in the meeting room. Ooba Jutarou watched this scene, secretly admiring Takuya's courage, and also somewhat worried if he would anger Caruda Teacher.
Takuya looked at Caruda Teacher's reaction, feeling a bit nervous himself, but still added: "teacher, I mean no disrespect. I just feel that the idea of combining constellations, mythology, and passion is truly amazing. The world-view is grand, the setting is novel; if the plot and character development can also reach the same height, then it will definitely be a groundbreaking work!" He brought the topic back to the new work, emphasizing that this was to make this infinitely potential work even more perfect.
Caruda Teacher slowly raised his head, looking at Takuya with complex eyes. He wasn't angry; rather, it was more of a self-reflection and contemplation after being enlightened. He recalled his own creative struggles, and the bottlenecks that editors had pointed out but he himself found difficult to break through.
"What you said… has some truth to it." Caruda Teacher finally spoke, his voice slightly low, but not containing anger, "Formulation, character motivation…" He repeated these words, as if savoring their meaning.
"You have an undeniable talent for depicting ultimate passionate battles."
Takuya continued, his tone filled with respect.
"But to construct a grander, more complex, and truly enduring world, perhaps you could try to draw nourishment from broader cultural backgrounds."
"For example, since you've used the concepts of constellations and goddesses, you could delve deeper into the original texts of Greek mythology, as well as Norse mythology, Egyptian mythology, and so on, to understand the inherent logic of those mythologies, character relationships, tragic core…"
"Let the story have deeper substance, and let the characters' motivations and shifts in stance be logical, stemming from their own personalities, experiences, and the mythological environment they are in."
"Only when the characters truly 'come alive' can their struggles, beliefs, and sacrifices truly move people's hearts. Only then can such a story transcend mere combat and become a classic."
The meeting room fell silent.
Caruda Teacher did not speak for a long time. He looked down at his manuscripts, then looked up at Takuya, his eyes complex.
He wasn't angry; instead, he saw sincerity and profound insight in Takuya's eyes.
This young man truly understood creation and pointed out his potential shortcomings with precision.
"I understand."
After a long pause, Caruda Teacher nodded solemnly, his gaze toward Takuya filled with admiration and gratitude.
"Nakayama-san, thank you."
"Once I'm done with fatal fury here, I will definitely take your advice, go to Europe, thoroughly research those myths, and re-polish my story."
He seemed to have made a certain decision, and the light in his eyes rekindled.
A weight lifted from Takuya's heart, and at the same time, he was filled with anticipation.
How much more brilliantly would saint seiya, whose wings had been flapped by his tiny butterfly, shine in the future?
Takuya looked at the two highly motivated masters beside him and felt that Sega's first cross-industry step seemed even more stable than expected, and even… yielded unexpected surprises.
His relationship with Ooba Jutarou and Caruda Teacher seemed to have already surpassed a simple client-vendor dynamic.
A trust and resonance based on a common creative goal were quietly growing.