Japanese manga fans weren't particularly demanding. They didn't expect the first chapter of a manga to be exceptionally groundbreaking or unforgettable.
In fact, most wildly popular series started off rather unremarkable.
So, even though the pacing of Tonight's first chapter was slow, new fans who had come from 5 Centimeters Per Second didn't mind at all. After all, 5 Centimeters Per Second had an even slower pace.
By evening, Rei's account comment section was flooded with new and veteran manga readers.
"So, this manga is told in reverse chronological order?"
"It seems that way. At least we know Hino Maori's amnesia will eventually improve, and her memories won't keep disappearing. But the memories she's already lost won't return; she can only learn about them through the notes in her notebook. The truth is, Hino Maori has completely forgotten Kamiya Toru."
"Why would Izumi do this? Is she a villain?"
"She doesn't seem like one. Maybe she has her reasons?"
"Could it be that Kamiya Toru is a jerk? Did he break Hino Maori's heart, and her friend couldn't bear to see her remember it, so she took the notebook without permission?"
"Hmm, that's possible! But Shirogane Sensei's art style is amazing, and Kamiya Toru is drawn so beautifully, right up my alley. If he turns out to be a jerk, I'll be so disappointed."
"After reading the first chapter, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. It doesn't seem like it'll be as brutally depressing as 5 Centimeters Per Second. I already know the male and female leads won't end up together, so no matter how the story unfolds, I won't get too emotionally invested."
"Exactly! Knowing they won't end up together from the start, I won't get too attached to Hino Maori and Kamiya Toru's romance. Shirogane Sensei can draw whatever he wants—my heart won't waver. Lazy Fish Reads Books - Latest Updates - Most Complete"
"Heh, such youthful naivety. Thinking knowing the ending will shield you from the emotional impact of the journey is so adorable."
"All in all, the first chapter of Tonight was great! I'll definitely keep reading. I wonder if Shirogane Sensei ever checks these forums? Remember to make the future chapters sweeter!"
Late at night, Rei sat at home, browsing fan comments about his manga on his newly purchased computer.
Though he wasn't yet a household name in the Japanese manga world, a significant number of readers had followed his new work from Sakura Weekly to Ametsukage Weekly.
"They seem quite optimistic," Rei murmured, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he watched the comments scroll by.
In truth, Rei had already hinted at far too much information in the very first chapter of the manga.
In the original Past Life Tonight, the male protagonist's mother's death due to a hereditary illness was only vaguely mentioned. Yet Rei had blatantly revealed this crucial detail in the first chapter.
However, few Japanese readers had picked up on this subtle clue.
Simply put, different worlds meant different ways of thinking.
Regardless, he had made the hint clear enough. If the fans hadn't guessed it themselves, that was their problem, not his.
Shutting down his computer, Rei walked into the living room and glanced at the half-finished manga draft on the table.
For serialized manga, each week's storyboard had to be submitted to the Editorial Department for review. The editors would offer creative suggestions based on market trends and ensure the author avoided sensitive topics or plot holes.
Thus, Rei had to draw these unnecessary storyboards every week for Misaki to review. His afternoon visit to Miyu's house had been for this very purpose.
It wasn't just the manga readers who were feeling optimistic; even Misaki, the manga editor, shared the sentiment.
Rei recalled Misaki's comment after reviewing the storyboards for Chapter 7 that afternoon:
"Rei, this manga has the potential to become the pinnacle of pure romance in Sky Shadow Weekly!"
After all, this chapter featured one of the most emotionally resonant scenes from the original work: the male and female leads watching fireworks together.
The pinnacle of pure romance?
Rei shook his head, his expression peculiar.
The first seven chapters had indeed been pure romance.
But starting with Chapter 8, everything would change.
The next morning, Misaki drove to the Hoshimori Publishing Group's Editorial Department.
Although it was Saturday and many employees were off work, several departments were operating on adjusted schedules.
For example, the Editorial Department's statistics team.
Hoshimori's Editorial Department occupied an entire floor of the office building, managing a vast array of magazines and periodicals.
In reality, many editors were responsible for two or three publications simultaneously.
However, with the completion of the Tale of Sorrow manga, Misaki's recent focus had shifted to working closely with the editorial team of Ametsukage Weekly.
Upon arriving at the office, she immediately headed straight for the statistics team's office.
The other editors at Ametsukage Weekly patiently waited at home for the statistics team to compile the data.
The office sent them the results, but Misaki had no patience to wait today.
This was her first time participating in the editorial process for Ametsukage Weekly, and it was also the first time her manga's ranking in the magazine would be revealed.
For this inaugural occasion, she insisted on waiting outside the statistics department to receive the results in person.
"You could have just waited at home for us to send you the results. Why bother coming all the way here on the weekend?" a familiar member of the statistics team said with a smile as he handed her a sheet of paper.
"I won't do this next week," Misaki replied softly. "But since this is the first time, I thought it would be better to be here in person to wait for the results."
With that, she took a deep breath, grabbed the paper, and sat down on a nearby chair.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Though she knew it was unlikely, she still worried that her manga's first chapter might rank last in the reader poll.
The Hoshimori Publishing Group had a strict policy across all its magazines: any manga that consistently ranked last in reader polls would be immediately canceled.
It wasn't uncommon for new manga to be axed after just a few weeks of serialization if their popularity failed to gain traction within the first two or three months.
Misaki unfolded the still-warm, freshly printed sheet.
Among the sixteen manga series serialized in Ametsukage Weekly, the top-ranked title was a detective series centered around intellectual battles.
Maze Detective Agency had already surpassed ten thousand votes in online fan polls alone.
If Misaki remembered correctly, this manga had been serialized for two years, with each volume selling over a million copies—approximately 1.4 million per volume.
The second-ranked manga was another romance title, Youthful Beat, written and serialized by the renowned female mangaka Guo Yeyun for about six months.
Romance manga typically have shorter runs; few series last more than a year or two.
After all, if the male and female leads take too long to confess their feelings, fans will criticize the plot for dragging on. Once they finally confess, the series' appeal often plummets.
This manga was also nearing its conclusion, but its performance remained stable, with each volume selling just over a million copies and fan votes exceeding ten thousand.
The third-ranked work paled in comparison to the top two. The Headless Ghost, a horror manga, appealed only to fans of the grotesque.
Clearly, this genre had a much smaller audience.
The manga's average volume sales hovered around 700,000, and its fan votes barely exceeded 7,000.
Misaki continued reading.
Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears from the World! ranked eighth in popularity.
Its total fan votes stood at 5,463.