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Inside a high-end private club in the heart of Tokyo, Haruto once again met with Katashi, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Prime Manga, by invitation.
Haruto's popularity in the industry needed no elaboration. It had only been two months since April, and the heat surrounding his sixth-place ranking at the Naoki Awards had not dissipated in the slightest. Millions of light novel fans across were still holding their breath, waiting for him to announce a new series.
Furthermore, the quality of the first few chapters of Initial D was beyond reproach. Haruto's track record in light novels had already proven to the Prime Manga editorial board that his ability to control pacing and long-term plot development was top-tier. To this day, none of his works had suffered from a late-game collapse, which was an incredibly rare feat.
Consequently, after Katashi had relayed the information that Haruto intended to collaborate with an unknown but talented female artist to submit to Prime Manga, the editorial board had convened three emergency meetings to discuss the matter.
"So, Takahashi-sensei, here is the situation. Our editorial board unanimously supports your submission for Initial D. Although you have never officially created a manga before, we are willing to break precedent. We are offering you a serialization slot in our flagship weekly magazine, Weekly Prime, which boasts our highest circulation," Katashi said with a confident smile.
"Eh?" Haruto blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Just... just like that? It's that simple?" He hesitated, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
Weekly Prime was one of the Big Four manga magazines.
It featured only twenty-two fixed serialization slots and maintained a staggering weekly circulation of eleven million copies nationwide. In terms of scale, sales, and cultural influence, it was a titan on par with the flagship Azure Kiyozawa magazine.
When Haruto first tried to get serialized in Kiyozawa, he had to navigate a labyrinth of obstacles and prove himself repeatedly. Yet here, with a magazine of equal prestige, the doors were swinging open almost effortlessly. It felt a bit too smooth.
"You're probably wondering why we agreed to put Initial D directly into Weekly Prime instead of testing the waters in our secondary magazine, Voyage," Katashi said, chuckling.
There were, of course, very specific reasons.
Prime Manga did not lack for talented artists, and slots in a powerhouse like Weekly Prime were fiercely contested by every professional mangaka.
Beyond the fact that the first three chapters of Initial D had received a near-perfect score from forty-nine senior editors in a blind review, there was another pivotal factor at play.
"You might not be fully aware of certain trends within the current manga industry," Katashi said, clearing his throat. "There are nine major manga publishers in Japan, but the market is dominated by the Big Four: Rising Shonen, Ultra Comic, Prime, and Next Jump."
"We are the only four with weekly magazines that break the ten-million circulation mark. Much like the light novel industry, having a flagship of that caliber is what defines a top-tier publisher."
Haruto nodded in understanding.
"However, over the last two years, the entire subculture scene, both novels and manga, has shifted toward a specific trend," Katashi paused before continuing. "Idolization."
"Modern readers don't just care about the quality of the work anymore. They are obsessed with the creator's image, their looks, their personality, their talent, and even their educational background."
"Prime has traditionally been ranked second among the Big Four, but recently, we've fallen to last place in terms of social media engagement and trending topics. This is because we've stuck to the old-school philosophy that a manga should stand on its own merits. We believed the story was the only thing that mattered, not online marketing. But the reality of the market has turned out differently than we imagined," Katashi explained.
"Take Nagi from Rising Shonen, for example. He's twenty-seven, and his work in their flagship magazine usually hovers around the middle of the rankings. But because he's great at marketing, has decent looks, and stays active on social media, his fanbase is incredibly vocal. His personal brand has single-handedly driven the prestige and influence of Weekly Shonen to new heights."
Haruto finally grasped Katashi's underlying point. If a masterpiece was created by a beautiful girl or a handsome young man, it provided an immense boost to the promotional efforts for both the work and the magazine itself. Haruto's looks might be considered above average in the entertainment industry, but in the world of manga and light novels, he was a superstar. Combined with his existing fame, Prime Manga wanted to use him to replicate the Idol Mangaka success story.
Furthermore, Initial D was genuinely high-quality. Even without the marketing angle, the work had enough raw power to earn a spot in Weekly Prime.
"I actually agree with your company's traditional philosophy," Haruto said, shaking his head slightly. "The most important thing for a manga is that it's good to read. Turning manga authors into internet idols usually feels a bit hollow."
"Of course, I feel the same way. But the executives see the profits other companies are making and want a piece of that action. We simply have to follow orders, don't we?" Katashi replied with a smile. "It's just an experiment. Besides, you have the looks and the talent. You can eat on your skill alone, that's undeniable, but that doesn't conflict with using the company's resources to manage your image and attract a broader fanbase."
Haruto fell into a brief silence. 'Whatever,' he thought. No matter what Prime's ultimate motive was, he wasn't the one losing out in this deal.
Katashi watched Haruto's expression and correctly guessed his thoughts. He then moved on to the specific terms of the partnership. Since Haruto was a rare talent successfully straddling both the light novel and manga industries, Prime Manga knew it was impossible to tie him down with a restrictive, long-term exclusive contract. Haruto wasn't a naive rookie; he had the leverage to negotiate with giants.
The contract would be specifically for Initial D. However, the most important clause stipulated that Haruto would have to cooperate with Prime's promotional campaigns, which included public appearances and media segments. Essentially, Prime Manga was preparing to turn Haruto into the Face of Prime Manga. This designated spokesperson didn't necessarily need to have the highest-ranked series, but they absolutely had to have the right image.
Since Haruto was part of a duo with Shizuru, she would also need to sign, though the partnership would clearly be marketed with Haruto as the creative lead. Haruto had no objections to these terms, and Shizuru, once she confirmed there were no hidden traps in the paperwork, deferred entirely to his judgment.
"You both are as decisive as I had hoped. Today was just to confirm the preliminary terms. In one week, I will have the formal contracts finalized. At that time, I would like to invite you both to our headquarters for the official signing ceremony. We will handle all the arrangements."
"A signing..." Shizuru's eyes widened as she repeated the word.
"...ceremony?" Haruto finished the sentence for her. "We're just signing a contract. Why do we need a whole event?" Both of them looked utterly bewildered.
"But of course! Takahashi-sensei, you were sixth in last year's Naoki Awards."
"You are an author of three consecutive hits, Anohana, To the Moon, and Parasyte, each with average sales exceeding five million copies. There is no way our partnership can happen in total silence."
"As I mentioned, the publisher intends to heavily promote your duo. This promotion starts the moment the pen touches the paper. We aren't just holding an event; we're inviting the mainstream manga media for a live-streamed broadcast."
Haruto and Shizuru exchanged a look, neither of them quite knowing how to respond. Haruto had risen to fame so quickly that he still lacked a clear perspective on his own standing in the industry.
He often thought.
Sixth place in the Naoki Awards? That's just sixth place.
But in reality, breaking into the top twenty of the Naoki Awards made one a titan of the literary world, a truly popular novelist. His status was directly comparable to the top-tier mangaka who consistently ranked in the top seven of the flagship magazines.
"Well... if that's the case, then alright," Haruto said, glancing at Shizuru before nodding.
The meeting between the three of them concluded shortly thereafter.