Shueisha.
Editorial Department.
Chizuru Asuka raised an eyebrow when she heard the voice coming through the other end of the call with Kotomi Izumi.
She had a good relationship with Kotomi Izumi, but upon closer thought, Kotomi had never spoken to her this way before. She had always been unfailingly polite.
Chizuru Asuka was not put off by Kotomi's teasing tone. Had it been anyone else, she certainly would have been. Serious by nature, she disliked frivolous personalities regardless of whether they belonged to men or women. Strangely, however, Kotomi's teasing, almost flippant tone did not bother her in the slightest.
Is it because Kotomi is so cute and sweet, completely harmless and innocent?
Chizuru Asuka thought for a moment before continuing:
"I'm very happy to receive your invitation, Izumi-sensei. However, Chainsaw Man has already entered the intellectual property development stage, so the editorial department is extremely busy right now. I worked overtime until three in the morning yesterday, slept for a few hours in the company lounge, and then went straight back to work. I was planning to order delivery for lunch today. Why don't we have a celebratory meal together once the intellectual property development process reaches a stable stage?"
"No wonder you sound a little weak, Editor Asuka. You need to get some rest. No matter how devoted you are to your work, it means nothing without a healthy body."
"Mm, I will. Thank you for your concern, Izumi-sensei," Chizuru Asuka said gratefully.
"Wait a moment..."
Only then did Kotomi Izumi suddenly realize that Chizuru Asuka had mentioned some good news.
—Chainsaw Man had entered the intellectual property development stage?!
"Um, Editor Asuka, I think I just heard you say that Chainsaw Man has entered the intellectual property development stage. Is that true?" Kotomi Izumi hurriedly asked.
"Izumi-sensei, how did it take you this long to notice?"
Chizuru Asuka could not help laughing before explaining:
"Any manga that receives the opportunity to publish collected volumes through Shueisha is generally placed on the list for intellectual property development. If its sales figures are promising, Shueisha will proceed step by step with various adaptations and promotional campaigns.
"The most basic step is producing merchandise to gauge readers' willingness to spend. At the same time, we search video platforms for popular manga-focused content creators with large, highly active audiences and commission them to create explanation and recommendation videos for the work. That helps it reach audiences beyond its original circle.
"If the results are satisfactory, we'll invite creators from various fields to produce transformative videos based on jokes, memes, and other material from the work. Of course, we'll have them disguise the promotional nature in advance so the videos show no sign of being advertisements. When viewers first see them, they'll simply assume the creators were moved by the work and voluntarily made recommendation or transformative videos about it.
"The work's fans will also believe that the series must be exceptionally good to attract so many creators competing to make videos about it, unaware that most of those videos are actually commercial promotions.
"All in all, it is a mutually beneficial method."
Kotomi Izumi immediately understood.
"So that's how it works. I always wondered why, during certain periods, transformative videos about particular manga, novels, or games would suddenly flood video platforms. I used to think a large number of video creators had simply been drawn to those works. It turns out publishers and game companies were pushing them from behind the scenes."
"Exactly. Of course, even when we're paying to drive promotion, we'll only hire highly popular creators. Once they produce their videos, we'll sign partnership agreements with the platforms and have those platforms promote the videos virally. The goal is to make sure users see an enormous number of transformative videos about the work the moment they open the app or website, flooding their screens over and over again.
"At the same time, we keep pushing the transformative and recommendation videos onto the trending rankings. A few hundred thousand views merely meets the minimum requirement. What we truly want is several million, or even tens of millions.
"This does more than promote the work. It also conditions the other creators on the platform. By making video after video explode in popularity, we subtly implant a message into every creator's mind: 'Do you want your videos to become popular? Then make recommendation videos, character cosplay, or transformative content about this manga.'
"When that happens, creators who want their own videos to become popular will willingly produce all kinds of related content without asking us for a single yen. That allows us to gain even greater publicity without spending much more money.
"Shueisha isn't the only company that uses this method. Nearly every manga publisher, light novel imprint, game company, and manga company does the same thing. Video platforms are also more than happy to participate."
"That really is an excellent method."
Kotomi Izumi sighed in admiration and silently committed the approach to memory. She planned to use it when her game company, Type-Moon Realm, released its first game.
Alternatively, she could make suitable improvements to the method before employing it.
After hearing Kotomi Izumi's response, Chizuru Asuka sounded somewhat surprised.
"Huh, this really is unusual. Many manga artists consider this method too dishonest when they first hear about it, so most of them dislike this approach to intellectual property development. Before calling you, Izumi-sensei, I had already prepared myself to persuade you properly. I never expected you to accept it immediately. Phew... What a relief. I had already prepared a mountain of arguments."
"Don't you feel disappointed that you prepared so many arguments and never got to use them, Editor Asuka?"
Kotomi Izumi made a half-joking remark before continuing and expressing her opinion:
"Whether they draw manga or write novels, creators tend to have a certain romantic idealism. It's perfectly normal for them to dislike this kind of promotional strategy. Personally, though, I don't feel particularly strongly about it. Whether I'm writing novels or drawing manga, my primary goals are to make money and increase my fame. Since there's a low-risk method that can rapidly improve my reputation and income, why would I refuse?"
"You're a clever person, Izumi-sensei," Chizuru Asuka said with emotion.
"There is only one true disease in this world, and that is poverty. I know what it feels like to be poor. On your birthday, you may have no cake, no celebration, and no gifts. All you can do is cook yourself an ordinary bowl of noodles and pretend they're longevity noodles. Even while cooking them, you have to watch carefully and make sure you don't use too many because you need to save some for the next meal. You might even spend ages agonizing over whether you can afford to add an egg. That's why I absolutely must stay far away from poverty..."
Even if I have to use any means necessary!
Kotomi Izumi silently added the final sentence. Whenever she remembered the poverty of her second life, she felt compelled to find every possible way to earn money through her creative work, even though someone of her current status no longer needed to worry about money.
How could the granddaughter of a conglomerate family ever need to worry about not having enough money to spend?
Even without earning money through her creative work, the monthly allowance Kotomi Izumi received from her parents was enough for her to indulge herself and buy whatever she pleased.
Her love of earning money, and her desire to make a fortune through her own efforts, was more like an attempt to satisfy the obsession with money that had remained from her second life.
"Once you truly become famous, Izumi-sensei, an interview about your journey as a creator should be very inspiring."
Chizuru Asuka knew nothing about Kotomi Izumi's family background. After all, she was merely an ordinary office worker who frequently worked overtime. How could she possibly know that Yakken Izumi, head of Japan's most powerful conglomerate family, had a granddaughter named Kotomi Izumi?
Furthermore, Kotomi Izumi's words easily brought to mind an inspirational young girl from an impoverished family who believed that following the conventional path of studying hard and finding a good job would never truly change her fate, so she had decided to use her creative talent to earn money and transform her life.
When she remembered that Kotomi Izumi was only sixteen years old, Chizuru Asuka became even more convinced that her guess was correct.
Sacrificing one's studies for creative work was not something worth encouraging. That was precisely why every editor, when confronted by an underage boy or girl who wanted to become a novelist or manga artist, would first advise them to focus on school and wait until after graduating from high school and reaching adulthood before considering a creative career.
In fact, had Chainsaw Man not possessed exceptionally high-quality artwork and storytelling, Chizuru Asuka would not have planned to sign a contract with Kotomi Izumi after learning that she was only sixteen.
Looking back now, she was fortunate to have signed Kotomi Izumi. Not only had she discovered a manga artist with tremendous potential, but her decision to approve the contract had also allowed Kotomi to earn money through her creative work.
Izumi-sensei's words must mean her family is desperately short of money, right? Sigh... But my monthly salary is so low that it doesn't even compare to her manuscript fees. There's only one way I can help her. I have to make Chainsaw Man famous as quickly as possible, ensure that its anime adaptation and every other project becomes a massive success, and make its manga sales rise higher and higher.
Chizuru Asuka thought to herself and made a firm decision. She would help Izumi-sensei earn a fortune through manga as quickly as possible!
After making up her mind, Chizuru Asuka spoke in an exceptionally resolute voice:
"Izumi-sensei!"
"Huh? I'm here!"
Kotomi Izumi instinctively shrank back, unable to understand why Chizuru Asuka's tone had suddenly changed. Is she about to start chasing me for the manuscript?!
The moment she realized that possibility, Kotomi Izumi's mind began racing as she tried to devise an exceptionally convincing excuse for missing the deadline.
However, Chizuru Asuka's next words left Kotomi completely bewildered.
"Izumi-sensei, although it isn't really possible to make a fortune from manga quickly, since even a cultural phenomenon needs time to build momentum, I promise that I will seek out every opportunity to expand your reputation. Within the limits of my authority, I will provide you with the best treatment and promotional opportunities possible, helping you become a bestselling manga artist as quickly as possible! Let's do our best together!
"So... should you ever face financial difficulties, you can tell me. I will definitely help you. I've been an editor for many years, after all, so I do have some savings.
"If you ever encounter an emergency and desperately need money, you must never lose your head, drop out of school, and take some dangerous job!"
Kotomi Izumi had only one reaction as she listened to Chizuru Asuka's earnest, painstaking advice—
Kotomi Izumi: ?????...?
One tiny question mark after another appeared above her head, circling it like an angel's halo.
This was the first time Kotomi Izumi had ever produced so many question marks.
Although she had no idea what Chizuru Asuka meant, Kotomi felt that the editor might have misunderstood something.
Still, the first half of Chizuru Asuka's speech left Kotomi both delighted and somewhat confused.
She was delighted because Chizuru Asuka was willing to provide her with the best promotional placements and creative terms available. Although Chizuru had specified that this would only be within the limits of her authority, the fact that she had said it at all meant Kotomi would no longer need to worry about publicity. She only needed to concentrate on drawing the manga well.
Yet she was also somewhat confused because—wasn't Chizuru Asuka treating her a little too well?
Until now, Kotomi Izumi and Chizuru Asuka had always interacted politely. Although their relationship was good, they had never grown particularly close.
Could it be because Editor Asuka really liked the gift I gave her during my last trip to Kyoto? Kotomi Izumi thought, wondering why Chizuru Asuka had suddenly begun treating her so well.
All of a sudden, Kotomi Izumi thought of another possibility.
D-Don't tell me Editor Asuka wants to pursue me and make me her girlfriend?!
At that thought, Kotomi Izumi's cheeks gradually turned red. Although Chizuru Asuka was beautiful and had an excellent figure, Kotomi had genuinely never imagined anything happening between them before.
At least, she truly had never considered it previously. It was not because Kotomi Izumi had no interest in Chizuru Asuka, but because... there were simply far too many beautiful girls who interested Kotomi. She was already overwhelmed, so Chizuru Asuka had accidentally escaped most of her attention.
Now that this possibility had occurred to her, Chizuru Asuka's face surfaced in Kotomi Izumi's mind. Kotomi tried to stop thinking about her, but the image refused to disappear.
At that moment, Kotomi's mind was filled with a single thought—Could Editor Asuka really be trying to pursue me? Why else would she treat me so well? It's true that an editor receives a bonus after one of their authors becomes famous, but I'm not fully famous yet. There's no need for her to invest so many resources in me. The collected volume hasn't even been released, so no one knows how well Chainsaw Man will sell.
After thinking for a long time, Kotomi Izumi only felt her mind growing increasingly confused. Unable to reach any definite conclusion, she could only say:
"I-I understand. Thank you, Editor Asuka. You're suddenly treating me so well that I feel a little ashamed."
After speaking, Kotomi Izumi gave an embarrassed laugh.
"Why would you feel ashamed?" Chizuru Asuka immediately became nervous upon hearing this. She assumed Kotomi Izumi had already encountered an urgent financial crisis, dropped out of school, and taken some dangerous job.
"B-Because... I still haven't finished the manuscript for Chapter Eight of Chainsaw Man," Kotomi Izumi admitted with profound embarrassment.
"Huh?"
Chizuru Asuka was momentarily unable to process what she had heard. She had assumed Kotomi dropped out because her family lacked money. She never expected the problem to be nothing more than an unfinished manuscript for Chapter Eight.
After glancing at the date displayed on her phone, Chizuru Asuka finally realized that the deadline was already approaching. If Kotomi Izumi still had not finished the manuscript for Chapter Eight, there was no point struggling any longer. This week's installment could only be delayed until the next issue.
No wonder Kotomi Izumi had said she felt ashamed...
As an editor, Chizuru Asuka should have felt angry upon learning that the manga artist under her supervision was about to miss a deadline.
Yet at that very moment, when she learned that Kotomi Izumi merely felt ashamed because she had not finished the manuscript, Chizuru Asuka breathed a long sigh of relief.
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