Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 7/12
Jul. 12th, 2010 10:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. better than television?
Fumie was cleaning Aiko's shoes in the garden, humming "there's no place like home." A voice behind her said, "It sure is hot today. Could I get a glass of water?"
Fumie turned and looked. Toyokawa stood there, with his briefcase, a bundle, and his jacket in one arm. He had his shirtsleeves rolled up, and wiped at his face with a handkerchief. His tie was still tied, although it was a bit rumpled. He smiled at Fumie.
Fumie remembered him asking Shigeru to draw for Shonen Land, and Shigeru turning him down. But she stood and invited him inside.
In the kitchen, Fumie filled a glass of water. Aiko was playing with her blocks. Toyokawa took the glass, thanked her, then chugged it down. He closed his eyes and said, "Ah, that's wonderful." Fumie said, "I can get you another glass?"
Shigeru slid the door to his work room open and came into the kitchen. Toyokawa nodded and said, "Sensei. I'm Toyokawa, of Shonen Land. I'm sorry to interrupt your work, but I have another offer for you today. A better one, I think."
The two men went into the work room and shut the doors.
Aiko was still building with her blocks. When they fell over, she cried out. Fumie picked her up, and said, "Oh, we have to be very quiet. Shigeru is having a very important talk."
Inside the workroom, Shigeru sat in front of his worktable. Toyokawa sat facing him. Toyokawa said, "This time, you have your choice of topics. It's just 32 pages in our next issue, not a series." Shigeru said, "Well..."
Fumie slid the doors open and stepped inside with tea. She set the cups out. Toyokawa picked up his cup, sipped it, then set it down. "There is one important request." Shigeru leaned forward. "I'd like it to be better than TV. More interesting." Toyokawa shook his head. "Everyone is watching TV, and imitating aliens. But I think manga can have more impact. That's what I want you to do." He glanced at Shigeru. "What do you think?"
Shigeru squinted. "I understand. In a week...no, come back and I'll let you know in a week." Toyokawa grinned, and bowed to him. "Thank you. I'll be back in a week, then."
Toyokawa and Shigeru were looking at the ship models on Shigeru's bookshelves. Toyokawa pointed at one and said, "Isn't that the Yamato?" Shigeru said, "Yes. Do you know ships?" Toyokawa shook his head. "No, but looking at models is fascinating." He stopped, pulled out a small notebook, and made a note. Shigeru picked up one of the models. "You should try making one yourself. That's really fascinating." Toyokawa looked at the models and said, "You made these?" Shigeru nodded. Toyokawa said, "Excuse my rudeness, but you made these with one hand?" Shigeru said, "Yes. Oh, Fumie helped me some, but I did almost everything."
Shigeru looked at his desk, and walked over to it. Toyokawa looked at the shelves of scrapbooks, and muttered, "All manga related..." Shigeru sat down. "I'm sorry to hurry you, but I need to do some work." Toyokawa said, "No, no, I understand. Please go ahead." Shigeru picked up his pen, dipped it, and started filling in the details on a panel. Toyokawa peeked over his shoulder. "Sensei, what manga is that?" Shigeru said, "Oh, it's for the smallest publisher in Japan. I do a regular old Japan series for Inui."
Back in the office, Toyokawa laughed at the men in their undershirts. "Can't you keep this like a business?" One man had a bucket of water, and was dipping his bare feet in it. Several men waved fans.
Kajiya waved Toyokawa over to the nearby Girl's Land desks, where he was now working. "Look at these! Aren't they great?" Toyokawa looked at the draft pages. He also said, "You know, we should do a series on models. Get Tanaka from the art department to think about that?" Kajiya said, "Oh, good idea. Shinkansen, trains, rockets... lots of models. So how did it go with Mizuki?" Toyokawa smiled. "I got him. He's going to do a 32 page manga for me." "So what subject did you give him?" Toyokawa shook his head. "I didn't. I let him pick his own subject. All I asked him was to make it more interesting than television." Kajiya said, "Ouch. You really gave him a challenge."
Toyokawa looked thoughtful. "Actually, I think he gives himself challenges. He was drawing a manga, and I looked at it. He was filling in little tiny grass blades around a building. I told him that those details wouldn't show up in print, that no one would see them. What do you think he said?" Kajiya shrugged. "He said I can see them."
Toyokawa shook his head. "That's the kind of work that will make Shonen Land grow. Next month... we'll see how he answers the challenge."
Later in the kitchen, Shigeru, Aiko, and Fumie were eating. Fumie had made croquettes. She looked across the table and said, "It's just like you said, you got another chance and it's a better one." Shigeru smiled, "Yes, but..." Fumie said, "What?" Shigeru shrugged. "I was just trying to remember what he reminded me of. Do you remember that old cat that lives behind the temple?" Fumie said, "The one that has so many fights?" Shigeru nodded. "That's the one. They have the same face." Fumie thought about the two faces, Toyokawa with a slight grin, and the tomcat with eyes grinning... "Now that you mention it, they do, don't they?"
Shigeru chuckled. "I think so. Tomorrow, can you take the draft over to Inui? I'll finish his work this evening." She nodded. "Then tomorrow I'll start thinking about how to answer Shonen Land."
The next day, Fumie sat with Inui and his wife, Sanae. Sanae said, "Shonen Land? He's going to draw for Shonen Land?" Fumie nodded. "I think so." Inui said, "But they only promised him one issue?" Fumie said, "Yes." Inui said, "So they're going to see how well he does, then decide." Fumie said, "This is kind of a test?" Inui said, "I'm sure of it. It's still a great chance, though." Sanae said, "They're a lot bigger." Inui snorted. "Bigger? They have 400,000 readers!" Sanae said, "What? We print 2,000 copies. So they're 200 times as big?" Inui nodded. "They're the biggest publisher in Japan."
Fumie said, "Wow. Thank you for helping me understand." Inui said, "So what subject did they give him?" Fumie said, "It's his choice. Whatever he wants to draw. But they want it to be more interesting than television." Inui frowned. "Oh, that's hard." Fumie said, "What do you mean?" He said, "Well, most people would think getting to choose the subject makes it easier, but really, it makes it harder. And more interesting than television... that's a real challenge."
Inui drummed his fingers on the table for a moment. "Look, if Mizuki sensei wants my advice, tell him to think about how to grab the hearts of 400,000 readers. That's what he needs to do to take advantage of this chance."
Later, Inui was reading one of Shigeru's manga in his magazine. Sanae went to wipe the table, and told him "elbows up." He raised his elbows. He sighed. "It's a really great chance, for Mizuki and for us."
Fumie rode her bicycle up to the house. She stood in the street and looked at it. "400,000 readers? It's a really big chance."
<to be continued>
Fumie was cleaning Aiko's shoes in the garden, humming "there's no place like home." A voice behind her said, "It sure is hot today. Could I get a glass of water?"
Fumie turned and looked. Toyokawa stood there, with his briefcase, a bundle, and his jacket in one arm. He had his shirtsleeves rolled up, and wiped at his face with a handkerchief. His tie was still tied, although it was a bit rumpled. He smiled at Fumie.
Fumie remembered him asking Shigeru to draw for Shonen Land, and Shigeru turning him down. But she stood and invited him inside.
In the kitchen, Fumie filled a glass of water. Aiko was playing with her blocks. Toyokawa took the glass, thanked her, then chugged it down. He closed his eyes and said, "Ah, that's wonderful." Fumie said, "I can get you another glass?"
Shigeru slid the door to his work room open and came into the kitchen. Toyokawa nodded and said, "Sensei. I'm Toyokawa, of Shonen Land. I'm sorry to interrupt your work, but I have another offer for you today. A better one, I think."
The two men went into the work room and shut the doors.
Aiko was still building with her blocks. When they fell over, she cried out. Fumie picked her up, and said, "Oh, we have to be very quiet. Shigeru is having a very important talk."
Inside the workroom, Shigeru sat in front of his worktable. Toyokawa sat facing him. Toyokawa said, "This time, you have your choice of topics. It's just 32 pages in our next issue, not a series." Shigeru said, "Well..."
Fumie slid the doors open and stepped inside with tea. She set the cups out. Toyokawa picked up his cup, sipped it, then set it down. "There is one important request." Shigeru leaned forward. "I'd like it to be better than TV. More interesting." Toyokawa shook his head. "Everyone is watching TV, and imitating aliens. But I think manga can have more impact. That's what I want you to do." He glanced at Shigeru. "What do you think?"
Shigeru squinted. "I understand. In a week...no, come back and I'll let you know in a week." Toyokawa grinned, and bowed to him. "Thank you. I'll be back in a week, then."
Toyokawa and Shigeru were looking at the ship models on Shigeru's bookshelves. Toyokawa pointed at one and said, "Isn't that the Yamato?" Shigeru said, "Yes. Do you know ships?" Toyokawa shook his head. "No, but looking at models is fascinating." He stopped, pulled out a small notebook, and made a note. Shigeru picked up one of the models. "You should try making one yourself. That's really fascinating." Toyokawa looked at the models and said, "You made these?" Shigeru nodded. Toyokawa said, "Excuse my rudeness, but you made these with one hand?" Shigeru said, "Yes. Oh, Fumie helped me some, but I did almost everything."
Shigeru looked at his desk, and walked over to it. Toyokawa looked at the shelves of scrapbooks, and muttered, "All manga related..." Shigeru sat down. "I'm sorry to hurry you, but I need to do some work." Toyokawa said, "No, no, I understand. Please go ahead." Shigeru picked up his pen, dipped it, and started filling in the details on a panel. Toyokawa peeked over his shoulder. "Sensei, what manga is that?" Shigeru said, "Oh, it's for the smallest publisher in Japan. I do a regular old Japan series for Inui."
Back in the office, Toyokawa laughed at the men in their undershirts. "Can't you keep this like a business?" One man had a bucket of water, and was dipping his bare feet in it. Several men waved fans.
Kajiya waved Toyokawa over to the nearby Girl's Land desks, where he was now working. "Look at these! Aren't they great?" Toyokawa looked at the draft pages. He also said, "You know, we should do a series on models. Get Tanaka from the art department to think about that?" Kajiya said, "Oh, good idea. Shinkansen, trains, rockets... lots of models. So how did it go with Mizuki?" Toyokawa smiled. "I got him. He's going to do a 32 page manga for me." "So what subject did you give him?" Toyokawa shook his head. "I didn't. I let him pick his own subject. All I asked him was to make it more interesting than television." Kajiya said, "Ouch. You really gave him a challenge."
Toyokawa looked thoughtful. "Actually, I think he gives himself challenges. He was drawing a manga, and I looked at it. He was filling in little tiny grass blades around a building. I told him that those details wouldn't show up in print, that no one would see them. What do you think he said?" Kajiya shrugged. "He said I can see them."
Toyokawa shook his head. "That's the kind of work that will make Shonen Land grow. Next month... we'll see how he answers the challenge."
Later in the kitchen, Shigeru, Aiko, and Fumie were eating. Fumie had made croquettes. She looked across the table and said, "It's just like you said, you got another chance and it's a better one." Shigeru smiled, "Yes, but..." Fumie said, "What?" Shigeru shrugged. "I was just trying to remember what he reminded me of. Do you remember that old cat that lives behind the temple?" Fumie said, "The one that has so many fights?" Shigeru nodded. "That's the one. They have the same face." Fumie thought about the two faces, Toyokawa with a slight grin, and the tomcat with eyes grinning... "Now that you mention it, they do, don't they?"
Shigeru chuckled. "I think so. Tomorrow, can you take the draft over to Inui? I'll finish his work this evening." She nodded. "Then tomorrow I'll start thinking about how to answer Shonen Land."
The next day, Fumie sat with Inui and his wife, Sanae. Sanae said, "Shonen Land? He's going to draw for Shonen Land?" Fumie nodded. "I think so." Inui said, "But they only promised him one issue?" Fumie said, "Yes." Inui said, "So they're going to see how well he does, then decide." Fumie said, "This is kind of a test?" Inui said, "I'm sure of it. It's still a great chance, though." Sanae said, "They're a lot bigger." Inui snorted. "Bigger? They have 400,000 readers!" Sanae said, "What? We print 2,000 copies. So they're 200 times as big?" Inui nodded. "They're the biggest publisher in Japan."
Fumie said, "Wow. Thank you for helping me understand." Inui said, "So what subject did they give him?" Fumie said, "It's his choice. Whatever he wants to draw. But they want it to be more interesting than television." Inui frowned. "Oh, that's hard." Fumie said, "What do you mean?" He said, "Well, most people would think getting to choose the subject makes it easier, but really, it makes it harder. And more interesting than television... that's a real challenge."
Inui drummed his fingers on the table for a moment. "Look, if Mizuki sensei wants my advice, tell him to think about how to grab the hearts of 400,000 readers. That's what he needs to do to take advantage of this chance."
Later, Inui was reading one of Shigeru's manga in his magazine. Sanae went to wipe the table, and told him "elbows up." He raised his elbows. He sighed. "It's a really great chance, for Mizuki and for us."
Fumie rode her bicycle up to the house. She stood in the street and looked at it. "400,000 readers? It's a really big chance."
<to be continued>
