Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 7/15
Jul. 16th, 2010 01:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. big companies are different
Shigeru sat in his workroom, reading through the old Kitaro books. His office still had books and papers scattered across the floor.
In the street, Toyokawa, the Shonen Land editor, turned to Fumie, with his briefcase in one hand. "We'll transfer a payment to your bank account, then." Fumie shook her head and said, "Big companies really are different." Toyokawa tilted his head. "What do you mean?" Fumie said, "Up until now, we went to the company president, and he opened the cash box, and paid us in cash. Sometimes he didn't have money in the cash box, and we had to be very pushy to get paid." Toyokawa chuckled. "You've had a very interesting life."
He started to turn away, then looked back at her. "Maybe... do you think you could get a telephone?" Fumie said, "What?" Toyokawa waved at the street. "It's just a long way to come for a question. If you had a telephone, I could call..." Fumie nodded, with a smile.
When Fumie walked back inside, she found Shigeru asleep at his worktable, his head pillowed on a Kitaro book. She smiled at him, and got a blanket to pull over him. Then she picked up some of the books and sketches in the room.
Later, in his office, Fumie handed Fukuzawa, the publisher of Zeta, a draft manga. He took them, rapidly shuffled through them, and said, "So Mizuki-sensei is going to draw for Shonen Land? That's great." Fumie said, "Yes, because of that, these are a little late." He shook his head. "No, this is fine. We still have time." Miyako Kanou, his assistant, said, "He's going to draw for Shonen Land?" Fumie looked at her with a smile. "Yes, he did a special one called TV Kid, and they've asked him to continue. So he's going to do Kitaro for them."
Miyako glanced at Fukuzawa. "But, didn't he do Kitaro for you?" Fumie said, "Oh, no... I'm sorry." Fukuzawa shook his head and smiled. "No, I got sick. I couldn't keep Kitaro going. So this is good." Miyako looked uneasy. Fukuzawa stood up and looked out his window. "Shonen Land... that's a new wind blowing through manga land. We're going to see mangas not just for children. University students, newspapers... it's going to be great."
After Fumie left, Miyako walked over to Fukuzawa's desk, holding the draft manga from Shigeru. She said, "Do you really think it's okay?" He said, "Is there some problem with the drawing?" She said, "No, not the drawing. But Mizuki is going to draw for another publisher?" Fukuzawa smiled. "It's really good. He'll finally get the recognition and money he deserves." She frowned. "But not from here. He might stop drawing for us." Fukuzawa said, "No, not Mizuki. He's not that kind of person." She shook her head. "Maybe he isn't, but others will do that."
Fukuzawa said, "Maybe. And that would be good for us." Miyako said, "What?" He grinned. "Yes. That would mean more readers, and having lots of readers is good for us. We could get new writers, and more writers."
Later, Fumie was looking at the bank book. She muttered, "Only that much? I guess it helps, but... maybe they put some of it in the wrong bank account?" Shigeru came out of his work room and said, "What are you worrying about?" She held out the bank book and said, "This is all they gave us?" Shigeru took the bank book and looked at the numbers. Then he laughed. "That's just the advance for TV Kid. The magazine manga business is really different from the rental manga business." Fumie took the book back, and looked at it again. "10, 100, 1000... really?" Shigeru nodded. Fumie smiled. "Do you think we can get a telephone with this money?"
Another day, a new small table sat in the corner of the kitchen. A black telephone sat on top of it. Fumie sat in front of the table, watching the telephone. Aiko sat beside her.
Shigeru walked in, and looked at them watching the telephone. He said, "Oh, so the telephone came?" Fumie nodded, her eyes on the telephone. "Yes, they put it in this morning." Shigeru said, "And what are you doing?" She said, "Waiting for a telephone call." He chuckled. "But you don't have to wait there, do you?" She shook her head. "Well, if it rings, I don't want to let it ring too many times. That would be rude. So I'm waiting." He pursed his lips. "Just in case someone calls with an order for a new manga?" Fumie nodded.
The phone rang. Fumie jumped and picked it up. Aiko covered her ears. Fumie said, "Yes...er, ah, Murai... you want cold chinese noodles. Okay..." Shigeru started to get up, muttering, "Right. Cold chinese... what?" Fumie said, "We don't... this is not a ramen store. Goodbye." She hung up the phone. Shigeru said, "Wrong number?" She nodded.
The phone rang again. Fumie picked it up. She said, "Yes?" Then she said, "No, we aren't a ramen store." She hung up again. Shigeru said, "I guess this phone number used to be for a ramen shop."
The phone rang a third time. Fumie picked it up and said, "Yes? Cold chinese noodles?" Then she said, "Oh, no. Yes this is Murai. I..." She handed the phone to Shigeru. "Toyokawa!" He took the phone and listened.
Later, Inui, Japan's smallest rental manga publisher, was sitting in the kitchen, looking at TV Kid in the Shonen Land magazine. He grinned. "This is really great!" Uraki, Shigeru's sneaky friend, came through the door and grabbed the magazine out of Inui's hands. Uraki sneered. "So, you sold it. That's nice." Fumie said, "And they want Kitaro, too." Uraki said, "I guess you haven't heard about their reputation? They like to fire people. They'll take about three issues, then you're out."
He shook the magazine at them. "It's just like kamishibai, the paper theater. These people are going to kill rental manga, and you're not going to be able to go back. You just don't know how these people work. All they want are your fans, then they'll drop you. If you're not popular, you're out."
Inui snorted. "You...you are unbelievably rude. You just like to upset people, don't you? The kids like scary stuff like Kitaro, but they also want hope. You have to have cliffhangers, you have to keep going." Uraki said, "Doesn't it bother you that he's drawing for someone else?" Inui smiled. "No, it's going to help us." Uraki sneered. "No, you're all going to fail."
In the Shonen Land office, the editors were having a meeting. Toyokawa listened as one of them flipped the new issue open and said, "This Hakaba no Kitaro stuff? I can't believe you want to run that. It's old style, and doesn't match our other stuff at all."
Meanwhile, back in Shigeru's kitchen, Uraki sat with Fumie. She was making ohagi, Japanese sweet treats, wrapping chopped green beans around sweet rice to make bite-size treats. She slapped a spoonful of green into her hand, then put a small spoonful of sweet rice in the middle. Uraki grumbled, "You just don't know. One or two issues, they'll do a survey, and you'll be out. And where will he sell Kitaro after that?" Fumie put another spoonful of green onto the pile in her hand. Uraki said, "I promise you, after the third issue, they'll fire him. You just watch." Fumie piled one more spoonful into her hand, and mashed the whole large lump together.
<to be continued>
Shigeru sat in his workroom, reading through the old Kitaro books. His office still had books and papers scattered across the floor.
In the street, Toyokawa, the Shonen Land editor, turned to Fumie, with his briefcase in one hand. "We'll transfer a payment to your bank account, then." Fumie shook her head and said, "Big companies really are different." Toyokawa tilted his head. "What do you mean?" Fumie said, "Up until now, we went to the company president, and he opened the cash box, and paid us in cash. Sometimes he didn't have money in the cash box, and we had to be very pushy to get paid." Toyokawa chuckled. "You've had a very interesting life."
He started to turn away, then looked back at her. "Maybe... do you think you could get a telephone?" Fumie said, "What?" Toyokawa waved at the street. "It's just a long way to come for a question. If you had a telephone, I could call..." Fumie nodded, with a smile.
When Fumie walked back inside, she found Shigeru asleep at his worktable, his head pillowed on a Kitaro book. She smiled at him, and got a blanket to pull over him. Then she picked up some of the books and sketches in the room.
Later, in his office, Fumie handed Fukuzawa, the publisher of Zeta, a draft manga. He took them, rapidly shuffled through them, and said, "So Mizuki-sensei is going to draw for Shonen Land? That's great." Fumie said, "Yes, because of that, these are a little late." He shook his head. "No, this is fine. We still have time." Miyako Kanou, his assistant, said, "He's going to draw for Shonen Land?" Fumie looked at her with a smile. "Yes, he did a special one called TV Kid, and they've asked him to continue. So he's going to do Kitaro for them."
Miyako glanced at Fukuzawa. "But, didn't he do Kitaro for you?" Fumie said, "Oh, no... I'm sorry." Fukuzawa shook his head and smiled. "No, I got sick. I couldn't keep Kitaro going. So this is good." Miyako looked uneasy. Fukuzawa stood up and looked out his window. "Shonen Land... that's a new wind blowing through manga land. We're going to see mangas not just for children. University students, newspapers... it's going to be great."
After Fumie left, Miyako walked over to Fukuzawa's desk, holding the draft manga from Shigeru. She said, "Do you really think it's okay?" He said, "Is there some problem with the drawing?" She said, "No, not the drawing. But Mizuki is going to draw for another publisher?" Fukuzawa smiled. "It's really good. He'll finally get the recognition and money he deserves." She frowned. "But not from here. He might stop drawing for us." Fukuzawa said, "No, not Mizuki. He's not that kind of person." She shook her head. "Maybe he isn't, but others will do that."
Fukuzawa said, "Maybe. And that would be good for us." Miyako said, "What?" He grinned. "Yes. That would mean more readers, and having lots of readers is good for us. We could get new writers, and more writers."
Later, Fumie was looking at the bank book. She muttered, "Only that much? I guess it helps, but... maybe they put some of it in the wrong bank account?" Shigeru came out of his work room and said, "What are you worrying about?" She held out the bank book and said, "This is all they gave us?" Shigeru took the bank book and looked at the numbers. Then he laughed. "That's just the advance for TV Kid. The magazine manga business is really different from the rental manga business." Fumie took the book back, and looked at it again. "10, 100, 1000... really?" Shigeru nodded. Fumie smiled. "Do you think we can get a telephone with this money?"
Another day, a new small table sat in the corner of the kitchen. A black telephone sat on top of it. Fumie sat in front of the table, watching the telephone. Aiko sat beside her.
Shigeru walked in, and looked at them watching the telephone. He said, "Oh, so the telephone came?" Fumie nodded, her eyes on the telephone. "Yes, they put it in this morning." Shigeru said, "And what are you doing?" She said, "Waiting for a telephone call." He chuckled. "But you don't have to wait there, do you?" She shook her head. "Well, if it rings, I don't want to let it ring too many times. That would be rude. So I'm waiting." He pursed his lips. "Just in case someone calls with an order for a new manga?" Fumie nodded.
The phone rang. Fumie jumped and picked it up. Aiko covered her ears. Fumie said, "Yes...er, ah, Murai... you want cold chinese noodles. Okay..." Shigeru started to get up, muttering, "Right. Cold chinese... what?" Fumie said, "We don't... this is not a ramen store. Goodbye." She hung up the phone. Shigeru said, "Wrong number?" She nodded.
The phone rang again. Fumie picked it up. She said, "Yes?" Then she said, "No, we aren't a ramen store." She hung up again. Shigeru said, "I guess this phone number used to be for a ramen shop."
The phone rang a third time. Fumie picked it up and said, "Yes? Cold chinese noodles?" Then she said, "Oh, no. Yes this is Murai. I..." She handed the phone to Shigeru. "Toyokawa!" He took the phone and listened.
Later, Inui, Japan's smallest rental manga publisher, was sitting in the kitchen, looking at TV Kid in the Shonen Land magazine. He grinned. "This is really great!" Uraki, Shigeru's sneaky friend, came through the door and grabbed the magazine out of Inui's hands. Uraki sneered. "So, you sold it. That's nice." Fumie said, "And they want Kitaro, too." Uraki said, "I guess you haven't heard about their reputation? They like to fire people. They'll take about three issues, then you're out."
He shook the magazine at them. "It's just like kamishibai, the paper theater. These people are going to kill rental manga, and you're not going to be able to go back. You just don't know how these people work. All they want are your fans, then they'll drop you. If you're not popular, you're out."
Inui snorted. "You...you are unbelievably rude. You just like to upset people, don't you? The kids like scary stuff like Kitaro, but they also want hope. You have to have cliffhangers, you have to keep going." Uraki said, "Doesn't it bother you that he's drawing for someone else?" Inui smiled. "No, it's going to help us." Uraki sneered. "No, you're all going to fail."
In the Shonen Land office, the editors were having a meeting. Toyokawa listened as one of them flipped the new issue open and said, "This Hakaba no Kitaro stuff? I can't believe you want to run that. It's old style, and doesn't match our other stuff at all."
Meanwhile, back in Shigeru's kitchen, Uraki sat with Fumie. She was making ohagi, Japanese sweet treats, wrapping chopped green beans around sweet rice to make bite-size treats. She slapped a spoonful of green into her hand, then put a small spoonful of sweet rice in the middle. Uraki grumbled, "You just don't know. One or two issues, they'll do a survey, and you'll be out. And where will he sell Kitaro after that?" Fumie put another spoonful of green onto the pile in her hand. Uraki said, "I promise you, after the third issue, they'll fire him. You just watch." Fumie piled one more spoonful into her hand, and mashed the whole large lump together.
<to be continued>
