Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/5
Aug. 6th, 2010 03:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. changes...
Uraki chewed on a treat as he winked at Fumie and Izumi. "Yep, I heard rumors about Zeta. Going to fail, maybe. But..." He paused and chewed. Fumie said, "What?" He tilted his head. "There's a big publisher, Narita Publications, that might merge with them. Not that it will help."
Fumie frowned. "How can you tell?" He tapped his nose. "I can smell it. They're in trouble. Look..." He pushed a copy of Zeta across the table. "They want 800 yen for that. Who wants to pay that?" Izumi said, "I thought it was popular with college students?" He smiled. "See? That's nobody. Now, Narita Publications... why do they want a failing business? That's what you have to wonder."
Uraki held up his hand, thumb and first finger making a circle. "Look for the money. Everything is about money, really." Fumie said, "What does this have to do with you? You're not doing anything with Narita Publications, are you?" He laughed. "Not yet. But... say, haven't you heard all about this from Shigeru?" Fumie said, "Well..." He said, "Nothing?" She said, "Oh! There was that telephone call. Shigeru said there was a lot happening at Zeta." Uraki threw his hands up. "That's all you know? You're his wife, you should insist on details." Fumie frowned.
Shigeru walked in. "Uraki? What kind of trouble are you causing now?" Uraki smiled. "Nothing, nothing. We were just talking about Zeta. I don't suppose you know anything about the merger with Narita Publications?" Shigeru frowned. "Nothing I want to talk to you about." Uraki said, "Now, don't be that way." Shigeru stood up and walked out. Uraki followed him.
Izumi stood up with Fumie and went into the kitchen. Izumi leaned close to Fumie and said, "He's a really strange guy, isn't he?" Fumie chuckled. "Yes, he is."
At Fukuzawa's office, Kanou, his assistant, smiled as she handed him several sheets of paper. She said, "I think these are the best options for us to take advantage of the money from Narita Publications." Fukuzawa started to look through the sheets. "A woman's manga? That's a great idea. And... " He fanned the sheets, and nodded. "These look really good." Kanou grinned. "I think we can really do some things now." He nodded. "Yes, I think it will be good."
In the kitchen at the house, Fumie stirred a pot, and then tasted it. Izumi said, "Sweet potato red bean soup?" Fumie smiled. "Shigeru likes it." Izumi said, "Do you want to call him?" Fumie said, "You could?" Izumi said, "Yes, but I think all the assistants have gone home, and it would just be the two of you..." Fumie laughed. "All right, I'll get him."
Fumie walked through the hallway and stopped at the doorway into the workroom. She could hear Shigeru talking. She peeked in, and saw Kurata with a stack of manga pages. Kurata said, "Tell me how to fix these up? I reallly want them to be the best." He held out the pages. Shigeru shook his head. "Sit down, look at them, think about it, and then draw them again from the start. That's what will teach you the most." Kurata said, "But I only have three days. If you point out the problems, I can fix them." Shigeru said, "Look, doing it yourself is the best way to learn. Just think, if you leave and start drawing, you'll have to do it yourself. So start now. Being a manga artist is a hard life, you have to think of things, you have to come up with it, and you have to be your own judge. Taking a shortcut, like having me point out what's wrong -- that's just cheating yourself."
Fumie stepped back, and walked quietly back to the kitchen.
Izumi said, "Where's Shigeru?" Fumie said, "He's talking with Kurata. About work." Izumi said, "What?" Fumie sat down with Izumi, and said, "Actually, they're talking about the life of a manga artist. It's hard. Especially when you are starting out, it is really hard. You have to be confident of yourself. Now, Shigeru, he's the real thing." Izumi looked at Fumie and said, "I think you're the real thing, too." Fumie said, "What? What do you mean?" Izumi smiled. "Nothing."
In the workroom, Kurata sat at his desk. He looked at the stack of manga pages. Then he pulled open a drawer, and slid them inside. He muttered to himself, "Start over and draw them all again?" He picked up a pen and turned it in his hand. Then he pulled out a sheet of paper and bent over it. Izumi peered at him from the hallway, and smiled.
In the kitchen, Fumie sat at the table. Shigeru walked in, and said, "Is there anything to eat?" She smiled, and got up. "Sweet potato red bean soup?" He smiled. "That sounds good!" She said, "Let me warm it up." She turned on the range.
Shigeru slid a piece of paper across the table. "Take a look at this?" She turned, and picked up the sheet. "What's this?" She looked at the sheet. "Ge? Ge? Ge-ge-ge no ge? ... morning... evening..." She looked at Shigeru and smiled. "The Kitaro lyrics?" He grinned. "Keep reading." She looked at them, and read. "Fascinating... likes monsters... this is good!" He said, "I just finished. You're the first to see them." She shook her head. "I... I expected something scary, but this is better. Fun..." She looked at the lyrics again. "In the morning, he goes guh-guh-guh?" She laughed, "That sounds like you." Then she read, "In the evening, they run races in the graveyard?" She laughed again.
Later, Fumie held Yoshiko, the baby, while Aiko and Izumi stood nearby. The three assistants, Sugai, Kurata, and Komine stood at one end of the table. Shigeru sat at the table, with Toyokawa, the Shonen Land editor, and Funayama, the TV producer, across from him. In the middle of the table there was a portable record player, with a LP disk on it. Shigeru lowered the arm onto the record. A spooky voice quavered, "Ge! Ge! Ge-ge-ge no ge!..." They all listened, intently.
After they had listened to the record, Shigeru sat down with Toyokawa and Funayama. Funayama said, "That was really great. I took that to the sponsors, and they're impressed. The popularity of Devil Boy, the hit record, it's all good." Shigeru leaned forward. "So..." Funayama shook his head. "But I hit a wall. Graveyards. They can't get past the graveyard." Toyokawa leaned forward and said, "That's why I want to ask. What if we change the name?" Shigeru said, "Change the name?" Toyokawa nodded, "Yes, take graveyard out."
After a while, they had covered the table with sheets of paper with different titles. "Kitaro's Forest" and "Ghost Village" and other names. Shigeru shook his head. "I don't think we're getting anywhere." Toyokawa said, "Well, a good name takes time. Maybe we should think about it for a while."
In the other room, Aiko was drawing at the table. She sang to herself, "Ge. Ge. Ge-ge-ge no ge..."
Toyokawa looked up. "That reminds me. You... here, in the manga, you have ge-ge-ge sounds. What is that?" He pulled a copy of the manga open and flipped to a page where Kitaro was walking, with ge-ge-ge written across the background. Shigeru said, "It's just sounds..." Toyokawa said, "But...I thought I heard someone call you that?" Shigeru shrugged. "Well, okay, it's me." Toyokawa said, "What?" Shigeru said, "When I was very young, I couldn't say Shigeru, so I said, ge-ge-ge. And some of my friends still call me that." Toyokawa looked into the air for a moment, then said, "That's it!" He grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote rapidly. Then he raised the sheet.
Funayama read, "Ge-ge-ge no kitaro?" Fumie said, "Ge-ge-ge no kitaro?" Toyokawa said, "Yes, Ge-ge-ge no kitaro." Shigeru nodded. "Let's do it." Funayama said, "So it's decided?" They all nodded.
That night, in the dark, someone banged at the front door. Fumie hurried into the entryway, and turned on the light. "Who's there?" A voice outside said, "Fukuzawa..." Fumie unlocked the door, and pushed it open.
Fukuzawa leaned inside, and took one wobbly step. His forehead was bleeding, and his lip was split at the corner. His shirt was bloody, with one side pulled out. Then he slumped across the floor. Fumie grabbed him, and yelled up the stairway, "Shigeru!"
<to be continued>
Uraki chewed on a treat as he winked at Fumie and Izumi. "Yep, I heard rumors about Zeta. Going to fail, maybe. But..." He paused and chewed. Fumie said, "What?" He tilted his head. "There's a big publisher, Narita Publications, that might merge with them. Not that it will help."
Fumie frowned. "How can you tell?" He tapped his nose. "I can smell it. They're in trouble. Look..." He pushed a copy of Zeta across the table. "They want 800 yen for that. Who wants to pay that?" Izumi said, "I thought it was popular with college students?" He smiled. "See? That's nobody. Now, Narita Publications... why do they want a failing business? That's what you have to wonder."
Uraki held up his hand, thumb and first finger making a circle. "Look for the money. Everything is about money, really." Fumie said, "What does this have to do with you? You're not doing anything with Narita Publications, are you?" He laughed. "Not yet. But... say, haven't you heard all about this from Shigeru?" Fumie said, "Well..." He said, "Nothing?" She said, "Oh! There was that telephone call. Shigeru said there was a lot happening at Zeta." Uraki threw his hands up. "That's all you know? You're his wife, you should insist on details." Fumie frowned.
Shigeru walked in. "Uraki? What kind of trouble are you causing now?" Uraki smiled. "Nothing, nothing. We were just talking about Zeta. I don't suppose you know anything about the merger with Narita Publications?" Shigeru frowned. "Nothing I want to talk to you about." Uraki said, "Now, don't be that way." Shigeru stood up and walked out. Uraki followed him.
Izumi stood up with Fumie and went into the kitchen. Izumi leaned close to Fumie and said, "He's a really strange guy, isn't he?" Fumie chuckled. "Yes, he is."
At Fukuzawa's office, Kanou, his assistant, smiled as she handed him several sheets of paper. She said, "I think these are the best options for us to take advantage of the money from Narita Publications." Fukuzawa started to look through the sheets. "A woman's manga? That's a great idea. And... " He fanned the sheets, and nodded. "These look really good." Kanou grinned. "I think we can really do some things now." He nodded. "Yes, I think it will be good."
In the kitchen at the house, Fumie stirred a pot, and then tasted it. Izumi said, "Sweet potato red bean soup?" Fumie smiled. "Shigeru likes it." Izumi said, "Do you want to call him?" Fumie said, "You could?" Izumi said, "Yes, but I think all the assistants have gone home, and it would just be the two of you..." Fumie laughed. "All right, I'll get him."
Fumie walked through the hallway and stopped at the doorway into the workroom. She could hear Shigeru talking. She peeked in, and saw Kurata with a stack of manga pages. Kurata said, "Tell me how to fix these up? I reallly want them to be the best." He held out the pages. Shigeru shook his head. "Sit down, look at them, think about it, and then draw them again from the start. That's what will teach you the most." Kurata said, "But I only have three days. If you point out the problems, I can fix them." Shigeru said, "Look, doing it yourself is the best way to learn. Just think, if you leave and start drawing, you'll have to do it yourself. So start now. Being a manga artist is a hard life, you have to think of things, you have to come up with it, and you have to be your own judge. Taking a shortcut, like having me point out what's wrong -- that's just cheating yourself."
Fumie stepped back, and walked quietly back to the kitchen.
Izumi said, "Where's Shigeru?" Fumie said, "He's talking with Kurata. About work." Izumi said, "What?" Fumie sat down with Izumi, and said, "Actually, they're talking about the life of a manga artist. It's hard. Especially when you are starting out, it is really hard. You have to be confident of yourself. Now, Shigeru, he's the real thing." Izumi looked at Fumie and said, "I think you're the real thing, too." Fumie said, "What? What do you mean?" Izumi smiled. "Nothing."
In the workroom, Kurata sat at his desk. He looked at the stack of manga pages. Then he pulled open a drawer, and slid them inside. He muttered to himself, "Start over and draw them all again?" He picked up a pen and turned it in his hand. Then he pulled out a sheet of paper and bent over it. Izumi peered at him from the hallway, and smiled.
In the kitchen, Fumie sat at the table. Shigeru walked in, and said, "Is there anything to eat?" She smiled, and got up. "Sweet potato red bean soup?" He smiled. "That sounds good!" She said, "Let me warm it up." She turned on the range.
Shigeru slid a piece of paper across the table. "Take a look at this?" She turned, and picked up the sheet. "What's this?" She looked at the sheet. "Ge? Ge? Ge-ge-ge no ge? ... morning... evening..." She looked at Shigeru and smiled. "The Kitaro lyrics?" He grinned. "Keep reading." She looked at them, and read. "Fascinating... likes monsters... this is good!" He said, "I just finished. You're the first to see them." She shook her head. "I... I expected something scary, but this is better. Fun..." She looked at the lyrics again. "In the morning, he goes guh-guh-guh?" She laughed, "That sounds like you." Then she read, "In the evening, they run races in the graveyard?" She laughed again.
Later, Fumie held Yoshiko, the baby, while Aiko and Izumi stood nearby. The three assistants, Sugai, Kurata, and Komine stood at one end of the table. Shigeru sat at the table, with Toyokawa, the Shonen Land editor, and Funayama, the TV producer, across from him. In the middle of the table there was a portable record player, with a LP disk on it. Shigeru lowered the arm onto the record. A spooky voice quavered, "Ge! Ge! Ge-ge-ge no ge!..." They all listened, intently.
After they had listened to the record, Shigeru sat down with Toyokawa and Funayama. Funayama said, "That was really great. I took that to the sponsors, and they're impressed. The popularity of Devil Boy, the hit record, it's all good." Shigeru leaned forward. "So..." Funayama shook his head. "But I hit a wall. Graveyards. They can't get past the graveyard." Toyokawa leaned forward and said, "That's why I want to ask. What if we change the name?" Shigeru said, "Change the name?" Toyokawa nodded, "Yes, take graveyard out."
After a while, they had covered the table with sheets of paper with different titles. "Kitaro's Forest" and "Ghost Village" and other names. Shigeru shook his head. "I don't think we're getting anywhere." Toyokawa said, "Well, a good name takes time. Maybe we should think about it for a while."
In the other room, Aiko was drawing at the table. She sang to herself, "Ge. Ge. Ge-ge-ge no ge..."
Toyokawa looked up. "That reminds me. You... here, in the manga, you have ge-ge-ge sounds. What is that?" He pulled a copy of the manga open and flipped to a page where Kitaro was walking, with ge-ge-ge written across the background. Shigeru said, "It's just sounds..." Toyokawa said, "But...I thought I heard someone call you that?" Shigeru shrugged. "Well, okay, it's me." Toyokawa said, "What?" Shigeru said, "When I was very young, I couldn't say Shigeru, so I said, ge-ge-ge. And some of my friends still call me that." Toyokawa looked into the air for a moment, then said, "That's it!" He grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote rapidly. Then he raised the sheet.
Funayama read, "Ge-ge-ge no kitaro?" Fumie said, "Ge-ge-ge no kitaro?" Toyokawa said, "Yes, Ge-ge-ge no kitaro." Shigeru nodded. "Let's do it." Funayama said, "So it's decided?" They all nodded.
That night, in the dark, someone banged at the front door. Fumie hurried into the entryway, and turned on the light. "Who's there?" A voice outside said, "Fukuzawa..." Fumie unlocked the door, and pushed it open.
Fukuzawa leaned inside, and took one wobbly step. His forehead was bleeding, and his lip was split at the corner. His shirt was bloody, with one side pulled out. Then he slumped across the floor. Fumie grabbed him, and yelled up the stairway, "Shigeru!"
<to be continued>
