Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/9
Aug. 9th, 2010 01:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. who was that?
After a couple of years, Fumie was working in the kitchen when a young man in a suit stumbled through the door. She looked around, and he said, "Excuse me, but where is the workroom? I got lost..." She laughed, and said, "It is a little confusing. Right this way."
She walked him across the family living room, and through a doorway. As she stepped up, she said, "Watch the step." The young man kicked the small step, and fell down, rubbing his foot. He looked at the small step in the floor and groaned, "Why is there a step here?" Fumie shook her head.
In the workroom, he walked around the crowded desks. Sugai sat at his desk by the window, but the other desks all had new assistants sitting at them. Shigeru stepped into the room, and handed the young man an envelope. "There you are. Here's the manga." The young man said, "I got lost. This is a confusing building." Shigeru chuckled. "When I'm sleepy at night, I get lost too."
The young man nodded, then grabbed a nearby door and opened it. He started to walk into it, and stopped in confusion. The doorway was blocked with a stairwell and shelves of books. "What?" Shigeru said, "That's not the door. You want to come this way." He guided the young man out of the workroom.
In the workroom, another man in a suit cut out strips of dialogue and put them on a manga page. Then he banged the strip, as if hammering it into the glue. Sugai looked around, and muttered, "What's his problem?" The new assistant behind Sugai said, "His deadline for a manga is almost up." Mitsuo talked on the telephone. "16 pages? I don't know..." He looked at the scheduling book. "Well, there's a ten-minute space. Maybe. I'll have to talk to Sensei."
Shigeru worked in a small room by himself. As he inked a page, Mitsuo came in. "One of the publishers wants a 16 page manga, but I don't see how we can fit it in." Shigeru nodded, then look thoughtful. "Don't tell them we can't do it. Ask them about doing it three months from now." Mitsuo flipped forward in his schedule book. "We're just as busy in three months as now." Shigeru frowned. "I know, but... maybe something will happen."
Shigeru pushed back from his table and stood up and stretched. "I need to take a break." Mitsuo said, "Don't go in the workroom, there's a publisher's assistant waiting in there." Shigeru laughed. "Okay, I'll rest in there." He went into the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Shigeru looked out the window and saw a cat resting in the sunshine outside. He chuckled and said, "It must be nice to be so lazy."
There was a puff of smoke, and the cat turned into a manga cat, who turned and looked at Shigeru. "I'm not lazy. You're just too busy. Deadlines every day!" Shigeru shook his head. "Not just every day. Morning, noon, night, we've got deadlines." The cat stretched and said, "It sounds as if you've got the spirit of busyness."
A voice outside called, "Sensei?" Shigeru squinted, and the manga cat transformed into a regular cat again. Shigeru took off his glasses, pinched his nose, and put them on again. Then he looked at the cat. "Well, I guess I better get back to work."
Meanwhile, Yoshiko, the little girl, walked into the workroom near Sugai. She held up a stuffed Kitaro doll, and said, "Do you want to play?" Sugai said, "Not right now, I'm working." Yoshiko said, "Let me see the manga?" Sugai said, "I can't, we're very busy." Behind him, one of the other assistants asked the assistant sitting in the middle for advice. Then the publisher's assistant, who had been hammering dialogue onto a page, brought that page over and asked the assistant in the middle about that page.
Sugai frowned, "Why do they keep asking him? I'm the senior assistant." He got up and said, "Here, let me help you with that." He took a step forward. Yoshiko had grabbed his leg, so that he tripped and fell, sprawling.
Shigeru walked into the workroom just in time to see Sugai fall. Shigeru said, "What are you doing clowning around when we're so busy?"
Fumie was sewing on her sewing machine when Yoshiko came in crying. Fumie said, "What's wrong?" Yoshiko said, "Father is angry with me." Fumie said, "Were you in the workroom again?" Then Fumie picked up what she had been sewing, and held up a small yellow coat with black stripes. "Would you like a coat for your Kitaro doll?" Fumie smiled, and they dressed the doll.
In the elementary school yard, Aiko walked away from the building. She was shaking her head. She had a red leather pack on her back, like most elementary school girls in Japan. Another young girl came running up, calling to her. "Hey, Aiko, why didn't you wait for me?" Aiko said, "I'm sorry." The other girl looked at her and said, "Are you still worrying?" Aiko nodded. "I can't believe that the teacher handed out papers to everyone." The other girl said, "Well, it had everyone's father and what they do." Aiko shook her head. "But I'm the only one whose father is a manga artist." The other girl said, "Well, you told them he isn't very popular. They'll forget soon enough." Aiko said, "I hope so. I don't want to be Ge-ge-ge's daughter."
Aiko walked home. The old wooden gate and fence had been replaced with concrete and a black cast iron gate. The door was a sturdy wooden door, with gleaming glass. She went inside.
Out in the street, three young boys from her class peeked around the corner. "That's where she lives." They went closer, and read the sign on the concrete wall. "Mi..zu..ki Pro..produc...productions? What's that?" They jumped when a man in a suit came out of the door. He said, "Oh. Are you fans of Ge-ge-ge no Kitaro? I'm afraid Mizuki sensei is really busy today, but maybe he can sign something some other day for you." He patted them on the head and walked away.
The boys looked at each other. "Ge-ge-ge no Kitaro?" "Mizuki sensei?" "Wait, Shigeru Mizuki?" They pointed at the house. "You're Shigeru Mizuki!" Then they ran away, still talking to each other.
Aiko came into the kitchen and said, "Mom?" Fumie turned around, and said, "There's doughnuts if you want some." Aiko said, "There's a paper from school..." Fumie dried her hands. "Yes?" Aiko said, "It's about Dad and being a manga artist..."
Kinuyo and Shuhei came into the kitchen. Shuhei was carrying a shopping basket full of vegetables and a bundle of other shopping. Kinuyo said, "Isn't Shigeru up yet?" Fumie said, "He's already met one deadline." Kinuyo shook her head. "He's too busy. But... I know what he likes to eat." Kinuyo pulled a small package out of the shopping basket. "Here!" Fumie said, "Eel?" Kinuyo nodded. "Yes. And here's the receipt, too." She handed over a small slip of paper. Fumie smiled, and said, "Thank you." They bustled out of the kitchen.
Fumie shook her head. "If he eats eel everyday, he'll get fat." Then she looked at the receipt for 800 yen, and sighed. "And that's not a good price, either." Aiko said, "Don't we have enough money?" Fumie laughed. "Well, with assistants to pay, and all that, I suppose every little bit helps. But... oh, well. What did you want to show me?" Aiko shook her head. "Nothing, really."
At dinner, Shigeru read a newspaper as he ate. He mumbled, "Eel again?" Fumie said, "Yes, your mother..." He nodded, and continued to read the newspaper. Yoshiko said, "Don't you like eel?" Aiko said, "Father is working, don't interrupt him. When he's reading the newspaper, that's work."
Fumie said, "There was a telephone call from a magazine today. They wanted to talk to you. Should I give them the company telephone number?" Shigeru pointed at the paper. "There. That's what we need." He stood up and walked out, carrying the newspaper. Fumie said, "Are you working tonight?" He grunted.
Yoshiko waved, and said, "Bye-bye." Aiko looked at Fumie and said, "He didn't really hear you, did he?" Fumie smiled.
The next morning, Aiko trudged across the school yard. The guard at the gate greeted her, as he greeted all the children. She went inside.
In the schoolroom, small groups of children buzzed as they talked to each other. "Mizuki" and "Kitaro" could be heard, along with gasps and laughter.
When Aiko stepped into the room, several children formed a line in front of her. They looked at her. One pointed and said, "You're Shigeru Mizuki's daughter, aren't you?" Another said, "Your father is famous!" The staring faces and giggling surrounded her.
<to be continued>
After a couple of years, Fumie was working in the kitchen when a young man in a suit stumbled through the door. She looked around, and he said, "Excuse me, but where is the workroom? I got lost..." She laughed, and said, "It is a little confusing. Right this way."
She walked him across the family living room, and through a doorway. As she stepped up, she said, "Watch the step." The young man kicked the small step, and fell down, rubbing his foot. He looked at the small step in the floor and groaned, "Why is there a step here?" Fumie shook her head.
In the workroom, he walked around the crowded desks. Sugai sat at his desk by the window, but the other desks all had new assistants sitting at them. Shigeru stepped into the room, and handed the young man an envelope. "There you are. Here's the manga." The young man said, "I got lost. This is a confusing building." Shigeru chuckled. "When I'm sleepy at night, I get lost too."
The young man nodded, then grabbed a nearby door and opened it. He started to walk into it, and stopped in confusion. The doorway was blocked with a stairwell and shelves of books. "What?" Shigeru said, "That's not the door. You want to come this way." He guided the young man out of the workroom.
In the workroom, another man in a suit cut out strips of dialogue and put them on a manga page. Then he banged the strip, as if hammering it into the glue. Sugai looked around, and muttered, "What's his problem?" The new assistant behind Sugai said, "His deadline for a manga is almost up." Mitsuo talked on the telephone. "16 pages? I don't know..." He looked at the scheduling book. "Well, there's a ten-minute space. Maybe. I'll have to talk to Sensei."
Shigeru worked in a small room by himself. As he inked a page, Mitsuo came in. "One of the publishers wants a 16 page manga, but I don't see how we can fit it in." Shigeru nodded, then look thoughtful. "Don't tell them we can't do it. Ask them about doing it three months from now." Mitsuo flipped forward in his schedule book. "We're just as busy in three months as now." Shigeru frowned. "I know, but... maybe something will happen."
Shigeru pushed back from his table and stood up and stretched. "I need to take a break." Mitsuo said, "Don't go in the workroom, there's a publisher's assistant waiting in there." Shigeru laughed. "Okay, I'll rest in there." He went into the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Shigeru looked out the window and saw a cat resting in the sunshine outside. He chuckled and said, "It must be nice to be so lazy."
There was a puff of smoke, and the cat turned into a manga cat, who turned and looked at Shigeru. "I'm not lazy. You're just too busy. Deadlines every day!" Shigeru shook his head. "Not just every day. Morning, noon, night, we've got deadlines." The cat stretched and said, "It sounds as if you've got the spirit of busyness."
A voice outside called, "Sensei?" Shigeru squinted, and the manga cat transformed into a regular cat again. Shigeru took off his glasses, pinched his nose, and put them on again. Then he looked at the cat. "Well, I guess I better get back to work."
Meanwhile, Yoshiko, the little girl, walked into the workroom near Sugai. She held up a stuffed Kitaro doll, and said, "Do you want to play?" Sugai said, "Not right now, I'm working." Yoshiko said, "Let me see the manga?" Sugai said, "I can't, we're very busy." Behind him, one of the other assistants asked the assistant sitting in the middle for advice. Then the publisher's assistant, who had been hammering dialogue onto a page, brought that page over and asked the assistant in the middle about that page.
Sugai frowned, "Why do they keep asking him? I'm the senior assistant." He got up and said, "Here, let me help you with that." He took a step forward. Yoshiko had grabbed his leg, so that he tripped and fell, sprawling.
Shigeru walked into the workroom just in time to see Sugai fall. Shigeru said, "What are you doing clowning around when we're so busy?"
Fumie was sewing on her sewing machine when Yoshiko came in crying. Fumie said, "What's wrong?" Yoshiko said, "Father is angry with me." Fumie said, "Were you in the workroom again?" Then Fumie picked up what she had been sewing, and held up a small yellow coat with black stripes. "Would you like a coat for your Kitaro doll?" Fumie smiled, and they dressed the doll.
In the elementary school yard, Aiko walked away from the building. She was shaking her head. She had a red leather pack on her back, like most elementary school girls in Japan. Another young girl came running up, calling to her. "Hey, Aiko, why didn't you wait for me?" Aiko said, "I'm sorry." The other girl looked at her and said, "Are you still worrying?" Aiko nodded. "I can't believe that the teacher handed out papers to everyone." The other girl said, "Well, it had everyone's father and what they do." Aiko shook her head. "But I'm the only one whose father is a manga artist." The other girl said, "Well, you told them he isn't very popular. They'll forget soon enough." Aiko said, "I hope so. I don't want to be Ge-ge-ge's daughter."
Aiko walked home. The old wooden gate and fence had been replaced with concrete and a black cast iron gate. The door was a sturdy wooden door, with gleaming glass. She went inside.
Out in the street, three young boys from her class peeked around the corner. "That's where she lives." They went closer, and read the sign on the concrete wall. "Mi..zu..ki Pro..produc...productions? What's that?" They jumped when a man in a suit came out of the door. He said, "Oh. Are you fans of Ge-ge-ge no Kitaro? I'm afraid Mizuki sensei is really busy today, but maybe he can sign something some other day for you." He patted them on the head and walked away.
The boys looked at each other. "Ge-ge-ge no Kitaro?" "Mizuki sensei?" "Wait, Shigeru Mizuki?" They pointed at the house. "You're Shigeru Mizuki!" Then they ran away, still talking to each other.
Aiko came into the kitchen and said, "Mom?" Fumie turned around, and said, "There's doughnuts if you want some." Aiko said, "There's a paper from school..." Fumie dried her hands. "Yes?" Aiko said, "It's about Dad and being a manga artist..."
Kinuyo and Shuhei came into the kitchen. Shuhei was carrying a shopping basket full of vegetables and a bundle of other shopping. Kinuyo said, "Isn't Shigeru up yet?" Fumie said, "He's already met one deadline." Kinuyo shook her head. "He's too busy. But... I know what he likes to eat." Kinuyo pulled a small package out of the shopping basket. "Here!" Fumie said, "Eel?" Kinuyo nodded. "Yes. And here's the receipt, too." She handed over a small slip of paper. Fumie smiled, and said, "Thank you." They bustled out of the kitchen.
Fumie shook her head. "If he eats eel everyday, he'll get fat." Then she looked at the receipt for 800 yen, and sighed. "And that's not a good price, either." Aiko said, "Don't we have enough money?" Fumie laughed. "Well, with assistants to pay, and all that, I suppose every little bit helps. But... oh, well. What did you want to show me?" Aiko shook her head. "Nothing, really."
At dinner, Shigeru read a newspaper as he ate. He mumbled, "Eel again?" Fumie said, "Yes, your mother..." He nodded, and continued to read the newspaper. Yoshiko said, "Don't you like eel?" Aiko said, "Father is working, don't interrupt him. When he's reading the newspaper, that's work."
Fumie said, "There was a telephone call from a magazine today. They wanted to talk to you. Should I give them the company telephone number?" Shigeru pointed at the paper. "There. That's what we need." He stood up and walked out, carrying the newspaper. Fumie said, "Are you working tonight?" He grunted.
Yoshiko waved, and said, "Bye-bye." Aiko looked at Fumie and said, "He didn't really hear you, did he?" Fumie smiled.
The next morning, Aiko trudged across the school yard. The guard at the gate greeted her, as he greeted all the children. She went inside.
In the schoolroom, small groups of children buzzed as they talked to each other. "Mizuki" and "Kitaro" could be heard, along with gasps and laughter.
When Aiko stepped into the room, several children formed a line in front of her. They looked at her. One pointed and said, "You're Shigeru Mizuki's daughter, aren't you?" Another said, "Your father is famous!" The staring faces and giggling surrounded her.
<to be continued>
