Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

However, he spoke very softly, and even the staff around him did not hear him.

After settling him in, the receptionist returned to her workstation with a smile, ready to greet the next guest.

As for Masato Takagi's note, she did not hand it over.

Future Society has a very important meeting to attend to right now, how could they have time to deal with some nobody?

……

"It's October now, four months have passed since the initial decision to collect resources."

Standing at the front, facing the blackboard, Utsunomiya wrote down his work statistics for this period of time.

"We have stockpiled 4900 tons of paper for comics, enough for publishers with a circulation of over 200 million copies for six months."

"Gasoline is also produced on this scale."

"As for ink and resin..." Utsunomiya glanced at Fujiwara Maki, "We have priority printing contracts with other printing plants in Tokyo, which can guarantee weekly production capacity."

Maki Fujiwara had no objections.

Toshiki Takei still found it absurd that Mirai-sha was wasting time on something unnecessary, just like the man who worried about the sky falling, all for Oikawa Ni's idea.

He never imagined that with Japan's economy booming, even comics couldn't be printed.

Oikawa brought in hundreds of millions of yen in revenue for Mirai-sha, and there are more figures to come. It's not so bad to spend tens of millions to play house with him.

By comforting himself with these words, Toshiki Takei was able to feel a little more at ease.

"The first volume of Naruto has been typeset and sent to Fujiwara Printing Factory."

After storing supplies, Toshiki Takei discussed the most pressing issue at hand.

"A first edition of 40 copies has never been seen before, but I have confidence in Naruto."

This is the figure set by Mirai Publishing. Last year, the initial print run of Parasyte was only 15 copies. Everyone was being overly cautious, worried that the manga would be piling up in warehouses.

However, no one has any objection to the 40 copies sold for "Naruto".

The number was easily agreed upon, as if it could be digested quickly.

Furthermore, there is no need to worry about Naruto causing problems with the company's cash flow.

"October is peak season for manga volumes, and there will be a lot of competition, so everyone should be prepared."

The only person who considered it was Utsunomiya, who was always reliable.

"Yes, no problem."

Chapter 139: Single Volume Now Selling Like Hotcakes

"I've been waiting here for over an hour! What on earth is your Future Society doing?!"

After the meeting, as Fushimikawa left the conference room with Fujiwara Maki and the others, they heard a commotion at the main entrance.

The high-pitched male voice made him frown.

"I'm so sorry," the receptionist said with a smile and composure, "President Fujiwara is still busy. Please wait patiently for a while. Or you can make an appointment in advance and come over later."

“Next…next time,” Masato Takagi adjusted his glasses, suppressing his anger, “It’s too late. How much time is left today? Can you let me see President Fujiwara?”

"I don't know about that," the waiter said with a smile. "One hour, two hours, it's all possible!"

"You!" Leaning forward, Masato Takagi was furious. "Do you even know what I can bring to Mirai-sha? If you affect my project, President Fujiwara will definitely..."

"What project?"

Having roughly understood the situation, Fujiwara Maki walked up to him with a cold face, interrupting their pointless argument.

"President," the receptionist exclaimed in surprise, bowing slightly, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

Maki Fujiwara waved.

The receptionist quickly explained the situation: "This is Takagi Kikaku from Toei Animation. He said he wants to come and see you about an animation adaptation collaboration."

"Oh!" Takagi exclaimed, realizing what had happened. "You didn't report my situation to the authorities! And..."

He looked at Fujiwara Maki, frowning slightly. "The head of a company is actually a woman?"

Fujiwara Maki showed no reaction to his contempt; she was used to this kind of situation, after all, that's how it is in Japan, where women have a very low status.

However, things are much better now than before; during World War II, Japan didn't even have a single female officer.

"Are you referring to the Toei Animation project that wants to adapt Naruto into an anime?" Fujiwara Maki asked.

“That’s right,” Takagi said proudly, putting aside his disappointment at being stood up for the time being, “I have an opportunity to push Naruto into the European and American markets. Japan doesn’t have a manga like this right now, and Americans don’t understand Japanese manga at all. If we can succeed, Mirai Publishing will benefit greatly, both domestically and internationally.”

He is right about that. American recognition is very valuable to the Japanese, as it is related to national pride and self-confidence. The author might even be hailed as a national hero and his status would rise.

Especially since it's only the 70s, and Japan's economy hasn't reached its peak yet.

It has gained recognition from developed countries, which is something people aspire to.

only……

“I’ve already declined this offer,” Fujiwara Maki said. “Didn’t you receive a reply? I have other work to do. If you’re free, please…”

She gestured towards the door, her meaning clear.

"Wait!" His trump card hadn't worked, and Takagi Masato panicked. "I...I..."

He suddenly flew into a rage, “You know nothing! You have no idea how precious this opportunity is! I want to see Professor Oikawa and talk to him about this face to face!”

"If it were Oikawa-sensei, he would definitely understand my good intentions."

Cold sweat beaded on Takagi Masato's forehead, his bangs were stuck to his forehead, and he looked extremely disheveled. He was relentless and still demanded a result.

This troublesome guy even made Fujiwara Maki impatient.

“President Fujiwara’s position is my position,” Fushimikawa stepped forward after listening to the whole thing. He introduced himself, “I am manga artist Oikawa Ji. I am now formally informing you that I have no plans to adapt Naruto into an anime. Not now, and not in the near future.”

Even if the time is right now, he will not license the Naruto anime rights even though it has been serialized for less than a year.

After all, the progress of the manga can't keep up with the anime. In order to make a profit, the animation team will inevitably create their own plots.

This is the most important reason why the Naruto manga has been criticized by readers.

For example, the childhood friendship between Naruto and Shikamaru, Choji, etc.; Danzo's abuse of Izanagi to dodge kunai; the forced dragging of filler scenes that disrupted the tense rhythm of the manga; and the unfavorable portrayal of Sakura Haruno, etc.

These problems, big and small, have all brought stains to "Naruto".

Fushimikawa has no intention of following in Kishimoto Masashi's footsteps.

“You…” His fingers trembled. What he thought was a sure thing had failed, which made Takagi Masato extremely upset.

He felt slighted, surrounded by contemptuous glances.

I really want to squat down and lie on the ground to relieve my feeling of powerlessness.

"I...I'm sorry to have bothered you..."

At that moment, he suddenly remembered Shimizu, whom he had ridiculed.

He must have felt the same way when he learned that the animation project was hopeless.

……

“Utsunomiya,” Fujiwara Maki said, turning her head slightly as she watched Takagi Masato’s retreating figure, “Please inform Toei Animation of what we discovered today.”

“Received.” Utsunomiya nodded.

He didn't need to embellish the story; he just needed to convey the details to Toei, and they would understand Mirai-sha's intentions.

This can be considered as giving President Fujiwara a chance to vent his anger.

"Thank you for your help."

"Akawa, what's your opinion?" Fujiwara Maki looked at Fushimikawa again, clearly asking about the Naruto's voyage.

“We have to take it slow,” Fushimikawa replied.

Masato Takagi seems unreliable. He lacks ability, has a bad temper, and is unable to get along with people. The tips he talks about are probably not very useful.

However, Fushimikawa genuinely had the idea of ​​expanding Naruto's reach overseas.

After all, the previous generation has already proven that Naruto is extremely popular in the Western market and has been the number one series in the Jump genre for more than a decade.

It wasn't until it ended that it was surpassed by One Piece.

However, given Future Society's current capabilities, it would be difficult to accomplish this.

Finding an agent, getting it approved, and adapting Naruto to suit the reading habits of Western readers all require a huge investment of money and effort.

It would be quite difficult for a small company like Future Society to handle this.

So we'll have to wait a while longer.

The most important thing right now is to release the first volume of the Naruto manga.

……

Regarding channel booths, Mirai-sha cannot rely on Shogakukan forever. Since the launch of "Young Future" last year, Mirai-sha has been developing channel relationships and has made good progress with large bookstores and chain convenience stores in Tokyo and even Japan.

This is thanks to Mirai-sha's focus on high-quality products. Even with Toriji-sha acting as a middleman, the difference between releasing new products a day earlier or later can be enormous.

For example, with comic book volumes, readers' interest can explode within a week. If a bookstore or chain store is a day behind others, it can mean a loss of millions.

Furthermore, the bookstore exhibitions and sales, with Mirai Publishing providing character standees and promotional posters, are also powerful tools for attracting visitors.

Not to mention artist signings and official events.

Sincere cooperation between the two sides is a mutually beneficial endeavor.

"October is here, another sales season is upon us."

The manager of Liangwu Bookstore felt the pressure as he looked at the Naruto Uzumaki standee next to the best display spot at the main entrance.

"The publisher strongly promoted this blockbuster comic, and the head office directly allocated a quota of 200 copies, which is really outrageous."

"The first volume hasn't been tested by the market yet. Aren't you worried about it piling up in warehouses if reader feedback is insufficient?"

"The latest volume of 'The Little Demon General,' which has been popular for five years, is only 150 copies."

“The same publisher has 120 copies of Touch, and I think that number is just right.”

He muttered to himself, his heart pounding.