In the bustling streets of major cities in Xia Kingdom, GG signs and video screens displaying the news of Hikaru no Go's conclusion were ubiquitous.
Many fans of the drama, anime, and manga stopped to watch.
In fact, fans probably already knew the ending of Hikaru no Go by this point.
It was an open ending.
The manga repeatedly mentioned the exchange meeting for professional Go players under 18 years old jointly held by young Go players from Xia Kingdom, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan.
(Please remember the Taiwan Novel Network for reading help: t͜͜͡͡w͜͜͡͡k͜͜͡͡a͜͜͡͡.c͜͜͡͡o͜͜͡͡m͜͜͡͡—a super useful website for the fastest chapter updates.)
Clearly, this was the challenge that Jin Guang and Shi Liang were about to face.
Whether the two will bring glory to their country or suffer a crushing defeat in this exchange match is something that cannot be explained in a single chapter.
The ending of Hikaru no Go will inevitably be open-ended, leaving readers with endless possibilities for interpretation.
Aoba doesn't intend to draw the manga to the point where Jin Guang wins one or two titles such as Meijin, Tengen, or Kisei, and then faces off against Shi Liang, who might also qualify for a title.
Nor does he intend to have Shi Liang and Jin Guang compete for eight championship trophies scattered across three major Go-playing countries in the real world.
He doesn't intend for the two protagonists to compete for championships against each other, creating a legendary path in Go history.
This is how a typical sports manga would arrange its plot.
But clearly, Aoba is tired of this clichéd plot.
After the recent chapters of the manga, fans are no longer as resentful about the ending of Hikaru no Go.
"Actually, it's not bad. An open ending means you don't have to worry about the manga having a bad ending later on!"
"Bad ending? How could that be? I'd read a thousand chapters of Hikaru no Go if it continued like this!"
"Actually, this manga is about Jin Guang's growth. And this growth often refers not to the protagonist's strength, but to his mental growth. From a mischievous child at the beginning to his unwavering commitment to his professional Go career, from resisting playing Go after Zuo Wei's disappearance to choosing to continue playing Go in order to see the only thing Zuo Wei left in the world—his Go skills and the spirit of his ultimate divine move. Jin Guang's mental growth has reached its limit. Going further would just be a cycle of changing opponents, playing against each other, and then changing opponents again. Ending it here is the right thing to do!"
"But I can't bear to see it end!"
"Ending a story you can't bear to see end will make you miss this manga for ten years. If you wait for those repetitive, repetitive storylines to continue, you'll only hate the author, Aoba, for not ending it sooner, making Hikaru no Go so bloated!"
"Indeed, just like Genshin Impact, the first 150 chapters were fantastic, not much worse than Hikaru no Go at all. But now it seems far less exciting. However, the manga has a large fanbase and high popularity. The author earns hundreds of millions a year from copyright development and merchandise sales, so it's understandable that it's not finished. It's just that I find it disgusting." "
Actually, if Aoba-sensei really wanted to pad the story, he could have easily extended Hikaru no Go's run for another two years and earned hundreds of millions more. It's completely unreasonable for fans to criticize him for not doing that!"
"I think so too. I've never criticized Aoba-sensei. A manga ending where you're left wanting more is a million times better than ending where you're already tired of it!"
"And I heard that after Hikaru no Go ends, Aoba-sensei will release one or two side stories after the main story ends, filling in the plot holes. That's quite conscientious!"
"Sigh, all I can say is good luck with Hikaru no Go! On the day Hikaru no Go ends, even I, who never votes, will vote for it!"
"Me too. Although voting via QR code is convenient, I'm too lazy to even redeem a prize for a free drink when I'm watching Fantasy Comics (I've been lazy for years. I'm too lazy to even redeem a prize for a free drink, but for Hikaru no Go, I'll definitely vote for him!"
"Everyone, keep it up!"
As it turns out, if the plot is well-developed, the fans' anger will gradually dissipate.
The storyline where Jin Guang discovers Zuo Wei in the game a few weeks ago, rather than bringing relief to Jin Guang in the manga, brought relief to the manga readers.
Now, the fans' attitude towards Hikaru no Go is simple:
let it end perfectly, without regrets.
On Friday and Saturday, the still-airing third season of the Hikaru no Go drama and the anime announced the ending of Hikaru no Go in the end credits.
As for Xia Jing, he started taking leave from school every day to attend press conferences, meet-and-greets, and commercial activities for the manga group. He
joined top players and leaders from the Xia Kingdom Go Academy to promote Go in Xia Kingdom during the peak of Hikaru no Go's popularity.
As for the college entrance exam, which is in just over two months, it's no longer a particularly important matter; Xia Jing will study when he has time. He glanced at it briefly, but didn't dwell on it too much.
And so, Wednesday arrived.
The final chapter of the Hikaru no Go manga was released with the release of the Fantasy Dream Comic.
Major bookstores in Xia Kingdom had already posted posters announcing the manga's conclusion.
Some large bookstores even displayed a life-size model of Zuo Wei in their manga sections.
A large number of Hikaru no Go fans lined up outside the bookstore early in the morning, waiting for it to open.
Ji Zetao quietly waited for the time to arrive. At 8:30 AM, the bookstore he was waiting for finally opened.
A crowd surged in.
Walking through the manga section, Ji Zetao only saw that the Fantasy Dream Comic cover gave Hikaru no Go the biggest honor; this issue's cover was entirely occupied by Hikaru no Go characters.
Jin Guang and Shi Liang were playing a game of Go, and Zuo Wei stood beside them, no longer using his fan to instruct Jin Guang on his moves, but instead watching with gentle eyes as the two fought with all their might on the board.
This time, Zuo Wei wasn't the one instructing the players, and this game wasn't even his.
He was now merely an observer.
Although he knew Zuo Wei's reappearance on the cover was a treat for fans by Aoba, Ji Zetao still felt a pang of melancholy.
This was probably Zuo Wei's final appearance in the Hikaru no Go manga.
After buying the magazine, Ji Zetao sat down in the bookstore and began reading.
This issue of Huanmeng Comic had Hikaru no Go's serialization page on the first page, and this issue was a full-color serialization.
The title was: "Eternal Rivals!"
Ji Zetao stared at this title in silence for a long time.
If he remembered correctly, the title of the first chapter of Hikaru no Go was also this.
Ji Zetao turned to the first page of this chapter.
The plot continued from the previous chapter. After Jin Guang and Shi Liang's game, Shi Liang sensed another person's shadow in Jin Guang and revealed his suspicions.
While Jin Guang was surprised, he felt an overwhelming sense of emotion and relief.
"He discovered Zuo Wei's existence. Even Zuo Wei, whom only I could see before, he noticed! Zuo Wei, he's finally found you!"
Jin Guang smiled, turning to walk towards the chess room, but left behind a casual remark:
"Shi Liang, perhaps one day, I will tell you everything!"
The key point wasn't what Jin Guang intended to tell Shi Liang.
That wasn't important. What mattered was that Jin Guang didn't refute Shi Liang's words!
Whether it was the other person involved or other speculations, Jin Guang didn't refute any of them.
Shi Liang's expression turned surprised as he watched Jin Guang's departing figure.
This chapter's color pages added more detail to the work. Qingye's drawing skills improved with each chapter, and the emotions the work wanted to convey were generally noticeable to anyone who read the manga carefully.
Shi Liang chased after him.
"You were hiding a secret after all! Tell me!"
"Tell me? I don't want to!"
After a brief argument,
the result of the game wasn't revealed to Ji Zetao.
Instead, Jin Guang fell asleep early that night.
And in his dream...
Zuo Wei appeared.
He wore a gentle smile but remained silent.
No matter how much Jin Guang cried and poured out his heart, Zuo Wei simply looked at him calmly.
Ji Zetao's nose gradually began to sting. "
Qingye, you bastard, are you going to deliver this stab in the heart in the last chapter?"
A hidden sorrow and resentment arose; the
silence spoke volumes. Zuo Wei's silence was more lethal than a thousand words.
The tears in Jin Guang's eyes instantly stirred the emotions of a group of fans following the Hikaru no Go manga.
"[Zuo Wei, why did you disappear!]
[What were you feeling when you disappeared?]" "
Happiness!
He said he was happy.
You just didn't hear it!"
Ji Zetao sighed, calming himself.
Faced with Jin Guang's question, Zuo Wei simply reached out and offered him a folding fan.
Jin Guang took the fan.
Then dawn broke.
He woke up.
This was all a dream.
Whether for Jin Guang or for die-hard fans like Ji Zetao,
a sense of reluctance was instantly stirred.
Jin Guang got up and went to the club where he and Shi Liang had their first game.
Shi Liang had reached the quarterfinals of the Tianyuan title tournament, while Jin Guang, having wasted a year, was still playing against lower-ranked players.
The two competed, compared, and grew together.
Shi Liang was battling on another battlefield.
Jin Guang was also working hard to improve his record and rank.
Then...
"I ask you, why is that person still a first dan..."
After Jin Guang finished his game and stood up,
his opponent called out to He Gu, his expression dejected.
"Why is Jin Guang still only a first dan player!"
While Shi Liang was striving for a title, Jin Guang was also beginning to gain fame among professional players.
Besides Shi Liang, those who played against him also began to notice his terrifying strength—
a strength completely disproportionate to a first dan player.
Jin Guang bought a folding fan similar to the one Zuo Wei held in the shop and began using it to contemplate his moves during games.
Just like Zuo Wei...
The manga ends with scenes of important characters like Jin Guang, Shi Liang, He Gu, and professional Go players Isumi, Shi Yang, and Yue Zhi.
It also shows scenes of the Peninsula region's top player Gao Yongxia, second-place player Lin Rihuan, and third-place player Hong Xiuying in the Beidou Cup Youth Go Player Exchange Tournament.
Although the manga doesn't depict the specific details of the Beidou Cup, the atmosphere of impending doom is palpable.
The penultimate page of the Hikaru no Go manga ends with the plot that stirred Ji Zetao's emotions.
And the last page of the Hikaru no Go manga is set in that familiar clubhouse...
Shi Liang and Jin Guang sat under the chessboard. They had returned after finishing their respective matches. As Jin Guang made his first move...
[Hikaru no Go. End.]
This wasn't just a notification of the end of a chapter
of Hikaru no Go. It was the end of the entire manga.
Ji Zetao's eyes welled with tears, his heart filled with reluctance. He wanted to see what happened next; he could sense it would be exciting, filled with even more touching moments.
But all good things must come to an end.
This manga ends here.
What will be the result of the Hokuto Cup?
Who will ultimately win Shi Liang's Tianyuan title?
Jin Guang is determined to participate in the upcoming Kisei title match!
And what did Shi Yang, who is recovering from his illness, see in Jin Guang's moves during the televised broadcast?
Even Shi Liang noticed that his style was similar to Sai's; how could Shi Yang not?
But nothing lasts forever.
This manga ends here.
What will be the result of the Hokuto Cup?
Who will ultimately win Shi Liang's Tianyuan title?
Jin Guang is determined to participate in the upcoming Chess Saint title match!
And what did Shi Yang, who is recuperating, see in Jin Guang's games during the televised broadcast?
Even Shi Liang noticed that his style was similar to Sai's; how could Shi Yang not?
Will these two play against each other in the future?
So many questions remain unanswered, but if all these doubts were depicted, perhaps the game would feel bloated!
"It's over. Jin Guang, Shi Liang, Zuo Wei... Thank you, Teacher Qingye, for this story!"
From the morning onwards, the official website of Huanmeng Group was continuously flooded with fans.
"Can you please release the Hikaru no Go spin-off soon?"
Remember the first release website domain: 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞
"Isn't there a Hikaru no Go finale press conference held by the Huanmeng Group tomorrow? Can't your Huanmeng Group put some pressure on Aoba-sensei to release a second Hikaru no Go?"
"For the first time, I hope capitalists will do something useful. Before, I hated manga artists being exploited by capital. Now I hope the Huanmeng Group will squeeze Aoba dry; he's just too lazy!"
"Undoubtedly a masterpiece! Before, I doubted how Hikaru no Go could end in six chapters. But now, if you really ask me to think about the ending of Hikaru no Go, I can't think of a more unsatisfying direction."
"The last chapter really hurt me. Zuo Wei's silent departure with the folding fan was so heartbreaking!"
"Is this the last time Zuo Wei and Jin Guang met?"
"So where did Zuo Wei go after he disappeared?"
"Shi Liang and Jin Guang didn't clearly explain who won their fight."
"Didn't the title say it? 'Eternal rivals'!"
"Sigh, I feel so empty inside, it's so painful! Now I'm going to have a manga drought again. Can't Aoba-sensei please start a new work soon?!"
"I can't take it anymore! I'm going to ambush Aoba-sensei on my way to his school tomorrow!"
"Idiot! Didn't Aoba-sensei say he's holding a finale announcement tomorrow afternoon? Who can you ambush? Just go to the event!"
"I'm so upset! I really want to see what happens next!"
"Don't even think about it, just wait for the side stories!"
"Instead of complaining, why not vote for Hikaru no Go? And then hope Aoba's next manga flops. People always need to experience setbacks to appreciate the value of opportunities! If his next manga flops, he might just come back and create a second Hikaru no Go!"
"Yeah, everyone vote for Hikaru no Go, and then boycott Aoba-sensei's new work! He'll only think of leeching off his old work if his new one fails!"
"I heard Hikaru no Go is Aoba's third manga. I'm bored anyway, so I'm going to buy the collected volumes of his previous two manga!"
"5 Centimeters Per Second and Tonight? Think it over, those two manga are also incredibly tear-jerking!"
"More tear-jerking than Hikaru no Go? Ha..."
Xia Jing barely slept all night, spending his time reading online reviews of Hikaru no Go.
The next day, Su Mingxi's car was waiting for him downstairs early in the morning.
After all, the announcement of Hikaru no Go's finale was scheduled for 2 PM.
Xia Jing needed to go to Huanmeng Group in the morning to get ready, change clothes, and do some pre-speech rehearsals and familiarize himself with his speech.
"Speaking of which, Editor Su, the manga that will replace Hikaru no Go next week seems to be an isekai battle manga, right?" Xia Jing asked from the passenger seat of Su Mingxi's car.
"That's right..." Su Mingxi sighed upon hearing this.
"Qingxiao's new manga is also on this theme, but unfortunately... out of the nineteen submissions at the final serialization meeting, it only received third place in the review scores and missed the chance to be serialized." "
Su Qingxiao has been in a bad mood these past few weeks, I can tell. I hope it doesn't affect her college entrance exam results." Xia Jing paused for a moment and then sighed.
Even a genius like Oda in his previous life, who debuted at sixteen or seventeen, didn't get his first serialization in Jump until he was 22.
Su Qingxiao's situation is the norm for manga geniuses.
Being qualified to submit a manga to Huanmeng Comic at seventeen can be called a manga genius, but Xia Jing, who can get his manuscript approved on the first try, is an alien in the manga world!
"She doesn't care about the college entrance exam, and if I hadn't forbade it, she even considered not going to university and becoming a full-time manga artist," Su Mingxi said.
"But even if she stopped studying completely for two months, she could easily get into one of the top ten universities in China through the college entrance exam. How could I possibly agree with her thinking like that?"
"As for Xia Jing... what's your decision? If you don't get into a very good university after the college entrance exam, are you going to attend one?"
"Me? I can't compare to Su Qingxiao, but I'm still very confident I can
get into one of the top thirty universities in China," Xia Jing said. "But Editor Su, you don't need to worry about me. University is more relaxed than high school, and I can't possibly give up comics just because I'm going to university...
" "So what major are you planning to study?"
"Well, these well-known universities in China don't have professional comics majors, and in fact, even if they did, I wouldn't need to study them.
Those theoretical teachers in comics majors are probably not as professional as I am in the comics industry!" Xia Jing laughed.
"I might consider studying an animation-related major."
"After all, manga, animation, and games are all adapted from each other. I already understand the manga industry, so I'll learn more about animation so that when I'm a producer at an animation production company overseeing my manga adaptations, I won't just be a figurehead, like an idiot unable to offer much advice!"
Su Mingxi nodded upon hearing this.
She understood that Xia Jing was involved in the production of the Hikaru no Go animation project and had seen his own shortcomings!
That's good...
Soon, Su Mingxi drove to the Huanmeng Group building.
Xia Jing didn't come here often, so entering the building was still quite novel for him, and he looked around curiously.
He even stopped to look at the prominent life-size model of Hikaru no Go on the first floor for a long time.
However, while Xia Jing was leisurely touring the building, the staff of Huanmeng Group were not so relaxed.
A large group of people's eyes lit up when they saw Xia Jing and they all ran over to greet him.
"Hello, Teacher Aoba!"
"Could I get an autograph from Aoba-sensei?"
"Aoba-sensei..."
Even within the Huanmeng Group, Aoba's name was legendary.
Hikaru no Go was incredibly popular this year, and coupled with Xia Jing's already high looks and extremely young age as a manga creator, it was natural that many people wanted to curry favor with him.
Soon, Su Mingxi took Xia Jing to the editorial department. Under the complex gazes of the editors, she had Xia Jing go to the editor-in-chief's office to meet Han Hexuan.
Given Xia Jing's current status, he was naturally qualified to speak directly with Han Hexuan.
Of course, such a meeting wouldn't yield any substantial results.
However, Xia Jing did learn some news from Han Hexuan.
Thanks to the immense popularity of Hikaru no Go, the rights to two of Xia Jing's works under the pen name Aoba, 5 Centimeters Per Second and Tonight, had been bought by a film production company in China for a total of 12 million. The signing and announcement would be released in the next three days, and perhaps live-action films of the two works would be released next year.
Xia Jing's expression was momentarily dazed at this.
He had initially thought these two works wouldn't get anime or live-action adaptations, given his relative obscurity as a newcomer. Unexpectedly, they were able to get more tickets later.
Of course, Han Hexuan also discussed the matter of the Hikaru no Go side story volume with Xia Jing.
The group was considering collaborating with familiar film production companies to produce one or two live-action films based on the Hikaru
no Go side storylines, such as the Hokuto Cup mentioned in the manga. While Hikaru no Go, as a Go-themed manga, didn't have many merchandise options, live-action adaptations were still feasible.
For the group, any fan appeal was welcome. Xia Jing didn't object to these suggestions, but explicitly stated that they wouldn't accept shoddy film production companies.
The two reached a preliminary consensus.
Then Xia Jing left Han Hexuan's office. Outside...
the editors in the editorial department had strange expressions upon seeing Xia Jing leave the office, a mixture of envy, jealousy, and melancholy.
Finally, Su Mingxi approached Xia Jing and explained the situation.
"Just now, the rankings for the final chapter of Hikaru no Go were announced."
"Total votes for the final chapter of Hikaru no Go: 1,001,693 votes... still in first place this week! It's also the first manga in the history of Huanmeng Comic to surpass one million votes in a single issue, and the fifth manga in Xia Country to achieve this!"
Online voting is a method that has only emerged in major manga magazines in Xia Country in the last decade. It's
simple and quick, much better than the old method of fans mailing letters.
Therefore, naturally, more manga readers are willing to participate in these magazine surveys. However, one million has always been a significant threshold.
Although Hikaru no Go only achieved this in its final chapter, it proves the work's status in the hearts of fans...
and greatly pleases the Huanmeng Group's operations department.
Xia Country has six large manga groups, and only five manga have achieved the feat of surpassing one million votes in a single issue. This already shows that not every one of the six major magazines has a manga with such popularity being serialized.
In fact, only three magazines have ever produced a manga with this level of popularity.
*Monogatari Comic*, the top-selling comic magazine in Xia Guo for a long time, with an average weekly sales of 25 million copies last year, consistently ranks first
in weekly sales. The three comics that consistently occupy the top three spots in its serialization rankings consistently receive over a million reader votes each week.
However, starting with the fourth-ranked comic, the total number of reader votes drops to only 500,000 to 600,000.
This magazine is characterized by severe polarization,
or rather, reader popularity is heavily influenced by the top three comics.
A friend of Xia Jing's in the comic industry, Chen Yuwei, the former top young talent in the comic world, had a comic called *Zero Type: Contract*, which consistently ranked fourth to sixth in this magazine.
*Red Proverbs Comic*, the second-best-selling comic magazine in Xia Guo with a weekly sales of 19 million copies, also achieved this feat with its top-ranked comic, but it couldn't consistently surpass a million votes per week. Its success depended on a strong storyline and reader approval; when the story was weak, the total number of votes dropped to around 900,000.
As for Huanmeng Comic, which achieved a weekly sales volume of 17 million, ranking fourth among all comic magazines in Xia Guo, it was naturally overjoyed that it surpassed the third-selling comic, Xinghui Comic, to achieve this result. The Huanmeng Group's official staff were extremely happy.
They even temporarily revised the script for the afternoon's "Hikaru no Go" finale press conference, preparing to heavily promote this achievement.
However, some envious people in the editorial department couldn't help but feel jealous.
What's so great about it? It's
just a Go comic; popularity for this type of comic isn't worth much.
Even if "Hikaru no Go" is number one in popularity and has over a million votes,
in terms of commercial value, it's far inferior to works like "Yuan Zhan Ji," which has been adapted into film, games, and anime. It only brings fame to the group, not much profit!
Of course, they only dared to think these things.
Xia Jing was unaware of the inner thoughts of the people in the editorial department who were competing with each other, nor did he understand how many people in the editorial department envied Su Mingxi, this beautiful, wealthy young editor who was appreciated by Han Hexuan and had signed contracts with Huanmeng Group's two comic geniuses, "Qingye" and "Shuixi."
Many even hoped that Hikaru no Go would fail miserably, causing a sales slump and making it a laughing stock in the industry.
But none of that matters...
Hikaru no Go has ended, and in its final chapter, it achieved its best-ever serialization performance.
From its inception to now, this manga has been flawless, and even the most notorious manga media outlets, known for creating buzz, couldn't find a single fault with it this week.
At the afternoon's finale press conference, Xia Jing made a rare appearance before the cameras. The entire conference was streamed live online, and Xia Jing mainly answered a few questions from the audience.
"Where did Zuo Wei go? Well, naturally, he fulfilled his wish... went to where he was supposed to go~"
This kind of thing can't be explained in too much detail; fans need to have room for their imaginations.
Whether he was reincarnated, went to heaven, or truly disappeared, it's up to them to decide.
Giving any specific answer will only get you bombarded with criticism from millions of fans!
"What are you planning to do after Hikaru no Go ends...?
"
At the press conference, when a fan asked this question, Xia Jing's expression brightened.
"Of course, I'll be fully preparing for the college entrance exam in two months."
This was a very standard statement, and the answer many had guessed. After
all, Xia Jing is just a student.
But Xia Jing's next words caused a stir in the audience.
"In fact, I already have a new manga idea."
"Perhaps I'll refine the idea during this period leading up to the college entrance exam, and then after the exam..." Xia Jing said softly, looking at the media cameras present.
"I'm confident that serializing it will make it a superior manga that surpasses Hikaru no Go!"
Xia Jing's words shocked not only the fans and media present
, but also Su Mingxi, a staff member of the Huanmeng Group.
Han Hexuan, watching the press conference live in his office, even spat out a mouthful of tea onto his computer screen.
A look of bewilderment flashed in his eyes.
"Xia Jing, why didn't you tell me this morning when we were talking? If you had said so earlier, I would have had my staff revise the speech, changing the 'Hikaru no Go' end-of-history meet-and-greet' to 'Hikaru no Go's End-of-History & New Manga Promotion Event'!"
After calming down, Han Hexuan immediately realized that Xia Jing's words had put him in a very difficult position.
A new work superior to Hikaru no Go?
Could he just say that? What if it wasn't of that quality?
Wouldn't he be ridiculed for being a young man who only talks big, a major stain on his career?
Xia Jing's words were broadcast live online. The fans, who were initially saddened by the end of Hikaru no Go, were now collectively dumbfounded.
Aoba, are you kidding me?"
We fans thought you ended Hikaru no Go to maintain the story's structure and avoid padding, because Jin Guangren had grown up.
What kind of outrageous statement is this?
Now it seems like you had a new manga idea in mind, and therefore didn't have the energy to draw Hikaru no Go, so you ended it?
"A new work? Wow... so he's forgotten his old flame for a new one."
"I'm about to spit out blood."
"What kind of new work is it? Is it still a sports/competitive genre?"
"This is outrageous! There are only two months until the college entrance exam, and he said the new work will be released after the exam. Is two months enough to prepare a manga?"
"There's a possibility of delays~" "
What about the Hikaru no Go spin-offs? How can he have the mood to draw spin-offs while serializing the new work?"
"How is this guy's brain made? It seems like he hasn't rested since his debut! Three manga serialized in a row."
"More than that? The amount of Hikaru no Go manga he's done is enough for more than ten volumes. That's the amount of work other manga artists do in two or three years. Not only does he update quickly, but the quality is also high, and he doesn't have a break. Is he even human? Other manga artists burn out their energy for one manga, and he's balancing his studies and the college entrance exam?"
"This is outrageous! I can't take it anymore!"
"I was already sad, but now I'm completely dumbfounded."
"But I'm really looking forward to it. No matter what, the ending of Hikaru no Go is already perfect. It's actually the right thing for him to release a new work as soon as possible. Regardless of what Aoba-sensei's new work is like, Hikaru no Go is undoubtedly a masterpiece. We don't need to worry about the later plot collapsing... instead, we can look forward to Aoba's future!"
"Yeah, but Aoba-sensei is being too boastful! The final chapter of Hikaru no Go had over a million votes. His new work surpassing that isn't that easy. In the entire Xia Kingdom right now, there are only three manga that consistently have over a million votes. Which work on Zhen Manga only occasionally achieves that? Hikaru no Go has only achieved that once. Is his new work going to defy the heavens again? Isn't that too confident?"
"He's a genius. What's wrong with being a little arrogant? How can you reach the top if you don't dare to dream?"
"Exactly, failing is just a self-inflicted embarrassment, which is a million times better than not even daring to dream."
"I hope the college entrance exam comes soon. Let him finish it quickly so he can fully dedicate himself to manga creation!"
"Has Xia Guo ever had such a prolific manga genius in its history? Do you think Aoba will make history?"
"He's making history with every step he takes right now, can't you feel it? We'll see if his new manga continues to break records or just flops! Normally, a top-tier manga artist only has one classic work in their lifetime. Let's see if Aoba can create a second one!"
In front of the computer, watching the Hikaru no Go finale fan meeting end after Xia Jing's presentation on his new work,
Su Qingxiao took a deep breath.
"Xia Jing has worked so hard, I can't give up. It's just that my work was rejected at the last serialization meeting, right? I'll just come up with a new one and submit it!"
In April, neon lights adorned Shanghai.
Su Mingxi's red sports car sped along the road, with Xia Jing sitting in the passenger seat.
"When did you come up with ideas for a new work?"
After the fan meeting, on the way home with Xia Jing, Su Mingxi couldn't help but ask.
It's normal for a manga artist to be quiet for a year or two after a work is finished, and Su Mingxi never expected Xia Jing to reveal this information at the final fan meeting for *Hikaru no Go*.
"About a month or two ago," Xia Jing paused, then smiled.
Actually...
it was four days ago.
Xia Jing couldn't control when she could clearly recall the detailed memories of watching these anime from her past life, but she now realized there was indeed a certain pattern.
After her old works ended, she would think about new ones, and this constant thinking seemed to make it easier for her to dream about these memories from her past life at night.
"Two months..." Su Mingxi fell silent upon hearing this.
Xia Jing has just finished a work like Hikaru no Go, and the market will definitely have unimaginable expectations for his next work. Any flaw in the new work will be magnified infinitely. She felt that this time was too short, but Xia Jing couldn't take back what he had said.
Moreover, Xia Jing would not allow anyone to interfere with his creation and ideas. Given Xia Jing's personality, even if Su Mingxi asked him to prepare for more time, Xia Jing would most likely ignore her.
But considering that Xia Jing had completed three manga series in less than two years, and that Xia Jing had said that the new manga would be released after the college entrance examination, there was still some time. She didn't want to waste any more words and went straight to the most crucial question.
"What kind of work is the new manga? Is it... a sports manga?" Su Mingxi asked.
"Hmm... it's a hot-blooded battle manga! However, it's not limited to that... besides the idea for this hot-blooded battle manga, I also have another idea for a battle-themed work..." Xia Jing stroked his chin, took a deep breath, and then said.
Upon hearing this, Su Mingxi immediately slowed down her car on the overpass.
She pondered for a moment, then turned the steering wheel, exited the overpass, and quickly drove to a coffee shop.
"Editor Su, what's going on...
" "Since you've said that, we definitely need to have a proper talk," Su Mingxi said.
The two sat down. Xia Jing wasn't interested in drinks, so he ordered a hand-drip coffee, while Su Mingxi ordered a whole bunch of cakes, puddings, and other desserts.
"Two works? Do you have a clear idea for them?" Su Mingxi asked while eating.
"Yes.
" "
What are the names of the works? Have you decided?"
"Hunter x Hunter."
"And One-Punch Man...
"
In fact, Xia Jing's detailed memories of watching these works in his previous life were often just dreams.
He could dream of many works he had seen before in one night.
Four days ago, he recalled both works in one go.
Both works could be considered super popular anime in Xia Jing's previous life, and since he had recalled them, Xia Jing certainly wouldn't miss either.
But here's the awkward part.
Neither of these works had an ending in Xia Jing's memory...
After finishing the Chimera Ant arc, Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of Hunter x Hunter, went on a long hiatus. Until Xia Jing's arrival, there was absolutely no sign of Hunter x Hunter ending.
One-Punch Man was similar; the original manga author ONE's extremely slow serialization, coupled with Yusuke Murata's haphazard modifications in the remake, and repeated cuts and revisions, meant that this manga, before Xia Jing's arrival, was also in a state where there was absolutely no hope of ending.
But did Xia Jing intend to give up on these two works just because they weren't finished? Of course
not.
In fact, the endings of most popular works are often complicated. Hunter x Hunter's continued existence might be a good thing; it might remain a masterpiece until it ends, which would change things.
If Yoshihiro Togashi were to give Hunter x Hunter an inexplicably bad ending like his previous work, Yu Yu Hakusho, it would be better if it never ended, allowing fans to have the expectation that the protagonist would always be on an adventure.
Moreover, for Xia Jing, Hikaru no Go already had an open ending, so he didn't feel any pressure about releasing these two works.
Hunter x Hunter ended with the Chimera Ant arc, and the ending, like the anime version, was open-ended.
Works like One-Punch Man were even easier to handle.
Some manga, like One Piece, Naruto, and Attack on Titan, stated from the beginning that the protagonist would become the Pirate King, the Hokage, or the Titans. If the manga ended before the protagonist achieved their goals, it would be a terrible ending.
But in One-Punch Man, the protagonist Saitama just coasts through life, punching monsters he sees, and even taking seaweed monsters home to make soup if they're not monsters. If he doesn't see any monsters, he just waits for weekend discount coupons. Xia Jing could simply end the series when the Monster Association is completely wiped out, also with an open ending.
After Xia Jing roughly explained the genres and highlights of Hunter x Hunter and One-Punch Man to Su Mingxi, he suggested that they could simultaneously launch the serialization of both manga on Huanmeng Comic...
"Your idea is too naive. This is a matter of fairness. If we open this door for you, what will other manga artists think?" Su Mingxi quickly said.
"If everyone does this, these manga artists will be 'riding a donkey while looking for a horse,' frantically submitting their next work to Huanmeng Comic's serialization meetings while their previous one is still ongoing. Wouldn't that make the entire group's serialization system chaotic?"
"But I'm confident both comics will be hits," Xia Jing said after a moment's thought.
"I believe you," Su Mingxi said after a long pause, then sighed.
"But the higher-ups at the comic book group won't agree to this."
"Besides, because of the contract you signed with Huanmeng Group, your comics can only be submitted to Huanmeng Group within the contract's stipulated timeframe. Even if you're capable of serializing two comics simultaneously, the group will only allow you to serialize one."
"If your creative drive is truly extremely strong, instead of serializing two comics at the same time, why not concentrate on serializing one comic intensively first, and then serialize the next one? This approach is feasible!" Su Mingxi continued.
Huanmeng Group wouldn't allow any comic artist to serialize two comics simultaneously on Huanmeng Comic, but they wouldn't refuse to serialize thirty or even forty pages or more of popular comics each week.
Speed is everything; as long as the quality is guaranteed, a large amount of content in your serialization will naturally greatly boost the popularity of your work. Unfortunately, twenty-odd pages of comic content per week is already the ceiling for most comic artists' serializations; who dares to dream of going any higher?
Xia Jing's eyes flashed with disappointment upon hearing this.
Su Mingxi's words made sense, but for Xia Jing, he didn't have that much time to waste.
The content of the anime he watched in his previous life kept replaying in his mind; who knew when he'd suddenly think of Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach all at once? A slow, leisurely serialization would be a waste of time.
But after a moment's thought, Xia Jing suddenly thought of a solution.
"Editor Su... my contract with Huanmeng Group doesn't allow me to submit comics to other platforms, right?"
Su Mingxi nodded.
"That's right. This period is within two years after you finish Hikaru no Go. If you have a new comic serialized on Huanmeng Comic, this contract will be renewed. And if you submit comics to other platforms, you must give up the pen name 'Aoba'!" Su Mingxi's ears turned slightly red as she said this.
She had this ulterior motive in urging Xia Jing to start a new work within two years.
Although she trusted Xia Jing, too much could happen in two years, and she certainly didn't want him to jump ship to another comic book company after that.
"Then I'll submit my original script to animation production companies, that shouldn't be a problem, right?" Xia Jing said.
"How can an animation production company invest in your original work that hasn't been tested by the market..." Su Mingxi immediately understood what Xia Jing was planning.
But halfway through her sentence, she realized something.
Did Xia Jing not know this?
Xia Jing wasn't going to these animation production companies in Xia Country to promote his original script...
he was going to be an investor!
"You're planning to invest your own money to adapt your work into animation?" Su Mingxi blinked and asked softly.
If Xia Jing was both the screenwriter and the financial backer, what would those animation production companies care? You give me money, I'll do it for you, I'll bear the profits and losses myself. You can ask them to make a historically incompetent animation, and they'll guarantee to complete the task, after all, they're only making a small production fee.
"You can relay my request to the editorial department. If the editor-in-chief, Han Hexuan, agrees, I can serialize both comics simultaneously. If the editorial department doesn't agree, then I'll submit Hunter x Hunter to the serialization meeting at Huanmeng Group, and for One-Punch Man, I'll invest in and produce an anime myself." Xia Jing quickly made a decision.
Su Mingxi was stunned for a long time upon hearing this, unsure how to continue.
After thinking for a while, she finally sighed.
"I will relay your suggestion to the editorial department, but you'd better not have too high hopes."
"This is the option that best serves your interests, and I respect your idea. It's just that your approach might cause dissatisfaction among some of the group's higher-ups...
" "Dissatisfaction?" Xia Jing asked, puzzled.
"Xia Guo's comic groups often treat their popular comic artists as their own assets," Su Mingxi said.
"It's not just Huanmeng, the other five companies are the same. What they want most is for their comic artists to honestly update their serialized comics and create value for the group, and absolutely not to interfere in any commercial activities, copyright operation and development. Especially if you want to be an animation investor and screenwriter, it's fine if the works you invest in are unpopular, but if the works are very popular...
"
Su Mingxi didn't finish her sentence, but Xia Jing understood.
If the animation he invested in as a screenwriter wasn't popular, then Qingye would be worthless without Huanmeng.
If the animation he invested in was a big hit, then the higher-ups of these groups would definitely be envious and dissatisfied!
"I don't care what they think," Xia Jing said calmly.
You have to consider this and that, how can a person consider so many things?
His purpose in cooperating with Huanmeng was to become a great comic artist in Xia Country, not to be a high-level employee who has to watch other people's faces.
"Pfft..." Hearing Xia Jing's answer, Su Mingxi couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Although she was an editor at Huanmeng Group, her mother had also had many unpleasant experiences when she cooperated with Huanmeng Group.
Hearing Xia Jing's words, she felt a hidden pleasure.
"Alright, I understand your situation." Su Mingxi looked at Xia Jing.
"Regardless, Xia Jing, there's only one thing I want to say to you. In the history of the Xia Kingdom's comic industry, no one has achieved more than you at the age of 17... In the future history of the comic industry, when discussing comic geniuses, you will inevitably be a name that cannot be ignored. But if you want to become a legend in the comic industry, you still have a long way to go... Your next comic is crucial to you!"
Xia Jing said, looking at Su Mingxi.
"I understand what you mean, Editor Su. I won't let other things affect the comic's serialization!"
Su Mingxi smiled and stood up, extending her hand to Xia Jing.
"Then I look forward to the market performance of your next two works!"
Su Mingxi said two works, but she knew very well that even if she submitted Xia Jing's request, the group would definitely not agree to Xia Jing working on two comics simultaneously.
Most likely, it will be the manga *Hunter x Hunter* that will be released on Huanmeng Comic, while *One-Punch Man*...
the name is rather cheesy, and Xia Jing also said it will be shorter than *Hunter x Hunter*... even if it's adapted into an anime, it probably won't do as well as *Hunter x Hunter*.
Xia Jing stood up and shook hands with Su Mingxi
Xia Jing, after finalizing his future development direction with his friend and comic editor Su Mingxi, immersed himself in adapting Hunter x Hunter and One-Punch Man into manga.
Since both manga are set in another world, Xia Jing no longer had to worry about the details of changing the background to Xia Country; all the names remained the same as in the original works.
One-Punch Man's original manga was by ONE, and the artwork was so good that even a skilled elementary school student could easily surpass it!
This is precisely why the original One-Punch Man manga couldn't become a huge hit. It wasn't
until Yusuke Murata took a liking to the story and contacted ONE, using his superior drawing skills to remake One-Punch Man, that the manga became a global sensation.
However, in Xia Jing's previous life, One-Punch Man's success and failure both stemmed from Murata. He insisted on going off-topic in the later stages of the manga, deviating from ONE's original storyline, introducing characters like Orochi, self-created explosions, and self-created gods, resulting in countless negative reviews.
Xia Jing believed his drawing skills were now superior to Murata's. Although One-Punch Man might not be serialized as a manga, he would definitely be involved in the character design.
Then there was Hunter x Hunter; the art style was a bit dated, and Xia Jing needed to make some minor adjustments.
The characters' expressions and features wouldn't change, but he would try to redesign their clothing to be more fashionable and appealing to Chinese tastes.
Frankly, this was a considerable amount of work.
It was mid-April.
On this day, Su Mingxi brought Xia Jing some news.
The Huanmeng Group had indeed rejected Xia Jing's proposal to publish two manga simultaneously in Huanmeng Comic, and even Su Mingxi herself, who had made the suggestion, had been severely criticized by the group's higher-ups.
"Huanmeng Group doesn't have privileged manga artists!"
This was the exact wording the Huanmeng Group executives told Su Mingxi.
Of course, this was also what they wanted Su Mingxi to convey to Xia Jing.
Xia Jing smiled slightly upon hearing Su Mingxi's words on the phone.
"Alright, I'm really sorry for making you get criticized because of me. I understand the rules and regulations of the Dream Group. For the next period of time, I will focus on drawing the Hunter x Hunter manga and submit it before the serialization meeting in late April."
Xia Jing used the term "Ms. Su" here, so he wasn't speaking to his manga editor as a manga artist,
but as a friend.
"Don't worry about it..." Su Mingxi said.
"But, since that's the case, do you have a suitable animation production company to choose from for your work called One-Punch Man?"
"No..." Xia Jing shook his head.
"But I have money... Last year's Hikaru no Go royalties plus various copyright revenue sharing, I have a considerable amount of funds on hand. If I have money...
" "That's not the case at all." Su Mingxi said seriously at this moment.
"Xia Jing, you think too simply about the animation industry! An excellent animation can't be made simply by throwing money at it! Money is necessary, of course, but it's not everything!"
"What do you mean?" Xia Jing asked.
He really didn't know much about the animation industry.
Under Su Mingxi's explanation, Xia Jing finally understood...
Xia Guo has a large number of animation production companies, many of which have produced masterpieces in the history of animation.
However, it would be a huge mistake for Xia Jing to think that taking tens of millions to these large companies would guarantee a high-quality animation.
These companies likely produce several animations per quarter, and their manpower is limited.
Which project will they reserve the best animation directors, directors, animation supervisors, key animators, producers, voice actors, and background artists for?
The answer is simple: their own original animation works. After all, their own works have copyrights and can generate revenue from merchandise.
But if Xia Jing takes the money as an investor, they'll only earn a production fee. For these large companies, they certainly won't put in much effort; it's just a one-off deal. They'll take the work, collect the money, and then subcontract it to other companies, who will then subcontract it again to small animation studios... The resulting product is predictable.
Upon hearing this, Xia Jing's expression immediately turned strange. Spending
a lot of money to produce a piece of garbage? The phrase "battle spirit transforming into a horse" immediately came to mind.
"That's why our group's comic adaptations are basically all done by those few animation studios," Su Mingxi said. "
Xia Jing. "
"Xia Jing, if you trust me... I can introduce you to a company."
On the other end of the phone, Su Mingxi hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Essentially, she didn't want to interfere in Xia Jing's business activities. What kind of nonsense was it for a comic editor from Huanmeng Group to help Xia Jing find an animation studio?
However, she still said it.
Not as an editor, but as a friend.
"Ms. Su, please go ahead," Xia Jing said.
"You know the anime 'Dragon Magic Warrior,' right?"
Xia Jing nodded upon hearing this.
It was a popular anime that premiered last October, produced by the well-known animation studio "Coolta" in Xia Country.
"The ninth episode, which fans praised as a masterpiece... was actually outsourced. You can go and see the quality of that episode... "
Xia
Jing roughly understood what Su Mingxi meant.
"I haven't seen that episode, but I've seen related short videos online. It was indeed very well produced, but Ms. Su, are you saying that that episode was outsourced to the company you mentioned?"
"Yes, that's right. The owner of this company is my college classmate. After graduation, I became a comic book editor, and she started her own animation company,"
Su Mingxi continued. Xia Jing quickly understood.
Su Mingxi was also very frank; she fully acknowledged the production capabilities of the animation studio called "Yuefeng," but recommending it to Xia Jing was also a way of introducing a client to her college classmate. She clearly stated her ulterior motives.
After all, small animation studios like this often don't have work every quarter, sometimes going a year or two without a single independently produced animation project. They frequently rely on outsourcing projects from larger companies as their main business. If they took on Xia Jing's commission, they would undoubtedly dedicate themselves fully to the production, leaving no time for distractions.
Xia Jing closed his eyes and pondered for a moment.
In Xia Country, there are certainly capable animation studios.
But they might not take Xia Jing's original animation project, One-Punch Man, seriously.
While the company Su Mingxi introduced was small, in the few years since its establishment, it had produced several episodes of outsourced full-length animation that had garnered high praise from fans.
Moreover, Su Mingxi confidently told Xia Jing that the other party would definitely treat Xia Jing's investment plan with 100% dedication.
"I understand...
" Xia Jing smiled and said, "I'll focus on the serialization meeting in late April for now. Then..."
"After the Hunter x Hunter manga serialization is finished, I'd appreciate it if you could introduce me to the company you mentioned. I need to visit and inspect them before I can make a decision!"
In fact, neither Su Mingxi nor Xia Jing was too worried about the serialization meeting.
Xia Jing's previous work, Hikaru no Go, had already established a strong following.
For less successful manga artists, the serialization meeting at Huanmeng Comic required a major highlight in their manga to secure a serialization opportunity.
But for a popular manga artist like Xia Jing, as long as the manga had no flaws, it was basically guaranteed a serialization opportunity.
The so-called serialization meeting for Hunter x Hunter was likely just a formality.
Unless Hunter x Hunter flopped, Xia Jing's future manga, as long as they didn't have any obvious plot holes, would have a very high probability of being approved at the serialization meeting.
"Understood..." Su Mingxi replied.
"Also, Xia Jing, the college entrance exam is in a month and a half. I believe you've given this decision, choosing to submit your new manga for serialization at this time. The college entrance exam might not be particularly important in your life plan, but even so... I wish you the best of luck on your exam!"
"Thank you!" Xia Jing said, hanging up the phone.
He let out a long breath and closed his eyes.
He now had only two tasks.
This serialization meeting in late April corresponded to a serialization slot for a manga that was scheduled to finish in mid-June.
Coincidentally, the release date was the second week after the college entrance exam.
Otherwise, Xia Jing wouldn't have announced at the Hikaru no Go's completion press conference that his new work would be released after the college entrance exam.
And after the serialization meeting, it was time to confirm the animation production for One-Punch Man!
Xia Jing opened his eyes.
It seemed he was going to be very busy this year!