[Anime Crossover] Becoming Mangaka in Anime World

"Drawing manga?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka blinked, surprised by the unexpected answer.

Then, with a playful tone, she teased, "Don't tell me your career plan is to become a mangaka, Akifumi?"

If this were the previous world, just mentioning manga would naturally bring to mind that one particular country.

And even in this world, manga is still Japan's cultural treasure.

Plus, with strong copyright protection, the industry looks promising on the surface.

But...

Akifumi Mugiho sighed deeply.

"Sensei, being a mangaka isn't something to be taken so lightly."

In the public eye, mangaka seem glamorous, earning millions in royalties and basking in fame.

But if you really think about it, only a handful of names ever consistently make it big.

The rest?

Most struggle just to survive, working part-time at convenience stores and living in tiny, cramped apartments. That's the harsh reality for most of the industry.

"Huh?"

Wait... did my student just lecture me?

Shizuka wasn't angry.

She didn't know much about the manga industry, after all.

But she couldn't help but find it funny.

"Oh? Then why don't you tell me what being a mangaka really means?"

"A mangaka is someone who can make a living drawing manga for their entire life," Akifumi explained.

"Even if you're lucky enough to get serialized in a weekly magazine, you still have to maintain high rankings from reader surveys. If your work isn't popular, you'll get cut without mercy."

"Only if your works consistently sell well, and you keep creating hits,

can you truly live without financial worries."

"Otherwise, you're just a gambler."

The best example? The author of Death Note once joked in another work,

"If I stop working for five years, I'll starve after five years."

It sounds exaggerated, but that's the brutal reality for short-term creators in that world.

Even top-tier works face struggles.

So you can imagine how tough it is for those who dream of becoming mangaka.

Even though this world's market is better, if you can create a blockbuster like Death Note, you can live off it for half your life.

But with that comes even fiercer competition.

As Akifumi explained, Shizuka's brows furrowed.

When he finally finished, she asked,

"You know so much about this industry, and you're telling me you don't want to be a mangaka?"

"Well," Akifumi shrugged.

"Even if it's just a hobby, I should at least understand the market, right?"

With a mature demeanor, Akifumi understood Shizuka was worried about him.

"If I had to choose a career, I actually have plenty of options."

"I could go for a master's or Ph.D. and follow in my parents' footsteps, or apply to Tokyo University and become a politician, lawyer, or researcher."

He wasn't just making things up to brush her off.

These were conclusions he'd come to after careful thought.

Compared to others, his greatest advantage was having memories from his past life.

If he could recall those classic works, living as a "content thief" sounded pretty ideal.

If not, he'd just have to work a bit harder.

Sticking to one path is the dumbest decision anyway.

"Tokyo University, huh?"

To most students, that's the ultimate challenge. But this kid made it sound so casual.

Then again, it's true.

A whole year of being first in the grade speaks for itself.

As long as he didn't choose the crazy science track, getting into Tokyo University wouldn't be hard at all.

"Being able to think so comprehensively... no wonder you're recognized as a top student," Shizuka thought to herself.

"As long as you're clear about what you want, that's what matters."

But it's such a pity.

No way to recruit this guy for the Service Club now, huh?

"Oh well, I'll try again later. I did my best."

Pushing those thoughts aside, Shizuka casually asked,

"You've been working hard for a long time. Got any finished works? Mind showing me?"

She wasn't doubting him—just curious.

Akifumi scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed.

"I do have some works, but my early ones are so rough they're basically doodles—not worth showing."

"Do you even read manga, Sensei?"

"Dragon Ball, One Piece—I read those back in school," she admitted.

Akifumi sighed.

"Comparing me to those giants, Sensei, you're giving me way too much credit."

Even in this parallel world, those famous works still existed.

What a surprise.

"Don't overthink it," Shizuka said.

"Even though I know almost nothing about manga, I don't expect my student to debut with a masterpiece."

Rolling her eyes, she added, "I was just answering your initial question."

"Got it." Akifuminodded.

Looks like he understood her intentions.

"If that's the case, Sensei definitely wouldn't enjoy my work! Class is about to start, so I'll head out now."

As he stood up to leave, a hand clamped down on his shoulder, and a chilling voice whispered in his ear.

"Hey, Akifumi..."

"You weren't lying about drawing manga, were you?"

The sound of knuckles cracking followed.

"How does simply clenching a fist make such an ominous sound?! Isn't this supposed to be a normal world?!"

"Of course not!" Akifumi immediately sat back down, glancing at Shizuka's slender, fair fingers.

Yep, they're really pretty!

Shizuka didn't notice his subtle look.

She tapped her pen on the desk in place of her usual cigarette.

"You can't show your manga to others?"

"No," Akifumi shook his head.

After all, if you create something, it's meant to be seen.

"Then why won't you show me?"

Letting a teacher read it is different from showing it to regular readers, right?!

Especially when it involves magical girl content...

Just thinking about it was mortifying.

What kind of torture is this?!

"As students, we need to boldly say 'no' to unreasonable demands!"

Crack, crack, crack

Someone's fists clenched harder.

Akifumi calmly assessed the situation.

With a deep, magnetic voice tinged with composure, he said,

"Sensei, are you trying to get free content from me?"