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Episode 9: A Treasure I Found on a Walk.

Episode 9: A Treasure I Found on a Walk.

I'm taking up running, starting today!

Running all of a sudden?

Well, I'll tag along if it's just some light exercise.

Gonna drop a size.

Gonna get healthy.

Gonna get fit.

Unwilling

Hah! Being healthy is basically heresy for us mangakas.

Gonna get healthy.

Gonna lose weight.

Gonna get healthy.

How exactly do you view mangakas, Nashida-san?

Here, Futami.

Have a bite.

C'mon. Don't be shy.

No, thank you!

Besides, the whole reason I've gained weight...

is because you tempted me into eating midnight snacks.

The hell's your problem?

Gonna blame it all on me, huh?!

How about joining us for a little workout?

Huh?

Your last chapter's done, so you've got time now, right?

Heck no. Even if I'm unemployed, going for a run is the last thing I wanna do.

Oh, we won't be running.

Huh?

Huh?

I mean, if you start running when you don't have the stamina for it,

you'll be useless for work after.

That's not true.

Oh, but it is.

So we'll just take it easy.

Huh?

Let's go for a walk instead.

The morning air feels so nice, doesn't it?

Yeah. It sure does.

Oh, that reminds me.

It's said that hugs are also good for relieving stress, right?

What made you remember that now?

And kisses.

Why are you bringing that up now?

Oh, well, I was just thinking up better ways to deal with stress.

Hold up! Maybe the best way is to kiss and hug someone while walking?

As always, your imagination has made quite a leap.

I-It's an occupational hazard.

What's the matter, Sensei?

Look over there.

Huh?

A doggy.

Yup. A doggy.

Someone left a letter here, too.

Let's see... "She's a mini shiba. I hope someone kind welcomes her with love."

That's so irresponsible.

You poor little thing. It's still cold outside, too.

Stare.

There, there. I know. It's cold out here, isn't it?

Stare.

Sensei! She's a living creature! Don't just decide to adopt her on impulse.

I know! I know that, but...

But what?

This doggy reminds me of myself a few years back.

I only made it through because Sato-san took me in back then. But this doggy is...

Please! I promise I'll take good care of her! I promise I'll keep up with my job, too!

Well, I guess we could manage if we tried.

But don't forget we're technically already looking after one stray.

So I'm not sure about having another.

B-But I'm sure Nashida-san will try to behave better if we have a dog.

Fine.

Huh?

It's your call, Sensei.

Huh? You mean it? Yay!

Thanks, Ha-san!

You found a dog?

Seriously?

Seriously.

And you're keeping it?

Are you keeping the dog?

I-I am.

So listen up, Nashida-san. From now on, you have to take care of yourself—

Yes, ma'am. I definitely will. Trust me.

What an amazing dog.

So cute!

That was a pretty bold move for you.

Uh, well...

I'd say it was a good decision, since animals are healing.

What's her name, by the way?

We haven't decided yet.

Hmm. She's very fluffy, so how about "Fluffy-chan"?

Or how about "Rook-Bishop" so that she grows big?

She's white, so let's call her "Doburoku" like the sake! Yeah, Doburoku!

Denied.

Aw, c'mon. Doburoku sounds cool.

Well, let's leave them to it.

Let's play with some toys, Doburoku-chan.

Stop!

Those are the reference materials I mentioned.

Thank you so much.

Whatcha got there? Reference materials?

My protagonist's going up against an old shogi master,

so I wanted some reference materials to write about his younger days.

That book's from Toko-san.

Huh?

Thank you very much, Toko-san.

Oh, not at all. I hope it helps.

I'm sure it'll be more than a help.

Must be nice...

to be so loved.

Why the tears?

Why are we treated so differently when we're both mangakas?

My editor never helped me look for reference materials.

But your series is a comedy.

Even so!

Huh? Are you Nashida-sensei?

Huh?

I knew it.

What are you doing here?

Um, have we met somewhere before?

Yup. We met at the company party when Takizawa-sensei won our manga award.

Huh? Sato-san, what are these sticky notes?

Oh, those are pages I found interesting that might be useful for your series.

Ah, you're right. This is interesting, and I can likely use it.

Sato-san.

Do you still have time today?

Uh, yeah.

Then, I'll draw the storyboards now.

Ah, there she goes again.

You've seen her in that mode, Toko-san?

Yeah. It happened the other day at the shogi dojo.

Isn't it amazing? I wonder what goes through her head when she's like that.

But don't you play ten players at once?

Oh, that's pretty normal.

What?

Define "normal."

Sorry for making you all wait for her.

Oh, don't mind me.

But being an editor must be tough, too. You gathered so much reference stuff for her.

It's the other way around.

Huh?

It's the only thing I can do for her as her editor.

The "only" thing? Nah, you have to review storyboards, too, remember?

Even a reader could do that.

Lettering is also something anyone can do if they're taught.

So all we can do for creators is be by their side and provide them with what they need.

Wow. Editors sound like very dedicated people.

That's a bit of an exaggeration. We're just doing what we like.

Same here.

Huh?

I work as her assistant because I like doing it!

Ah, sorry. We weren't even talking about me right now. Uh, well...

I'm done!

Huh? You're all over there?

Go get it, girl!

Yeah, I think they're good.

But...

But?

You went over by two pages.

A chapter's usually 31 pages, but there are 33 pages here. Was that intentional?

I totally wasn't paying attention.

Those reference materials gave me so many ideas I wanted to write about. I'm sorry.

I see.

Okay. Let's keep it like this.

What? We can?

It's only two extra pages. I'll negotiate with the editor-in-chief. Besides...

This isn't something we should cut down.

Sato-san.

What's up?

I just realized adding two more pages will make it harder to hit my deadline.

It'll be fine.

Huh?

You just gotta begin each day a little earlier. Or do overtime.

You can count me in.

What?! You'd do that for me, Ha-san?!

Must be nice to be so loved, I tell ya.

Right, Doburoku?

There, there.

Hey! Don't name her that without my permission.

Doburoku's a fine name.

Isn't it, cutie?

No!

I get it now.

Get what?

You need people in order to create a manga. You need a team.

I guess.

Definitely. Oh, and you're also a member of the team, Toko-san.

Really?

What? No! Come and join my team, Toko-san! Please!

You're not working on anything right now, Nashida-san.

Okay, Sensei, I'm putting away the reference materials you got from Sato-san.

Thanks.

Huh?

Sensei.

Yeah?

What is it?

Look what I found.

Looks like Sato-san was excited about the dog, too.

How to Raise and Train an Indoor Dog

How to Raise and Train an Indoor Dog

What's the matter, Senpai?

Oh, it's nothing.

I should've given her a little pat.

I was only away for a bit, but my mailbox is stuffed with flyers.

Huh?

What the...

No wonder it's so quiet. Nashida-san isn't here today, huh?

Yeah, she said she was going back to get fresh underwear.

Futami! This is serious! Serious, I tell ya! Real serious!

Look at this.

What is it?

Can't you tell? It's a letter from my fan! I think.

Huh?

You "think"?

You've read it, haven't you?

Nope.

Why not?

'Cause I'm scared!

My series ended a while ago, and this is my first fan letter!

What?

You heard me right. It's my first fan letter. This is about as famous as I get.

Relax.

Besides...

If it's something hurtful, it'll just rub salt in the wound.

I feel bad for this person, because what if they're your biggest fan?

But you never know!

That's exactly my point.

Okay. This is how we're gonna do it.

Futami, you read the letter for me.

What?

Then, just tell me the good bits.

Huh?

Okay, I'll start reading.

Oh!

Wh-What is it?!

It's from a 23-year-old woman. Her name is Yuki-chan.

Shonen magazines are also popular with female readers nowadays.

They sure are.

That's her personal info!

What about stuff related to me or my manga?

Hurry up and tell me!

Talk about selfish.

Let's see...

"Nashida-sensei, this is my first time writing to you."

"I loved reading Koku-san Is Safe! every week."

"I got so hooked, I couldn't wait for the book, so I followed every chapter in the magazine."

I'm sorry!

"And even when work was tough, your manga cheered me up and gave me strength."

"So I was really sad the series ended."

"But I'm sure you must be even more frustrated than I am."

"So I look forward to your next series."

Yuki-chan!

Wh-What's gotten into you?!

Here.

Make sure you keep it somewhere safe.

Yeah.

Huh?

There's something else besides the letter.

I hope good things come your way

Is this a good luck charm?

And it's handmade!

Tears?!

She cries so easily.

H-Hey, are you all right?

Here's some tissues.

Huh? What was that?

The life of a mangaka is like performing a live concert without an audience!

Uh, what?

Artists get to see the reaction of their fans in real time when they perform at concerts.

But you're all alone when you're a mangaka, because you don't see the readers' response.

There are polls, sure, but in the end, that's just all numbers.

Let me be honest here: writing a letter is a hassle.

I stopped sending out holiday greetings years ago.

But even for someone like me...

a handwritten letter has a gentle warmth.

They mean a lot more to a mangaka than readers probably realize.

So...

Due to that...

Please don't hesitate to write to me!

Now you're being selfish.

I got such a nice letter, so it doesn't hurt to ask for something nice once in a while!

Yes, hello?

Yes. Uh-huh.

She's like a full-on storm. Seriously.

Well, I can kind of sympathize with her.

What?

Have you received a letter from a fan, too?

Yeah, a few times. Like when my series just started.

Wow.

Sounds nice.

Huh?

Ha-san?

What?!

Are you sure?! Seriously?

Futami.

What was all that screaming about?

I just spoke with Asakura-san...

about the spin-off for Takizawa-sensei's manga.

And she... she said she wants me to write it!

Really?

Yeah, for real.

That's great!

Thanks, Yuki-chan! I owe it all to your good-luck charm!

Wait, what?

No, I bet she chose you because of your career—

It was definitely the good-luck charm! It worked its magic!

If you're really that grateful, why not write her back?

Write her back?

Heck yeah! I'll write loads!

Okay, I'm off to go buy some stuff.

Okay.

Oh, it's Sato-san.

Hello?

What?

What's going on here?

Envelopes for my letter. There are so many cute ones, I can't decide.

Th-There's no room for me to get by.

And how long are you planning to stay here, Nashida-san?

What? Are you kicking me out?

No, but you're starting a new series, so...

It's gonna be lonely when you leave.

Huh. Did she just confess to me?

No, I didn't!

I'm just joking with you.

But...

I'm happy to hear that.

Thanks.

And I also want to talk about how to promote Volume 2.

Am I going to sign copies again?

No. I know you'll wimp out and say no, so I made the decision for you.

For me? Sounds scary.

It isn't scary.

You're basically going to be interviewed.

That's so scary! No!

Come on now.

Okay, let's jump right into the interview.

There's no need to feel nervous at all. Just be yourself when answering my questions.

Be myself. Be myself. Be myself.

How do I usually talk, by the way?

You're freaking out too much.

You're funny, Sensei.

So first off, how did this series come about?

Well, um... I-It almost felt like a scam.

What do you mean "a scam"?

I won't let you get away with it!

Back when you saw the storyboards Toda-san had already turned down...

Okay, I'm gonna pitch these storyboards, so after this—

You will?

Yes.

Sweet! Even with this idea, I can probably get a one-shot in a special edition!

So after this meeting...

Yes?

Can you turn in the main character sheets and finalized storyboards by next week?

Sure, I can do that. But why?

To increase our chances.

If there are other submissions at the same level,

the one that gets chosen is the one where the author has shown an extra bit of effort.

See? I only said good things.

Not so fast! It's about what you said next! The day the pitch result came in!

Sato-san

Hello?

It's me, Sato.

H-Hi.

Cutting to the chase, your manga was chosen in the pitch meeting.

Th-Thank you so much!

So the serialization will begin in the May issue of the main magazine.

Huh?

And regarding the deadline, I need Chapter 2 storyboards before Chapter 1's—

W-W-W-W-W-W-Wait a second! What do you mean?!

Sorry?

I thought we were pitching a one-shot?!

I never said that.

You never mentioned serialization, either! No way can I do that!

You'll be fine.

What makes you say that?!

And that's how it went, remember?!

Did it?

It totally did!

Your communication is way too sloppy!

But you handled it, so it's all good.

Still, I would've liked to prepare myself.

I see! So the series got green-lit thanks to Sato-san's sharp instincts,

and how she tightened everything up!

Please don't make it sound nice and clean.

m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100

To Subaru portrays the relationships of those who pour their whole lives into shogi

We interviewed the author, Futami Nana-san and her editor! What led to the serialization of To Subaru, a shogi-themed manga that stands out among women's manga?

To Subaru, serialized in Monthly Clover (Futami Nana/Shodansha), is a work that realistically portrays the shogi players who devote their lives to the game, the relationships that surround them, and the protagonist's personal growth. Shogi supervision is overseen by Kakunodate Toko, a women's professional player ranked in third-dan and a well-known YouTuber.

To Subaru Synopsis

Mitsuki once targeted becoming a pro shogi player, but gave up on her dream. She then meets Subaru, a lonely boy 12 years her junior and teaches him shogi at his request.

Eight years later, at age 14, Subaru emerges as a prodigy rising through the ranks to earn a place in the 3-dan League.

Will a junior high pro shogi player be born?!

I got the draft of the interview, but I'm too scared to read it.

You don't have to. Just do your work.

A new serialization and a warm letter from a fan.

If I've made it this far up, then... then...

I just know I'm gonna crash and burn! I'm scared! No!

I'm too scared. It's scary. Too scared.

No, no, no!

Talk about chaos.

Look how cute you are.

My negative thoughts are being chased away.

You're a national treasure.

No, a treasure to the entire world.

Oh, that's right.

How about we name her Takara-chan?

Oh, I like it.

What?

Huh?

Let's just call her Doburoku.

Denied. Her name is Takara.

Starting today, you're our precious treasure, Takara-chan.

Translation: Timing: Editing + Typesetting: Quality Control: Translation Check:

Naomi Suda Andy Ellis SMR Ashley Barboza Michelle Tymon

Okay! Time for our walk!

Hey, let's take turns doing the morning and evening walks, yeah?

No! I wanna take her on every walk!

Fine, whatever.

Still...

We're doing what we set out to do, so I guess it's fine.

Next Episode

Next Episode: Let's Take a Day Off Work for a Change.

Let's Take a Day Off Work for a Change.