Anime Crossover: Becoming Mangaka in Anime World

After leaving the office of Editor-in-Chief Minano, Otosuna Mihari found herself surrounded by question marks.

"Something's off, something's off..." She muttered to herself as she returned to her desk.

No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't understand why Minano would prefer "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day" over "Madoka Magica".

That's right.

She was giving more importance to the other work!

After reading the entire plot of Madoka Magica, understanding the deep meanings the author had carefully planted from the beginning, and feeling the shock from it, Minano still clearly expressed her fondness for the other piece.

Just thinking about it made Mihari realize the hidden meaning behind those words.

'Did I miss something? Did I overlook some hidden brilliance of this piece?' 

With this in mind, she took the manuscript of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day from her drawer and started reading it carefully.

The first 20 pages weren't many, and even after reading them with intense focus, it didn't take her more than 10 minutes.

'Hmm... it feels like they're just introducing the story and the characters?' 

Aside from that, if she had to get into details, it was mainly about the protagonist's attitude toward the female lead and the indifference of the other characters.

"Let me read it again!"

This time, Mihari was determined to not miss a single panel!

After a while...

"Ugh!"

When she noticed a certain panel, it felt as though an electric shock ran through her body, leaving her with goosebumps.

In the image, the protagonist walks up to a glass cabinet with bowls inside, but in the reflection of the glass, only the protagonist appears!

The girl walking alongside him—who seemed to be the female lead—was nowhere to be seen.

"I get it now!"

In that moment, everything in the previous chapters that had bothered her made sense!

"No wonder Editor Minano would praise this work so highly."

From the first 20 pages, it was clear that this was a modern, coming-of-age, school-based story.

But in a setting where everyone was just an ordinary human, the sudden appearance of such a peculiar element made her excited to see where the story would go.

"Ugh! This foreshadowing is berried so deep! What if no one else catches it?!" 

She muttered, feeling more frustrated with herself for not realizing the oddity sooner—her anger was more about her failure as an editor than anything else!

But could she really be blamed?

Who would have thought that in a story about ordinary daily life, the female lead wasn't even human, but a ghost who had already died?

If it had been a different genre, she would've figured it out right away!

'Though, with such a beginning, the ending is bound to be tragic, right?'

After all, a dead person can't come back to life.

Even though manga often bends logic for fun or storytelling purposes, there are some basic rules—like how death is permanent.

'Never mind. Why am I even thinking about this?'

Mihari shook her head.

As an editor, she had to do her job without getting too emotional.

She waited until after school and then waited another hour before calling Akifumi-sensei.

"Sorry for making you wait, Akifumi-sensei."

"No problem." Akifumi responded nonchalantly.

"Shueisha doesn't work only with me. and It's not like I'm in a rush."

"Enough small talk. So what's the situation now?" 

"The completion request for Madoka Magica has been approved by Editor Minano."

At these words, Akifumi let out a relieved sigh.

He had been worried about the possibility of rejection.

Even though, if the publisher hadn't agreed, he could have insisted, and the manga would eventually have concluded.

However, that would have caused tension between him and the editors, and he didn't want that.

"Now, how about the new work I submitted?"

"Editor Minano wants to know if you have a complete plan for the upcoming story."

"Well, when we start a story, we usually think about the ending first, right?"

Akifumi chuckled and added, "But, if that answer doesn't satisfy Editor Minano, tell her that I've already mapped out the entire story, and as long as I get the serialization, I can guarantee that I'll deliver a new original page every week!"

Hearing this, Mihari couldn't help but smirk.

'You stupidl!'

Who even does that!?

Everyone brings their original story drafts to get feedback from the editor, then revises them according to the editor's suggestions before submitting them for approval.

Then it goes through discussions, approval, and eventually works its way through the publishing process.

But Akifumi-sensei just want to go off the rails!

There were so many things she wanted to complain about, but she couldn't get them all out in one breath.

But when the words were about to come out, she changed her mind.

"No problem. I'll pass your message to Editor Minano!"

"Thanks."

Mihari nodded in satisfaction, even though she knew it was just a polite phrase. To her, it was a sign of submission!

"By the way, we've also helped you get verified on SNS. Your account details are aixxxxx and 16xxxx. Remember to note them down."

The account and password were simple.

Mihari Otosuna just repeated them once, and he had them memorized.

"Do you need me to repeat them?"

"No, I've got it."

[TL Note – Did this guy just memorize username and password first try???]

"Good. Make sure to log in and greet everyone. You can also share your plans for the future."

"Got it."

They exchanged a few more words and hung up.

After the call ended, Akifumi sighed.

"Looks like this rare vacation is over once I go back today."

Even though Mihari didn't say it, Editor Minano asking about his plans was a clear sign of trouble.

While he wasn't short on money, drawing Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day was a huge challenge and an opportunity he couldn't miss.

No matter the outcome, it would bring great benefits to him.

He couldn't let anyone's expectations down either!

Afterward, Akifumi immediately logged into the SNS account Mihari had just shared with him.

To his surprise, the new account already had a few hundred followers and several comments.

"Is this really the SNS of the 'Warrior of Love and Hope'? The account was created just half an hour ago?"

"Idiot, didn't you see the verified badge next to the name? It's definitely real!"

"Finally found the teacher's SNS! Even though Madoka Magica has a lot of heart-wrenching moments, I still love it!! I'll always support you!!"

The comments were overwhelmingly friendly and supportive.

"See? This is what true fans say!"

Just as Akifumi was about to type a response, one comment stood out:

"Sensei, when will the second volume be released? My wallet is already waiting!"

After reading the comment, Akifumi couldn't help but laugh.