Anime Crossover: Becoming Mangaka in Anime World

"WHAT 'Madoka Magica' is ending?! Is that true?!"

"This is complete nonsense! Editor-in-Chief, why didn't you stop the author?!"

"Right now, 'Madoka Magica' is on the rise. To end it so soon… doesn't the author know how hard it is to create a big hit? And as the editor-in-chief, don't you know this?!"

"Exactly, we can't end it now!!"

"If it ends like this, the author will regret it later!"

"As editors, we need to offer more advice to our authors!"

Once the situation was clear, the editors quickly began to speak up in concern.

When an editor-in-chief is in charge of a breakout hit, it's bound to have a significant impact on them, but it also brings a lot of benefits!

Just the fact that it boosts Shueisha's reputation is enough for them to set aside any objections.

The higher the reputation, the more new readers it attracts.

A powerful example of this is that, since the release of Madoka Magica's latest volume, Weekly Shonen Jump's sales have increased by 2% in the past two weeks!

Don't underestimate that 2%. For Shueisha's current size, even a 0.5% increase would mean a substantial boost.

Also, it's important to note that loyal Weekly Jump fans don't always buy every issue; sales tend to stay consistent on average, with minor fluctuations.

So, when we factor in this, the actual sales increase could be much higher than 2%.

As for how we're so sure that this increase is from the new readers...

You really think Shueisha conducts surveys just for fun? The feedback from Madoka Magica revealed that 60% of readers are women!

When the staff first counted the data, they even had to double-check, as they couldn't believe it.

Weekly Shonen Jump, as its name suggests, mostly targets male readers. Although there are female fans, they only make up about 20% of the total.

These women wouldn't all be fans of Madoka Magica.

So, it's clear that this surge in readership is coming from new readers brought in by the volume releases!

Considering how much new readership Madoka Magica has already generated with just its first volume, it's easy to imagine that, as long as the series continues, it'll draw in even more readers.

Even if only 50% of these new readers stay, it'll be a huge benefit for other authors too!

And for Shueisha, the gains will be even greater too!

For both professional and personal reasons, no one wants Madoka Magica to end.

Editor-in-Chief Minano, being in the same position, clearly understands the situation's risks and rewards.

But what sets her apart is that, while everyone else is focused on short-term gains, Minano is thinking about the future!

The success so far is due to the author's incredible work.

But if internal conflicts cause Akifumi-sensei to move to another publisher, wouldn't that be counterproductive?

Of course, these guys probably don't lack this awareness.

However, from their perspective, Madoka Magica is more valuable than the creator.

It's simple: if the author continues, Madoka Magica will keep bringing Shueisha new readers.

But if it ends, would the author be able to create another hit as big as Madoka Magica?

'The odds of that happening are probably low, right?' 

No doubt, 90% of the people in the room are thinking that way.

Even if the author has potential, they're not willing to bet on their next work.

But...

'Don't put me in their category.'

Sure, continuing a series minimizes risks. But without taking risks, how can you expect rewards?

It's like how the bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish.

So, Minano stays silent, her face expressionless.

"Silence."

Only when the elderly man sitting at the head of the table spoke did the room settle down.

Torishima pointed at the table with their fingers, their eyes deep, leaving it unclear what they were thinking.

"Minano, you say Akifumi has requested the ending for Madoka Magica, is that right?"

"Yes."

"You've seen the remaining content, right?"

Minano nodded and added, "I believe there's no better conclusion than this."

"You!" Torishima pointed at Minano, visibly angry.

The other editors held their composure but their eyes twinkled with excitement.

Finally! Minano, the editor they all thought was pampered, was finally going to get scolded by the chief editor!

"...Why did you forget to mention it to me when you had such a great thing?!"

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for the continuation of Madoka Magica? Ten days! Ten days!!"

"You have no idea how torturous those ten days were for me! Without Madoka Magica, I felt like ants were crawling on me!!"

"But you, just enjoying it on your own! You didn't think about me at all!!"

"If it weren't for this meeting today, would you have even told me?!"

Editors: ??

Was the chief editor scolding Minano?

Well, it seemed... different than they imagined?!

The room fell silent.

Minano, facing the chief editor's self-reproach, showed a hint of guilt.

"I'm sorry, Chief Editor."