Aniverse:This Managaka is Black hearted

Black Mangaka 021: Strength is King!

"What kind of work could make her so undecided?"

The other editors were equally curious.

"The specific brilliance can't be described in words. Anyway, how about you take a look at the manuscript first?"

At Minano Matoi's suggestion, Torishima Kazuhiko nodded.

Minano Matoi stood up, distributed copies of the manuscript to the editor-in-chief and chief editors, and then returned to her seat.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Seeing the name of the work, Torishima Kazuhiko looked slightly surprised.

This was the only work with a magical girl theme that had passed the first evaluation, so naturally, he had an impression of it.

Precisely because he remembered it, he felt surprised.

Even a newly hired editor could analyze a work on the "magical girl" theme and provide a reasonable evaluation.

But for an experienced editor-in-chief to hesitate and not finalize the evaluation?

"That can only mean this work has unique characteristics."

Not just Torishima Kazuhiko but others who held the position of editor-in-chief also understood this.

"So, what are these characteristics that even an editor-in-chief couldn't decide on?"

Driven by curiosity, everyone opened the manuscript.

The room fell silent.

Soon, the only sound was the rustling of pages turning.

"Even though I've seen it once, I still can't help but marvel at the gorgeous art style in this teacher's work!"

"The characters are so cute! With this kind of art style, the plot almost doesn't matter anymore.

Even just watching their interactions would keep me hooked."

"Is the author's pen name 'Warrior of Love and Hope'? Are you sure this isn't an alias for some veteran artist?"

"Idiot, that's impossible! You can't hide such a distinct art style.

Besides, I've already met the creator—it's said they're a high school student."

"Is that true? A high school student?"

"Aren't prodigies pretty common in this industry? What's so surprising about that?"

"Editor-in-Chief Kobayashi, maybe speak more calmly, and your statement would sound more convincing."

The editors flipped through the pages, casually discussing.

This relaxed attitude persisted until everyone reached that page.

It was as though they'd all been simultaneously struck dumb.

Their eyes widened with disbelief.

Slightly trembling hands betrayed their complex emotions.

Despite their experience with countless works, they'd never imagined this—

A death in a magical girl story!

In comics, it's not uncommon for one or two characters to die.

Classic battle manga often deal with enemy deaths lightly or imply them through destroyed landscapes.

Detective manga? Someone dies nearly every chapter.

And tokusatsu shows? Large-scale casualties are a given.

Even the sudden demise of a popular character isn't unheard of.

But this?

This was unprecedented!

Rather, they had never even considered this angle!

Since its inception, the magical girl genre has targeted young audiences.

Naturally, works intended for children should be joyful, perhaps even educational.

But adding tragedy to such works?

How dare you? Do you want to destroy the innocence of children everywhere?!

Before today, if someone had told them, "Magical girls can die,"

They would've scoffed and dismissed the idea.

But now?

They couldn't deny it.

After overcoming their initial shock, they returned to the first page.

This time, they read with newfound seriousness.

By the end of the 100 pages, an uncontrollable thought echoed in their minds:

Who says magical girls are just for children? Have we misunderstood magical girls all along?

"The meaning of longing for miracles and its price—"

The final monologue mirrored their own sentiments.

Had they ever truly considered what it meant to be a magical girl?

This dark reinterpretation felt... inexplicably captivating!

Where would the story go next?

They couldn't wait to find out.

"Ahem."

The editors snapped out of their reveries as Torishima Kazuhiko coughed.

"I believe everyone has finished reading. What are your thoughts?"

"It's beyond imagination!"

"It breaks conventional perceptions."

"When I first read it, the lines and expressions seemed overly dark.

I thought it was a rookie mistake, but upon rereading, I realized the foreshadowing was laid out masterfully!"

"This newcomer is a genius."

"This opens a whole new branch for the magical girl genre. If the follow-up maintains this level of quality,

It could become a masterpiece!"

"Really? Isn't it too much to call a magical girl story a 'masterpiece'?"

"Perhaps, but even if it doesn't reach that level, discovering a fresh interpretation of magical girls is already groundbreaking.

Is this really something a high school student could create?"

"High school student! What were you doing in high school?"

"Studying hard."

"Shopping, karaoke, arcades."

"I feel like I wasted my youth compared to this."

"Don't compare yourself to prodigies—you'll just feel worse!"

The discussion grew lively, turning the room into a chaotic market.

Torishima waited until the noise subsided before speaking again.

"So, what's your verdict on this work's ranking?"

"I see no problem with it being selected."

"Agreed."

"Seconded."

"..."

After all the editors except Minano Matoi voiced their agreement,

Torishima turned to her.

"What's your opinion, Editor-in-Chief Minano?"

Minano shook her head. "No objections."

Torishima chuckled.

"Young people these days like making things difficult for us old folks.

This decision is too important to make lightly.

But we can't afford to miss a work like this.

Let's award Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Selected prize. Any objections?"

The room fell silent.

The editors exchanged surprised glances.

The Selected Award?!

Torishima laughed.

"What's wrong? Do you think it's unfit because it's a magical girl story?"

"If we let bias cloud our judgment, we fail in our duty as editors.

Shueisha didn't get where it is today by worrying about external opinions.

We've always believed in one principle—

Strength is king!"

***