Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 5: A Masterpiece

Ken Sakamoto maintained his smile and stood up to politely acknowledge Editor Kaji.

The editor wore a beige short-sleeved shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to her elbows, paired with khaki wide-leg pants and light brown canvas shoes, creating a minimalist MUJI look.

She has long hair, fair skin, and is rather thin. She wears a small watch with a thin strap on her wrist, giving her a somewhat artistic look.

"Hello, are you Ken Sakamoto-sensei?" Kaji asked with a slight smile.

Ken Sakamoto nodded and replied, "Please give me your guidance, editor."

Kaji Keiko meets with several authors every day. Without much small talk, she gets straight to the point: "Well, let me introduce myself first. My name is Kaji Keiko. I have read all your submissions on the web. Personally, I think you draw very well."

Kaji Keiko placed a stack of printed manuscript papers on the table. These were the first two chapters that Sakamoto Ken had previously submitted to the web, with some circles and dots marked on them.

“I have a lot of confidence in Chainsaw Man,” Ken Sakamoto said.

"I'd like to ask, is this your first work? Have you published any works elsewhere before?" Keiko Kaji asked.

"I'd say this is my debut work, my first attempt at publishing," Ken Sakamoto replied.

Keiko Kaji was clearly surprised. She raised an eyebrow and said, "This kind of storyboarding makes me feel like a seasoned writer who has been creating for many years."

"Editor Kaji is too kind."

That's right. Fujimoto Tatsuki had seven years of creative experience before creating Chainsaw Man, and he was an exceptionally talented artist.

"Although the brushstrokes are a bit rough in terms of artwork, the panel design is very visually appealing, and the battle scenes are very impactful. If I had to give my evaluation..." Jiaji held up two fingers and said, "Only two words: Brilliant!"

After saying that, she hesitated for a moment: "But to be honest, the editorial department often receives comics with a unique style like this. Usually, the first two chapters are very exciting, but after the gimmick is used up, they quickly fall into clichés."

"Does the editor want to talk to me about the upcoming plot?" Ken Sakamoto immediately understood what she meant.

This is because they're worried he'll ruin the project.

Ken Sakamoto himself has seen many works like this: the first episode is amazing, the second episode becomes mediocre, and then it gets worse and worse until it is canceled.

But the editor's worries this time were unnecessary.

Sakamoto Ken smiled and reached into his backpack, taking out a thick stack of manuscript paper.

"Editor, actually, I've completed two more chapters since submitting the manuscript."

He pushed the manuscript paper in front of Keiko Kaji.

Kaji's eyes widened noticeably as she stared at the stack of manuscript papers, exclaiming in surprise, "So fast? Only a week, right?"

"Actually, I already have detailed ideas for the content of the subsequent volumes, so the actual drawing process is quite fast," Sakamoto Ken said.

Keiko Kaji carefully picked up the manuscript and turned the pages one by one.

"It's so good...so good..." Keiko Kajiko exclaimed in admiration as she watched. "The characters' personalities are all portrayed so well. I like Makima. Is she the female lead?"

"Ah, well... anyway, she's Denji's crush." ​​Sakamoto Ken coughed twice, deciding it was best not to reveal the rest of the plot to the editor yet, otherwise the impact would be too great and the manuscript might be rejected.

"I get it, I get it. Sakamoto Ken draws harem manga, right? And Miss Makima is one of the harem members?"

"So, in fact... it counts... right?"

"Pawa, who appeared at the end of episode four, was also very cute, but isn't his character design a bit inconsistent with Makima's?" Keiko Kaji asked.

"Where is the conflict?" Sakamoto Ken asked.

Keiko Kaji thought for a moment, then gestured with her hands in front of her chest and said, "They're all big-breasted, and you even gave them a close-up."

"Ha, I can actually tell Jia Zhi-san that Pawa's breasts are fake."

"Fake?" "It's just a breast pad."

"Haha, I see." Keiko Kaji covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "That's quite interesting. Although the breasts aren't full, the figure is full."

After reading through the entire manuscript, Keiko Kaji discussed the future direction of the story with Ken Sakamoto.

She said with great satisfaction, "In that case, let's sign the contract. I have high hopes for Chainsaw Man."

"Is this serialized on the JUMP+ web platform?" Ken Sakamoto asked.

Keiko Kaji nodded and said, "Generally, newcomers have to start with online serialization. However, given the quality of Ken Sakamoto's manga, if the first few chapters of the online serialization are well received, I will apply for magazine placement for you as soon as possible."

She picked up a notebook, flipped through it, and said, "Next week, a work in Weekly Shonen Jump will be canceled. There are no new works scheduled from veteran authors recently, so we'll arrange two weeks of short stories to fill the gap, and then replace it with a new work. I'll try to help you with that."

"Thank you, Editor Jia Zhi."

Ken Sakamoto was satisfied with this arrangement. After all, he was a complete newcomer. Even if he brought out his previous hit works, no editor could guarantee that they would be a hit just by reading the beginning. In the end, he would have to prove his strength with his achievements.

Next came the signing ceremony. Staff brought two copies of the contract, which Sakamoto Ken signed and stamped on the spot.

"Alright, then it'll be a pleasure working together." Keiko Kaji smiled slightly and bowed to Ken Sakamoto.

"Please take good care of me, editor Sang Duoduo."

"I will send you an email with detailed instructions on the next steps of the publication process. Online publication is more flexible, and you have four chapters in reserve, so you have plenty of time."

Kaji Keiko then asked, "By the way, does the teacher need help introducing an assistant?"

“No need.” Ken Sakamoto shook his head and said, “One person is enough. I wrote all of these episodes myself.”

"Sakamoto-sensei wrote two episodes in a week all by himself?!"

Keiko Kaji was slightly surprised. It wasn't that there weren't manga artists who created their own works, but they usually updated much slower and couldn't keep up with the pace of serialization. They could only publish on websites like Pixiv first, and then talk to publishers about signing contracts once they had accumulated enough manuscripts and gained popularity.

Ken Sakamoto didn't explain much, he just smiled and nodded.

In reality, this speed did not break the theoretical human limit; it simply omitted the time required for all the conceptualization.

Plot development, storyboard design, character design... these are all time-consuming and crucial aspects.

With a serialization contract worth 12000 yen per page, Ken Sakamoto walked out of the meeting room.

The royalties for his online serialization on the JUMP+ platform were relatively low, but Ken Sakamoto was already satisfied.

Moreover, he believed that within a few weeks, "Chainsaw Man" would be published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, at which point the fee per page would double.

Moreover, compared to future revenue from individual book sales, copyright sharing, and other compensation, the serialization fee is just a drop in the bucket.

Great! This playthrough will focus on making money. A perfect start!

Ken Sakamoto couldn't help but smile, already imagining where he would buy a mansion in a scenic spot once the manga became a huge hit.

Suddenly, his steps stopped.

Inside the Shueisha building, there are many posters on the walls on both sides, all of which are works published by the company. One area is dedicated to new works.

A poster instantly caught his attention.

The poster features a rather cool girl with long pink hair, wearing a JK uniform, black pantyhose, and... a huge sniper rifle slung over her shoulder.

The blank space contains the title in decorative lettering: "Young Lady, Sniper Rifle, and Pantyhose!"

(End of this chapter)