My girlfriend is Saiki Kusunoki

Although Naoto could directly ask Nanako to use her superpowers to solve the problem.

But Naoto didn't want to do that.

If I rely too much on Nanzi, won't I just become a gigolo?

If I can't even solve this kind of problem, then what right do I have to be worthy of Nanzi?

Just as Naoto was pondering how to break the deadlock, suddenly, Team Leader Matsuyama walked in, looking exceptionally happy.

"That's great! ONE-sensei! An agency just called to say that a new batch of voice actors are coming to audition! Among them is the famous Makoto Takasaka!"

"Eh? What's going on?"

Naoto was a little confused. How did a voice actor suddenly appear? Wasn't it because they couldn't find anyone before?

"Makoto Kousaka? Could it be that one?!"

Just then, a group of voice actors, led by a very cheerful and handsome blond man, walked into the dubbing studio.

"ONE-sensei, Matsuyama-gumi leader, I'm voice actor Takasaka. May I ask if we can audition now?"

After seeing Makoto Kousaka arrive with several voice actors for auditions, Naoto and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It turns out that the person Sasahara had called earlier was his close friend from university, Makoto Kousaka.

Unlike Sasahara, who spent four years in the same club, Takasaka became a famous voice actor in the ACG world and even achieved success in cosplay and gaming.

At just over twenty years old, he has already provided voiceovers for several works.

Most importantly, Gao Ban is very popular in these fields.

Thanks to Takasaka's connections, some voice actors finally had the opportunity to audition for the vampire clan, and their work, which had been stalled, could finally resume.

"ONE teacher, you've been working so hard lately. You should get back to what you're doing."

"Ugh?"

Naoto was stunned when he heard what Matsuyama said. Could it be that so many people already knew about his recent affairs?

"Hey, even though the production team has been so busy lately, I still know what's going on in the manga world. As JUMP's ace writer, you can't just sit here. Don't worry, leave the anime adaptation to us."

"Then I'll leave it to you. I'll set off right away."

After thanking Team Leader Matsuyama, Naoto immediately headed towards the editorial office.

In any case, we cannot afford to lose this battle.

Chapter 49: Naoto's Advice

"cheers!"

Inside a barbecue restaurant, several Magazine authors were raising beer glasses and drinking beer in large gulps.

Before them, sizzling, oily roasted meat emitted an irresistible aroma.

Drinking beer and eating grilled meat, having a great time.

"Pfft! That was so satisfying! This was absolutely exhilarating! We really made a name for ourselves this time. Those authors from JUMP are no match for us at all."

"Yes, the reason we were so successful this time is mainly because Yamamoto-sensei and Kiyora-san are both incredibly talented. That ONE guy is just a lucky kid! How can he compare to us veteran authors?"

"Exactly! This guy became famous with just one comic book, he's so lucky. He got an anime adaptation right after his debut, while those of us who've been in the industry for over a decade haven't even gotten one. How come he does?"

"Once we defeat these JUMP authors, it'll be the magazine's domain! Hahahaha! Those guys from Sunday magazine are nothing to worry about!"

A group of people were having a great time in a private room at the barbecue restaurant, seemingly already imagining the day when they would become famous cartoonists.

These words sound as if their recent ability to suppress JUMP was entirely their doing.

"Oh? Miss Qinglai? Why aren't you eating? Come, come, have some! It's such a celebratory day, it's not good to look so down."

Amidst a group of grown men, only one woman sat, standing out conspicuously.

The woman, referred to as Miss Qinglai, looked at the group of men who were already quite drunk and felt a deep sense of worry.

Qinglai, however, had a different perspective on their optimistic attitude.

She has also been closely observing JUMP's recent situation.

In fact, besides Naoto, who was dragged down by the anime adaptation, there are several other manga artists worth noting.

Take Eiji Niizuma for example. Even though it's only his first manga, his imaginative plot construction and classic story development have made his recent works increasingly enjoyable to watch.

From its initial slight awkwardness to its current extremely mature structure, the speed of its growth is simply astonishing.

In Qinglai's opinion, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the second ONE.

And ONE is an even more formidable opponent.

Both of the works are currently available, and each one is a very exciting story.

No matter which comic book publisher it's in, it's top-tier.

The fact that the other party was able to become so popular and be adapted into an anime is definitely not a fluke.

How could a comic book artist who becomes famous in their teens possibly succeed by luck?

As for the remaining ones, such as Ashirogi Muto, although the recent story has declined significantly, it was still very interesting before.

It can only be said that the grasp of the core of the story is not very good. If he could develop it for a few more years, he would be at least a T2 comic artist, if not a T0 or T1 level one.

A temporary victory is utterly meaningless in the face of such a group.

Moreover, since there is currently no leader among these writers, they are unable to launch an effective counterattack.

If someone could lead them to regain their morale, things could be even more terrifying than they are now.

"Hopefully, no one like that will appear in JUMP."

While Kiyolai was worrying, Naoto had already rushed to the JUMP editorial office.

His purpose in coming here was specifically to discuss something with the editor-in-chief.

Even the editor-in-chief was somewhat surprised when Naoto approached them.

"Editor-in-chief, I feel we can't go on like this. Other magazines are going too far. Is there anything I can do?"

"Given the current situation, there really isn't a good way to retaliate against the other two magazines. We've considered a few possibilities, but they've all been rejected by the higher-ups. It seems the only option now is to increase our publicity efforts and try to break this deadlock. What are your thoughts on this, Naoto-kun?"

Although Sasaki is a veteran editor-in-chief of JUMP, he doesn't have any outdated ideas.

Even when facing a young man like Naoto, he didn't get angry or do anything directly; instead, he listened to Naoto's thoughts.

"Personally, I feel that JUMP's biggest problem right now is that the authors are almost at their limit and are unable to concentrate their efforts to launch a counterattack. Various issues of the authors have been greatly exposed during this short period of high-intensity updates."

"Oh? I didn't expect you to be able to tell?"

The editor-in-chief looked at Naoto with some surprise, not expecting that Naoto, who was so young, could actually see the biggest situation JUMP was facing.

That's right, the biggest problem with Jump right now is that the quality of the authors' works is declining. That's the most serious issue. If it weren't for this, with Jump's heavy promotion, they could easily make several manga hits.

Wasn't Demon Slayer made famous in the same way back then?

Magazine used the same tactic with Attack on Titan, and even with works like The Seven Deadly Sins. By investing heavily in the quality of their works and making them the flagship titles of their own magazines, it wasn't a difficult task for the major magazines.

But the most crucial point is that the quality has already started to decline.

Currently, apart from Eiji Niizuma, all the other authors have started to experience adverse reactions, especially the youngest, Moritaka and Akito, who now even feel nauseous at the mere mention of their manga.

Even if you have a great passion for it, doing it for so many days in a row would probably be unbearable.

Even his new wife... has started to get irritable lately.

When something becomes less interesting, it can be really painful.

Naoto was naturally aware of this, after all, he had experienced the intense drawing required for exams himself.

During that period, I felt like throwing up whenever I saw a painting.

Of course, Naoto also has a way to deal with the current situation.

"Then, editor-in-chief, I suggest that we gather all the comic artists and assistants together now. This way, the authors can help each other and concentrate on completing their own works. Authors who still have the energy can help those who are unable to finish. This is no longer just a battle between our comic artists."

"This kind of thing..."

"Furthermore, I suggest temporarily shutting down JUMP's current internal ranking system. You are probably aware of the current situation, and I'm worried that some authors won't be able to sustain themselves if the internal ranking system is reinstated."

After Naoto made his suggestion, the editor-in-chief fell silent.

Shueisha would be shocked if the current internal rankings of JUMP were shut down.

Chapter 50: A Stormy Era Begins

Do you know what it means to temporarily suspend the popularity rankings in Weekly Shonen Jump?

When faced with Naoto's suggestion, the editor-in-chief's first reaction was that it was crazy.

Yes, crazy.

In JUMP, a company known for its intense competition in the industry, shutting down the elimination system, even for a short period of time, is crazy enough.

To use an inappropriate analogy, it's almost like a country throwing away its entire death penalty. The editor-in-chief can't even imagine what the consequences of doing so would be.

Moreover, there are only so many slots in JUMP serialization. If no one is eliminated, it means that no new manga will be serialized. If something goes wrong in this situation, who will be responsible?

Even he, as the editor-in-chief, couldn't guarantee that he would ultimately be able to take the blame.

“I know, but if we continue to eliminate authors like this, it will only be more disadvantageous for us. It would be fine under normal circumstances, but given the current situation, I’m afraid that those authors at the bottom won’t be able to hold on. Editor-in-chief, you should understand.”

Faced with Naoto's words, editor Sasaki remained silent.

For JUMP, the last-place elimination system is a double-edged sword. It ensures the vitality of JUMP, but it also leaves the authors physically and mentally exhausted.

That incident from back then is still a source of heartache for him.

Under normal circumstances, he would not show mercy to authors who couldn't persevere.

However, the current situation is that the authors are competing against two other comics at the request of JUMP. If doing so results in these authors who have put in a lot of effort being eliminated, wouldn't that be disheartening?

In even more extreme cases, it's not impossible that some authors might flee or even lose their lives because of this.

Moreover, the current situation is like a war, and it is indeed difficult to accept to change generals at the last minute. Without guaranteeing that the newcomers can handle the situation, keeping the veterans is currently the safest approach.

"So, how long will it take you?"