Chapter 28: A Fleeting Glimpse
Generally speaking, manga authors’ creation process starts with conceiving the plot.
Then, they use rough lines on manuscript paper to design the storyboard content, roughly showing the characters, movements, and background in each panel, and mark the dialogue next to them.
One of the editor’s most important jobs is to repeatedly refine this storyboard draft with the author until it is finally confirmed, before proceeding to the next step.
Some authors’ storyboards are very abstract, so the editor also needs to adapt to the style of the author under them.
（Above image: Storyboard draft and finished product comparison, excerpted from the TV drama《Heavy Publishing》.）
But Sakamoto Ken’s creation process is not like this.
He only needs to carefully recall the manga he read in his previous life, with every page’s illustrations directly appearing before his eyes. If he places a sheet of manuscript paper in front of him, it’s no different from tracing a reference.
It’s impossible that he can directly draw complete storyboards but still needs to specially produce a draft version.
However, if he says this out loud, probably no editor would believe it.
Seeing Editor Kaji’s puzzled expression, Sakamoto Ken said, “Editor, can you get me some manuscript paper and pencils?”
Kaji Keiko nodded and said, “Wait a moment, I’ll get them right away.”
She briskly stood up, quickly walked out of the small room, and a few minutes later returned holding a stack of blank manuscript paper and pencils.
“Sakamoto Sensei, are you going to create the storyboard draft on the spot?” Kaji Keiko thought for a moment and said, “That’s great. We can discuss it right after you finish drawing. Tell me if you need anything.”
Sakamoto Ken indeed shook his head and said, “I’m just demonstrating my creation process…”
Sakamoto Ken spread a sheet of manuscript paper in front of him and picked up a pencil.
When actually creating, he still needs G-pen, round pen, D-pen, and various other tools. After all, he draws the cost version in one go, so he prepares all kinds of pens to replace them as needed.
But now he’s just demonstrating the creation process, so a pencil is fine.
“Kaji, do you still remember the plot at the end of chapter seven?” Sakamoto Ken said.
“Of course.” Kaji Keiko said, “Denji’s decisive battle with the Bat Demon, the comeback begins… Huh?”
Before she could finish describing the plot at the end of chapter seven, she saw Sakamoto Ken quickly drawing on the paper.
Denji slashes off the Bat Demon’s wings in mid-air, falling to the ground together with it. The entire scene has extreme visual tension: the details of the background buildings, the speed lines on the characters, and even every fragment of the shattering building glass all quickly take shape on the paper.
First page, second page, third page…
Sakamoto Ken completed the first four pages at an extremely fast speed. Except for the areas needing large-scale blackening and applying toning sheets, which were left blank, they were almost indistinguishable from finished products.
Sakamoto Ken looked up at Kaji Keiko and found her eyes wide open.
Just now, Kaji Keiko stared silently the whole time. Four pages of finished-level storyboard drafts took only twenty minutes in total.
In these twenty minutes, he didn’t even use an eraser once!
Not a single line was drawn wrong.
Kaji Keiko incredulously picked up the manuscript paper and examined it closely.
“Sakamoto Sensei, this… is your creation method?” Kaji Keiko’s lips trembled slightly.
Is this the terrifying strength of single-handedly creating three chapters per week!
“The first seven chapters were all drawn this way. I only have a pencil now, so this is the best I can do. Otherwise, these four pages could be used directly.”
Sakamoto Ken shrugged and said, “That said, if Kaji insists on me providing storyboard drafts, I’d actually be in a bit of a bind.”
“Ha… I see…” Kaji Keiko finally understood what Sakamoto Ken meant when he said he had no outline or drafts.
For a moment, Kaji Keiko couldn’t find the right words to describe her current sensation.
This had already exceeded the scope of her cognition as a manga editor.
She had seen geniuses, seen those authors whose brushstrokes seemed divinely inspired.
But even they needed extensive conception and rough sketch design before putting pen to paper.
Yet Sakamoto Sensei was like his brain was directly connected to a printer, printing the manuscript page by page onto the paper.
Looking at her shocked expression, Sakamoto Ken explained, “For me, before putting pen to paper, the entire page’s storyboard, composition, character movements, including lighting, shadows, and details, have already formed a complete image in my mind.”
“My job is simply to transfer that image from my mind onto the manuscript paper unchanged.”
Kaji Keiko exclaimed in admiration and said, “Sorry, Sakamoto Sensei. I underestimated your strength before. Not to mention your creation speed, just these four pages you completed in twenty minutes have excellent visual tension.”
“Then, from now on, I’ll just hand you the finished manuscripts directly.” Sakamoto Ken said.
“We’ll go by Sakamoto Sensei’s usual method.” Kaji Keiko said, “My only request is that once you finish each chapter’s content, send it to me immediately.”
“No problem.” Sakamoto Ken made an OK hand gesture.
Kaji Keiko tidied up the desk. At first she was a bit worried, but now her expression was much more relaxed.
“With Sakamoto Sensei’s strength, you must already have ideas for the color page design I mentioned earlier, right?” Kaji Keiko asked.
Sakamoto Ken didn’t speak and directly started drawing on the manuscript paper.
A few minutes later, a detailed line art appeared before Kaji Keiko.
“The draft is done. Take a look, Kaji.” Sakamoto Ken pushed the manuscript paper toward Kaji Keiko.
“Draft… huh…” Kaji Keiko’s eye twitched slightly. What she held was completely final-approved level line art, just without color.
“Looks like I was indeed overthinking it.”
Kaji Keiko let out a long breath, as if she had made up her mind, and stared firmly at Sakamoto Ken, saying, “Sakamoto Sensei, no matter what, I will fight for this serialization spot in the main magazine for you!”
“Actually, if the opponent is too strong… I mean, in terms of background connections or whatever, Kaji, don’t force it.” Sakamoto Ken shook his head and said.
“Looks like you guessed it too.” Kaji Keiko glanced around, lowered her voice, and said, “That《Young Lady》’s author probably has connections with group executives; otherwise, Sakamoto Sensei’s serialization would definitely be a sure thing.”
Sakamoto Ken just kept a polite smile and didn’t reveal his connection with that author.
Kaji Keiko flipped through her small notebook and continued, “Alright, the two main things today are the storyboard and color page. Additionally, Sakamoto Sensei, please consider extracting famous scenes and famous lines from the work yourself—ideally one for each main character.”
“Is this for promotion?” Sakamoto Ken asked.
“Exactly.” Kaji Keiko explained, “In recent years, we’ve been trying promotion through online media channels. If Sakamoto Sensei’s work continues to gain popularity, we can apply to produce a few minutes of animation video for YouTube, niconico, Twitter… all platforms popular with Gen Z readers.”
“Got it, I’ll think about it carefully.” Sakamoto Ken noted down the editor’s suggestion.
These were easy. In Sakamoto Ken’s memory, there wasn’t just the《Chainsaw Man》 manga; he had also watched the animation many times, and this work had tons of famous scenes…
Of course, some might be called cringeworthy scenes.
The meeting with the editor ended here, and Kaji Keiko still needed to hurry to other work.
She walked ahead and pushed open the door to the small meeting room.
Coming toward them was a bald middle-aged man. Kaji Keiko quickly greeted, “Chief Editor.”
Chief Editor Ono Tomohiro nodded slightly to her and continued striding forward.
And behind him followed a slender girl.
Sakamoto Ken’s footsteps halted, his whole body stiffening for an instant as he reflexively hid behind Kaji Keiko.
But he was still a step too late. As the girl passed by, she turned her head toward him, and their gazes quickly met in the air.
She didn’t seem to react much and continued following the Chief Editor forward.
It wasn’t until three seconds later that Mikazuki Haruna belatedly realized she had just seen a… extremely familiar figure.
She hurriedly stopped, turned around, and looked back in that direction.
But she only saw the female editor coming toward her, and farther away, a back that disappeared around the corner ahead the next second.
