Azuki is going to move the next day, but it’s only 3 days until NEXT so Mashiro refuses to see her and keeps on drawing. Kaya visits and asks why Mashiro didn’t give Azuki his mail address, apparently he forgot, but he still doesn’t want to message her as he doesn’t want his first message to be something random.

Mashiro pull two all-nighters to perfect their manga. Hattori says it’s fine and takes it in. After that Mashiro trudges home and finally decides to text Azuki. After an entire night of writing, editing and reaching the 5000 word limit he finally finishes and sends. Azuki replies in a matter of seconds saying that his text was too long and congrats for serialization in NEXT.

At the editorial department everyone in Hattori’s team agrees that Mashiro and Takagi’s manga this time is very good. But Eiji’s editor, Yujiro thinks that it won’t beat Eiji.

New school and Mashiro and Takagi find that they’re in the same class. Seeing their names on the board, Takagi thinks that they should create a penname so it doesn’t get out at school. He messages Hattori who says they’ll have to think of one fast. Kaya suggest Ashiro Muto, meaning for Azuki and Mashiro’s dreams to come true. But Takagi complains that he’s not in it so they decide on Ashirogi Muto.

They get an early issue from Hattori who thinks they can win. He tells them about the questionnaire postcards that Jack readers submit and Mashiro recalls his uncle saying that he’s never won first place ever. Hattori goes on and explain about early results, from the first 100 questionnaires in and the real results, from 1000 randomly selected questionnaires. Takagi says that he wants to hear both results even though it’s only the real results that count.

As they exit the building Mashiro knows that Hattori doesn’t want them serialized but he wants to write out the first few chapters anyway and make it so good that Hattori will have no choice but to at least consider it.

They write so much that they forget the release date of NEXT, but Azuki messages Mashiro that day and says it looks good. Hattori calls much later and tells them that they’re first in the early results, only by 2 votes though.

The two finish the first three chapters and bring them to Hattori but tells him that it’s a new name. He tells them the real results and they come third. Mashiro then grabs away the first few chapters he brought and says that they’re not good enough. Hattori tells them again and again that third place is very good for a first go, but he ends the meeting as the two doesn’t seem up for it.

On the train back home, Mashiro says that they must go for something mainstream if they’re going to be popular in Jack. They stop by a river and Mashiro rips the chapters to shreds. They now aim for a popular mainstream manga to beat Eiji.


Did he have to rip up the manuscript? They both worked so hard on that, he didn’t even ask for Takagi’s opinion. What if he wanted to keep them? If it was me I would’ve kept them and put them away somewhere safe, just in case something happens and I need them. Still, guess it shows their enthusiasm and all that. Would’ve been a lot less littering if they did it back home though.

I liked how Takagi’s greed was portrayed when Hattori mentioned about payment. That’s the type of person who’s capable of thinking up something like Money and Intelligence. And there’s nothing wrong with that, right? With all that hard work it’s only natural to want to get something in return. They deserve it if anything. Always put the effort in, because you will always somehow, someway reap the rewards.

Mashiro’s first text to Azuki was quite hilarious. He’s so innocent hehe. But seriously though pulling a third all-nighter right after 2 straight all-nighters just for one text? That’s a bit over the top. Guess that’s devotion… in some form… but still, he needs to calm down. It’s a text, not a story or essay. I mean I don’t even spend that long on any one of my blogs. A few hours is more than enough, no more than 4. And he wrote a huge 5000 characters as well, it’s not a letter! Just a short text, Azuki has the right idea. No wonder he looked like a zombie when he finished, although he was revitalised by Azuki’s encouraging words.

Is it just me, or did Yujiro seem worried when he knew that Money and Intelligence came first in the early results? He acts and thinks all smug and confident but I think he was worried at that time. Speaking of that, well I think it’s only natural that Eiji would beat them again. It’d be too early for them to beat their rival now and they need to develop a lot more if they want to stand a chance against a genius.

Whilst it’s true mainstream is the easiest way to be the best, it’s also the hardest, if that makes any sense… If you can come up with a good mainstream then it’ll probably be near the top, but a fight for the top will be hard and long established authors and series will already have taken that place. On the other hand if you can come up with a reasonably good non-mainstream you’ll probably easily run in Jack/Jump, but find it hard to climb any higher than middle place. Unless you’re amazingly good like Death Note was. Either way, it’s going to be a long and arduous climb to the top.

I think the anime’s going at a fair pace now. It’s setting the rivalries properly and showing that how that rivalry will develop the two protagonists. The romance has taken a back seat but I it’ll probably be back in a big way. Anyway, let’s see what they come up with for mainstream then.