Don't Miss Your Deadline! (Manga Editor Quest)
- Thread starter zamin
- Start date
- Original Modern
[X] Small Cuts
- Location
- Israel
[X] Plan Hiroshi To The Rescue
zamin
The Watcher in the Dark
Alright, noted.
Hi Artemis. Loved your omake! The writing is good, and I honestly can't find any issues with it. I'd actually like to consider it canon, so I'll be offering you 5 Favor for this. If you would prefer a different reward, just let me know.
Also, please note that if you choose the Favor, it will not be added to Maeda's character sheet until after this update. So you'll still have to work with 22 Favor for now.
- Location
- Virginia
[X] Plan Hiroshi To The Rescue
- Location
- USA
Just gonna point out that he's gainfully employed so he can't be a NEET by definition.
*****
For future favor plans, I suggest we save up for edits to our online presence. But more than just modernizing it and monetizing our catalog of previous works, we can also use it to gain other manga that don't make the cut for our main publication. That is to say, those could be one-offs, short series by design, monthly releases, and other things that don't fit our print publication.
Our Daughter is a Vampire Chapter 2, Animal Crossing Style (Artwork)
- Location
- Somewhere else
Our Daughter Is a Vampire! Chapter 2 in three pictures!
So I apparently have an old Imgur account from about 4-5 years ago. Let's see if this picture post goes smoother this time.
View: https://imgur.com/gallery/JEAPtsi
Notes:
1. I use Harvey's home to do these sets (basically a free place to decorate/take pictures without messing up your home decor; it also allows you to invite your villagers for photo shoots or use amiibo cards to invite other characters.)
2. Unfortunately, one of the limitations in decorating a room is that you can usually have only one wallpaper up at a time. You can choose an accent wall, which will display a different wallpaper on a chosen side, but any partition walls you put up will only reflect the "main" wallpaper. Also, you're stuck with the one floor pattern per room, so no partitioning that. I managed to put a row of simple pillars to look like a hallway wall and differentiate from the bathroom wall, but I'm still not happy with the first picture.
3. ACNH doesn't have a jogging expression, so I'm having Sakura and her friend (played by Lolly) stop for a breather while dad anxiously spies in the background.
4. Only after I posted the pictures did I realize that in picture 2: A. Dad doesn't have his hat and is still wearing his house slippers B. the "worry" expression dad's doing in the background actually looks a bit like jogging. C. I FORGOT TO GIVE SAKURA SHOES!
5. I used Lolly as the friend and I tend to use my husband's character for the male roles in my ACNH pictures, as previously seen in my other picture posts.
6. Can't use trees inside, so I used a pergola for dad to hide behind.
7. The human player characters pretty much have the exact same body type, so I can't make them look skinnier or fatter; that's why the scale is in the kitchen in the third picture.
8. I figure that Sakura would dress up in multiple outfits, being from the cosplay club, so I went with something different, but with an elegant vibe that a vampire would wear.
So I apparently have an old Imgur account from about 4-5 years ago. Let's see if this picture post goes smoother this time.
View: https://imgur.com/gallery/JEAPtsi
Notes:
1. I use Harvey's home to do these sets (basically a free place to decorate/take pictures without messing up your home decor; it also allows you to invite your villagers for photo shoots or use amiibo cards to invite other characters.)
2. Unfortunately, one of the limitations in decorating a room is that you can usually have only one wallpaper up at a time. You can choose an accent wall, which will display a different wallpaper on a chosen side, but any partition walls you put up will only reflect the "main" wallpaper. Also, you're stuck with the one floor pattern per room, so no partitioning that. I managed to put a row of simple pillars to look like a hallway wall and differentiate from the bathroom wall, but I'm still not happy with the first picture.
3. ACNH doesn't have a jogging expression, so I'm having Sakura and her friend (played by Lolly) stop for a breather while dad anxiously spies in the background.
4. Only after I posted the pictures did I realize that in picture 2: A. Dad doesn't have his hat and is still wearing his house slippers B. the "worry" expression dad's doing in the background actually looks a bit like jogging. C. I FORGOT TO GIVE SAKURA SHOES!
5. I used Lolly as the friend and I tend to use my husband's character for the male roles in my ACNH pictures, as previously seen in my other picture posts.
6. Can't use trees inside, so I used a pergola for dad to hide behind.
7. The human player characters pretty much have the exact same body type, so I can't make them look skinnier or fatter; that's why the scale is in the kitchen in the third picture.
8. I figure that Sakura would dress up in multiple outfits, being from the cosplay club, so I went with something different, but with an elegant vibe that a vampire would wear.
zamin
The Watcher in the Dark
Oh wow. This looks great, QueenPally! I'm really loving these Animal Crossing art series. I kind of want to give you a special reward for them, but I'm honestly not sure what would work.
In the meantime, I'm offering you 5 Favor for these pictures. As always, if you'd rather have a different reward, just @ me and let me know.
Now with that said, let's move on to the votes!
Alright, it looks like Plan Hiroshi To The Rescue is the clear winner here, so I'm going to declare this vote CLOSED.
Normally, I'd put in a schedule for the next update here, but at the moment my access to a working laptop is... kinda erratic. I'll do my best to have it out in the next day or two, but no promises. Worst case scenario, I'll hopefully have it out by Friday latest.
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- Location
- Somewhere else
Cheer up, we're about to start a new week, with us picking up a new series. This is a perfect time to join in!
Also, I'll go with the favor again; we need to build up our reserve again...
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GoukaRyuu
Shadow Cabal Made Man
- Location
- New Jersey
I just found this quest yesterday while waiting for my flight home from ACEN. Really enjoy it. I have to wonder, if there are no issues of copyright or consistency with the world building, is it possible that Space Racer Subaru-kun and Starlight Princess Kyu take place in the same universe and the characters from Tana-sensei's first series could show up in some capacity in her new one?
Found a manga where one of the MC is a mangaka... and they traumatized against Editors that a "killer" new editor feels like a god for them.
For the context, the MC's old editor is an oblivious airhead, that always change the manuscript without the mangaka input to the worst.
And nobody but the mangaka notice since said editor is both a massive airhead, and by sheer luck, everyone thought the bad review is the other editor and mangaka fault.
The editor is not a bad person...just both delusional and one of those people where everything go their way, so nobody but theirvictimmangaka notice the editor bad at the job, even the editor themself.
For the context, the MC's old editor is an oblivious airhead, that always change the manuscript without the mangaka input to the worst.
And nobody but the mangaka notice since said editor is both a massive airhead, and by sheer luck, everyone thought the bad review is the other editor and mangaka fault.
The editor is not a bad person...just both delusional and one of those people where everything go their way, so nobody but their
15. Flipping the Board (Week 3 Pre-Pitching)
zamin
The Watcher in the Dark
"Two emergency team meetings in two weeks?" Shion muttered, shifting nervously as the lift slowly took you all upwards. "I may not be the most experienced with office work, but I doubt that this is normal."
"And I'm not familiar with how Japanese corporations normally work, but being told to drop all our work and head over to the Editor in Chief's office immediately probably isn't a good sign," John rumbled, arms crossed and foot tapping restlessly.
For once, he was actually wearing a suitable work outfit. The color scheme was a little odd, but he actually looked fairly snappy in that dark green suit and red tie. You're not sure about the black gloves and weird eye-shaped lapel pin though.
Judging from Shion's initial delighted reaction, you're pretty sure that this was another cosplay of some kind, but at this point you'll take what you can get. At least he wasn't running around in spandex anymore.
"I'm sure that everything will be fine," you said reassuringly. "I've done what I can to… grease the wheels, so to speak." And hadn't that been a bitch and a half. Even with your uncle standing by to provide support, stepping into that boardroom had felt like jumping into a pool full of piranhas. Angry, hungry piranhas that would zero in on the slightest weakness with zero hesitation.
Fortunately, it seemed that most of the board were more interested in tearing at each other rather than focusing on you. You hadn't seen that many backhanded compliments, thinly veiled insults, or venomous insinuations being thrown around since your days back in the high school student council committee.
It was actually somewhat disappointing to realize that the people in charge of your company — and by extension, your own career — were behaving like a bunch of bickering, status obsessed schoolgirls.
On the plus side, it meant that they hadn't been able to unite against you. Divided as they were, you and your uncle had been able to rally enough support to ram your proposals through their half-hearted resistance.
At the end of the day, you'd walked away from that meeting room having achieved all of your goals… and having earned the enmity of at least a third of the board, judging by the glares you'd received.
On the bright side, you're fairly certain that none of that hatred is against you personally. In fact, most of them seemed to assume that you were simply there as your uncle's deniable pawn, a catspaw who could push his agenda forward without risking his own reputation if it failed. But even a pawn could be a problem if left alone for too long.
You tried not to sigh as you realized that you'd probably have to keep an eye out for any "unfortunate" work problems in the future. And after you'd just burned through most of your reputational favor, too…
The ding of the lift doors opening startled you out of your thoughts. Rallying your confidence, you gave your companions a slight nudge to get them moving. All this plotting and damage control would have to be Future Maeda's problem.
For now, you had a slightly more immediate problem: surviving another meeting with your esteemed Editor in Chief.
"Shion-san. John-san. Maeda-san," Editor in Chief Suzuki greeted you cooly, his eyes showing no emotion as he gestured to the seats in front of him. Beside him sat Masaru-senpai, who looked as exhausted as ever, though he did give your group a friendly smile and wave as you entered.
Rather than Suzuki's office, today you were gathering at one of the larger unoccupied rooms. Judging from the white screen and projector, this was probably meant to be a corporate meeting room. A comfortable place for managers to get together and discuss charts or numbers or whatever other boring things corporate suits talked about when they were left unsupervised.
Now, however, the room contained a rather unpleasant looking addition — a veritable mountain of paperwork piled haphazardly onto the table in the middle of the room. Judging from your fellow editor's expressions, neither of them were particularly enthusiastic about finding out what this was about either.
"I apologize for interrupting your work, but I'm afraid that this information needs to be addressed sooner rather than later," Suzuki said, cold eyes locked on you as you nervously took your seat. "There has been a… change of plans. Though I suspect that some of you might already know this."
You coughed, looking to the side to avoid his intense gaze. It seemed that your Editor in Chief may be a little annoyed about you going over his head like that. But between this discomfort or having to suffer through eight series a week, you know what you'd rather deal with.
"So what's this all about? Did someone finally see sense and reduce our workloads?" John asked bullishly, dropping himself into the seat beside you.
You resisted the urge to flinch at his bluntness, but fortunately for all your sakes Suzuki didn't seem to take offense. In fact, you couldn't help noticing his lips curl upwards slightly as he responded.
"Yes, actually."
"Wait, no shit?" John blinked, before a wide smile spread across his face. "Hah! I knew you lunatics would see sense sooner rather than later!"
Aaand there went all the goodwill you'd just gathered. Suzuki coughed loudly, his eyes cold once again as he turned towards the final member of your trio.
"Shion-san, I assume that you've managed to secure a laptop of your own by now?"
Sitting on your other side, Shion nodded silently. Unlike John — who looked far too pleased with himself right now — she looked tense, like she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Very well then. In that case, let's get this meeting started," Suzuki said, pushing his glasses up as he turned back towards the documents in front of him. "I apologize for the last minute announcement, but last night I received a message from the Board of Directors regarding our new… format.
First of all, the Sunday Star will be undergoing a revamp of sorts. We'll be cutting out some of our worst performing series and replacing them with fresh new works. For now, each editor will be in charge of five series. As always, I expect you to adhere to our company's quality standards, so do not take this reduced workload as an excuse to slack off."
Beside you, John and Shion nodded, both looking relieved at the news that they would not be expected to turn into mini-Masarus in the near future. Across the table, Masaru himself looked like he was torn between bursting into tears or simply passing out in relief.
"Unfortunately," continued Suzuki. "This means that before we start working on this week's issue we first need to settle on exactly what series we'll be using. As Masaru has a… greater workload, I've spoken to him first to help decide what to keep and what to throw.
However, as the three of you currently have similar workloads, I decided that it would be quicker to go through all of your series in one shot rather than splitting this up into individual meetings. This will also allow me to pass over any feedback or requests directly rather than through email."
"Alright, that makes sense," John nodded.
"We'll go through Maeda's series' first," Suzuki said, raising a copy of last week's manuscripts for everyone to see. "Let's see…
Your first series is Space Racer Subaru-kun. It had a very strong opening chapter, but our readers weren't happy with the second one. Personally I believe that you jumped too quickly from fast paced action to slow character building.
For the next chapter, I want a strong focus on the race itself. We need to show our readers that the first chapter wasn't just a one-off and that we are actually capable of making a good racing story. I'm not expecting a miracle, but we should at least make sure that our readers are getting what they expect. If necessary, you may even split up the race into more than one chapter in order to create maximum impact."
"Your second series is Our Daughter is Actually a Vampire! Interesting premise, if nothing else. I'm pleased that you were able to listen to our requests for the previous chapter, even if some of the advice you received was completely tastele-… ah, I mean, might not have been the most suited," he corrected himself.
"You've managed to raise this series' popularity over the past chapter, so I will not be spending too much time on requests. That said, I would suggest bringing in the main character's wife sooner rather than later. I'll leave the timing up to you, but I expect a chapter focused on her at some point."
"And for the third series, we have… My Secret Ninja Sensei Needs to Stop Training Me," Suzuki closed his eyes, seemingly gathering the strength he needed to push on.
"Honestly, I don't know why you chose to go forward with a manga whose main themes are 'ninja' and 'ramen'. Everyone who hears about this is going to immediately compare us to Naruto. That said, taken in isolation this… isn't the worst series we've worked with.
Still, 'barely acceptable' isn't going to cut it anymore. For the next chapter, you will need to shore up the weaknesses from this chapter while continuing to develop the story further. In the long run, we need this manga to make it clear that this isn't another cheap Naruto clone.
Personally, I would suggest aiming more on the ramen aspect and turning it into a cooking manga, but if you have another approach in mind then feel free to use that instead. But whatever the method, this series must find a way to stand out from the crowd."
"Before we move on, I'd like to bring up another issue with your work, Maeda-san," Suzuki said, glasses flashing ominously as he rested his chin on his templed hands like some scheming villain. "Despite being here for a week longer than John-san and Shion-san, the fact remains that within this team you have the least amount of experience when it actually comes to working in this industry."
"While that's true, I believe that my work so far has-" you tried to argue, only to be interrupted.
"I apologize," he said bluntly, shocking you into silence. "I am not trying to disparage the work that you've done so far. However, it has been suggested that handing three brand new series to a totally inexperienced editor may not have been the most… efficient idea.
As such, Masaru has agreed to take over one of your series for you, while letting you take charge of one of his more… cooperative mangakas in exchange. You will be given a slightly lighter workload - four series' rather than five - until we are confident that you can handle it."
Oh. Ooh. Right, that thing.
"Before I decide, may I know what series I'll be taking over?" you asked, fishing for more information.
Suzuki shook his head. "We'll be going through that together after finishing John-san and Shion-san's own reports from last week's issue. As the more experienced editors, I believed that it would be better to give them 'first dibs', as it were."
Well, you supposed that Suzuki wanted to at least try to avoid being seen as biased despite the Board's demands. But truth be told, you weren't exactly happy at the idea of giving up one of your own series either. Even if they weren't the best, they were yours, dammit!
Still, the question remained: would you follow along with your Editor in Chief's idea or stick to your guns and demand to keep all your current series?
Maeda will…
[ ] Agree with Suzuki's request and give up one of your current series
-[ ] Which one?
[ ] Refuse Suzuki's request and stick with all your current series plus one more (-3 Favor)
[ ] Refuse Suzuki's request, but agree to take on the same workload as the rest of the editorial team (take charge of 5 series rather than 4)
===
VOTE CLOSED
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darkjordanGT
Retired Dark Lord
- Location
- canada
Noooo!! I love All Of Are Mangakas They have Heart and Character.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
[X] Agree with Suzuki's request and give up one of your current series
-[x] My Secret Ninja Sensei Needs to Stop Training Me
Honestly, I will freely admit that this is purely due to personal taste. So I don't really have an argument to sway the rest of the thread with.... and don't really expect people to follow me.
-[x] My Secret Ninja Sensei Needs to Stop Training Me
Honestly, I will freely admit that this is purely due to personal taste. So I don't really have an argument to sway the rest of the thread with.... and don't really expect people to follow me.
[X] Refuse Suzuki's request, but agree to take on the same workload as the rest of the editorial team (take charge of 5 series rather than 4)
I'll be honest, I'm voting for this since I always wanted to do 5, but it just wasn't popular. Plus, I like our Mangakas, I don't want to get rid of them yet!
I'll be honest, I'm voting for this since I always wanted to do 5, but it just wasn't popular. Plus, I like our Mangakas, I don't want to get rid of them yet!
ziizo
Lazily Lurking
I wouldn't mind giving Subaru or Ninja, I and not much of a fan of Ninja one and I think Tana work would benefit more from Shion help than us.
@zamin in the future could we have actions to investigate Shion and John past works (which manga Shion made, and what type of comics John worked in), mostly to see in what they are experienced.
Like the manga Shion made was action or slice of life, drama or fluff, etc.
Same with John did he worked with stuff like Deadpool, or more like the Walking dead comics.
EDIT: We have 12 favor so we can sacrifice 3 to keep them all, without problems except more dislike from our Editor in chief.
@zamin in the future could we have actions to investigate Shion and John past works (which manga Shion made, and what type of comics John worked in), mostly to see in what they are experienced.
Like the manga Shion made was action or slice of life, drama or fluff, etc.
Same with John did he worked with stuff like Deadpool, or more like the Walking dead comics.
EDIT: We have 12 favor so we can sacrifice 3 to keep them all, without problems except more dislike from our Editor in chief.
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zamin
The Watcher in the Dark
Sure, I'll add that to the list. Note that this will probably be a Networking action rather than a Research action since Maeda will probably try to ask them directly instead of trying to sneak around and look it up behind their backs for whatever reason.
Underdog Emiya
God-Emperor of Underkind
- Location
- Brazil
- Pronouns
- He
[X] Refuse Suzuki's request, but agree to take on the same workload as the rest of the editorial team (take charge of 5 series rather than 4)
It's gonna be hard, sure. But we will stand up with our fellows in this regard.
It's gonna be hard, sure. But we will stand up with our fellows in this regard.
- Location
- Earth
[X] Agree with Suzuki's request and give up one of your current series
-[x] My Secret Ninja Sensei Needs to Stop Training Me
-[x] My Secret Ninja Sensei Needs to Stop Training Me