S5's big talk on the entertainment show, after being hyped by the media, stirred the anger of Mirai-sensei's fans, who had been silent for a while.
"How did Mirai-sensei offend you!"
"Wow, they burned his submission and you're still gloating!"
"I'll never listen to S5 sing again!"
"I don't want my daughter to watch The Cat and Mouse Couple again; NHK's behavior is disgusting!"
This kind of anger was expressed in the form of comments and microblogs online, which created dissatisfaction among S5's fans.
"If you don't want to listen, don't listen. Does our S5 need you?"
"That's right, a mangaka who doesn't even dare to show his face, I really don't know why he still has fans!"
"Our S5 are so pleasant to look at, and they're handsome even when they're joking!"
"Don't worry about that artist, he's just maliciously exaggerating! He's a failure. Kanto Manga magazine's sales have surpassed Hinotori Publishing's. Soon, Hinotori Publishing will go bankrupt, and Mirai-sensei will be homeless. Don't pay attention to those fans!"
As soon as these fans' comments came to light, Mirai-sensei's fans on the internet were not to be outdone.
"If you don't know, please stop talking nonsense, okay? A manga by Mirai-sensei can sell millions of copies, and Hinotori Publishing's performance is also increasing. What's the point of Kanto Manga? If you have the ability, don't compare yourselves to magazines; compare the individual manga sales of the mangaka!"
"Huh? Only millions of yen?"
Immediately, an S5 fan jumped in and mocked: "How can that be so little? He publishes one manga in several months, and we, S5, only have one concert, but our ticket sales revenue surpasses his. And did you know that Aki, from S5, drew at 8 years old and won first prize that year?"
"Yes, Aki drew as a child. If he became a mangaka, he would undoubtedly be the best in the world. That Mirai-sensei should stop drawing if he doesn't draw well. Why does he pretend to use S5 for publicity? If you have the skill, show us your face!"
"He must be an old foot-picking uncle, hahaha...".
This time, Mirai-sensei's fans were completely enraged.
"Do you want to fight? S5 fans, what's wrong with a mangaka not showing his face? Mirai-sensei speaks with strength. If your S5 cover their faces, what will be left of them?"
"They're just a bunch of elementary school students... Party! As soon as a more attractive group of idiots appears, they'll forget S5 right away. This kind of thing has happened more than once or twice."
"S5's singing is quite mediocre. Street artists sing better than them. What a well-known idol group; it's obvious they rely on their image to make a living, and that's not enough for them. They can barely maintain a third-rate level with all sorts of trendy themes."
As soon as these comments came out, a verbal war erupted online.
S5's fans made all sorts of nonsensical taunts, and Mirai-sensei's fans retorted. Both sides caused a huge uproar online, as if another holy war had begun.
Yumiko was so furious her face turned red. She is an artist contracted by an agency in Osaka. She turns 40 this year and is in the decline of her career. The company doesn't value older artists. Yumiko doesn't have much work on weekdays. That's why, out of boredom, she learned to read manga and became a fan of Mirai-sensei.
She was furious at the online comments from S5's fans. Although she knew there were always many irrational celebrity fans, she felt wronged for Mirai-sensei.
Mirai-sensei was a victim from beginning to end in the Pokémon affair. Not only were his hard-won works burned, but he finally decided to make an animation. He did nothing wrong, but many people laughed at him. 'What is wrong with this world?'
Yumiko was sad. There were thousands of Mirai-sensei's fans online, no less than those of the fifth season. But the fans of those idol groups helped each other. In this war of words, Mirai-sensei's fans were practically suppressed and scolded.
Thinking about what happened during this period, Yumiko felt anxious and uneasy. Kanto Manga cornered Hinotori Publishing, and there was no news about Mirai-sensei for several weeks. She heard that some animation companies hindered the production of Pokémon. Mirai-sensei finally started doing it, but he couldn't even find all the voice actors.
"No!"
Yumiko gritted her teeth. She must not let them continue to harm Mirai-sensei, let Pokémon die again, and let no one laugh at her!
"This is Mirai-sensei's work, and she wants to help him!"
"Yumi, let's go to the Pokémon voice actor audition!"
Yumiko took out her cell phone and invited a young woman to participate. Although she is older, she still retains her strength, especially her voice is almost the same as 20 years ago. Yumiko is not a professional voice actress, but she knows a lot about the subject and has done similar work.
The young woman she invited is a female artist who debuted a year ago and is frustrated.
Yumi is a student at Tokyo Performing Arts School. She is excellent in singing, dancing, acting, and dubbing. Unfortunately, after starting work, reality and dreams are very different.
One of her classmates, Aya, did not perform as well as Yumi. But Aya has had a peaceful life since her debut and now has a considerable reputation. The reason can be summed up in three words: unspoken rules.
The entertainment industry is a deep place, especially for female stars. With an open mind and considerable strength, you can quickly make a name for yourself. If you are conservative and have strength, it is not easy to stand out. You can only wait for opportunities. Many people run out of patience.
Yumi is an example. She didn't want to take shortcuts, and practically no one knew about her debut for a year.
After receiving Yumiko's contact, Yumi hesitated. 'Voice actress? She had studied relevant courses at school, but the status of voice actors in Japan is lower than that of singers and movie stars. Often, people only know the voice, but not the person, so Yumi had never considered being a voice actress before.'
"Yumi, youth is short. Since you don't want to follow the crowd, why don't you seize this opportunity?"
Yumiko advised her over the phone.
Yumi felt a pang in her heart. 'Being a star had been her dream since childhood, but reality was not as she wished. As Yumiko said, a woman's youth is fleeting, and it will be even more difficult for her to make a name for herself in a few years. Even if voice actors have no future, it's better than waiting.'
"Okay, Yumiko, I'll go with you!" she agreed.
Yumiko and Yumi decided to participate in the Pokémon voice actor selection. They are not the exception. In other parts of Osaka, some artists dedicated to performing arts and singing have also changed their minds and entered Hinotori Publishing with expectations.
They share a common identity: they are fans of Mirai-sensei. In fact, they are not. 'No one would want to be a voice actor for Pokémon.'
The artists participating in the selection seem to be the result of media publicity and disputes among fans, but in essence, it is the exposure of Mirai-sensei's fan effect.
- - - -
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