The plot of "Edgerunners" continues. At the same time, this year's Newcomer Grand Prize voting has quietly begun during this period, along with the conclusion of last year's Newcomer Grand Prize.
However, of the four new manga that originally participated last year, only three remain.
This is because one newcomer's work was directly cut due to its low popularity.
After all, the manga culture company has a rule: if a work has been in last place for four consecutive issues, or if its popularity has fallen by more than 20% for three consecutive times, it will announce the discontinuation of that work.
Even newcomers are no exception.
Therefore, before the Newcomer Grand Prize voting began, one newcomer's work was directly cut.
The remaining ones are, naturally, three new works, including "Edgerunners" and "Psychonauts".
It's no surprise that "Edgerunners" is far ahead of "Psychonauts" and the other newcomer's work.
After all, the popularity of "Edgerunners" remains stable at fourth or fifth place. Even in episode 23, after Maine and Dolio's departure, it managed to reach third place.
This is a ranking that a newcomer cannot typically achieve.
Not to mention that it caused quite a stir inside and outside the industry, and even attracted many fans in the United States.
Even in the last 20 years, manga magazines and the manga industry as a whole had never seen such a challenging situation with newcomers.
It can be said that Ren and his "Edgerunners" have broken records for hits and phenomenal new works in the last 20 years.
At the start of the newcomer grand prize voting on Akatsuki's official website, "Edgerunners" led with over 18,000 votes, far ahead of the other two works, which only had a few hundred votes.
How can this be compared? It's impossible.
Above all, everyone knows that the winning works of the Debutant Grand Prize will be adapted into animation and broadcast.
This further motivates "Edgerunners" fans just by seeing the animation!
In fact, the manga industry has already decided to start the production of "Edgerunners" animation.
At the same time, it is planned to release a complete collection of individual volumes immediately after Edgerunners is finished.
After all, Edgerunners is currently a phenomenal manga.
Its emerging cyberpunk genre was very popular at the time.
Look, Edgerunners isn't even finished yet.
Sci-fi manga similar to Edgerunners have appeared in the industry, and even manga magazines have received many cyberpunk manga.
The main point is to draw any popular theme, and the main point is Japan's speed.
Edgerunners continues to be serialized, and episode 28 will also be released soon.
But...
Kenji Tanaka directly opened the magazine and, before reading other works, found episode 28 of Edgerunners. Episode 28, "The Past". The
early episodes directly show David's life after becoming the new team leader and the big man of Night City.
At the same time, Faraday, the three-eyed client, also found David and explained the purpose of military technology.
Following the plot of the previous episode, David crossed the bustling Night City and returned to his new home.
As always, Lucy smiled and said to David, who was coming home from work: "Welcome home."
Afterward, David and Lucy began to chat like family.
During that time, the screen also showed the ashes of Gloria, David's deceased mother, as well as a photo of David and her in life.
The two chatted, sitting together. Their bodies, of completely different shapes, were evidently traces of prosthetic transformation.
But it was more sincere than any frank encounter.
After chatting and laughing for a while, David looked at Lucy.
"That..."
"Huh?"
Lucy hummed in confusion.
"We have a big order," David said hesitantly.
"How exciting," Lucy said with a smile.
"I mean... if you can join."
David expressed his true thoughts.
However, Lucy refused: "The team no longer needs two hackers."
"You know I prefer..."
"David... wait a little longer, please."
Lucy looked at David and said.
David looked at Lucy's serious gaze and chuckled: "Okay, then I understand."
"Did you sneak in again today?" David asked, changing the subject.
"Yes."
"Why don't you buy a good black customer service?"
"No need."
"We can buy the latest hacker chair, which will undoubtedly... be more comfortable than the ice pool."
"Thanks, but I don't like using black customer service."
Lucy looked away and said dejectedly.
"Really...? I'm sorry, I don't know," David said, and then took a sip of wine.
The young man who didn't drink before had now gotten used to the taste of wine.
Kenji Tanaka looked at him with some emotion.
At that moment, Lucy looked at David and suddenly said: "Hey, David..."
"Come with me."
The scene changed, and the two rode a motorcycle to the desert outside Night City.
"This starry sky is great!" David said with a smile.
"You don't see a scene like that in Night City, do you?" Lucy said with a smile.
However, Kenji Tanaka looked at the starry sky in the manga, and that starry sky was not that dazzling.
Not to mention beautiful.
But... when I think about the world of manga, where capitalism prevails and the environment is overdeveloped, this not-so-beautiful starry sky must be an exceptional beauty in that world.
"Do you think I can catch a star?"
"Stupid..."
"I really hope we can see the moon..."
"Stars only shine when there's no moon..."
"Really?"
...
David and Lucy looked at the starry sky and laughed happily.
What warmth... it's really pleasant.
Especially living in Night City, where you never know when you'll suddenly die.
"For me... this is the first time I've left Night City," David said with some emotion.
"Really?"
Lucy suddenly felt depressed.
David looked at the starry sky and asked: "You've lived outside Night City, haven't you?"
Upon hearing this, Lucy's gaze became depressed and a little sad.
"From here, Night City looks like a cage of flashing lights."
In Night City, which David and Lucy observed from afar, the flickering neon lights were clearly visible even at night.
It really looked like a cage.
"You said before that I'm different from you, remember?"
David suddenly brought up the past.
Kenji Tanaka also suddenly remembered the scene from episode 15.
"Do you want to know?" Lucy asked David.
David slowly replied: "I just... want to know you better."
And at that moment, Lucy finally began to open her heart to David and told him about her unbearable past.
- - - -
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