On Thursday morning at Hoshimori Group, most of the editorial staff were waiting for the latest Dream Comic rankings to be released.
Naturally, their attention was focused on Hunter x Hunter.
Compared to the period when Hikaru no Go was still running, only two works in Dream Comic had experienced noticeable ranking changes. The rest remained almost completely unchanged.
After Hikaru no Go concluded, Source War Chronicle continued to hold the top position.
The Wanderer stayed firmly in second place.
Fist Armor remained third.
Looking back, the year of Hikaru no Go's rise felt almost dreamlike, an explosive ascent followed by an equally swift conclusion, leaving the magazine's overall rankings exactly as they had been a year earlier.
And yet… those events had been real.
At nine in the morning, the rankings for the latest issue were finally released.
Unsurprisingly, first place was still held by Source War Chronicle, with 896,523 votes.
It could only be said that news of Shirogane's new work had stirred up its fanbase once again, resulting in an increase of over sixty thousand votes compared to the previous week.
Of course, that surge was likely temporary.
Second place went to The Wanderer, with 705,236 votes.
As for third place, Hunter x Hunter, with 654,893 votes.
Seeing this result, Misaki felt a deep sense of relief, though a faint trace of disappointment still lingered in her heart.
Naturally, she had fantasized that Hunter x Hunter would claim first place upon serialization.
But fantasies were fantasies. This was reality.
Fans who had loved Hikaru no Go would certainly pay attention to Shirogane's new work, but not every reader who liked Hikaru no Go would necessarily like Hunter x Hunter.
Likewise, among the seventeen or eighteen million weekly readers of Dream Comic, there were many who had never liked, or even read, Hikaru no Go, and who might instead be drawn to Hunter x Hunter this time.
The mutual conversion of these readership groups would take time.
Hunter x Hunter had inherited a portion of Hikaru no Go's popularity, which explained why it ranked third immediately upon serialization. However, whether it could maintain that position, or rise further, would depend entirely on how the story developed.
That third place came with a hint of regret for Misaki.
But for the editorial department of Hoshimori Group, it was nothing short of shocking.
Everyone understood what kind of work Hunter x Hunter was.
What did it matter if the first chapter of a hot-blooded shōnen manga was well drawn? The worldbuilding, plot, missions, and core settings had barely begun to unfold. At most, readers would find it interesting enough to keep reading.
And yet, even so, it had ranked third.
The editorial department quickly erupted into discussion.
"Shirogane's fan loyalty is terrifyingly strong."
"Most Hikaru no Go fans are probably blindly supporting Hunter x Hunter."
"Didn't a lot of people complain about Hikaru no Go's ending online? Why doesn't Shirogane's new work seem affected at all?"
"Heh. Look through the history of Japan's comic industry, how many popular manga endings actually satisfied their readers? Which masterpiece didn't end amid chaos and outrage?"
"Compared to those, Hikaru no Go's ending was exceptionally good. It left regret and reluctance, yes, but the characters, especially Sai… a perfect character who bowed out in the most perfect way. Isn't that more than enough reason for fans to continue believing in Shirogane?"
"Still, patience wears thin. Fans may like Shirogane, but Hunter isn't Hikaru no Go. If it lacks its own appeal, its popularity will gradually decline. This ranking isn't realistic, check again in one or two months. That'll show its true standing."
"For Shirogane, Hikaru no Go brought fame. Hunter is the foundation. If this shōnen manga can reach the same level of recognition, then he'll truly become a heavyweight in the industry."
"His ambitions are even bigger than that. Didn't he say in an interview that first place in Dream Comic was only a small goal? His real aim is to create the most popular serialized comic in Japan during its run."
"In other words, he's targeting those three giants in Monogatari Comic…"
An hour later, Rei also learned of Hunter x Hunter's first-week serialization results.
Unlike Misaki's mild disappointment, he took the outcome in stride.
In his previous life, Hunter x Hunter's early serialization performance had been much the same.
Before Hunter, Yoshihiro Togashi had created Yu Yu Hakusho, a series whose popularity during its run stood shoulder to shoulder with Saint Seiya and Dragon Ball in Jump.
When Hunter x Hunter began serialization, it naturally attracted enormous attention.
The series debuted in 1998 and received its anime adaptation the following year.
Its pacing was carefully controlled, never rushed, yet never truly slow to heat up.
Many people in the industry now believed Hunter's success was merely the result of blind support from Hikaru no Go fans.
But in time, they would understand the true brilliance of the work.
As long as a reader belonged to its target audience, and could endure the slightly mundane worldbuilding and character introductions of the early chapters, the real charm of Hunter x Hunter would reveal itself once the Hunter Exam officially began.
Over the next few days, major animation and manga media outlets launched intensive coverage of Shirogane's new series.
Some praised the subtle emotional portrayal of Gon Freecss and his foster mother, Mito, in the opening chapter.
Others criticized the slow start, complaining that a shōnen manga had gone an entire chapter without a proper fight. Some even mocked the Hunters themselves, arguing that they were little more than legally sanctioned mercenaries.
"So… is this a story about a boy determined to become the world's greatest mercenary?"
By late June, as Rei continued waiting for the National College Entrance Examination results, he remained on extended holiday.
Previously, he had managed to sustain high-intensity serialization of Hikaru no Go while juggling his studies.
Now that he was on holiday, things went without saying.
Both the quality and quantity of Hunter x Hunter far surpassed what Rei had managed during the serialization of Hikaru no Go.
However, action-heavy shōnen manga involved far more complex elements. Following Misaki's advice, Rei accepted her recommendation and brought in three comic assistants to handle secondary background artwork. Even so, he continued to personally draw all the major scenes himself.
This arrangement finally gave him some breathing room. As a result, in addition to working on the manga, Rei also began paying closer attention to the anime production of One-Punch Man.
In any industry, the greatest danger lies in laymen trying to instruct experts.
Rei didn't understand animation production in depth, so he naturally had no intention of interfering blindly with the work of animation production.
However, he did offer suggestions regarding the anime's musical style and insert songs. While the original One-Punch Man anime soundtrack was excellent, it couldn't quite be called classic.
The most widely sung theme song had gained popularity largely because of misheard lyrics, "playing with panties", which was obviously unsuitable for adaptation.
As a result, Rei opted for several more passionate electric-guitar-driven insert songs for One-Punch Man in this world. As for everything else, he left it entirely to Himari, the producer, and the animation director she had selected, Seiya, allowing them full creative freedom.
"However, Rei…"
Over the past month, as meetings became more frequent and familiarity grew, Himari's form of address had naturally shifted from "Teacher Shirogane" to simply calling him by name.
"Which television station are you planning to broadcast One-Punch Man on?"
Because Rei had provided detailed storyboards as reference, Seiya's progress was exceptionally fast. Only after the storyboards were finalized could character animators, background artists, and special effects teams officially begin their work.
Moreover, anime production often involves hundreds of people, making it impossible for a single studio, Illumination Animation Production Company included, to handle everything internally.
As such, background art, music, post-production photography, and compositing were all completed with assistance from other specialized companies.
In fact, across the industry, nearly all anime were produced through collaboration among multiple companies, departments, and organizations. Studios capable of independently completing the entire process, from scriptwriting and storyboards to character design, key animation, coloring, background music, special effects, post-production, voice acting, and overall direction, were rare even in the Japan anime industry of Rei's previous life.
"The broadcast station…" Rei paused briefly after hearing the question, then replied.
"Either Capital Television Station or Ion TV Station."
"I actually have acquaintances at both. I've already asked them to keep an eye out for available broadcast slots in October."
The reason Hikaru no Go's TV drama and anime had been able to air on Capital Television Station and Ion TV Station was thanks to the strength of their production companies, whether through connections or the ability to purchase premium slots.
Clearly, Illumination Animation Production Company didn't possess that level of influence. It specialized in animation production but lacked experience and power in broadcasting negotiations.
Rei, however, maintained strong cooperative relationships with the production teams behind Hikaru no Go's drama and anime adaptations.
Both were still airing, and those teams were waiting to see how Rei's Extra Chapter would perform before deciding whether to adapt it into a completed work.
When Rei proposed that they introduce him to key decision-makers at the two television stations in order to secure a broadcast slot for One-Punch Man, they agreed without hesitation.
Naturally, Rei would still need to invest a considerable sum in negotiations. This was something he had anticipated long ago—and at this stage, money was not an issue for him.
Even after investing in One-Punch Man's production, Hikaru no Go continued to bring him a comprehensive monthly income, leaving him under no financial pressure.
Standing beside him, Himari immediately understood and let out a soft sigh.
"Famous manga artists really do make a lot of money."
"But out of ten thousand manga artists, not even one might become as famous as I am," Rei replied with a laugh.
"And if we keep working hard… maybe after One-Punch Man airs, Illumination Animation Company will become famous too. By then, Miss Himari, commercial collaborations might come pouring in, and your income might even surpass mine."
"Rei, you really know how to talk." Himari squinted her eyes and smiled brightly.
June passed in the blink of an eye, and July arrived.
Two consecutive chapters of Hunter x Hunter were serialized.
These chapters introduced Leorio, the passionate young man in a suit, and Kurapika, the quiet, strikingly beautiful youth whose appearance was almost feminine.
Both of them were candidates for the Hunter Exam and met Gon aboard the ship transporting examinees to Examination Island.
The journey was rough and stormy. The three met as strangers, moved from initial friction on the ship to reconciliation, and eventually became friends. The plot of these two chapters of Hunter contained no grand or explosive developments, it was purely focused on character establishment.
Three consecutive weeks of serialization allowed many people within the comic industry to gradually understand this work.
There were no superpowers.
There was no strange or exotic worldview being unveiled.
There were no flashy or innovative settings.
It was simply the story of a protagonist setting out on a journey and meeting two companions who were also participating in the Hunter Exam. Moreover, the protagonist, Gon, didn't seem particularly clever, he came across as a straightforward, optimistic airhead.
Although Hunter x Hunter ranked third in Dream Comic for three consecutive weeks, one question lingered in the minds of many across the entire comic industry.
Could a shōnen adventure manga without superpower elements truly attract readers?
Could Shirogane really be so immersed in his own artistic ideals that he believed a comic like this would have a market?
Or had the explosive success of Hikaru no Go simply been luck?
Then Wednesday, July 7th arrived.
The fourth chapter of Hunter x Hunter was serialized.
Beginning with this chapter, the story finally entered the crucial Hunter Exam arc.
When the three, Gon, the optimistic protagonist; Kurapika, the beautiful and reserved youth; and Leorio, the neatly dressed yet impatient young man, disembarked from the ship, a disagreement immediately broke out.
Gon chose to trust the ship captain's advice and decided to walk to the Hunter Examination site rather than take the bus.
Leorio, however, felt that walking when transportation was available was nothing short of foolish.
Without hesitation, he boarded the bus alone, leaving Kurapika and Gon behind as it departed.
Yet unbeknownst to them, the Hunter Exam had already begun.
Although the first phase had not officially started, the very first requirement for participation was simple, how to find the examination site.
The so-called bus route was nothing more than a smokescreen set up by the organizers, designed to lead candidates in circles. Any examinee who failed to reach the venue before the deadline would be eliminated.
Meanwhile, Gon and Kurapika, who chose to walk, encountered a small town along the required path.
There, an old woman, surrounded by subordinates, posed questions to every passing candidate.
"If your lover and your mother both fell into the water, whom would you save?"
"If your son and daughter were both in danger, whom would you choose?"
By the end of the chapter, the truth was revealed.
No matter how the question was answered, the old woman would allow the candidate to pass.
However, the path she designated was a dead end, crawling with magical beasts, one that would surely result in death for any ordinary person who entered.
Gon and Kurapika realized this after hearing distant screams and smelling blood drifting from ahead. The old woman's question was a trap: if you answered, you were forced onto the path she assigned, or else you would forfeit your qualification for the Hunter Exam.
But if you said nothing at all, and simply waited until time ran out, she would step aside and reveal the true path forward.
Strictly speaking, this segment of the story was somewhat tricky, making readers feel as though they were playing a guessing game with the author.
Yet in truth, the answer itself was never important.
More precisely, this scene shaped both the characters and the fundamental style of conflict within Hunter.
The same situation, when placed before different characters, produces entirely different emotional responses and expectations from readers.
After the fourth chapter finished serialization, readers who had previously felt the setting was ordinary and the plot lacking highlights were instantly stirred by the cleverness displayed by Gon and Kurapika.
At the same time, curiosity about the Hunter Exam surged.
"Wait, people actually die in this comic?"
Several scenes were depicted with striking bluntness. Was this really a shōnen manga?
And if deaths could occur merely on the way to the Hunter Exam… then what would the actual exam be like?
Although many readers couldn't clearly articulate it, their subconscious minds had already grasped the greatest difference between Hunter and conventional hot-blooded shōnen manga.
Traditional shōnen relies on protagonists erupting with conviction to gain sudden power.
Its combat logic is created by belief.
But in Hunter, characters fight with their minds.
Those who lack intelligence, no matter how powerful they may be, will die.