"Ahem!" Eriri cleared her throat, trying to put on a serious expression, but the light in her eyes betrayed her excitement.
"As for how to make Sukuna-san's name resonate globally, I've thought about it carefully these past few days. In this era, if you want to quickly create a global cultural symbol, the best way is to turn it into a super IP. And the fastest, most effective way to build an IP is through a phenomenal manga or novel."
She became more excited as she spoke, gesturing with her hands. "Think about it. If there's a manga where the protagonist or a major character is called 'Ryomen Sukuna,' with world-shattering power, a cool design, and an exciting story, it would quickly blow up in the otaku circle. Then adapt it into an anime, games, merchandise..."
"By then, everyone in the world who likes the 2D world will know the name 'Ryomen Sukuna'. Maybe not fear, but the fame and buzz would definitely explode."
Megumi nodded and added, "Sawamura-san's idea is theoretically feasible. Soft dissemination through cultural products is easier for the public to accept than directly spreading horror legends, and there's less resistance. But the problem is..."
She looked at Eriri and Utaha, her tone peaceful but hitting the core. "The difficulty of execution. Sawamura-san is an excellent doujin artist, but creating and promoting a commercial manga that can reach 'phenomenal' status independently requires more than just drawing skills. It needs a mature plot structure, storyboarding ability, commercial operation, and a great deal of luck."
"Although Kasumigaoka-senpai is a successful light novel author, the audience and dissemination methods for light novels and manga are still different, and the influence of Love Metronome is currently far from reaching a national level."
Eriri's high spirits were dampened a bit by Megumi's rational analysis.
She rubbed her nose somewhat sheepishly and said, "Well, that's true... but we have to try. Are we really going to post horror stories online?"
Utaha, who hadn't said much, frowned slightly. She admitted that Eriri's IP strategy was one of the most effective means of communication in modern society, but as Megumi said, for two university students—one an artist and one a novelist—to create a global manga IP out of thin air was nothing short of a pipe dream.
This was a "correct" but discouraging truth.
Just as a brief silence fell over the clubroom and the three were thinking of more practical solutions—
On Utaha's left cheek, those two faint scars opened silently. A crimson eyeball and a mouth emerged again. Sukuna's consciousness seemed to have taken an interest in their discussion.
Deep within the domain of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, atop a throne piled with bones and flesh, the four-armed King of Curses rested his chin on one hand, a glimmer of thought shining in his four crimson eyes. He had heard Eriri's "IP" theory.
Manga? Novels?
Sukuna's mind raced. The influence of manga, novels, and games was indeed not to be underestimated.
Take King Arthur, for example. Originally just a character in a niche mythology like Celtic Mythology, but through the novels, anime, and games of many creators worldwide, he has become a household name, with fame comparable to God or Buddha.
Why not draw Jujutsu Kaisen?
Eriri's drawing skills had a solid academic foundation—clear lines and accurate human anatomy. Although she might not have the strong personal style or explosive expressiveness of some top mangakas, she was definitely above average.
With Sukuna's assistance, his exquisite control over the body could take her drawing skills to the next level. Plus, with a thousand years of combat experience, having seen countless tragic, magnificent, and inconceivable battle scenes, he had the most direct understanding of the forms of power, trajectories of movement, and the moments of Cursed Technique explosions.
Weren't these the ultimate references for "action drawing"?
With him providing material and guidance, Eriri's drawing skills might even break through her bottleneck and reach a higher level.
As for the plot... didn't he have a ready-made one?
As long as Utaha polished and edited it, it would surely be better than the abstract plot of the original's later stages.
Moreover, for that work to become popular, it wasn't just about the manga itself. A high-quality anime adaptation was the key to pushing its influence globally.
And animation production... what did it need? Technology? Talent?
Most importantly—money.
And money, for a conglomerate like the Sawamura Family and for him, who might obtain resources through other means in the future, was one of the easiest problems to solve.
The plot had a core framework and highlights, the visuals had Eriri and his assistance, and the funding could be guaranteed. The remaining text polishing and detail filling...
Sukuna's gaze turned toward the sharp-tongued black-haired girl outside his consciousness.
Utaha, a ready-made light novel author with delicate writing, skilled at rendering emotions and atmosphere, was perfect for making up for the dialogue and script refinement that Eriri might not be good at.
The right time, the right place, and the right people.
Clap!
In the domain, one of Sukuna's four arms lightly slapped the armrest of the throne, making a silent snap.
It was decided.
At the same time, in the clubroom, Sukuna controlled the mouth on Utaha's face and spoke in a low, indisputable voice, interrupting the trio's contemplation, "The manga proposal is good."
Eriri and Megumi immediately looked at "Utaha."
Sukuna continued, his tone carrying the composure of one in control of everything, "As for the script and setting... a ready-made one is right here with me."
"Eh?" Eriri was stunned.
Controlling Utaha's face, Sukuna revealed an unfathomable smile, his four eyes shimmering with an eerie light. "I have a story—a story about Jujutsu, curses, conflict, and destruction. In this story, there is the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, an incarnated King of Curses, bizarre Cursed Techniques, and tragic battles to the death... and of course, a special grade cursed object, Sukuna's fingers."
He paused, as if savoring the threads of that story, then began to narrate in a steady yet vivid tone, "The story begins with a boy from the sports club named Itadori Yuji, who swallows a special grade cursed object, a finger of Ryomen Sukuna, to save his companions. He becomes Sukuna's vessel and is forced into the world of Jujutsu Sorcerers. His teacher is the man known as the strongest of today, Gojo Satoru..."
***
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