Monday 31 July 1997.
A couple of days after updating the ZAGE Forums, Zaboru found himself at the ZAGE Campus in the USA. The team there was ramping up preparations for the upcoming launch of Microsoft Windows XP, and Zaboru was fully immersed in helping out. He was specifically collaborating with the ZAGE USA development team known as Tempest, who were working on their flagship project—Diablo 2. This game was slated to be one of the main showcases during the Windows XP event scheduled for August, and Zaboru wanted to ensure everything was running perfectly.
Meanwhile in Japan, the media was absolutely ablaze with the shocking revelation that Shonen Jump, one of the most iconic manga magazines in the world, had been officially sold to ZAGE. Even though Shonen Jump had experienced a steady decline in recent years—losing readership and struggling to maintain its relevance—it still carried legendary status in the manga industry. Its influence spanned decades, and the fact that ZAGE, a tech and entertainment giant, had acquired it was seen as nothing short of revolutionary.
The headlines dominated newspapers, television broadcasts, and radio talk shows. "ZAGE BUYS JUMP: A NEW ERA BEGINS," one tabloid boldly declared. Industry veterans and fans alike were stunned, not just because of the acquisition itself, but because of what it signaled: a bold move that could reshape the entire manga publishing landscape.
What truly elevated the buzz was the announcement that Shonen Jump would now be managed under Hakushensha, a subsidiary of ZAGE known for publishing innovative and boundary-pushing manga under the brand Weekly Shonen Shock. Many industry analysts speculated that this merger could breathe new life into both entities. There was already talk that the move would increase the volume of new manga releases, introduce fresh collaborations between Hakushensha and Jump creators, and even lead to crossover publications.
Fans began theorizing about dream pairings of artists, revivals of classic series, and entirely new IPs born from this fusion of legacy and experimentation. "Imagine if Jump's archives got the Shock treatment," one user posted. "We could see an entire generation of manga reinvented."
It wasn't just a business deal; it was a cultural shockwave. For many, it felt like watching history being rewritten in real time. And with ZAGE at the helm, expectations were sky-high.
Meanwhile, at the Hakushensha headquarters, owner Tomizawa Bakurou leaned back in his chair, a wide grin stretching across his face. He vividly remembered the day his boss, Zaboru, called him with the explosive news that ZAGE was acquiring Shonen Jump—and that Hakushensha would be the one managing it. It was surreal.
"Heh... those bastards finally sold their soul, huh?" he muttered with a scoff, shaking his head.
Tomizawa's disdain for Shonen Jump wasn't just business—it was deeply personal. In his early days, he had worked there as a young editor, only to be manipulated, underpaid, and ultimately pushed out by shady senior staff. That betrayal had driven him to leave the industry entirely—until he came back stronger, founding his own manga publishing company. Now, in a twist of fate so ironic it almost felt scripted, he would be the one overseeing the same publication that once rejected him.
He sighed deeply, a mix of amusement and disbelief.
"If it were up to me, I'd just delete Shonen Jump altogether. But the boss says we're reviving it... so fine. We'll play it his way."
Tomizawa sat up straighter, his mind now racing through possibilities.
"Well, this means more staff, bigger operations, and a weekly publication on top of our already ongoing Weekly Shonen Shock."
He rubbed his hands together, excited at the challenge. Then an idea hit him.
"Let's just rename everything. Call it 'Weekly Shonen Shock Jump' and 'Monthly Shonen Shock Jump.' That way, people will still recognize the Jump brand, but it'll be clear—it's under Hakushensha's direction now."
He chuckled to himself as he opened his work terminal, already drafting restructuring plans, editorial changes, and talent outreach strategies. There was a mountain of work ahead—but for Tomizawa, it wasn't a burden. It was poetic justice. Finally, the crown jewel of manga publishing—Shonen Jump—was under his leadership. And he was going to reshape it his way.
Meanwhile, in the ZAGE Forums, user discussions had exploded with excitement and speculation. One popular thread was titled, "Damn, Zaboru bought another company?" and quickly filled with replies. The original post featured a meme of Zaboru grinning confidently, with bold text across the top that read, "I WILL BUY YOU."
Replies came pouring in. One user enthusiastically commented, "This is a good thing—means Shonen Jump will be rising again!" Another chimed in with a theory: "Or will they merge it with Shonen Shock?" To punctuate the chaos, someone posted a meme of Hikaru Kurata clutching his head in disbelief, captioned with the confused phrase: "I'm Confused??"
The entire forum was alive with energy. Threads were popping up not only about the business move itself but also filled with memes, jokes, and fan-made posters celebrating the acquisition. As Zaboru had hoped, real-life reaction images were being used everywhere. One thread even curated a collection of the best meme reactions within the hour, with users voting on the funniest ones and adding their own spin.
Despite the meme flood, the tone across the community remained overwhelmingly positive. Fans were thrilled by the idea that Shonen Jump—though in decline for years—might now receive the revival it desperately needed. The merger with Weekly Shonen Shock sparked debates, predictions, and even mock-up covers combining characters from both brands.
And for all the sarcasm and silliness, the underlying sentiment was real: people genuinely believed this moment might change manga history. Zaboru, whether he saw it yet or not, had just created another wave.
Meanwhile, behind closed doors, executives from several of Japan's largest corporations were making phone calls, scheduling urgent meetings, and pressuring key political figures. The topic of every conversation? ZAGE. More specifically, the growing concern that ZAGE had become too powerful, too influential—perhaps even untouchable. These higher-ups feared that ZAGE's dominance, especially following the Shonen Jump acquisition, might start tipping the scales of power in Japan's economy and media landscape.
Their proposed solution was simple: force ZAGE to go public. By making it a publicly traded company, they hoped to introduce external shareholders and regulation that could curb ZAGE's autonomy. However, when their request reached the government, it was swiftly denied.
Officials within the Japanese government understood the full scope of ZAGE's value—not just in economic terms, but in cultural and technological innovation. Unlike many large corporations, ZAGE reinvested the majority of its revenue directly into product development, research, and the welfare of its employees. Salaries at ZAGE were not only competitive—they were generous, fostering loyalty, morale, and consumer spending that circulated back into the economy. For many working- and middle-class families, having a ZAGE employee in the household meant stability, upward mobility, and access to cutting-edge technologies.
Beyond numbers, there was also Zaboru Renkonan himself. The man behind the empire was no typical CEO. To many within the elite business class, he was seen as a poor businessman—not because of failure, but because of how he refused to play the traditional game. He wasn't manipulative. He wasn't duplicitous. He didn't know how to wear a false smile or tell a convenient lie. Zaboru simply said what he thought and followed through on it. That raw honesty, while frustrating to some, was seen by many in government as a breath of fresh air.
And there was another reason for their refusal to act: ZAGE, alongside Sendo Inc., had recently become the primary investor in a massive national project to expand fiber optic infrastructure across Japan. With the internet poised to redefine society, this initiative was vital to Japan's technological future—and ZAGE's involvement made it viable.
In the end, the requests of these worried executives fell flat. The government made its position clear: ZAGE was too important to restrain, and Zaboru Renkonan was exactly the kind of leader they preferred—honest, driven, and focused on progress, not politics.
Meanwhile, Zaboru was at the ZAGE Campus, personally checking in with his team on the progress of Diablo 2. Though deeply involved in the development process, his schedule remained packed—he was also preparing for a major meeting with Bill Gates, which would take place in just a few days.
To be continue
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