As people talked about the recent Code Geass production crew, Mizushiro's manga, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, had entered an intense phase. Unlike Fullmetal Alchemist, which had exploded in popularity right out of the gate, JoJo's growth had been slower. At first, readers weren't sure what to make of it. Its tone was unpredictable, its battles unorthodox, and the setting shifted in ways unlike most serialized manga. But little by little, it had built a loyal base.
Now, six months in, JoJo had started amassing a large following. With each new chapter, more readers caught on, and its fanbase steadily grew. By this point, it had reached third place in the rankings, directly competing with Fullmetal Alchemist and Dream World for the top spot. These three works had become a powerhouse lineup, battling every week for number one. Echo Shroud's sales surged thanks to this rare clash of heavy-hitters, as readers bought issues and cast their votes for their favorite story to take the lead.
As the climax of JoJo Part 2 unfolded, fans couldn't stop talking about it. Caesar's death shook readers in a way few expected. The week it dropped, Mizushiro's feed was packed with images and gifs of Joseph screaming Caesar's name.
Comments poured in:
"I knew it. Mizushiro always writes tragedy when you least expect it."
"Why, Mizushiro? I was enjoying their bro moments, and then this?"
"Joseph yelling Caesar's name… I'm crying in public right now!"
"I signed up for bizarre adventure, not heartbreak!"
"Mizushiro, you monster. I loved them together!"
As JoJo grew more popular, industry voices began to weigh in. Editors and critics noted how unorthodox it felt compared to the mainstream hits running alongside it. The shifting styles, strange battles, and bold tonal swings made it stand out in a crowded market. This was exactly the kind of move Mizushiro was known for: doing something different when everyone else played it safe. Reviews and articles started circulating, praising JoJo as "another fantastic work by Mizushiro, with a fresh artistic flair and storytelling style that breaks away from the norm."
At Echo Shroud
With three titles competing at once, Echo Shroud had officially risen to third place among the top seven publishing houses. Over the past month alone, their average circulation had reached 11 million copies, steadily rising. Reading the report, Amane felt genuinely happy. Her first major goal had been achieved before her first term was even over.
She sat in her chair reviewing the sales breakdown and upcoming promotions. She was under a one-year contract, and its renewal depended on her performance. When she first took the position, the pressure had been intense, especially because of Mizushiro. At that time, as she assumed the post of editor-in-chief, Mizushiro had publicly announced he would end both Initial D and Natsume. She had been close to breaking point; he had driven her nuts.
However, she was grateful that the former editor-in-chief had talked with her before retiring, giving advice on how to work with Mizushiro. She still remembered the exact words from that conversation. The old editor had leaned back in his chair, tired eyes fixed on her:
"If you keep treating him like everyone else, you'll lose him. Mizushiro doesn't work like other mangaka. Push him the same way, and he'll walk away. Give him freedom, and he'll give you results."
At the time, she thought it was nonsense. Why should one author be allowed to ignore the rules everyone else followed? Why should Echo Shroud risk its reputation on a single eccentric?
Around that period, Madoka Magica was airing, and she decided to watch the first few episodes. The way the story was written made it clear that Mizushiro knew how to tell a compelling story. Encouraged by the former editor's advice, she decided to try giving him the special treatment he requested, despite the board members' disapproval. They believed these perks might hurt the company in the long term. For a top-seven publishing house, giving one mangaka privileges no one else had ever received was almost unthinkable.
Meanwhile, the industry had already started noticing how much more Echo Shroud was investing in him, and their reputation was being questioned. How could one mangaka be worth all this?
Later that week, The staff were reviewing new submissions for Echo Shroud. Only one draft caught their eye. Since Amane had made a deal with Mizushiro before, when a new manga wasn't up to par, the Shroud Line slot would go to him for double chapters of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Amane said, "For this quarterly submission, we only received one suitable work. Haruka, let Mizushiro know he should keep advance chapters ready for the next three months."
Haruka replied, "Okay, I'll tell him. If we run double chapters for three months, Part 2 of JoJo will end before our next quarterly meeting."
"Oh, I see. Does he already have Part 3 ready?"
"Yes," Haruka nodded. "He also asked me to confirm with you about continuing the double chapter releases moving forward."
A younger staff member added nervously, "It also leaves fewer slots for new series. If we give him two chapters every week, that's one less chance for a newcomer to break in."
Another editor spoke up, "But now JoJo is in its final climax. If we do double chapters, it will finish early and we wouldn't have that much sales."
The room quieted, all eyes turning to Amane. She finally said, "Don't worry. I've already had a conversation with Mizushiro about this. He gets double chapters, but only so long as JoJo stays in the top four. If it slips, we cut back to one. That way, we ride the momentum without throwing away long-term balance."
The next day, Echo Shroud released the news that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure would run double chapters every week. Within minutes, the announcement spread across industry circles and fan communities alike.
For the past month, Mizushiro had already been in the spotlight. After Madoka Magica won the Aurora Award for Anime of the Year, his name had become familiar across the industry. People no longer saw him as "the newcomer." His name surfaced constantly in conversations about manga and anime.
When Echo Shroud's announcement dropped, both their official account and Mizushiro's personal feed were immediately filled with reactions:
"Yes! Mizushiro listens to the fans!"
"Double chapters? My week just got infinitely better!"
"Why JoJo? Why not Fullmetal Alchemist? We want double chapters too!"
"Because JoJo deserves it. We've got a loyal fanbase."
"What do you mean loyal fanbase? Fullmetal has way more fans than JoJo."
"JoJo has heart. Fullmetal has… well, numbers."
"I'm team both. Don't make me choose!"
"I think it's a good thing. Mizushiro is finally writing a happy story."
"Did you forget last week's chapter already?"
The comment threads stretched endlessly, some fans cheering, others complaining, all keeping JoJo in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, at Red Lantern Publishing, the atmosphere was tense.
Editor-in-chief Minatoji was under pressure from the board. Sales hadn't dropped; in fact, they were still growing steadily. The problem was that Echo Shroud's growth had completely outpaced theirs. They always had a very close gap, but never this big. Red Lantern had been overtaken by more than a million copies in circulation. A gap that wide, lasting an entire month, was unprecedented, and the trend showed no signs of slowing.
And it was all because of one person: Mizushiro.
At first, Minatoji had been firmly against any publishing house depending so heavily on a single creator. No matter how good, no mangaka could keep delivering hit after hit without faltering—or so he believed. But Echo Shroud's rapid rise was undeniable, and Mizushiro's momentum showed no signs of slowing.
During recent meetings, frustration among Red Lantern editors had been building. They scoured submissions, searching for the next big talent to counterbalance Mizushiro. But every new pitch felt too ordinary, too safe.
At one meeting, an irritated editor muttered, "Echo Shroud doesn't stop Mizushiro from publishing multiple works in different magazines. Why don't we—" He stopped abruptly, remembering their own history with him.
Minatoji thought back. The truth was complicated. The former president's son, Renji, had been groomed to take over his position, and his rash decisions had driven Mizushiro away from Red Lantern. When Mizushiro first came to Tokyo, he hadn't even considered the submission.
Minatoji had never cared much for internal drama. But now, with Renji out of the picture and the original president stepping back due to age, the thought crossed his mind. What if they invited Mizushiro to work with them? Surely he had multiple projects lined up. If Red Lantern could offer the right benefits, maybe they could lure him into publishing one of his future works.
He didn't voice it aloud, but the idea lingered as the meeting dragged on. The entire day was spent combing through new works from fresh mangaka, each editor hoping for a breakthrough. But deep down, they all knew no newcomer could match Mizushiro's sheer output.
Across the wider manga industry, the news of JoJo's double chapters didn't shake things up as much as expected. Most editors knew the reality: convincing mangaka to draw week after week was already a battle. Many creators had to be pushed like students finishing late homework, with editors hovering just to get manuscripts turned in.
That was why Mizushiro's case felt unusual. His influence was growing exponentially, and no mid-tier publisher had the resources to compete. The top two publishing houses had veteran mangaka drawing for over fifteen years, but those artists wouldn't get the same freedom or incentives. The rest of the top seven each had limitations. One had a sour history with him, one focused solely on female-targeted manga, and the remaining two sat at the bottom tier with little to offer.
Some wondered if Echo Shroud had drawn up a special contract to secure him, but insiders knew the truth: no such contract existed. He simply worked at an output no one else could match. Even if another publisher tried to lure him, there was only so much time in a day. He was already producing at the absolute limit of what any human could manage.
As the buzz around JoJo began to settle, mid-April brought a new spark. Evermark Productions released a teaser announcement for their upcoming project. The moment the teaser was confirmed for release the following week, Mizushiro's name, just as it was starting to quiet down, was suddenly back at the top of every conversation.
[Note: I forgot to mention this earlier, but Kotone will have more presence going forward. Since she's a mangaka, her perspective adds another side of the industry, and I'll also be using real manga references for her manga.]
[Note: I think I've found the work for Kotone. Here's a hint—it will make you cry more than Anohana, and it's very popular.
P.S. I haven't seen the work myself, but I've heard it's one of the best, I'll be watching it and writing a reaction as I go along.]
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)