[OOC] 『BLANK PAGE』 Manga Slice of Life RP

[Fiber]

Discord Link

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Premise  
Premise

You ever meet anyone who’s never read a copy of Shonen Spirit? It might aimed at hyperactive kids but there’s a reason it’s the country’s most popular manga anthology; go out on the street and you can see housewives picking up an issue on a trip to a convenience store or salarymen on the subway reading one they’ve hidden underneath pages from a financial newspaper. Even if you don’t read it you can’t escape the franchises that were born from it, they’ve been made into anime, toys, merchandise, games, stage plays, even theme parks. That’s the way it’s been for decades now and for most people under fifty, manga from Shonen Spirit isn’t just part of pop culture, it’s part of their childhood, tied to nostalgic memories. It’s gone international, too; thanks to international licensing people all around the world from the Americas to Europe have come to know and love series from Shonen Spirit, to the point that creators from all over the world have dreams of joining the team at the magazine.

The public laps up the drama within the pages of Shonen Spirit, but few know about the drama that happens behind the scenes. Even during it’s best years the people behind it could only be described as eccentric and poorly organized, now things are even stranger. Sales have been dropping after their most popular title just ended it’s long run, and pressure from the corporate leadership is not letting up. The magazine is hungry for new talent, eager to see if anyone can meet their high expectations. One thing that is still true is how the staff get along. Shonen Spirit and the other manga periodicals published under it’s umbrella not a place of bland corporate dogma, it operates like a family, a big, screwed-up family, but a family nonetheless. From the artists to editors to the marketers to the accountants, they’re all along for the ride, wherever it may go.

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A Brief History Lesson

Shonen Spirit is going through an interesting time these days. Circulation peaked in the early 90s, and while that golden era ended, it left the magazine on solid ground. They didn't have the string of hits that they had from the 90s, the days when every kid was buying an issue on the way to school, but they did have one monster, one manga that became a pop culture phenomenon. Martial Journey lasted for 22 years and broke sales record after sales record, carrying the magazine even when other series failed to get the same momentum. The finale was the highest selling issue in the fifty year history of Shonen Spirit. The only problem is what is finding a path for the magazine in a post-Martial Journey world. There have been sales slumps before, like the infamously bad period in the 70s, but times are different. Shonen Spirit was started by a small, family run, publishing company called Torishima Publications, and they didn't care much about how much money their manga magazines made as long as it was more than they cost to run. In the 90s Torishima got bought by a electronics company that went on a buying spree, and just a few years ago that electronics company was absorbed by AmertiTel, a giant multinational media telecom conglomerate, always on the hunt for new pieces to add to it's empire. There's been little change to how the place is run at the daily level, but every quarter new financial goals come, and the feeling is sinking in that any freedom the management has now is conditioned on meeting these strict goals.

The heart of Shonen Spirit is an office building deep in the Chuo ward of Tokyo. It houses the offices of Shonen Spirit and two other manga publications under the same umbrella. Shojo Weekly targets a different audience than Shonen Spirit, and has never enjoyed the same level of success, struggling to maintain the third place position among Shojo magazines. It's showing some growth lately as they've done strong on the digital end and international licensing, outpaces larger rivals in those area even if print circulation isn't as impressive. The other magazine is weirder than it's siblings. Monthly Comic Ace came about when several floundering magazines aimed at adult men and women were combined into one umbrella. Despite the word monthly in the title, it actually comes out every week, but the manga in it are still on a monthly schedule. The series in it rotate out depending on which week of the month it is, it remains to be seen if this experiment will hurt or help reader retention. The office itself has space for permanent staff, as well as open desks for occasional visitors, like artists that want to do some work outside the house. The employees work hard to put out a good product, you can see people in the office at all hours. Everyone has a different view on what it takes to succeed, what kind of character you need to make great art, but there's one thing everyone at Shonen Spirit can a appreciate, and that is determination.

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Orientation

Office Departments

-Creative-

The heart of the organization. All of the editors, artists, writers, and assistants fall under this. It's a loose structure, people are expected to report in to their boss but outside of that there isn't much micromanagement, as long as everyone is hitting their goals. If they aren't then that where things start to get more serious.

-Distribution and Printing-

The department that makes the magazine an actual thing you can hold in your hands. They handle getting each issue printed and sent off to store shelves. Everyone knows how important this is, but that doesn't stop them from forgetting about this department 90% of the time.

-Marketing-

They handle the branding and advertising. Anything related to graphic design goes through them, and the last reshuffle gave them control over all of the electronic content, too. They've always had a contentious relationship with the editorial department, as each one likes to argue about who deserves more credit for the success

-Licensing & Business Development-

These are the people who make the deals. Someone needs to sell the advertising slots in the magazine, and they make sure the company gets paid a good rate. They also handle deals for merchandising and spinoffs of series, including being part of getting anime adaptations and foreign licenses for the big hits. That part can get complicated because they have to work with the artists in addition to outside parties, doing their best to find a deal that will send everyone home happy.

-Admin-

This the catch-all for people the office needs but don't fit in with any of the core lines of business. It covers stuff like the accountants, the office manager, the IT department, everything the parent company likes to call a "cost-center", their polite term for wishing theses functions weren't here. For the employees, they feel the lack of passion but they've got other things keeping them their, whether it's a steady paycheck or the people that work there, there's something that keeps them coming back.

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Notable sites in the neighborhood

-Eiichiro's-

There's many bars around, this one has the combo of being close to the office and having the best happy hour prices of any in the neighborhood. On any given night you can probably find someone from Shonen Spirit or one of it's sister publications here, and a few infamous times have seen multiple members of the creative staff passed out in the alley after a night of hard drinking. They all made it back to the office in the morning with an agreement not to talk about what happened afterwards.

-New Page Cafe-

Owned by an old hand who used to be an editor at Shonen Spirit. He's not around much, but you can tell the legacy because it's got the best stocked manga cafe in the city outside of Akihabara. The tea is good and the staff can always give you a recommendation for something to read, they know the deep cuts. A good place to go to take a break, or avoid work. Just don't bring up to any of the mangaka that you read their series over tea here instead of buying the volumes of it

-Toriyama Park-

A nice refuge from the office, a great place to enjoy nature. Or have screaming matches too loud to be held indoors. Word of warning about the second, that tends to scare the kids and get the cops coming over to ask you some serious questions.

-Friendly Eleven Convenience-

The prices are cheap, the hours are 24/7, and they carry everything from hot food to new t-shirts. What's not to love? The employee are used to seeing bleary eyed employees of the office shuffle in at any hour to get some desperately needed caffeine, and they won't ask any questions at this point

-Okamura Steakhouse-

This place has been a favorite of locals for decades now, but the prices it charges means this is for special occasions. Whether it's inking a massive deal, putting on a good show for a high ranking executive, or someone blowing their first big payday in an extravagant way, this is where you go if you want to celebrate and enjoy some delicious Wagyu beef.

-Tezuka Station-

It's not the closest subway station to the office, but it's only a little farther and it has something the others don't: A multi-story shopping mall built on top it. The stores cover everything, but be sure to check out the bookstore on floor three if you're interested in new releases, and the hobby shop on the second floor if you want to stock up on anime merch.

OOC

Rules
1. Be kind to everyone. If you have a dispute, work it out in a civil way.
2. Keep in mind the slice of life feel. There'll comedic antics but this is still supposed to be the real world, and make characters that fit with that
3. Be part of a group. Try to work with people to make the RP happen, give people the opportunity to decide where the plot goes. Also, if you end up leaving the RP, it's all fine, just let us know if you can.

Character sheet format is on the Character tab

[c3p-0h]

Woo! I’m considering being a mangaka but since I imagine that job will be in high demand I might go with a no-nonsense editor who is there to tell you to your face that “hey this plot point is bad.”

[c3p-0h]

WIP - Kazu

"Kazu"

_______________________________________________ ALYSSA KOHARU KASPRZAK | 24 | EDITOR

Tell Me About Yourself ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Alyssa Koharu Kasprzak was born in Naha to an Okinawan mother and an American father on a work visa teaching English. Her childhood was spent moving between Japan and the US, and thus she's spent most of her life feeling like an outsider. She keeps her head down, her thoughts to herself, but also has a penchant for asking for forgiveness rather than permission - it usually works out... when she doesn't get caught. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Work History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ After graduating high school, Alyssa moved back to Japan to pursue her dream of making manga. Her first real job was as an editorial assistant at Shonen Spirit (where she picked up the nickname "Kazu" after many, many failed attempts by her coworkers to pronounce "Kasprzak") fetching coffees for the editorial team. Then she was promoted to checking for typos, and then for minor continuity errors from panel to panel. After a few years of proving her worth and working her way up, she was finally named lead editor for one of Shonen Spirit's new series, Umizoi no Tamaki, published internationally as Tamaki by the Sea. She hopes that if all goes well and Tamaki is successful, she'll be one step closer to publishing her own series. References ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ (List characters they know and have some kind of relationship with. Can be PCs or NPCs) Character: Relationship

[Yankee]

No-nonsense editor was my character concept too, though I was thinking an older man. Maybe a senior editor? Of course, I also have a mangaka in mind too. I'll work on both concepts and submit whichever one will fit better with the rest of the cast.

[c3p-0h]

@Yankee kazu ended up being less no-nonsense and more green as a project's lead editor, so the role is still open! i like both of your ideas lol, and either one has potential for a relationship with kazu -- either the editor is maybe like a mentor (happily or not) to her or the mangaka makes the series she edits? these are just quick thoughts that i had, obviously don't feel obligated to do any of this lol. looking forward to seeing the character!

[Hey Im Jordan]

Don't worry I"m here

[c3p-0h]

(((idk who needs to hear this, but the discord link is at the very top of the ooc's first post)))

[Remram]

Ferris Roe

_______________________________________________ Ferris Roe | 25 | Graphic Designer

Tell Me About Yourself ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ He was born in Bristol, England. Ferris could be described as lovably snarky, upbeat individual who is generally friendly to everyone he meets, even if he doesn't actually like them. A hard worker, in fact, some would say that he is a bit too serious and expects others to work as hard as he does to produce a high quality product. What he truly wants to do is create his own manga, but when it comes to his own personal work he is far too self-critical and doubtful. There was no real way to achieve his goal in England since the domestic comic industry had mostly imploded and even though he wants to be in the industry, he knows he'll always stick out. Outside of work and creative pursuits, his hobbies are boxing, gaming, watching football (soccer), and of course, manga and anime. He enjoys a good beer frequently. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Work History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ While in university, he interned at a company under the guidance of the creative director. Ferris graduated with an undergraduate degree in graphic design and fine arts. He worked for a magazine in London as a junior graphic designer and then spent one year in New York working for a rather reputable graphic design company before he grew unhappy with the job and quit. At some point he decided to strike out on his own and go to Japan to follow his dream to work with. By some strange stroke of fate, he got a job at Shonen Spirit as a graphic designer. Well, if he can't follow his dream to create a manga, he could at least work in the industry still. References ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ (List characters they know and have some kind of relationship with. Can be PCs or NPCs) Character: Relationship

[Yankee]

For your consideration!

_______________________________________________ 甘い下河 | 42 | Senior Editor References ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ TBD for PCs once some characters are in/accepted :) Hasumi Amai: Ex-wife. They have a strained relationship, but they mostly still get along. Fumino Amai: Daughter. They have a good relationship. He visits every other weekend.

Tell Me About Yourself ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Milquetoast. At least, at first. Shimokawa comes off as a tired old man with little interest in anything, let alone his job - although that second part couldn't be further from the truth. He prefers actions over words, just like an editor's favorite saying, "show, don't tell." He does take his position as editor seriously, and he doesn't mince words: in order to get the best out of every mangaka, he will point out every flaw in a script or storyboard... in great detail. He is a realist, that's all. Shimokawa does loosen up over drinks, and it's possible to get some humor out of him, if you're prepared for the most cringe-worthy dad jokes of all time. The longer he knows someone, the more affectionate he will become, although it's mostly with a friendly shoulder pat or ruffling of hair here and there. He doesn't talk about his personal life often, and only those closest to him know anything about his life outside of the office. There are little hints here and there: he buys a lot of 'cute' things, eats a lot of sweets, and he's always unavailable two weekends out of the month. Work History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Shimokawa was always a bookworm, and right out of highschool he took an internship at an editorial company, which evolved into a position as editor as the years went on. He met his now ex-wife there, and their relationship started somewhat scandalously: she was a novelist and he was her editor. Together they brought Hasumi's novels to the top of the charts. Of course, when their relationship was made public, it was deemed unacceptable by the editorial company. Shimokawa ended up leaving, and the couple enjoyed new found freedom in their relationship. Soon a baby was on the way. Shimokawa and his daughter bonded over stories and fairy tales, and while the girl was fond of her mother's storytelling, she was much more interested in picture books and manga. This was Shimokawa's first real exposure to manga, as he would often purchase it for his daughter as she got older. They bonded over it. When Shimokawa applied to Shoujo Weekly he didn't expect to be hired. He recalled joking with his wife about doing it to get free comics for their daughter and sent in his resume. Of course Shimokawa happily accepted the position as he'd been getting a little restless as a stay at home father, and his daughter was old enough to look over herself now. He worked hard for a couple of years at the magazine with a few titles to his name, but none so famous "Gods' Game of Love," the reverse harem romantic comedy that would come to be one of Shoujo Weekly's flagship series. When Gods' Game got an anime, the whole office celebrated and treated Shimokawa to drinks. It was a nice feeling, and Shimokawa started to feel like he might be good at this job. It was similar to editing novels, but different. Exciting. He especially liked when he could brag about his mangaka partners doing well to his daughter, and bring her home some exclusive marketing material. With the most recent reshuffling that came with AmeriTel's acquisition of the company, Shimokawa (now a successful magazine editor thanks to Gods' Game) was sent over to Shounen Spirit... where the vibe was completely different. No longer was he working on love stories and dealing with level headed female mangaka, now he was expected to handle hot blooded and perverted dudes and action series. This was well outside the scope of his experience - even when he worked in novels, he worked on drama and romance stories. And further than that, the stress of the job change fractured an already thinning marriage bond, and he and Hasumi divorced the same year. Still, he was a professional, and he focused on work. The two series he worked on in Shounen Spirit saw some modest popularity; particularly Life Supplier's Diary, a more drama and development focused story, where Shimokawa's strengths helping push the mangaka to greater heights. His second series, He*ck, was a comedic action title that never quite got the recognition other series got. Recently, both of these series came to an end, and with the way the magazine has been looking recently Shimokawa has been thinking about moving on himself. However, 'something' has kept him in the editor's office, looking over potential new series and working harder than ever...

[Fiber]

@Yankee@hatakekuro@c3p-0hAll you guys are approved. Feel freed to add them to character tab whenever.

[Hey Im Jordan]

Seizawa Daigo

_______________________________________________ Seizawa Daigo | 23 | Artist

Tell Me About Yourself ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ The definition of ‘just happy to be here.’ Daigo spent his whole life dreaming of the possibility of just maybe making art and drawing characters that would be as near and dear to the hearts of others as the characters his idols drew before his journey even began. He works hard — to the point that overnights at the office are more common than not. Outside of his work, he’s fairly easy going, and what freetime he does have is often spent at the bar with his writing partner, where Daigo likes to sing karaoke and drink. In fact, if it wasn’t for the tendency to drink (and drink a lot), Daigo could be confidently described as ‘childish.’ He likes to play video games, read other shonen manga and watch their accompanying, and read doujins (but don’t tell anyone). ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Work History ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Daigo started his career with Shonen Spirit straight out of high school, where he met his working partner. Together, they worked on a fairly popular serialized manga in Shonen Spirit: Throne. A simple title for a simple manga, Throne told the story of a young squire in a medieval setting called Maltere, and his rise to becoming the strongest knight in his country. Notable for the story, which had a surprising amount of depth thanks to its author, and its stylized art drawn by Daigo, Throne was popular with many people; for different reasons. Sporting a colorful cast of characters alongside the main character, Throne even had shonen mainstays such as catgirls, bunnygirls, fight scenes that lasted over ten chapters, and copious amounts of power ups for the Squire. It hit the right spots, and it even got an anime adaptation. After a four and a half year run, Throne has come to a close, despite resistances from management who thought they had the next dynasty hit on their hands; both author and artist felt Throne had reached a fitting conclusion. With Throne out of the way, the pair is looking to make their next manga, something entirely different from their first. References ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ (List characters they know and have some kind of relationship with. Can be PCs or NPCs) Character: Relationship