章 2: Chapter 2
Chapter 2 - Making Doraemon a Part of Children's Childhood
The Yoshida family dining table was custom-made with a large hole in the middle, containing an induction cooker. When not in use, it looked like an ordinary table, but when opened, it became a hotpot table.
The family gathered around the table, and indeed, it was a split hotpot. Hungry as ever, Keita didn't hesitate, picking up a plate of freshly sliced lamb and putting it into the spicy broth.
"Ah, Keita. Put some clear broth in my pot too."
"Do it yourself, and you'll have plenty to eat."
"It smells so good." Ami was busy with the dipping sauces.
Sichuan hotpot usually used an oil base, but the Yoshida family preferred dipping in sesame sauce. With crushed nuts, cilantro, dried chili, garlic paste, and a spoonful of oyster sauce, it was incredibly flavorful.
"Meat is energy, I'm digging in." Keita was the first to start.
"I'm digging in."
"I'm digging in."
The Yoshida family had no rule against talking during meals; they chatted while eating.
"Dear, how are your manuscripts coming along?"
"Same as always, the editor keeps pushing, I really want to play mahjong, lie down flat, and live a leisurely life as a 'salty fish'." Yoshida Toshio seemed on the brink of burning out.
Currently, Yoshida Toshio was working on creating Doraemon.
Doraemon was the childhood dream of most people, always imagining a blue robotic cat popping out of their desk and pulling out various magical gadgets to solve problems.
Yoshida Keita felt the same way. When he realized that Doraemon didn't exist in this world, he wanted to bring it here at the right moment so that the children of this world could have a similar childhood.
Since awakening at the age of 3, he had presented himself in front of his parents as a little adult, subtly influencing them.
The opportunity came quickly. When Yoshida Keita was 5 years old, their family faced a major setback. His father's manga was heavily censored, several new manuscripts were rejected, and their savings had been used to purchase properties in Beika Town, which was now experiencing a surge in murder cases. Their financial situation became dire.
In 1991, the Japan bubble economy collapsed, and the stock market and real estate had been declining since 1990. Despite the signs of an impending economic recession, society was still obsessed with the illusion of a golden era and continued to invest in the US.
By May 1991, Tokyo Julianna had opened its doors, and the glamorous nightclub was always packed. It was impossible to turn around without bumping into someone, and hundreds of people lined up outside each day, eager to get in.
People's reactions were slow to catch up, and by the time they woke up, it was already 1995. Tokyo Julianna, the golden paradise, had closed its doors in August 1994.
Seeing his mother, Ami, returning to work to support the family, 5-year-old Keita approached his father with an agreement and a script, laying out the first step of his plan.
"Keita, your father is brainstorming ideas for his story. What's the matter?" Yoshida Toshio looked tired, but managed to muster a smile.
Yoshida Toshio was a well-known manga artist, known for his work "Daily Life of Little Cherry." It was a series of short stories about the everyday lives of elementary school students, portraying their daily antics. The main focus was on children, but lately, its sales had plummeted.
Regrettably, in 1996, influenced by the larger economic environment, his recent science fiction manga series had also met with consecutive failures.
Wearing a little suit, Yoshida Keita stood confidently with his arms crossed, and in a formal tone, he said, "Father, please take a look at this agreement first. If you agree, we can discuss the next steps."
The A4 paper bore the title "Agreement," and its content was as follows:
Party A, Yoshida Keita, Party B, _______.
Party A will provide Party B with a storyline outline, guaranteeing its signing with a publishing company. Party A will occasionally participate in plot design, offering creative ideas.
Party B will pay Party A 30% of the royalties as compensation and allow him to use them freely.
Two copies will be made, each to be kept by one party.
While the agreement was quite basic, Keita believed that there was no need for strict and formal language between a father and son. This agreement was more like a gentleman's agreement.
Of course, he was also leveraging the advantage of being a child; after all, which parent would refuse their child's formal request?
"Interesting, I agree, my son." Yoshida Toshio said, signing his name with a pen, "Let's see what amazing ideas our little genius has, I dare to promise signing with a publishing company."
The script next to him was none other than "Doraemon."
Yoshida Keita had no intention of drawing it himself. First, it would require a lot of time and effort, and second, in his previous life, he was merely a fan of novels, games, and anime. He didn't have the confidence to tell stories better than his well-known manga artist father.
Yoshida Toshio flipped through the script, and the first page depicted a blue raccoon cat with a large head, round hands, a yellow bell, and a big pocket on its belly. The image was well-drawn; after all, Yoshida Toshio had taught Keita to draw, and portraying a simple Doraemon with basic lines wasn't difficult.
Beside it was a rough outline of the manga. A cat-shaped robot from the 22nd century, Doraemon, entrusted by its owner, Nobita Nobi, returned to the 20th century. Using various futuristic gadgets from a four-dimensional pocket, Doraemon helped Nobita's great-grandfather, elementary school student Nobita Nobi, solve various problems and experience lighthearted, humorous, and touching stories with his mother, Tamako Nobi, and his friends Shizuka, Takeshi, and Suneo.
The script also included some magical gadgets like a time machine, any-door, bamboo-copter, time wrapper, and translation gum.
Yoshida Toshio was deeply captivated by these novel settings and magical gadgets. It didn't take long for him to read through the script outline.
Setting down the script, Yoshida Toshio let out a sigh and suddenly hugged Keita tightly, planting a kiss on his cheek and rubbing his face against Keita's.
"Hahaha, truly my son, Yoshida Toshio's son. A little genius indeed, just like me, hahaha."
Keita wiped off the saliva from his face, feeling speechless, "Oh boy, it seems you already have plenty of inspiration. Hurry up and put it into drawings, but don't forget to pay me my compensation."
Returning to the present, this year marked the 10th year of Doraemon's serialization.
Last year, the company had planned to bring Doraemon to the big screen, and Keita had handed over the outline
for his favorite theatrical version, "Nobita's Dinosaur," to his father. Recently, as the theatrical version approached its completion, Yoshida Toshio had been busy offering revisions while also managing the daily serialization, keeping him incredibly occupied.
"Darling, you've worked hard. Have a piece of meat." Yoshida Ami picked up a piece of beef and placed it in Yoshida Toshio's bowl.
"Honey, you should eat too." Yoshida Toshio also picked up a piece and offered it to Yoshida Ami.
The dining table was filled with a romantic atmosphere, but Keita didn't mind. He focused on his meat, not envying it in the slightest.
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