章 395: Untitled
It was the start of a new month.
Early in the morning, Ren stretched and noticed that his wife, Sakura, was not next to him.
A cool breeze drifted in, making Ren want to close his eyes again. But then he suddenly remembered something, and his eyes flew open as he activated the system.
It was time for the monthly lottery draw.
He first looked at the first manga title: Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai.
This was a romantic, coming-of-age series.
Out of the few romantic series Ren liked, this was one of them.
Truth be told, apart from the concept of "adolescence syndrome," the plot was quite similar to other romance stories.
However, what stood out in this series was the distinct characterization.
Ren especially appreciated how the relationship between the main characters was handled—neither overly exaggerated nor clichéd. The dialogue and interactions were realistic and relatable.
While many beautiful female characters appeared in the story, the main character did not behave like typical romance protagonists. He didn't lead people on or act indecisive. Unlike those spineless protagonists who can't make a decision, this male lead was refreshingly genuine, even choosing "lucky underwear" before heading out.
In other series, male leads were often awkward, blushing at any small gesture, insecure, and full of daydreams, relying solely on being nice to win affection.
The protagonist here wasn't like that. He wouldn't shy away when a girl made a move or panic when given clear signals.
There were no cringeworthy moments where he acted tough just to gain attention, only to show his cowardly side later when he feared losing approval.
This kind of storyline could be entertaining once in a while, but having too many series like this was tiring.
Ren recalled his past life reading online stories. At first, he tolerated such plots, but over time, he found them uninspiring.
He preferred stories with either a clear main love interest, like My Wife Came From a Thousand Years Ago, or those with bolder plots like I Really Didn't Want to Reincarnate. If a protagonist wanted to be a player, they shouldn't hesitate.
For example, this story's protagonist confessed when he liked the main girl. When he realized another character had feelings for him, he decisively turned her down and kept their relationship strictly as classmates, without any lingering hints.
Even when interacting with other female characters to move the story forward, the scenes were well-handled and didn't cross any boundaries. He was honest with the main female lead, without lies or hidden truths.
The protagonist's playful banter added a layer of humor that made the story even more enjoyable.
"Not bad!" Ren nodded slightly while reviewing the story.
Except for a few necessary adjustments, most of it was ready to be adapted.
Next, Ren looked at the second title, 5 Centimeters per Second.
This was another work by Makoto Shinkai and the first of his that Ren had ever watched.
The plot was simple.
From the first to the third chapter, the story followed Takaki's journey from high school to adulthood, showing how time changes people and relationships. It intertwined the innocence of young love with the melancholy of a bittersweet ending, making it feel genuine and natural.
Despite the simplicity, many audiences loved it.
The main themes were distance and loneliness.
As people grow up and work hard to make a living, they often become lonelier, especially average individuals. People struggle, suffer, and push through frustration, all just for survival.
This story struck a chord with many because it resonated deeply with their own lives.
After all, the world has more people who find solace in movies than those who live comfortably.
There wasn't much that needed changing in this story, and since Ren had finished producing the Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel movies, 5 Centimeters per Second could be a perfect follow-up.
Thinking this, Ren turned to the third title.
"Well, that's promising!"
Seeing the title Yu-Gi-Oh!, Ren raised an eyebrow.
This series was a money-making giant, similar to Gundam and Pokémon.
With Ren's skills, he could make it even more profitable.
He could even have Yu-Gi-Oh! crossover with other stories.
It wasn't as far-fetched as it seemed.
In Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions, creator Kazuki Takahashi introduced five new magician girl cards for Yugi to summon in his duel against Kaiba.
Ren thought it would be interesting to replace those magician girls with characters from Madoka Magica.
Blue, yellow, pink…
The color themes even matched up nicely.
"Didn't expect this lineup to be so good," Ren remarked as he prepared to start drawing.
…
"Phew…"
Ren and Jada returned home, completely exhausted.
The day had been extremely busy.
With Picca Comics' anniversary approaching, even though most tasks were divided among various departments, there was still a lot of work for Jada as the boss.
Determined to celebrate this special occasion, Jada had dragged Ren along to the company.
In Jada's eyes, it wasn't fair that she was busy working while Ren lounged at home playing games.
While Ren couldn't handle major management tasks, he could help with the smaller details.
This year's anniversary celebration was set to be the biggest ever, held at an outdoor plaza in Picca Land.
"Get up. There's one more thing to finish. If you get it done, you won't need to come tomorrow," Jada said, nudging Ren with her toe as she stretched.
"There's more?" Ren's face fell.
He was grateful he wasn't in charge of the company. If he were, all the work would probably plunge the company into chaos.
"Don't want to do it? Fine. Then come with me tomorrow and help out more," Jada said nonchalantly.
Sighing in defeat, Ren sat up and picked up the files to review.
But as he read, his eyes suddenly lit up.
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