[082] The Astonishing Sales of Magical Girl Madoka! [50 PS]

Without a doubt, Magical Girl Madoka completely took over August within just a single day.

Readers who finished the second volume flooded Akifumi's social media, anime forums, and fan communities with passionate discussions:

Some eagerly dissected the plot.

Others raved about the brilliant and captivating world-building.

Many lamented the abrupt ending of the series.

But most notably, there was a flood of complaints from readers wounded by the heart-wrenching twists in the second volume.

They accused the "merciless author" of being heartless.

This wave of heated discussion naturally attracted curious bystanders and made the pain even worse for those who couldn't get their hands on the book.

After all, even if fans detailed the plot online, it was impossible to capture the emotional impact of seeing the visuals firsthand. And knowing in advance that a beloved character dies? That only made readers even more eager to witness it themselves.

Don't doubt it—tragic storytelling is oddly popular in Japan.

The culture has long embraced a sense of bittersweet beauty, cherishing fleeting and radiant moments.

Younger audiences, prone to sentimentality, often gravitate toward works filled with sorrow and heartbreak.

Of course, after being emotionally devastated, readers often curse the author. But the moment a new series begins, they eagerly dive right back in.

It's a simple truth: if a work can make readers mourn the death of a character, it's already a mark of excellence.

On the other hand, if a book fails to connect, readers won't care how many characters die—they'll just quietly abandon it.

In summary:

If a story is well-written: "Damn that heartless author!" — Readers curse but keep reading.

If a story is poorly written: "What garbage is this?!" — Readers curse and never come back.

So, including devastating twists is never the issue—the key is whether the work is of high quality.

Following the release of Volume 2, Magical Girl Madoka achieved both physical and commercial success. Its phenomenal reception left many in the industry envious.

However, after reading the second volume, even professional peers were left speechless, acknowledging its brilliance:

The dark revelation that magical girls are destined to become witches.

Kyubey, the incubator maintaining cosmic balance.

Homura Akemi's countless journeys through despair to protect Madoka.

And Madoka's ultimate transformation into a divine being, erasing witches across all timelines.

These brilliant plot elements left other creators in awe.

But that didn't stop some from expressing bitter comments:

"What a waste!"

"With this setup, they could've easily made ten more volumes!"

"Only a company as bold as Shueisha would let such a masterpiece end."

"The author is still just a high school student, right? So naïve!"

"If it were me, I would've milked every last penny from the fans."

Their envious remarks were as transparent as they were petty, revealing nothing but their own insecurities.

In contrast, there were those who saw the bigger picture:

"But isn't his second series already being serialized in Shueisha? It's doing pretty well too!"

"Why do you think he won't be able to create another masterpiece?"

"Let's face it—you haven't even managed to land a series in Weekly Shonen Jump, let alone create something like Madoka!"

Meanwhile, Akifumi remained largely unaffected by the online chaos. Apart from reading visible replies on his social media, he paid no attention to forums or fan groups.

The following day, at Shueisha's office...

"Could you sit still for a moment, Mihari?" Minano Matome sighed as she watched the restless editor pacing back and forth.

"You're making my eyes dizzy."

Blushing, Mihari quickly apologized and sat down—but within seconds, her legs began bouncing anxiously.

Minano chuckled softly, understanding the anticipation.

Even after years in the industry, she too was eagerly awaiting the sales numbers.

"I wonder what the first-day sales will be," Mihari muttered.

The buzz from the previous day was impossible to ignore—everyone at the company had heard about the printing department's phones being overwhelmed.

The head of the printing division had even vented to Minano over dinner last night.

Now, it was time to see just how far the frenzy had gone.

The sudden ring of the office phone broke the silence.

Mihari shot up from her seat but quickly remembered whose office she was in and sat back down, grinning sheepishly.

She watched Minano with eyes full of anticipation.

Minano picked up the receiver, her voice steady.

"This is Minano Matome."

"... Yes, I see. Thank you."

"... Don't worry—there will be a celebratory dinner for you too."

"Trying to raise the price? You should've waited to tell me the numbers first!"

"Got it. I'll let you get back to work."

After hanging up, Minano glanced at Mihari, who was practically vibrating with curiosity.

Minano smiled and announced, "The first-day sales for Magical Girl Madoka Volume 2 are in—46,786 copies."

Mihari's eyes widened in disbelief. "How... how many?!"

Minano repeated patiently, "46,786 copies."

Mihari was stunned, struggling to process the number.

After a long pause, she finally stammered, "I-Isn't that almost as much as the first volume's total first-week sales of 60,000?!"

A single day, nearly 50,000 copies sold.

Could this number really be accurate?!

....

[TL Note]

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