[088] "Madoka Magica" Animation Completed! "Flower Name" Finished!!

In a moment of surprise, Eriri froze, her blue eyes widening as she smiled with excitement.

"Did... did it really pass!?"

"Yes," smiled Mihari, nodding.

She couldn't help but think, This is the right reaction!

She glanced at the person beside Eriri, and thought.

'Is this guy heart made form stone?'.

Who else could remain so calm after something like this?

"Mugiho, I passed! I really passed!?" Eriri shouted excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you," Akifumi replied, rubbing his ear.

Can't she keep it down a little? And why's she so hyped about this?

"Congrats," he added casually, "But maybe try to calm down a bit?"

"All this is just the initial assessment," he continued.

"There's still a long way to go before an actual serialization."

"What!?!" Eriri's face froze, the joy fading as she processed his words.

"But didn't I pass?"

"It only passed here," Akifumi explained, gesturing to Mihari for more details.

"Is it just me, or is this guy getting better at giving me orders?" Mihari thought with a sigh but smiled as she explained to Eriri:

"Well, like Akifumi-san said, this is just my approval. The final decision comes from the editorial board after a meeting."

She added, "Once they approve, that's when it can actually move forward. And with several projects already ahead, it'll take some time before it officially gets serialized."

"Oh..." Eriri slumped a little, muttering, "Why does it have to be like this?"

Mihari couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

I'm just a small editor—there's no way I can control any of this!

"But don't worry. With a work of this quality, serialization is just a formality," she reassured.

After all, she'd been analyzing a lot of the works in her magazine recently, and Shokugeki no Soma definitely stood out.

Its unique art style, interesting characters, and compelling story made it superior to many currently serialized works.

"If this doesn't get serialized, something's wrong!" she thought, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Once it gets serialized, it'll definitely receive great reviews!" Mihari said with enthusiasm, looking at Eriri.

She mentally added, This is my second big project!

And this one definitely doesn't have the same 'rebel' vibe as the first!

Maybe I can actually train her into a real asset!

But then, a thought crossed her mind, and she sighed.

'Wait... aren't they childhood friends?'

The bond between childhood friends, that was a tough one to beat, even for an editor and author who were getting closer by the day.

Sighing internally, she realized:

'Even before this second big project of mine is fully formed, it already feels like a lost cause!'

Annoyed, she tried to brush it off.

Meanwhile, Akifumi looked at Mihari, puzzled by her sudden shift in expression.

If only he knew the whirlwind of thoughts running through her mind in those few seconds.

Trying to lighten the mood, Akifumi turned to Eriri and said,

"Well, this is just how it goes. And hey, you can take this time to draw even more, right?"

Eriri sighed.

"I guess that's all I can do now."

"Anyway, thank you so much for all your help, Otosuna-san!"

Mihari felt a rush of pride.

'Is this what it feels like to be an editor? '

A simple thank you from Eriri made her feel on top of the world.

"No need to thank me, it's my duty as an editor!" Mihari grinned, patting her chest proudly.

She thought to herself, Maybe there's still hope for this project after all?

Then, turning to Akifumi, she casually asked, "Hey, do you have some time after this?"

"Huh? What's up?" Akifumi was a bit confused.

The meeting today was supposed to be just about Eriri.

Eriri raised her hand, asking, "Should I leave?"

"No, it's not confidential," Mihari waved her off.

"It's fine for you to stay."

"Well," she continued, "I just got word that the first episode of Madoka Magica's anime adaptation is finished. Would you like to see it?"

"Already finished?" Akifumi was taken aback, but then thought, Well, that makes sense.

If they're aiming for an October release with the fall season, they must've finished the first episode already.

Back at the end of July, he'd been talking with the director of the project, Shinbo Akiyuki, about this very thing.

[TL Note – Wait that guy exist too? For those who don't know Shinbo Akiyuki is the orginal director of Madoka Magica ]

Despite his initial hesitation toward the passionate and older male director, he'd gotten used to it over time.

In fact, he even started enjoying the attention a little.

Now, they were friends, though the age gap was noticeable.

"Of course I'd love to see it," Akifumi smiled.

"I'm also a fan of Shinbo-san too. How could I miss the chance to see his work?"

Mihari laughed.

"Isn't it because it's your own work being turned into an anime?"

"Well, that too," Akifumi chuckled.

Meanwhile, Eriri, who had been quietly listening, suddenly snapped back to attention.

"Wait a second!" she exclaimed.

"Did you just say Madoka Magica is getting an anime adaptation!? Does that mean Madoka Magica is becoming an anime!?"

Eriri was clearly excited.

Akifumi blinked in surprise.

"Didn't I mention that?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I thought I said Madoka Magica will be airing in October, alongside the new fall anime lineup," he explained.

Eriri frowned. "I never heard anything about this!"

Her eyes gleamed dangerously, and she grinned, showing off her little fangs.

She looked ready to pounce.

Akifumi turned away, a little embarrassed.

"Well, don't worry about the details. It's not too late to find out now. Want to watch it together?"

"Yes!" Eriri answered without hesitation.

Akifumi smiled, deciding to forgive her for not telling her earlier.

"Wait," he paused, "weren't you crying your eyes out over the ending? How can you still watch it?"

"I didn't cry my eyes out!" Eriri blushed, quickly defending herself.

"It was just a sad ending, okay? I wasn't crying!"

"Right, right," Akifumi teased.

Eriri frowned, a little flustered.

"But seriously, you wouldn't stop eating spicy snacks just because one of them was too hot, would you?"

"..."

Akifumi chuckled.

That actually makes sense.

Mihari, listening to the conversation, felt a little embarrassed.

'Ah, I'm really are a pro editor. No matter the work, I will never wavers!'

Mihari couldn't help but smile awkwardly as Eriri looked up to her.