Chapter 280: The Idea and Test of the Cultivation Manga
The father of manga in this world is still Osamu Tezuka, and he is still Japanese.
To put it bluntly, the cradle of manga and anime in this world is still Japan.
It was only later, thanks to the solid economic advantages of the Republic, that manga and anime were standardized, commercialized, and even industrialized.
This led to its boom, giving rise to a flourishing anime industry in mainland China, even surpassing that of Japan.
However, the influence of Osamu Tezuka is still immense, and he is widely recognized as the "Father of Manga" and the "Founder of Anime Production."
He was also a pacifist who opposed war and aggression, and dedicated his life to this cause.
He also established the famous three principles of manga:
one, never make fun of the victims of war or disaster!
two, never belittle specific professions! three, never make fun of nations, citizens, or the general public!
Ren also firmly believes in this principle. Works like Devil's Academy, which insult the victims of war and violate national borders, are absolutely unacceptable! After all, even manga has its limits; nothing can be made fun of.
"The three principles of Osamu Tezuka's manga..." said Fenghuangyuan with a smile, instantly comforted. "That's right. No matter the type of manga, there is no limit. I didn't expect you, Ren, to have such awareness... Very good!".
He felt incredibly satisfied after hearing Ren's words.
He had assumed that Ren was simply a talented mangaka, but he was not surprised by his talent, let alone his moral character, which was truly admirable.
"Secondly, I simply believe... that manga should be about what people want to see, about how to generate emotional resonance!" said Ren. "And I hope that people can learn from manga the virtues it embodies, such as courage, wisdom, kindness, and reflection on the world."
"A manga without reflective value is like toilet paper."
Fenghuangyuan smiled and said, "Yes... This has always been your style, Ren. It's a shame that it's so hard for others to learn from you."
Whether it's the reflections on the future of technology, humanism, and nihilism in Edgerunners, or the exploration and dialectic of nihilism and existentialism in Fire Punch, he saw it all.
Or perhaps it's Chainsaw Man, with its exploration of humanity itself and its latest wave of anti-war reflection.
All of these are manga that, after reading them, provoke deep reflection.
Works like these will not be forgotten by manga fans with just a glance.
Ren himself prefers them, considering them deeper and more memorable.
"Finally, although all this is important, the manga itself..." said Ren, "depends on being entertaining. If a manga is boring and full of sermons, it doesn't mean much and it's not a good manga."
Fenghuangyuan was stunned for a moment and then burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha! Ren, you're right! Exactly!" he laughed. "Manga should be entertaining by nature. If they're boring, no sermon will help... Excellent! As our master said, manga should be suitable for everyone! May everyone enjoy them!".
"Ren, your ideas about the future of the manga industry... are very insightful! Excellent!" asked Fenghuangyuan, instantly satisfied.
Perhaps... his master back then also looked at him in the same way.
"No, no..." said Ren modestly, a little embarrassed.
Although those words were his true thoughts, he was nothing more than a plagiarist.
Or perhaps he was rather expressing his hope for the future development of the manga industry from a reader's perspective.
So Fenghuangyuan's praise overwhelmed him a little.
"But, have I heard that you've already entered the Xuanmen?" asked Fenghuangyuan with a smile again.
"Xuanmen?".
Ren scratched his head as he remembered those posts on the internet.
It seemed that the original body had become a Taoist priest in a Taoist temple in the mountains during the years when he suffered the most severe blows.
"Ah, it seems so..." said Ren. "Life in Xuanmen should be quite peaceful, probably copying and chanting Xuanmen scriptures daily?".
He suddenly remembered that he had previously extracted a [Xuanmen Wanfa Wanjing (Platinum)] from the system.
His mind instantly scanned the content of various Taoist texts: the Tao Te Ching, the Tongxuan Sutra, the Dongling Sutra, etc. He memorized them all.
"How wonderful! My work, Purple Air Coming from the East, is inspired by Taoist monks. I long for that pure and peaceful world," said Fenghuangyuan with a self-deprecating laugh. "It's a shame. I'm already a mortal. I can't survive without the hustle and bustle of the mundane world."
"That's not bad," said Ren. "While the Taoist world is peaceful, it's free from the mundane world, right? Living in the mundane world, it's natural to have human contact."
He quite liked his current life, earning a good income drawing manga while enjoying himself with his assistants and friends.
This was the kind of life that felt real and beautiful.
"That's one perspective..."
Fenghuangyuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, it's me who's obsessed."
"By the way, Ren, have you ever considered creating a Taoist manga about cultivation?"
Suddenly, he asked with interest, "If it were you, creating a Taoist manga about cultivation would undoubtedly be very interesting and more original."
Since he popularized the cultivation manga with Purple Air Coming from the East, this popular genre in the Republic has given rise to numerous manga from various mangakas.
However, over the years, the plots of this genre have lost more and more originality and seem to be homogenizing.
This frustrates Fenghuangyuan.
But he couldn't change it, because he couldn't come up with a more original plot.
But if it were Ren, the genius known as the freest mangaka in the world, maybe he could have a creative idea... right?
"Ah... I actually have an idea..."
Ren scratched his head, but the idea seemed too sectarian.
It was like Chainsaw Man, or even, in a way, crazier.
And if he drew it, Fenghuangyuan might not be surprised, but horrified.
"Can you tell me something?" asked Fenghuangyuan, but then an idea occurred to him. He shook his head and said, "Forget it, how can I talk about something like that? I'm really looking forward to seeing you with that idea."
"That could take quite a while..."
Ren thought for a moment and said, "After all, I'll probably have to serialize Parasyte for a year or two...".
"Well, I'll wait," said Fenghuangyuan with a smile. "But maybe by then, my Purple Air Coming from the East will be finished."
"Will Purple Air Coming from the East be finished?"
Ren was stunned for a moment and then asked with curiosity.
"Soon. It's been serialized for 21 years. It's time... to finish Lu Donglai's journey," said Fenghuangyuan with a smile. "You must draw a new cultivation manga when the time comes. Maybe I can help you then."
Lu Donglai is the male protagonist of Purple Air Coming from the East, a long-running and very popular manga that has been serialized for over 20 years.
This is truly moving.
"Thank you for your kindness, master," said Ren, rubbing his chin. "But it's not necessary."
"We'll talk about that later," said Fenghuangyuan with a smile. "Well, it seems the awards ceremony is about to begin... Let's leave this aside for now."
They had been talking for a long time, and the newcomer awards ceremony of the manga industry was about to begin.
"Alright..."
Ren stood up and, along with Fenghuangyuan, entered the venue to witness the ceremony as spectators.
What he hadn't noticed was that, not far away...
"That's Mr. Fenghuangyuan, right? I can really talk to Mr. Fenghuangyuan..." said assistant Tang Wei enviously next to Yusuke Sato.
Yusuke Sato looked at Ren, who looked strange in his hospital gown, with a serious expression.
The person he considered his greatest rival was not far away, and he really wanted to confront him:
"Why don't you continue with Chainsaw Man and start a new one? Are you deliberately avoiding this war between us?".
However, Fenghuangyuan, next to Ren, completely dismissed the idea.
It wasn't the right time to say that. So... he would say something later to inspire Ren to give his all to complete Parasyte.
Let his The Gods trample on the corpse of Parasyte and ascend to the throne of the strongest! "...The winner of this year's Best Newcomer Gold Award is...".
After the official announcement from the host of the manga industry, the awards ceremony came to an end.
In the end, awarding the newcomers was just an excuse.
The real purpose of the ceremony was, in essence, an annual meeting of the manga industry.
However, holding an annual meeting at the end of the year, like in any other company, would not be something that would make the mangakas happy.
Hence this ceremony to award the newcomers.
The ceremony was coming to an end, and Ren said goodbye to Fenghuangyuan and prepared to go home.
But just then...
"Ren Amamiya," said Yusuke Sato calmly, approaching Ren with his assistant Tang Wei.
"Oh, it's Mr. Jiang Nan."
Ren undoubtedly remembered his counterpart from the parallel universe of Nanjing University, and even greeted him with some enthusiasm. "How's it going?"
Yusuke Sato's eyes widened upon seeing that Ren still felt like greeting him.
No... he and Ren were the biggest rivals, so why was Ren so relaxed?
Shouldn't he be as alert and serious as a tiger before a formidable enemy? Anyway... this guy doesn't seem to be in his right mind.
Yusuke Sato took a deep breath and said sternly, "Don't run away again! I will prove that I am the strongest of the new generation of mangakas!".
Without waiting for Ren's response, he turned and left with his assistant, Tang Wei.
Ren stood there, disheveled by the wind.
He scratched his head and said, "Huh? What does he mean? And he's not middle-aged anymore? How can he still consider himself from the new generation?".
- - - - -
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