Monday, 8 December 1992
Zaboru sat in his office, deeply imrsed in developnt tasks, refining designs for the upcoming arcade releases. With each page of his notebook filling rapidly, he alternated between scribbling gaplay tweaks, balancing notes, and quick character sketches for potential new titles. The early December chill outside contrasted with the warmth of the creative energy in his office. Everything was progressing smoothly, and his mind was fully dialed into the project pipeline.
That was until a knock ca at his office door.
"Yes, Yumi-san, what's wrong?" Zaboru asked without looking up.
Yumi, his dependable and detail-oriented secretary, opened the door with a respectful nod. "Boss, there's a mangaka nad Tetsuo Hara here. He says he's a future employee of Hakushensha and would like to discuss a manga adaptation with you."
Zaboru's brow lifted slightly. Tetsuo Hara? The Tetsuo Hara? The artist behind the legendary Hokuto Shinken manga in my previous life? What could he possibly want with here?
He quickly composed himself. "Alright, Yumi-san. Please let him in. I'll et him personally."
"Right away, boss," she said, exiting briskly.
A few minutes later, a broad-shouldered, rugged-looking man in his late thirties entered the office. His gaze was sharp, but his deanor humble.
"Are you Tetsuo Hara?" Zaboru asked, standing up with a professional smile.
"Yes, Renkonan-san. I'm Tetsuo Hara."
"You can call Zaboru, Tetsuo Hara-san."
"Then just Tetsuo, if you don't mind," the artist replied with a chuckle.
They shook hands firmly before settling into a casual conversation.
"So, Tetsuo-san, what brings you to today?" Zaboru asked, genuinely curious.
Tetsuo hesitated briefly before speaking. "It's like this, Zaboru-san. I'd like to propose a collaboration between us."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow. "Collaboration? In what sense?"
Tetsuo's gaze beca focused. "I want to work with you to create a Hokuto no Ken manga."
For a brief second, Zaboru was silent. So it really is about that... Hokuto no Ken—already released as one of ZAGE's early hits. But in my past life, it was Tetsuo and Buronson who brought that to life. This tiline's differences continue to surprise . Here, the inspiration went in reverse. He's inspired by my ga.
"Hokuto no Ken, huh? Why that one specifically? You've seen the other ZAGE gas and why not others"
Tetsuo leaned forward, a gleam in his eye. "I'm a huge fan of Mad Max. I've always wanted to build a world like that—lawless, brutal, yet full of personal codes. When I saw Hokuto no Ken at a local arcade rental shop, i beco curious and try to play it on my own and I was floored. The setting, the mood, the power of the character design—it all clicked for . It was the post-apocalyptic vision I'd been searching for, but with martial arts and philosophy baked in."
Zaboru couldn't help but chuckle. "Ah, so you're a fellow Mad Max fan. That explains a lot."
He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "Alright, Tetsuo-san. I'm open to the idea. But here's the deal—I'll write the story myself. It will follow the ga version loosely, but I plan to flesh it out further. I welco your artistic feedback, but I'll be the one steering the narrative. is that okay for you?"
Tetsuo nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely, Zaboru-san! I'm honored just to work alongside you. So, about the terms..."
"Regarding profits," Zaboru interrupted with a smile, "I'll only take 5% of manga sales. The rest can go to you and Hakushensha just need to ask them."
Tetsuo blinked. "Only 5%? That's far too little, especially for a franchise you created."
Zaboru shook his head. "I'm not concerned about the money. My satisfaction cos from seeing the world of Hokuto no Ken expanded in brilliant visual detail. If you can deliver unforgettable artwork, that's more than enough for ."
Tetsuo's face lit up with gratitude and admiration. "I assure you, Zaboru-san, I'll give it everything I have to create the best Hokuto no Ken manga possible!"
They spent the next half hour sketching out rough tilines. Zaboru planned to have the manga serialization start by early or mid 1993. Tetsuo jotted down early notes.
When their eting concluded, Tetsuo exited the ZAGE building with a spring in his step.
Outside, he muttered with a grin, "Zaboru Renkonan... He doesn't even care about the money. He really is the real deal."
He chuckled to himself. "Well, maybe that's because he already has a mountain of it."
Feeling inspired, he headed straight for a yakiniku place. "Ti to celebrate with so good at," he declared, almost singing the words.
anwhile, back in his office, Zaboru was staring at his whiteboard, already outlining the manga's arc.
"Tetsuo ca straight to ... Fate is strange. I figured he'd go on to create sothing else. But sohow, Hokuto no Ken pulled him in anyway. Funny how so stories are just ant to happen, no matter the tiline."
Zaboru chuckled to himself. "Still, I admire his guts. He actually contacted directly—even though he's new to the manga industry. He's truly a man of action."
He turned back to his notepad and began sketching the manga's story for first arc: the story of a lone warrior, a destroyed world, and fists that broke bones but carried justice.
"Well, maybe I'll enhance the overall story of Hokuto no Ken in this world," Zaboru mused with a thoughtful smile. "But let's leave Netero out of the manga this ti—he worked better in the ga version. And as for Nen... that concept is better suited for Hunter X Hunter when the ti cos." He chuckled to himself, already imagining how to elevate certain thes and characters to give the manga its own weight and depth. There was no doubt—he was going to enhance Hokuto no Ken in ways no one had seen before.
To be continued
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