Chapter 345 - 344: The Ripple Effect

Chapter 345: Chapter 344: The Ripple Effect

The fans of Slam Dunk had initially assumed that the double-episode special was just a bit of fanservice, a chance to watch Hanamichi and the gang deliver a satisfying beatdown to the thugs looking for trouble. What they didn’t expect was for this arc to culminate in a moment that would leave the entire audience in tears.

For the younger viewers in school, the episode was certainly moving, but the emotional core hit them mostly through the swell of the music as Mitsui uttered that iconic line.

"I want to play basketball."

It was a powerful moment of growth for them to witness.

However, for the adult fans who had already survived their fair share of real-world bruisings, the experience was on an entirely different level. While everyone’s life story is unique, almost everyone has taken a wrong turn or two during their journey into adulthood. Seeing Mitsui’s regret on screen acted as a mirror for their own past mistakes, and in that moment, the collective dam broke.

"Mitsui... Dammit, so this is why Haruto introduced this character! I was wrong. I actually thought he was running out of ideas and just drawing fight scenes for the sake of it."

"I’m literally crying. The way the background music kicked in at the perfect moment was just cruel."

"I found it touching, sure, but why is everyone acting like they just watched a tragedy? Was it really that emotional for you guys?"

"Everyone’s wired differently, I guess. If it didn’t hit you, then this specific brand of drama just isn’t your thing."

"He only went after the basketball club because he couldn’t let go of his own bitterness. Every single thing Mitsui did was proof that he still loved the game. But man... that’s just how life is sometimes."

"In the real world, straying from the path for two years usually means your life is set in stone. He’s lucky this is an anime and he still has a harbor to return to in the form of Coach Anzai."

"I always thought Coach Anzai was just a background character, a jolly old man who didn’t do much. I had no idea he was actually the emotional anchor of the series."

"Mitsui is a real man for admitting his mistakes. I assume this means he’s officially back on the team?"

"That’s definitely what the next episode will be about!"

"To be honest, the pacing has been slow since the premiere, but I think tonight’s episode made it all worth it. All those weeks of slow-burn buildup were a fair price for this payoff."

"I’m calling it now: this is the most legendary episode of sports anime. It’s a completely different experience from those old-school shows where the protagonist just steamrolls through every opponent without any internal struggle."

"There’s no need to put down other shows, but I agree. If Haruto keeps up this level of character writing for the rest of the cast, Slam Dunk might actually surpass Code Geass."

"The beauty of his work has never been about the genre; it’s about how he portrays the growth of his characters. Compared to his peers in the industry, his talent is almost unfair. He’s in a league of his own. Characters like Lelouch, C.C., David, Lucy, Madoka, Homura, and now Mitsui Hisashi... they just stay with you long after the credits roll."

"Exactly. His characters have inner lives and personal growth, which is something a lot of other modern anime lack. The way he handled Mitsui tonight was masterful. In just two episodes, he showed us how a passionate athlete turned into a delinquent, only to find redemption in a single heartbeat. Putting myself in his shoes made me want to sob."

"What was that song at the end? The timing with Mitsui’s breakdown was perfection."

"I can already see that track sweeping the charts on every music app tomorrow morning."

"That’s a given. I’m also looking forward to seeing the media outlets flip the script tomorrow. They’ll all be falling over themselves to praise him again. Just yesterday, those journalists were acting so high and mighty, practically claiming the plot of Slam Dunk had collapsed. Tonight was a massive slap in the face to all of them."

"That’s for sure."

That night, the sentiment in Haruto’s fan groups and on major forums shifted instantly. The skepticism that had plagued the community was gone.

So what if it took twenty episodes for the protagonist to play an official game?

So what if nearly a third of the series so far was dedicated to a brawl in a gym?

Every frame gained immense value the moment Mitsui Hisashi sought forgiveness. The fans were simply grateful they hadn’t listened to the critics and had tuned in to watch the broadcast live.

There is a unique magic in witnessing a legendary moment the moment it airs on TV. If they had waited until the next day to see the wave of praise online and then watched a replay, the experience would have been dampened by expectations. Seeing it fresh was the only way to truly feel the impact.

The following day, when the ratings climbed to 6.4%, the fans barely even cared about the data. For someone of Haruto’s stature, high ratings were just a nice bonus rather than a necessity.

While Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Code Geass, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners differed in terms of commercial value and cultural reach, their broadcast ratings were actually quite similar. What truly set them apart was the enduring respect and prestige they maintained within the community long after they finished airing.

While the fans were busy being emotional, the media didn’t miss the opportunity. For several days, the newspapers and blogs were flooded with articles praising Slam Dunk.

Haruto had seen this cycle many times before. Once the Mitsui arc concluded and the fans’ perception of the "messy" plot was repaired, he finally allowed himself a sigh of relief. He knew that the slow-paced introductory phase of Slam Dunk was officially over.

With Mitsui joining the Shohoku team, the story was finally entering its true main arc: the Inter-High Prefecture Qualifiers. In the original version, the anime took thirty episodes to get to this point. Here, even with Haruto trimming the fat and cutting out unnecessary scenes, it still took twenty.

That was the nature of long-running series. Sometimes it takes dozens of episodes just to establish the stakes. Slam Dunk was actually quite reasonable in that regard.

Haruto set down the market research reports and stretched his arms. It had been a year since his graduation. Without the burden of schoolwork, he was able to pour all of his energy into his creative projects.

Even though he was managing more series than ever, he actually felt less overwhelmed than he did back in university. Most of his current projects were long-term commitments. The Monogatari series could easily run for a significant time, and Gurren Lagann would take at least six months of production.

Slam Dunk would likely require another two to three years of serialization to cover the qualifiers and the National Tournament. As for Sword Art Online, Haruto planned to bring it to a close once the current major arcs concluded. In his opinion, the quality of the later volumes didn’t quite match the heights of the earlier stories.

Then there was Hunter x Hunter. The best he could do was take the series up to the end of the Chimera Ant arc and then put it on an indefinite hiatus. He still hadn’t seen the true ending of that story in the fragments of memory he possessed; the updates there were sporadic. It remained one of life’s great mysteries to Haruto.

Taking stock of his situation, he realized that he would have a constant presence in the manga, light novel, and anime markets for the next few years. His influence in the industry was already massive, and it was only set to grow as these series reached their respective climaxes.

However, he wasn’t stressed about it.

Everything was falling into place naturally. All he had to do was deliver the scripts, manuscripts, and storyboards to his partners and employees on time. The massive machine built around his creative output would continue to push his status higher and higher.

Of course, Haruto was realistic enough to know that this explosive growth phase would eventually end. The world isn’t infinite, and neither is the pool of fans. His follower count would eventually plateau. Furthermore, once masterpieces like Slam Dunk and Hunter x Hunter ended, he wasn’t sure he could produce anything that would top them.

Normally, a creator is lucky to have one once-in-a-lifetime work. Once that’s over, they usually begin a slow decline. But Haruto knew that a decline wasn’t really in the cards for him.

Once Sword Art Online finished, he could start other legendary franchises.

Once Hunter x Hunter was done, he still had multiple world-class shonen titles in his mental arsenal. After reaching his peak influence, he would likely remain at that summit until the day he decided to retire.

Thinking about this brought a smile to his face.

"What are you smiling about?" Yukino had been away on business for half a month, negotiating international merchandise sales and licensing rights for Haruto’s various IPs. For the past few days, she had been relaxing in his office, catching up on shows as a well-deserved break. Seeing Haruto suddenly grin made her curious.

"I was just thinking... I can already see what my life is going to look like in ten or even twenty years. I guess I’m just feeling reflective."

"And you’re satisfied with what you see? That’s why you’re laughing?"

"Not exactly," Haruto said after a pause. "I was just thinking about the current generation of creators. They probably can’t wait for me to retire. But imagine the scene ten or twenty years from now, when their successors grow up and enter the industry, only to find that I’m still the gold standard they have to chase. I’m competing with veterans now, and twenty years from now, I’ll be competing with their children. I realized I’ve basically become the final boss of the entire industry."

Haruto’s tone became even more amused as he spoke.

"What’s so funny about that?" Yukino asked, unable to follow his logic.

"Well... for example, right now, Reina Fujimoto is obsessed with surpassing me. What if, twenty years from now, her children are also obsessed with surpassing me?"

Yukino thought about it for a second and the absurdity of the situation hit her.

"You’re thinking way too far ahead! Poor Reina still hasn’t even gotten over her feelings for you. How can you be talking about her kids? Where are these children even supposed to come from?" Yukino teased.

"Well, time changes everything. The world is a big place; eventually, Reina will find something else to focus on," Haruto said, though he sounded a bit uncertain.

"I hope so. But it’s been years since our time in high school, and the gap between you two in this industry has only widened. Yet, we both know her drive to catch up to you hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s gotten stronger. She’s stubborn. Once she sets her sights on a goal, I’ve never seen her give up." Yukino sighed.

Haruto fell silent, offering only an awkward smile. Reina’s unwavering determination was the primary source of the pressure he felt whenever he dealt with her.

"You’re certainly acting confident today, though. You really think you’ll still be dominating the industry ten or twenty years from now?" Yukino asked, deciding to drop the previous topic.

"More or less," Haruto laughed.

"You look like someone who has mapped out every single step of his future." Yukino blinked but didn’t pry further.

The public might not know, but Yukino certainly did. She remembered how Haruto had managed to brainstorm multiple massive anime productions in just a short time, essentially laying out the company’s entire workload for the next three years.

Even she had begun to think that as the company grew, Haruto would eventually buckle under the pressure of being the sole creative engine.

She assumed he would eventually step back and let the company’s in-house creators take the spotlight. But Haruto continued to defy her expectations. Four anime, two major IPs, a novel, and a manga, he managed to keep every single one of them on track and of the highest quality.

"Hey..."

Haruto looked at Yukino’s elegant face.

As the office fell silent, the atmosphere shifted subtly. Haruto wasn’t the type to use flowery, embarrassing pick-up lines. He had been wanting to say something to Yukino for a long time, but every time he tried, nerves got the better of him.

"Yukino."

"Yeah?"

"Next year... let’s get married."

Yukino nearly choked on her tea, staring at him, her mind momentarily blank. She couldn’t believe how quickly his train of thought moved. They were just talking about corporate strategy and his rivalry with Reina Fujimoto.

And now, this.

Of course, Haruto had touched on the subject before, but their schedules had been so packed that they never really had a deep conversation about it.

"That was... incredibly sudden," Yukino said, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

"Was it?" Haruto smiled. "Good. I didn’t ask clearly last time, so I’ll ask again. Are you willing?"

Under normal circumstances, Yukino would have teased him for being blunt. But she understood Haruto. He had simply thought of it, felt a surge of courage, and spoke from the heart.

"Next year?"

"Yeah."

"Are you serious? You’ve thought this through? It has to be me?"

"I’ve thought it through. It has to be you."

Hearing that, the tension Yukino had been holding in her chest finally dissipated. She took two steps forward, stopping right in front of Haruto’s desk, and opened her arms.

Haruto stood up and pulled her into a warm embrace. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist as Yukino stood on her tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss.

"I’m not a big fan of wearing jewelry, but you’d better get me a proper engagement ring. I don’t want my friends teasing me about my husband being stingy."

"Understood," Haruto chuckled.

"And another thing... you have to come to my house and explain this to my father. You’ll probably have to survive an interrogation from my relatives."

"And what if I fail the interrogation?" Haruto asked playfully.

"Then I’ll just have to deal with them myself," Yukino said, rolling her eyes. "It’s just a formality. If they try to make things difficult for you, I’m not going to play nice."

She rested her chin on his shoulder, a wide smile breaking across her face.

"Years ago, you were just a high school kid. I looked at you as a junior... I never thought I’d actually become your wife. Thinking about how things turned out... it’s almost unbelievable."

"I guess I should be grateful you stayed single for so long before you met me," Haruto whispered.

Yukino’s expression softened. Those years of waiting felt worth it now.

Haruto was a man who lived by his own rules. Since his parents were no longer around, he didn’t need to consult anyone on his life choices. He made the decision to get married on the spot, and once Yukino agreed, his mind shifted from work to their future together.

He began to delegate even more of the creative oversight at Haru-Yuki Animation.

Over the next few weeks, just as Haruto had predicted, the ratings for Slam Dunk continued to climb steadily. Just like in the original history, Mitsui joining the team was the definitive turning point for the series’ popularity.

Meanwhile, Hunter x Hunter and Sword Art Online saw steady growth. While the sales for the Sword Art Online light novel had reached a high plateau, Hunter x Hunter was rapidly approaching a staggering 28 million copies sold per volume.

By the time mid-September rolled around, Reina Fujimoto’s latest novel reached its final Chapter. It wasn’t a particularly long story; it was clear she could have extended it if she wanted to. However, once she realized the work wouldn’t be able to compete with Haruto’s current hits, she decided to wrap it up rather than drag it out.

Her obsession with him remained as intense as ever. Of course, an anime adaptation of the novel had already been greenlit for broadcast next April.

As September drew to a close, the industry experienced another major shift.

Fans were already buzzing about the October premiere of Haruto’s latest work, Monogatari. But then, the announcement they had all been waiting for finally arrived: the anime adaptation of Hunter x Hunter was officially scheduled for a January release. This year had been big, but next year was shaping up to be legendary.

By January, the market would simultaneously feature Hunter x Hunter, Slam Dunk, the second season of Sword Art Online, the second season of Initial D, and the Monogatari series.

It felt as though Haruto had single-handedly recreated a golden age. For the first time in history, the biggest competition for a Haruto series was simply another Haruto series.

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