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The calendar turned to November. At the start of the month, the first tankobon volume of Initial D was officially released to the public.
Weekly Prime went all out with the marketing blitz for this debut volume. Since Initial D was already an explosive success within the pages of the weekly magazine despite being in its infancy, the publisher had sights set far beyond mere internal rankings. They were thinking on a grander scale: total dominance of the manga market.
Specifically, they were aiming to topple the current kings. There was Twin Rings, the flagship title of a rival publisher, which had nineteen volumes in circulation and boasted a staggering average of 22.3 million copies per volume. Then there was Red Dragon, a veteran series from another major house with thirty-one volumes and a per-volume average of 20.5 million copies.
For the past two years, these two had been the undisputed Double Aces of the industry, the only active series with average sales exceeding twenty million.
By comparison, Weekly Prime's previous heavy hitter averaged only 14 million copies per volume. In the current landscape, there were only nine active series that could claim the Ten Million Club status.
Weekly Prime held two of those slots, one rival had one, while the two biggest giants each boasted three. This data made one thing very clear. While the industry appeared to have Big Four publishers, the influence of the top two had pulled significantly ahead of the others in recent years.
Much like the original world's history where one magazine eventually pulled far ahead of the competition, the crown was always heavy. The top spot had been blessed by the Great Luck of the universe in the past, hosting legendary battle and sports series all at once. Once those ended, they were immediately replaced by a new trio of hits that maintained that dominance for another twenty years.
But in this world, the rotation was more frequent. The title of Number One Publisher was constantly up for grabs. All it took was one generational masterpiece to shift the entire balance of power. This was precisely why Weekly Prime was pouring every available resource into Initial D.
Their previous top title had reached its ceiling; it would never catch the industry leaders. But Initial D was young, hungry, and possessed an aura of infinite possibility.
Unlike Haruto's experience with the Madoka Magica home video release, a titan like Weekly Prime had massive distribution channels.
Their sales projections were surgical, and their manufacturing pipelines were robust.
There would be no production shortage excuses here.
However, even with their massive preparation, localized sell-outs occurred within the first forty-eight hours of launch. To coincide with the release of Volume 1, Haruto and Shizuru participated in a high-profile autograph tour across major cities.
Haruto was a veteran of these events and handled them with practiced ease, but for Shizuru, it was her first time in the eye of the storm.
Knowing that the publisher intended to make them the face of the company to challenge the industry giants left her feeling a bit light-headed.
Only months ago, she had been a struggling artist in a university club. Now, she was part of a duo that was reshaping the landscape of manga. It felt surreal, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of imposter syndrome. For the event, the publisher provided them with high-fashion outfits. Haruto wore a sharp, off-white tailored suit, while Shizuru was dressed in a flowing light-green gown.
Professional stylists had handled their hair and makeup to ensure they looked every bit like the Genius Star Duo the media portrayed them to be.
"I have to ask, Haruto... how are you not shaking right now?" Shizuru whispered as they stood in the backstage corridor.
"You'll get used to it," Haruto replied, his eyes fixed on his phone as he scrolled through a production report from Haru-Yuki Animation. "There are going to be a lot more of these in your future."
"Get used to it?" Shizuru took a shaky, deep breath.
"You have to," Haruto said firmly. "We are currently among the most influential manga creators in Japan. If we let ourselves be intimidated by a few thousand fans at an autograph session, the tabloids will have a field day."
With those words, he pushed open the heavy double doors. The moment they stepped into the rented event hall, a wall of sound hit them. Thousands of fans erupted into a thunderous, synchronized cheer.
The wind from the overhead fans ruffled Haruto's hair and tugged at the hem of Shizuru's emerald skirt. One second they were in a silent hallway; the next, they were at the center of a roaring hurricane of adoration.
"Shiori Takahashi-sensei! You're so handsome in person!"
"Shizuru-chan! You're gorgeous! Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Is the rumor true? Are you two actually dating?"
"Please draw faster! The Usui arc has been going for weeks! I'm dying to know if Mako and Iketani end up together!"
"And what about Takumi and Natsuki? They've been flirting forever, when are they going to make it official? And can we see less of Natsuki's family drama, just give us more racing!"
The fans near the front were screaming their questions and theories with infectious intensity. Haruto maintained a calm, polite smile, nodding as he listened.
Shizuru, however, wore a very complicated expression. Knowing the plot beats Haruto had already storyboarded for the future chapters, she felt a pang of pity for these fans.
Soon, the true face of Natsuki's situation would be revealed. Haruto was about to teach the manga readers a very harsh lesson. He was about to show them exactly what "racers don't need women" actually meant. But for now, Haruto remained the image of the gentle creator, offering kind words to the people in line.
"I understand," he'd say. "I'll definitely take your suggestions into consideration."
"The grand finale? I haven't decided yet, but I promise the Legend of Akina will have a conclusion worthy of the name."
Most of the interactions were standard, but there were always a few eccentric fans who tried to be funny.
"I'm very busy, sensei, can I learn to drift with one hand so I can multi-task?" asked another.
Haruto handled the jokes with a straight face, while Shizuru just looked on in total bewilderment. Of course, the primary goal of these sessions wasn't just to sell the thousand or so books on hand; it was to generate heat. The presence of news cameras and the sheer scale of the crowd were the real targets.
The next day, the news of the Initial D signing tour trended at the top of every major portal.
Photos of the handsome duo and their impressive credentials were plastered everywhere.
Not to be outdone, Kiyozawa Library launched its own counter-offensive. While they operated in a different medium, their interests were perfectly aligned with Weekly Prime when it came to promoting Haruto. They bought their own trending tags and hired social media influencers to flood the internet with discussions about Sword Art Online.
Under the careful guidance of both companies, the labels of Genius Youth Author and Prodigy Manga Beauty began to solidify in the public consciousness. Success, after all, is the ultimate argument. With Initial D at the top of Weekly Prime and SAO already at the top tier of Kiyozawa Library, no one could deny their talent.
A few days later, the first-week sales figures for the Initial D tankobon were finalized. Outside analysts had predicted a strong debut. In Japan, a hit manga usually moves millions of units in its first week, with total sales after three months reaching three or four times that amount. Long-running series eventually grow into the massive range as their fanbase expands.
However, Initial D shattered all the expectations.
First-week sales: 4.8 million copies.
Weekly Prime immediately launched a celebratory banner on their homepage: "Initial D Volume 1 Surpasses 4.8 Million Copies in Seven Days!"
4.8 million. In one week.
The industry went into a state of total meltdown. Online forums for professionals and hobbyists alike were buried under a mountain of comments.
"4.8 million in the first week? Is the author using cheat codes?"
"If I'm not mistaken, this is the second-highest opening week for a debut volume since the end of the Golden Age twelve years ago."
"It has to be. Back in the Golden Age, there were many more teenagers in Japan than there are now. The market was massive. Seeing these numbers today is almost impossible. I'm actually skeptical, is the publisher faking the data?"
"Ten years ago, a legendary hit moved 4.9 million in its first week. That series ended with a massive per-volume average. Does this mean Initial D is on the same level as a legendary titan?"
"You can't really compare them like that. That previous author was already a superstar when he started. It makes sense for him to have a huge opening. But Shiori Takahashi and Shizuru? They are newcomers to the manga world! Honestly, hitting 4.8 million as a debut duo is much more impressive."
"Haruto had a light novel fanbase, sure, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to the manga market. Still, we shouldn't get too ahead of ourselves. Opening week isn't everything."
"True. Look at Twin Rings. Its first volume only moved hundreds of thousands in week one, but the story exploded later. On the flip side, some series open with millions but get canceled later because the popularity cratered. Week one doesn't decide the final legacy."
"But 4.8 million is still insane. A good start is half the battle. Other hits, which were successful from day one, only opened with around 3.4 million. Initial D just left them in the dust."
"Shiori-sensei is a beast! Shizuru-sensei is a goddess! Take that, haters!"
"This is so satisfying. All those experts who said a niche racing manga would never break three million are nowhere to be found today."
"With a 4.8 million opening, if the quality holds up for a year, this series is guaranteed to hit the top-tier per-volume mark."
"We'll have to see if the plot holds, but for now, any work that clears 4 million in week one is officially a God-tier entry."
"Seriously, though... how can a manga about cars be this good?"
"Instead of asking on the internet, go spend the money and read it. Volume 1 ends right at the climax of the battle with the FD. Read it and then tell me if you still have questions."
"I used to have zero interest in cars. After Volume 1, I've already signed up for driving school."
"I only bought it because I saw everyone else buying it. Now I can't sleep. I'm literally dreaming about drifting. I'm currently on the second-hand market buying old issues of the magazine because I can't wait for Volume 2. I need to catch up to the current chapter NOW."
"Hey man, once you're done with those back issues, can I buy them off you? I just finished Volume 1 and the cliffhanger is criminal. I don't know how the weekly readers survive this author's cut-off ability."
"Haha, long-time fan here. You just get used to the pain. My ritual is to finish the chapter and then go leave a comment calling him a sadist to vent my frustration."
"Is it really that good? I find it hard to believe a street-racing story is this compelling."
"Just buy it. It's the price of a lunch."
"I just hope Sensei draws faster. I need the Usui arc to finish so Mako and Iketani can clear up their misunderstanding and be happy."
For several days, the manga world was consumed by the aftershocks of the Initial D sales figures.
Total volume sales are the only true measure of a manga's power. While Initial D was king of the magazine, people were still debating its actual reach.
But now, everyone finally understood.