I just want to quietly draw manga Chapter 365

Maya Studio – Meeting Hall

Inside the meeting hall, there were fewer people compared to a Japanese anime studio meeting. Present were the CEO, Executive Producer, Director, Production Manager, CG Supervisor, and Sales Executive, the core leadership of Maya Studio.

The sales executive spoke first, tablet in hand.

“Crying for Rain finished strong this year. Even with heavy hitters in the season, it ranked second overall internationally. We’ve accumulated a total of 350 million views across all platforms. The final episode premiered just a few days ago, and engagement metrics are holding steady.”

The production manager nodded.

“This year, we finally have a chance to win Visual of the Year.”

Director John shook his head slightly.

“Don’t celebrate too early. If you’ve seen the last two episodes of Code Geass, they’ve pushed the production even further. I think Wes developed some new technique.”

The sales executive replied,

“But our animation quality was consistent across all twelve episodes. That’s our strength. We should be in a strong position.”

No one argued. That had always been their philosophy.

Michael Harris, the executive producer, finally spoke.

“How many views does Code Geass have now?”

The room went quiet.

Everyone present was aware of his rivalry with Wes. The question hung in the air.

The sales executive had already seen the numbers. He hesitated slightly, then answered, trying to downplay the impact.

“The average episode is sitting at around 80 million views.”

That attempt didn’t work.

Everyone in the room understood what that number meant.

The production manager exhaled slowly.

“It was expected, but even I didn’t think it would be that high. If the most hyped episodes are pulling 80 million consistently, with those three creators combined, then yes, it’s believable. But we haven’t seen that level of sustained impact across an entire season before. Not in recent years.”

Director John added,

“You also have to give credit where it’s due. Muzishiro wrote a very strong story with real thematic weight. Code Geass isn’t just spectacle. It has substance. Without that foundation, the numbers wouldn’t be this high. If animation quality alone decided everything, we’d be number one every year.”

The production manager countered immediately.

“Production still matters, John. One of Muzishiro’s other works was adapted this year and ranked third in Japan. The story has a strong presence. But anime is a visual medium. Top-tier visuals pull people in. Sometimes the visuals alone are worth their time, regardless of story depth.”

Director John opened his mouth to respond, but CEO interrupted.

“We’ll discuss philosophy later. Right now, we need to decide our next project. We’re already behind schedule compared to last year.”

He turned his attention to Michael.

“Michael, have you found the work you were looking for? Something that can compete with Code Geass Season Two?”

Michael straightened slightly, pulled from his thoughts.

“I’ve found it,” he said. “But it needs polishing. I’m trying to get George Martin to edit the final draft, but he’s been swamped with other commitments. If we can lock down the writing within the next two months, we’ll have a strong foundation. Combined with our new rendering technology, we’ll have a real shot at competing.”

The sales executive frowned.

“You’re confident, Michael. But if Season One averaged 80 million views, and Wes is already saying publicly that Season Two will be even stronger in scope and execution, I don’t see how we compete with that. The hype cycle alone will carry them into next year.”

Michael smiled faintly.

“That’s exactly why this is interesting. If we release something next year, after Code Geass Season Two finishes, maybe we win. Maybe we don’t. But there’s no value in that. No one values the anime that came first in weak competition.”

He had been riding high since their chances at Best Visual had increased, and for the first time in years, they had a strong shot at awards compared to their previous competitions with Wes, where they never truly stood a chance.

The CEO studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“Fine. We’ll move forward with your project. But I want regular updates. If the writing doesn’t come together, we pivot. Understood?”

Michael nodded. “Understood.”

Tokyo – Evermark Studio

Wes sneezed loudly, covering his face as he bent over his work.

Haruki glanced over from the next desk, pen still in hand.

“Are you okay?” Haruki asked. “You’ve been sneezing all day. It’s been happening a lot the past few days.”

Wes kept drawing, not looking up.

“This time of year, it’s pretty common for me.”

Haruki frowned slightly.

“You should get it checked. Allergies can—”

Wes interrupted, smirking without lifting his eyes from the page.

“What are you implying? That I’m old?”

Haruki didn’t answer.

Wes continued, still sketching.

“I’m not sick. It happens every year around this time. When award season gets close and I release something big, a certain person starts thinking about me too much.”

He paused briefly, adjusting a line on Lelouch’s face.

“And this year, that person’s especially eager to show off.”

Haruki shook his head and went back to his own work.