Kakushigoto 31-34

Kakushigoto Part 6.

>Love your daughter, as she loves ice cream.


Page 1. (06_226.jpg)

>Bye, guys.

box: This story----Is the love- and laughter-filled tale of Gotou-Sensei, a father and manga artist, who fights bitterly to keep his work a secret for the sake of his daughter Hime (and himself).

>It looks similar...
>But it couldn't be.


Page 2. (06_227.jpg)
#31: Kimegoto (Decision)

>I'm home!

>Hm... Is something wrong?

>Your eyes. Did they go bad?

>Ah--
>Th- These are...


Page 3. (06_228.jpg)

margin: Gotou Kakushi (Kakushigoto, "Hidden thing/Drawing job")
	Manga artist and father. His daughter Hime comes before all else.

	Gotou Hime (Himegoto, "Secret thing")
	Fourth grade student. Extremely honest

	Senda Naru (Sentaa ni naru, "Become the center")
	High school girl and aspiring idol. Hime-chan is her first fan.

>S- Someone dropped them.
>I put them on to make sure I didn't lose them before I could turn them in.

>I'll be taking them to the police box tomorrow.

>Then I'll wear them them until then so you don't lose them!

>Huh?
>They don't make everything blurry.

>Give those back.
>I don't want them to get broken.

>Huh?

>There's something different about you today.

>Ahh!
>You're not wearing glasses!

>Ah...
>That's not good.


Page 4. (06_229.jpg)

>My character...
>Is drifting.

>Ahh, I've...
>Been thinking the same thing!

>After all, there's been a lot of scenes where he isn't wearing his tights recently...
>And he hasn't been saying "itai-ghts!" at the end of his sentences...

>I'm not talking about the manga.

>It's my own character that's slightly off.

>Ohh, that's what you mean.

>But thank you for pointing that out.

>Recently, I've started to get sloppy...
>About keeping the characters I play at work and at home separate.


Page 5. (06_230.jpg)

header: Workplace Character
boxes, clockwise from top: Glasses, T-Shirt, Shorts, Barefoot, Donut Cushion

>I understand only being able to work in comfortable clothes...
>But why the glasses?
>They're fake, right?

margin: Shiji Aogu (Shiji wo aogu, "To defer to authority")
	Chief assistant.

	Kakei Ami (Amikake, "Area fill")
	Assistant.

	Keshi Kakeru (Keshikakeru, "to incite/to spur on")
	Assistant. Has a habit of making rude remarks.

>Isn't it just part of your disguise?

>Yes.
>Since I never know when I might run into someone outside.

>They're actually the kind of glasses that block blue light...
>So they're not completely meaningless.

>Yes, I have two faces...

box: My manga artist face...

box: And also...


Page 6. (06_231.jpg)

>My face as a father!!

>I'm home.

>Did you...
>Lose your shoes?

Kakushigoto, by Gotou Kakushi
My main character's personality has been wavering recently, so I have to be careful.


Page 7. (06_232.jpg)

>I'm off!

>It seems you've been having some problems with your wardrobe, Clark Kent.

>What, you're awake?

>What do you want?

>I made this as an apology for selling your suit earlier.
>It should help you minimize mistakes.


Page 8. (06_233.jpg)

>Ah, I get it!
>I just have to always be facing this way when I talk to Hime.

>What is this, some kind of Showa comedy sketch!?
>This would look better on you! Like Baron Ashura or something!

>Hmm...

>This...
>Might work.

>What's with the high-level attire?

>This is the "in" thing right now at one of the stores I go to.


Page 9. (06_234.jpg)
#32: Halfway Printing Error

poster: Gotou Kakushi, Manga Artist
	(clockwise)Glasses, Cushion, T-Shirt, Flip-flops, Loose Shorts, House Key Around Neck

poster: Gotou Kakushi, Father
	Necktie, Briefcase, Leather Shoes, Suit, Highly Aware

>I put your character settings up on the wall so you won't make any mistakes!

>If you get too serious about it...
>You're going to end up with a split personality.

>It...
>Already is, a little bit.

>Ah, he's here.

>Yo. Long time no see.

>It's been ages.

>Who?

>One of Sensei's old editors from when he was younger.


Page 10. (06_235.jpg)

>You're with "YanMan" now, right?

business card: Sei Nenji - Young Mangazine Editorial Department
T/N: "Mangazine" is intentional

>Yes,
>And I actually have a favor to ask.

>Would you be willing to draw something for us?

>I do owe you for this and that...

>And I'd love to help you, but...

>That's what I thought.

>Then how about just [b]the script[/b]?

>The script...

>You accepted the offer!?

>I wonder if that's okay...

>Well, if all he's doing is writing it...
>Then none of us are directly involved, so it's fine.

>It's not like I could have just turned Sei-san down.
>He really helped me out when I was younger.


Page 11. (06_236.jpg)

! The "Dispersal of Old Editors Who Took Care of You" Problem

>Editors are company employees too, and reassignments do happen.

>When an editor you used to work with goes off to another magazine...
>They will sometimes come back to you asking for favors, as an old friend.

margin: Tomaruin Satsuki (Tomaru in Satsuki, "Quit in April")
	Gotou-Sensei's editor. Laid-back.

>As this spider's web of relationships continues to spread out, it thankfully becomes much easier to find work...
>But because you feel indebted to these people for your career, it's unusually hard to turn any of them down.

>Oh? You're with Kodansha Light Novels now?

business card: Raitou Noboru, KODANSHA LIGHTNOVELS, Publications Dept.

>Yes, and...

>Since the light novel I'm managing is going to be animated...

>Could you do the [b]character designs[/b]?

>You accepted it again!?

>You're going to burn yourself out, you know.

>He was my first editor. I couldn't have turned him down.


Page 12. (06_237.jpg)

>You've got some new character settings.

poster: Gotou Kakushi, Character Designer
poster: Gotou Kakushi, Author

>Quit doing that.

>Hey, guys!

>The manga that you've been writing is doing really well, Sensei!

>That's...
>Good.

>Anyway...
>About "Tights"...
>Since he's been acting out-of-character recently, the Chief Editor says he wants to shore things up a little.

>So I've been thinking...

>How about changing the material of his tights?
>To Rayon or something.

>I'd probably be fine with turning down requests from this guy if he got transferred away...

Kakushigoto, by Gotou Kakushi
It turns out I'll be doing the character designs for an anime after writing this script.


Page 13. (06_238.jpg)
#33: "Multiple Relationship Manager Psycho"
T/N: "Tajuu Jinmyaku Tantou Saiko", a play on the title of the manga Tajuu Jinkaku Tantei Saiko, "Multiple Personality Detective Psycho" or "MPD Psycho", with the word Psycho in this case written using the characters for "again" and "call out" instead of katakana.

>Sensei, this thing you did the script for is really good.

>The [u]girls Nasu-Sensei draws[/u] are always cute, huh?

>The anime you did the character designs for...
>Is really popular, Sensei.

>You have to admit, [u]the story[/u] is excellent.

>The [b]art[/b] in the manga you did the [b]writing[/b] for is cute, Sensei.
>The [b]story[/b] in the anime you did the [b]character designs[/b] for is great, Sensei.

>Even though I'm capable of...
>Both writing and drawing...

>Why is it that I'm...
>More successful when I only do one at a time?


Page 14. (06_239.jpg)

>Why?

>Ah... That's... Uh...

>I- It's amazing that you can manage to do both, isn't it!?

>I'm not managing at all! Not here!

>Why is it that Gotou Kakushi the manga artist...
>Is less valuable than Gotou Kakushi the author or character designer!?

>Th- The characters you draw are really good and the stories you come up with are interesting, Sensei...
>I think that you have real talent at both!

>But!

>But?

>I don't think that...
>The characters you draw and the stories you come up with go very well together.


Page 15. (06_240.jpg)

>My art and my...
>Stories don't match?

>Ah... You shouldn't have said that.

>Me the author...
>And me the artist.

>I am Gotou Kakushi A, the author!
>I am Gotou Kakushi F, the artist!

>They've finally split apart!

>There's no way we can keep working together anymore!

>Duo disbanded!

>"Duo disbanded"!?
>Ahahaha!

>This is no laughing matter!
>This...!


Page 16. (06_241.jpg)

>This means the author and the artist...
>Of "Tights in the Wind" are breaking up!

>Ehh? Even though they're the same person?

>They're two different people now!

>This is the end of the manga, and the end of our employment!

>Eeehhh!? What do we do!?

>Well
>If it's over it's over, I guess...

>Someway or another,
>We need to get the two of them make up!

sfx: Ding-dong

>What? At a time like this!?

>I'm with this department now...

>Could you draw a picture book?

Kakushigoto, by Gotou Kakushi
A girl at one of my favorite bars figured out my real identity (laughs). (Gotou Kakushi A)
I just wish the writing would get done a little quicker sometimes. (Gotou Kakushi F)


Page 17. (06_242.jpg)
#34: "Kimi wa Betto"
T/N: "You are Special." From the manga "Kimi wa Petto", also known as "Kimi wa Pet" or by the official English title "Tramps Like Us".

>I wonder which one he is now?

>The artist, apparently. F.

>It looks like he still hasn't made up with the author.

>And then it just got even crazier...

>Could you write an essay?

>Could you draw a CD cover?

>Could you write an original rakugo routine?

>Really, what do they think this is?

>It's not like every single manga artist...
>Is a Sakura Momoka or Yanase Takashi, or something!

>And then it ended up like this.
>24 Gotou Kakushis.
>Although F and A are the only ones who appear very often.

>The character relationship chart is like this, by the way.

>Pain...
>In the...

>I'm going for a walk!


Page 18. (06_243.jpg)

>Hime-chan
>Is definitely an elementary schooler.

>I'm home!

>Alright!


Page 19. (06_244.jpg)

>Hime-chan...
>Looks like a mom.

>Hime-chan, does your dad...
>Ever go out on weekdays dressed all sloppy?

>Hm?

>My dad doesn't dress sloppy on
>Any day.

>Of course not.

>grumble grumble

>Ah,

>G- Gotou-Sensei...

>Ah,
>Rokujou-Sensei.

>Bye.

>"Bye"!?

>Isn't that a little cold!?

>Considering you've already proposed to me!

box: A misunderstanding by Rokujou-Sensei, of course.

>No, I haven't.

>You have!


Page 20. (06_245.jpg)

>Could this
>Be Gotou Kakushi A's doing?

>It's possible!
>The author's always had a flashy image about him!

>Wearing shirts with gaudy patterns!

>And glasses with little gaps on the sides!

>He might have been the one who did it.
>More like he did!

>I'll be responsible...
>And go make him take responsibility!

>Be responsible and take responsibility?
>It's a weird way to say it, but...
>Basically...

>He's going to take responsibility?

>That bastarrrd!

>Take responsibility...
>In other words... "that", right?


Page 21. (06_246.jpg)

>I've been thinking things have been weird recently, but to go that far...

>You hit on me!
>You hit on me!

>A, that asshole!

>I'll have responsibility be taken!

>Eh?

>My, Gotou-san.

>Responsibility will be taken!!

>Take...
>Responsibility?

>My

>My

>My


Page 22. (06_247.jpg)

>Um...

>When a man says "take responsibility"...
>What do you think it means?

>That's...

>It must be...

>Marriage...
>Right?

>It must be---

>What do we do!?

>If they stay broken up, it's really over!

>Where did you go, in an emergency like this?

>To the storehouse in Kamakura.


Page 23. (06_248.jpg)

>Are you still fighting?

>He's the one person I can never forgive.

>Remember this?

>The manuscript from your debut one-shot.

>You two got along so well back then...
>In that broken-down,
>¥32,000 apartment in Machida.

>That's nostalgic.
>Back then, no matter how poor we were, our dreams were always enough to get by on.

>Sharing one cup of instant noodles...
>Between the two of us.

>Sleeping together...
>Because we only had the one futon.

>When did we...
>End up like this?


Page 24. (06_249.jpg)

>Would you like to try
>Working together one more time?

>You're... right.

>It might be a good idea.

>Do it---!

>It's a good story, at first glance...
>But they're both the same person, right?

>Yeah...

>Back then...
>You two shined so brightly!

>Not that you would know. You must have been in elementary school at the time.

>But what do we do if he starts fighting with the other ones?

>Are we going to have to fight them all one by one?

Kakushigoto, by Gotou Kakushi
1 + 1 can equal 3 or 4!----Or even 24.


Page 25. (06_250.jpg)
Atogaki (Post-Script)

>Are you tired, Dad?

>Ah... No...
>I'm just a little confused.

>I've been doing too many different things at once...
>And now I'm not sure what it is I really do anymore.

>Ah... But it's nothing.

>Huh....

>If you take the time you spend doing work stuff...
>And the time you spend playing with me at home...


Page 26. (06_251.jpg)

margin: When it comes to Hime-chan, no matter what, there's only one "Dad." But he's not her "Papa."

>And you put them together, your job is just...
>"Being a dad," right?

>Did I say something wrong?

>No.
>You're right.

>Yes...

>Papa's job is "being a dad."

>Yeah.

>But...

>Quit calling yourself "Papa"...
>Even though I always call you "Dad." I'm not a little kid anymore.

>How about you just start calling me "Papa," Hime?

>No! I'm not a little kid...

>Just once.

>No!