Kakushigoto 35-38

Kakushigoto Part 7.

Page 1.
#35: "Ashi Yori Aoshi"
T/N: "Bluer than Assi(stant)", from the manga Ai Yori Aoshi, "Bluer than Indigo".

>What are you doing, Sensei?

>Meditating.

>I've been feeling...
>Mentally exhausted, recently.

>I'm just putting my heart in order.

>I see.

margin: 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).


Page 2.

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

>Is everything alright, Sensei?

>Aren't you the one I should be asking that question to!?

>I'm fine. It's just a minor fracture.

>This isn't fine at all!

>What about the manuscript!?

>Well, I won't be able to help out for about a month.

>I'm sorry, Sensei.
>I screwed up.

box: Chief Assistant, Shiji Aogu

>All at the same time! What's going on!?

above heads: Fracture, Burn, Stye


Page 3.

>Hm...

above head: Pulled Tooth

>What do I do?

>Let's get Tomaruin-san to look for someone, for now.

>Hm...
>I think I'll pass.

>One of the most important skills an editor can possess
>Is the ability to introduce you to excellent assistants.

>But I can't imagine that guy knowing any promising newbies.

>I already asked him.

>Please leave it to me.

>Ehhh!?

margin: Shiji Aogu (Shiji wo aogu, "to defer to authority")
	Chief Assistant

>I was referred here by Tomaruin-san.
>My name is Atou Yuuma.
>It's a pleasure to meet you.

>Oh.
>A pleasant young man.


Page 4.

>Now draw in the green, here.

>Of course!

>Could you check this, please?

>Eh?
>You're done already?

>This is great!

margin: Sumita Rasuna (Sumi tarasu na, "don't spill the ink")
	Assistant.

>This guy is actually kind of amazing!
>He's good at everything!

>It's no good. He's too promising.

>It's even a problem if he's too good?

>It is.


Page 5.

Huge Debut
Atou Yuuma's
New Series!!

margin: Kakei Ami (Amikake, "area fill")
	Assistant.

>It was like [b] the blink of an eye. [/b]
T/N: Japanese "Atto yuu ma"

>Guys like that always get signed to do their own series right away...
>And end up disappearing.

>Although to an artist, it's actually a great honor...
>To have a disciple debut on their own and become independent

margin: Keshi Kakeru (Keshikakeru, "to spur on/agitate." Keshigomu wo kakeru, "to apply an eraser.")
	Assistant. Has a habit of making rude remarks.

Author Profile
Tokyo native, age 22
Age 19: Becomes assistant to Akayama Gosho-Sensei
Age 21: Debuts in Shonen Mangazine as the assistant of Aomatsu Ken-Sensei.

>They seem to be acting like he was never here at all...

>Since it wasn't for very long, I guess.

Kakushigoto, by Gotou Kakushi
Now hiring assistants, all skill levels welcome.


Page 6.
#36: "Yarikuri Circus"
T/N: "'Barely Getting By' Circus", from the manga Karakuri Circus, "Mechanized Circus"

>Here.

>This is Hime-chan's house?

>It's only got one story?

>I heard it's called a bungalow!

>It's a...
>Pretty old house, huh?

>Hime-chan, is your family...
>Poor?

>D- Do you think so?

>You can't say things like that!

>But there's no second floor!

>I remember Hina-chan's house...
>Is in a fancy high-rise condo.


Page 7.

>click

>It's not automatic!?

margin: Gotou Hime (Himegoto, "secret thing")
	Fourth grade student. Extremely honest.

>You don't even have a concierge!?

>What's a...
>Concierge?

>He cleans and takes care of your bags and stuff for you.

>Huh...

>So it's called a concierge...

>They only have those in luxury condominiums, you know.

>Luxury?

>Oh...

>You don't often see a one-story house...
>In the city center these days.

>The older buildings are being put to use quite beautifully.

>Ah, that house?


Page 8.

>It's not an old building.
>It's only seven years old.

>Our firm is the one who built it.
>The landlord came to us with the plans for an old bungalow...
>And said, "Build it just like this"...

>Even though this plot could have been used for a big house with a much better floor space ratio.
>It's a waste.

>In this day and age,
>This way is actually more extravagant, in a sense.

>What's wrong, Hime?


Page 9.

>You don't have to put such big pieces of meat in the curry!

>I'm fine with just chikuwa!

>Chikuwa?

>Do you... not like meat?

>That's not it...

>clack

paper: Housekeeping Service Agency, usage tickets
tickets: Standard 2-Hour Package

>beep


Page 10.

>It's frickin' hot today...

>I'm home.

>Why is it so hot in here!?

>Hime--

>What happened!?
>Wake up!

>Ah, Dad. Welcome home.

>Everything's fine.
>I was just pressing my body against the floor because it felt cool. It was nice.


Page 11.

>At least turn on the A/C!

>You know you're not supposed to be playing with the vacuum cleaner.
>It makes it harder for the housekeeping agency person when they need to use it.

>They haven't been used!

>You haven't been over here in ten days?

>I see.

>Hime.

>Why haven't you been calling the housekeeper?

>Because it's fine! I can do at least the cleaning by myself.

>You have school and your studies to worry about, Hime.

>Isn't a housekeeper called a concierge?
>Those cost way too much money for us.
>After all...


Page 12.

>Aren't we...
>Poor?

>Huh?

>Let's try not to spend as much money anymore.

>We're poor, so we have to pinch and save where we can.

>What do you mean, "poor"?

>I work way harder than...
>Any of those "salarymen"!

>Aren't you a salaryman too, Dad?

>Ah
>Yes, I am a salaryman!

>I'm a salaryman with a pretty good salary!
>Uh... Like a section chief or a department chief!

>It's fine. I get it.


Page 13.

>Just leave it to me!

>If the way we live now is "poor"...
>Then I love being poor!

>Pinching and saving is fun!

>I've been telling you, we're not poor...

>Chikuwa curry is good, huh?

>... Yeah.

>Just switching to chikuwa...
>Doesn't really save any money, though...

Kakushigoto, by Gotou Kakushi
I prefer the normal beef to chikuwa.


Page 14.
#37: "Gotta IT"

>Really?

>But that's adorable.

>Really?
>I'll make you some chikuwa curry sometime, then.

At least make it fish sausage, please.

>This could end up more expensive than meat if I'm not careful.

>Saving money is fine and all...
>But in the end she's just pretending.

>Like yesterday...

>Dad...
>Go get a newspaper!


Page 15.

>You want to read the newspaper?

>Nope.

>I heard if you wipe your windows with newspaper, it gets them really clean!
>And it saves money!

>Really? That's a great tip...

>Saving, saving!

>Even though it's not something you go out and buy a newspaper to do.

>It's like forcing yourself to drink milk because you need the carton for a craft project.

>And you get your newspaper delivered at work anyway, don't you?
>As part of your disguise.

>I wonder if she wasn't...
>Just trying to act like a proper mother?

>That would be fine...


Page 16.

>But the things she's been doing go beyond mother...

boxes, top to bottom: Washing her face with the water from cleaning the rice, Sticking a pickled plum to her bellybutton, Using plastic bottles to raise the water level in the bathtub

>And into [b] grandmother [/b] territory!

>Sensei, I get that you're playing poor people,
>But if you don't send in the manuscript soon you're going to actually become poor.

>Poor?

>Don't
>Say poorrr!

>Poverty is scaryyy!

>What's gotten into him all of a sudden?

>It's not so strange.

>Manga artist is a [b] self-employed profession, [/b]
>So there's always the fear that you'll suddenly stop selling and be left impoverished in an instant.

>Especially in the case of an author like Sensei, who gets maybe one out of every two of his series cancelled.

>Don't say canceled!
>Call it an honorable withdrawal!


Page 17.

>Well, you do often hear about manga artists not even breaking even on weekly manuscript payments...

background: rent, labor, electricity, materials, (not) paying utilities, consumable goods (pen tips, tone), phone bill, welfare expenses

>If the tankobon volumes stop selling...

>The numbers in my checkbook instantly plummet!

>As it loses its cohesive power,
>The staff begins to split apart!

>And if I try to move to a cheaper room,
>Thanks to my lowered credit score, I can't rent anything!

>Anyway,
>For now let's just worry about doing a proper job on the work that's in front of us!

>You're still not healed yet!?

>It was more serious than they thought.

>Then who's going to draw the backgrounds!?
>Atou-kun isn't here this time!

>In the time since you broke your arm, a promising new artist...
>Has already made his debut and won himself a new serialization!

>So I've heard.

>Promising artists making their debuts...
>Are supposed to run into walls!

>Run into a wall!

>I guess there's no helping it...


Page 18.

>We can't allow Sensei to fall into poverty.
>Let's carry out the Gotou Productions I.T. Revolution!

>"Itto" Revolution...

>Please don't say anything nostalgic.

>We'll take our...
>Current, analog manuscript,
>And digitize it.

>The backgrounds can be outsourced to local specialists over the internet,
>And edited into the final product on a computer.

>A digital manuscript can also be submitted electronically,
>Which might extend deadlines, since you save the time it takes to send someone to fetch it in person.

>Inking and tone can both be done in one click,

>And with no more need for rubber erasers, there's no more worrying about eraser shavings.

>This way has become...
>The mainstream among the younger generation.


Page 19.

>I've been thinking that I'll have to make the conversion at some point...

>And perhaps that time is now.

>But coming to pick up the manuscript...
>Is supposed to be my job!

>But doing the erasing...
>Is supposed to be my job!

>I.T. is stealing all of humanity's jobs!

>No, I think you guys need to work on finding some other skills.

Kakushigoto, by Gotou Kakushi
Even "One Piece" is probably being drawn by Oda "A.I."-ro at this point.


Page 20.
#38: "Pyuu to Fuku! Jakarta"
T/N: From the manga Pyuu to Fuku! Jaguar, "Blow 'pyuu'! Jaguar".

>Just call me...
>I.T. Gotou.

>Hm... Jumping straight to drawing on the screen with a tablet might be too much.
>Let's start by drawing it by hand and then scanning the manuscript afterwards.

>You'll have to get used to it gradually.

>Yes, Sensei.

>Their positions are reversed.

>Doing the manuscript by hand and then importing it?

>That's right.

>F- Finally...
>It's time for me to make my appearance.

>Ahhh!


Page 21.

>I need a rainy city backdrop here.

>A [b] rainy city [/b], right?
>I'll put in an order for it.

>You were really able to find someone to draw the backgrounds?

>We have an online staff... [two merged bubbles]
>That we've gathered from not just all over Japan, but all over the world!

>These days, "MANGA" is an international lingua franca!
>It's read, and drawn, by people from countries all across the globe!

>Hi!

>There are people waiting to be hired no matter where you look!

>At this very moment, Gotou Productions...
>Is becoming a globalized industry!

>Rasuna-chan sure is talented...

>That rainy background just came in.

>Where... did you order this from?

>Indonesia.


Page 22.

>I suppose if you ask someone over there for "a normal rain shower"...
>This is what they would think of.

>Dad, welcome home!

>I'm...

>Home!

>What happened to your finger!?

>I cut it a little.

>Didn't you hear me say no fire or sharp objects!?

>But everything's fine.

>No, no, no! Absolutely not!
>I'm going to have the housekeeper start coming on a regular schedule tomorrow!

>I let them know.


Page 23.

>Hmmm...

>Work is definitely easier this way...

>click
>click

>But I think I'll still use pen and paper when I draw for fun.

>The age before computers and the internet was not a rich one...

>But to you, who always had work...

>Please stop acting like this is "Sunset on Third Street."

>Eventually there will come a day...
>When no one will even know what you mean when you say, "number 61."

>Did the housekeeper arrive?

>Yep.
>And also...
>She says she's going to make dinner, and that I should ask if you have any requests!

>I see. Since we've got a professional housekeeper doing it,
>Maybe a Japanese meal?

>I want chirashizushi!

>That sounds good. Chirashizushi it is, then.


Page 24.

>Um...
>What is...?

>It's chirashizushi.

>Nagira-san says she's from Indonesia!

>It's Nadira.

>Ah
>It's delicious.

Kakushigoto, by Gotou Kakushi
I had a get-together with an acquaintance from overseas.


Page 25.
Atogaki (Post-Script)

>Dad,
>I want to learn to cook after all.

>It's dangerous, so maybe once you're a bit older.

>It would be fine if Nagira-san was there, right?

>Please?

>Hm...
>Well,
>I suppose.

>Yay!

book: Recipes

>There's actually something I've been wanting to make!

>What's that?

>A notebook I found in the 10-years-old box.

>Can I see it for a second?


Page 26.

>Since it was in the 10-years-old box,
>They must be recipes that 10-year-olds can make, right?

>Th... That's right.
>Papa is looking forward to eating your cooking too, Hime.

>I'll do my best!

>But only when Nadira-san is here, okay? I mean it.

>We made nikujaga!

>Why so much effort on the presentation?

margin: The home cooking of his only daughter, still different from how he remembers it tasting. That flavor is the "hidden thing" of the Gotou household.