Chapter 348 - 347: New Year

Because Haruto had already released an overwhelming number of masterpieces, the public's expectations for his work were incredibly high. Fullmetal Alchemist had been delivering divine plot twists since its midpoint, but because fans expected nothing less from him, the shock was somewhat mitigated. Even as the broadcast ratings climbed and the review scores soared from 9.2 to a staggering 9.8, the actual cultural ripple effect remained steady.

Combined with the massive industry chatter surrounding the Mitsui arc in Slam Dunk, Fullmetal Alchemist's steady climb toward greatness didn't receive as much media fanfare as one might expect.

However, as the story moved into its late-game stages, the fanbase and news outlets could no longer ignore it. Most importantly, it became clear that Fullmetal Alchemist operated on a different narrative level compared to other works on the market.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion was a formidable work, but its world-building had flaws, and certain plot points felt contrived.

Lelouch's brilliance was often portrayed as near-perfect, yet it was frequently argued that his enemies were forced to act foolishly just to make him look smarter. Furthermore, its portrayal of politics and warfare lacked a certain gritty realism.

Fullmetal Alchemist excelled where others faltered. Dozens of episodes in, the audience never felt that Edward Elric was being protected by excessive protagonist armor. The Elric brothers were certainly talented alchemists, but they were far from the strongest. Between King Bradley, Roy Mustang, Scar, the Homunculi, and various State Alchemists, it was clear that Edward would lose in a fair one-on-one fight against many of them.

The series wasn't just about the brothers' growth in alchemy; it was a character study of the world itself.

It was populated by flesh-and-blood characters who felt real. Their actions followed a logical internal consistency. As the story neared its end, the focus shifted toward the fundamental aspects of human nature and desire. The narrative depth far surpassed anything else in the industry.

It managed to weave complex concepts into a moving story, forcing a demographic that usually only cared about aesthetics to spend a moment contemplating life, meaning, and the fate of the world.

That was the true genius of the work. Those who couldn't handle the depth had dropped the show in the first ten episodes. Those who stayed were now utterly obsessed.

Did they feel a sense of triumph every week? Not really.

The story grew heavier with every episode, and the body count of beloved characters continued to rise. Yet, they found it impossible to look away.

As the serialization reached its climax, the fans became increasingly vocal.

"Come on, everyone! We need to boost the live broadcast numbers! Let's help Fullmetal break the records set by Code Geass!"

"We're so close to a new record. Don't let up now!"

"Haruto is incredible. I'm actually in tears. Is there no limit to his talent? Before this started, I thought he might have finally sold out to make a generic fantasy anime. But look at this! I never thought a high-fantasy setting could feel this grounded and human."

"Half of the Homunculi are already dead. We should be seeing Father soon, right? It feels like we're in the endgame now."

"According to the Haru-Yuki website, it's supposed to be over sixty episodes in total. We've been watching for almost a year and we're at episode fifty. Ending soon makes sense."

"To be honest, I want it to end while it's ahead. Everyone knows that long-running series rarely stay masterpieces. Even shows that start perfectly eventually rot and become a mess once the episode count gets too high. I've been an enthusiast for twenty years, and it's almost always true. The medium-length shows that stay under a hundred episodes are the ones that actually leave fans satisfied."

"The Warrior of Love will be the exception to the rule!"

"I don't know, I'm nervous. I'm scared the quality will drop right at the finish line."

"Fullmetal is almost over, but based on the pacing of Slam Dunk, that one is going to last for at least two hundred episodes."

"Two hundred? Are you serious?"

"I'm dead serious. We're at episode forty and they're still playing against Shoyo. After Shoyo, they have to play Ryonan again, then Kainan. If they make it to the Nationals, they'll have several rounds before the finals. If the finals take thirty episodes, two hundred total is a conservative estimate."

"Haruto's works are getting so long lately! It's a bit of an adjustment. We used to get multiple new titles every year, but now one series lasts for several years."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"It's good, of course, but I'd rather have fifteen short masterpieces like Madoka or Cyberpunk instead of two hundred episodes of Slam Dunk!"

"Fifteen more Madokas? Are you out of your mind?"

"I have no words for that level of greed."

"You're dreaming, buddy."

"I just want Fullmetal to beat Code Geass before it ends. I don't want to lose arguments with Code Geass's fans over whose ratings were higher."

"Fullmetal has a slight disadvantage there. The story is a bit heavier and more niche than the power-fantasy tropes of Code Geass."

"Personally, I still think Code Geass is more entertaining. I don't get why everyone acts like Fullmetal is superior. That ending was perfection. Case closed."

"How do you know the ending for Fullmetal won't be even better? Haruto might have an even bigger miracle up his sleeve."

"Enough already. Lately, every forum is just people arguing over which Haruto work is the best. What's the point? They all come from the same creator."

"I bet by next year, the only thing people will talk about is whether Slam Dunk is the greatest anime in history."

"I hope so. It would mean he is still challenging himself. He's only twenty-three. I don't want him to hit his peak now and just coast for the rest of his life."

By the end of the year, small fissures began to appear within the fanbase as supporters of Fullmetal Alchemist clashed with fans of Haruto's older works. Even though they were all technically his followers, they were forming internal factions.

A similar situation was unfolding with Sword Art Online and Hunter x Hunter. SAO was being compared to the greatest light novel in history. Meanwhile, even though Hunter x Hunter was performing better than Initial D, fans of the latter refused to concede.

Since Hunter x Hunter had been running for a while, the Yorknew City arc had concluded, and the story was moving into the Greed Island arc. The long serialization meant that fans were now arguing over every detail.

Who was stronger: Chrollo or Hisoka?

Where did the members of the Phantom Troupe rank in the power hierarchy of the Hunter world?

Who was more powerful: Killua's grandfather Zoldyck or the Chairman of the Hunter Association?

Could Ging Freecss actually crush Chairman Netero in a real fight?

If Kurapika used his Nen on a normal person, what level of power would that be?

Long-running series always inevitably lead to these kinds of debates.

The endless arguments over power scaling and character tiers were identical to the discourse in the parallel world. It was a sign that the series had truly permeated the culture.

Haruto was no longer as active in the media, but he kept a close eye on the trends.

This gave Haruto peace of mind.

His biggest fear had been that the specific high-stakes nature of a National Tournament wouldn't translate, but the audience had embraced the concept wholeheartedly.

The popularity of his current projects had reached a stable plateau. The debates between fans were no different than the legendary rivalries in the other world. Once a series reaches the height of Slam Dunk or Hunter x Hunter, broadcast ratings and sales figures aren't the only way to measure its impact. For instance, in the parallel world, some titles had higher per-volume sales, but they weren't necessarily more influential. Hunter x Hunter might have had fewer volumes, but its legacy was immortal.

The current competitive landscape of Haruto's works felt like a golden age. Once a series becomes long-running, the fanbase stabilizes, forms communities, and engages in constant comparison and discussion until the work transcends its bubble and enters the mainstream.

Of course, this was still just the beginning.

Haruto knew that the series he was currently serializing weren't actually that long, most would end in a few years.

It would be difficult to form a decades-long fandom like the ones for the massive Shonen giants.

However, that was the ultimate goal.

A world-class IP isn't built in a year or two. The legends of the other world took decades to reach their final forms.

Haruto let out a wry smile. "Time," he whispered to himself, shaking his head.

"I'll probably be thirty before I see these IPs truly reach their full potential on a global scale."

Patience was key. It had taken him years to become the number one creator in Japan. To go from number one in Japan to number one in the world would likely take another seven.

The cultivation of these massive franchises was the most valuable part of his career. Despite the success of Haru-Yuki Animation and all the shows he had released, their combined copyright value was still just a fraction of what Pokemon was worth in his old world. As one of the largest media franchises in history, it dwarfed massive cinematic universes.

From a purely business perspective, Haruto had to be patient and invest heavily in their long-term growth.

"Still, it feels a bit... dull."

Ever since he had conquered the domestic market, the thrill of the industry had begun to wane.

Before, there were goals to hit, rivals to beat, and a company to build. Now, all of that was gone.

No creator in Japan would dare to challenge him, and as he continued to grow, it became unlikely that such a person would ever appear. The fame, status, and accolades that most people spent a lifetime chasing had been handed to him right after graduation.

Haruto adjusted his collar and sighed.

He knew he sounded ungrateful, but even someone playing a game with cheat codes wants a challenge once in a while.

In the world of entertainment, there was no one left who could even stand on the same stage as him. When your only metric for success is beating your own past records, the fun disappears.

He turned his gaze away from the forum debates and looked at the project proposals on his desk. There was the promotional budget for next year's Pokemon game and anime. His script department had also sent over a proposal from a promising new hire whose project had the staff excited. They were asking Haruto for a significant grant to back the production.

He glanced over the treatment and script.

Before he knew it, he was absorbed in the writing. A spark of genuine interest lit up his eyes. He thought it over for a moment and then signed his approval.

While Fullmetal Alchemist was still airing, the animation production was nearing the end. He needed to approve the massive final marketing push.

There were contracts for Slam Dunk merchandise partnerships, reports on the first-week Blu-ray sales for Gurren Lagann, and a notification that the fourth volume of the Fullmetal Alchemist Blu-rays had shattered all previous records.

If Haruto wanted to, he could leave all of this to his managers. But doing so would make him a mere financier rather than the captain of his own ship. He couldn't skip the daily grind if he wanted to maintain the company's direction.

By the time he finished his paperwork, it was late afternoon.

In Tokyo, the temperature had plummeted, and a light snow began to fall.

Looking out of his floor-to-ceiling office window, Haruto felt a hint of melancholy. Another year was coming to an end.

In December, the Slam Dunk match against Shoyo was still at its peak. The first half of the game had lasted a significant time in real-time broadcast. Fans wondered how much longer the second half would take.

It was a rewarding yet testing experience, they were awed by the character depth and tactical detail, but the match had already lasted months without a conclusion.

Meanwhile, Gurren Lagann had moved from Earth to the Moon and was now in the outer reaches of the solar system. The titular mecha was growing to an impossible size. Fans who had expected a grounded series were stunned, but they were simultaneously moved to tears by the hot-blooded spirit.

Monogatari hovered around a 5% rating, but it had successfully carved out a dedicated following among the hardcore niche demographic.

Not every fan wanted the epic depth of Fullmetal Alchemist or the intensity of Slam Dunk; many just wanted high-quality characters and clever dialogue.

The relationship between the protagonist and the various heroines was a revelation for these fans, and the show's popularity was growing.

Cosplayers were popping up at every convention.

The Hunter x Hunter manga had officially entered the Greed Island arc, which Haruto estimated would take a full year to finish.

After that, the story would move into the Chimera Ant arc, the pinnacle of the series and Haruto's personal favorite. At the current pace, he hoped to finish the Chimera Ant manga in about three and a half years.

As for Sword Art Online, Haruto had decided to put the series on hiatus once the Alicization arc ended. Since his memories of the later stories were fragmented, he didn't want to risk a drop in quality. Still, he had about a year's worth of content left to write.

For the coming year, Haruto didn't have any massive new TV series planned. Instead, at the end of December, he handed out three movie scripts to his production team.

They were Howl's Moving Castle, Millennium Actress, and Suzume.

Haruto wanted to test the waters of the original animated film market. Howl's Moving Castle was a timeless classic that he personally loved.

While there were many legendary films, Haruto chose this one as his first foray into film production.

Millennium Actress was a work that had haunted Haruto for a long time. It was a masterpiece that was so emotionally draining you almost couldn't bring yourself to watch it a second time. However, it was undeniably worthy of being part of his film initiative.

As for Suzume, Haruto admitted there was a gap between it and the first two, but he chose it because he had been slightly frustrated by some of the pacing in the original version he remembered. By referencing the spin-off novels, he understood why certain choices had been made, but he wanted to polish the narrative for the local release. Haruto planned to use his influence to ensure his films got the runtime they deserved without sacrificing plot coherence.

Suzume was essentially a passion project. If it became a hit, great; if not, it wouldn't hurt the company.

The day after Haruto distributed the scripts, the year came to an end. During the three days of the New Year holiday, the mid-level leads in the animation department stayed home to study the new material. They were already positioning themselves, eager to compete for the role of project lead on Haruto's new theatrical ventures.

Meanwhile, Haruto spent the holiday in his villa with Yukino, Reina and Shizuru.

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