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Mangastream.com was one of the biggest online hubs for manga and anime fans across Japan.
Beyond its sprawling catalog of merchandise and collectibles, it was also a lively community space where readers shared discussions, theories, and recommendations. One of its most active sections was the regional manga spotlight, where fans from across Japan introduced lesser-known gems serialized in local magazines.
Because the major nationwide publications—just seven in total—were all based in Tokyo, regional magazines often struggled with distribution beyond their own prefectures. As a result, a manga wildly popular in one area might be virtually unknown in another.
That's where Mangastream came in—serving as a bridge, a place where readers from every corner of the country could share what was worth reading.
Takumi Yamamoto, a university student, had been reading manga for as long as he could remember. Browsing the site had become a daily ritual. As usual, he checked the community recommendations, expecting the same lineup of big-name titles from the usual publishing hotspots.
But the top post made him raise an eyebrow.
> "Massive Recommendation: You have to check out 'Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance'—a new serialization from a Kurokawa magazine!"
"Kansai? That's rare," Takumi muttered.
In his experience, local series from that region rarely gained national traction—let alone made it to the front page of Mangastream. Usually, the site's popular posts featured either hidden masterpieces or absolute trainwrecks that got attention for the wrong reasons.
Curious, Takumi clicked on the thread.
The post began in the typical way—introducing the title and uploading some sample photos from the latest issue, taken from the contributor's phone. The images were a bit grainy, but still readable. It was standard practice, especially for series without national distribution.
"Alright, let's see what kind of mess this is," takumi thought skeptically as he scrolled.
The first thing that made him flinch was the setting—Meiji-era Japan. A historical piece? That was a tough sell these days.
Then came the violence—brutally drawn sword fights, with blood splashing across panels.
"Seriously? This graphic?" he muttered, ready to dismiss the series.
But then he reached the sequence where the young swordsman, Kenshin, spent an entire day burying the bodies of traffickers who had tried to kill him—and of the woman who had died protecting him.
Something shifted in Takumi's mind. Despite himself, he kept reading.
His skepticism faded, replaced by quiet focus.
Before he knew it, he had forgotten he was there to criticize.
---
Fifteen minutes later, the final panel of the manga froze on-screen—an image of a woman in a white kimono, her face and hands stained with blood.
Only then did Takumi realize how long he'd been glued to his screen. If the original poster hadn't run out of pages to upload, he might've kept going without even noticing the time.
"Damn... why'd it end there?" he muttered, scrolling down in frustration.
He had completely forgotten he'd started reading just to mock the work. Now he was hitting refresh, hoping for more.
As his mouse scrolled down the comments section, Takumi was hit with a wave of replies. The post had only gone live around 1 PM—and it was now barely past 5—but it had already racked up over 20,000 views and more than 5,000 comments.
Eighty percent were begging for updates.
The remaining comments were deep in discussion—analyzing characters, debating themes, and quoting lines.
He skimmed down to find a reply from the original poster.
That's when Takumi finally pieced together the situation.
It was a new manga. A debut serialization from a rookie artist. The chapter he'd just read was the only one available so far.
There was nothing to do but wait for the next installment—and hope the poster would upload it again when the new issue dropped.
Without hesitation, takumi bookmarked the thread and left a comment:
> "Please upload the next chapter with a clearer camera if you can! Thread bookmarked—I'll be back next week!"
---
Meanwhile, the city of Osaka was blanketed in a chill.
It was Friday evening, and snow was starting to fall again. By 6 PM, the sky had already turned dark, and a quiet hush settled over the city.
Inside Haruki's apartment, the windows were shut tight, and a heater hummed in the corner as three people gathered around a bubbling hot pot.
It had become a bit of a tradition by now.
Sora, his ever-busy editor, had a habit of dropping by unannounced—claiming she was there to "supervise" him but always managing to arrive right before dinner.
Kotone had also become a regular fixture in his home. Since their collaboration began, she would often come over after school to help with manuscript revisions. The early awkwardness had worn off, and now she treated the pre-work meal as a given.
"The second chapter went live today," Haruki said, breaking the silence.
"Mm. Let's see how it does," Sora replied, sipping her tea.
"I'm a little nervous," Kotone admitted.
Last week, when Haruki had confidently declared that Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance would take the top spot in Sora's reader polls, both Sora and Kotone had felt a shift.
Even if they weren't sure he could actually pull it off, his determination had changed the mood.
Kotone began pushing herself harder, refining every panel of her own work, even if it meant longer nights. During the day, she'd consult Haruki about composition, pacing, and storytelling whenever they crossed paths at school.
Rumors had already started flying around campus—speculating about everything from a secret romance to them being childhood friends caught in a love triangle.
Sora, for her part, knew she couldn't offer creative input on a historical piece like Kenshin, but she did what she could—keeping the fridge stocked, making sure everyone ate, and handling the small chores no one wanted to think about when deadlines loomed.
Despite the cold shoulder from other departments at Kurokawa Publishing—thanks in part to a lack of internal promotion from Rikai—Kenshin had started to gain traction. The editorial team had taken a chance, and now everyone was quietly hoping the gamble would pay off.
Though they sat calmly around the living room now, eating and watching TV, all three kept glancing at the phone on the table.
They were waiting.
The first story arc—four chapters titled The Executioner, Lost Cat, Mount Komori, and The Cross-Shaped Scar—had concluded today.
A strong start was everything.
If it didn't grab enough attention now, the deeper narrative threads might never get a chance to unfold.
Then, around 6:45 PM, a familiar buzzing broke the quiet.
Bzzt bzzt.
All eyes turned toward Sora's phone, lying face-down on the table.
She reached for it.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 50+ advanced chapters)