Leo truly hit a home run this time. The revenue wasn't just from the box office but also included some invisible income.
When the first-day box office results were out, Leo was so excited that he secretly took a bunch of the animation production team members to a club for a night of celebration. As for the content of the celebration...
Ren, though somewhat interested, firmly declined.
He was a family man, a good husband, and father, not someone who'd go out with this playboy. What if he got led astray?
However, the box office success of "Your Name" indeed exceeded Ren's expectations.
Ren had no doubts about the quality of "Your Name" in terms of its story and production.
But he remembered that in his previous life, the film grossed around 750.2 million yuan in the domestic box office, which was quite a bit less than this.
But when he thought about it, it made sense.
In his previous life, when the film was released domestically, there were already many pirated versions, which had reduced the box office revenue.
Ren also read many online posts.
People were talking about how the movie made them tear up and thanking the Porter for the good ending.
Besides the success of "Your Name," many people approached Ren.
These included film investors and production companies.
They all wanted to get a script from Ren.
The crowd was endless.
No wonder, considering Ren's track record. He had proven himself to be an excellent scriptwriter.
Look at "Ultraman Tiga" and now "Your Name."
Both had achieved tremendous success on the big screen.
And who was the original author of these two works?
That's right, Ren!
This made capitalists quite envious.
Not to mention, riding the current wave of popularity, making a live-action version of "Your Name" would be very profitable.
They could cast popular stars, hire a famous director, use a high-profile platform, and with the already popular title, turn it into a blockbuster movie, raking in huge profits.
So, many approached Ren for collaboration.
Ren, however, thought it was ridiculous.
His own animation production company was about to open. Why would he sell the script to them?
Wishful thinking?
Jada even suggested Ren give those people a reality check.
Of course, he couldn't do that literally; they had to be polite and respectful.
After all, these people had significant influence in the industry.
Even if they couldn't collaborate now, they might need their help in the future.
So Jada politely declined each offer.
While Jada was busy handling the refusals, Ren began working on his new project—"Fullmetal Alchemist"!
After all, "Tokyo Ghoul" was nearing its conclusion.
Initially, "Tokyo Ghoul" was only partly provided by the system, equivalent to the first season of the TV version.
Now, "Tokyo Ghoul" had reached its twelfth chapter, which was like the finale.
The three-way battle between Aogiri Tree, the CCG, and Anteiku intensified, and Kaneki, captured by Aogiri Tree's executive, Yamori, underwent unimaginable torture.
Because Yamori was a sadist!
He was captured early on and held in the CCG's ghoul containment facility under the number NO.EH504736, where he was tortured by the sadistic investigator Mato Kureo. After escaping, he adopted the same torturous methods and derived pleasure from tormenting others.
While torturing Kaneki, he constantly made Kaneki count backwards from 1000 by sevens to keep him conscious.
In his hazy consciousness, Kaneki, guided by Rize, finally accepted his identity as a ghoul.
He decided to abandon his human side and his gentleness.
Just as Yamori was about to devour Kaneki...
Kaneki snapped! His once-black hair turned white.
The previously gentle and timid boy's expression hardened and became cold.
He easily defeated the S-rated ghoul, Yamori!
"What's a thousand minus seven?" Kaneki asked calmly, cracking his finger as he looked at the fallen Yamori.
The final chapter made the series trend once again.
The pacing was excellent, depicting Kaneki's transformation from an innocent, kind character to his final darkened state.
"Wow, he endured eleven chapters of torture and only got to show off for five minutes? That's it?"
"This final chapter was more exciting than the previous eleven combined!!"
"I was reading 'Tokyo Ghoul' just because 'Bleach' and 'Seven Swordsmen' were in the same magazine, but this chapter really grabbed my attention!!"
"My favorite part was when Kaneki pinned Rize down and said his line."
"+1, it was so cool. 'The one who is wrong isn't me; it's the world!'"
"I love it, but it's over now… looking forward to the next part!"
In August, "Tokyo Ghoul" concluded.
Kaneki's line in the final chapter trended online.
Returning to "Fullmetal Alchemist."
This story follows the journey of the Elric brothers as they seek to restore their bodies and fight against the dark conspiracy within the military.
The overarching theme is quite dark, with the villains' conspiracy deeply embedded in the background, including the very foundation of the protagonists' country being built on deceit. Despite this, the protagonists' fight brings hope, positivity, and a message of perseverance.
The principle of equivalent exchange represents the core of alchemy in the story.
This manga became a classic in Ren's previous life because it delved deeply into themes of life, nature, human desires, greed, frailty, cunning, stubbornness, and conflict, with no exaggeration or superficiality, making it profoundly impactful.
Additionally, character development was key to its success.
Whether main characters, hated villains, or minor side characters, all were vividly portrayed in limited scenes, each shining in their own way.
The character design avoided the typical good versus evil trope, presenting each character with their own values and motivations. Every character acted according to their principles and reasoning.
The biggest highlight was the internal conflicts and contradictions within each character, shown from different perspectives.
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For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/angelictranslating