"Katekyō Hitman Reborn!, huh?"
After finishing Sword Art Online, Daniel turned to another new manga by the Porter.
He recalled the Porter's introduction to this work, mentioning it was a hot-blooded shonen manga.
From the title, he thought it might be about youth or teacher-student relationships.
But from the promotion, it seemed to be about some kind of mafia story.
Was it trying to mimic Hong Kong?
Hong Kong was famous for its mafia movies, especially classics like "A Better Tomorrow," known by many.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, these films had a deep impact on many teenagers in China.
Unfortunately, Hong Kong's influence in entertainment had declined in recent years.
These mafia films also faded due to government restrictions.
Despite this, many viewers still loved this genre and considered old movies classics.
Good mafia movies were typically from Hong Kong. While mainland China tried similar films during the Hong Kong mafia craze, they lacked the same flavor.
After all, in mainland China, you'd only see such scenes in the news where those guys got caught.
However, Daniel was excited about the Porter's work. The Porter was known for his wide range of topics, so fans had high expectations for his eclectic works.
Leveraging the mafia theme, "Katekyō Hitman Reborn!" quickly gained popularity even before its release, rivaling Ren's other manga.
"Let's see if it can match the quality of Hong Kong mafia movies!"
With that thought, Daniel opened the manga.
The story began in Italy, on the island of Sicily.
Ren had altered some of the background for the Vongola family.
In the original, Vongola started as a vigilante group protecting residents, founded by Giotto, the first Vongola boss, in Sicily, Italy.
Ren modified it to be an organization founded during wartime by the first Vongola boss who traveled abroad to seek allies and preserve Chinese culture.
Ren considered renaming it to something like "Hong Clan," but decided against it.
In this world, there was already a "Hong Clan" with many branches, like the Outer Eight Halls and Inner Eight Halls, making it a stereotype among readers. Ren didn't want to attract nitpickers.
So, he kept the name Vongola.
Moreover, Ren was more familiar with Vongola. If he renamed it, he might mess up the dialogue.
"Italy, huh? But..."
Soon, Daniel's head was full of question marks.
REBORN, in the title, referred to the small baby in a black suit and hat?
What? Although cute, was this baby the protagonist?
It would be weird to see a baby in the mafia!
As Daniel pondered, the scene shifted to China.
He sighed in relief, realizing the baby wasn't the protagonist. The protagonist was Tsunayoshi "Tsuna" Sawada, a clumsy student failing in both academics and sports.
The baby, Reborn, came to be his home tutor.
So far, it seemed like a typical shonen manga.
The protagonist was a loser, so his growth would be crucial, making it a key aspect of a hot-blooded manga.
But as he read on, Daniel frowned.
The first chapter introduced Reborn changing Tsuna's life and Tsuna's special power, the Dying Will Flame.
In the second chapter, a new transfer student, Kyoya Hibari, viewed Tsuna as an enemy from the start.
Under Reborn's scheme, Tsuna had to participate in a volleyball game. Not wanting to disappoint the popular Yamamoto and Gokudera, he played with the help of Reborn's Dying Will Bullet.
The story was interesting so far, but where was the hot-blooded battle story they expected?
High expectations led to great disappointment!
The current plot felt more like a comedic adventure manga!
"Maybe the plot hasn't fully unfolded yet?" Daniel, a die-hard Porter fan, hesitated.
There were fights, but minor ones.
Not just Daniel, but many online were starting to join the buzz.
"Is this it? This is supposed to be a hot-blooded manga?"
"The Porter must be running out of ideas."
"Everyone fails eventually. The Porter has always had successful manga; a failure is due."
"Stop joking. When Madoka Magica came out, didn't you think it was a traditional magical girl story? This might be similar, starting slow but then exploding."
"Exactly, I trust the Porter. Home Tutor has to be more than it seems!"
Such comments filled the forums.
Supporters and critics of Ren argued endlessly.
Ren was prepared for this.
"Katekyō Hitman Reborn!" started with daily life chapters to introduce Tsuna's family members.
Each character was essential.
When the Ring Conflict arc came, these characters played crucial roles, turning the story into an influential hot-blooded battle manga.
It was a complete story, different in content before and after, but without the early setup, there wouldn't be the later growth of Tsuna's family members.
So Ren couldn't start directly from the Ring Conflict arc.
In time, this work would quietly rise like his previous manga. Readers would gradually follow "Katekyō Hitman Reborn!" from its humorous start to its thrilling battles.
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