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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 8: I’m going to finish the whole series.
Every week, reader popularity is tallied through what's called a reader survey.
Each magazine has its own method, but these surveys are a critical metric in deciding whether a series continues or gets the axe.
Weekly Shōnen Jump places the highest importance on these reader surveys.
“As expected, ‘D Note’ took first place for its debut chapter.”
“It had a lot of buzz already from when it was published as an award-winning one-shot. It basically ‘had’ to come in first.”
‘D Note’ launched its serialization with ease, claiming first place in the reader polls—a strong start.
But that didn’t mean it had done something unprecedented.
“Ugh… we’re only at Chapter 3 of our new series, and the rankings are— Chapter 1 – 1st, Chapter 2 – 8th, Chapter 3 – 11th…”
“If it keeps losing steam like this, we’ll be axed before the first volume even hits shelves.”
Typically, when a new series launches with a ‘color lead’ (a full-color spread and front-page slot in the magazine), it gains instant visibility. That hype usually boosts the debut chapter into a top survey spot.
In other words, it wasn’t shocking that ‘D Note’ started at #1.
But still—
“Whoa, look at this vote count… I haven’t seen numbers like this since ‘One Piece’ got pulled from the survey rankings.”
Despite it being expected, ‘D Note’ crushed the competition with an overwhelming number of votes.
So with a commanding first-place start, all eyes turned to Chapter 2. Usually, even series that debut at #1 fall to second or third by the next week. Holding onto that top spot for two weeks straight? That’s a rare beast.
But—
“Chapter 2 is #1! And it broke its own vote record again!”
‘D Note’ didn’t just hold its momentum—it devoured it, topping itself with each release.
“Let’s not jump the gun. This week’s issue published two chapters at once, remember? That’s a big advantage.”
“Chapter 3 will be the real test.”
Amidst worries, cautious optimism, and more than a little jealousy, Chapter 3 was released.
“Chapter 3 is also #1… and it broke the vote record ‘again’.”
Third chapter. Third week. Third straight record-breaker.
＊ ＊ ＊
[Behind the Scenes of ‘D Note’]
From the very beginning, even when it first debuted as a rookie award-winning piece, it was getting rave reviews from fellow manga artists.
Maybe it’s because the editorial department also pegged it as a major contender, but the way they’re giving it so many pages really shows they believe in it.
ㄴIt’s seriously insane;; Sure, plenty of series have strong first chapters, but the tension in this one just keeps ramping up with every chapter.
ㄴThere’s not even any action, but every chapter feels intense.
ㄴI heard the author’s a foreigner?
ㄴI doubt that. The dialogue is super dense and the structure is pretty intricate—honestly, even native speakers would struggle with it. If they are a foreigner, they must’ve been raised in Japan from the start.
[D Note Chapter 3 & 4 Reviews]
[Speculations About D Note’s Plot]
[Clues in D Note You Might’ve Missed…?]
Blogs, Twitter (the hot new SNS), online forums—
Once D Note hit the scene, the buzz was unavoidable. Every corner of the internet lit up with discussion.
And this was only the beginning.
＊ ＊ ＊
Weekly serialization is a hellish cycle.
Once you finish one week’s deadline, the next one comes crashing down immediately.
To put it simply, every week is like exam week—and that exam week never ends until the series is complete.
You’re chased by deadlines, pushed by reader reactions, and forced to outpace yourself.
It’s a time that can feel downright torturous.
Of course, there are exceptions.
Like someone caught in some strange phenomenon, endlessly drawing manga in a space where they’ve lost all sense of time—and then suddenly they regress back to their childhood.
Unless you’re that kind of absurd, special case, it’s only natural for weekly deadlines to be grueling.
But even that special case (me) wasn’t entirely carefree.
“Hmm…”
‘D Note’ already had over 20 chapters’ worth of storyboards prepared.
Other artists might see that as a stroke of luck, but I’m confident I can finish the artwork two or three times faster than most, so time wasn’t really a worry.
I even had about four chapters of finished manuscript saved up already.
What I was really struggling with was—
“How should I handle Part 2?”
It was all because of D Note’s story.
D Note’s story splits into two main parts.
Part 1 is a battle of wits between the protagonist, who kills people using the ‘D Note,’ and J, who constantly suspects the protagonist’s identity and keeps a watchful eye.
Part 2 follows the protagonist after defeating J, facing new enemies on a much bigger scale.
Having read D Note all the way to the end, I couldn’t help but wonder—
When and how would the protagonist’s identity—killing people with the D Note—be revealed?
The manga built tension by teasing how the protagonist would escape this crisis, keeping readers hooked.
But once Part 2 started, that tension disappeared, and even the carefully built backstories of major characters were wasted.
“Even online reviews for Part 2 weren’t great.”
My laptop sat in the white silence of the room.
I searched and saw that while Part 1 received praise, Part 2 had mostly negative reviews.
I wasn’t the only one who felt Part 2 was disappointing.
So naturally, changing or cutting Part 2 seemed like the right move.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I lightly tapped my pen on the blank white paper, lost in thought.
How much time had passed like that?
“Yeah, that’s it.”
I reached a conclusion.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Matsuda! ‘D Note’ is number one for chapter 7!”
“Yes!”
Since its debut, ‘D Note’ hadn’t once lost the top spot, soaring high without pause.
Once again, it crushed the competition with a huge lead over second place in the reader survey.
Excited to share the news, Matsuda immediately grabbed his phone and called Jung Junhyuk.
“Hello? Jung? We’re number one again!”
Team Leader Hashida watched from a distance, smiling to himself at Matsuda’s energetic call.
Editors find raw gems among countless manga, polish them, and release those gems to the world.
When that gem shines brightly for everyone to see, editors never forget that thrill.
‘Well, Jung Junhyuk wasn’t a raw gem—he was a jewel from the start.’
Still, it was undeniable that Matsuda had discovered him, so his joy was only natural.
“For now, he’s probably over the moon. But I guess I need to reel him in a bit.”
Just as Hashida thought that, Matsuda suddenly stiffened.
“Huh...? What!? Wait—okay, got it. I’ll come talk to you.”
Matsuda quickly lowered his voice after glancing around nervously, his face showing clear discomfort—but his voice stayed calm as he ended the call.
Seeing this sudden shift, Hashida couldn’t help but approach.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah, team leader… It’s about Jung… no, I mean, author Jung…”
“What? What’s wrong with Jung? Does he need an assistant or something?”
“No, it’s not that…”
Matsuda hesitated, glanced around nervously, then leaned in and lowered his voice.
“Jung… well—”
“What!? D Note is ending—?”
Hashida tried to shout in shock, but Matsuda stopped him.
“Not exactly ending right away. He wants to discuss it first. A consultation.”
After a moment of silence, Hashida calmed down and Matsuda finally spoke freely again.
“He’s only been serialized for seven chapters. Even so, talking about ending this soon is way too early.”
“Exactly…”
Matsuda replied weakly.
“Matsuda, you need to hold the line here. Absolutely no ending. There are plenty of authors who want to keep serializing but can’t. Ending a hit series like this now? That’s nonsense. Tell him to finish at least 100 chapters before even thinking about wrapping up. By then, his feelings will probably change.”
Hashida, usually more laid-back, spoke seriously and firmly.
Matsuda understood just how critical this was and nodded solemnly.
“Yes, I will make sure the author wants to keep serializing.”
＊ ＊ ＊
“Looks like it’ll be finished within 50 chapters.”
The moment Jung Junhyuk stepped into the studio and greeted everyone, he dropped the declaration like a battle flag.
“......”
“First, read this, then let’s talk.”
Before Matsuda could even find his words, Jung Junhyuk handed him a thick stack of papers.
“I know what you’re going to say. I’m not planning to be stubborn about it, so please read this first and then we can discuss.”
There was a lot he wanted to say, but arguing right now wasn’t the right move.
Looking at Jung Junhyuk so far, he wasn’t some kid throwing tantrums nonstop… sure, he could be stubborn at times, but he wasn’t the type to completely ignore others’ opinions.
Since Jung spoke like that, Matsuda sat down and carefully went through the stack of papers—the manga’s storyboards—that Jung had handed over.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Hours passed.
After finishing the entire storyboard, Matsuda picked up the phone and called someone.
＊ ＊ ＊
- Team Leader Hashida! I want to finish ‘D Note’ before chapter 50, just like Author Jung said!
Tap.
Hashida pressed his palm against his forehead.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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