#13 Time Paradox Ghostwriter (ft. Chris Osborne)

Shonen Flop

Time Paradox Ghostwriter is the story of Teppei Sasaki, a failed manga artist trying to get into Shonen Jump. Home after his latest rejection, his microwave is struck by lightning and spits out a copy of SJ 10 years into the future. One of the series - White Knight - is so great he copies as a one-shot. It not only gets published but becomes a huge hit. One problem, however, the future creator of the series, Itsuki Aino, ends up becoming his assistant. Sasaki has to deal with the harsh reality of being a manga creator, while also dealing with feelings of inferiority due to his plagiarism.

Show Notes:

• Episode art by Alia Gestl (IG: aliagestl)
• Be sure to review us on iTunes to get a shoutout on the next episode! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shonen-flop/id1516326666
• You can find our guest Chris at playcomics.com
• Anime Research Group: @research_anime
• Surprise Scenarios Podcast: @scenarios_pod
• The Weekly Cooldown: @WkCooldown
• Below the Line: kjlabuz.substack.com
• Snowflake Sports: LuckyProfession

MAL Description:

Rookie manga artist Teppei Sasaki has worked tirelessly to become serialized in the pages of Weekly Shounen Jump only to be rejected again and again. When the latest one-shot he placed all his hopes in is dismissed, Teppei resolves that after four long years, he should just quit. But just as he makes the decision, lightning strikes his apartment, fusing his microwave and fridge together. As he inspects the mess, the microwave miraculously spits out a magazine: an issue of Shounen Jump from 10 years in the future.

Frontlining this issue is a new serialization titled "White Knight" by Itsuki Aino, a debut so flawless that it moves Teppei deeply. When the issue disappears thereafter, Teppei believes that the idea came from his own imagination and quickly works to copy it down as a one-shot. Submitting it to Shounen Jump, the editors are amazed and decide that the work is good enough to run as a series. With his dreams finally realized, Teppei works to refine the one-shot and it debuts soon after. Meanwhile, elsewhere, a 17-year-old Itsuki Aino opens the latest issue of Shounen Jump to find her fledgling story within its pages, a truth that will soon come crashing down upon Teppei.