I walk into the conference room, nerves jangling, but my face betrays none of it. Asuka gives me a slight nod from her seat, and the editor—a no-nonsense woman named Nishida—gestures for the artist to begin. The artist, a soft-spoken guy named Hiroshi, looks a little shy but incredibly passionate about his new Isekai series.

He clears his throat. “So, the new series is called ‘I Woke Up in Another World with Cooking Skills That Made Me the Greatest Chef That Ever Lived’."

I try not to let my eyebrow shoot up too high, but... yeah. That title is certainly something. I glance at Asuka, who’s barely holding back a grin, like she's waiting to see how I’ll react.

Hiroshi continues, launching into the synopsis. “The story follows Kenji, a down-on-his-luck office worker from Tokyo. He’s living a mundane, repetitive life when one day, he’s hit by a car and dies—your typical isekai setup. He wakes up in another world, in a small rural village, and discovers he has this extraordinary ability to cook. Not just regular cooking, though. Everything he makes is enhanced with magical properties—he can heal people, enhance their strength, or even cause them to fall asleep just by the meals he prepares.”

Hiroshi’s eyes light up as he gets into it. “Kenji starts out helping a local farmer, preparing meals for the villagers. But his food gains attention fast—soon enough, he’s invited to a massive, kingdom-wide cooking competition where chefs from all over the world gather. The stakes are high, with royal patrons and even the king himself as judges. As Kenji rises through the ranks, he not only becomes known as the greatest chef who ever lived but also helps bring peace to the kingdom by using his food to solve political conflicts.”

I nod along. Okay, not bad. It’s got the charm of a small-town guy making it big, with that magical twist the isekai crowd eats up—literally and figuratively. And the cooking element? Japan loves food, so I can see how this would play well. But now it’s time to figure out how to market this.

Nishida turns to me. “Miyu, thoughts?”

Deep breath. You got this. I straighten in my seat and lock eyes with the group. “Alright, so here’s the angle I’m thinking. We play into Japan’s love for both food and competition. Food is a huge part of the culture here—cooking shows, street food festivals, even cooking competitions like ‘Iron Chef’ have a devoted following. And this manga? It’s going to tap into all of that.”

I lean forward, getting into it. “We start with a social media campaign focused on food and fantasy—two of Japan’s favorite things. We’ll highlight Kenji’s journey from humble beginnings to top-tier chef. Imagine short teaser videos showing different magical dishes from the manga, maybe even animated clips or recipe recreations by popular food influencers. Viewers can get invested in both the visual appeal of the food and the story.”

I can see Hiroshi’s eyes widen—he’s liking this.

I continue, “Next, we focus on manga fans who love competition arcs. Everyone loves an underdog story, and Kenji’s rise through the ranks of this world’s cooking elite is the perfect hook. We can create weekly polls on social media where readers predict the outcome of the competition—make it interactive. Let them vote on which dish Kenji will create next or even encourage them to submit their own fantasy food ideas. We’re making the readers a part of the journey.”

Nishida’s poker face cracks just a bit—there’s a flicker of approval. Encouraged, I keep going.

“We’ll also set up some limited-edition tie-ins. Pop-up food trucks, maybe? We can partner with popular chefs or restaurants, have them create real-world versions of dishes from the manga. Make it feel immersive. Launch events at anime conventions or manga expos where fans can actually taste the manga—it’ll bring the story to life in a way that goes beyond the pages.”

I pause, taking a quick breath before delivering the last punch.

“And as for the competition itself? We market that as the heart of the story. A battle of skill, creativity, and flavor. Japan loves food-based stories, whether it’s Shokugeki no Soma or the more traditional charm of cooking in slice-of-life series. This is the perfect mix of both, with a fantasy twist. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and it has a built-in audience that we can easily expand.”

When I finish, the room is silent for a moment. I can feel my heartbeat in my throat. Did I go too far?

Nishida nods, scribbling down notes. “You’ve got something here. Food and fantasy are always solid, and the interactive element could be huge for engagement. We’ll refine it, but this is a great start.”

Hiroshi looks like he’s about to burst from excitement. “I love the idea of fans getting involved! And the food tie-ins... that’s genius!”