"Since I've never even had an anime..." Creator of Kuroko's Basketball and Kill Blue Shares "OOC" Meta-Comic; Fans Hail "Dream Crossover"

Tadatoshi Fujimaki, the renowned manga artist behind hits like Kuroko's Basketball, has caused a stir on his official X (formerly Twitter) account by posting a meta-humor comic featuring a crossover between his successive protagonists.

The posted image is a short comic titled "A joke only people who watched Spi-der-Man will get." It features a conversation between Juzo Ogami from his current series Kill Blue, Tetsuya Kuroko from Kuroko's Basketball, and Robato "Robo" Hatohara from ROBOT × LASERBEAM.

In the comic, Juzo and Kuroko—whose works have both been animated—praise each other’s anime opening sequences, calling them "super cool." Meanwhile, Robo, whose series never received an anime adaptation, slumps in depression, muttering, "Since I’ve never even had an anime... I don't have an OP, so I'm basically a loser..." In response, Juzo and Kuroko desperately try to console him, saying, "But your volumes sold well and you ran for over a year!" and "It’s Amazing! Truly!!"—a comical exchange that parodies a famous scene from a certain multiversal superhero movie.

In the post, Fujimaki included a disclaimer: "Robo doesn't usually say things like this, so please take it with a grain of salt for the sake of the joke..." In a follow-up post, he expressed his deep affection for all his series, stating, "Of course, as the author, I have equal attachment to all my works." He also added a thoughtful note to his fans: "But for those who aren't fond of 'character OOC' (out of character) moments or this kind of teasing, I’m sorry. Please pretend you didn't see it..."

Fans were overjoyed by this "dream crossover," leaving comments such as:"I actually started golf because of ROBOT × LASERBEAM. Even without an anime, it's a top-tier 'Amazing' work to me." "I never thought I’d see a brand-new illustration of Kuroko-tchi in the Reiwa era!" "It’s funniest when characters say things they would never actually say, lol. This is pure genius."

The follow-up post was also met with warmth, with comments like:"This is a creator’s privilege! Personally, I want to see more." "I love character OOC teasing like this." "It makes me so happy to see that they are all still 'alive' and well even after their stories ended."

(C)藤巻忠俊／集英社・「キルアオ」製作委員会