Bakuman Chapter 163 *SPOILER ALERT*

So Niizuma Eiji's Crow, that one manga which ended on a really successful way (and by successful I meant that it ended the way the author wants it to) despite Team Fukuda's efforts to beat its continuous top rankings, has its anime adaptation ending soon. Jump needs to submit another series to have its own anime adaptation soon. Since Eiji's Zombie Gun and Ashirogi Muto's Reversi are both ranking 1st and 2nd (but Reversi's ratings are a little higher), the higher-ups had to choose from these two to be submitted.

Eiji and his editor, Yujiro, both think that it's still too early to have an anime, since Zombie Gun's running for just a few months, so they pretty much turned down the offer.

Yoshihisa Heishi then asked what Hattori says about Reversi becoming an anime. He, too, thinks that Reversi having an anime adaptation is something far off the future. The editor-in-chief then decides to let their editors (and even the respective authors) about it. He figured that there's no point in their discussion if both parties
have equal feelings for the offer.

The offer of having one's manga become an anime has one condition, though. I rather find this a bit confusing, since I'm afraid I might've made the wrong assumptions, but from what I understood, they have to keep the manga going until the end of the anime adaptation of it.

Hattori, Ashirogi Muto's editor, was initially excited about it, but then he took it back, saying "Please let me thinnk about it."

Sudden change of emotions at its finest

He started to think about what Ashirogi Muto aims for in Reversi. They have that kind of obsession on desperately wanting their manga to become an anime, but they specially aimed for Reversi to become their masterpiece - that one manga that can be recognized by everyone, that would be the main pillar of Weekly Shounen Jump, and that one manga which they will have the freedom to end it whenever they like without any outside influences nor having its quality drop. He guessed that Ashirogi might take down the offer despite everything they've been through since the last thing that they would want to do on Reversi is adjusting its plot to make it fitting for the time allotted for them. (I have the habit of unconsciously making long sentences and when I end them I get the feeling that it lost its sense now haha)

He was so preoccupied with it on work that he had to bring it to his bed!

Hattori then decided to tell them and know what they think about it. Despite his efforts to have them as calm as possible when he shares the big big news, Ashirogi Muto still shouted with all their might.

I gotta say that seeing their reactions like this, even though I quite figured out that they would look like this still made me genuinely happy for them. They're just fictional characters, but throughout the times I've read this manga, I've seen all the efforts they made to make this kind of dream come true.

When Mashiro and Takagi finally calmed down, Hattori told them about the conditions and the pros and cons of the decisions they could make.

Fully considering Mashiro's long-awaited promise to Azuki Miho that the two of them would get married once their manga becomes an anime and Azuki will be the voice of the manga's heroine, Takagi decided that there's no way for them not to have an anime by now. Mashiro, on the other hand, says that Reversi's a masterpiece, and nothing should cause it to have its quality drop, not even his own marriage.

Frankly speaking, I agree with Mashiro. Considering the fact that I can't wait to get married to the girl that I want to spend the rest of my life with, Reversi is a different thing. It's not just a manga written by Ashirogi Muto. It's the one manga that will be named as the best work of Ashirogi Muto. Besides, why would they make some modifications that would make its quality drop for the sake of one? Takagi may feel bad for Mashiro, and Mashiro himself would definitely feel bad for another opportunity passing by them, but they're a duo, and it's their manga. Not any self interests would interfere with it.

Hattori, though, was not aware of the promise made by Mashiro and Azuki. He expected Ashirogi Muto to decline the offer since it might have its quality dropped (in favor of Mashiro's opinion), but seeing Takagi fired up (because he wants Mashiro to get married) made a new impression on him. 

Saiko then revealed the truth about Takagi's strange behavior. It's about time for Hattori to know about it anyway. After all, they know each other for almost 8 years already.

Hattori finds it pretty hilarious!

Hattori really is the best editor. He introduced a new different kind of logic to Ashirogi Muto that made them both agree to him. 

Everything was fine the next day when Hattori told the higher ups that they will do it, but then Yujiro came by with a big big pile of paper...

And that was it. I personally think that out of all the chapters that updated last week (that I read), this manga's latest is so far the most interesting alongside Reborn!'s. Detective Conan's was the most touching by the way.