The popularity of Steel Ball Run lasted for more than a month. Even after the manga was finished and no longer trending, it was still widely discussed.
For example, the concept of Stands, a special ability with limitations yet derived from one's own soul, was truly fascinating! Even cooler was the way the characters were used in the manga!
The 24 volumes were not long, but if you think back carefully, you'll find that every detail of the entire manga is still fresh in your memory.
One moment, you're in the field of men, another moment in the spring of Sugarcane Mountain, next in the Civil War, then on the train of love, and most notably, the final negotiation.
As the villain, Funny Valentine's words—"My heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror, and everything I do is justice"—almost fooled even the audience.
Although Funny Valentine's patriotism was genuine, it was the only thing he truly had.
To achieve his goals, he would sacrifice the weak without hesitation.
In his mind, he was the only important person in the country, and everyone else was expendable.
This man, who had no moral boundaries yet appeared righteous, perfectly embodied the character of Funny Valentine. His clear eyes and sincere tone all spoke for his country. In the final negotiations, even the audience was almost swayed into believing him.
It was as though if you let him go, he might actually stop.
When Welt saw this villain, he couldn't help but think that Bronie had created a truly captivating character. If he were to meet such an enemy, he'd probably feel a bit confused too.
However, Welt also believed that a person like Funny Valentine who saw human lives as numbers could never be forgiven.
He was a skilled politician, and skilled politicians speaking nonsense is certainly a standard course in life!
In the end, Johnny threw out a pistol and forced Funny Valentine into his final dead end. Valentine gave an impassioned speech, even pulling out a handkerchief left by his father to swear upon, declaring his patriotism. But Johnny revealed a pistol from Funny Valentine's parallel world.
The same objects in the parallel world exposed the pistol hidden by Funny Valentine. It was this very pistol that uncovered the hypocritical mask of Funny Valentine.
Yes, his patriotism was unquestionable, but his dark willingness to sacrifice everything for the country could also trample on the oath he had made.
In the end, the napkin that symbolized his patriotism was stained with blood and soil, ultimately buried in the earth under endless cycles.
Gyro died, and Johnny realized that Gyro would never return. The grown-up Johnny once again shed tears of grief.
The unexpected death of Gyro Zeppeli, one of the protagonists, left a profound impact on the audience.
Some even said that no one disliked Gyro Zeppeli—if they did, it meant they hadn't watched the movie The Lord of the Rings. This also showed how popular Gyro, who had seemed like a villain when he first appeared, had become.
He was the one who traveled across the ocean to face countless killers for a child, the one who liked telling cold jokes and adored teddy bears.
When Johnny carried Gyro's remains and his iron ball across the ocean, the story came to a close.
The manga no longer evoked a sense of loss, but rather satisfaction. It was as if the hearts of the audience had grown alongside Johnny and Gyro's journey. Every time you watch it, you experience something different, and every careful consideration gives you a new understanding.
In this work, there are no absolute heroes or absolute villains. The complexity of human nature is Vill-Vdly depicted.
The person who enjoyed this the most, of course, was Ellie, who loved humans!
Whether on the good or bad side, Ellie cherished these humans—a collection full of contradictions and an eternal spirit of struggle. Bronie had portrayed all of this and had shown Ellie a different kind of magnificent epic.
Then, Ellie rewarded Bronie fiercely.
"The ending of the manga is just right. The fate of everyone ends here. Maybe the ending isn't entirely beautiful, but everything they did was meaningful. The story of Gyro and Johnny has concluded. Do you like this story?"
Beside Ellie, Bronie followed Ellie to finish reading the manga.
Now, Ellie was live-streaming. In the live-stream chat, countless comments were calling for Bronie to bring back Gyro. It was clear that everyone loved Gyro.
Occasionally, there were some who liked Dio. After all, in this story, Dio's ambition was truly terrifying. He worked tirelessly to become a superior being. His firm belief and will were admirable. And he was just one step away from reaching the remains and gaining their ultimate power.
"I like it! I don't just like this story, I like Bronie more! She shows everyone the lovely side of humanity. I'm so lucky to have met Bronie!"
"It's good that you like it. If everyone could experience the golden spirit and the dark determination, it would be amazing. Taking a detour is often the shortest path. The process means more than the result. Please enjoy your life more."
To some extent, Bronie's presence in Ellie's live-stream could be seen as a live-stream collaboration, right?
Usually, Bronie didn't enjoy live-streaming, but considering the traffic it could generate for Ellie, it was an easy way to make more pocket money for her. She could buy more cosmetics she liked and change into more beautiful new clothes.
"Then this beautiful girl will ask, Miss Haxxor Bunny, what are your plans for your next work? I heard you were working on a new game, and it seems the theme is based on a western cowboy setting."
[A new work!]
[I knew it! Haxxor's main focus is definitely on the game, and the mangas are just a promotion!]
[The mangas are amazing; I can't imagine how fun the game will be!]
[Hurry up and bring it out!]
The live-stream chat erupted in excitement. Everyone seemed to tacitly agree that Ellie's live-stream was the most likely place to see Haxxor's figure.
So, the next work was likely to be revealed first in this stream.
More viewers were choosing to watch Ellie's live-stream slices, hoping to uncover what Haxxor's next big plan would be.
Bronie originally said that she wanted to make a galgame, but it seemed that she quickly rejected the idea. Although Ellie shared the news, she also announced the suspension of the production plan immediately.
It can be seen that Haxxor also faces some challenges when making games, and is not entirely free from creative bottlenecks.
After a few months of silence, Bronie delivered a more perfect answer that everyone could appreciate: Steel Ball Run.
Although it's just a manga, the story within can be considered a work of art.
"Indeed, a lot of content was created, but this manga has nothing to do with the game. While there are a few small Easter eggs hidden in it, they won't alter the background of the story."
The Easter eggs are naturally just for entertainment purposes and have almost no impact on the story. Bronie has always liked hiding various Easter eggs in her work, many of which remain undiscovered, including some confessions to Ellie.
Now that they're together, Bronie feels too embarrassed to bring them up. Maybe someday in the future, she'll surprise Ellie with them.
"In other words, there is absolutely no connection between the two!"
Ellie heard Bronie explain this for the first time. Because of the game, she had deep expectations for Bronie's next work. But it seems that Bronie doesn't have much confidence?
"That's right, there is no relationship. In fact, Steel Ball Run is the pinnacle of my work. I probably won't be able to surpass it. However, this doesn't mean that the new work is bad; it's just that the two works are on different tracks, so there's not much to compare. I just feel that it's not suitable for me to make mangas in the future."
Yes, after reviewing this manga again, Bronie felt that she probably wouldn't make other mangas in the future. Whether it's the expressiveness of the art, the fashion of the costumes, or the excitement of the plot, it would be hard for another manga to surpass Steel Ball Run.
Even when Bronie reads other mangas in the future, she often feels bored.
So for now, she'll put mangas aside.
[Ah... You're not going to make any more?]
[Haxxor, how can we live without your mangas!]
[The Stand concept is so cool! Why did you suddenly stop writing?]
[Shut up! Take all my money! Please make a sequel!]
"It seems that Bronie is so satisfied with Steel Ball Run that she feels she can't make anything better?"
"After all, it's really exhausting~"
Is it because of this reason?
But it's true that Bronie didn't release all the content at once this time, which means she encountered many difficulties in the creation process. Whether it's the backstory of each character, the memories woven into the plot, or the design of each storyline, the audience can feel Bronie's intentions.
Many artists would simplify some details, which could lead to certain scenes collapsing. But Bronie's work maintains such high picture quality that it can reach up to 8k!
The "collapsing" you might see is due to screen issues, not the quality of the artwork. If you zoom in, you can even see every pore on the characters clearly.
"So, can you tell the audience what kind of game the new work will be? Look at how enthusiastic everyone is. There are many new viewers in the live stream!"
Haxxor appeared in Ellie's live broadcast room, and the news quickly spread across the internet. Many players interested in Haxxor rushed in and began giving gifts. Ellie was almost overwhelmed with gratitude, so she chose not to thank them again but silently recorded their IDs and sent private messages to thank them.
"New work? Didn't I say it? It's naturally based on the last days of the western cowboys, also in the late 19th century, around the same time as Horse Racing Wild Man. This time, our protagonist is a member of the notorious Van der Linde gang. Arthur Morgan will struggle to survive in the last days of the cowboy era and must choose between his ideals and his family."
Upon hearing this, Ellie frowned, realizing things were a bit complicated. She then asked, "Isn't this like a cyberpunk-themed game?"
When cyberpunk was mentioned, the audience naturally erupted.
After all, Bronie created Cyberpunk 2077 in the style of GTA, with many elements taken from GTA6. The online mode is still played by countless people every day, and there are always people at Haxxor Studio who want to add more content to it. Every year, during festivals, some interesting activities are held.
In this future sci-fi world, it's really cool to do whatever you want.
Is Bronie planning to make a similar theme again? Will it be very interesting? Will it allow for lots of freedom?
Cyberpunk 2077 covers almost all types of gameplay. You can even play Gwent and Fall Guys in it! This has caused many similar games to lose competitiveness, especially considering that Cyberpunk 2077 allows mods, and the mod community has grown to a terrifying size.
It's even bigger than The Elder Scrolls in Bronie's memory.
"Open world, free exploration, story mode, and the entire western wilderness with a relatively balanced sense of reality and gameplay. In that world, you'll experience the customs of the era, the freedom they fought for, and gain a deeper understanding of what happened in that time."
Native Americans, the pioneers of the West, and the last days of the gangs—if you can't adapt to the environment, you'll inevitably be swept away by the era.
The torrent of that era, the tide of fate, suddenly sweeps through, allowing players to truly feel how civilization progresses and how the times develop, all while the protagonist, controlled by the player, struggles in this rush.
"Wow, that sounds interesting!"
"Yeah! Of course, everyone should look forward to it. In two weeks, the game will be almost done. Please make sure you have over 200GB of memory space, and I'll try my best to optimize it!"