Anime rating game

When I clicked on a video of myself being interviewed a few days ago, a barrage of comments appeared, instantly attracting all of Karasuma Chitose's attention.

[That self-righteous voice is disgusting.]

[Rookie voice actors are so annoying, get out of here!]

[I heard that Karasuma Chitose got his resources by sleeping with people; a piece of trash is a piece of trash.]

I'm better than her.

[Musashino's heavily promoted, trashy voice actress, utterly useless]

[The only bad apple in a pot of good porridge—wouldn't it be better to give this resource to someone else? What a waste.]

Looking at the countless insults on her phone screen, Karasuma Chitose was stunned, feeling as if she had fallen into a cold abyss.

Even though I was in a brightly lit room, I felt surrounded by darkness, coldness, and loneliness, and the pain in my heart was excruciating.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, and I let my phone slip from my hand without reacting.

"Woooo..."

Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, and no matter how much she wiped them with the back of her hand, they didn't stop; in fact, the more she wiped, the more tears flowed.

The sudden crying startled Shizuka Sakaki and the others in the office, who hurriedly gathered around.

This is the Musashino Agency's office on the second floor. Apart from the manager, most of the people present are voice actors.

She was closest to Shizuka Sakaki and the others who joined at the same time as Chitose Karasuma.

Aoyama Nanami hurriedly grabbed a handkerchief, wanting to wipe away her tears, but she was also somewhat flustered.

Miho Azuki helped pick up the phone, glanced at the constantly scrolling comments, and instantly understood what had happened, her face showing hesitation.

Sakagi Shizuka took the phone, exited the browser, and then gently hugged Karasuma Chitose.

"There's no need to pay attention to these things. This kind of nonsense can be found everywhere. I've experienced similar things before. Just ignore it in these situations."

"You're lying." Karasuma Chitose tried to hold back her sobs so as not to be laughed at by everyone, but the tears just kept flowing like a burst dam. "You're lying. Why would someone who's always had a smooth life tell lies? I don't believe your nonsense."

“I rarely talk about what happened before I joined Musashino. Actually, I’ve been in Tokyo for three years.”

Shizuka Sakaki smiled, a hint of melancholy in her voice, and said:

“Three years ago, when I first came to Tokyo, I worked part-time to make a living while using the money I had worked so hard to earn to study at a voice actor training class.”

"Joining a firm was another hurdle. I went through dozens of interviews before a small firm was willing to take me on."

"Actually, that firm was quite good to me, giving me four opportunities in total, but... I didn't seize any of them."

"Due to excessive tension, lack of experience, and sudden illness, I have not been able to succeed even once."

"When I first joined Musashino last year, I would try any voice acting opportunity I could get. No matter what kind of anime it was, even if it was a production team that was terrible in every way."

“I have experienced things like today more than ten times.”

"It's not just me, everyone is more or less like this, and Chitose is no exception."

“Shizuka-nee is right, that’s exactly it.” Aoyama Nanami couldn’t help but say, “Chitose is just too lazy. Apart from the roles assigned to you by the agency, you’ve never asked for an audition opportunity.”

"Furthermore, your time management is also problematic. You've been in the industry for a year, but your acting skills haven't improved much; they're still stuck at last year's level."

"To be honest, we've all gotten used to being criticized by many people online."

"The reason why you only met Chitose now is because you are too lazy."

"Huh...?" Karasuma Chitose stared blankly at her, wiping away tears as she choked out, "Nanami is so mean. I'm still sad, and instead of comforting me, you just poured cold water on me. Do you hate me that much?"

"No, quite the opposite. I really like Chitose's personality. And I've always envied you. Your parents, family, and friends are all very supportive of you, and you don't have any worries every day."

"You're lying. You've never invited me to your private gatherings."

"That's because Chitose always leaves in a hurry and her attitude is very cold. We think you might not be interested in interpersonal communication. If you want to participate, we will definitely invite you next time."

"I don't want to participate, but if you insist on making me..."

Seeing this, Azuki Miho couldn't help but laugh, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief, and said with a smile:

"Tsundere has become obsolete, Chitose."

"It was supposed to be a private gathering, but it was really just about complaining about some work-related troubles and discussing whether there was any overlap in the auditions we were taking."

"If we happen to get a role in an animation or even just a character, we'll discuss our understanding of the character together. Sometimes, we'll even have a competition on the spot."

"Damn it, we're in the same class, but they didn't call my name. Isn't this ostracizing me?" Karasuma Chitose muttered under his breath.

"No, it's just that Qian Sui didn't give us a chance to invite you at first, and as time went on, everyone forgot about you."

"Bullying?"

"That's not how it is. How should I put it, Chitose, you can't expect others to always take the initiative, can you? Once or twice is fine, three or four times is also okay, but no one will keep inviting people who won't come more than ten times in a row. However, I don't dislike Chitose, on the contrary, I quite like you."

At this point, Miho Azuki thought for a moment, then added earnestly:

"These aren't just social niceties or empty words of comfort; they're the very truth."

"I say whatever comes to mind and do whatever I want, and I never care about what others think."

"Although this lifestyle is a bit clumsy, I have always longed for it because it is something I could never do."

"Are you praising me or insulting me?" Karasuma Chitose asked, bewildered.

"Let's split it evenly. If Chitose feels lonely, it's not too late to start attending parties from today."

"Um…"

Upon hearing this, Masamune, who had rushed over from the third floor but could not interject due to the atmosphere, could only stay outside the door and silently turned and left.

Honestly, I warned her before that "Nine Emperors" was too bad and she shouldn't take it.

But she didn't care at all, and even boasted about herself in many subsequent interviews.

However, this wake-up call might be a good thing, perhaps it will make her repent a little.

On another note, the friendship between girls is quite interesting. What I just saw could be included in "Shirobako".

With that in mind, Masamune strode toward the elevator, intending to go upstairs to the scriptwriting department to discuss script revisions.

Chapter 187 Is This Your Only Feeling?

Around 4 PM, the voice actors, including Karasuma Chitose and Sakaki Shizuka, were invited to the upstairs conference room.

Once everyone had arrived, Masamune glanced at Karasuma Chitose without showing any emotion, noticing that the tear stains on her face had been wiped away, and said with a smile:

"Perhaps many of you here already know this, but just in case some of you are not, I'll explain it again from the beginning."

"Of the three anime produced by Musashino this season, one is set in Musashino and tells a workplace story about animation production."

"To ensure the integrity of the story, we selected several voice actors and managers from Musashino Voice Acting Agency to play supporting roles in the anime."

"His role isn't that big, since the story is set in an animation production company rather than a voice actor, but the character is still quite well-developed."

“The people here all have a role in the animation, which is why we invited you here today.”

"Since the official voice actor selection has not yet begun, the script is not to be circulated. After you have read it, you can decide whether or not you want to act."

Can I still refuse?

Karasuma Chitose muttered a curse to himself, then looked down to take a look.

Although I don't like long texts, animation scripts are an exception, since that's my job.

'Huh…!?'

The next moment, Karasuma Chitose suddenly looked up, staring at Masamune in astonishment. Finding that the others didn't react much, he could only look down again.

'It really is set at Musashino Animation Studios, but why is the protagonist Aoi Miyamori? Is there some kind of backroom deal?'

'No! I can't think like that, otherwise I'd be no different from those who cyberbully me.'

'Nyanmori? That nickname suits her quite well. Oh, so it came from Erika Yano.'

Because the script described people and things he knew, Karasuma Chitose read it very carefully.

As I slowly turned the pages, my thoughts drifted back to last year.

The story is told from Aoi Miyamori's perspective, and the opening scene shows her racing through the streets of Tokyo in order to collect manuscripts.

It was later clarified that this was just a small production commissioned by a third party.

Currently, Musashino's previous anime project has just ended, and everyone is waiting for their next job.

After a brief explanation, the main characters of the anime made their appearances, and the K-On! project meeting began.

Following that, at the suggestion of chief animation director Rinko Ogasawara, Aoi Miyamori was tasked with going to England to invite Mashiro Shiina back to Japan, and the company also created a new position as animation director.

With the addition of Shiina Mashiro, the art style of Musashino Animation gradually improved.

However, because she is immersed in the world of painting, as a person with no job, no income, and no support, she needs someone to take care of her.

After a brief meeting, the company decided to assign Ema Yasuhara to take care of Mashiro Shiina.

After flipping through many pages, Karasuma Chitose still couldn't find what he wanted to read. He paused for several seconds, then suddenly realized what was going on.

'Was it to avoid damaging Mashiro's reputation that they didn't depict her daily life?'

Or is it to prevent her from overshadowing Aoi Miyamori and stealing the lead role?

'In the script, Mashiro only appears at the company; there's no mention of her living at the president's house or being sent to Tokyo University of the Arts.'

Karasuma Chitose unconsciously sped up the page-turning speed and soon saw his own appearance.

However, he was really just a supporting character.

In comparison, Shizuka Sakaki appears much more frequently.

The first few episodes mostly consist of scenes of him failing auditions, not getting any work, and forcing a smile while having dinner with Miyamori Aoi and others at the shop where he works.

However, as the production of K-On! gradually improved, Shizuka Sakaki, with her versatile voice and tireless efforts to practice her lines, gradually landed some supporting roles with lines and screen time.

As you scroll further in, after K-On! became a huge hit, Aoi Miyamori and Ema Yasuhara gradually smiled more and talked more during a gathering of the five, which contrasted sharply with the dejected Shizuka Sakaki.

Afterwards, when Shizuka Sakaki was alone, she briefly reflected on the reasons for her disappointment.

Because her role as the second female lead in the animation was a failure, she, as the only newcomer in the team, was severely criticized online.

At that moment, Karasuma Chitose unconsciously recalled what had happened more than an hour earlier.