Anime rating game

"That suits me perfectly!" Karasuma Chitose replied with a smile. "By the way, why did the president come to the second floor? Was it specifically to discuss this matter?"

“No, the idea for the competition came to me on a whim while we were chatting.” Masamune paused. “Tomorrow afternoon, the five main characters of K-On! will be here to sign contracts and then undergo a week of voice acting training. We’ll need the agency’s full cooperation then.”

"This is so unfair! All five main characters are complete novices who haven't received any training whatsoever?"

"The five of them were playing themselves. The story of 'K-On!' is based on their past experiences. For them, it was just a matter of repeating what they had said before in front of the microphone. The training mainly focused on knowledge, not acting skills."

"Huh...? An anime character has come to the real world!"

"You're not wrong to say that."

Why not cast the supporting actor himself?

"Firstly, it's too troublesome, and secondly, there are too few lines to make it necessary."

That’s right.

Karasuma Chitose unconsciously thought that even if it was adapted from a true story, it would be too troublesome to find the real people who played the supporting roles and extras.

Ultimately, untrained amateurs are very prone to making mistakes when dubbing.

If all the voice actors are amateurs, the chaos on set would be unimaginable.

When is the match?

"Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

"Why can't it be today? Tomorrow would be better. I have to go to school the day after tomorrow. I've taken too many days off lately, and I'm a little embarrassed to tell them."

"Then tomorrow will do. I have to meet with some teachers from Tokyo University of the Arts this morning, and I need to pick them up from the airport at 2 pm, so I really don't have much time."

"The president is very busy with work too."

"There's no other way, the capable should do more work."

Masamune smiled, entered the office, explained both matters, and assigned specific personnel to handle the preparations.

Then, they left in a hurry.

From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Masamune was in his office handling official business, signing documents, listening to reports, and making various arrangements.

Around 10 a.m., I met with four teachers from Tokyo University of the Arts in the conference hall on the third floor.

Only through personal connections and financial incentives were four teachers whose qualifications seemed questionable.

Furthermore, it is still unknown what the other party is thinking.

The person who had not yet been identified was a balding, overweight middle-aged man who claimed to be the principal of Tokyo University of the Arts.

Three people sat beside him: a middle-aged man with long curly hair, a slender middle-aged woman, and a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties, petite, and with a cute appearance.

"I am Hiraoka, the president of Tokyo University of the Arts. I have to make this trip because of some favors I owe. May I ask what President Hayase's request is?"

"Principal Hiraoka, have you ever heard of Shiina Mashiro?"

"Born in this country, raised in England, and I heard he's already a world-class painter at such a young age." Principal Hiraoka stroked his chin, his expression questioning.

"That's right, her talent is exceptional."

Masamune nodded slightly, and then said:

"In order to improve the drawing skills of all the animators at Musashino and produce better animations, we invited Shiina Mashiro back."

"As far as I know, she herself also hopes to return to China to live and does not want to continue staying in the UK."

Principal Hiraoka's eyes lit up, and he tentatively asked:

"What does President Hayase mean...?"

"Now that we've brought Shiina Mashiro back, we naturally need to consider her studies. With Shiina Mashiro's talent, although she enjoys drawing manga and wants to become a manga artist, it would be a waste if she gave up oil painting."

Masamune observed the other person's expression and then said:

“If we transfer her to a regular high school or an arts high school, she won’t learn anything useful.”

"After all, interpersonal skills, cultural knowledge, and so on are all intangible things that can be learned in daily life, so there is no need to go to school specifically for them."

"In addition, she needs to come and provide guidance on animation production frequently, which makes it harder for students to learn anything at school."

"In order to avoid jeopardizing her future, I will arrange for her to take a long leave of absence after consulting with her parents."

"At the same time, we hired a professional painter as her private tutor to provide her with close guidance."

"After considering all the famous and skilled painters in the country, I found that Tokyo University of the Arts is the best choice."

"Therefore, I hope to hire seven teachers from within Tokyo University of the Arts to take turns serving as private tutors for Shiina Mashiro each week."

"The timing can be negotiated further, but in short, one class per day is sufficient."

"Price is negotiable. I have already obtained my father's permission, and I am willing to pay any price."

Principal Hiraoka looked surprised and asked curiously:

"According to you, you were strangers before. Was it really necessary to go to such lengths for her? If it's to improve the employee's drawing skills, there should be many better options."

“There is a transcendent spirituality in Shiina Mashiro’s paintings, and I don’t want to cause her to become just another ordinary person.”

At this point, Masamune unconsciously lowered his voice slightly:

"In addition, I think there is still a lot of room for improvement in her painting skills."

"Oh...? She's so young, yet she's already a world-class painter. Is that still not enough in your eyes?"

“Not enough.” Masamune pointed upwards and said very seriously, “Three months ago, golden assessment characters appeared in the sky, which means that the times have changed.”

"World-class painters are, in the end, just ordinary people. If it is Makoto, I think she has the potential to reach an even higher level."

"In the words of Hikaru no Go, it's a divine move; in the terms of fantasy, it's about achieving enlightenment through painting."

At that moment, Principal Hiraoka's eyes shone exceptionally brightly.

He fully understood what the other person meant. Although he had never met Shiina Mashiro in person, he had seen her paintings online.

It must be admitted that Shiina Mashiro's painting talent is rare in the world, a once-in-a-millennium talent, and is undoubtedly a national treasure.

Although Europe is the birthplace of the Renaissance and the UK has a great overall artistic atmosphere, Tokyo University of the Arts is definitely not bad when it comes to teaching.

"If that's the case, why not just invite Ms. Shiina Mashiro to study at our Tokyo University of the Arts? I can give her special privileges and freedom to attend classes."

Masamune paused for a moment before realizing what was happening, his face showing surprise:

"Shiina Mashiro is only 15 years old this year, or 16 even if you count her age in the traditional Chinese way. She's currently in her first year of high school, so she probably won't be able to go to university yet, right?"

"With Shiina Mashiro's talent, she could easily skip a grade. Special talents deserve special treatment. In terms of academic subjects, we can reduce the points accordingly and implement an open-book system."

"In that case, you'll only be able to earn tuition fees."

"Does President Hayase think we came here to make money? While that's partly true, it's mostly due to personal favors we owe each other."

"Thank you so much!"

"No, that's what I should say. Thank you, President Hayase, for bringing Shiina Mashiro back from England to personally polish this rare gem. Such opportunities are rare indeed."

At that moment, Principal Hiraoka's eyes shone with an unusual brightness.

A talent of national treasure caliber, always living abroad, may shine brightly, or it may gradually fade into obscurity.

However, with the collaborative efforts of all the faculty members of the painting department at Tokyo University of the Arts, one of the nation's top universities, it is sure to shine with dazzling brilliance.

"By the way, if Shiina Mashiro is to go to Tokyo University of the Arts, I would like to ask for another admission spot, as her situation is somewhat special."

"Oh...? Tell me about it."

Masamune briefly introduced Shiina Mashiro's personal background, and then said:

"...Therefore, we need to select someone to accompany her to school so as to take care of her daily life. Of course, in name, they will definitely be ordinary students."

“If that’s the case… no problem.” Principal Hiraoka hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

Compared to the opportunity to polish a rare gem, recruiting one more person is not a problem.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Become the Top Illustrator in the Industry!

"Finally home."

Stepping out of the airport, Miyamori Aoi stretched and yawned, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

This was her first time traveling abroad, and she felt that London and Tokyo weren't that different.

The biggest problem with this trip was that, because I couldn't understand English and only had half a day, I couldn't fully enjoy the sights.

However, the £10,000 budget, aside from necessary expenses such as gifts and accommodation, also allowed for the purchase of quite a few interesting souvenirs.

The next moment, the Musashino group holding the banner suddenly came into view.

Looking at the president and others in the distance, Miyamori Aoi immediately waved to them:

"We're back!"

"Welcome back to Japan, Shiina-sensei."

"Shiina-sensei, let me help you with your luggage."

"Shiina-sensei, I really like the Asuna you posted online. I feel it's several levels prettier than the original."

Seeing everyone gathered around Shiina Mashiro, with Yasuhara Ema repeating and relaying what Shiina Mashiro had said, Miyamori Aoi felt a strange sense of loneliness.

“Welcome back, Miyamori,” Masamune asked with a smile. “How’s it going in England? Have you handled the follow-up issues?”

"No problem. We have obtained the guardian's consent and completed the transfer procedures."

Miyamori Aoi glanced at Shiina Mashiro, who was surrounded by people, then leaned close to Masamune's ear and whispered:

"President, Shiina-sensei is too naive and lacks common sense. Moreover, she is too quiet. When she speaks, she often uses short sentences and speaks in a very low voice. Many people may not have the patience to listen to her carefully."

"These past few days, Ema has been acting as her translator and megaphone, but what will happen after school starts?"

“Back in England, Shiina-sensei’s roommates took care of her daily needs, even helping her with her clothes.”

Masamune hesitated for two seconds, then slowly said:

"When I'm at home, I ask my mom to help take care of her. My mom likes taking care of people, and we're a perfect match. With her there, she won't be lonely when I'm not home."

“In the company, all of us can take care of her.”

"As for the school... that's the biggest problem."