Anime rating game

Mashiro gripped Masamune's hands, unconsciously tightening her grip. After a long while, she slowly spoke:

"I will work hard and I will definitely draw a better Kaori Miyazono."

"Aren't you planning to give up?"

"Don't give up. There are more possibilities as long as you're alive. I don't know how to say it, but I still want to see her again and continue to paint with her as my model."

"It's very difficult. If you fail, I think you'll be in tears the moment she passes away."

"I want to try, please help me."

"it is good."

Masamune gradually made up his mind, and a slight smile appeared on his face:

"In that case, we'll have to work incredibly hard over the next few months."

"Ah."

After a quick lunch, they returned home and both stayed in their respective rooms, beginning their relentless, sleepless "drama mode" of working on their manuscripts.

Masamune's job was to write an animation script as soon as possible. It didn't matter if it was simple, as long as the essence of the story of Kaori Miyazono and Kousei Arima was preserved. For the remaining details, he would ask some professional scriptwriters to help and distribute the scripts to each person for a few episodes.

Mashiro's job is to draw manga, accumulate more drafts, and free up more time for subsequent animation direction work.

……

Tuesday, May 11th.

On the third floor of Musashino, in the conference hall, during the morning meeting.

After everyone finished reporting on their work progress, Masamune took out a prepared document and had Okitsu Yuka distribute it to them one by one.

"Before reading this document, I need to understand the production status of the two animations in this issue."

"Director Kinoshita, Director Takeuchi, how much would it cost our company if we stopped producing the two anime series we're currently working on?"

"Huh...?" Watanabe Hayato looked surprised and couldn't help but say, "President, this is no small matter."

"The contracts have been signed, and TV stations, audio equipment companies, and online distributors are all waiting for our finished products."

“All the timing is planned in advance. If we stop, not only will we lose a lot of money, but Musashino’s reputation will also be seriously damaged.”

Masamune hesitated for a few seconds, then spoke again:

"In that case, I'll ask it another way."

"Currently, we are adopting a model of completing all twelve episodes of animation and sending them to the TV station at once."

"If both anime series in the current season were to switch to a production-as-you-go model, producing the first few episodes first and then extending the deadline for the final twelfth episode to March of next year, it should save a lot of manpower."

"And will the manpower saved be enough to complete this new animation by March next year?"

Kinoshita Seiichi glanced through the script and shook his head slightly:

"President, producing three anime series simultaneously requires too much manpower and experience. Small problems that accumulate will inevitably escalate into many big problems. This anime has 24 episodes, and there's simply no way we can finish it in time."

"Well... based on my personal experience, if this animation were changed to 12 episodes, there should be a good chance of it being completed."

Although Yasuyuki Takeuchi didn't speak and kept flipping through the script, it was clear that he meant the same thing.

Is it impossible to have enough manpower?

Countless thoughts flashed through Masamune's mind, and he soon came up with an idea.

"You guys look at the script first, then figure out exactly how many people we can allocate. I'll go find Adagaki Aki on the other side."

"Her animation company currently only has one animation, Konosuba, so she should have plenty of manpower."

"If that still doesn't work, we'll ask other animation companies for help."

After Masamune left in a hurry, everyone in the meeting hall began to carefully review the script.

Now that the decision has been made to switch the two current anime series to a production-as-you-go format, there will be plenty of time, so there's no need to rush like before.

Page after page, when they turned to the last letter from Kaori Miyazono, several women in the meeting room suddenly choked up.

Kinoshita Seiichi also felt some sadness, but not to the point of bursting into tears like a young woman.

'Why did the president suddenly want to make this anime? Hmm… considering that his previous works were all based on true stories, will this anime be the same?'

What's the current situation of the real-life Kaori Miyazono? Is she lying in a hospital bed, or has she already passed away?

'No! If he's already passed away, there's no need to rush the animation production.'

Thinking of this, Kinoshita Seiichi took out his phone and started searching online.

The next moment, a video of the match between Kaori Miyazono and Kousei Arima appeared on the screen.

Many people around him were doing the same thing.

Kaori Miyazono was born in July. She was 14 years old at the beginning of the year and is now 15 years old. She is currently in her third year of junior high school.

'Is the subsequent plot just the president's speculation? Including that letter?'

'But the contents of that letter, no matter how you look at it, are clearly Kaori Miyazono's confession. Could it have been written already?'

'Wow…! The president's investigative abilities are ridiculously good!'

'If that's the case, then I understand the president's thinking: he wants to take a gamble by producing an animation. After all, it's impossible for fate to allow the female lead of a highly-rated anime to suddenly die after the evaluation.'

At that moment, Kinoshita Seiichi inexplicably felt an immense weight in the script in his hands.

This is no longer an ordinary animation script; it's the life of a young girl in the prime of her life.

Chapter Seventy: Why are you in such a hurry?

"I never expected someone as busy as you to call me. Is there something you need?"

Adagaki Aki stood outside the classroom corridor, barely suppressing the urge to utter a sarcastic remark.

"Excuse me, but I need your help with something. I'll treat you to dinner; you can choose the place."

"Now?"

"That's right. Please give me an answer now, or I'll seek help from others."

"Is this how you ask for a favor? How awful! I'm still at school, waiting. I'll be right there. We'll meet at Musashino Restaurant next to your company, since you're at the company right now, right?"

"Thank you, please."

After hanging up the phone, Adagaki Aki shifted her gaze to Koiwai Yoshino beside her and said with a light laugh:

"Yoshino, let's go to Musashino."

"clear."

When we arrived at the Musashino restaurant by car, a waiter immediately came to greet us.

Led by him, they entered the restaurant on the third floor, and Adagaki Aki was somewhat surprised.

Inside the private room, besides Masamune Hayase and several male employees of his animation company, there were also several middle-aged men.

Although we weren't close, we'd met a few times before through family connections. He was the supervisor of a sound company, the vice president of a television station…

I thought it was a private matter, but now it seems it's actually a business matter?

If it were just about building relationships, they would go to large hotels and be represented by company presidents, not these people specifically in charge of getting things done.

"What's going on?"

"Here's the thing, I want to produce a 24-episode anime by March next year. Musashino doesn't have enough manpower, so I need your company to send someone to help."

? ?

Looking at the script that Masamune handed her, Adagaki Aki didn't even glance at it, but just stared intently at him.

"Why? You can start making another one after you finish the two animations you're currently working on. What's the rush?"

"You'll understand once you read the script." Masamune didn't explain further, but simply gestured for her to look at the script.

"Did you write this yourself?"

"Yes. It's still a bit rudimentary at the moment. We'll need to hire a professional scriptwriter to revise and refine the details later."

"Alright, there's no harm in taking a look."

Adagaki Aki picked up the script and slowly began to read it.

Page after page, until I read the last letter, I finally put down the script with mixed feelings.

People from the other companies also finished reading the script and offered their opinions:

"An excellent script! As a tragedy, it's sure to bring tears to countless viewers' eyes. We have no problem with this project."

"We are the same. Although tragedies don't sell as well as comedies, they are easier to achieve in terms of word-of-mouth."

Seeing that the others had spoken, Adagaki Aki took a deep breath.

Although she knew that Masamune didn't mean it that way, this situation did put her under tremendous pressure.

"Our AL project is almost finished, and we have plenty of manpower. But why should I cooperate with you?"

"It is not only troublesome for two animation companies to collaborate on an animation, but it is also easy for problems to arise in the production process, and the subsequent profits are difficult to distribute."

"Besides, why are you in such a hurry? Whether you sell the script to me or develop it yourself later, you can handle it at your own pace. Why do you have to finish it before March next year?"

"Then it will be too late."

Masamune hesitated for several seconds before slowly speaking:

"Kaori Miyazono and Kousei Arima are real people."

"Although the outcome is my speculation, Kaori Miyazono is in poor health and has a terminal illness, so she will most likely only live until March next year."

? ?

Adagaki Aki paused for a moment, then suddenly realized what she meant, and her expression became unusually serious:

"You want to save people this way?"

"I want to take a gamble."

"Judging from the animation script, you probably don't know each other, right? Why go through all this trouble?"

Do you need a special reason to save someone?