Tokyo: Oreimo

Ryosuke stared at the screen for two seconds, then typed a reply.

Ryosuke Takashiro: "What kind of thing? The thing about you calling my name or the thing about you hitting me with a pillow?"

The other party replied almost instantly.

Takashiro Ryōno: "All of them!!!"

Takashiro Ryōno: "What do you mean by 'beyond siblings'? How disgusting!!!!"

Ryosuke chuckled as he looked at the string of exclamation marks on his phone's text message screen.

I had some initial worries, but now it seems they were completely unnecessary. It's as if Ling Nai is still the same Ling Nai, and no animosity has arisen because of this.

Ryosuke edited the text message and replied with "Got it".

Takashiro Ryouno: "ヽ(#`Д')ノ As compensation, you have to help me sort out the matter of watching Madoka Magica with Dad and Auntie!"

"And also, the new manga's NAME! Finish it quickly!"

Looking at the text message, Ryosuke put down his phone, smiled, and shook his head.

When it comes to compensation, Ling Nai is quite adept at taking advantage of the situation.

"Well, never mind, it's not a big deal anyway."

To fool one's parents, any excuse will do; it's easy to get one's mother, Mieko, to accept the claim that the anime is too boring and she doesn't plan to continue watching.

"As for NAME..."

Speaking of which, in fact, Ryosuke has spent most of his time these past few months working on the manuscript for "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya".

After being submitted to Rumi Hayakawa, this work easily won the monthly prize and passed the serialization meeting. It has already been serialized in Kadokawa Magzine for more than ten issues.

The results were naturally good, and Ryosuke had already communicated with Ritsu Saito in advance, planning to take a short two-week break after the completion of the "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" anime production before starting a new project.

The plan is to adapt this work directly into a TV series.

That's why the progress of the manga NAME that Ling Nai promised to do is relatively slow.

However, I recently took advantage of my time during my academic tutoring sessions to draw this, and I've actually finished the beginning quite a bit.

Ryosuke pulled out the NAME manga notebook from the drawer.

Turning to the title page, the draft that comes into view is somewhat abstract, but you can roughly tell that it is a boy wearing a high school uniform.

The title of the work is listed below.

—Death Note.

Chapter 139, so it's 15X?

July 15th, Saturday, 8:45 PM.

Hideo Nomura came out of the bathroom, sat down at the dining table in the living room, opened a can of beer, and then picked up the remote control to turn on the TV.

He switched the TV channel to NHK General TV.

"That Saito guy, he didn't finish his sentence when we last met, saying he'd know after watching the third episode..."

He took a swig of beer, leaned back in his chair, and quietly waited for the commercial to end.

"The first two episodes have already lost a lot of viewers. Even if they have some secret weapon, it won't be easy to win back the previous viewers."

Hideo Nomura thought to himself.

Ever since his meeting with Saito, he has been keeping an eye on "Puella Magi Madoka Magica".

His former colleague was not someone who boasted.

But after actually watching the first two episodes, to be honest, he felt it was a bit bland.

The plot unfolds in a standard way, with beautiful visuals and excellent background music, but the story itself is not very original. The whole work is just a very ordinary magical girl anime, and the theme is also very simple.

Become a magical girl and save the world.

The pacing is also rather slow. Even though Madoka Kaname is the main character, it's already the third episode, and she's still just an ordinary person.

"When Saito said the third episode was exciting, he probably meant that Madoka Kaname would sign the contract in this episode."

Hideo Nomura recalled watching the second episode last week, where Madoka made a brief appearance in the last few seconds of the preview.

She said things like, "If I become a magical girl, my wish will be fulfilled."

"There's been enough buildup so far. There will be a major plot twist in the third episode. Madoka will be very strong after becoming a magical girl, and she'll probably become a captain-level character."

Hideo Nomura would naturally think that way.

Because this has always been the formula for this genre, whether it's "Moon Witch Transformation," "Cardcaptor Sakura," or even the numerous similar works that followed.

Since it is the main character, it must be special, showing its uniqueness from the very beginning.

Time quickly came to 9 o'clock.

The main feature began playing on the television.

"I have to say, even though the quality of the animation itself is not yet apparent, this opening theme song might just become a hit."

The upbeat melody made Hideo Nomura hum along.

The animation continues.

The beginning of the third episode is rather uneventful, mainly focusing on the daily lives of the main characters and Madoka Kaname's longing to become a magical girl.

"It doesn't feel as good as the last episode."

He remembered what happened last week: Mami Tomoe, along with Madoka and Sayaka, fought against the witch, demonstrating the demeanor of a senior.

The animation quality of that battle was extremely high; the ribbon attacks were fluid and graceful, and the scenes of rapid-fire muskets were breathtakingly beautiful.

"The main funds should have been spent on combat, such as special effects synthesis technology."

Hideo Nomura nodded and took another swig of beer.

"That's why the script is slightly inferior. In terms of the visual spectacle of the battles, it is indeed better than Cardcaptor Sakura."

He recalled that day when Ritsu Saito confidently declared that he would claim the crown of the top magical girl series.

"But you can't do it with just that, can you? No matter how beautiful the scene is, it won't help with this kind of thing."

Sakura's popularity has skyrocketed; the anime hasn't even finished airing yet, and overseas streaming services have already contacted her.

Television stations across the sea, both in the West and in the Republic across the coast, are negotiating cooperation, and it is highly likely that the products will be exported overseas in the second half of the year.

By then, its fans will be all over the world, making it even harder to surpass.

"Where does Saito's confidence come from? The first half of this episode has been setting up Madoka Kaname, so we'll have to keep watching to find out."

Then, the plot begins to take a turn.

Sayaka and Madoka discover a Grief Seed about to hatch on the street. After discussing it, Sayaka leaves her location, while Madoka goes to find Mami Tomoe to resolve the disaster.

"Create a crisis to give Madoka Kaname an opportunity to sign a contract?"

Hideo Nomura watched as Mami Tomoe held Madoka Kaname's hand on the screen, the two walking through the labyrinth of the witch's barrier. Madoka Kaname talked about her admiration for her senior and her wish to become a magical girl.

"The voice actor's skills are quite good, but the dialogue is really hard to believe."

Hideo Nomura put down his beer and frowned.

Because she felt useless and wanted to become useful so she could help others, she decided to become a magical girl.

"As expected, it's still this kind of wish for love and justice, so cliché. But speaking of which, compared to the protagonist, the character of Mami Tomoe is quite well-developed."

At this point, if I were to turn off the TV and stop watching, I doubt I would forget this character anytime soon.

The previous episode also devoted a lot of screen time to showing the character's loneliness in fighting alone and expressing his longing for companions.

"I'm not someone worth admiring."

On the television screen, Mammal was frozen in place.

"I'm just forcing myself to put on a show. Even if I'm scared and sad, there's no one I can confide in. I can only cry alone."

"Being a magical girl is no easy job."

"....."

"Will you really fight alongside me from now on?"

Hideo Nomura couldn't help but sigh as he listened to Mami Tomoe's lines in the anime.

"This character is really well-developed; he might even become more popular than the main character."

"If you still haven't decided on a wish after we defeat this witch, let Kyubey treat you to cake, and then we can all have a party. It'll be a memento of the formation of my magical girl duo with Madoka!"

On television, Mami Tomoe's joy almost overflowed the screen, and Nomura, sitting at the dining table, could clearly feel that emotion emanating from the character herself.

It's a very exciting development, but... something just feels off?

"Did that line just now set a flag for the future?"

In any case, Hideo Nomura is also a manga editor.

He'd seen too many plots that set up foreshadowing, but in magical girl stories, they usually only hinted at it and didn't actually let important characters get into trouble.

After all, this is a magical girl anime, and there are quite a few children among its audience.

"etc....."

He suddenly realized something and glanced at the upper right corner of the TV, where the number 15X was clearly marked.

Hideo Nomura noticed from the beginning that this anime had an age restriction.

He had previously thought it was a mistake by the TV station, since magical girl themes have always been suitable for all ages and he had never heard of any restrictions.

How could an animation that promotes love and justice be restricted to certain ages?

"No way?"

Hideo Nomura held a beer can in his hand, his eyes fixed on the television screen.

After Mami Tomoe transformed, she launched a magnificent battle. The witch was completely powerless against her and seemed about to be easily defeated when she went all out.

Am I overthinking it?

He relaxed.