Tokyo: Oreimo

"Well, in any case, if it can restore your spirits, then this part of the story has achieved its intended value."

"What a load of rubbish, all he does is talk nice things." Ling Nai muttered, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

"Speaking of which, since you're already up, why don't you come with me to Kadokawa?"

"The animation production of Cardcaptor Sakura will take into account some of the opinions from the original work. I also have some other matters that I plan to discuss with editor Saito separately."

.....

Having just finished playing Fate/stay night and experienced the baptism of 'Heaven's Feel', Ayano temporarily lost the desire to play the game. Since she had some free time, she decided to go with Ryosuke.

When it comes to providing feedback on animated adaptations, the original artwork is more important than the script.

Since the story was originally based on the TV anime, the anime director in charge of Cardcaptor Sakura doesn't intend to make many changes to Ryosuke's script.

After confirming this, Ryosuke withdrew from the discussion.

Ling Nai stayed behind with great interest, showing considerable interest in the animation's creation process.

The illustrators on the production team also really like her. Most of them are from the original team of "Moon Witch Transformation" and have long been fans of "Rumiko Takashiro". Naturally, they are not stingy in answering any questions.

This was exactly what Ryosuke wanted; that was the purpose of bringing Ryounai along.

If you learn more about the production process and gain more experience, you shouldn't be too unfamiliar with it when you try it yourself in the future, right?

If we build a good relationship, we might be able to recruit talent later when we have enough funds.

After leaving the conference room, Ritsu Saito was already waiting at the door.

"Long time no see, Editor Saito."

"Let's talk at the coffee shop downstairs."

Is it a problem to leave your post without permission during working hours?

"This is something that doesn't matter to me, who has already been marginalized."

Ritsu Saito gave a wry smile and led the way.

After all, if someone leaves their post without permission, there are many excuses they can use to cover it up if no one is watching.

However, if you were caught talking to your next employer in front of a camera inside the company that has recording capabilities, that would be a big problem.

Ten minutes later, the two sat down in the coffee shop.

Saito Ritsu looked at the boy in front of him, who was talking to him so fluently, and still found it somewhat unbelievable.

When I heard him invite me to join his company a couple of days ago, I thought I had misheard.

"So, was that TYPEMOON club at the CM expo a while ago also Takashiro-sensei's creation?"

"Yes, that's right. We've saved up a small amount of capital with this work. Including the royalties from 'Cardcaptor Sakura,' it should be enough to support the company's operations."

Ryosuke didn't hide anything and told Saito Ritsu all his current actions directly.

It won't be easy to successfully recruit the man in front of you. Even if he doesn't become an editor, he could easily join a large animation company instead of a startup that has just started and hasn't achieved anything yet.

"To be honest, it is indeed very tempting to take on a position like animation director directly."

Ritsu Saito had to admit that he was somewhat tempted by Ryosuke's invitation.

Changing jobs without changing careers is an extremely costly thing for a working-class person of his age.

His resume is certainly good enough to join some larger companies, but he would definitely have to start from the bottom. As an animation director, he wouldn't have the opportunity to independently lead a project without working for several years.

If he hadn't been so disheartened by Yamazaki, the chief editor of Kadokawa's manga editorial department, he would never have made the decision to leave Kadokawa.

What he has never cared about is stability; what he hopes for is that his abilities and value will be recognized and he will receive the rewards he deserves.

"Let me make this clear in advance, Editor Saito, regarding your salary, I will temporarily pay you below the industry standard, possibly only two-thirds, because our funds are tight."

Currently, the average annual salary of an animation director is between 5 million and 6 million yen, with monthly salary expenses of around 500,000 yen. Considering that there are still a considerable number of junior animators to recruit, Ryosuke has no choice but to lower the salary.

“I can accept that.”

Ritsu Saito readily agreed.

This salary is indeed much lower than what he currently earns, but it's about the same as what he would earn working as an entry-level employee in a large company.

What he values ​​is the opportunity. Being able to directly serve as the animation director means that he has skipped several years of hard work. For him now, time is the most precious resource.

"Then, can I see the draft?"

Ritsu Saito asked the question that concerned him most.

Now that I've already agreed to Ryosuke's request, it's quite necessary to start preparing in advance so that I can start a project at a new company as soon as I leave Kadokawa in two months.

Being an animation director is not a simple or easy job.

"No problem. Because of the tight schedule, it's a bit hasty. I've only managed to organize the general content of the first three episodes so far."

Ryosuke took a notebook out of his backpack and placed it on the table.

Ritsu Saito took it in his hand, opened the title page, and saw the name of the story written on it.

—Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

Chapter 91 No Longer Alone

A rather simple name.

Judging by the title alone, it's no different from the articles that have been making Nomura complain all the time lately.

In fact, due to the success of the Cardcaptor Sakura manga, Kadokawa has serialized at least three other manga of the same type in its weekly series.

Just like during the "Moon Witch Transformation" era, Cardcaptor Sakura's achievements in the same genre can be described as overwhelmingly dominant.

However, the trend started by Sakura is completely different from before. If Rumiko Takashiro's previous work influenced some manga artists to take the path of selling fanservice, then her later work opened up new ideas for her fellow authors.

Many innovative magical girl themes have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.

Although the story remains largely the same, it at least appeals to a significant portion of readers who are looking for something new.

Ritsu Saito recalled that the author who was crushed in the votes when competing against Cardcaptor Sakura in the monthly awards seemed to have created a new work under the influence of Cardcaptor Sakura.

It has already been serialized for quite some time, and perhaps in a few months it will be adapted into an anime.

"In this market, the chances of launching this kind of subject matter being a hit are very small."

"Because the previous work was so successful, it's not wrong to want to continue making a remake. It's a solid and steady choice, and at least there will be a basic audience."

With this in mind, Ritsu Saito began reading Ryosuke's draft.

“…”

It still uses the comic book NAME format, which is quite familiar to the editor.

"But... even if it's a draft, isn't it too hastily drawn?"

Ritsu Saito's facial muscles twitched slightly.

The notebook contained some crookedly drawn figures, which could be vaguely made out to be people, as well as some rather abstract patterns that seemed to depict monsters.

"...Was this the same NAME you provided when you collaborated with Rumiko-sensei before?"

"Hmm, is the drawing alright? I think as long as the meaning is clear, that's fine."

Ryosuke knew his drawing skills were terrible, but since Ayano could recognize it, there shouldn't be any problem.

Rumiko Takashiro is a genius.

Ritsu Saito rubbed his temples, reinforcing the idea that being able to discern what Ryosuke had drawn in his notebook and turn it into a manuscript truly demonstrated his remarkable talent.

He couldn't understand the meaning behind Ryosuke's drawing at all, so he could only focus on the lines.

My gaze moved across the notebook, and I began to turn the pages.

The story of the first episode begins with a dream of the protagonist, Madoka Kaname.

In her dream, Madoka saw a magical girl fighting.

Because of Ryosuke's drawing, Ritsu Saito couldn't imagine the battle scene, but through the dialogue, he could still see that the magical girl was showing signs of weakness.

Just as the girl was about to be defeated and unable to fight back, a cute and mysterious creature named Kyubey appeared and asked Madoka to sign a contract with it to become a "magical girl".

"Contract beasts? There are already similar works with this concept."

He couldn't help but glance up at Ryosuke.

Some works offer a glimpse into the whole picture, but that clearly doesn't align with my understanding of this bestselling comic book writer.

"It can't be that simple, can it?"

Saito Ritsu continued reading, and the further he read, the deeper his brow furrowed.

The subsequent plot unfolded largely as he had imagined, a fairly ordinary process.

The protagonist begins to be influenced by so-called 'witches,' and magical girls enter her life.

"A classic start, huh? We'll form a contract at the right time, become magical girls, and fight together, right?"

Love and justice, protection and growth have always been the core themes of this genre.

This kind of story is too common in today's market.

Perhaps relying on Rumiko Takashiro's artwork can attract a group of fans, but that would be too boring.

With two previous works by the same author, if it's of this quality and there's nothing new, it might flop spectacularly.

Actually, when I saw the end of the second episode, Ritsu Saito already had the idea of ​​closing the notebook.

The only thing that kept him watching was the magical girl named 'Homura Akemi'.

Unlike Mami Tomoe, another magical girl who maintains order in the city, Homura Akemi is constantly hunting down her contracted beast Kyubey.

"The identity setup from the very beginning suggests that this being is special."

Out of curiosity about the character's motivations, Ritsu Saito turned to the third episode.

The episode begins uneventfully, with the main characters Madoka Kaname and Sayaka accompanying Mami on another witch hunt.

During the process, Ritsu Saito learns the reason why Mami Tomoe became a magical girl.

She was nearly killed in a car accident and made a pact with Kyubey to survive, and has been fighting alone ever since.

"The power of the contract is quite strong, but something feels off?"