Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Chapter 4 | There Are Various, Many Different | Remake our Life!
Part 1
On the last day of the school festival, Kawasegawa Eiko showed up wearing a blazer uniform.
A surprised Nanako is the first to speak out.
"Eh, what happened to that?"
"I'm sure we didn't have a costume like this in stock, but ...... I mean, isn't this fabric insanely good! It's like the real unif......"
Saikawa, who was about to say something, then gasped and stopped speaking.
When I looked, I saw that Kawasegawa's face was very flushed.
"I-I'm sorry I brought out my high school uniform. Well, you know, the customer who came told me that a blazer would look good on me, so"
Kawasegawa did her best to say those words, and then she gasped and looked at everyone's faces.
All of the staff at the cosplay cafe were looking at Kawasegawa with grins on their faces, and she just noticed it now.
"Uuuuwh~~~~~!!"
With the cutest groan I have ever heard, Kawasegawa ran off somewhere.
"Eiko, is she okay, will she come back?"
Nanako was giggling and seemed concerned, at least.
"It's okay! Kawasegawa-senpai is already completely addicted to cosplay, and she even asked me about the event yesterday!"
"Event! Really?"
Uhm, Kawasegawa, who at first got angry just by being seen in costume......
"It's true! But when I asked her if she wanted to join us, she said, "Don't be silly!" I was a bit hasty with that. From the way she reacted, I thought if I pushed her, she'd fall right away."
Saikawa nods and tilts her head. No, that probably only needed one more push.
"Today is the last day and Kawasegawa-san is very popular, so it looks like a lot of people will be coming~"
At Shinoaki's words, Hiyama-san nodded heavily.
"No, really, I know that it will be a tough day for everyone, so if you find it a bit hard, just tell me straight away and take a break. If necessary, I'll even put the shop on hold while you get ready. It's a festival after all, so let's enjoy it without overdoing it!"
Everyone replied, "Yes," and the last day of the school festival finally began.
As expected, or perhaps more than expected, the cosplay café was a great success.
Following the success of last year's maid cafe, there was a surge in other circles doing OO cafe type events this time, but there were no blind spots for Art Club, which had firmly upgraded and made use of the learning from its mistakes.
However, the success of the shop openings means that, as a matter of course, the frontline is all the more outrageous.
"Ye~s, customers No. 3 to 7, thank you for waiting! Let the customers thro~ugh! Eh, we can't let them through yet? Sorry, sorry! Customers 3 to 7, please wait over here~, ah, please don't sit down~!"
"Welcome! This is the menu, wait? There isn't? Hey, where's the menu? Over there? I don't get it!"
"Sugimoto~! I'm finished here, so go wash the dishes! Kakihara, go help with the line-up, and kick that idiot's *ss who's loitering outside and knock him inside!"
"Sorry to have kept you waiting, this is the rich milk tea~, it's hot, so be careful...... Ah, this was iced tea...... I must have got it wrong, fufu."
"Thank you for waiting for your order. Fruit parfaits and pancakes. Ah, you were here yesterday too...... Well, yes, hastily prepare a blazer ...... no way, this doesn't suit me......"
"Oh, no, this waiting line is full, so I'll send the earliest people inside!"
"Hey, you can leave the menu here, here!"
"I can't stand it anymore! I'm going to slap Kiryu on the head a bit!"
"This time, it's really hot~"
"H-Haah? A swimsuit? There's no way I'm wearing it!"
Putting aside to what extent the lessons learned from the previous event were put to good use, or rather, whether this huge success was because the lessons learned were put to good use, the noisy but fun Art Club cosplay cafe was apparently going to be a great success.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 2
"Fuaah, I'm tired......"
When the shift is over, the three of them finally take a break, and they all take a deep breath.
"Kyoya, what time is the screening after this?"
"It's 15:00. So I guess the store will close in about an hour."
In the end, after discussing it with Hiyama-san yesterday, we decided to close the cosplay café early.
"I see, that's a shame. If it had been open a little longer, Sayuri-nee would have wanted to come too."
"Heh, I didn't know that."
Sayuri-san ended up following Tsurayuki and started living with him.
However, Tsurayuki is basically at the university or in the share house, and it seems that she has also vowed not to do anything that would interfere with the production, as she used to do before, so she rarely comes over anymore.
So, Sayuri-san, who had some free time on her hands, decided to attend university again, in the form of a transfer. It is a well-known school for young ladies in Osaka, and she goes there every day in a chauffeur-driven car.
"Well, if she came, she'd say she wanted me to wear this dress too, and it would be a hassle, so I'm glad to hear that, yeah."
It is very easy to imagine.
"I'm glad that things seem to be going well...Tsukiyuki..."
"Kawasegawa, when you say that with your tired face and voice, it sounds like you're on the verge of death, so cheer up a bit more, okay?"
Indeed, Kawasegawa, sitting deep in her chair, staring at the ceiling with her mouth half open in a daze, had lost all her usual aura.
"Don't be unreasonable ......, on top of all the things I'm not used to, I'm confronted with words I wouldn't normally say, so my brain can't handle it......"
If I kept being told that I was cute, beautiful and asked to have my photo taken in an unfamiliar waitressing role, I thought, surely my brain would explode.
"Well, it's almost over, so let's do our best......Oops, it's a phone call."
An electronic tone from Tsurayuki's mobile phone made him sit up.
"I'll leave my seat for a moment. Hello."
He left the room, leaving me alone with Kawasegawa.
"What? .....Are you laughing at me too?"
"I just look at your face. I am not laughing"
With a wry smile,
"By your looks, should I ask you about the research later?"
The moment I said that,
"Wait a minute! The sooner the better, I'll do it now."
Kawasegawa, whose soul had almost gone out of her mouth a moment ago, suddenly opened her eyes with a snap and came back to life quickly.
Apparently, what Kawasegawa needed was a task, not a rest.
(She's going to be a workaholic when she becomes a member of society.)
Or rather, that's exactly what she looked like 10 years later when I saw her before.
Even if she were living in a world line that didn't involve me, I feel like she would always be groaning and worrying about her work.
"Etto, then, first of all, could you please show me the data for the entire period that I requested?"
Kawasegawa nodded and took a paper document from her tote bag.
"Yes, this is the whole period. From the pages after that, it's details every other day, so just pick up what you want."
"Thank you."
The document I received contained a list of recent NicoNico videos.
I pick out a few videos by genre, and I also ask her to attach a graph showing the number of views, comments and My Lists for each of them.
"...Looks like it could work"
I checked the overall trend and confirmed once again that my 'strategy' was correct. Now all that could be done in advance was done.
"Looks like that. It was exactly what you were aiming for."
"Thank you, Kawasegawa. I'm sorry for asking you so much."
"Nothing special......It's okay, I'm used to this kind of thing."
"Hmph," Kawasegawa replied casually as usual.
Just then, Tsurayuki returns to the room after finishing the phone call.
"Sorry, I had to leave my seat suddenly."
"Your errands, were they all right?"
"Yeah, it was just a wrong call. So? What is that document?"
I also explained it to Tsurayuki.
"That's amazing, Kyoya, you even prepare for something like this."
"It was Kawasegawa who arranged it for me. I only asked for it."
"It's amazing that you even think about doing research. No need to humble yourself."
I thought it was a Kawasegawa-like way of saying it.
"Now all we have to do is wait for the screening."
Despite what I said, I still felt anxious.
If the work of Koroda and his team was so full of charm that it kicked off all the petty tricks...
All this data and whatnot will end up in vain.
(I guess it's like this all the time before you release your work out there.)
I thought I could understand a little bit why producers had stomach problems and relied on alcohol.
There are only 3 hours left until the screening.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 3
I had seen most of the school festivals, so I came to the screening venue first.
It was a good place to take a nap, with nice chairs, good air conditioning and the occasional boring film as a lullaby.
However, I have to watch it with my team today, and there's a noisy person next to me, so I can't sleep.
"It's finally today, I’m looking forward to the screening, dude."
Morito was more excited than usual.
When this guy is in this state, it's a sign that something not so good is about to happen.
"All I see is a win with a full house of people applauding! Right, Kuroda."
"How many times do I have to say it before you understand? Don't be too optimistic, don't let your guard down, never."
"M-My bad."
I knew it was a bad habit.
"It's not just about winning and losing, of course, but also about making sure that our work is really good, and that the other teams' work has a charm that ours doesn't have, the people on the production team have to watch it carefully before they can move on to the next stage."
When I explained the obvious, Morito made a face like "Hou...".
"You're amazing, Kuroda."
"It's obvious. I mean, what kind of eyes have Morito been watching so far?"
Morito scratched his head,
"No... It was like interesting and boring eyes, I thought"
I want to hold my head in my hands.
Well, maybe I was wrong to ask too much of this guy. Morito looks like this, he keeps the schedule properly, reports are good, and he is also good at creating excitement and can be a motivator for the team.
During the first production in my first year, I saw that this guy was making a phone contact chart even though no one was saying anything, and I checked that he was a guy who could do that kind of movement, so I called him out.
(That said, the whole point of making the contact network was so he could get the girls' contact details...)
When I found out his true intentions, I thought about strangling him, but I decided that many of the people who are aggressive against the opposite sex are monsters of communication, and I shouldn't let them do it within the team.
"Well, watch it while taking notes, because you never know what's going to happen."
"Oh! Leave it to me."
Even though there were still three hours until the screening, Morito quickly began to unfold his notes.
Let's just say that this kind of dumbness is part of his charm.
"Oh, what's going on, are you planning something before the screening?"
As expected, bad things happened.
"Ah, Kanou-sensei, chi~ssu!! You're looking very erotic today!"
(This guy......Should I have killed him?)
Morito gave a greeting that could not have been more flirtatious on a global scale.
"Shut up, Morito, don't talk like that in other departments, okay?"
The teacher also smiled bitterly and dismissed it as something that didn't matter. This unlikability of Morito must be a natural thing, I'm sure.
"Hello, sensei."
"Good work. As expected, getting to the venue three hours in advance is a bit early, isn't it?"
"Hihih, I don't have anything in particular to do, so it's okay."
"Yeah, this is a good place to take a nap."
So you used it too, I thought to myself, almost commenting.
"Well, don't do anything bad."
Sensei said that and walked away, waving her hands.
"Ha~, I knew she was sexy, Kano-sensei. Don't you think so too, Kuroda?"
"I think you're the only one who looks at that teacher that way."
"Seriously! She's beautiful, has big breasts, isn't she the best!"
Without any irony or anything, I think life would be fun if I could live like this.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 4
The break time was over, and it was decided that all the staff would come out to the store.
The situation was so bad that we had to make a sudden change in our schedule because it would have been too much of a burden if we had continued to work the same shift.
While everyone else was working at a hectic pace, I became the person who did nothing but cleans up afterwards.
(But it's a lot of work.....)
All I had to do was clean up the empty dishes, wash them and serve them, but it was hard because the amount of dishes was just overwhelming and the dishes were not replaceable, so I had to be careful not to break them.
Anyway, let's focus on what's in front of us now. The next moment I made that decision,
"Oh, Hashiba! Can I talk to you for a second?"
Hikawa, wearing the armband of the executive committee, burst into the back room.
"H-Hikawa? Is it okay if you don't stay in that tent over there?"
"No problem, I'm just looking for someone! Don't you remember three girls in school uniforms coming in here?"
Not only do I have no recollection of it, but there were so many customers with such combinations.
"I don't know, maybe they were here, but I have no idea when."
"I-I see, my bad! Good luck then!"
With a pat on the shoulder, Hikawa quickly flew off somewhere.
"Maybe they're lost or something......"
I was a little curious as to what the purpose was, but forgot all about it as I washed the dishes.
The last 30 minutes of the event was a real rush, and the mixed-cosplay cafe ended with an even greater success than last year.
"Thank you all for coming!"
At the end, the entire staff bowed while the last customers applauded to a splendid grand finale.
Closing the entrance door, Hiyama-san looks around the store, which is now staffed only, and praises everyone.
"Well, good work everyone... Let's have a big party~."
Everyone, perhaps exhausted, replied with a smiling but weak voice, "Yey".
"Everyone was so cute this time too. It was nice to watch."
Shinoaki says happily.
"A-A-Aki-san, could you please call me one last time in the style of a fox girl......"
Saikawa clung to Shinoaki and pleaded.
Shinoaki smiled and nodded, giving her a soft angelic smile.
"Minori-chan, why don't you take a good rest with me-noja......"
Saikawa wrapped herself in Shinoaki's big tail, which was attached to her hips, and soothed her with the "noja" words that she had practiced and gotten so good at.
"Hiiiiih...... I-I'm so happy......"
Saikawa has already sunk. She strokes Shinoaki's tail over and over and is completely spoiled by her.
"Nanako's costume, it's good... It's cool and cute."
Touching the princess knight's armor, Kawasegawa repeatedly admired it.
The silver plate part was so textured that it was hard to believe it was made of styrofoam, and the bright red skirt was solidly made of high-grade fabric.
"Right! She nailed something that would normally be cheap."
The girl in question was moaning happily as she was wrapped around Shinoaki's body.
"Well, there's no doubt that Saikawa has a talent in this area."
Kawasegawa seemed to have no choice but to admit it honestly, and she evaluated her with a sigh.
"No, but this time, you know?"
Nanako looks at Kawasegawa and grins.
Before long, the eyes of Shinoaki, Saikawa, and Hiyama-san also turned to Kawasegawa.
"I-I didn't do anything special! I was just trying to make the customer happy with my unaccustomed behavior......"
She still tried to make excuses, but I guess she realized it was futile.
"Fine, I'll accept it now that we've come this far."
The hem of the skirt that she brought on her own is arranged in a cinched position,
"It was a little, or rather, quite fun, cosplay café."
It was the moment when everyone was excited.
Although Kawasegawa herself suggested it, at first I wasn't sure if she would enjoy cosplay in the first place. Now, however, it was confirmed by her own mouth.
(I'm glad you enjoyed it, Kawasegawa)
At first, she resisted so much, but now she is able to say so, so I'm glad I did.
"Senpai! I was sure you would join in! Anyway, there is an event called Cosplay Square Autumn Festival at Ontex Osaka in December, and there is still time to apply for participation."
"I'm not going! Saikawa~~~~~ It looks like I need to give you a little education later!"
Kawasegawa's angry hands began to pinch Saikawa's cheeks.
"Ahih! Ouch, ouch! Byut, byut, byut, if shenpai have awakened to cosplay, this much pain is nothing, hyaa!"
Even though Saikawa was in pain, he was smiling in ecstasy. Female Kiryu......When I call him that, I guess I do feel sorry for him, after all.
"However, I'm a bit tired, and I can't even raise my arms anymore."
"I know. I have sore muscles too."
Tsurayuki and I both smile bitterly.
"Well~ But everyone looks so tired! I'm not that tired, but I guess that's the difference in physical strength!"
"You just don't work!"
Kiryu-san and Hiyama-san are performing a familiar couple manzai.
"More importantly, everyone in the film department is about to attend a screening, right?"
Kakihara-san's words were met with a startled reaction from the members of the film department.
"Right, we have the last big one coming up."
Tsurayuki stood up with a tired look on his face.
"Alright, then let's all go together. Will Shinoaki go together too?"
"Yeah, I'll go with Nanako and the others ~"
"Ah, I’m in a different department too, but I’d love to!"
"Saikawa is a staff member, and there's a seat for you, so don't worry."
I still wanted to bask in the afterglow of the cosplay cafe's success a little longer, but it was time to head back to the venue.
"Then, let's go. Let's go change our clothes......"
The moment Kawasegawa said that, her cell phone rang.
"Hello......? Ah, yes, you're here now. Okay, I'll be at the entrance later, yes."
The call ended quickly, but,
"I'm sorry, it seems that the contractor who arranged for additional ingredients is coming to the venue, so I'll just say hello to them."
"Right, well, we'll go ahead and wait for you."
So, the members of Team Kitayama △, with the exception of Kawasegawa, were the only ones to head to the venue.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 5
At that time, inside the tent of the school festival executive committee, a scene of chaos was unfolding.
"What's the matter! You said you were supposed to come, but you never came!"
A man with a mohawk wearing a committee chairman's tag was yelling with a bit of anger.
"I knew we had to get them into the venue at noon and keep them."
"I think they are already excited and added alcohol, probably."
"If it had been a Miss Drinking Contest, she wouldn't have been absent, would she?"
Laughter erupted, but it died down when the chairman glared.
"Chairman, this is bad. I couldn't find them anywhere!"
Just then, Hikawa returned to the tent and gave his report.
"I guess it's no good after all... It can't be helped, we have no choice but to move up the number of candidates by one and hold the event."
"Right......"
Although they managed to secure participants for the Miss Geidai contest, this year's contest was rough from the start, with some participants who could not be contacted and others who suddenly had to withdraw from the contest.
Nevertheless, they managed to get 15 people to participate in the event, but on the day of the event, cancellations occurred. The phone calls were not answered, and the only information they had was that they were dressed in school uniforms on the day of the event, so they were completely screwed.
"Well, it's not impossible to do it with 14 people, but we had originally set up a timetable with the full number of people, so please give us a break from doing something like this."
The chairperson of the committee who planned the event is disappointed and shrugs his shoulders. The event itself may have a jokey atmosphere, but the people running it are well organized. It would be sad if people thought it was a joke.
"Somehow, is there anyone who can take her place or something......"
"We've only got about 30 minutes left. As expected, we're just about to start."
Just as they were about to despair, a student from the music department unexpectedly raised his hand.
"Ah, we can go! A first year student from my department is willing to participate! She's just dressed up in her school uniform, so she can appear as she is in her profile!"
"Are you serious!"
Everyone present involuntarily stood up.
"Ah, but I can't go because I have to go to the venue now, can I ask someone to go get her?"
"What about you, Hikawa?"
"Excuse me, I'm going to the screening in my department."
"Alright, then Mizuno and Saito, you guys can go for a minute. The first-year students have cell phones, right? Do you have the number?"
"Ah, since it's not right for me to tell you without her permission, I'll ask her what she's wearing and what she's like."
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 6
"I wonder if this place is okay for a meet-up......I hope they know."
I had come to the main entrance of the university, in front of Building 11, to wait for the vendor. I wish I could have specified the location more precisely, but the vendor's cell phone was having trouble connecting, and when I called back later, it stayed disconnected.
Well, if they don't show up after waiting 10 minutes or so, I'll go to the screening venue first.
Still, I feel like I've been getting a lot of stares since a while ago. Is it because of this uniform?
"I never thought of it in high school, but I guess uniforms do have that effect."
I've seen on the internet that just wearing it increases the value by 50% or something like that. As for the person in question, I didn't really like it because I thought it was easier to move around in plain clothes.
"Now that I look at it, it's cute, isn't it? ......"
If I met myself back then, I felt its appeal again, so much so that I would like to talk somewhat about this good thing. So I no longer think anything of wearing a uniform at a cosplay cafe, and in fact, I am glad I had the opportunity.
"I think I'll tell Saikawa as well......"
Maybe not right away, but maybe after a little more time, it would be nice to attend such an event. I didn't have really any hobbies to begin with.
"Uhm~ Excuse me"
"Yes......?"
While I was thinking about something, a voice suddenly called out to me.
Two young-looking boys were staring at my outfit.
(I wonder if they like uniforms)
Although they are looking at me and trying to check the notes in their hands.
As I was wondering, one of the boys tilted his head,
"You're the one who made the appointment, right?"
"Oh, yes...... I do."
Finally, they came. I don't have much time, so I just have to say hello and hurry.
(Areh......However)
They are oddly young for vendors, but I wonder what this means.
Also, I'm pretty sure the voice on the other end of the line was an old man's, but is this his son or something?
"See, I knew it. She's wearing a uniform and it's a blazer."
"Right, but that doesn't sound like the characteristics we heard, does it?"
What on earth are they talking about?
The moment I was about to open my mouth to check again,
"Uwah, we don't have much time, let's go!"
"Uhm, where exactly are we going?"
"I’m sorry, but please hurry!"
"Eh, ah, yes!"
I wonder what it is, maybe it's about payment or something.
I followed them as they ran around the venue, not understanding what was going on.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 6
The screening venue was already filled with people.
In addition to the staff and related seats that had been prepared earlier, there were several guest seats on both sides.
To one of them, there is a fat man sitting,
"I didn't expect you to come. Thank you for your hard work."
Kanou Misaki approached and called out to him.
"Isn't it about time for you to be the moderator, sensei? Thank you for your hard work."
The man complimented Kano in a soft, warm voice.
"Well, I don't have much free time, but I'm still no match for Horii-kun. I read the article on PS Tsushin the other day."
"Ah, about that. Well, I've already talked to President Matsuhira about letting me do as I please, and depending on how the conversation goes, the company may end up doing the same."
"Are you quitting?"
"I mean, that's a possibility. In any case, by the time the juniors there reach the top, the Japanese game will have changed."
Horii said as he gently patted his head. Perhaps because of the hardships he has endured, his hair has become quite sparse in his 30s.
This way
"Junior, huh...... I guess it's Kou-kun. He's complicated too."
"Well, enough about the company. I'm looking forward to today. It looks like we've got some good material for the first time in a while."
"Yeah, I think you can look forward to it. Well then, it's time to go."
"Yes, see you later."
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 7
Despite the large number of people inside the venue, there was a strange silence.
The fact that there were many people from the general public, rather than just the usual departments, may have made the atmosphere more like that of a regular movie theater.
"She is late, Kawasegawa."
Although she said she would be there later, Kawasegawa did not show up in time in the end.
Even though she could enter in the middle, I thought it was not like her.
"I wonder if she had some kind of incident."
Nanako tilts her head.
"It's that Kawasegawa that knocks on a stone wall, breaks it down, and builds it herself. I'm sure she's doing it carefully, and I don't think there's any danger."
"Oh, I think so too! She's an ironclad woman!"
I don't understand what Hikawa said, but I didn't think there was any incident either.
"Well, maybe she's caught up in a long conversation with the vendor. Ah, it's started."
The venue became even more silent.
A familiar-looking woman in a black suit appeared on stage and spoke with a microphone in her hand.
"Thank you all for taking the time to visit us, to all of you who are free. Welcome to the screening of the Department of Film and Visual Arts!"
It was a comment that was more moderate than usual, but the audience seemed to laugh at it.
"This screening will be part of a video production class for second-year students in the Department of Film and Visual Arts. Let me give you a brief description......"
The production period, production and screening of the first and second parts, and collaboration with NicoNico Douga. The things so far talked about have been confirmed once again.
"Yes, you can view the films you saw here today on your PC browser as soon as you get home. It's a convenient world we live in now, isn't it."
The venue was filled with voices of "Oh~".
(And then, in a few years, there will come a time when you can watch it on your cell phone on the way home.)
The first model of that iPhone will be released next year. From then on, the era of the smartphone will come in one fell swoop, from the PC to the smartphone.
I am constantly reminded that we are living in an era of great change.
"As for the work, if it is good, applaud, if it is bad, boo or not respond, or, well, as long as you don't shout dirty things, you are free to watch it as you like. However......"
The teacher grinned and paused,
"Your name will not be mentioned in the comments on Nico Nico Douga, so please feel free to comment as you like."
The audience was shocked by this.
Yes, there will be no reluctance or anything, and honest raw opinions will come out.
(We'll see what the results are there...)
I clenched both fists tightly.
"I'm nervous."
Nanako, right next to me, also had her hands clasped in her lap in the same way.
"Ah, I guess so."
I glanced at Shinoaki, who was sitting a bit in front of me.
When she entered the venue, she exchanged words with the staff of the Kuroda group and joined them in the line. Now she was laughing as she and the female staff members talked about their work.
(Can we finally see the work of Kuroda and his team?)
Of course, I am looking forward to seeing the other works, but if it is limited to the competition, I have narrowed it down to two works: our team and the Kuroda team.
"So let's begin. Let's start right away with the first work."
With the announcement of entry number 1, the title of the work and the team name were announced, and the hall quietly went dark after the buzzer sounded.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 8
At the venue, films were screened one after another.
Surprisingly, and it would be rude to say this, the other teams' works had also generally improved over the past six months to a year. There were no longer any productions that had technical difficulties in terms of composition or difficult-to-understand dialogue, but rather, they had been brought up to the level of a pure contest of quality. In fact, there were many works that made me curious about the production process while I was watching them.
(That's because everyone is people who have been chosen......)
Right now, we and Kuroda team are more or less in the lead, but who knows what will happen over the next year or two as we continue to take classes and work on the project.
If we are not careful, we will be quickly surpassed. This screening was a valuable reminder of that resolve.
And the time has finally come.
Even the people in the audience know what the next work will be. As a result, there was a lot of commotion compared to the reactions to previous works.
"Entry number 9, a work by the Kuroda group, "Blue Planet"."
An announcement was made, and the atmosphere in the venue became tense.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 9
August. Production on the first film had finally settled down, and it was time to move on to production on the second work.
"This is the theme for the second work. Everyone, please look at the materials at hand."
In a conference room in the city, the only sound is the quiet turning of papers.
On the paper, it was written, "Create a planet."
All the staff look at me at once, wondering what I'm talking about.
I felt confident and started talking about the subject.
In the first work, we depicted a forest submerged in water. The main character is a girl who can freely move around in the water.
Given the quality of the work, I expected to receive a lot of rave reviews. But what I was thinking about was the critical response.
In short, by cutting other character descriptions other than hers, the work can be taken any way, it only gives out themes and does not give solid answers, it degenerates into a cliché as a post-apocalyptic ......, and so on.
I thought something like that would come, and as expected, that kind of opinion came out. How difficult it is to show a video depicting water and how much message is packed into a 5 minute video, and it's the height of stupidity, interpreting all those things to suit your own criticisms.
So, I decided.
I wanted to use my ability to ridicule the kind of criticism that people would receive from the first work.
The film depicts the existence of civilization, which was not shown in the previous film, and multiple characters. The main character, a half-fish girl, was given wings and made to soar in the sky. The time was extended from 5 to 15 minutes, and the director and I worked together many times to make sure there were no loose ends in any of the cuts.
However, it goes without saying that Shino's presence was the most amazing thing of all.
She was the one who suddenly said, "I want to do something different next time," referring to the water expression she had drawn in the previous work. Since I had originally planned to do something different, the conversation was quick.
In the brainstorming session on what to draw, she suggested "density". In the previous work, she had considered how to lay out the work on a white screen, but this time she wanted to condense it.
"There are many characters, and I want them all to move separately, so that none of them are the same, is that possible?"
Since she was saying it like that, all I could say was, "Let's do it."
However, considering the usual situation, if such a thing were to be done in animation, it would require the best animation and coloring staff in Japan. So I made a counter-proposal to Shino.
"For the scenes you really want to do, I want Shino to do the coloring and even the animation."
I knew that this was also reckless. Both the director and Morito told me it was not a good idea. But I was convinced. This work was only possible with Shino's presence. Therefore, I knew that I had to be prepared to die with her at the critical moment, or else it would never work.
After much consideration, I persuaded the other staff members to make a proposal to Shino.
"Okay~ And that's what I intended to do."
As usual, she answered with a smile. Outrageous, I thought.
I was introduced to a senior student at the university who worked at an animation studio in Tokyo, and we worked out the animation production flow, procurement of equipment, and a plan for marketing the film as a stand-alone project. That part was nothing special.
Thus we made a big level up from the forest to the planet.
This was a clear declaration of war against the cowards and those who only have a cynical view of everything.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 10
At the beginning, a blue sky was displayed on the screen.
The previous work was on the sea, and this time it seems to be in the sky, but from here on the stage changes rapidly. Uniquely developed maritime cities, floating gardens in the sky, winged humans. An exciting flood of visuals comes first, and then a story linked to the first work unfolds.
The main character, a girl with fins on her legs, reappears and moves around in all directions this time. Moreover, this time it is not in the water, but in the sky. Flying all over the place, from the grasslands to between buildings in the heart of the city. The girl moves as if in a dream, as if foreseeing all the sensations of the viewer who wants to do this.
The story of the previous game was not as dense, but this time it was well followed.
A race of winged humans and a girl who is their chief. Her little sister, the protagonist, who had left the tribe in hopes of remaining free, returns to her homeland in a crisis of the species and moves around for the chief. The conversation between the sisters was short, sad, and beautiful.
In the end, after everything is resolved, the protagonist returns to the sea again. She gave her older sister, who had held her back so many times, a jewel as a memento so that they would never forget each other. At the end, when they held it up to the sky together, the word "FIN" appeared in white letters in the sky.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
After the screening ended, the audience responded with thunderous applause. The applause continued for what seemed like endless minutes.
Shinoaki shook hands with the staff around her and smiled and laughed the whole time. Without a doubt, this is one work that will greatly enhance her name.
"......Eh, what's this......"
Nanako's mouth was open with a stunned expression on her face.
"Da*mn, this is crazy, I heard that it would be powered up from the first work, but they put something incredible...!"
Tsurayuki looked frustrated and repeatedly slammed his fist into his knee.
"What's this, Hashiba, do you know how they make this?"
Hikawa seemed unable to believe that the same student had made this.
And more than anyone else, the work made a strong impression on...,
"Amazing......It's amazing, I... I'm glad I liked Aki-san and her drawings......"
...Saikawa.
She kept sobbing and looking at the screen, which had already finished and turned completely white.
She has strong feelings for Shinoaki, so it is not surprising that she was moved when confronted with this overwhelming level of perfection.
(They've been so thorough that I wonder if they have to go this far.)
Of course, we knew in advance that it would be of high quality.
However, to be honest, I never thought that it would become something like this, where they didn't say anything, and attacked with their own strength.
In the face of this overwhelming work, can we fight with our strategy?
"Are we going to fight this? We're... not going to like it."
Tsurayuki says, with a sullen look on his face.
"How about you, Kyoya? As expected, you can't say anything?"
I nodded,
"Yes, I can't say anything."
"Oi oi, what are you going to do with that? Then......"
"So, it’s okay."
"Eh?"
"Well, just watch."
Tsurayuki tilts his head and looks like he has a lot of "?" marks on his head.
Yeah, well, that's true. I don't know how I could say it's good under the circumstances.
But I was confident. Under these circumstances, under these conditions, we should be able to compete well.
(The answer will come later......)
Finally, the noise in the venue quieted down and the last work was screened.
"Entry number 10, Team Kitayama △ (Try)'s work..."
The venue announcement began to play. This marks the end of the long production period.
"It's [The Song of the Starry Sky]"
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 11
What has been the biggest change in video production over the past 10 years?
I have not studied it professionally, so I can't say anything difficult, but I can say one thing for sure.
That is, the video has changed from "something that can be seen one-sidedly" to "something that can be seen, felt, and sympathized with."
In the past, video was something to be viewed in groups. As the medium changed, it gradually shifted to the individual, and the distance between people became shorter and shorter. I think the extremes of this shift were smartphones and video sites.
When I heard about this assignment, and the fact that it was supposed to be uploaded on Nico Nico Douga, I decided on a major theme.
That is,
"I'm going to drag everybody onstage."
That was the idea.
"But how do you do that?"
Tsurayuki asked the obvious question.
"Well, even though you said it was a stage, we can't even call it that."
"Because they don't know that we call them."
Saikawa and Nanako are also scratching their heads.
I agree with all those opinions,
"I think everyone's doubts are all true. There are no answers to what to do, and even if you say, "Come here,'' I don't think things will go the way you want."
"So, what should we do?"
Hikawa crossed his arms as he thought,
"Hashiba is saying this after knowing everything about that."
His usual sighs, and a wry smile.
Kawasegawa says with a look of certainty.
"Tell me what you plan to do, Hashiba."
I nodded heavily.
"I would like to mention one more theme. That is"
This is the weapon.
And as well as being a weapon, it can also be a deadly weapon that can cause harm to ourselves.
Although it is a solo creative, but involves others to a large extent.
For that purpose, a forbidden box whose content has not been opened until now.
"It's —— empathy."
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 12
A world where everything, even the end, is lost.
After continuing to walk and getting exhausted, she meets a diva and tries to sing.
But she is trying to say something, but the words are not coming out.
No matter how much she tries to imagine the scene, there is only a gray world in her mind.
No color, no smell, no contrast, not even anything she can touch with her hands or feel on her skin, she has none in the first place.
But still, she wanted to sing.
Desire from nothingness comes out of her mouth as a cry, and she gradually regains her words.
From "A" to "I". And then "Ai".
The letters that are connected eventually become words and then songs.
Little by little, really little by little, the world begins to regain its shape and color.
It was us and everyone.
A world where things often don't go as planned.
What can we do, what can we say?
This is what I tried to do with Tsurayuki once.
We do this to a very large collective of consciousness.
It is not intrusive, but piercing.
This is a story, not a tale.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Nanako created and sang a perfectly crafted piece of music that gradually transformed from faltering, fragile words into a song of utmost delicacy. Tsurayuki also put his own feelings into the words and fully expressed the world that was gradually being created.
Creating the visuals was extremely difficult. Saikawa struggled over and over again to create an image that would eventually gain color from the gray.
Our editing team took the best of the material and made it into a video. The song alone was 7 minutes long, and the entire video was 10 minutes long.
I was a little worried about the first impression of the work, since it was after the Kuroda group's work, but the music created by Nanako firmly grasped the audience's hearts and minds. By the time 2~3 minutes had passed, the audience was completely drawn into the world of the work.
(It's a great strength, Nanako, Tsurayuki, and Saikawa.)
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
And the story reaches its climax.
The girl who regained her singing with the songstress Meku,
Eventually, she tries to revive the fullness of stars in the lost sky.
If your prayers are answered, I'm sure the sky will be filled with stars.
At Meku's words, the girl sings with all her might,
Please bring the stars to this sky.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
As the song gains momentum, the development gathers to that one point.
Now, the audience at this screening venue is also wondering what kind of starry sky they will see,
With their hearts boiling, they waited for the final development.
Come on, show me. The best development. The starry sky that the girl thinks of.
As the chorus ended, the girl spread her arms.
Then the camera was pointed towards the sky.
The audience was in an uproar.
The climax of the work, which should have been so perfectly set up and foreshadowed, was so unexpected and, dare I say it, "exactly the opposite of what I expected."
"It's the flow that will bring out the starry skies, but no matter how you look at it"
Some people continued to watch the screen in silence, wondering if the stars would appear by surprise.
Some people checked the pamphlet to see if there were some kind of tricks.
But there was no sign of any movement on the screen. Despite the firmly built-up music, the sky was eerily black.
"Eh, is this the end?"
The audience, who at first murmured in confusion, gradually became louder and louder, and by the time the end mark went out, they were leaking out in clear dissatisfaction and complaints.
"This concludes the screening of Team Kitayama△'s work, "The Song of the Starry Sky"."
As the buzz gradually spread, the video ended and the place brightened.
The applause sounded, in passing, to a degree of concern. However, compared to the applause of the Kuroda group earlier, it was obvious to everyone that there was a clear difference.
The spectators, craning their necks, stood up from their seats. Unsatisfied with the mysterious work shown at the end, they opened the heavy doors of the hall and left outside.
I quietly stood up and gathered the team together, while voices of dissatisfaction could still be heard around me.
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Well done."
Everything went according to plan.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 13
"What is that, it was good until the middle, but at the end, what is it? Is it unfinished?"
Morito was tilting his head next to me the whole time.
"Well, with this, we're already guaranteed an overwhelming victory. That's right, Kuro......"
I didn't say anything and just kept staring at the screen.
"Kuroda, what's wrong?"
Morito asks worriedly.
"Hey, you should be more happy! We took the top spot, you keep telling us we're going to beat Hashiba's team......"
As if to interrupt Morito's words,
"There's got to be something."
"Eh?"
"I don't know, what did you do, Hashiba?"
Morito tilted his head,
"No, this is just as we saw it! It's unfinished, they couldn't give everyone what people wanted, that's why it ended the way it did, right!"
"............"
I didn't say anything more.
I stood up and said,
"I'm going home."
"Eh?"
Leaving Morito with his mouth hanging open, I walk to the exit of the hall.
"W-Wait a minute, Kuroda!"
In a hurry, Morito followe.
"What is wrong with you, seriously, we won, we won overwhelmingly, so say something to the team, dude!"
Morito has been yelling right next to me the whole time.
But I didn't want to talk to anyone right now.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 14
"I see."
Horii, who was watching all the works in the visitors' section, nodded broadly after the screening of the last work.
On the pamphlet handed out to them, a review of each work was written, and the two final works in particular were checked in detail.
"That's something like that. It must have been quite interesting."
Kanou Misaki approaches again and calls out to Horii.
"Yes, it was quite interesting. Especially the last two."
"Well, those two, so which member are you interested in?"
Horii pretended to think for a moment,
"Is it as an individual or as an employee?"
Kanou smiled wryly,
"Well, let's hear both."
"Okay, so the ones circled in blue pen are individuals, and the ones circled in red pen are company employees."
Horii took out two pens and circled each of the last two works.
He then thrust a pamphlet in front of Kano's eyes.
"What do you think?"
Kanou smiled wryly again.
"Hou~, Mm, this is like you."
Then she laughed, louder this time.
——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 15
"So, how was it, Kyoya?"
Tsurayuki asked in a quiet voice.
"Hmm, right......"
Just as I was about to answer,
"I'm sorry! I'm so late...... the screening has already ended!?"
At the entrance of the venue, I saw that someone had come.
"Kawasegawa, thank you for your hard...... work?"
The reliable main member of our team was wearing a cheap crown on her head and a sling over her shoulder that read "Miss University of Arts". Perhaps having run in such a hurry, she was completely out of breath.
"A-Aaaah, this is, uhm, you know, there's a lot of things I'd like to explain, but first!"
Kawasegawa approached me, looking like she was annoyed at having to speak.
"......So, how did it go?"
I nodded silently.
"It's okay, it went well —— everything."
1 Comments
Thank you!!!
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