Inside the rather modest conference room of Yosuganosora Animation Studio, the company's upper management had gathered together.
To be honest, the overall scene looked extremely mismatched.
Yūki Chinatsu, the blonde legal loli who was often mistaken for something else, was idly munching on snacks. Uehara Etsuki, who possessed the traditional elegance of a Yamato Nadeshiko, was leisurely drinking tea. Morishita Aoi, the serious and composed career woman, had her eyes closed in rest. Gogyo Ruri, the girl dressed in dark Gothic fashion, was cautiously observing the other participants. There was also a dispirited middle-aged uncle staring out the window, lost in thought.
Aside from summarizing the production of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' this meeting also needed to discuss animation changes for the later episodes.
Clap, clap.
Kamiyā Yuu had just entered the conference room when he clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"Everyone's here, right? Before we begin the production summary meeting for 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' there's a new employee I need to introduce to you all. Come in, Sora."
As Kamiyā Yuu spoke, he swept his gaze across everyone in the conference room.
The moment he finished, the conference room door opened, and Kamiyā Sora walked in wearing a sharp black uniform.
Faced with the surprised, curious, or delighted gazes of the company's executives, she nervously clenched the skirt of her suit uniform.
She wore a black women's suit, and her soft silver hair had been neatly combed, falling straight to her waist. Although her face still looked somewhat young, she already gave off the air of a fresh newcomer to the workplace.
"Excuse me. My name is Kamiyā Sora. Starting today, I will be serving as President Kamiyā's special assistant. I don't have any particular hobbies. If I had to say, I like wasting time browsing information online. From today onward, I look forward to working with everyone."
After arriving at Yosuganosora Animation Studio, Kamiyā Sora shed her usual indifference and silence. When introducing herself to the company's upper management, she was poised, gentle, and polite. However, her plain introduction was enough to show that she still wasn't very good at social interaction.
"Oh~ Sora finally came too. Is everything fine with school?"
Yūki Chinatsu asked with a grin while biting into a chocolate stick. Then she held out the box full of chocolate sticks in her hand.
"Want some?"
Most of Yosuganosora Animation Studio's upper management knew Kamiyā Sora and were aware that she would eventually join the company. They simply hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
"No, thank you."
Kamiyā Sora shook her head.
The time she had spent working part-time here had been enough for her to understand Yūki Chinatsu's personality. She didn't dislike Chinatsu's overly familiar nature, but she also didn't want to cause a scene in this setting.
"Sora?"
Gogyo Ruri widened her eyes, not understanding why Kamiyā Sora would join Yosuganosora Animation Studio at this time.
Her surprise reflected the doubts of most people present.
At this point, shouldn't Kamiyā Sora be preparing for the most important national standardized exam of her high school career? Why had she come to work instead?
"Welcome. Let's work hard together from now on."
Dressed in a pale black kimono, Uehara Etsuki's gaze softened slightly. She stood and nodded warmly to Kamiyā Sora.
Shindō Tsukasa looked at Kamiyā Yuu in surprise, then glanced at Kamiyā Sora.
Because the sound department was still located in another corner of Tokyo, he usually only contacted Kamiyā Yuu through the computer unless there was an important meeting. As a result, this was his first time seeing Kamiyā Sora.
After looking at Kamiyā Yuu for a while, he teased,
"What a surprise. I never expected you to have such a cute little sister, Kamiyā."
Kamiyā Yuu ignored Shindō Tsukasa's remark and walked to Kamiyā Sora's side. Placing his large hand on her carefully groomed silver hair, he smiled and said,
"Due to certain special reasons, starting today, Sora will officially be joining Yosuganosora Animation Studio. Well, none of you are exactly strangers to her, so I won't say anything unnecessary. Sora has never been in particularly good health since childhood, so I hope everyone will try not to place too much burden or pressure on her."
"Sora worked part-time at the company before, but there's still quite a distance between that and becoming a formal employee. Aoi, I'd like to temporarily entrust Sora to you. You'll be responsible for helping her become familiar with the company's operational processes and such."
Morishita Aoi had seemed somewhat distracted during Kamiyā Sora's self-introduction. Hearing Kamiyā Yuu's words, she stood expressionlessly and nodded.
"All right. The company will be rather busy during this period. Sora's addition can help relieve some of my pressure."
Kamiyā Sora let out a breath of relief and bowed lightly to Morishita Aoi.
"Then the meeting officially begins. Sora, find any seat you like. During this period, your main job will be to familiarize yourself with the company's overall operations."
Kamiyā Yuu nodded to her and spoke gently.
After Kamiyā Sora sat down beside him, he began summarizing and discussing the production of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.'
He handed out several documents he had brought and said seriously,
"The first matter we need to discuss is the changes to Sakura Kyōko's character. Her character traits and related plot points have undergone major changes, so her lines and story content need to be revised. Next is the music. Shindō, I'll leave it to you to design a new character song before Episode Twelve airs. I'll give you a specific requirement document later."
...
The meeting continued for over an hour.
After it ended, Morishita Aoi took Kamiyā Sora away to introduce her to the various departments.
For an original artist, a social circle limited to the company's original art department might be enough. But assistants or production coordinators were different. They needed a clear understanding of the company's overall environment.
Kamiyā Yuu returned to his office and continued the grand task of revising original art storyboards.
From time to time, he used his computer to check the heated discussions 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had sparked online.
Seeing the viewers discuss it line by line, Kamiyā Yuu smiled knowingly.
There had once been a time when he had followed the anime he loved with the same attitude.
[Although the process is quite tragic, the plot of 'Magical Girl Nanoha' was just as heartbreaking, and it still had a heartwarming ending! NanoFate is supreme! — Murata-kun]
[Stop dreaming. With such a cruel anime setting, can there really be a good ending? If Madoka Kaname and the others really get a good ending, this anime's charm will be reduced quite a bit. I don't believe that a genius director doesn't understand this. — Cat Cushion]
[Exactly~ exactly. The current tone of the anime is still dark. It doesn't feel like the kind of story that uses dark plot developments to set off a beautiful ending. — Jirō Isn't an Idiot]
[That analysis thread online has already explained everything thoroughly. If nothing unexpected happens, Sayaka Miki will also become a magical girl next, then repeat the ending of the previous world. — Autumn Flower Spring Moon]
[In the current audience poll, HappyEnd has 38,298 votes, BadEnd has 142,932 votes, and open ending has 50,231 votes. No matter how you look at it, the HE faction has no chance of winning. My condolences. — Tokyo Bosozoku]
The 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' section on NICENICE was filled with intense arguments among viewers.
...
"Sorry. I can't give you a good ending this time."
Seeing fans argue passionately on his behalf, insisting that 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' would have a good ending, Kamiyā Yuu silently apologized with malice in his heart.
In truth, he believed the ending of the original 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' was an open ending leaning toward a happy ending.
A true Bad End should be one where everyone fell into darkness and became witches, continuing into the next cycle. Then those corrupted witches would be defeated by the next generation of magical girls, with the final scene freezing on the satisfied smile of a new magical girl after defeating a witch.
It wasn't as though Kamiyā Yuu had never considered that ending.
But it felt too malicious, so it was better to give up on it.
He didn't want his home to actually receive razor blades sent by viewers.
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had already aired up to Episode Ten. Its potential as the animation overlord of the previous world was beginning to show.
After the terrifying topicality brought by the plot twist in Episode Seven, its popularity continued to break through and climb with every episode.
Starting from Episode Seven, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' completely changed its previous light and cheerful atmosphere. Every episode was tightly packed and highly engaging. On top of that, the plot direction refreshed the entire worldview of the anime.
Its shift from healing to extreme depression left countless viewers with complicated feelings.
The fate of Madoka Kaname and the other magical girls sparked massive discussions on Twitter.
Aside from the plot reversal, Kamiyā Yuu's adapted version of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had far better character designs than the original. Every magical girl was shaped with certain appealing traits.
Precisely because each character stood out so vividly, the tragic outcomes they faced resonated even more strongly with viewers.
A so-called tragedy was the act of tearing beautiful things apart for others to see.
At present, fans of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' were basically divided into three factions. Countless debates had broken out on Twitter, ACG-related forums, and messaging platforms.
In such a cruel worldview, what fate would Madoka Kaname face as a magical girl?
Would she never escape the fate of death?
Or would she one day become a broken doll abandoned casually by Kyubey?
Viewers couldn't imagine what kind of beautiful ending could exist under such a cruel world setting.
Those who insisted on this view were called the Realist Faction.
Many of Kamiyā Yuu's staunch fans believed he would not make an anime with a Bad End. After all, the first two magical girl-type works directed by Kamiyā Yuu, 'RWBY' and 'Magical Girl Nanoha,' both had perfect Happy End endings.
This was the Director Faction's argument.
Some people analyzed the anime's overall structure, gathering already-proven foreshadowing to uncover the main plotline. However, because there were still insufficient clues, this group could not yet analyze all the way to the ending.
These viewers were the Analysis Faction.
A plot that overturned expectations. Beautiful character designs. Production quality that looked down on the industry. Excellent music.
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' possessed every factor needed for explosive popularity.
The change in Episode Seven fully unearthed the potential of all these elements. The effect it achieved could only be described with one term: "phenomenon-level."
Although it was originally an anime built on the worldview of magical girls, a genre aimed at children, more and more young adult and adult viewers had come to love it.
NICENICE Ongoing Popularity Survey Report:
First: 'Adventure King,' adapted from the long-running hot-blooded shōnen manga serialized in Shueisha's 'Weekly Shonen Jump.' It had already been serialized for more than two years and had accumulated unimaginable popularity. It was once rated as one of the most unmissable manga of the past decade. [Satisfaction feedback: 93%. A total of 352,571 users participated in this vote.]
Second: 'Mobile Suit 007,' a work from the 'Mobile Suit' series and one of the original representative mecha anime. It holds an unshakable position in the hearts of both adults and teenagers. [Satisfaction feedback: 92%. A total of 308,262 users participated in this vote.]
Third: 'Legend of the Hero from Another World,' adapted from a long-running light novel series. The light novel's popularity was equally astonishing and had been listed in 'Words of Celebrities' for three consecutive years. [Satisfaction feedback: 93%. A total of 221,514 users participated in this vote.]
Fourth: 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' an original anime directed by Kamiyā Yuu, who previously directed 'RWBY' and 'Magical Girl Nanoha,' and is called the industry's youngest genius director. [Satisfaction feedback: 95%. A total of 205,923 users participated in this vote.]
Fifth: 'Warlords of the Sengoku Era,' a major original anime production set during China's Three Kingdoms period, portraying Cao Cao as the central visual focus in a Chinese historical epic. The animation director is the famous industry director Mutō Takashi, who previously directed the historical anime 'Blazing Heart.' It is highly respected by teenagers and adults alike. [Satisfaction feedback: 94%. A total of 184,553 users participated in this vote.]
...
In less than three episodes since Episode Seven aired, the online popularity of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had soared past 200,000, leaving it only 20,000 points behind third-place 'Legend of the Hero from Another World.'
Most terrifying of all, even 'Adventure King,' which had been heavily promoted by a major company, had been left far behind by 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' in terms of popularity growth speed.
Among them, 'Legend of the Hero from Another World' was a seasonal anime with only twelve episodes. Its popularity growth had already reached its limit. Whether it could maintain its position in the top three January anime before concluding was still uncertain.
What surprised Kamiyā Yuu most was none other than 'Mobile Suit 007.'
Although audience satisfaction had declined somewhat, the recent turbulence caused by its plot was not insignificant.
This other world's version of 'Gundam SEED' had begun unfolding its story. In the most recent episode, the scene where the male lead awakened and destroyed the enemy Gundam squad to rescue the cosmic songstress had made countless Gundam fans howl like ghosts and wolves.
Combined with the beautifully designed heroine, the cosmic songstress, singing an unforgettable song, it lacked the reversal impact of Episode Seven of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' but still had considerable influence. It was called "the most romantic scene in animation history."
In addition, overseas animation markets had not been influenced by Japan. Anime popularity rankings followed the preferences of European and American viewers.
Perhaps because of Kamiyā Yuu's connection to 'RWBY,' 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had a level of recognition noticeably higher than other anime.
According to survey data released by the largest overseas communication platform, Fakebook, the popularity ranking of Japanese January anime was opposite to Japan's.
The one ranked first was unquestionably 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.'
Due to the influence of Kamiyā Yuu's own fame, many European and American viewers had paid attention to this anime from the very beginning.
Yosuganosora Animation Studio and Fakebook had always maintained a cooperative relationship. Naturally, this time they also spared no effort promoting 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' in the animation section and specially opened a dedicated anime discussion board.
The popularity growth of the first seven episodes of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had been relatively steady. After Episode Seven, it also showed explosive growth, just like in Japan.
Ranked second in popularity was 'Mobile Suit 007.'
European and American viewers also had considerable fondness for mecha anime. In the previous world, 'Gunbuster,' 'Gurren Lagann,' and 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' had all gained strong reputations and popularity in Europe and America.
At the very bottom of the popularity ranking was 'Adventure King.'
Perhaps because there were simply too many Western animations with similar themes, this hot-blooded shōnen anime had never attracted much attention. Most of its popularity still relied on Fakebook users from Japan.