Chapter 307: Little Palm
"Miss Akina, you've worked hard."
"Thank you all!"
In Japan, at the Yokohama Television Station, Akina and the staff thanked them and hurried backstage, hugging Ryoko, "Mom, how did I do?"
"You did great, Akina." Ryoko tied a scarf on her daughter and said with a smile, "Let's get out of here quickly, or the fans will block the street again!"
Akina nodded, obediently put on her hat, followed Ryoko to the underground parking lot, and drove away from the Yokohama Television Station headquarters through a side exit.
As they left, through the car window, Akina saw some men with her photos blocking the entrance of the television station, and other people with speakers shouting her name. If she had left later, these people would have blocked the garage... Akina had encountered this situation in Osaka a few days ago, and at that moment, she was stunned.
"Mom, have I become a singer already?" Even after the car had left, Akina kept looking at the television station entrance from a distance and asked with some doubt, "Do these people really like me?"
"Of course." Ryoko touched her head and smiled, "Akina, you are now the most popular new singer in Japan, and the number of internet searches is also the first. We are all proud of you."
The celebration ended several months ago. With Mirai-sensei's songs, her age, and appearance, Akina has attracted the attention of many television channels and variety shows in Japan. She has now become a trendy emerging singer, and the title of Gundam Diva has also spread. Soon, she will be able to leave Japan and officially take the stage in mainland Japan.
"But I always feel uncomfortable..." She became famous too quickly. Akina was a little restless, "Everyone likes the president's brother's composition and the Gundam animation. If they're not there... will I be popular?"
She believed that her popularity was mainly due to Gundam SEED and the quality of the songs. She was afraid that one day, without these two things, she would go back to her original place.
Ryoko smiled bitterly. In fact, most of the songs that singers sing are composed by others. She comforted her daughter and said, "Don't let your imagination run wild. The president's song is important, of course, but you are also excellent at singing it well... The president chose you because you have talent, and besides, you are repaying him. Gundam SEED created you, but you made more people like it, so you should have more confidence."
Unlike her daughter, Ryoko perfectly understands the benefits. Takumi also has his own ideas about how to make Akina famous, and now the benefits are gradually appearing. The advertising impact of the new idol has aroused the interest of many people in Japan in Gundam SEED, and they also know about the rise of the voice actor profession.
"And Akina... The president asked you to sing again this time. Isn't it because he values your performance?" Ryoko repeated, and this phrase lit up her eyes.
"It's been so long since I've seen the president's brother!" I've been very busy during this time. The little one has no time to see Takumi. But today Takumi sent her a message asking her to come back and prepare some new songs. Akina was very excited, "I can rest now... Mom, the new songs my brother mentioned are for the game, right?" she asked.
"Yes, Clannad." Ryoko nodded, "The president also asked you to voice a character in this game; you have to work very hard to do it well."
"Well, Mom, someone from the television network was talking about this game a moment ago." Akina showed admiration. She said, "The president's brother is really incredible. It's just a game, but even the people on television know about it..."
"What did they say?" Ryoko asked curiously.
"They said this is the president's brother's second game. The first one was too dark and few people played it. This new game is light and fun, so everyone plays it." Akina replied, "They also said that Clannad can only be bought in video game stores, Mom, why?"
"For advertising." Ryoko smiled. This time, Clannad is sold offline, not on the internet.
This model is the opposite of the launch model of Fate/Stay Night. The main reason is that after a year of development, visual novels have been recognized by game sellers, and most stores also have a special section for them. This means Takumi no longer needs to sell online. Of course, another even more important reason is that Tatsuryū Company, the largest game seller in Japan, has acquired the exclusive sales rights for Clannad. And it promised to give this game enough publicity.
Does a visual novel with a cost of only a few million need publicity? If Hinotori Publishing sells it, of course it's impossible to advertise; the cost of advertising is greater than the cost, so what's the point? But if someone agrees to advertise for you for free, and also has a solid offline sales channel, would you agree?
Of course: Hinotori Publishing is short on money, and it's impossible to refuse such a fantasy.
So now, although the ad for Clannad appears in many cities, Hinotori Publishing hasn't paid a penny, and others are helping them advertise for free.
"Why is Tatsuryū Company so stupid?" After hearing what her mother said, Akina seemed truly bewildered, "Do they think money is too much?"
Ryoko laughed and cried.
"Who would complain about having too much money? I don't know the details, but I suppose Tatsuryū Company is buying the president's future potential..." She touched her daughter's head and said, "Your president's brother is an incredible guy. He could become even more powerful in the future, so sometimes people want to get close to him even knowing they are losing money."
The ads for Clannad only appear in big cities and aren't particularly large. The advertising expenses seem high for ordinary people, but for those big companies, they shouldn't be a big problem.
Ryoko looked at her daughter, who still had a confused expression, so she smiled and said, "Alright, don't worry about that, go back to Tokyo and work hard."
"Yes." Akina nodded obediently.
In November, the temperature in Tokyo was relatively cold. After a night's rest, Akina and her daughter arrived at Tsuki Animation Company.
As soon as they entered, they were warmly greeted by the employees. It took them a long time to get to the president's office.
"The president has gone out to talk business." The lady from the communications office stopped them from entering. She smiled and said to Ryoko, "Miss Ryoko, the president asked you to take Akina directly to the recording studio. The sheet music and dialogue for the dubbing are all there. You can practice with the equipment there or take them home."
Ryoko nodded. She thought it would be more convenient to take the sheet music home. Not only could she practice well at home, but she could also let her daughter rest.
"I can't see the president's brother..." Akina pouted, looking somewhat disappointed.
"See you next time." Ryoko touched her head and took her away.
The two arrived at the recording studio and, after a few words, a woman approached with a pile of documents.
"These are sheet music and these are scripts for dubbing..." The woman divided the documents in two and said, "The game Clannad will be out next month and time is short. Miss Akina, you have to learn these songs in two weeks. I don't think you'll find it difficult... But this script for the dialogues is more problematic..."
She frowned slightly and added, "Since the game isn't finished yet, we only have some images and plot fragments, and we can't let you take them. So, Miss Akina, you have to come more often when you have free time and learn dubbing on the go. The character you're voicing is the daughter of the male and female protagonists of the game. The dialogues are relatively few, but they have some weight. Okay?"
"Yes!" Akina nodded. "I'll do my best."
It was the first time she had gotten a voice acting job. It seemed new to her and she was eager to try.
Ryoko took Akina from Tsuki Animation Company. After getting into the car, she looked at her daughter, who was holding the sheet music carefully, and suggested, "Akina, give me that sheet music to keep. I'll keep it. If it gets leaked, it will be a problem."
"No, wait until I see it..." But Akina refused. She was already drawn to the sheet music in her hand. "The lyrics of these songs are beautiful! What a shame my brother doesn't become a composer!"
Looking at the sheet music, Akina praised them, but her frown grew deeper and deeper.
"What's wrong?" Ryoko asked.
"These songs are a bit strange..." Akina replied, looking at the sheet music. She hummed a few phrases in a low voice and then said, "Mom, listen to me sing a part and then tell me what you think."
"Alright." Ryoko, of course, wouldn't object.
So Akina began to sing softly to the rhythm of the sheet music: "...In the little palm, there is also a strength that surpasses you and me... Under the arbor of ripe grapes, to those moments full of tears... With these little hands, even if we are separated, we can still move forward on this path... Until one day, in the future, those priceless memories are deeply buried..."
She sang for a while, and when she couldn't continue, she asked, "Mom, this song is called Little Palm, what do you think?"
"It's a very beautiful song!" Natsukawa Ryo nodded, a little surprised. "And it fits your voice very well, as if it were made especially for you. The president is incredible!"
"I'm not talking about that!" But Akina shook her head and continued, "I mean feeling, feeling! Does this song make you feel happy?"
"No..." Only then did Ryoko understand what her daughter meant. She showed an expression of surprise, "That's right, this song is not cheerful at all. Instead, it's a bit sad and very contagious. How could it be included in a cheerful game?"
Mother and daughter looked at each other with strange expressions. They both lowered their heads to look at the sheet music. Could it be that... Clannad is not actually a fun game?
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