For days after the anime's conclusion, countless viewers engaged in discussions, and animation-related media outlets released special reports, such as:
[ - "An Unexpected Ending: Is This the First 'Happy End' from Depressing Anime Master Lin Zhiyan?" ]
[ - "Most Popular October Anime Season Show 'as' Finale Broadcast, Controversial Ending Sparks Debate." ]
[ - "Longtime Fans in Tears, 'Truth' Fans Question the Ending: Was 'as' Forcing a Happy End?" ]
[ - "'as' Concludes, 'Happy End' Criticized as a Fake Ending. What is the True Conclusion?" ]
[ - "Lin Zhiyan: Mission Mostly Accomplished. The Ending is Left for Viewers to Interpret." ]
Few animations continue to spark widespread discussion even after their conclusion. The ending of as was indeed controversial, but it was only because Lin Zhiyan served as Supervising Director that the series maintained such high levels of discourse even after its conclusion. Any other director would have been unable to generate such massive debate, let alone attract media attention.
People are different, and this is precisely why many original animations seek out renowned animation companies for production, inviting celebrated figures to fill crucial roles such as Supervising Director, scriptwriter, Character Designer, and Music Director.
Simply put, Lin Zhiyan's body of work invites discussion, and this is also a testament to his extraordinary popularity.
This immense popularity wasn't confined to the animated discussions after the series concluded; it was also evident in the sales of the anime's physical releases.
The first volume of as was released on BD and DVD a few days before the final episode aired. Then, on December 28th, the second Monday after release, the first-week sales figures were announced: a total of 34,792 copies sold.
Judging solely by the first-week sales of the first volume, it even surpassed Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day. However, the final average sales per volume are likely to be similar to Anohana. The initial sales definitely exceeded 40,000 copies, and with subsequent sales, it's estimated to just surpass 50,000.
After all, it was the most popular anime of the October season, bolstered by Lin Zhiyan's personal fan base. When the sales figures were announced, neither industry professionals nor fans familiar with Lin Zhiyan were surprised. At most, they simply remarked, "The sales are as high as always. Truly deserving of being a Lin Zhiyan anime!"
Regardless, a first-week sales figure of nearly 35,000 copies was still remarkably impressive.
However, compared to that, the real achievement lay with L.S Produ's performance in 2009.
The most commercially successful anime of 2009 was Bakemonogatari, produced by SHAFT and directed by Akiyuki Shinbo. But aside from Bakemonogatari, SHAFT had no other noteworthy releases that year.
L.S Produ was different.
On the evening of December 29th, during the company's annual meeting, Lin Zhiyan stood on the stage and announced the company's achievements for the year:
"Five highly popular TV animations: A Certain Magical Index, which aired from October last year and concluded in March this year; Sword Art Online and K-On!, which debuted in April; as and A Certain Scientific Railgun, which began in October.
Among them, the initial release of A Certain Magical Index averaged over 30,000 copies sold per volume. Sword Art Online surpassed 35,000, K-On! approached 45,000, as currently stands at nearly 35,000 but is expected to ultimately exceed 40,000. A Certain Scientific Railgun's anime disc hasn't been released yet, but based on pre-order numbers, it should also reach over 30,000.
Two highly popular TV animations: the second season of Natsume's Book of Friends and Psycho-Pass. Both series' initial releases exceeded 15,000 copies per volume, and their final average sales per volume are expected to surpass 20,000.
The theatrical anime series The Garden of Sinners reached its seventh chapter this year, with only one left to go. To date, it has attracted over 260,000 viewers and grossed over 360 million yen at the box office. Its DVD sales have surpassed 750,000 units.
Whether in original or adapted animation, the company's achievements this year have been outstanding, placing it at the forefront of the animation industry. It has created immense commercial value and generated countless viral memes, deeply loved by audiences and profoundly influencing countless viewers."
In other animation companies, any one of these anime might be casually treated as their crown jewel. If they produced something like K-On! or as, they could brag about it for a lifetime.
Even at L.S Produ, however, creating so many popular and ultra-popular anime in just one year remains an astonishing feat.
Unlike a celebratory banquet, the year-end meeting naturally only includes company staff. These individuals have all contributed to the production of at least one anime, and many have worked on multiple projects.
They already knew the achievements of each animation, but when Lin Zhiyan presented them all together, they still felt their hearts surge with excitement.
While good benefits could attract talent, for animation professionals, nothing was more satisfying than their company producing outstanding works.
A company's reputation was largely built on its body of work.
In this regard, L.S Produ was unquestionably strong.
After reviewing the achievements, Lin Zhiyan, of course, didn't forget to discuss the outlook for 2010:
"In the first quarter of next year, we'll release the second half of A Certain Scientific Railgun Season 1. In April, we'll launch K-On! Season 2 and the original animation Your Lie in April. In July, Natsume's Book of Friends Season 3 will debut. In October, we'll release A Certain Magical Index Season 2, and the final chapter of The Garden of Sinners will also be released next year.
Additionally, next year marks the company's tenth anniversary. We'll be holding various events both within and outside the company to celebrate, and I'll also be developing an animation project to commemorate the occasion.
"I encourage everyone to redouble their efforts next year and strive for even greater glory for our company!"
The President's speech was met with thunderous applause.
New and veteran employees alike began to reflect and discuss:
"Ten years ago, I was still working at IG with the President. He asked me if I wanted to leave IG and join his new company. At the time, I hesitated because it was a startup. Looking back now, I'm so glad I said yes."
"Ten years already? It's hard to believe we've been with the company for that long. Time really flies."
"To be able to work on so many outstanding animations... I'm truly grateful to have joined this company."
"Just the sequels alone will secure our company's performance for next year. I wonder how the new projects will perform."
[ Point Guard Is Here ]
"The new projects will definitely be fine. This is our company, after all."
"Yosh! We'll have to work hard next year too."
"The 10th anniversary animation project? I wonder what the President has planned. I'm really curious."
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