"Brilliant! Simply brilliant!"
After reading the scripts for CL and LL, Yoshiji Kigami couldn't help but slap his thigh.
Although these two galgames also had some side branches and multiple endings, Kigami could instantly pick out the one ending from the many that would resonate most deeply with players and hit them the hardest.
The only regret was that these games couldn't be adapted into anime immediately.
The main consideration was the issue of game sales.
So, according to the normal schedule, the anime probably wouldn't be until next year at the earliest.
However, Kigami was full of confidence in these two games.
"With Miyazaki-senpai helping to oversee the original art, they must be two very outstanding games. In fact, I'm starting to worry about Kyoto Animation. I don't know if we have the ability to bring a game designed by Hayao Miyazaki to the television screen."
That's true.
This reminded Aoba of something.
However, he had discussed it with Hayao Miyazaki before. Ghibli likely didn't have the manpower or resources to adapt CL and LL into anime. Although they were like half-children to Miyazaki and he was very reluctant to let them go, Ghibli simply couldn't take on such a project.
Given Miyazaki's style, let alone taking two years to produce, it could even take seven, eight, or even ten years.
Moreover, he doesn't just focus on the visuals themselves, but is even more concerned with the story content. Ghibli insists on original works, so it's unlikely they would be willing to adapt a game into an anime.
Handing it over to Kyoto Animation now is actually the best route.
Kyoto Animation needs such outstanding works to help it grow, and at the same time, Aoki Haruhi firmly believes in Kyoto Animation's potential.
Regardless of their current capabilities, their potential is undoubtedly unquestionable.
In his previous life, Kyoto Animation also produced several anime adaptations of tear-jerking games, and CL was one of them.
Now that CL is returning to Kyoto Animation, there is a sense of destined historical cycle to it.
Aoki Haruhi believes they will definitely do a good job.
***
After the New Year, progress on Patema Inverted was swift, but gradually, Aoki Haruhi began to sense a subtle shift in the atmosphere.
To be precise, it was coming from Gen Urobuchi.
This guy—who knows what's going on with him—had become increasingly despondent since returning to work after the New Year, as if he had become a completely different person.
After all, before this, Gen Urobuchi had been full of vitality, with boundless energy.
After checking with other members of the project team, Aoki Haruhi finally learned that it seemed Gen Urobuchi had gotten into an argument with Mikami Shinji over something related to the game recently.
The overall atmosphere of the Patema Inverted project remained quite harmonious, and the team members were full of hope for the game.
After all, in terms of core gameplay, the intersection of gravity and anti-gravity, presented through the original concept of the male and female protagonists, was something truly unprecedented. It was exceptionally novel and held infinite potential.
When you know that a project has a high probability of huge success, every day of work is filled with a sense of happiness.
The only one feeling a bit stifled was Gen Urobuchi. In this game, there wasn't much room for the writing to shine; basically, a lot of the story content had to be conveyed through the environments and the game's own mechanics. Although there were some NPCs acting as information conduits, he was still deeply skeptical about whether the final result would be effective.
Consequently, Aoki Haruhi called Urobuchi into his office.
If he didn't do some psychological counseling for him, this guy would fall into a state of dejection, and an "Old Xu" like that wouldn't be able to make good games.
Aoki Haruhi didn't want to lose a creative genius.
"Huh? How did you end up arguing with Mikami? Weren't you two cooperating quite happily before?"
"It wasn't exactly an argument..." Urobuchi said, his face downcast. He had wanted to cheer up, or at least not appear so dispirited in front of the President, but as soon as he recalled the experiences of the past six months, he just couldn't muster any energy.
"It's just... Mikami cut a lot of my plot points and designs. I had some disagreements with him, but since he's the producer, what can you do? The things that remain in the end are actually very few. Seeing the game turn out like this makes me feel completely useless."
"They don't really have many requirements for the script. The value I contribute is completely dispensable, and I've lost my sense of direction."
Aoki Haruhi looked at the expression on his face, feeling utterly pained inside.
Managing a company is just too hard.
A company president doesn't have 48 hours in a day. How did things go so wrong just because he wasn't keeping a close eye on this department for a moment?
Aoki comforted him, "After all, Patema Inverted is primarily gameplay-driven. Being able to express the story clearly is already quite an achievement."
Making games is like cooking; there are main dishes and side dishes. It was obvious that Urobuchi had grown accustomed to the feeling of being the main course. After all, the core of a galgame is the plot, and everything else is built around it and serves it.
When you're the main damage dealer, your status and authority are naturally incomparable.
Now that he had suddenly been shifted to the position of a side dish, it was only natural that he wouldn't be used to playing support.
"Wada-san, 'Games have priorities. The script is naturally secondary; the success of the project is what's most important. Only by cooperating with each other can we make the best game.'
You must have heard words like that countless times, right?
I'm certainly not going to say anything like that to you again."
Sob...
Although Gen Urobuchi had the face of a murderer, at this moment, he was genuinely moved. The President was truly a wonderful person.
Not only was he a mentor for life, but he was also an angel!
His seniors often said these things, and he had used them to comfort himself as well.
However, when it came to actual work, he found that nothing felt right. The text, which he was usually quite skilled at writing, had become mere embellishment and something unimportant in this game. If he expressed too much, it would be considered stealing the spotlight...
Under these circumstances, Mikami Shinji could only choose to cut away those excess parts.
But every time he made a cut, Urobuchi's heart bled.
It was more painful than being cut himself.
But today, the President didn't say such things, and Urobuchi was moved beyond words, wishing he could kneel down, hug Aoki Haruhi's leg, and pour out all his grievances.
However, just as he was about to open his mouth to vent all the bitterness and grievances he had bottled up over the past six months to the President, Aoki Haruhi raised his hand to stop him.
"Wada-san."
"Yes?"
Aoki Haruhi pulled up a chair, sat down, looked at Urobuchi, thought for a moment, and said slowly, "What do you think your responsibility is in this game? As a scriptwriter? A writer? Or something else?"
"Of course it's..." Gen Urobuchi opened his mouth, but for a moment, he was at a loss for words.
"Of course it's to depict the plot of Patema Inverted and convey it to the players. Whether it's the character settings, the worldview, or every piece of NPC dialogue, these are all tools I use to express myself. My goal is to let the players understand and know the entire story and its future direction during the game."
"Hmm. Exactly!" Aoki Haruhi continued to ask, "Then what do you think text is?"
"Text..." Gen Urobuchi was stunned for a moment, then asked with some confusion, "A tool?"
"Correct."
Aoki Haruhi nodded, indicating that he was teachable.
"Text is an excellent tool for expression," Aoki Haruhi said with a smile. "And there are some things that can only be conveyed through text. For instance, when we see these lines from Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country:
[The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country.]
[The bottom of the night was white.]
[The train stopped at the signal station.]
'The bottom of the night was white'—this sentence is quite ingenious. It describes the state of the night while making you feel that—
"The night also has a shape, and it can be captured."
"It not only provides you with rich imagery but also mobilizes your associations, especially since the words themselves have sound, and their rhythm elevates the aesthetic to another level."
"Exactly." Gen Urobuchi clenched his fist. "Words are clearly such important things, possessing great beauty and even the powerful ability to pierce through people's hearts. Why should my words be deleted?"
"But..." Aoki Haruhi smiled, making a sharp turn in the conversation. "Wada-san, then I must also ask you a very important question. In this game, are words irreplaceable? Or are there any other better ways to integrate and create the content you want to express, rather than through the words themselves?"
"Hm?" Urobuchi was stunned by this. Before this moment, he hadn't seemed to think much about it—no, it wasn't that he hadn't thought about it at all, just that he hadn't pondered the question thoroughly.
"There's no need for me to elaborate on the history of film, is there? In the beginning, movies had no sound, which is why they were also known as silent films," Aoki Haruhi said. "In modern cinema, dialogue is undoubtedly a crucial form of expression. Through their lines, their voices, and the text, each character conveys their personality and the story's progression to the audience.
"But have you ever wondered why classics could still be produced in the silent film era? Films that could even transcend their time and remain firmly etched in people's memories?"
Huh?!
Urobuchi was completely stunned.
He felt his mind go blank, as if something were about to sprout within it.
The seed that the President had replanted was taking root and sprouting.
"Think of Chaplin. How did he do it?"
"Now, think about your work."
Aoki smiled. "Text takes up the players' time, but are there other, better, more natural ways to express these things?"
"If, after trying, you find that non-textual elements are absolutely necessary, then have the courage to do it. I believe that when it comes to that point, Mikami will also approve of your decision."
So that's it!
Gen Urobuchi's eyes widened, as if he had just had a revelation.
He finally understood. As the person in charge of the game's plot, he had previously been too fixated on expressing things through text, and he had always been overly confident in his writing, which had become an obstacle to making "Patema Inverted" as good as it could be.
After being prompted by Aoki Haruhi, Urobuchi's train of thought suddenly opened up.
"Right! There's also the visuals, the music, the characters' movements and voices... These can all be excellent ways of expression.
Thank you, President!
I had hit a dead end before and hadn't realized there were so many other possibilities.
Now, I understand it all."
Urobuchi stood up happily and bowed deeply to Aoki Haruhi.
"Rest assured, President, I will definitely make this game great!"
***
Ever since Gen Urobuchi was called into the President's office for a talk, he has been like a changed man; his confidence has fully returned, and he has introduced many new requirements. Rather than conveying the game's plot through text, he now aims to integrate it into the game itself, weaving it directly into the levels and gameplay.
It can be said that Gen Urobuchi has now thoroughly grasped the essence of game writing, fully absorbed the game's core, and mastered all the techniques and tools of expression.
Gen Urobuchi is now the upgraded Gen Urobuchi 2.0!
Shinji Mikami has nothing but praise for the newly returned Urobuchi, stating that having such determination and creativity from Wada-san is a tremendous help.
Many points that Mikami hadn't been able to figure out before were sparked by Urobuchi's designs, making the game itself even better.
However, because of Gen Urobuchi's great performance, it has led to an increase in many art requirements.
After all, things that could originally be clearly described with text now had to be expressed through character actions and game levels.
"Damn it! Who came up with this terrible idea for Wada-san?!" the art team members complained loudly.
"The game was already reaching the final stages, and now it feels like so much more content has to be added!"
"Not only that, many levels will have to be redesigned and recreated."
"It's not just that, okay? We'll have to add quite a few character animations too. Didn't you hear what Wada-san said? In the silent film era, Chaplin used body language and character conflict to express the plot!"
"Damn it! Who is it? Who's so evil to give Wada such a terrible idea?!"
"Shh... keep your voice down. The person who gave Wada that suggestion was the President!"
"Oh, this... isn't the President just increasing our workload?"
"That's why! You have to be extra careful whenever the President calls you in for a talk!"
***
In April, everything came to fruition; the side-scrolling game "Patema Inverted," led by Shinji Mikami, was finished.
And the internal response was quite good.
Gen Urobuchi also received affirmation from everyone.
"Not bad at all, Wada-san. The text in this game doesn't feel like it's stealing the spotlight at all; on the contrary, it feels perfectly integrated."
"The performance at the end was truly fantastic. I'm still deeply impressed even after finishing it."
"Wow, it feels like watching a spectacular big-budget movie."
"No, I should say it's like experiencing an extraordinary life, right? That strange and disorienting feeling, along with the twist at the very last moment, gives one a sense of sudden enlightenment, like waking up from a dream."
"It's amazing that you could achieve this through the game itself. I must say, Wada-san's shift this time was quite sudden, and he has made significant progress."
"This game is definitely going to be a bestseller, right?"
"Inevitably!"
Now, the members of the "Patema Inverted" project are full of hope for this game.
They are just waiting for it to go on sale.
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