'Magical Girl Nanoha' was extremely popular in Kamiyā Yuu's previous world and was considered one of the representative works of the magical girl genre.
However, this anime was ultimately a work produced in 2004. Examined through eyes that surpassed this era, it might deserve to be called an outstanding work, but it would never exceed that evaluation by too much.
The world Kamiyā Yuu currently lived in was 2017.
Even though the distorted development of the animation industry caused it to lag far behind the Japanese anime industry of his previous world during the same era, it was still undeniably incomparable to the Japanese anime industry of 2004.
In this world, magical girl anime had already been overused. Even if most of them were children-oriented works, there were still quite a few that could genuinely make viewers' eyes light up.
Placed within such an industry environment, 'Magical Girl Nanoha' was certainly an excellent work, but it would not become the brightest gem within the genre. Even if its overall quality rose by several levels, it still could not achieve the same historical standing it possessed in its previous world.
So where exactly was the problem?
Visual quality?
The visual quality of 'Magical Girl Nanoha' was already the pinnacle of Japanese animation in this era. Every single frame could be captured and used as a desktop wallpaper.
Music?
Most of the soundtrack still retained the style of the original work, and after Kamiyā Yuu optimized it within the consciousness space, the songs were theoretically the perfect match for the anime's themes.
Battles?
The 'Yosuganosora' Animation Studio had already accumulated abundant experience in choreographing battle scenes while producing 'RWBY.' Even if they claimed to be the best in the world, there would probably be no one in the industry willing to stand up and dispute it.
Story. Pacing. Core.
These were the three elements Kamiyā Yuu had overlooked while producing 'Magical Girl Nanoha.'
Inheriting the original story also meant that the later pacing and thematic core of the anime would remain unchanged.
The three elements were tightly intertwined. Changing one of them would inevitably affect the entire anime.
Putting aside the main story and pacing for the moment, the most fundamental problem lay within the core itself.
What exactly was the anime trying to express?
Excellent anime all possessed a distinct core.
For example, friendship and adventure in hot-blooded shōnen anime like 'One Piece.'
The principle of Equivalent Exchange that ran through 'Fullmetal Alchemist.'
The hope, despair, and salvation within 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' which Kamiyā Yuu intended to produce next.
Even idol anime like 'Love Live' carried the banners of effort and friendship.
From the very beginning, 'Magical Girl Nanoha' had its own thematic core—
Salvation.
Looking at the original work as a whole, however, the plot appeared excessively scattered during the process of expressing that core.
From the early appearance of the Jewel Seeds to the later love-and-rivalry relationship between Takamachi Nanoha and Fate Testarossa, there were too many irrelevant side stories. Before the groundwork for the thematic core had even been properly completed, only a few episodes were used to explain Fate Testarossa's tragic circumstances and character setting before the anime hurriedly concluded with the death of Fate's mother, the Great Mage Precia Testarossa.
As a result, the conclusion reached during the meeting at the 'Yosuganosora' Animation Studio could best be summarized in a single sentence:
"'Magical Girl Nanoha' is an excellent anime, but it is not an anime capable of truly moving people's hearts."
That was why Kamiyā Yuu had steeled himself and discarded the already completed two episodes, even making the decision to delay the broadcast by one week—a move that would negatively affect the anime's popularity and reputation.
He wanted to further refine the thematic core of the original 'Magical Girl Nanoha,' making major adjustments to the plot and pacing in order to create an emotionally moving effect.
Conflicts of belief, the rewards of effort, unyielding willpower—these were all methods used to emphasize the thematic core of an anime.
Successful examples included Ace's sacrifice during the Marineford War in 'One Piece,' the final Requiem in 'Code Geass,' the male protagonist's relieved smile at the end of '5 Centimeters per Second,' the death of the Chimera Ant King in 'Hunter × Hunter,' and Rei Ayanami's smile in 'EVA'...
Naturally, there were also failed examples.
When problems appeared in the presentation of the story and pacing, the attempt to emotionally move viewers would fail.
The most typical example was most works by anime director Ōkouchi. After the barely controlled yet wildly successful ending of 'Code Geass,' he had become overly fond of using the "kill the male protagonist" approach. 'Guilty Crown,' an anime that carried many traces of 'Code Geass' in its overall structure, was one such failed example.
Salvation.
Who saves whom?
Takamachi Nanoha was a little girl who lived in an incredibly happy environment. In a certain sense, she already possessed everything she could wish for. Had she never encountered the silver beast, she likely would have spent her entire life happily.
Her living environment was reflected in her personality—kind, cheerful, upright, and gentle.
Like the sunlight of spring.
Warm, but not scorching.
Soft, but not blinding.
Fate Testarossa, meanwhile, was a girl born from despair while clinging to hope.
From the very beginning, when she was created by her mother, the Great Mage Precia Testarossa, she was already a tragedy.
She existed as a replacement for Precia Testarossa's true daughter, Alicia Testarossa.
However, because Precia Testarossa clearly understood this fact herself, every time she saw Fate Testarossa, she was reminded of her dead daughter. Under the torment of longing for Alicia, her treatment of Fate gradually transformed into extreme abuse.
In order to resurrect her deceased daughter, the Great Mage Precia Testarossa ordered Fate Testarossa to gather the Jewel Seeds, intending to use their dimensional-interference power to open the gateway to the Land of Forgetfulness.
Within this incident, the role Fate Testarossa played was not merely that of a tool, nor simply Alicia Testarossa's substitute.
The most heartbreaking aspect was that, as a clone, Fate Testarossa would frequently dream of Alicia Testarossa's memories.
She had been shaped into someone incomparably gentle, only to be thrown into a cruel and merciless world.
If she had belonged to the magical girl system of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' she probably would have long since fallen into darkness and become a true witch.
Kaname Madoka and Akemi Homura.
Takamachi Nanoha and Fate Testarossa.
The protagonists of these two magical girl anime shared similar experiences.
Yet there was no doubt that the former pair was more emotionally moving.
"The key lies in Fate Testarossa. The original work never fully expressed her inner thoughts and experiences."
"Should I arrange a corruption arc? Thinking about it, using the Jewel Seeds merely as the catalyst of the anime is far too wasteful. From the giant cat episode and the related settings, they clearly possess the power to grant wishes. Looking at it from another perspective, that kind of immense power could also become the necessary tool for transforming into a 'witch.'"
"No, it shouldn't be called corruption. A more accurate description would be someone who embraced gentleness yet drowned in a world of despair. Her situation needs to be portrayed as even more tragic, even more capable of resonating with the audience, creating a stark contrast with Takamachi Nanoha's circumstances."
"And then, during the final battle, she learns the truth—that Alicia Testarossa will never be revived, and that her mother Precia Testarossa plans to self-destruct and drag everyone into the dimensional abyss together. Nearly consumed by despair, Fate Testarossa uses the power of the nine Jewel Seeds to transform into a 'witch,' teleporting everyone involved out of the dimension and stopping her mother's madness. Having lost all hope, she sinks alone into the dimensional abyss together with the dimensional sailing island."
"After realizing what happened, Takamachi Nanoha learns of Fate Testarossa's suffering and resolves to save her regardless of the cost. Using the same nine Jewel Seeds stored within Raising Heart, she unleashes terrifying magic power on the level of a Super-SSS Mage, forming the spell 'Galaxy Shatter' and blasting apart the dimensional abyss to bring Fate Testarossa back."
"That's actually a pretty good concept. But if we use an ending like that, it absolutely needs dialogue and background music capable of resonating emotionally with it."
Back at home, Kamiyā Yuu's eyes gleamed with divine brilliance as he redrew the storyboards for 'Magical Girl Nanoha.' An excited smile filled his face.
He had found the "breakthrough point."
Inspiration for refining the thematic core of the work continuously poured into his mind.
After thinking for a moment, Kamiyā Yuu set down his electronic drawing pen and returned to the bedroom, planning to enter the consciousness space to continue developing his ideas.