In episode 9 of Natsume Yuujinchou, a relatively important character finally made his appearance: Shuuichi Natori.
As the first human in the story who could not only see youkai but also subdue them through genuine spiritual power, his arrival made the fans of Natsume Yuujinchou realize, for the first time, that among humans there also existed people with real systems, real training, and real power - sorcerers who could stand on equal footing with the supernatural.
In the original work, Natori appeared across several arcs. With his striking looks, overwhelming strength, and sharp, capable personality, he had always been one of the manga's most popular characters. And when he finally stepped onto the stage in Japan, the effect was much the same. The internet lit up with discussion almost immediately.
By that point, Natsume Yuujinchou had already formed a very specific kind of fanbase within the anime industry. Just as it had in Sora Kamakawa's previous life, the series had noticeably more female fans than male ones. So when a character like Natori appeared - handsome, powerful, and carrying that effortless, dangerous sort of charm - it was only natural that countless female viewers were instantly captivated.
The episode had barely aired before people started flooding Sora Kamakawa's creator account with messages, begging him to release character materials for Natori as soon as possible - design collections, posters, figures, anything at all.
The next day, the ratings for episode 9 of Natsume Yuujinchou closed at 4.77%.
Meanwhile, episode 9 of Akane no Sora recorded 4.51% across the four prefectures of Shikoku, with a nationwide average of 4.52% across the twenty-one prefectures where it was being broadcast.
Given the level of influence Sora Kamakawa currently held within the industry, the actual reach of Tokushima TV, and the station's overall strength, the ratings Natsume Yuujinchou had achieved were already, for all practical purposes, near their ceiling.
That reality left quite a few people quietly regretful.
After all, the steady rise in viewership over the previous episodes had led many anime fans in the country to dream that Natsume Yuujinchou might actually break past the 5% mark.
But after two straight weeks of stabilizing in the 4.7% range, most people had already understood.
That was probably the highest point the first season would ever reach.
And so, the autumn season that year was visibly approaching its final stretch.
At the same time, one winter title after another, all set to premiere in January, began rolling out promotions on television in early December. Bit by bit, a portion of the audience's attention was pulled away toward the next wave of new releases.
It was the same in any world.
No matter how popular a series was during its season, no matter how loudly people talked about it while it stood at the center of discussion, within a month or two its presence would already begin to fade from the public conversation. And in the end, after the tide had washed away everything unnecessary, out of the hundreds of works released over the course of a single year, perhaps only one or two would truly remain alive in the memories of viewers for years - sometimes even more than a decade.
On December 6, inside Yume Animation -
"On these chilly autumn nights, you can already hear winter drawing closer... and yet... it's so warm here."
Kaoru Fujisawa's gentle voice drifted softly through the studio.
That was the final line of episode 13 of Natsume Yuujinchou.
And as the closing line for the series' run in the autumn cour, it could not have been more fitting.
On the projection screen inside the recording booth, fireworks bloomed across the night sky. Around Natsume stood the many youkai who had appeared throughout the season, gathered by his side as they watched the brilliant bursts of color together.
"Good. That's a pass."
Sora Kamakawa's approving voice rang out, and the recording came to an end.
In the very next instant, the entire studio broke into applause. Staff members, technicians, seiyuu - everyone clapped with genuine enthusiasm, as though all the emotion they had been carrying for months had finally found an outlet in that sound.
"It's over."
"We really finished it."
"Congratulations."
"After Natsume Yuujinchou ends, it's definitely going to become one of those anime Japanese fans still remember many years from now."
...
All that remained in the coming days was to integrate the newly recorded dialogue with the post-production sound effects and sync everything with the fully completed animation. Once that was done, the production of Natsume Yuujinchou would be officially finished.
And that was precisely why everyone standing there felt such a hard, silent ache in their hearts.
Ayaka Shiraishi, the seiyuu for Xia Ling, already had tears glimmering in her eyes.
In less than half a year, in that short and fleeting stretch of time, they had all come together and created an anime nominated for three awards at the Tokyo Anime Festival. They had created a work that had defeated every rival within its broadcast region. More than that, they had created the highest-rated anime among nearly seven hundred titles that had aired in Japan that year.
Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, standing straight with calm composure, Sora Kamakawa held a bouquet in his arms and handed one, one by one, to the main cast members as he spoke in a voice softer than usual.
"You worked hard, Ayaka Shiraishi."
"You worked hard, Takumi Aoyama."
"You worked hard, Kaoru Fujisawa."
...
"It's hard to accept that it's really over."
Takumi Aoyama spoke with visible reluctance, a faint sorrow resting on his face.
As a fresh graduate that year, he had only started working in July, and almost immediately Sora Kamakawa had chosen him to voice Nyanko-sensei, one of the series' most beloved characters. For someone making a seiyuu debut, that was as close to perfection as it got. So at that moment, there was nothing rehearsed in his words. They came straight from the heart.
"It really is..."
Kaoru Fujisawa, Natsume's voice actor, was no better at hiding his reluctance.
"I really don't want to say goodbye yet. I hope this anime gets a second season."
Ayaka Shiraishi discreetly wiped the moisture from the corner of her eye and smiled as she said it.
But the moment the words second season left her lips, the atmosphere in the booth shifted in a way so subtle it was almost impossible to catch.
The more than ten people present all found their thoughts stirring in much the same direction.
It was only natural.
With how successful the first season of Natsume Yuujinchou had been, if one looked only at the commercial side - and at the need to minimize risk - the best decision for Yume Animation would absolutely be to keep going and produce a second season.
Even Sumire, sitting there as assistant Kantoku, cast a quiet glance toward Sora Kamakawa.
"A second season, huh..."
Sora Kamakawa paused briefly before answering.
"For now, nothing's set yet. But the day I finish structuring the script for the continuation, Natsume Yuujinchou will definitely get a second season."
If not for the news Yumi Noriko had brought him earlier - that several major television networks were interested in seeking a partnership with him - then perhaps Sora Kamakawa really would have taken the profits from season one and immediately poured them into season two.
After all, by a rough estimate, once all thirteen episodes had finished airing, the emotional value Natsume Yuujinchou had generated would very likely exceed thirty million. That was more than enough to cover the exchange required for a second season of the anime.
But now...
Everything had become uncertain.
Sora Kamakawa still did not know what kind of terms those broadcasters might demand if they truly came to him. Nor was it even certain they would be interested in Natsume Yuujinchou 2 at all.
So when faced with a question that sounded casual but was, in truth, clearly meant to test the waters, the only thing he could do was deflect it for the time being.
When they heard his answer, several of the seiyuu present showed faint disappointment they could not quite hide.
Without question, Natsume Yuujinchou had been the greatest opportunity in each of their careers so far. It had brought them attention, recognition, and popularity. If there were even the slightest chance, of course they wanted the second season to begin as soon as possible.
"We'll definitely have chances to work together again in the future."
Sora Kamakawa lightly adjusted the edge of his jacket and spoke with complete sincerity.
"I only hope that when the time comes, you'll still think highly enough of Yume Animation to take part in our future projects."
The seiyuu straightened almost at once.
"Of course."
"You're being too formal, Kantoku."
"When that day comes, just let me know. No matter what job I'm doing then, I'll drop everything and come running to your side, Kantoku."
"That's right."
Then Sora Kamakawa smiled.
"By the way... episode 13 of Natsume Yuujinchou will air on December 29. Most likely, on December 30, the company will gather the entire production team for a large celebration banquet. I truly hope all of you will come."
Several pairs of eyes lit up at once.
But he was not finished yet.
"And on December 31, I'll be taking a flight to Tokyo. As for all of you, stay home that night and turn your televisions to any one of the four stations - Shirakawa TV, Aobane TV, Seiun TV, or HaiOn TV - to watch the live broadcast of the Tokyo Anime Festival starting at nine in the evening."
He lifted his chin slightly, and the calm certainty in his voice struck every person in the room straight in the chest.
"I'll represent the entire production team of Natsume Yuujinchou... and I'll bring back the honor that belongs to this work."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone in the booth seemed to breathe a little heavier.
...