The 'Yosuganosora' animation production company held its routine meeting to discuss the plot draft of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.' After an entire afternoon had passed, Yūki Chinatsu finally understood what kind of anime Kamiyā Yuu wanted to make. She looked at him with a subtle expression.
"Yuu, to come up with a plot like this, don't tell me you're actually a pretty sadistic S-type."
The meeting room wasn't large. Everyone sat around a large oval conference table. Kamiyā Yuu, seated at the head, twitched at the corner of his mouth.
"What nonsense are you saying? The theme of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' is love. Didn't I emphasize that several times just now?"
"Hurting others in the name of love really does fit the style of certain sadistic types..." Yūki Chinatsu's gaze toward Kamiyā Yuu turned wary.
"Kuroneko, do you have any thoughts?" Kamiyā Yuu simply ignored Yūki Chinatsu and turned to ask Gogyo Ruri beside him.
She was the only ordinary employee in the 'Yosuganosora' animation production company who could participate in this kind of high-level meeting. Gogyo Ruri, who had been invited over, was clearly somewhat restrained. Facing a circle of industry seniors around her, she carefully organized her words before answering cautiously.
"Yes. I think it's an excellent work. It's just that I'm a little uncertain about the role Homura Akemi plays in the first seven episodes."
"How so?"
"Yes. I think it might be more suitable for Homura Akemi to play the role of a lonely warrior in the first seven episodes. She doesn't join up with Madoka Kaname and the others, but silently protects them from the darkness. Yet that is also her weakness. Only in the despair arc does she consciously face her own weakness. Even when her former companion, Sayaka Miki, becomes a witch, she doesn't lend a hand. This process would require a large amount of personal plot to highlight her change."
Gogyo Ruri gestured with her small hands as she spoke. Because she was being watched by everyone, she hurriedly lowered her head, and her voice grew smaller and smaller. By the time she finished giving her suggestion, her lowered face was already flushed with shy redness.
"That's... roughly the feeling."
Kamiyā Yuu pondered for a while, then nodded and smiled.
"Kuroneko's suggestion is very good. After I go back, I'll try revising the storyboard draft."
"For the music, are we really using solemn-sounding English?" Shindō Tsukasa, seated in a conference chair and playing with a fountain pen, suddenly asked. His long hair had already been tied into a high ponytail, making him look much more energetic than before.
Kamiyā Yuu shook his head.
"No, Japanese will be fine. The overall musical style should mainly be serious and sorrowful. I've already thought of several good BGM tracks."
"Do we need to hire big-name voice actors? Our funds are sufficient now. Hiring a few famous voice actors would be more than affordable."
"The most suitable ones are enough. We don't need voice actors to drive the popularity of the work. Instead, the work's popularity will make the voice actors famous," Kamiyā Yuu said confidently after thinking for a moment.
The cost of hiring voice actors was about the same as hiring actors for a film. If they wanted a highly popular voice actor to dub a work, then the largest expense for the entire anime might end up being the voice actors' fees.
It might seem a little unfair, but a famous voice actor's income could be higher than that of an animation director, a planner, or even the company president. Of course, that didn't mean the voice acting industry was easy to survive in. Just like animators, voice actors without popularity were basically in a state where their income failed to cover expenses, and they needed part-time jobs to maintain basic living needs.
Voice actors also had their own specialized agencies. If certain voice actors remained unpopular, no matter how they were trained, they might even be charged fees to pay their managers' salaries.
Uehara Etsuki, dressed in a white kimono and sitting properly opposite Kamiyā Yuu, smiled calmly and tried offering her own suggestion.
"How about using a narrative method similar to reverse chronology for the first seven episodes? Putting the protagonist Madoka Kaname's hesitation after Episode 7 might make it more impactful."
"Oh~~ As expected of Etsuki. I think that suggestion works." Yūki Chinatsu raised her hand and shouted. Judging from her expression, she was clearly just excitedly joining in the fun.
You're only supporting it blindly because it was suggested by Uehara-sensei, aren't you?
Several black lines appeared on Kamiyā Yuu's forehead. He then raised his head and smiled as he nodded toward Uehara Etsuki.
"That works. In that case, can I leave the specific story framework for the first seven episodes to you, Sensei?"
"I'll do my best."
"Aoi, what's wrong? You look worried. Tell us what you're thinking, too." Kamiyā Yuu turned to look at Morishita Aoi, the only person in the meeting room with her delicate brows tightly furrowed. Her gaze was fixed, as though she were considering something important.
Morishita Aoi stayed silent for a while before asking in doubt, "Yuu, what age range is 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' targeting?"
"Probably fifteen to thirty. It can also be considered an anime aimed at adults."
"Even if people in that age range are anime fans, they won't like magical girl anime." Morishita Aoi folded her arms and sighed helplessly.
Kamiyā Yuu smiled unconcernedly.
"Of course. This is a breakthrough attempt in the genre. Setting aside those external factors, what do you think of the concept of my work?"
Setting aside market rules? In that case, Morishita Aoi had no dissatisfaction with the concept this time. Rather, when she saw the concept, she had already found it somewhat unbelievable. Kamiyā Yuu always seemed to enjoy making breakthrough innovations in genre.
Morishita Aoi looked at Kamiyā Yuu and lightly nodded.
"The concept of the work itself is extremely excellent. I have no doubts about that."
"Then it's decided. 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' officially begins production!
······
It was based on the original work, yet completely different from it. Leaving aside the plot changes, the first problem Kamiyā Yuu had to solve was the choice of art style. Should he continue using the original Shinbō style, or choose another path?
To be honest, when Kamiyā Yuu first saw the art style of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' he had disliked it quite a bit. But the later plot development made him feel that the style was actually not bad. It fully highlighted the gloomy, eerie, and detached atmosphere of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' and its abstract portrayal of witches was simply outstanding.
It was full of religion, art, and abstraction, giving people the feeling that, although they didn't know what it was, it looked very impressive.
In terms of art style, Kamiyā Yuu made a fundamental change and adopted abstract stream-of-consciousness concepts. For example, in the presentation of witches, it would be more like famous paintings such as 'The Scream,' full of artistic style. It was fundamentally different from the Shinbō style, but went even further in obscure meaning, abstraction, and subconscious expression. Any frame taken from within a witch's domain would contain an astonishing amount of information.
Needless to say, character design was still handed to Uehara Etsuki, who specialized in gothic style.
Madoka Kaname: A timid, kind, ordinary, cheerful girl with no particular traits. Under Kamiyā Yuu's suggestion, her pale pink hair was retained. Compared to the original design, both her ordinary form and magical girl form were made much more mature. Her original short socks were changed into white thigh-highs, forming an absolute territory.
Homura Akemi: After the personality change, she became rebellious, cold, distant, and like a ruthless assassin carrying out a mission. Black, long, straight hair. Compared to the original, she looked colder and more mature.
Sayaka Miki: An optimistic, energetic girl who was essentially quite selfish. She still appeared as a blue short-haired girl.
Mami Tomoe: An elegant, noble young lady, lonely and longing for companions. Because the wish she made as a child only revived herself and not her family, she had always lived in guilt. Unlike the original drill curls, Mami became a refined lady with long golden hair falling to her waist. Her prototype seemed to have been based on Kumamoto Alice, who had resigned not long ago.