Animation Producer in a Fantasy World

What is this new art genre called ‘animation’ that is currently gaining immense popularity throughout the empire?

‘Machine God Chronicles’, survey results show that over 50% of imperial citizens are watching.

Why is ‘Machine God Chronicles’ causing a box office sensation in the empire, an in-depth investigation by experts.

Due to the influence of ‘Machine God Chronicles’ broadcast, attendance at plays and operas has significantly decreased…

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…(omitted)… ‘Machine God Chronicles’, which is currently being broadcast every weekend at 9 PM, is extremely popular among imperial citizens.

The fact that the imperial family supported the production of ‘Machine God Chronicles’ and that the artifact called television has been distributed throughout the empire cannot fully explain this phenomenon.

Then how did ‘Machine God Chronicles’ manage to capture the hearts of imperial citizens who were seeing animation for the first time?

Regarding this phenomenon, most art industry professionals explain that the ‘interesting story’ is the biggest reason.

In episode 1, the protagonist ‘Kai’, who was an ordinary boy, not only suddenly boards a Machine God but also shows a shocking development where the Machine God goes berserk while he is unconscious.

However, in the following episode 2, it is revealed that Kai has lost all memory of when the Machine God went berserk.

Given the circumstances, it’s certain that the berserk Machine God subjugated the first Outer God, but no additional explanation related to this is given in the story.

However, through the meaningful conversations between the Commander-in-Chief and Vice Commander, or the monologues of other pilots Saya and Chloe, we can confirm that all of this is intentional directing.

This interpretation suggests that the ‘artificial gaps’ in the story are the driving force that allows viewers to feel intense interest in ‘Machine God Chronicles’.

However, some other experts are directly refuting this opinion.

Their analysis is that the most powerful factor contributing to the success of ‘Machine God Chronicles’ is the female pilots, including Saya.

Saya, a cold girl with blonde hair who seems to have almost no emotions.

Eileen, a girl with red hair and an active personality who has only one goal of subjugating Outer Gods.

Chloe, a girl with black hair who hasn’t appeared much yet but seems to know important secrets related to the Machine Gods.

And these girls can be said to be in a kind of ‘budding relationship’ with Kai in both physical and emotional aspects.

Eileen as a reliable partner who subjugates Outer Gods together with Kai.

Saya as a lifelong companion who gradually finds her lost emotions through interactions with Kai.

Chloe as a kind of guide trying to show Kai the right path by revealing some ‘secret’ to him.

These three female pilots can be said to be helping Kai in different aspects.

Currently, there’s a heated debate among viewers about who among these three will be the ultimate winner.

By the way, among these three female pilots, this writer feels the most affinity for Saya.

Because in episode 4, the scene where Saya, who had been stated to have never smiled even once until now, unconsciously smiles while grasping Kai’s outstretched hand was enough to move this writer’s heart…

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“…What the hell. What kind of lunatic wrote this article?”

I couldn’t help but make a bewildered expression as I was reading the newspaper article.

I heard that a special article about ‘Machine God Chronicles’ was published in today’s morning paper, so I read it.

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment when I saw the article content drift into the heroine popularity contest and the reporter’s personal preferences midway through.

“Well, it’s a bit absurd, but it doesn’t seem like a bad thing.”

Serika, who was sitting across from me sipping coffee and reading the same newspaper, said quietly with a smile.

“The fact that such an article was published in the newspaper is evidence that our ‘Machine God Chronicles’ has developed into a social phenomenon beyond simply being successful, right? Don’t you think?”

“That’s… true.”

I had to nod at Serika’s words.

Indeed, it was as Serika said.

‘Machine God Chronicles’, which has currently aired up to episode 10, was causing a tremendous box office sensation throughout the empire.

To the extent that I thought it might have surpassed the popularity of ‘The Disappearance of Elli and Hamel’.

Of course, it’s impossible to directly compare which work is more popular between ‘Machine God Chronicles’ and ‘The Disappearance of Elli and Hamel’.

Because one is an animation broadcast on television, and the other is a theatrical animation released in theaters.

However, while ‘The Disappearance of Elli and Hamel’ was only popular among nobles and a few commoners because it had to be watched in theaters for a fee.

It was a fact that ‘Machine God Chronicles’ was receiving a more enthusiastic response because commoners could easily access it as televisions were distributed throughout the empire.

Also, thanks to our agitator Hikardo, who inherited the will of ‘Hi’, spreading rumors that the animation production team was always ready to communicate with the general public, the image had improved considerably.

Serika started reading articles from other newspapers placed in front of her with a smile.

“Other newspapers are also full of praise for ‘Machine God Chronicles’. ‘A feeling of hope emerging in a world full of despair’, ‘An animation showing humanity’s resilience against unidentified monsters.’ There are hardly any articles criticizing ‘Machine God Chronicles’.”

“…Really?”
“Some art professor from the Imperial Academy? That person wrote an article saying that the content of ‘Machine God Chronicles’ lacks depth, but it doesn’t seem to be getting much response. Indeed, the viewers know better.”

Serika said this as if she was very excited.

But as I listened to Serika’s words, I felt somewhat displeased for some reason.

Because.

‘If such evaluations continue, I won’t be able to end the latter half with the human extinction ending…!’

That’s right.

In the past, even that anime from Japan which had the legendary ending where humanity turned into orange juice is generally evaluated as a masterpiece.

Nevertheless, there were also quite a few people who evaluated that all the characters seemed to have mental illnesses, or that they might get depression from watching the anime.

But that doesn’t mean the director deliberately made such developments to induce cancer in the viewers’ bodies.

Those were all a kind of build-up to turn humanity into orange juice in the ending.

It was because of the characters’ breath-stopping actions and the outrageous developments that people could calmly accept and understand when humanity became extinct in the ending.
Of course, understanding and cursing at the ending were separate actions.

In other words, this meant that I too couldn’t make humanity extinct in the ending part unless I made outrageous developments that took the viewers’ breath away.

If bright, cheerful, and hopeful developments continue until then, and suddenly lead to an ending where humanity perishes, it can’t be called a twist at all.

That just means it’s a fucked-up anime where the director gave up making it halfway through.

Then what should I do?

How can I lead the development towards the annihilation route without ruining the anime?
‘Well, that’s not such a difficult thing.’

Fortunately, coming up with an answer wasn’t that difficult.

Because all I had to do was plagiarize… no, borrow ideas slightly from the anime that became the motif for ‘Machine God Chronicles’.

‘I’ll kill.’

I was planning to execute one of the characters appearing in ‘Machine God Chronicles’ as an example from now on.

Of course, I was planning to package that death as an inevitable sacrifice for the story in front of the production team.
But no one would notice that my true purpose in killing the character was to make the atmosphere of ‘Machine God Chronicles’ a mess.

Some people might ask if making the development a mess wouldn’t ruin the work.

But if you think about it, Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ is also a messed-up morning drama, but no one criticizes it, right?

It’s the same for me.

I too was trying to make ‘Machine God Chronicles’ a mess, reluctantly holding back tears, to make the work a masterpiece.

‘Hmm, but even if it’s a character in an anime, is it really okay to just kill people like that?’

For a moment, the faint conscience remaining in my heart stirred and asked such a question.

But thinking about it carefully, it didn’t seem like such a bad thing to serially kill the characters like that.

‘Everyone’s going to die in the ending anyway, so you can just think of it as dying a little early.’

Wouldn’t I be an extremely merciful person since I plan to reunite the early-dead characters with those who will die in the ending part in the afterlife?

Also, since that alone might not be impactful enough, I was planning to equip each main character with a mental illness from now on.

From yandere to menhera.

From Oedipus complex to Electra complex.

If I emphasize that the characters are by no means in their right minds and lead the development into a mess, there won’t be many people who will blame me even if humanity turns into orange juice in the end.

And at the end of that, I become free.

I’ll be able to return to the life of a NEET who can live just by receiving royalties without having to make anime anymore!

“Hmm, I think it might be a bit bland if the character just dies, so should I add a children’s song as the OST for that scene?”
Wouldn’t everyone experience culture shock if a calm children’s song plays in the background while a person is dying on screen?
Wouldn’t that be enough to shake up the mental state of viewers watching ‘Machine God Chronicles’ in real-time?
I immediately started production to control other people’s emotions through anime.
And so, a few days later, episode 17 of ‘Machine God Chronicles’, which would turn the entire empire upside down, was completed.