The Third Anime Plan (3)

Roughly in that way, Ragna was able to successfully conclude negotiations with the merchant group head.

Anyway, now that funding was secured, it was time to start work in earnest.

“So, Director. When do you plan to start working on “Lulu’s Adventure”?”

Kaya spoke in a somewhat excited voice, probably thrilled that her work was going to be animated.

“Even so, it can’t be broadcast at the same time as your new work, can it? Are you perhaps thinking of starting production after your new work is finished?”

“Broadcast after this new work is finished? I have no such intention at all.”

“…Pardon?”

And Ragna looked at Kaya, who was saying such things to him, with an expression of disbelief.

No, if he had been thinking of producing “Lulu’s Adventure” after this new work was finished, why would he have gone to the merchant group and put on such a show?

He could just use the support funds from the Imperial Family to produce the animation as he had always done until now.

“Let me make this clear now. “Lulu’s Adventure”, which Miss Kaya will direct, is scheduled to be broadcast at the same time as the new work I’ll be producing this time.”

“…At the same time, you say?”

Kaya blinked her eyes, unable to understand what Ragna was saying.

Hmm. So, “Lulu’s Adventure” being broadcast at the same time as Ragna’s new work means-

“Could it be that my work and your work… will be broadcast on the same date?”

At that moment, Kaya felt her heart sink.

That’s because Ragna and Kaya’s capabilities as animation producers are literally as different as heaven and earth.

If animations produced by these two people are broadcast on the same date, isn’t it obvious that the two works will inevitably be compared by viewers?

Seeing Kaya turn pale, Ragna tilted his head.

“What are you saying? My new work and your new work being broadcast on the same date? How could that be?”

“…Haha, that’s right, isn’t it? I was worried for nothing. No matter how much help you’ve given me, there’s no way an animation I produced could match up to your animation-“

“It’s not just being broadcast on the same date. To be more precise, they will be broadcast simultaneously at the same time. In other words, you could say we’ll be in a kind of friendly competition vying for ratings?”

“…Pardon?”

Only if the two works are broadcast simultaneously in the same time slot will viewers compare them, right?

Also, it will be possible to explicitly evaluate which of the two works is superior through ratings, and.

Although this is just a hypothetical, if the two works face off head-to-head like that and as a result.

What if the work Kaya made gets higher ratings than the work Ragna made?

Well then, there’s no need to mention what will happen after that.

Ragna will readily acknowledge ‘defeat’ to Kaya and recognize her as number one.

After absorbing everything he had as a kind of disciple under him.

In the end, he will greatly praise her for surpassing him.

Just as the dark game acknowledged defeat to Yugi who defeated him in the ‘ritual of the duel’ and quietly departed for the netherworld.

Ragna also intended to entrust everything he had to Kaya without going against the flow of the times.

And he will go to the Emperor and say this.

That he is no longer needed for animation production.

That he has already bestowed everything he had to the new era-

Thus, Ragna will retire sadly.

Becoming a forgotten old man in the back room that no one in the world remembers anymore….

‘Kuh, this is it.’

Having completed a grand drama in his head, Ragna decided to turn this delusion into reality.

So, he immediately ‘banished’ Kaya from this place.

“Well, now we’re enemies from now on. Do you understand?”

“…Pardon? No, what do you-“

So Ragna sent Kaya, who seemed to be mumbling something, outside, and also sent along the staff who had been producing anime with him until now.

Since Kaya is still inexperienced as an animation director, he decided to send the staff who had been producing anime with him to her side.

“No, I’m not going.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m not going to do voice acting or anything under anyone unless it’s for the anime you make. Got it?”

“…..”

Well, just one person stubbornly insisted on staying by Ragna’s side until the end, so that was an exception.

Anyway, Ragna gathered all the newly recruited staff for the production of the new TV anime “Attack on Heaven”, which follows “Sky of Destiny”, and held a meeting.

Although they were newly recruited staff, not the existing staff, everyone here knew about Ragna and Serika, so self-introductions were boldly omitted.

Ragna, a modern person whose human sensibilities had dried up due to global warming and the 4th industrial revolution, lightly pushed aside things like introductions and jumped straight to the conclusion.

“As those who have seen the PV know, the name of the animation we’re going to produce from now on is “Attack on Heaven”. Its genre is mecha, like “Machine God Chronicles” that I produced in the past.”

“”Attack on Heaven”, you say?”

“A mecha genre like “Machine God Chronicles”? As expected, I roughly predicted it through the PV, but it’s finally here!”

Of course, the staff couldn’t hide their excitement upon hearing Ragna’s words.

That’s because “Machine God Chronicles” was essentially the first TV anime to appear in this world, and.

Although it was evaluated that the story was a bit… no, actually extremely depressing and most of the characters seemed to be suffering from mental illnesses.

Upon closer inspection, there were an enormous number of foreshadowings and hints related to it, and due to the heavy use of metaphorical techniques, discussions related to “Machine God Chronicles” were still actively taking place even now, about a year after the broadcast ended.

Should we say it’s a case where it’s receiving even higher evaluations as reinterpretations related to the work are made at the current point after the broadcast ended, rather than during the broadcast?

And most of the staff gathered here were those who had dreamed of wanting to make such animations themselves after repeatedly marveling while watching “Machine God Chronicles”, and.

In other words, it was inevitable for them to be unable to hide their excitement at Ragna’s words “I’m going to make a mecha work.”

“Wow, I’m looking forward to it! I wonder what kind of strange foreshadowing and development Director will use to surprise viewers this time?”

“If it’s Director Ragna, you’ve already created a plot with perfect beginning, development, climax, and conclusion, right? Well, it’s a fact proven by “Machine God Chronicles” that you’re a person with such capabilities, isn’t it?”

While the staff were unable to hide their excitement as they recalled memories related to “Machine God Chronicles”,

Unfortunately, Ragna shattered the staff’s happiness circuits in one breath.

“First, before we start full-scale production of the work “Attack on Heaven”, I’ll say just one thing. In the work “Attack on Heaven”, I’m thinking of removing plausibility.”

“…Pardon?”

For a moment, the staff tilted their heads, unable to understand what they had heard.

Hmm, so… what did he say he’s going to remove from the work now?

“Plausibility is the quality of thinking that although it’s not certain, this is probably how it would be in reality. Adhering to this might seem natural at first glance, but ultimately it often becomes a major cause of hindering human imagination.”

Bang!

Ragna said as he strongly struck the table with his fist.

“And I think that’s a prejudice. True men can solve everything in this world through hot-bloodedness and guts. So how can mere plausibility stand in the way of true men?”

“The work “Attack on Heaven” that I’m going to produce this time is a hot-blooded mecha work depicting the journey of true men. That’s why I’ve decided. In this work “Attack on Heaven”, I’m going to boldly omit things like plausibility for smooth development!”

“…..”

Well.

Isn’t that just saying you’re going to make the work however you like, regardless of story or anything else…?

The staff were left speechless at Ragna’s outrageous nonsense, but.

In fact, that reaction itself was exactly the reaction Ragna wanted.

A mecha work that throws plausibility to the dogs and plans to overcome all hardships and adversities with only hot-bloodedness and fighting spirit.

Also, he plans to forcefully insert ridiculous settings such as damaged parts of mechs automatically repairing themselves or weapons that didn’t exist before being automatically created if only guts remain.

This time, viewers will surely pour out voices of criticism towards Ragna, saying this is going too far while watching the work “Attack on Heaven”.

Moreover, that wasn’t all.

‘Execute.’

To maximize the shock of people watching this trainwreck anime, Ragna planned to kill off a character close to the protagonist in the early part of the work.

The effect of that, well, there’s no need to even mention it.

Isn’t it clear what result will come out just by looking at how the entire Empire was turned upside down when Luke died in “Machine God Chronicles” in the past?

There’s no reason not to use a method whose effect has already been verified once.

‘Then who should I kill? The protagonist’s brother? A heroine candidate? Or both?’

As Ragna was creating a death list related to the characters with a very joyful heart,

The production of the work “Attack on Heaven” officially began.