Flash Animation Studio had its own recording studio.
Whether it was voice actors from different agencies or singers responsible for anime theme songs, they could all record here.
Whenever an anime entered production, voice actors would be selected first for auditioning.
For Puella Magi Madoka Magica's auditions, it was rumored that industry-renowned voice actors had been invited.
Although Madoka's director wasn't Niinohara Jin, the voice acting director was indeed him.
In front of him, even top-tier industry voice actors had to give it their all.
Several voice acting agencies had long-term partnerships with Flash Animation, and each time there was dubbing work, many voice actors would come here.
Even though today wasn't for Madoka's dubbing, an audition was still being held—because the anime adaptation of a novel supervised by Niinohara Jin had just begun production.
Thus, the voice actor selection process also had to begin.
When Su Yu, Hikigaya Komachi, and Ebina Hina arrived on this floor, they saw several young voice actors waiting in the hallway.
A staff member spotted Su Yu and quickly stepped forward, bowing slightly.
"Young Master Su Yu."
"Is Director Niino here?" Su Yu asked.
"Yes, he's inside selecting voice actors. The ones here are all well-known voice actors from various agencies." The staff member nodded.
"Take me there. I'm curious about the audition process."
"Understood. Please follow me." The staff member responded respectfully.
Su Yu followed her to the door of another room.
The staff member knocked, and soon, the door opened.
A woman inside saw Su Yu and immediately stepped aside.
Niinohara Jin, who had been intently listening to a voice actor's performance, furrowed his brows at the sudden interruption and looked over.
But when he saw Su Yu, his expression brightened. He gestured for the voice actors inside to pause.
"Su Yu-kun, are you here to help me choose voice actors? Or… are you planning to dub a role yourself?" Niinohara Jin joked with a smile.
"I'm just here to take a look. I'll leave the voice actor selection to you, Director Niino." Su Yu shook his head.
"I'd actually appreciate your input. I want this anime to be as perfect as possible." Niinohara Jin's tone grew serious.
"Alright, I'll listen in." Su Yu knew what he meant.
Since this was an adaptation of his wife's novel, Niinohara Jin wanted the project to be as flawless as possible.
Hikigaya Komachi and Ebina Hina sat nearby, watching the process unfold.
Niinohara Jin and Su Yu took their seats.
Su Yu glanced at the script in front of him.
"Su Yu-kun, which scene do you think best showcases a voice actor's compatibility with the characters?" Niinohara Jin asked in a low voice.
"Hmm… the fireworks festival scene." Su Yu thought for a moment before answering.
"Got it." Niinohara Jin nodded and quickly gave instructions to the voice actors.
The voice actors had already read through the entire script and rehearsed their lines, so as soon as Niinohara Jin gave the word, they began dubbing.
The fireworks festival scene featured both the male and female protagonists' inner monologues.
As the fireworks exploded, they interrupted the heroine's confession, and the hero, despite his clumsiness, reached out and confessed instead.
It was one of the sweetest moments in the entire anime.
Once Su Yu was ready, Niinohara Jin signaled for the recording to begin.
Su Yu, however, closed his eyes.
The female voice actor performed at a professional level, and the male voice actor was just as skilled.
Yet, something felt… off.
Their voices didn't quite fit together.
Su Yu shook his head—this wasn't how he imagined the protagonists would sound.
Niinohara Jin noticed Su Yu's reaction and immediately signaled for the pair to step aside.
He hadn't chosen them either.
Though technically excellent, they lacked the right feeling.
Hikigaya Komachi and Ebina Hina were both impressed by the voice actors' abilities.
Komachi's eyes sparkled—she found the voice acting process quite interesting.
Meanwhile, Ebina Hina kept her gaze on Su Yu.
Because the script sample was short, the audition process was fast-paced.
Within an hour, every pair had performed the fireworks festival scene.
For most of them, Su Yu simply shook his head.
Only three pairs received a passing score from him.
Niinohara Jin re-listened to those three performances and found himself even more impressed by Su Yu.
To select the best candidates simply by listening with his eyes closed—this was a skill that even he didn't possess.
"Su Yu-kun, thank you. I'll choose the male and female leads from these three pairs. If you're available in the future, I'd love to have you at more auditions—your sense for voice casting is incredibly accurate."
Niinohara Jin's voice carried genuine gratitude.
"If possible, I think we should have our own voice actor agency," Su Yu said, watching the departing voice actors.
"We used to have one, but the former president sold it off. Since then, we've only worked with external agencies." Niinohara Jin sighed.
"I'll have Miss Sata keep an eye out. If any voice actor agencies are willing to sell, we'll buy one."
Su Yu felt helpless. That former president… seriously.
Niinohara Jin fully supported the idea but, as a director, he left business matters to others. Instead, he turned his attention to announcing the audition results.
Su Yu then took Komachi and Ebina Hina to another recording studio—this one dedicated to song recordings.
He knocked on the door.
A moment later, it opened.
A woman in business attire saw Su Yu and immediately stepped aside to let him in.
The moment he entered, Su Yu's gaze landed on Miura Yumiko, who was recording a song inside.
The others in the room stood up upon seeing Su Yu.
He waved his hand dismissively.
They exchanged glances before sitting back down.
Inside the booth, Miura Yumiko's face lit up upon spotting Su Yu.
She waved at him excitedly.
Su Yu smiled back and took a seat beside the music director.
"How's her test recording?" Su Yu asked.
"Miss Miura's recording is perfect. She has the vocal ability of an idol. Honestly, just singing anime songs feels like a waste of her talent," the director replied seriously.
Su Yu nodded without saying more, simply listening to Miura Yumiko's song.
Ebina Hina watched her as well.
Even before Su Yu had entered their lives, they had known about Miura Yumiko's singing skills.
Now, seeing her inside the recording booth, Ebina Hina felt a hint of admiration.
Yumiko was already so close to being an idol.
The entire room remained silent as she finished her song.
Once the track ended, the music director stood up and gave a signal.
Miura Yumiko took a breath, then bowed slightly before exiting the booth.
"Miss Miura, today's recording is done. You did great. If there are more songs to record, we'll notify you in advance."
"Thank you for your recognition," Miura Yumiko said sincerely.
"You have the talent to be an idol," the director praised.
"If the opportunity arises, I'd like to try," Yumiko responded—before sneaking a glance at Su Yu.
The fact that he had come to see her made her happier than passing the audition itself.
Notes-You can read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X