To reiterate: Dark Rebirth Fantasy was a hit, with soaring book sales and a tabletop game launched before its anime adaptation.
No wonder agent Kashiwai Ippei was thrilled when Takizawa landed the role—a rare gem.
The author, a seasoned host, often wrote free scripts for fans online, boosting the series' charm. Backed by Sony's deep pockets, the anime's first episode burned through budget with stunning quality, sparking a wave of fans hyping it to draw new viewers.
Alfredo Charles Trivesjessin, a noble royal knight from humble roots, master swordsman, loyal servant to the princess, and winner of the 24th Kingdom of Night Sword Tournament, was hailed as a once-in-fifty-years prodigy.
Also, the quintessential gatekeeper, "Al-dono," beat him, and you're a legit powerhouse in the story.
Despite dying in chapter one, he ranked fourth in male character popularity polls—a bizarre feat.
Takizawa only just learned all this.
Fans giggled over memes, while non-fans griped, thinking Alfredo was the lead only to see him perish instantly.
But beyond the noise, the anime was genuinely well-made. The group watched, captivated by stellar animation and music.
The gyozas were done, piled high in a bowl.
Everyone mixed dipping sauce and dug in. Iwasawa Toshiki, the athletic type, scarfed them whole, while Sakura ate slowly, savoring each bite.
As the cozy gyoza feast unfolded, the episode neared its end.
"Your character's really gone?" Iwasawa asked, curious.
"Dead as a doornail," Takizawa said, his mood mixed.
"No flashback scenes?"
"Maybe a mention by others, but no extra lines. Nothing in the script either," Takizawa said, poking a gyoza with his chopsticks.
As the surviving princess and the isekai'd hero set off together, the soothing ED played, and the credits rolled, listing the voice actors:
[Milan Creed - Hino Satoshi]
[Penelope Loy - Hidaka Rina]
[Alfredo - Takizawa Satoru]
[Kose Most - Nakajima Kenji]
[Prologue Narrator - Kozuka Kifumi]
[Carriage Guard A - Mukai Hajime]
[Carriage Guard B - Doi Taich]
[Masked Bandit A - Fujishin Masato]
[Masked Bandit B - Mukai Hajime]
"That's Takizawa's name!" Matsuoka beamed, more excited than the man himself, pointing at the screen.
"Third in the credits—pretty impressive for a side role," Yoshimura Haruka said, clapping.
Sakura coughed lightly, glanced at him, and mumbled a quiet "Congrats."
"Flawless performance," Matsuoka said, still caught in the acting's afterglow. "Tone, dialogue, timing, emotion, depth—all spot-on."
"A blazing debut! Keep that momentum!" Iwasawa gave a thumbs-up.
"Thanks, guys. I'm honestly thrilled you think so," Takizawa said, cupping his fists.
"Didn't you record already too, Matsuoka?" Iwasawa asked.
Matsuoka paused, then waved it off with his usual friendly smile. "Kinda, but just a few simple lines."
"That's great! I've bombed multiple auditions," Yoshimura encouraged. "What about you, Sakura-chan?"
"Me?" Sakura glanced at Takizawa, who was mid-gyoza. "Well… auditions, mostly. Got lucky with a role."
"Things are looking up. We might get too busy for meetups like this," Iwasawa mused, raising his oolong tea cup. "Here's to thriving in work and school—and I gotta step up too!"
Cups clinked amid laughter.
"Mm?" Sakura froze, spitting something into her palm—a 100-yen coin.
"Blessed by the luck goddess!" Takizawa grinned. "Good things might be coming."
"You snuck this in?" She asked.
"Yup."
"It hurt my teeth," She said, sipping water.
"Should've warned you," Takizawa said, reaching for the coin, only for her to pull back, eyeing him suspiciously. "Give it back."
"No way. I ate it, it's mine. You can't take back a blessing," She smirked.
Takizawa opened his mouth but let it go, chuckling, though internally he felt the sting. A 100-yen coin? Really, officer?
"Eat up, there's plenty," Matsuoka urged.
"Tastes decent, though the wrapping's rough," Iwasawa said.
"You get better with practice," Yoshimura added.
"My drama's updating. Can we switch channels?" She asked.
"Voice actors should watch anime," Iwasawa teased.
"Not into ones I'm not in," She shot back.
"You're not in dramas either."
"…You'll never get a girlfriend like that."
The hearty, homemade gyoza dinner wrapped up joyfully. After cleaning dishes and the kitchen, Iwasawa walked them several blocks before saying goodbye.
Matsuoka and Yoshimura took the same train, waving as they left together.
Since Takizawa invited the underage Sakura, he felt obliged to escort her partway home. He missed his hometown's cheap, chatty taxis.
The night was clear, no heavy clouds, just bright moonlight spilling across the road, stars clustering like a river.
"Full?" Takizawa asked, fishing for conversation.
"Decent," Sakura said, skipping along his right, hands behind her back. She hesitated. "…Dad's been pushing me to lose weight."
"That's a long battle," Takizawa said, impressed.
"So you're saying I'm fat?!" She snapped.
He turned, sizing her up.
Feeling his gaze, the teen squirmed, her face flushing faintly in the night breeze.
"Objectively, a bit chubby," He said, swapping her shyness for irritation. Dodging an incoming kick, he jogged ahead. "But for your age, still growing, it's healthy!"
"Go die!"
Under the moonlight, they chased and bickered like schoolkids at recess, tugging sleeves and swatting backs. After two blocks, they stopped, panting.
Takizawa leaned against a streetlamp, eyeing his overly lively "friend," young enough to be his sister.
"Still staring? Am I that fat?" Sakura glared, half-annoyed.
"Nah, just wondering if you felt out of place tonight," He said softly.
"I was gonna say—you didn't warn me it was a group thing," She huffed.
"Worried you'd bail if I did. You're not great with crowds, right?" Takizawa said, noting her and Matsuoka's similar social struggles.
Warm and eager one-on-one, but tense in groups.
"…It's fine. They're from the training school, not total strangers. Honestly, it was more fun than not, especially your debut," She said, smirking at Alfredo's online buzz.
"Making the audience laugh, whatever the reason, means I did my job," Takizawa said humbly.
"I'm still mad you hid the group thing," She said, tossing her hair boyishly. "Next time, make it up with a real friend hangout."
"What do you wanna do?"
"Hmm… we don't know each other's hobbies yet. Friends share interests and fun, right? So, what do you like? Video games? I'm good at arcade fighters," She said proudly.
"No way, you play King of Fighters?" Takizawa perked up.
"Obviously Street Fighter," She said, shaking her head.
"What about run-and-guns? I love Metal Slug 3."
"Second one's way better," She scoffed.
"Super Mario's a safe bet, right?"
"I'm more Mega Man or Sonic," She said.
"We're totally out of sync!"
They stared at each other, dumbfounded.
The evening train wasn't crowded. Yoshimura, watching Matsuoka gaze at the passing cityscape, spoke up. "Something on your mind?"
Matsuoka snapped back, smiling sheepishly. "Thinking about Takizawa's performance."
"It felt so polished, not rookie-level," Yoshimura agreed.
"Yeah… that's what a voice actor should be," Matsuoka said, lowering his head, pausing. "My debut was crowd screams for fleeing extras. I don't mind small parts—seeing my name in the credits was indescribable."
"But just shouting random yells, getting paid for that…"
He trailed off, his face lit by the window's glow.
"Honestly, I'm a bit shaken, especially after seeing Takizawa today."
"You're such a serious guy," Yoshimura said, pausing thoughtfully before continuing softly, fist raised. "But worrying won't help. Seize every chance, give it your all, and you'll have no regrets."
"You're right," Matsuoka said, a smile breaking across his lean face as he stared at Tokyo's dazzling night. His resolve hardened.
Work harder, pour in more heart.
Full throttle—
***
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