A week later, Jun Maeda knocked on the door of the President's office.
"President, I've finished the first draft of my script. Could you please take a look at it?"
As he spoke, Jun Maeda placed the document in his hand onto Aoki Haruhi's desk.
"Sure." Aoki glanced at it, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly. "You go ahead and get back to work. I'll contact you after I've finished reading it."
"Yes, President."
Jun Maeda looked at his manuscript with a feeling of trepidation before walking out.
Tsk, tsk.
Looking at the document on the desk.
Aoki nearly laughed out loud.
This was Jun Maeda's debut work, after all.
In his previous life, Aoki had been emotionally tortured by this guy quite a bit—works like "AIR", "CLANNAD", "Angel Beats"... each one was incredibly tear-jerking, and Aoki had been absolutely wrecked by them.
Now, just seeing his face gave him an urge to punch it.
Of course, Gen Urobuchi wasn't any better.
Urobuchi's blades were faster, sharper, and pitch-black to boot.
By comparison, although Jun Maeda's blades were just as heart-wrenchingly painful, they were relatively healing and warm.
They truly were the Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon of the "stabbing" industry; neither of them was any kinder than the other.
Aoki adjusted his posture, prepared a cup of coffee for himself, didn't forget to place a box of tissues nearby, and then closed the door.
Having made full preparations, he finally opened Jun Maeda's script.
He saw the words "Blanket Man" written in big characters on the cover.
Hm?
It's a completely new version I've never seen before.
Although Aoki Haruhi felt the chances of getting a CL script were too low—after all, Jun Maeda's life experience and maturity in game development weren't enough to reach the peak level of CL at this stage—it was still normal.
But he had expected something like the Great Demon Lord's early works, such as "MOON" or "ONE Kagayaki no Kisetsu".
If he could write something like "AIR", that would be even better.
But what was laid out in front of him was "Blanket Man".
No matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem like a romance game.
However, being able to see a brand-new work still gave Aoki Haruhi a tiny bit of excitement.
[I don't know what happened.
When I woke up, I had turned into a "Blanket Man".
A so-called "Blanket Man" is someone who has had a blanket grow onto their body.
Terrifying...
I actually used the word "grow".
It makes me seem like some kind of freak.
For this reason, I checked for a long time, but no matter how hard I pulled, the blanket remained firmly attached to my body, unable to be torn away.
Although I'm a shut-in, and I like to huddle in a blanket to eat, drink, and play, even liking to wrap myself in a blanket when playing games, I never thought that one day I would truly become a Blanket Man.]
A very interesting concept.
And it fits Jun Maeda's style perfectly.
Aoki Haruhi thought to himself.
Anyone familiar with Maeda knows that the games this guy makes are basically inseparable from a few elements—
Students, beautiful girls, and baseball.
This is likely related to the Great Demon King of Tears' own life experiences; he has a unique attachment to school life, and the romances of young boys and girls always take place on campus.
Even in a work like "Angel Beats," which is set in the afterlife, it still has to be a group of high school students.
Therefore, "Blanket Man" also tells a story about high school students.
The male protagonist turns into a [Blanket Man] right from the start.
Literally.
The blanket has grown into his body, becoming just like his own skin; if you were to try to cut it with a knife, it would even bleed.
Such a life is both laughable and incredibly despairing.
And it was under these circumstances that the [Blanket Man] met his fated love.
In terms of the premise, it wasn't cliché at all, a fact that even Aoki Haruhi, who had transmigrated from 2023, couldn't help but agree with.
He had originally thought that Jun Maeda would use methods similar to Urobuchi's, such as time-loop tricks, supernatural beings, or corrupted humans—elements that seemed more serious and dark.
But Jun Maeda's writing style was light and cheerful, using a premise similar to Kafka's The Metamorphosis, yet with a completely different tone.
In a world that loathed him, Blanket Man felt no sorrow or despair; instead, he was incredibly optimistic and even had many interesting interactions with the heroine.
After finishing the entire script, Aoki Haruhi closed the document and let out a heavy sigh.
How should he put it?
It was a good story, engaging and tear-jerking, with characters depicted quite delicately and richly.
Jun Maeda's style belongs to that type which brings tears through laughter; one moment he makes you laugh out loud, and the next, he makes you sob uncontrollably.
All the joy at the beginning could potentially become a tear-jerking bomb later on.
This work perfectly embodied that.
Even though Jun Maeda's writing was still a bit green and immature, and the story was a little thin, Aoki Haruhi could already taste the unique flavor of the "Great Demon King" in it.
However, there was one thing he couldn't quite understand—
The "Great Demon King of Tears," Jun Maeda, didn't actually deliver a "knife"?!
How was that possible?
Aoki Haruhi finally understood a little of the psychology of those who felt it was inconceivable for Kogahara Tsubakiaki not to deliver a "knife."
Although the final ending was somewhat open-ended, the emotional tone by that point had completely changed.
Originally, Aoki Haruhi had assumed that at least one of the main characters would have to die.
He hadn't expected both of them to survive.
Aoki Haruhi called Jun Maeda into his office, served him coffee, and prepared to discuss a new project.
"I've finished reading it. Although the story is a bit thin, I have to say it's a good one."
Aoki looked at Maeda and asked, "Maeda-san (Jun Maeda's real name is Jun Maeda, which is a homophone for his pen name), could you tell me about your creative process? What was your initial intention in writing this script, and what did you want to express through this work?"
Some things are obvious at a glance.
But ever since talking with Master Hayao Miyazaki, Aoki had come to value the "creative purpose" of a work even more.
If it was just for the sake of making people cry, he didn't need such a game.
But the problem was that this "Blanket Man," the great demon lord Jun Maeda, hadn't actually written any sad twists.
"Creative purpose, huh..." Jun Maeda thought for a moment before asking, "President, are you familiar with Marvel?"
"Yes." Aoki nodded.
Of course, I know Marvel. How could I not, having watched so many Marvel-related animations and movies in my previous life?
"My inspiration actually came from Marvel superheroes," Jun Maeda said.
Huh?
Aoki Haruhi was stunned for a moment.
Did this guy get his inspiration from Marvel?
I thought it was Kafka.
But—
Don't tell me you wrote a "superhero"?
Blanket Man, this has absolutely nothing to do with superheroes, right?
From Spider-Man's perspective, it's understandable, after all, mutants are a type of superhero.
It's just that Blanket Man's ability is too useless, isn't it?
Growing a blanket on his body, what can such an ability do? Can it go toe-to-toe with Spider-Man?
"When I was watching Marvel cartoons, I always had a strong feeling," Jun Maeda said, crossing his arms and weighing his next words, "Whether it's Spider-Man, Hulk... after they mutate and gain super strength, they all become heroes who save the world. And it seems all superheroes must possess super-powerful abilities."
"Hmm, that's indeed the case."
Aoki Haruhi listened while thinking.
But that is the major tone of Marvel; saving the world is the destiny of every superhero. It may seem quite deliberate, but the problem is that the audience just loves to watch it.
Jun Maeda smiled and said, "But in reality, I don't think a 'superhero' necessarily has to save the world. Isn't saving the person you love also being a hero?"
"And why must they have such powerful, destructive abilities? Couldn't they have some seemingly useless skills instead? Perhaps these mutant underdogs are exactly the kind of heroes we can most relate to?"
Holy crap!
Aoki Haruhi suddenly looked up, completely stunned by Jun Maeda's words.
Not bad, this kid!
Is this the kind of insight a fresh high school graduate should have?
How long must this guy have been thinking about this?
Excellent, simply excellent. From Marvel's "Superheroes" to Jun Maeda's "Trash Mutants," and further down the line, we'll eventually get to "The Boys."
Sure enough, ideas can transcend their time.
From this conceptual standpoint, Aoki Haruhi felt that Jun Maeda had actually written exactly what he wanted.
"Not being a hero for all of humanity, but being a hero for just one person, and even having abilities that can't compare to a normal person..."
Aoki Haruhi rested his chin on his hand, thinking deeply, finding it more and more interesting the more he thought about it.
"Mr. Maeda, you really are a gifted game creator."
Moreover, it's not just about an ordinary person having great power and being someone's personal hero; Jun Maeda's "Blanket Man" contains other things as well—
The story may seem absurd on the surface, but its background reflects deep societal issues.
Whether it's the "otaku element," being ostracized by others, or being looked at with strange eyes... these all reflect social realities.
In the future, Japan will enter thirty years of stagnation, and with the number of otaku increasing, perhaps they will feel an even stronger sense of identity with Blanket Man.
Who knows, maybe one day the term "otaku" will disappear, replaced by "Blanket Man."
And for a work like this to maintain a lighthearted and joyful tone is, one might say, truly remarkable.
Being able to let players get into the game quickly, while having a high ceiling that is thought-provoking and makes people reflect, is truly not easy.
He stood up, organized the document, and placed it on his desk.
"There are no issues with this script from my side."
"Understood, President. Thank you, President." Hearing this, Jun Maeda felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, happy as a child.
Now that there is a good script, the only thing left is to assemble the team.
Jun Maeda's proposal, with its urban setting and a [useless male lead] who lacks even basic combat ability, can only be made into a visual novel—much like "The Entropic Man"—which is the current, most popular format for galgames.
Actually, this format suits him best.
For the team, the art and programming aspects should be manageable; I can just have Sakata Taiji and Akanishi Ken handle those arrangements when the time comes.
The original character designer will most likely be Yokoyama, who worked on "The Mermaid's Heart" and "The Entropic Man."
There's no need to worry too much about these things.
Right now, Aoki Haruhi's top priority is—
Who will take on the role of producer.
"Huh? Me? You want me to be the producer? Really?"
Ishino Mika stared with wide eyes, completely unable to believe what she was hearing.
When she was first summoned to the president's office and saw Junya Maeda already there, her first instinct was that it definitely wasn't for anything good.
She never expected that he would ask her to serve as the producer for a new project.
A heavy responsibility had fallen from the sky.
The problem was—
I'm not prepared at all.
Although Ishino Mika had been with the company for a few years, she always felt that the president favored Mikami and Wada more.
"If you lack confidence, I can always find someone else," Aoi Haruhi said nonchalantly.
He reached out, preparing to take back the project proposal from the desk.
"No, no, President, what I meant was..."
Ishino Mika panicked for a moment and quickly pressed down on the president's hand, terrified that he would take the proposal away from her.
She looked at Aoi Haruhi with a pained expression.
President, why don't you play by the rules?
In this situation, shouldn't you be encouraging me, giving me confidence, and telling me that I'm your chosen one, that you're one hundred percent assured in handing this over to me?
"I will definitely redouble my efforts and not let down your expectations, President."
Ishino Mika quickly added, then snatched the project proposal and hugged it tightly to her chest.
"In that case, I'll leave it to you."
In reality, Aoki Haruhi had no better options.
Up until now, the only producer the company had managed to cultivate, in the strict sense of the word, was Mikami Shinji; after all, his talent and hard work were plain for all to see.
Gen Urobuchi couldn't be counted on yet. You could ask him to write a script, and he'd be more than happy to do it; he could perform exceptionally well and was always full of surprises. At the very least, from what had been seen so far, the stories and character designs of the games Urobuchi wrote were top-tier.
But if you asked him to take on the role of producer, he wouldn't just need to control the game's quality and schedule; he would also need to coordinate with the programmers, artists, musicians, and sound engineers... This was no longer just about making a product; it required social skills.
When it came to project management, Gen Urobuchi was a complete novice.
And as long as he didn't infuriate the programmers and artists, Aoki Haruhi could already sleep soundly at night.
Right now, Gen Urobuchi is still young, and he has a long way to go on the path of becoming a producer.
However, it is also possible that this guy is simply not cut out for this path.
It's the same principle as some writers being brilliant, yet unable to be directors.
In his previous life, Gen Urobuchi served as the project core because everyone revolved around him, but Old Xu hasn't reached that level of standing yet.
Since Gen Urobuchi can't be a producer, and Mikami Shinji already has two game projects on his hands—Diablo II and The Witcher—he has absolutely no extra time or energy to take on the role of producer for a third game.
Aoki Haruhi must therefore consider choosing someone relatively reliable from the other candidates.
To be precise, Aoki Haruhi's range of options is very narrow.
As of now, Ishino Mika is the most suitable producer.
After all, this girl has been with him the longest, and she has produced the Onmyoji series, all the way to Pokémon... she could be considered quite experienced.
Galgames themselves aren't difficult, and many follow set patterns; Ishino Mika should possess the corresponding ability.
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