Ryoko was a high school girl, only 15 years old this year. She had a small face, small eyes, a small nose, and a small mouth, with neat short hair. At first glance, she looked like a boy.
Ryoko was exactly that kind of tomboy.
As soon as she returned home, after tidying her shoes slightly at the entrance, Ryoko headed straight for the television.
"Watching TV as soon as you get back!"
Her mother, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen and scolded her.
"It's very important, today is the finale of 'Quilt Man'," Ryoko said.
Her mother frowned.
It's 'Quilt Man' again. I think you're about to turn into a quilt girl.
"You didn't even say you were home," her mother said, looking displeased.
Ryoko glanced over, paused, then sprang up from the tatami mat, hopping over to her mother and wrapping her arms around her neck.
"Oh my, what's gotten into this child? My hands are still oily."
Ryoko's mother spread her hands open like a crab, afraid of getting her daughter's school uniform dirty.
"I'm home! Mom~my!"
Ryoko called out sweetly, smiling, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
"Alright, go watch your TV," her mother said, both annoyed and amused. She really had no way to deal with this daughter.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Ryoko saluted, then ran to the television and changed the channel to Tokyo Television.
Then she moved the single sofa back a bit, jumped onto it, hugged her knees, resting her chin on them, and quietly waited for the upcoming 'Quilt Man'.
'Quilt Man' was a romance anime that began airing at the end of January this year.
It had a total of 17 episodes, with today being the broadcast of the final episode.
In other words, it was the grand finale today.
The anime 'Quilt Man', following 'Touch', was another national first love anime. The moving love story between the male and female protagonist, as well as the stories of their friends, deeply resonated with young people today.
It wasn't overly sweet, but it was a romance that kept people eagerly anticipating. It wasn't until about two weeks ago that Ryoko finally saw being quilt and Hedgehog make up again.
It was just a pity that both of them were so indecisive, and they still hadn't officially confessed to each other.
"Today is the last episode, so there should be an ending, right?"
Ryoko silently cheered for Quilt Man, "being quilt, you must do your best and successfully confess!"
Ryoko thought, someone at school is the same, why can't he be a little more proactive and confess to me?
If being quilt can successfully confess today, then I'll just take the initiative to confess.
Ryoko planned it that way.
…
Just then, the sound of a door opening echoed from outside.
"I'm home!"
A crisp voice, belonging to Ryoko's younger sister, Emi.
10-year-old Emi was still in elementary school.
"Welcome home," Hirosue Ryoko shouted without turning her head.
At the same Time, the opening theme of 'Quilt Man' had already begun playing on the television.
Catchy and cheerful music filled the air.
"Ah~ Has it started?"
Emi gasped in surprise, quickly took off her shoes, hastily tidied them, and then darted over.
"Ah~ Perfect, I made it just in Time."
She sat down next to her older sister, and since it was a single sofa, Emi naturally sat on her sister's lap.
The two of them snuggled together.
"Emi, why haven't you even put down your school bag?" Her mother came out of the kitchen and, seeing her younger daughter acting just like her older sister, couldn't help but frown and scold her.
"Mm-hmm, okay, okay." Emi quickly placed her school bag beside her.
Sigh!
These two children were truly beyond saving.
What kind of magic did 'Quilt Man' possess?
She had never seen them so obsessed with an anime before.
Her mother sighed, shook her head helplessly, and went back into the kitchen.
…
The final episode of 'Quilt Man' made the sisters' hearts clench to the extreme—
Hedgehog Girl and Quilt Man's residence caught fire.
Dense smoke billowed from the building, rising straight into the sky.
In the fire, Uesugi Shun, wrapped Hedgehog's body in a quilt, moving towards an outer room on that floor.
Flames immediately shot out.
Due to the high temperature, the water on Uesugi Shun's quilt instantly evaporated into steam, making him cry out in pain.
"being quilt… How are you?"
Seeing him drenched in sweat, grimacing, Hinata Minami felt a pang of heartache.
"I'm fine. Nothing will happen."
Uesugi Shun gritted his teeth and continued to persevere.
He charged forward with Hedgehog.
The flames licked at his quilt, immediately tearing a large hole in it.
Uesugi was in so much pain he almost fainted.
Seeing this, the two sisters were so anxious that tears welled up in their eyes.
Both of them clasped their hands together, silently praying.
"being quilt and Hedgehog, please don't let anything happen to them!"
"Mm-hmm, they've come so far with such difficulty, surely it won't be a sad ending, right?"
"Damn Kyoto Animation, if it really is like this, I'm sending razor blades to Yoshiji Kigami," the younger sister said.
Ryoko paused slightly, then raised her hand and lightly tapped her on the head.
"Ah~ Ow! Sister, what are you doing?"
"Who told you to be so naughty at such a young age?" the older sister scolded, "You can't just send razor blades to people."
"Ugh… fine."
The younger sister wrinkled her nose, somewhat displeased.
However, she couldn't be bothered to argue much, afraid of missing the finale of 'Quilt Man' that was currently airing.
"Besides, what does this have to do with Yoshiji Kigami?" Ryoko muttered in a barely audible voice.
This anime seems to be adapted from a game, so if one were to send razor blades, they should go find trouble with the game company, right?
However, this thought only lingered in Ryoko's mind for a fleeting moment, quickly being drawn away by the captivating scenes and plot on the television.
It must be said that Kyoto Animation's production quality was quite remarkable. The visuals of 'Quilt Man' were crisp and exquisite, and the flame effects and character expression changes in this final episode were truly gripping.
From 1990 until now, 5 years had passed.
In these 5 years, Yoshiji Kigami had elevated Kyoto Animation's production standards to an unprecedented height.
Even because of its excellent picture quality and delicate art style, it had gained a good reputation in the industry.
…
Crash…
In the anime:
Uesugi, holding Hinata Minami, burst through the window and jumped from the building.
A flash of white light.
…
When he woke up again, Uesugi was already in the hospital.
His whole body ached, making him grimace in pain.
"Right, Hedgehog, how is she?"
Uesugi Shun struggled to prop himself up, ready to go find Hinata Minami.
But just as he sat up, he saw the girl appearing at the door.
Hinata Minami was limping towards him, hopping on crutches.
"That's great, it's great that you're okay," Uesugi Shun smiled happily.
Hedgehog gave him a roll of her eyes, "You're still talking, jumping from the 4th floor, luckily you had the quilt to cushion you, only breaking your leg is already quite good."
Mm.
Uesugi Shun nodded, it was truly great that Hedgehog was fine.
"By the way, Hedgehog…" He suddenly remembered something, raised his head, and said eagerly, "Hedgehog, what I want to tell you is—"
The BGM started playing.
It had a grand, tragic air, like a brave sacrifice in a decisive battle…
As soon as the music started, the two sisters could no longer hold back, and large tears rolled down their faces.
The two sisters, seeing Quilt Man summon his courage to confess seriously, both burst into tears.
"Although I don't have a turtle's shell, I have a quilt.
The quilt is soft, reliable, and can completely embrace you, accept you…"
"Waaah, so touching!" Ryoko and her sister cried and laughed at the same Time.
At this moment, they couldn't quite say why they were crying.
Only a strange warm current surged in their chests.
"This is the confession I've been waiting for for months."
"This is the most romantic and moving confession I've ever heard."
Uesugi Shun spoke the confession that Hedgehog hadn't had the chance to hear that day, but just as he was about to say the three words "I like you," he was abruptly cut off by Hinata Minami.
"being quilt!"
"Hm?"
Her pupils widened, she raised a hand, pointing at Uesugi Shun in disbelief, "Your quilt!"
Just then, the entire screen turned white.
The narration said, "This is the fantastical story of Quilt Man and Hedgehog Girl."
The staff credits began to roll.
As the credits played, the screen on the left showed some scenes and clips from the previous dozen or so episodes of Quilt Man.
Because Quilt Man had been shown almost exclusively in close-ups until now, Ryoko and the others still couldn't tell if Uesugi's quilt was still there at the very end.
And whether the two ultimately ended up together became a huge cliffhanger.
"Nani?!"
"It's gone?!"
The two were utterly bewildered.
They had been looking forward to it for so long, only to find that the grand finale was like this.
Imi angrily jumped off her sister's lap and patted the television, as if more patting would make new content continue to play.
But it wasn't until the next program aired that the two realized—
Quilt Man had truly reached its grand finale.
"Damn it! This is the grand finale?"
"Yeah! I don't understand it at all."
"Did Quilt Man end up with Hedgehog Girl or not?!"
This was the question Ryoko cared about most.
She had originally thought that as long as Quilt Man successfully confessed, she would also muster the courage to confess.
But…
What is going on?
Should I still confess?
The two sisters were furious, unable to stop stomping their feet in the living room.
Their mother, in the kitchen, heard the sounds from outside and couldn't help but shake her head.
What two crazy girls.
…
After 'Quilt Man' aired, it caused a huge stir in Japan.
The reputation had always been high, because this animation had romance, warm daily life, and many bizarre settings.
And these all hit the current Time in Japan, making countless young people empathize.
Everyone wanted to break free from restraints and pursue freedom, and they were moved by the beautiful, pure love of Quilt Man and Hedgehog, who dared to break through everything and disregard the world's opinion.
Therefore, since its premiere, the viewership ratings of Quilt Man had remained consistently high.
It even once hit a terrifying 30 points, almost catching up to 'Baseball Hero,' which was also a romance-themed work.
It should be noted that a national romance anime like 'Baseball Hero' only had 31.9%.
In Japan, a viewership rating of over 25 is pretty much considered a masterpiece, and over 30 is a masterpiece among masterpieces.
Currently, Quilt Man's highest viewership rating reached an astonishing 28.7.
However, after the last episode finished airing, many voices of doubt and criticism emerged.
"What the hell was the final episode of Quilt Man? Did the confession succeed or not, and what did Quilt Man turn into in the end? Nothing was explained."
"Yeah, I feel deeply deceived. I've been following this anime since the first episode, and my expectations were very high, but I didn't expect to get such an ending. Kyoto Animation is truly too bad."
"Is this the rhythm for a second season?"
"It's utterly detestable. Kyoto Animation's approach is really hard to agree with. It's like not giving you an ending and just stopping there."
"Have you ever thought that Kyoto Animation's 'Quilt Man' had no ending, or rather, an open ending, actually because the game itself also didn't give an ending?"
"Ha?! Is that so?"
"That's too inhuman, isn't it? Does anyone play such a game?"
"Yes, and 'Quilt Man' is a masterpiece."
"But, even so, shouldn't the anime give an explanation, at least as a comfort to the audience and players of the game?"
…
In short, there was a continuous barrage of criticism, far exceeding Kyoto Animation's expectations.
Even Director Yoshiji Kigami panicked and quickly called Aoki Haruhi to explain the situation.
"Ah, this…" Aoki Haruhi thought, who told you to be so faithful to the original work?
However, thanks to Kyoto Animation's blessing, the sales of the 'Quilt Man' game have now increased significantly.
"In the game, leaving blanks and providing open endings is acceptable to players; the game experience is still different from animation.
But while a game can use this, an anime shouldn't."
Yoshiji Kigami frowned heavily on the other end of the phone.
President Aoki, this hindsight, why didn't you bring it up when Kyoto Animation was producing 'Quilt Man' back then?
"Animation actually emphasizes completeness; even if there's going to be a second season, the end of the first season should at least have a sense of conclusion," said Aoki Haruhi.
Don't I understand this principle?
I just trusted Pokémon too much.
Yoshiji Kigami said with difficulty, "So what do we do now?"
"Release an OVA!" Aoki Haruhi whispered, covering the phone.
"Ha?" Yoshiji Kigami was completely stunned for a moment.
OVA anime is defined by its distribution method; they are not broadcast on television but instead profit directly through the sale of DVDs and BDs. In the 90s, OVA sales and rentals were very popular.
In later anime, OVAs were more specifically used to refer to non-TV anime specials.
It's equivalent to an extra, but generally, only one or two episodes are released.
Aoki Haruhi explained it to Yoshiji Kigami, and only then did he understand.
Originally, 'Quilt Man' was meant to sell discs; now, with an OVA, wouldn't people criticize it?
"By doing this, won't the audience think we're being too greedy?"
"No way." Aoki Haruhi was very confident, "As long as the OVA is produced well enough and can meet the audience's expectations, that's all that matters."
"Then…" Yoshiji Kigami swallowed nervously and opened his mouth.
"No problem, you can do whatever you want with the OVA. In the ending, just let Quilt Man and Hedgehog Girl be together, even if they have children, it's fine," said Aoki Haruhi.
Good heavens.
Aoki Haruhi is really thick-skinned.
Even Yoshiji Kigami felt a bit of admiration for him.
"In that case, then we'll do it," Yoshiji Kigami said.
It's a verbal promise now, but the contract still needs to be signed, and Kiue plans to head to Tokyo right away.
"Mm-hmm, good luck!"
Aoki Haruhi cheered him on over the phone.
…
The next day, Kyoto Animation immediately released the news that there would be an OVA in the future, and that the OVA would provide everyone with a satisfactory answer.
Only then was the public's anger appeased.
Moreover, the impact of this incident was significant, being dubbed by the media as the "['Quilt Man'] Incident," because the impact was too negative; open-ended anime truly consumes the audience's enthusiasm.
Originally, countless people were ready to watch Kyoto Animation and Pokémon fail, but they didn't expect it to be lightly resolved by such a small follow-up production called [OVA].
It even reversed the original negative effect.
It was precisely because a huge suspense was left in the TV version of 'Quilt Man' that countless viewers and players were looking forward to seeing Kyoto Animation's [OVA] sooner.
Overall, it can be considered a very classic public relations move by Kyoto Animation, directly turning around public opinion.
The only thing criticized was what Yoshiji Kigami had said before—
Putting the grand finale in an OVA makes it look a bit too greedy.
But the benefits were visible to the naked eye: 'Quilt Man' was once again hyped up, and at the same Time, the name Pokémon also began to become a recent hot topic.
…
And at this very moment, Pokémon's official forum took the opportunity to release a new, major announcement—
"Pokémon 3D new game, coming soon."
"Nani?! Is Pokémon 3D really coming?"
Countless people who saw this news were stunned.
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