While the animation studio Yosuganosora Animation Studio was busy with the final production stages of 'Magical Girl Nanoha,' they received an unexpected visitor.
"Mr. Kamiyā, hello. We are staff members from the television program 'Words of Celebrities.' Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to accept our interview."
The well-dressed, steady-looking middle-aged man stood up and gave a deep bow when Kamiyā Yuu entered. His respectful and courteous tone sounded almost like a subject reporting to a king. Beside him, several cameramen had already prepared their equipment, aiming their cameras at the empty sofa in the lounge.
'Words of Celebrities' was a fairly popular program on Tokyo TV. The host traveled around interviewing outstanding individuals from various fields, recording their past experiences while revealing insider knowledge about those industries that ordinary people usually never knew about. When Kamiyā Yuu first received the call from the station, he had been slightly surprised and initially thought it was a scam. Only after checking the number did he confirm it was the program's official contact line.
Kamiyā Yuu did not dislike becoming famous. On the contrary, he thought fame was rather nice. He was only an animation director, not some huge celebrity constantly harassed by paparazzi. Even becoming an animator on Miyazaki Hayao's level would merely mean having a greater social influence. Naturally, that was also what he hoped for, so he found time and accepted the invitation to record the program.
The steady-looking middle-aged man before him was Yamazaki Masato, the official host of 'Words of Celebrities.' He had conversed cheerfully with more than a hundred celebrities across countless industries in Japan. Precisely because of this, Yamazaki Masato always maintained a humble attitude. The more he saw, the more insignificant he felt himself to be. Compared to those people possessing extraordinary talents, he was merely an ordinary man with a silver tongue.
Maintaining humility was also necessary for work. Many famous figures in various industries had strange personalities, and staying respectful could avoid a great deal of unnecessary trouble. The first time Yamazaki Masato saw Kamiyā Yuu, he was deeply shocked inside. The animation director who created 'RWBY' and sparked massive international discussion was actually this young? Anyone even slightly familiar with the animation industry knew that the youngest current animation directors were generally around thirty years old. Even a prodigious key animator like Uehara Etsuki only became Kyoni Animation Co., Ltd.'s animation supervisor at around twenty-five years old.
The younger Kamiyā Yuu appeared, the less Yamazaki Masato dared to underestimate him. Someone who could become an animation chief director at such an age and achieve notable success either possessed an astonishing ability or had enormous backing. Either way, he deserved respectful treatment.
"Kamiyā Yuu, president and animation director of Yosuganosora Animation Studio." Kamiyā Yuu walked over and calmly extended his right hand.
"Yamazaki Masato, host of 'Words of Celebrities.'"
After a polite handshake, the two sat on the sofas facing the camera. Following some greetings and conversation, the recording officially began.
Facing the camera with a smile, Yamazaki Masato introduced:
"Animation has always been an industry Japan takes pride in. Many people, myself included, grew up accompanied by anime. Today, Japan's animation-related industries account for approximately 0.3% of the nation's annual GDP. Some viewers may laugh and say that 0.3% is just a tiny industry, but in fact, this figure is already quite close to the percentage Hollywood contributes to America's GDP. The celebrity we are interviewing today is someone with extremely high recognition in the animation industry, and also the youngest director in the industry today—Mr. Kamiyā Yuu."
The camera slowly turned toward him. Kamiyā Yuu smiled calmly at the lens.
"Mr. Yamazaki flatters me. My company and I are only just getting started in Japan's animation industry, and there are still many things we need to learn and improve. Honestly, as an animation studio still in its early stages, when we suddenly received an invitation from 'Words of Celebrities,' I thought perhaps you had dialed the wrong number."
"Our viewers in front of the television may find Mr. Kamiyā unfamiliar. What impressive works could such a young animation director possibly have? So here, please allow us to introduce 'RWBY,' the animation Mr. Kamiyā created that caused a phenomenal reaction overseas. After watching these clips, even I couldn't help but marvel at Mr. Kamiyā's outstanding abilities. These exquisite visuals, the action choreography praised by famous Hollywood Chinese director Long Liu, and even the music were all independently designed by Mr. Kamiyā himself."
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"Mr. Kamiyā, with such outstanding 3D technology, why did you still choose 2D animation? On the world stage, wouldn't the 3D field be more suitable for development?"
"There wasn't any special reason. If I had to say one, it would simply be interest. I was once moved by animation myself, and I thought that perhaps one day I could create that same feeling and share it with audiences—expressing those unrealistic fantasies in my heart through animation."
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"Mr. Kamiyā, according to our information, Yosuganosora Animation Studio once suspended broadcasts for a week during the release of 'Magical Girl Nanoha.' Would it be convenient to reveal the reason?"
"Of course. Actually, our company had already completed episodes three and four at the time, but regarding the later plot developments, I felt they weren't something viewers could truly resonate with from the bottom of their hearts. So I decided to scrap those completed episodes and start redesigning the storyboards from scratch. That period exhausted everyone at the company, so I'd like to say thank you—and also sorry—to all our staff here."
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After a series of interviews, the program proceeded with its usual recording of employees producing animation, as well as staff evaluations of Kamiyā Yuu at Yosuganosora Animation Studio.
Majima Hana leaned against a desk and thought for a moment before replying:
"What kind of person is he? Hmm~ I suppose President Kamiyā is an exceptionally capable director with extremely comprehensive and profound knowledge of animation production. When the company had just started, many employees couldn't keep up with the company's pace, and President Kamiyā personally corrected their mistakes. The busiest person in the company is also President Kamiyā. Hehe~ saying it like this actually makes us employees feel a little embarrassed instead."
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Matsuoka Taira, who always appeared immature no matter the occasion, sat up straight and answered nervously:
"I'm very grateful to the president for inviting me to join Yosuganosora Animation Studio and allowing me to display my talents. Although my abilities are still far inferior to Director Yūki and the president, I will work hard to prove myself."
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Wearing a black gothic outfit, Gogyo Ruri also stiffened her little face while facing the camera.
"Yes, President Kamiyā is an animation director I deeply admire. The opportunity? It was probably when I first encountered the promotional trailers for the 'RWBY' series online. I was truly shocked by those character trailers at the time, and I wondered what kind of production team could create something like that. After investigating further, I learned President Kamiyā's name, and from then on, I felt he must be someone incredible."
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Kumamoto Alice remained elegant and composed in front of the camera.
"If Yosuganosora Animation Studio wasn't excellent, I wouldn't have chosen this place. My reason for joining the company was also because of 'RWBY.' I had already been thinking about entering the animation industry before, and by coincidence, while in Britain, I learned that Yosuganosora Animation Studio was recruiting, so I came to Japan. I believe this is a company filled with both dreams and ability."
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"As far as we know, before joining Yosuganosora Animation Studio, you were already a famous animation supervisor in the animation industry. Do you perhaps have a different opinion of President Kamiyā?"
Dressed in a white kimono, Uehara Etsuki sat upright in an office chair and gave a calm smile toward the camera.
"That statement flatters me too much. My opinion of President Kamiyā is about the same as everyone else's. He is a very charismatic superior—someone people unconsciously end up following behind. If there's anything special, it's probably that during this period, I've rediscovered the passion I had when I first entered this industry. It made me realize that creating animation is actually something very enjoyable."
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Wearing a black women's business suit, Kamiyā Sora did not show any stage fright despite facing a camera for the first time. Sitting in her office chair with her small hands resting neatly on her knees, her silver-white hair paired with the black suit gave off the image of a capable career woman, as well as a coldness that made others hesitate to approach.
"If we're talking about the animation industry, I don't really have any special thoughts. Yuu is my older brother. No matter what he does, I will support him."
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After spending an entire day, the recording for this episode of 'Words of Celebrities' was finally completed. Although it delayed animation production somewhat, it would also bring extremely good publicity effects to Yosuganosora Animation Studio.