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Following the broadcast of the second episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the reception remained overwhelmingly positive among the audience. As for the ratings, this episode closed at 1.89%, a slight increase of 0.08% over the premiere.
Typically, animated works see a steady climb in viewership as the season progresses. While Madoka Magica saw growth, the competing titles in the summer market were also rising.
Consequently, its standing in the charts only shifted up by a single spot, ranking as the twentieth most-watched anime of the week.
Haruto sat in his office, staring at the ratings report for a long time before finally tucking it away.
He knew that the true turning point for Puella Magi Madoka Magica lay in the third episode.
This was the origin of the "three-episode rule" that had become a standard in the animation industry of his previous world.
A show that everyone assumed was merely an above-average magical girl series would undergo a violent narrative shift starting with the third episode.
It would drag countless viewers into its depths, and through its singular influence, transform the term "magical girl" into a synonym for tragedy, darkness, and psychological despair.
"What are you thinking about?"
The office door was open, and Yukino walked in carrying two cups of coffee with a smile on her face. As the second-largest shareholder of the company, Yukino always dressed in sharp professional attire, a tailored blazer paired with a black skirt, stockings, and high heels. With her hair tied back in a sleek ponytail.
"Nothing much," Haruto replied, shaking his head.
"Looking at that gloomy expression of yours, I would have thought you were dissatisfied with the ratings," Yukino said, taking a small sip of her coffee as she watched him. "We've hit the twentieth rank. That is already a very respectable result."
"Is it?" Haruto didn't have much of a frame of reference. "But I recall Anohana was the second highest-rated anime of its season."
"Anohana was a special case," Yukino countered. "Generally speaking, the top ten spots are reserved for projects with massive budgets or adaptations of hits that have already sold millions of copies in their original formats."
She continued, "The fact that Anohana achieved those results without a massive marketing campaign was nothing short of a miracle. But you cannot count on miracles as a business strategy. Given our current investment level, Madoka's performance has already exceeded our initial projections."
Haruto wanted to argue, but he realized there was no point in trying to explain it to her yet. In his previous world, Madoka Magica was one of the most decorated television anime in history. If he were to be content with a twentieth-place ranking, it would be a pathetic lack of ambition.
"Speaking of which," Yukino said, her eyes twinkling with amusement, "that fortune teller we met was surprisingly accurate. He said that both you and Reina would find success in your studies, and that my career would face some turbulence before I met a benefactor. Looking at where we are now, it seems he hit the nail on the head."
"Right..." Haruto recalled the encounter. It did seem to fit.
"If we ever get the chance to head back to that part of the city, do you want to visit him again?" Yukino asked.
"Why would we do that?" Haruto wondered.
"Since he was so accurate about careers, I want to ask for a love fortune. Take you, for example, Haruto. You've been in university for over half a year now; aren't you going to look for a girlfriend? You should get a reading too. My biggest regret is spending my entire university life buried in work. It turned me into such a shut-in that I'm still single even after graduation." Yukino let out a sigh of frustration. "Don't be like me. You only get one youth. Once it's gone, it's gone."
"A girlfriend, huh..." Haruto shook his head.
"I simply do not have the time. My days are consumed by anime, novels, and manga. I am managing three different professional directions at once; there is no room to meet anyone."
"Wait, I know about the anime and the novels, but manga?" Yukino blinked in surprise. "What do you mean by manga?"
"I have a new project that isn't suited for a novel format, so I am collaborating with a senior at university to adapt it into a manga. However..." Haruto thought of Shizuru.
Lately, Shizuru had been working herself to the bone at home, illustrating the first chapters of Initial D. She was talented, but as a complete novice to the world of cars, she struggled to capture the visceral feeling of intense mountain racing through imagination alone. For the past few days, she had paused the drawing to visit local racetracks and observe professional drivers in action. Naturally, Haruto was footing the bill for her research.
"Oh, a senior from school? You say you have no time to meet girls, yet you seem to be surrounded by them constantly," Yukino teased.
"Surrounded by girls?" Haruto thought about it. It was actually true. Almost everyone he worked with was female. Between Yukino and Reina at the studio, Shizuru at the club, and his agent Ms. Hime, his professional circle was entirely feminine.
"You seem to be a natural magnet for girls, even if you are too oblivious to notice it," Yukino remarked. "By the way, let me ask. This senior you are working with on the manga... is she cute?"
"She's alright. Yes, quite cute."
"Compared to Reina?"
"Well, Reina is probably a bit more beautiful, but Shizuru-senpai has a more energetic personality," Haruto answered honestly. Reina was a person of few words; you'd be lucky to see her smile once a month.
"Then what about me? Who is cuter?" Yukino asked suddenly, pausing as she waited for his response.
Haruto looked her over carefully, comparing her to the others in his mind. It was a difficult call to make, but his social instincts told him exactly how to answer.
"You are."
"You certainly have good taste," Yukino said, her face blooming into a radiant smile.
"But as someone who has been there, let me give you some advice. Career is important, but you have to look after your health and your life too. You've had noticeable dark circles under your eyes for the past two weeks. Take better care of yourself."
"I understand..." Haruto replied before adding, "If you truly believe that fortune teller was accurate and want to go back for another reading, I'll take a weekend to go with you once the Madoka production is fully on track."
"You would go with me?" Yukino looked at him with curiosity.
"Reina definitely wouldn't believe in that stuff. She'd think it was a waste of time. It would be too lonely for you to go by yourself, and I wouldn't feel right about it. At the very least, I can do that much for you," Haruto said.
Haruto hadn't been a believer in the supernatural, but after his experiences, he had become much more open-minded. If souls and memories from other worlds existed, then anything seemed possible.
"Well, look at you. That little high school boy has grown into quite the considerate man," Yukino said with a gentle laugh. "Keep that up. If you show that kind of kindness to Reina, you might just find that girlfriend after all. You two already get along so well."
Haruto simply chuckled and brushed it off. The university forums were already rife with rumors about a secret romance between him and Reina; he didn't need Yukino adding to the gossip.
Over the next few days, Haruto balanced his coursework with nightly visits to the studio to oversee the animation. He also made time to accompany Shizuru to professional racetracks and local spots to absorb the authentic culture for Initial D.
Shizuru was a quick study.
Despite knowing nothing about cars initially, she devoured technical manuals to bridge the gap. Each page of the Initial D manga that came from her desk was a testament to her dedication. Her research into the mechanics of racing ensured that the illustrations of the cars and the drifts felt grounded in reality.
Furthermore, Haruto had to help her visualize the cars for the audience, the AE86, the FC, the FD, and the GT-R. The two of them spent their free time wandering through various car dealerships.
Haruto intended to buy his own car soon, so he used the opportunity to test-drive vehicles while helping Shizuru find models that resembled the cars in the manga. They took photos and tweaked the designs to ensure a faithful reconstruction.
Haruto was the very first reader of these finished panels.
Shizuru's art style was versatile. She had a way of adjusting her aesthetic to fit the soul of the work. For Initial D, she found a perfect equilibrium between gritty realism and modern appeal.
Her version of Ryosuke, the ultimate rich, handsome genius, was exquisitely drawn. His debut on the page left Haruto feeling that the character exuded a genuine air of nobility and silent charisma.
Similarly, her rendition of Natsuki was charming and provocative, possessing a sweet innocence that would easily hook the readers. However, when it came to the protagonist and the other racers, she kept the style grounded and realistic. Takumi had clean features but determined eyes, while his rivals carried an aura of intense pressure. It was a departure from the source material, but Haruto was satisfied with the direction.
Time flowed on, and by the latter half of April, another week had passed. The classic Thursday had arrived once more. The animation industry remained quiet, and even the fans of Puella Magi Madoka Magica had no inkling that anything was amiss. Everyone was simply looking forward to 9:00 PM and the premiere of the third episode.