"Hello, we are from Manga World. I am Ayumi Ito, and this is the author of Edgerunners,Aoyama-sensei."
Ayumi led the way to the reception desk, delivering the introduction smoothly.
"Hello, Miss Ayumi, Aoyama-sensei! Please follow me into the main hall; we've been expecting you," the receptionist replied immediately.
She had been briefed previously on their arrival and correctly navigated them into the interior corridor.
Stepping through the security doors, Aoyama noticed that the Trigger Animation staff looked as though they had been waiting for them to arrive.
A figure detached from the front Stations, walking forward with a warm, welcoming posture.
"Welcome, welcome! Aoyama-sensei, it is a pleasure to have you visit Trigger Animation headquarters."
"I am the Series Director for this project, Hiroto Ota."
Aoyama smiled, offering a matching handshake. "Director Ota, looking forward to working with you."
"The pleasure is all mine, Sensei. Reaching a phenomenon level with Edgerunners is proof of your talent."
"I'm certain you'll have plenty of high-level insights to guide our workstations."
Hiroto Ota spoke with immense respect, harbouring zero light or dismissive thoughts regarding Aoyama's age.
Dismissing or overriding the original author was a taboo inside the modern animation ecosystem.
Especially since Aoyama was young and holding incredible momentum,not even hitting thirty, and already delivering a peak serialization.
Generally speaking, a mangaka reached their golden era around thirty to forty years of age, matching peak creative energy with seasoned craft.
Aoyama had barely cleared his mid-twenties, meaning he had decades of top-tier design ahead of him.
Alienating a future star of the industry was a highly irrational corporate tactic.
"I wouldn't call it instructing," Aoyama chuckled. "The plan is mostly simple: replicate the original manuscript and add details where needed. You guys understand the technical side much better."
"Of course!" Hiroto Ota smiled. "But standing around the Reception isn't a good look. Let's head into the conference room first; you can lay your exact notes out for the team."
"Sounds good."
Aoyama and Ayumi nodded in agreement and followed him further inside.
Hiroto Ota turned back toward his team standing behind him. "All group leaders, clear your stations and head into the meeting room. We are starting in five minutes."
"Understood!"
A chorus of dozens of designers echoed the order.
---
Inside the conference room, the atmosphere settled into focus.
Hiroto Ota addressed the room. "Aoyama-sensei, please share your ideas with us."
"I don't have many heavy structural changes," Aoyama began directly.
"The script following the original panels is fine. For the animation mechanics, you are the technical professionals here."
"I only have minor adjustments regarding certain scenes where the static nature of comic pages restricted the impact."
He flipped open a volume copy to point at a specific sequence.
"For example, in Chapter 23, during Maine's death sequence, when David raises his firearms deciding to stand and fight with him..."
"I'd like the animation to place a freeze-frame on David's facial expression for about five to six seconds."
"During that freeze, there should be no background track or sound effects. Only the sound of David's heavy, panicked breathing."
"That will compound the suffocating suspense beautifully."
A leader sitting opposite the desk hesitated slightly.
"Aoyama-sensei, the static panel you drew in the chapter is already considered beautiful. Is there a need to hold the frame that long during a video playback?"
"Holding the frame creates tension," Aoyama stood firm on the execution.
In his memory, that specific sequence was highly rated by viewers.
While this manager wasn't fully synchronized with the vision yet, Aoyama knew exactly how critical it was.
"Well... if it's Aoyama-sensei's requirement, we can certainly do it. It isn't a major structural shift after all," Hiroto Ota interjected from the side, backing Aoyama.
Since it came directly from the author and was merely adjusting dynamic values instead of drifting the plot, agreeing was optimal.
"Beyond that pacing note, I have zero technical complaints regarding production layouts," Aoyama concluded.
"Great. Do you have any specific notes concerning the voice cast script, Sensei? For instance, what kind of tone are you imagining for David and Lucy?"
"None. Use whatever local talent you believe fits the characters best," Aoyama shook his head.
"I actually have a list of well-rated youthful voice talents on standby. We'll issue casting call scripts shortly," Hiroto Ota nodded with confidence.
With Edgerunners sitting in its current popularity green zone, top-tier talent was likely to bite quickly on the audition files.
"I don't have demands for the voices, but regarding the soundtrack..."
Aoyama's eyes lit up with a spark of anticipation. "I already have the perfect track chosen in my head for the high-impact scenes."
"Is it an existing track already cleared for licensing?" Hiroto Ota asked.
Picking an existing commercial track for an animation wasn't unheard of, but traditional pop and ACG scores often ran on separate frequencies.
"No, it's an original track I... created myself," Aoyama answered easily.
"It is titled 'I Really Want to Stay at Your House'. I believe it is the single most compatible fit for the emotional peak of Edgerunners."
Hiroto Ota frowned slightly. "That name... is it an English song?"
"Yes, pure English." Aoyama nodded, completely missing the corporate detail.
"Sensei... but we are based inside the Federation bounds..." Hiroto Ota sighed with a slight, helpless smile.
"But the exact scenario takes place inside a futuristic description of America. Using an English track is perfectly logical, isn't it?" Aoyama argued with confusion.
"The issue is approval," Hiroto Ota explained with a bitter chuckle.
"Full-English tracks for a main Opening Theme might get stalled by the review boards. If it functions as an insert track, that is fine. But the main Theme Song requires a Federation vocal."
"Only as an insert track, and not the main theme, huh..." Aoyama tapped his jaw in thought. "That actually works better."
In his memory, the song hadn't functioned as the Opening anyhow; it was used strictly for narrative plot peak highpoints.
"In that case, let's use this one for the Opening instead."
Aoyama suddenly remembered a highly compatible track he'd heard in visual edits back home, perfectly synchronized with the weight of the story.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]