When Kamiyā Yuu returned to his office, he found the door slightly ajar. Someone was already inside waiting for him.
He closed the door and slipped in quietly. Gogyo Ruri was sitting upright on the sofa opposite his desk, seeming to be holding something in both hands. Before Kamiyā Yuu even approached, he heard her nervously flipping through the documents in her hands and muttering softly, "No problem~ definitely no problem. This is the result of unleashing all the power of the Fallen Saint Black Cat. Kukuku~ even Teacher will definitely be shocked!"
What a unique laugh. Hmm~ it would be even better if she could express it in three stages!
Kamiyā Yuu smiled mischievously and gently placed his right hand on Gogyo Ruri's shoulder.
"Eek~! Meow!?"
Gogyo Ruri, dressed in a black gothic dress, trembled from the sudden contact. Like a startled kitten, she shot straight up from the chair and quickly turned around. The documents in her arms instantly scattered all over the floor.
"Big Brother!?"
The fright in Gogyo Ruri's eyes turned into relief, but her small face puffed up angrily like a bun. She patted her flat chest and glared at Kamiyā Yuu irritably.
Ever since changing how she addressed him, her attitude toward Kamiyā Yuu had lost much of its unnecessary restraint.
Kamiyā Yuu helped pick up the key animation drafts from the floor and smiled.
"Because you looked so interesting, Kuroneko. I couldn't resist scaring you to see how you'd react."
"And?" Gogyo Ruri snorted indignantly.
Kamiyā Yuu handed the drafts back to her and returned to his office chair. He laughed and waved his hand.
"And it really was interesting. Sorry~ sorry~ I admit I was wrong."
After a pause, he knowingly asked, "So, Kuroneko, what brings you here looking so nervous?"
Gogyo Ruri irritably placed the drafts on the desk and shot him a sideways glance.
"Didn't Big Brother already see them just now? These are the assignment you gave me a few days ago—the original character design drafts for Sakura Kyōko, the newest character to appear in 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'."
The drafts scattered across the floor had indeed been numerous character design sheets for Sakura Kyōko. Judging by their quantity and the content filling each sheet, they were highly complete.
"So that's why you looked so nervous."
Kamiyā Yuu chuckled softly and took the character design drafts, carefully flipping through them.
The pages had been shuffled when they fell to the floor, but Kamiyā Yuu could still determine their order from the content.
Just as he had expected, the completion level of Sakura Kyōko's design drafts was very high—so high that they went beyond simple character design.
Every sheet was meticulously detailed, and even the colors had been carefully processed.
Side views, character portraits, full expression sheets, character hobbies, traits, personality...
They exhausted the limits of imagination for a fictional character.
Kamiyā Yuu did not doubt that even if he asked Gogyo Ruri when Sakura Kyōko's period was, she would have an answer.
There was a very fitting term for this kind of excessive dedication: compulsive-setting faction.
Kamiyā Yuu also had to admit that he himself belonged to this faction. He often had nothing better to do in the consciousness space than refine anime character settings.
However, Gogyo Ruri's original character proposal had committed a fairly serious taboo in the industry.
Her revisions to the character design had already reached the point where they could interfere with the original plot.
Sakura Kyōko was originally a girl who appeared strong on the outside but was soft within. Yet under Gogyo Ruri's pen, Sakura Kyōko seemed to carry that outward strength all the way through. Her softness would only appear vaguely in scattered words and fragments.
For example, in the original work, when Sakura Kyōko perished together with the mermaid witch that Miki Sayaka had fallen into, she said:
"Don't worry, Sayaka. Being alone is lonely, right...? It's okay. I'll stay with you, Sayaka..."
That line fully expressed Sakura Kyōko's inner and outer character. Facing despair, she lost her former forcefulness and was left only with acceptance and her deepest care for her companion.
But in Gogyo Ruri's design, Sakura Kyōko's line would probably become something spoken in a relaxed tone:
"You're really hopeless. If you're lonely over there, then I'll keep you company. No matter how long it takes, this time, even if it's hell, I won't let go."
Such a change would not only affect Sakura Kyōko's related plot, but also the overall impression 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' gave the audience.
Kamiyā Yuu did not resist this act of "subordinate overstepping superior."
He frowned and sank into thought.
If they used Gogyo Ruri's Sakura Kyōko design, what changes would it bring to the anime?
What would change if Sakura Kyōko became a hard-boiled character from beginning to end?
This was not a question that could be answered in a short time.
Gogyo Ruri waited anxiously for Kamiyā Yuu's answer. Seeing him frown in thought made her heart pound wildly.
She herself was more or less aware of the problems with her original character design proposal. But this was a proposal she had poured all her energy into over the past half-week. She would feel reluctant to give up any single sheet, so she had simply thrown the right to judge over to Kamiyā Yuu.
She was this nervous because she lacked confidence in her own work.
Finally, Kamiyā Yuu put down the character design drafts and looked at her seriously.
"Kuroneko, I'll discuss these character design drafts with Uehara-sensei before reaching a conclusion. I'll give you an answer tomorrow."
Gogyo Ruri bit her lower lip.
"Big Brother, you should just use Director Uehara's design."
Kamiyā Yuu raised his brows. He set down the Sakura Kyōko design drafts in his hands and looked at Gogyo Ruri's expression for a while before saying calmly, "Why?"
Gogyo Ruri's expression inevitably wavered. She shook her head, then fell silent.
"The reason I need to discuss them with Uehara-sensei is that your original character design has that value. It even has the possibility of making me revise the storyboards for later episodes. So, Kuroneko, after giving me an answer filled with possibilities, are you now trying to take it back?"
Kamiyā Yuu raised the character design drafts in his hand and spoke sternly, his tone harsh and carrying a hint of reprimand.
Gogyo Ruri's words made Kamiyā Yuu even angrier than failure would have.
Gogyo Ruri's thoughts were complicated.
The root of her wavering was that she lacked confidence in this character design she had poured too much effort into.
In high school, she had once written a novel. The setting document, which was even longer than the novel itself, had been criticized by her editor as worthless. From then on, she gave up on becoming a novelist.
In anime, overly detailed character design also meant she was intruding on someone else's creative freedom. This authority was generally something only the animation director possessed.
All those considerations, plus Kamiyā Yuu's frown, had made Gogyo Ruri say what she had just said.
Smack!
A crisp sound rang out.
Sigh~ the relaxed mood I finally adjusted was wasted.
Kamiyā Yuu held the character design drafts and lightly tapped Gogyo Ruri's lowered head.
Under Gogyo Ruri's bewildered gaze, he said lightly, "I said I'll give you an answer tomorrow, so tomorrow it is. The design proposal is in my hands now. Even if you want to take it back, no chance."
"Mm..."
Gogyo Ruri responded in confusion. Seeing Kamiyā Yuu's relaxed expression, she gently let out a breath and understood that he was serious.
She stood, bowed deeply to Kamiyā Yuu, and said solemnly, "I understand. Then I'll leave it to you, Big Brother."