Northstar Year — But This Time, It's an Anime Music Year
"This part isn't right. Raise the pitch slightly. Clean up the ending of the note."
Inside the Shiromono Records studio, the sound of rhythmic clapping echoed.
"Masami, your singing is beautiful. But for Angel's Encounter, you need something lighter. Brighter. Imagine sunlight through classroom windows. Your tone is lovely, but your pronunciation is still slightly sticky. Fix that."
"Sienna, that was wonderful. Have you had professional music training?"
"And Candy… I know this is asking a lot. You don't have many singing parts, but your character songs still matter. Please try again with more projection."
The woman guiding them was Qing He — a professional music instructor Ethan Reed had personally invited from StarForge Entertainment.
Professionals truly made a difference.
Rachel Quinn had thought everything already sounded great.
But under Qing He's direction, even subtle flaws were uncovered. When corrections were applied, the improvement was dramatic.
Masami leaned closer to the microphone.
For days now, she had been staying in hotels near Northstar's headquarters, commuting daily with the other Sakura Girl. Her life had shifted suddenly into a rhythm of studio sessions and training.
One question lingered in her mind.
She came here to be a voice actor.
So why was she receiving full-scale music training?
But she didn't complain.
Training like this would normally cost a fortune.
Here, it was free.
And more importantly — it was real.
She was improving.
---
Bonds Formed in Soundproof Rooms
The other Sakura Girl, who studied in Island City, had become her closest companion.
Their friendship hadn't exploded instantly like boys becoming sworn brothers in a single night.
Instead, it grew quietly.
Shared meals.
Late-night rehearsals.
Whispers about nerves and hopes.
And gradually — trust.
Among the group, Sienna was undeniably the favorite.
Bright.
Cheerful.
Emotionally intelligent.
She had that rare talent of making everyone comfortable within minutes.
Inside the studio, outside the studio — it didn't matter.
People gravitated toward her naturally.
Days blended together in rehearsal cycles.
Recording.
Corrections.
Harmony adjustments.
Breathing technique drills.
It was exhausting.
But it was meaningful.
---
Meanwhile — A Storm Brewing Overseas
While the animation team trained relentlessly, Daniel led a delegation of sixty-three developers to America.
The destination?
A legendary AAA studio — creators of the iconic Grand Theft Auto franchise.
The trip was expensive.
Flights, accommodations, consulting fees — none of it came cheap.
But it was necessary.
Cyberpunk 2077 had hit a technical wall again.
Specifically, the implementation of advanced Braindance (BD) systems was clashing with StarForge's self-developed engine.
Ethan and Daniel had mapped out the systems clearly.
The design was solid.
The vision was sharp.
But execution?
The engine wasn't fully compatible.
Optimization issues. Rendering conflicts. Memory instability.
The team needed hands-on exposure to industry-leading pipelines.
This wasn't a luxury.
It was survival.
---
Rachel's Next Battlefield
Rachel Quinn wasn't idle either.
Her upcoming trip would take her to the Island Nation.
The mission?
Negotiate television rights for Pokémon and K-On!.
Edgerunners had already been sold to Netflix.
It wasn't suited for traditional broadcast anyway — too short, too intense, and far too mature.
In fact, even domestically, Edgerunners had required special arrangements.
In Lumen City, government coordination helped facilitate its release on BiliZone, along with heavy editing and "holy light" censorship adjustments.
Without that?
It would never have aired.
But Pokémon was different.
It had secured a children's time slot.
5:30 PM to 6:30 PM daily. Two episodes per day.
A safe, strategic position.
---
Northstar's Unexpected Identity Crisis
Ironically, this year was shaping up to be StarForge Entertainment's most dominant year yet.
Not in gaming.
In music and anime.
Besides Pokémon and Street Fighter, three anime projects were launching.
There was also the live-action adaptation of Neon Blade: Echoes of Lumen.
And an avalanche of music releases.
Ethan found it almost absurd.
They were a game company.
And yet—
They were dominating entertainment sectors outside gaming.
But then again…
Who else had a Lead Planner like him?
---
Inside the CEO's Office
Ethan sat in Vivian Frost's boss chair, legs crossed, watching her intensely play a game on the computer.
"Boss, I think it's time. We can announce both the anime and the rhythm game."
"That fast? Aren't we only halfway done?" Vivian muttered without looking away from the screen.
She had surrendered her chair earlier and was now sitting on a small stool like an overly competitive intern.
"Three episodes are finished. That's enough for promotion. The game is practically ready. We're just holding it for synchronized release."
Vivian shrugged.
"Then release it."
Ethan walked over.
When she finished her round, he casually patted her head.
"Move. I need to use the computer."
"Can't you post from your phone?" she grumbled.
Still, she stood up.
Ethan sat down and thought carefully about the wording.
Promotion wasn't just about hype.
It was about positioning.
After a moment, he typed.
Then clicked.
Post published.
Northstar's Official Blog lit up.
---
A Game Meant for Fans
The rhythm game was simple in structure.
Lightweight development.
Minimal manpower.
The only significant cost came from music licensing — but even that was internal, since most tracks belonged to StarForge.
Ethan deliberately priced the game at 12 yuan.
One-time purchase.
No hidden fees.
No subscription traps.
Twelve yuan was cheaper than a month's premium music app membership.
And these songs?
They were already popular.
Widely sung.
Loved.
This wasn't about maximizing profit.
It was about rewarding fans.
A benefit bundled with K-On!.
---
Early January — The Premiere
The anime finally aired.
The Japanese art style was unmistakable.
Online discussions exploded instantly.
"This feels so authentic."
"Is Northstar secretly a Japanese studio?"
"I didn't expect this from them."
Even Cheng Xin, head of BiliZone, gave a bold statement:
> "This will be the best slice-of-life anime in recent years. It will make newcomers fall in love with anime."
That wasn't empty praise.
He had seen the first three episodes.
He understood the pacing.
The atmosphere.
The music.
This wasn't flashy action.
It was warmth.
Friendship.
Youth.
---
The Music That Defined It
But what truly shocked audiences was not just the animation.
It was the soundtrack.
The opening theme carried energy.
The ending song radiated softness.
And when Angel's Encounter played during Episode Two—
The comment section flooded.
"Who sang this?"
"Replay again!"
"This feels nostalgic…"
Masami watched the premiere from her hotel room.
When her voice entered the scene, she froze.
Her heart hammered.
That was her.
Her effort.
Her growth.
Tears welled quietly in her eyes.
She had failed once before.
But now—
She was part of something real.
---
Northstar Year
Industry analysts started calling it.
"This is Northstar's year."
But they were wrong.
It wasn't just Northstar's year.
It was:
Northstar's Anime Music Year.
Ethan leaned back in his office, scrolling through feedback.
Vivian peeked at the numbers.
Merchandise pre-orders spiking.
Rhythm game downloads skyrocketing.
Streaming engagement soaring.
Rachel sent a message from the Island Nation:
> Negotiations progressing smoothly.
Daniel sent another from America:
> Engine solution found. BD stability improving.
Everything was aligning.
Ethan smiled slightly.
A game company had accidentally conquered music and animation.
But perhaps—
That was the future.
A world where boundaries blurred.
Where stories weren't confined to one medium.
And somewhere inside the studio, Masami adjusted her headphones for another recording session.
Because this time—
She wasn't chasing a dream anymore.
She was building it.
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