Inside the same cafe, after seeing off Akiyuki Shinbo and Shin Oonuma, Lin Zhiyan asked the waiter to clear the table and then pulled out a manga magazine, flipping to a page and silently reading.
After about ten minutes, a young woman with short hair, wearing a white jacket and a petite figure only 1.45 meters tall, approached Lin Zhiyan.
"Mr. Hayashi?" she asked uncertainly.
Lin Zhiyan looked up, then put down the magazine, stood up, and said, "Teacher Aoki, hello. I'm Lin Zhiyan."
Aoki Ume was the author of Hidamari Sketch, published by Houbunsha, and in another timeline, she was responsible for the character designs for Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
She had a youthful face with a round shape, not the oval or V-shaped face common in anime, but a round face similar to those of her manga characters.
I wonder if she based Madoka's round face on her own, Lin Zhiyan thought.
He had asked Aoki Ume to meet because the new animation he wanted to produce was Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
He considered asking Aoki Ume to design the character concepts for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, just like in the alternate timeline. After all, Madoka's face was so distinctive, and the Hidamari Sketch manga had already been serialized since April 2004. If Lin Zhiyan designed it himself, he would have to completely redraw it to avoid any suspicion of plagiarism.
Redrawing wasn't impossible, but to emphasize the "healing" aspect, it would be better to have Aoki Ume handle the character designs. After all, Hidamari Sketch was a four-panel manga that fit the healing genre perfectly.
It was just a shame the timing was a bit off. If the Hidamari Sketch manga had been serialized earlier and adapted into an anime sooner, the effect would have been even better.
The Hidamari Sketch anime wouldn't air until January 2007. However, considering the strong competition for awards, Puella Magi Madoka Magica couldn't be released in 2007 either, leaving only 2005, 2006, 2008, or 2009 for its broadcast.
The animation market in 2008 and 2009 was a battlefield of gods. Rather than waiting to release Puella Magi Madoka Magica then and get buried among a flood of masterpieces, it was better to release it earlier.
Hiring Aoki Ume as the character designer was primarily to emphasize the animation's healing qualities. If he'd wanted to boost pre-release popularity, he would have approached more established manga artists. There was no need to approach Aoki Ume for that.
Through email communication before their meeting, Aoki Ume had a general idea of why Lin Zhiyan wanted to collaborate with her.
After exchanging pleasantries like "Nice to meet you, please take care of me," she sat down opposite Lin Zhiyan and ordered a coffee.
Then, with a hint of self-doubt, she said, "Mr. Hayashi, are you sure I'm the right person for the character design? With your connections and resources, you could surely find a more popular illustrator or manga artist."
Lin Zhiyan smiled. "It's not about popularity. The reason I wanted to work with you, Teacher Aoki, is because I loved your manga Hidamari Sketch. The characters' unique art style and healing qualities are a perfect fit for my new animation project. Besides, although you're relatively new to the industry, I'm absolutely certain you'll become a popular manga artist sooner or later."
Aoki Ume felt a flutter of pride at the praise, her heart swelling with delight. But she quickly remembered herself and asked, "Your new animation...?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhiyan nodded solemnly. "This time, we're aiming to create the world's most healing animation, titled Puella Magi Madoka Magica."
"Puella Magi Madoka Magica? A magical girl series?" Aoki Ume was taken aback.
Given Lin Zhiyan's track record, she had no doubt he could create the world's best animation. The claim of "world's most healing" was slightly dubious, but still worth considering.
But... what the hell was a magical girl animation?
Wasn't that an extremely niche genre?
Even though Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha had been a huge success in October, its commercial performance paled in comparison to Death Note, Gurren Lagann, let alone Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.
Now, Lin Zhiyan was choosing such a niche genre and claiming to create the world's most healing animation. Was this really going to work?
Just as she was harboring these doubts, Lin Zhiyan nodded. "When it comes to healing, of course it has to be a magical girl series. And..."
"I see..."
Aoki Ume still felt the subject matter was too niche, but she didn't press further. After all, Lin Zhiyan hadn't invited her to participate in the project itself, only to design the original character concepts.
In fact, she was beginning to understand why Lin Zhiyan had approached her.
While the "healing" aspect might have played a role, the more likely reason was simply that there was no need to overcomplicate things.
Right, for such a niche subject, there's no need to spend a fortune hiring a popular manga artist or illustrator. She muttered to herself.
After a moment's thought, she spoke up: "Understood. If that's how you see it, I have no questions. However, I can't guarantee that the character concepts I create will meet your expectations. If that's acceptable to you..."
It wasn't that her drawing skills were poor. The real issue was Lin Zhiyan's exceptionally high standards as an animation supervisor. She worried that her concepts might not pass his scrutiny, which was why she phrased her response so cautiously.
Lin Zhiyan wasn't particularly demanding in this regard. He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that. I'll send you detailed character design materials later. Just draw based on those materials and the feel of Hidamari Sketch. I'll be personally responsible for the animation's character design and Chief Animation Director. Once the time comes, I'll adjust the designs to be more suitable for animation."
"You'll be personally handling the character design and Chief Animation Director?" Aoki Ume was taken aback.
After all, it was a niche magical girl theme. Even though Lin Zhiyan claimed he wanted to create the world's most healing animation, she'd assumed he was just saying it and didn't take it too seriously.
Now, she was puzzled.
Being personally responsible for both character design and Chief Animation Director indicated deep involvement.
Given that it was a magical girl animation, why was Mr. Hayashi so optimistic?
Lin Zhiyan didn't explain, merely nodding. "Yes, and I'll also personally oversee the music."
"Alright then," Aoki Ume said. Though still puzzled, she didn't press further. "In that case, I accept the job."
She stood up and bowed to Lin Zhiyan. "I look forward to your guidance during our collaboration, Mr. Hayashi."
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