The weekly popularity rankings in the original art section of the cartoons forum were determined by the total number of views and likes a piece received during that week. If one view counted as one point, then a single like counted as ten.
At present, the ninth-ranked piece, [Giant Wolf Sif and the Girl Ruby], has accumulated over 30,000 points. However, its ratio of likes to views far exceeded that of other works, which meant Kamiyā Yuu's illustration had gained widespread aesthetic approval from users of the forum. This was a rare occurrence in the cartoons section—especially considering that this piece was entirely original.
Generally, two main factors determined whether a work dominated the rankings: the popularity of the artist and the positioning of the work itself. Fan art of popular animations often attracted large numbers of existing fans. As a result, most works occupying the rankings were fan art of American animations, with only a small portion belonging to Japanese animation.
If an artist wasn't well-known and their work wasn't fan art designed to attract followers, yet still managed to enter the weekly popularity rankings, it meant that the quality of their work far surpassed the aesthetic standards of the forum's users.
And that was precisely the case.
The biggest factor behind the popularity of [Giant Wolf Sif and the Girl Ruby] was Kamiyā Yuu's personal art style. Once separated from the style he used for 'Mr. Onigiri Man,' his illustrations displayed a level of refinement far beyond this era—thanks to his long-term practice using modern artwork within his consciousness space.
It was like the mainstream style of this world was still at a 2005 level, while Kamiyā Yuu's work had already reached the standards of 2016. This fundamental gap left a deep impression on many fans of Japanese-style animation.
Moreover, all of Kamiyā Yuu's illustrations were created after practicing within fully realized environments in his consciousness space. With that immersive experience, his artwork seemed to possess something akin to a "soul."
His grasp of lighting, environmental rendering, and full-angle character design sheets was second nature.
Kamiyā Yuu's "Fakebook" account, Yosuganosora, along with the illustration [Giant Wolf Sif and the Girl Ruby], quickly became a hot topic among fans of Japanese animation. Uploading three high-quality pieces every day, he rapidly attracted a large following. People began speculating about his true identity.
Unfortunately, no one could find any artist or works with a similar style. His account information revealed nothing. This master-level artist with such a unique style seemed to have appeared out of nowhere overnight.
The only clue was that Ruby Rose's character design still carried traces of Uehara Etsuki's influence. Many of Uehara Etsuki's devoted fans pointed out details in the clothing design to support this theory. Was it Uehara herself? Or someone closely connected to her? The speculation only grew more intense.
As the weekend approached, the influence of [Giant Wolf Sif and the Girl Ruby] continued to expand, eventually climbing to ninth place on the weekly rankings. However, since Kamiyā Yuu had only uploaded it on Tuesday and its surge in popularity didn't begin until Thursday, advancing further on the rankings was nearly impossible.
On the monthly rankings, though, the piece had already entered the top thirty. Breaking into the top ten would represent true recognition—and signify that Kamiyā Yuu had officially earned a place among online illustration artists.
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After work that evening, Kamiyā Yuu used the company's professional scanner to upload his hand-drawn illustrations to his laptop. These pieces still required digital coloring using specialized software at home. While he was already very familiar with coloring techniques from his work as an animator, compared to line art, coloring was actually more tedious.
After finishing, he stood before the door to Uehara Etsuki's office and took a deep breath, trying to suppress his restless nerves. An inexplicable tension made it feel as if he could hear his own heartbeat pounding.
—At its core, this is using Uehara-sensei's reputation as a guarantee… I'm being quite shameless and selfish.
Kamiyā Yuu raised his right hand, noticing the faint dampness on his palm. After hesitating for a long while, he steeled himself and knocked on the wooden door.
He knew he had to obtain Uehara Etsuki's permission. If she refused, he wouldn't force the matter and would look for other ways to raise funds.
"Come in."
The familiar calm voice still made his heart tremble. Based on his understanding of her, she likely wouldn't refuse—but even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of rejection was something he didn't want to face. Compared to borrowing money or confessing feelings, this matter carried even greater consequences. If it failed, a barrier might rise between them that could never be crossed.
—Damn it, why am I this nervous? It's not like I'm doing anything wrong.
After steadying himself with that thought, Kamiyā Yuu entered the office as usual. Seeing Uehara Etsuki still working on her illustrations, he greeted respectfully, "Sensei, still busy?"
"Mm, I'm working on the final episode's climactic battle scene. If Kamiyā-kun were willing to help, it would make things much easier for me," Uehara Etsuki said softly, setting down her pen. As always, it was impossible to tell whether she was joking or serious.
Kamiyā Yuu shook his head with a wry smile. "That's the task assigned to you by the director. He's convinced no other animator can handle such a grand scene. If I stepped in rashly, I'd probably just get scolded."
"Hehe, I believe Kamiyā-kun is fully capable. I can handle explaining things to the director," she replied, her eyes carrying a faint smile.
Faced with her teasing, Kamiyā Yuu quickly waved his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I admit defeat. You know what I've been busy with lately—please go easy on me."
Her smile unchanged, Uehara Etsuki continued, "A personal short animation, right? So this visit must be related to that?"
"Uh… can't I just come say hello after work? After all, you've helped me so much lately," Kamiyā Yuu said awkwardly, scratching his cheek.
"Oh? Kamiyā-kun always writes his thoughts all over his face. I don't think I'm wrong this time," she sighed lightly, pretending to be troubled. She had grown quite accustomed to teasing him like this.
Kamiyā Yuu laughed dryly. Sitting down in front of her desk, he straightened his posture and expression, becoming serious.
"You're right this time, Sensei. I do have something I want to ask of you… Or rather, I need your permission."
Hearing this, Uehara Etsuki calmly extended her hand in a graceful gesture, signaling for him to continue.
Kamiyā Yuu carefully took his laptop out of his briefcase, placed it on the desk, and opened the MAYA 3D modeling display interface. Only then did he turn the screen toward her, speaking with slight nervousness.
"Please take a look at this."
The screen rapidly displayed the 3D character models for the 'Red' chapter, along with some hastily assembled 3D scene visuals. Even though they were unfinished, Uehara Etsuki covered her mouth with her kimono sleeve in surprise, her usually composed eyes widening slightly.
"This… is the animation Kamiyā-kun wants to create?"
For once, disbelief appeared on her face as she spoke softly. As an illustrator, her understanding of 3D animation was only superficial—but as someone in the animation industry, she clearly understood what these groundbreaking visuals represented.
She had never imagined that the Ruby Rose character she designed could be transformed into a 3D model with such… astonishing detail.