Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: 6. Mecha God Chronicle, Reactions (1)
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Back before my reincarnation, on 21st-century Earth where I used to live, mecha anime was a genre with a pretty solid fanbase, all things considered.
Of course, it wasn't like it was massively mainstream or something that appealed to men, women, young, and old alike.
Even so, there was no denying it had a thick layer of hardcore fans.
Otherwise, how else could you explain the insane sales of those multi-million-won 'Gandam' plastic models?
Not every buyer was some suspiciously wealthy furry... er, rich person who could drop that kind of cash without blinking. No, they were just showing their love for the work by shelling out for it.
And as a genre with that much popularity, mecha anime had a bunch of well-established formulas—clichés, really—that had built up over years to guarantee a hit.
Like, say, the presence of a 'machine that shouldn't exist' or 'shouldn't be possible' within the unit.
Or a hastily assembled junker pieced together from spare parts that somehow has a limiter-release system.
Or maybe some 'non-standard part' forcibly jammed in there.
Sure, it all sounds forced and downright illogical, but at the same time, it's packed with the kind of clichés that stroke a man's romantic fantasies.
And in producing the first episode of Mecha God Chronicle, I threw in one of those cheat-code-level elements.
Rampage!
It's a classic: the protagonist's machine suddenly goes berserk right when he's in dire straits.
And not just any time—when he's lost consciousness, or the power's out and it shouldn't move at all, that's when it ramps up.
Why?
Because it's just so damn cool.
Just like a SkullGreymon that Dark Evolves is way more badass and powerful than a regular MetalGreymon that evolves normally, a rampaging machine tears through the random mooks from episode 1 like they're tissue paper.
It's totally illogical if you think about it even a little, but mecha anime fans don't give a damn about logic.
Why?
Because if it looks cool enough, everything's forgiven and allowed.
So I tossed in that rampage scene purely for episode 1 impact, without a thought for the aftermath or future setup.
But then...
'Hmm, even so, isn't this pushing it a bit?'
I'd jammed that rampage scene into the anime to realize my mecha dreams, but now that I thought about it, I was starting to regret the overreach.
Because, as I'd mentioned before, people in this fantasy world treat magic like it's a documentary. If the setup doesn't line up perfectly with magical logic, they nitpick the hell out of it.
In other words, the rampage might dazzle viewers right now with its impact...
But once the high wears off tomorrow and they regain their senses, who knows what kind of backlash we'll get.
'Ah, whatever. I made the scene I wanted, so even if I die tomorrow, no regrets...!'
Flop.
With that, I crashed irresponsibly into bed and called it a night.
"Raguna, Raguna! Get up, quick!"
"Director, I think something big's gone down."
The next morning, Serika and Kaya's urgent voices served as my alarm clock, jolting my eyes open.
"...What? What's going on?"
"Well, it's like—"
But Serika and Kaya just stared at me with bewildered expressions as they started to explain.
"People in the capital are reacting weirdly. About... last night's Mecha God Chronicle broadcast."
"...Huh, just that?"
I wasn't all that surprised hearing it from them.
By now, I'd fully expected the viewers' rampage high to fade and cold reason to set back in.
But then...
"Director. Do you know what people are saying in front of the palace square right now?"
"...No clue."
I was snoring in bed all night—how would I know?
Probably something like sending this magic-illiterate anime director back to Hogwarts for retraining.
Unfortunately, what came out of Kaya's mouth blew past my wildest guesses.
"They want you to release the next episode right now."
"...?"
"They're protesting, demanding episode 2 of Mecha God Chronicle air immediately!"
"...What?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A little while back, right after episode 1 of Mecha God Chronicle finished airing.
Everyone stared blankly at the merciless text floating on the TV screen.
[To be continued next episode.]
"....."
"....."
They'd just witnessed such a shocking scene that most people in the room could barely think straight.
Even so, they had enough brainpower left to decipher what that text on the screen meant.
"To be continued next episode...?"
"Meaning... that's it for today's episode?"
"So when's the next one airing? Obviously they'll take a short break and drop it in 10 minutes, right? Right?"
But as if mocking their desperate hopes, a new line appeared next.
[Episode 2 of Mecha God Chronicle is scheduled for next weekend. We appreciate your interest and support.]
"....."
"....."
They say there's a famous five-stage process people go through when hit with overwhelming shock, like facing death.
"Hah, the creators must be messing with us. I know for a fact episode 2 drops in 10 minutes."
"Pfft, this has to be a joke, right? No way this is real, huh?"
Denial.
"Damn it! It's been 10 minutes—why no episode 2?! What the hell!"
"You wanna see me lose my mind? Huh? So what happened after the Mecha God rampaged?!"
"Give us the next episode! Next episode!"
Anger.
"Uh... what if we paid every time we watched? Could you air episode 2 sooner then?"
"Honestly, weekly episodes are too much... Can't you make it every two days, or three at worst? Please?"
Bargaining.
"Fuck... endure a week without Mecha God Chronicle episode 2...? Is this what humans do...?"
"I wanna die... Someone knock me out for a week and wake me 10 minutes before episode 2 airs..."
Depression, then acceptance.
Just like that, the crowd slumped in their seats, as if they'd lost the will to live.
It couldn't be helped, really.
Most people gathered in this tavern had just experienced anime for the first time ever via that episode of Mecha God Chronicle.
They'd heard rumors that anime—and Eli and Hamel's Disappearance—were all the rage among the nobles.
But to watch Eli and Hamel's Disappearance, you had to buy a ticket, so they'd been left sucking their thumbs.
For folks who saw buying a beer at a tavern as a big splurge, where would theater money come from?
So they'd tuned into Mecha God Chronicle clueless about how fun Raguna's animations really were.
And the Mecha God rampage scene—pure dopamine bait he'd thrown in—had utterly flipped their worlds upside down.
For commoners whose thrills came from street performances or circuses, Mecha God Chronicle was a full-on cultural shock.
"Should've never shown us anything in the first place... What kind of law allows this...?"
"I'm too curious about what happens next to sleep tonight."
They were all staring vacantly at the powered-off TV with hollow expressions when...
"...Everyone here."
Someone who'd been blankly watching the anime suddenly shot to their feet and spoke up.
"Doesn't it feel like a waste to just give up like this?"
The one who said it was a pretty young guy.
Well, he had a mustache that made him look older than he was.
"I'm a student who failed the Imperial Art Academy entrance exam. Not that it matters—right now I'm just drowning my sorrows in beer at this tavern."
"And?"
"I've studied art, so I know exactly the value of that anime we just watched. It's no less than a masterpiece infused with the soul of a genius artist."
The mustached student said it with an expression of pure admiration.
"You can't whip up something of that quality overnight. Even at the shortest estimate, it takes days—maybe months—of work."
"...So what's your point?"
"The animator's probably already finished episode 2 but isn't releasing it."
"What?"
"Seriously?"
His words lit a spark in everyone's eyes.
Despair had given way to hope.
"No idea why, but the creator's sitting on episode 2 without airing it. They must have their reasons for holding it till next week. But..."
"...But?"
"That's the creator's business—not ours."
"...!"
"From the start, wasn't ending episode 1 like that and making us wait a week straight-up wrong? With us dying for the next one, does he even qualify as an animator? I say no..."
There was something hypnotic about the mustached student's words; everyone felt strangely compelled by his rhetoric.
"That's why we all need to stand up. If we just sit here whining, episode 2 airs next week. But if we unite and show the power of the masses, who knows? Change might happen."
"Ooh... Yeah, can't argue with that!"
"He's right. Nothing changes if we just sit here!"
Plus, everyone was decently buzzed from beer, so their judgment was fuzzy.
In short, they weren't in their right minds.
And when crazy drunks fell for the silver tongue of this agitator, an absurd synergy ignited.
"So rise up! Show the power of the people, the power of the viewers! Viewers of the world, unite!"
"Unite!"
"Let's make the creator air episode 2 tomorrow—show him our power!"
"Woooah! Let's go!"
The revolution had truly begun.