Chapter 194
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 194
Chapter Title: Animation (2)
The success of the *Demon's Relic* animation wasn't just a success on the level of being a decent game-to-anime adaptation.
It was a much bigger success, showing shocking metrics that reverberated beyond the industry and throughout the entire subculture market.
Number one hit animation of the fourth quarter.
Despite only half the episodes having aired, it had already claimed the top spot, leaving the second-place show in the dust.
This was a rather unusual indicator in the market.
Usually, the top anime of the quarter belonged to a major genre that a wider range of consumers could enjoy. But this time, a beautiful-girl fantasy anime had taken that spot, which spoke volumes.
It was an indicator that the anime had inherited the unique characteristics of the original game IP, *Demon's Relic*.
The sales figures that had swept the market with nothing but the beautiful-girl fantasy genre.
The unique sensibility that couldn't be replaced by the countless other beautiful-girl games had become its selling point.
Thanks to this, the market was in an uproar.
[Looked like obvious fan service bait, so I watched it to see what the fuss was about. Understood immediately after episode 1 lol]
[Putting aside the animation quality and voice cast, it was just plain fun. The story alone was charming enough.]
[Is the original game fun? I've only seen fan works, never played the original.]
[How much money did they sink into this? lol The fight scenes in every episode are insane.]
[What *Demon's Relic* proved: It's not that beautiful-girl anime are boring. It's that the people making them were bad at it.]
With a final product that far surpassed industry standards, the perception of the genre itself began to change.
This trend started to influence markets beyond the subculture scene.
[Have you seen *Demon's Relic*? It's really good. I heard it's based on a Studio Rewind game, right?]
The world of internet broadcasting was a prime example.
Due to the nature of personal broadcasting, which is close to subculture and often relies on the streamer's wit, streamers reviewing *Demon's Relic* accelerated the word-of-mouth spread.
As mentioned before, that industry also has its trends.
And this time, the one leading the trend was once again Ji-hyeon, Rewind's dedicated promotional streamer, formerly known as "GloomyFuture," now "SunnyGenie."
[No, I'm telling you, it's really fun! I'm not just saying that because I'm an ambassador, it's genuinely good! Why don't you believe me?]
[What? If I get excited, it means it's not fun? You son of a b—!]
The ex-idol's curse-laden review was re-edited into short clips and spread like wildfire across various sites.
The question, "So what is this *Demon's Relic* anyway?" started to pop up.
The anime's recognition began to grow to the point where even ordinary people unfamiliar with subculture knew about it.
As the year-end approached, the race for *Demon's Relic* to stay at number one showed no signs of slowing down.
In fact, it widened the gap with second place even further, to the point where it was a contender for anime of the year.
With everything going so smoothly, the atmosphere inside Studio Rewind was also festive.
“Congratulations. You finally did it.”
“Ah, we're the ones who should be thankful.”
At Yeon-ho's praise, Nishimura laughed heartily and looked at Copson and Team 2.
“The anime is thanks to the colleagues who worked with us and the production staff who put in the effort.”
“Hey, Nishimura. That's taking modesty too far.”
“It's the truth. I didn't do anything. It's thanks to you, Copson.”
A warm atmosphere enveloped the two men.
It was a miraculous and terrifying sight for Team 2, who had always watched them from the side, for Yeon-ho, and for the other employees of Rewind.
How could these two possibly get along?
Weren't they usually fighting, even at moments like this, claiming they were the one who did well?
The employees were dumbfounded at the almost horrifying scene.
Yeon-ho, in particular, stood with his mouth agape.
In truth, it was something Yeon-ho had only ever dreamed of.
‘The two of them are getting along?’
Did this mean he would never again have to deal with a director showing up in a cast, or visit a director hospitalized with a fracture?
For once, his heart pounded with excitement.
The anticipation of a bright future dawning brought a lump to his throat.
Yeon-ho's voice grew a notch brighter.
“The anime will continue to sail smoothly. Recouping the investment is a given, and any additional profits will be allocated to Team 2's development budget, as promised. How is the development of *Demon's Relic 2* coming along?”
It was one of Studio Rewind's ironclad rules.
Unless unavoidable, profits earned by a team were to be prioritized for that team's future development costs.
This was something Yeon-ho himself had insisted on for various reasons, such as strengthening each team's development autonomy and boosting morale.
After all, he himself had suffered greatly from a lack of development autonomy before his regression, which led to the creation of this rule.
Of course, one of the practical reasons was that the released titles were successful enough to generate the profits to make such a system viable.
In any case, as the conversation shifted, Copson and Nishimura nodded confidently.
“The plan to drastically reduce the number of heroines and add more depth was a success.”
“Ah, just as Copson said. By reducing the resources for character implementation, we were able to add more detail in other areas, which ultimately led to a significant increase in combat diversity.”
“Heaven itself has plenty of myths and legends to draw from, so building the world was relatively easy.”
“Ah, regarding that part….”
Suddenly, the two were lost in their own conversation.
It was a discussion about the game's direction, and Yeon-ho, with a satisfied expression, nodded before quietly excusing himself.
‘I don't need to worry about this place anymore.’
To think that the success of a single anime could have such a positive impact on the team.
Yeon-ho was at the point of regretting his past decision not to make an anime sooner.
Not even ten minutes had passed since Yeon-ho left.
“Whaaaat??? Isn't it obvious that Camael should be a gloomy, busty beauty???”
“Nonsense! She's the Archangel of Courage! It's obvious she should be a warrior woman who leads the Seraphim into the heart of battle!!!”
“A gloomy, busty Archangel of Courage is what's hot, you idiot??? Do you have absolutely no taste???”
“You piece of trash!!!”
*Crash!*
The touching moment from the anime's success was fleeting.
*Demon's Relic* was, from the start, a flower that bloomed nourished by conflict and struggle.
No matter that they had shared a drink in a temporary truce for the sake of the future; now that they were back on home turf, they were ‘enemies.’
The 125th Great Heretical War.
Agenda: ‘Regarding Camael's Gloomy, Busty Beauty Attribute’.
Their struggle resumed, leaving the brief peace behind.
Just then, Yeon-ho, who was working upstairs, heard the sudden shouting and asked.
“…What is that noise?”
“It's that sound. The one we always hear.”
“Sigh….”
The President's sighs were growing deeper by the day.
* * *
The console industry is busy at the end of the year.
In truth, the console game development industry is always busy, but as the season for wrapping up the year and recognizing its hits in the form of 'awards' arrives, the industry moves at an even more breathless pace, if only to analyze the latest trends.
This is especially true for the development teams of games in the running for awards.
“Have the flights, accommodations, and other schedules all been arranged?”
“Yes, it's a one-month trip. I'm planning to take some vacation time while I'm there to visit my hometown.”
“Relax and get plenty of rest. We've already achieved excellent results in terms of sales, so we have a good shot at winning an award.”
Standing before Yeon-ho, Team 3 Leader Yuri Jackson smiled cheerfully, feeling much more at ease.
It was because they were preparing for the 2021 GOTY awards ceremony.
The development process had been agonizing.
Even more agonizing was the pressure that weighed him down, and his strangely ever-rising reputation within the company.
While attending an awards ceremony wasn't exactly relaxing, it was far more comfortable compared to all that.
Yep, it was just a trip to step on American soil, attend a few awards shows, and see his parents.
An environment where he could rest without worrying about what anyone thought.
Just then, Yeon-ho asked.
“How is the development of *Hellic 0* progressing?”
“We have a rough plot for now. A prequel featuring the warden as the protagonist… As you instructed, President, I've drafted a few concepts. They just need your review.”
“I'll review those before you return.”
It was a conversation about the project following the *Hellic 2 Remake*.
Tentatively titled *Hellic 0*, it was to be a AAA game produced from the warden's perspective, based on the background Yeon-ho had provided.
The direction Yuri envisioned was to capture the feel of *Hellic 1* while balancing both casual and heavy elements within the horror-slasher genre.
It was still in the planning stage, so not much was set in stone, but since Yeon-ho was the final reviewer, Yuri's personal burden wasn't that great.
Anyway, the discussion about the new project ended in that gentle atmosphere.
“Well, I'll be off then!”
“Yes, have a safe trip.”
After a week of handing over his duties, Yuri boarded a flight to the United States.
‘Clouds! Sky! Ocean!’
And first class.
Studio Rewind's workload might be horrendous, but its external employee benefits were quite lavish.
The roughly 17-hour flight was a break for Yuri, a time to eat decent food, watch movies, and sleep without a care in the world.
‘What should I do first when I get home…!’
First, a hug with his parents.
A walk with Goldie the retriever, whom he'd only seen in pictures for years, catching up on his hobby of watching movies, and grabbing a drink with his hometown friends.
“Kuh…!”
A sigh of admiration that even his mask couldn't contain escaped Yuri's lips again and again.
True, if they happened to win GOTY at the awards ceremony, his schedule would change, but Yuri didn't even dream of such a thing.
‘It's not like GOTY is just some random prize.’
Yeon-ho seemed to see the possibility, but Yuri didn't think high sales alone were enough to win a GOTY.
His self-assessment wasn't very high, so he didn't even look at goals he thought were only reachable in dreams.
His mind was already completely filled with thoughts of rest.
‘Ah, I wish the awards ceremony was over already!’
Lost in such thoughts and looking forward to the next year, he arrived on American soil before he knew it.
He checked into his hotel, savored the American air and food he'd missed, adjusted to the time difference, and even did some sightseeing in cities he hadn't frequented, avoiding his accompanying team members.
If someone were to see Yuri now, they would inadvertently think, ‘Perhaps the happiest person in the world would have an expression just like that.’
It was that happy of a trip.
As the happy moments continued, Yuri's steps grew lighter and lighter.
On the day of the awards ceremony, Yuri witnessed despair.
“GOTY! The winner of this year's Game of the Year is… *Hellic 2 Remake*! Congratulations!”
*Fanfare!*
Hearing those words, Yuri's expression, which had been beaming foolishly just a moment ago as he prepared to clap, went blank.
Feeling the flashing cameras, the host's voice, and the surrounding applause with his entire body, Yuri's lips moved wordlessly.
The gazes from those around him were filled with admiration.
Whether by habit or inertia, in that moment, without even realizing it, Yuri's expression had already shifted to one of solemn humility, yet accepting of the situation.
Yuri walked toward the stage, asking himself inwardly.
‘Huh? Me?’
Yuri Jackson, the man receiving the love and admiration of the entire world.
He ascended to the awards stage.