As the week passed, Fullmetal Alchemist kept gaining momentum. Its opening theme had gone viral, racking up over 20 million streams in just seven days. That alone brought in another surge of new fans to Echo Shroud, widening the sales gap between them and Red Lantern even further. On the Shroud Line rankings, Fullmetal Alchemist had climbed to fifth place.
For Haruki, the past two months followed a fixed rhythm: wake up, draw, go to school, visit the studio, draw again, then sleep. The routine was starting to wear on him. But with Madoka Magica set to air in just one week, most of his work was done. The premiere episode was locked, and the rest only needed minor edits. For the first time in months, a breather was in sight.
September ended, and October arrived. It ushered in the most competitive season in the anime industry.
October had always been the crown jewel of the broadcast calendar. Studios saved their biggest titles for fall, and this year, the lineup was especially stacked.
T-Bone Animation, still riding the wave of last year's smash hit The Devil's Adventure, returned with Into the Abyss, set in the same universe but with an even bigger budget.
Kyokusei Animation had revived Forest of Blades, a dark fantasy series that had quietly built a cult following three years ago. Now it was back, completely overhauled with a new creative team.
Raccoon Studio brought in the viral romcom The Big Brother Next Door is a Panda?!, adapted from a chaotic but well-loved manga that had exploded online.
Even Icebox Animation, infamous for glossy visuals and shameless fanservice, had thrown their hat in the ring with My Harem Life at a Girls' Academy!, aimed squarely at the teenage male crowd.
Each of these series came with a massive budget, most over 300 million yen, and top-tier talent: animators, directors, composers, voice actors.
They didn't need aggressive marketing. Just listing the studio and staff was enough to generate hype.
Below them were the mid-tier titles, about a dozen, each backed by solid studios and budgets around 10 million yen per episode. Polished, competitive, and capable of drawing a respectable audience.
And beneath that were the wildcards.
Dozens of low-budget anime, each produced for under 200 million yen total. Some would become surprise hits. Others would vanish. Fans watched them out of curiosity or for sport, hunting hidden gems or roasting disasters online.
In the midst of all this, Puella Magi Madoka Magica had a 300 million yen production budget. The studio behind it was still new, so they couldn't pull a full cast of A-list voice actors. Many were already booked, and others didn't match the tone. Even so, a few well-known names signed on. And for music, Haruki had delivered a complete set of tracks upfront. No need to hunt for composers. They hadn't landed a celebrity name for the soundtrack, but it didn't feel like anything was missing.
Genre-wise, the show faced an uphill climb. Magical girl anime had been showing signs of fatigue in recent years. But Mizushiro's name kept expectations high. He had a reputation for quality that he rarely missed.
What pushed the buzz even further was the audience discovering Mizushiro's work through Fullmetal Alchemist. Fans who first found Echo Shroud because of that show were now discovering Madoka. The series was gaining momentum through word of mouth. At first, Madoka was mostly known within Mizushiro's fanbase, but as new viewers explored his past works, the full scope of his range became clear.
Didn't care for Natsume's Friends? There was the adrenaline-fueled chaos of Initial D. Wanted something with emotional weight and strong characters? Rurouni Kenshin delivered. Craved slice-of-life romance? Anohana hit that note. And for pure visual melancholy? 5 Centimeters per Second.
Whatever your taste, Mizushiro had a title for you.
And that's why fans stuck around. His growing catalog offered something that resonated, no matter your genre lean. His following had now passed five million. With that much attention on Madoka Magica, the pressure was enormous. Everyone was asking the same question:
What does a magical girl anime look like in Mizushiro's hands?
The winter anime season officially kicked off on October 1st.
The lineup was packed. Madoka Magica aired on the 4th. Anticipation was sky-high, but tension buzzed beneath it. If it hit, it could overshadow everything. If it flopped, the rest of the season could breathe easier.
The season launched with a bang. Two major titles, Into the Abyss and Forest of Blades, premiered on day one. Each pulled over 3.3 million views in 24 hours. Strong numbers, close to last year's breakout The Devil's Journey, which had opened with 3.5 million and went on to become the year's top show.
Smaller titles followed, landing between 1.2 and 2 million views. Not blockbusters, but solid entries in a crowded field.
Curiously, Into the Abyss didn't make the impact many expected.
Visually, it was stunning. The animation was top-tier. But the story didn't quite land. Viewers noted its slow pacing, and the highly anticipated antagonist hadn't even appeared yet. Critics called it ambitious, but maybe too slow to hook casual fans.
Saya Tachibana, a producer at T-Bone, had hoped for more momentum. She wasn't panicking. Episode two had stronger emotional beats. But she kept a close watch on the week's premieres.
Especially Madoka Magica.
She'd worked with Haruki before, on Initial D. He wasn't a technical expert in animation production, but he had rare clarity. His storyboards came in nearly finished, like the show already existed in his head. That kind of instinct saved time and reduced guesswork. Uncommon for someone this early in their career.
Still, pressure was mounting.
Could Into the Abyss surpass 5cm/s? Saya trusted her team. But the anime world didn't move on logic. It moved on timing, fan reactions, feelings. Chasing 5cm/s while fending off Madoka's hype would make the next two months brutal.
She remembered something Haruki had told her months ago, offhand.
"This one's going to change how people see the genre."
A bold claim. Most had laughed it off.
But Haruki hadn't sounded cocky. Just calm. Sure.
He never said things like that unless he meant them.
Saya frowned.
If he was planning something subversive, would the audience accept it? Flip the genre too late, and viewers might bail before the twist even landed.
But there was no more time.
All she could do now was wait.
October 2: My Neighbor Is a Panda Spirit launched strong with 3.2 million views.
October 3: Life at the All-Girls Harem Academy exploded with 3.9 million, as expected.
Then came October 4.
Twelve shows aired that day. But Madoka Magica was the one everyone had circled.
Screens across the country lit up as the premiere began.
It opened quietly.
A dream sequence. A collapsing world. A girl with long black hair, locked in a desperate fight against a massive shadowy entity. She was losing.
A small white creature with red eyes turned to another girl, watching from afar.
"Make a contract with me, and become a magical girl."
Madoka shot awake in bed.
Then came the opening theme.
Soft tones. Pastel visuals. A gentle, nostalgic melody.
It felt warm. Innocent. Sweet.
Long-time Haruki fans noticed immediately: this look wasn't random. He could do cinematic. He could do realism. This rounded, childlike style was intentional.
Viewers let out a collective breath.
Maybe this time, it really was wholesome.
Maybe Madoka Magica would be a straightforward, comforting magical girl anime.
Something safe. Something sweet.
For now, there was no twist.
Just a dream.
And a promise.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)