Haruki stepped out of the airport looking exhausted. After collapsing into bed that night, he spent the entire next day catching up on sleep.
By Tuesday morning, he was back in work mode.
Evermark Studio had changed.
They'd relocated to a larger building to fit the new staff, and the new directors had also brought in more people from their own team. It wasn't a huge studio, still only able to handle one major project at a time, but it felt far more professional than before.
A few staff members glanced up and waved as Haruki passed.
"Welcome back, Mizushiro-sensei," one of the background artists called out.
"How was the trip?" another asked.
"It was good," Haruki said with a faint smile, nodding politely as he continued down the aisle.
Kazami's office was at the far end. Inside, Kazami stood with Wes, both leaning over a long drafting table covered in layout sheets and color boards.
Kazami looked up as Haruki entered.
"Haruki, you're back. How was the trip?"
"Pretty good," Haruki replied, setting his bag down by the wall. "Tiring, though. The reception to Madoka was… honestly overwhelming."
"I'm not surprised," Kazami said with a small smile. "You've made quite an impact this year."
Wes gestured for him to come closer. "We were just reviewing the art direction for Code Geass. Come have a look."
Haruki stepped beside them, scanning the sheets. The designs kept the long, sharp silhouettes of the original series, but the linework was tighter, and the colors carried richer gradients with bolder accents. Even the mech concepts had a heavier weight to them, elegant but with a believable mass.
"How's production going?" Haruki asked.
"Pretty smoothly," Kazami said. "We've locked down the visual tone, and the OVA is nearly finished. It'll act as our benchmark. If it holds up in motion, we'll scale the same approach across the series. Casting is underway, and the animatics are almost ready. Once we lock down the voice direction, we can move into full production."
They spent the rest of the afternoon reviewing animation tests on the wall-mounted screen. The footage showed sweeping shots of towering mechs framed against glowing skies, then quiet moments of characters adjusting gloves or glancing sideways.
Haruki gave careful feedback, mostly reinforcing the structural feel of the designs, thickening fragile looking joints and lowering the profile of certain decorative elements so they wouldn't snap visually during fast motion. The original Geass designs were striking but delicate. This version needed to feel just as iconic, yet sturdier in motion.
By late afternoon, their notes were finalized. Kazami stretched back in his chair, satisfied. Wes quietly gathered his sketches, humming under his breath as he closed his notebook.
That evening, Haruki returned to his apartment. After a quick shower, he played a few rounds of a LOL before bed.
Over the next two weeks, Haruki's life slipped into a familiar rhythm, though with a few changes.
He had formally taken leave from university under the name of an internship, so his days now revolved entirely around manga and anime production. Most of his time was spent at Evermark Studio, moving from desk to desk with a sketchpad under his arm, reviewing layouts, giving notes, and watching the project take shape piece by piece.
By the end of the second week, the team had finished the short OVA prototype.
Everyone gathered that evening in the studio's new viewing room, a soundproofed space with dim wall lights and a massive screen flanked by studio grade speakers.
Wes stood near the projector as the lights dimmed.
"Alright," he said. "Let's watch."
The opening sequence played. A short mech fight moved through a damaged city, the cuts steady and easy to follow. The movements looked heavy, and the effects team had cleaned up the smoke trails. The sound mix was tight too. The metal impacts, the engine noise, and the music came in right on cue.
Then the scene shifted. Two characters stood in the aftermath, their hair stirring gently in the breeze as they exchanged quiet dialogue. Even small gestures, a hand tightening around a glove, an eye flicking away, flowed naturally.
Haruki remembered what Wes said during their first meeting.
To make something timeless, you don't need the newest machines or the flashiest tech. Clean 2D linework, natural motion, and bold but not trendy color design. Rely too much on whatever is cutting edge today, and it will feel outdated in a few years. Solid fundamentals stay timeless.
And it showed on screen. The work felt solid and consistent from start to finish.
The lights rose slowly. For a few moments, no one spoke.
Then Haruki stood. "This is exactly what I had in mind," he said quietly. "Thank you for being part of this team."
Wes smiled. "It's my pleasure. I'm looking forward to making this with you."
The room erupted into applause.
As it faded, a few voices murmured through the room.
"…These new directors are on another level. The way they find small details and push them higher… it's just, wow."
"What did you expect? He's a world class art director."
"I just hope someday I can make something even close to this level."
"To make something at that level, you have to make your own path. If you follow someone else's path, you're never reaching their level."
A younger animator stared at the blank screen, almost dazed. "…I still can't believe who I'm working with. These are the people who shaped my childhood. Each one of them left their mark on anime, and now they're all here together. I'm just glad I get to be part of this."
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