This morning, just after the Izumi siblings left, Mrs. Izumi received a call and then went to the Sawamura household.
Sawamura Sayuri, dressed in a purple kimono, opened the villa's door.
The two women sat on the sofa.
"Sayuri, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Mrs. Izumi said with a smile.
Although the Izumi and Sawamura families didn't interact much, mostly through their children, their relationship had always been good, not just for the past two years since they moved here; they had known each other for a long time before that.
"It's about that matter I mentioned to you before; it's basically settled now, so I wanted to ask for your opinion again."
Sawamura Sayuri held a paper fan in her hand, lightly tapping her palm, and looked straight ahead.
"My opinion? It's not really important, because due to Kotetsu's work, he will be spending a long time abroad, and he can't take care of himself alone, so I'll be going too…"
Mrs. Izumi slowly explained.
"It seems the focus is still on Chihiro-chan."
Sawamura Sayuri's lips curled into a smile, and she looked up.
This could be said to be a sure thing; not to mention she still held a favor that hadn't been used, and based on her understanding of Chihiro-chan, he would definitely agree.
After all, the relationship between that child and Chihiro-chan was also top-notch.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons Eriri would cry?
"By the way, why don't you, Sayuri, yourself…?"
Mrs. Izumi inquired.
"You wouldn't know, but although it wasn't intentional, that child really made mine suffer back then. If I let them live together, what if something happens again… If I don't consider this, then I, as a mother, would be too irresponsible."
Sawamura Sayuri gently shook her head.
"From what I see, you just want to be lazy, don't you?"
Mrs. Izumi teased.
"Don't expose me…!"
Sawamura Sayuri feigned anger, came up behind her, and squeezed her shoulders, saying, "You've been doing too much housework lately, haven't you? You must be tired. Let me loosen you up."
"Ouch, ouch, ouch… If you do the first, don't blame me for doing the fifteenth!"
Mrs. Izumi was not to be outdone, she grabbed her back, pressed her onto the sofa, and started a free-for-all.
"Hey, hey, hey, wait! No!"
Sawamura Sayuri's face showed a hint of panic, and her twin tails were trembling.
"Hmph! It seems you've forgotten the fear that Eromanga Sensei brought you! Hehehe…"
A wicked smile appeared on Mrs. Izumi's lips.
What followed was a scene not fit for outsiders.
…
Unaware of the two mothers' schemes, the Izumi family's daily life continued.
One Saturday.
Izumi Chihiro sat on the sofa, deep in thought.
The fourth volume of Re:zero - Starting Life In Another World was set to be released tomorrow, and he was not worried about its quality, as he was very clear about it.
However, he was a bit worried about the premiere of puella magi madoka magica, specifically whether the animation quality could support the work.
He wasn't saying it had to be exactly like in his memory, but it would be enough if it could show sufficient distinctiveness.
He remembered that when he first watched this anime, almost ten years had passed. Ten years was an era, and even if it caused a huge sensation back then, it would be hard to say it would reach its former glory.
And now, he had the opportunity to witness its glorious moment.
"Chihiro, this is the sample for the first episode. You can watch it first to get a sense of it, or you can watch it directly on TV next week. It's up to you."
Not long after, Izumi Kyoka arrived at the doorstep and handed him something.
As the original author, he was, of course, qualified to see the animation in advance. As a participating member of the animation production, and considering their family relationship, they decided to entrust this task to her.
"Kyoka Aunt, won't you come in and sit for a while?"
He took the sample and looked up, asking.
"No need, I still have work to do."
Izumi Kyoka declined his offer and turned to leave.
"Kyoka Aunt is still so reserved…"
Izumi Chihiro sighed as he watched her retreating back.
However, this feeling quickly vanished.
Because his attention was entirely focused on the animation sample in his hand.
"Let me get a sense of whether it can reach the level I imagined."
Izumi Chihiro murmured softly.
He was actually someone who had 'seen' it, so he didn't consider the possibility of getting excited from watching the live TV broadcast.
"Ni-san, is this the first episode of puella magi madoka magica?"
Sagiri stood up from the sofa and scurried over to his side.
As someone with over two years of industry experience, she was certainly not ignorant of such matters.
"Of course."
He nodded, "Sagiri, do you want to watch it together?"
Sagiri immediately shook her head.
"I want to watch it on TV..."
She still felt that it would be more meaningful that way.
"But Ni-san, after you finish watching, please give me a review so I have some idea."
As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment, and Sagiri did not want to experience that.
"Alright, then go upstairs."
"Mhm..."
Izumi Chihiro went to the bottom of the TV, inserted the animation sample tape into the appropriate slot, and then the first episode of the anime began to play on the TV.
He watched it all the way through, only moving after the ED finished, a smile appearing on his face.
"It seems Miss Aoi Makina didn't disappoint; she delivered on everything she promised and more. The quality of this animation and the BGM are also not disappointing... It seems Kyoka Aunt was indeed correct in claiming she had a deep understanding of puella magi madoka magica."
Izumi Chihiro was excited.
Because in this world, puella magi madoka magica has an original work, unlike original animations which are like opening a blind box with no idea what's inside. As long as they follow these steps, its upcoming popularity is an already foreseeable fact!
"Ni-san, are you done watching?"
Sagiri slowly walked down the stairs, timing her arrival.
"I'm done watching, come over here," Izumi Chihiro turned and called out.
"Ni-san, what... what do you think?"
Sagiri quickly came before her brother, but finding his expression calm, her heart immediately grew cold.
"Of course it's... fantastic!"
Suddenly, Izumi Chihiro's smile became radiant.
"Ni-san, don't scare me like that! You made my heart pound!"
Sagiri realized her brother had been deliberately teasing her, and immediately puffed out her cheeks, patting his chest.
"But, since Ni-san says it's fantastic, then it must really be fantastic!"
The girl's expression changed again, her eyes filled with anticipation.
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💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter