"Good work, everyone."
"Good work~."
The polite exchange among the voice actors signaled the end of the recording session.
After being stopped by Kamiyā Yuu three times, Nakajima Momoka was visibly out of sorts. The bright, sweet expression she'd worn at the beginning had long since faded.
She knew that, just as Tōgi Yūko had said, there was something wrong with her performance.
After forcing herself to exchange greetings with the senior voice actors around her, Nakajima Momoka sat alone in a corner of the recording studio, staring at Tōgi Yūko as she bowed to the other cast members, lost in thought.
Compared with the lines Tōgi Yūko had just delivered, there was some quality that she herself lacked.
But what exactly was it?
Putting emotion into the role, just as the sound director had said?
It sounded simple enough, but imitating emotions was precisely one of the greatest tests of a voice actor's fundamentals.
She asked herself whether she had already met everything required by the script. So where was the problem? Was it a deeper understanding of the character, or was it her voice acting itself?
Nakajima Momoka still refused to admit defeat. Even if she lost, she would find a way to catch up. That was how Nakajima Momoka survived.
Now, she finally understood why she had approached Tōgi Yūko in the first place, and why she'd instinctively treated her with an almost provocative attitude.
She had been jealous of Tōgi Yūko all along.
From the very beginning, she had known that, in some respect, she might not measure up to her.
"So... I lost."
She murmured absentmindedly.
Click.
The soundproof door to the recording studio opened.
The sound director collaborating with Sunrise Company entered together with Kamiyā Yuu. He clapped his hands to get everyone's attention before saying,
"Everyone, if I could have your attention. This is Mr. Kamiyā Yuu, the original author of 'Twilight of the Knights.' If there's anything about your characters that you don't understand, you can ask Mr. Kamiyā directly."
He cleared his throat.
"Ahem... I'm sure many of you are already familiar with Mr. Kamiyā himself. That's right—he's the up-and-coming director behind 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.' Despite his young age, he's already created a legend in the anime industry. 'Twilight of the Knights' is also a side story to another hit anime he's currently directing, 'Fate/Zero.'"
The introduction immediately caused a stir among the voice actors.
One of the male voice actors hurried over first and bowed excitedly.
"It's an honor to meet you! I never imagined I'd get to see Director Kamiyā in person. I'm a huge fan of yours. My favorite work is your debut, 'RWBY.' The action choreography in that series was absolutely amazing."
A female voice actor beside him chuckled.
"I already knew this was one of Mr. Kamiyā's works before joining the cast. I wondered whether I'd have the chance to meet you, and I can't believe I actually did."
"I also loved 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.' If I remember correctly, Miss Tōgi voiced Sakura Kyōko, right? That scene from the anime is probably something many viewers will never forget for the rest of their lives."
Compliments poured in one after another.
Maintaining good relationships with well-known anime directors was also an important part of a voice actor's career.
Kamiyā Yuu kept a polite smile on his face as he responded to each of them in turn.
When it was Tōgi Yūko's turn, she politely bowed.
"Director Kamiyā, I look forward to working with you here as well."
She was voicing Saber in both 'Fate/Zero' and 'Twilight of the Knights.' While it wasn't common for a voice actor to play two leading roles in the same anime season, it wasn't unheard of either.
Voice actors occupied a status similar to that of entertainers in Japan. Generally, they weren't bound by production companies' contractual restrictions. Any special requests would first be conveyed through their agencies to their managers.
Nakajima Momoka stepped forward, bowed politely, and revealed her signature sweet smile.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble earlier, Mr. Kamiyā. I'm Nakajima Momoka from J·P Agency. Since I only debuted as a voice actor not long ago, there are still many areas where I lack experience. I hope you'll continue to guide me."
"The performance just now felt a little immature. Your grasp of the character wasn't deep enough..."
The sound director had expected Kamiyā Yuu to be this popular. After giving it some thought, he suddenly asked,
"Oh, right. Do you all have that... that really popular thing you're using these days... the app on your phones for contacting people... what's it called again...?"
"'Heart-to-Heart Chatroom'?" Tōgi Yūko prompted hesitantly.
The sound director slapped his forehead.
"That's it! That's the one! Give Mr. Kamiyā your IDs. If you have any questions about the original characters, it'll be much more convenient to contact him."
Nakajima Momoka immediately took out her phone with a cheerful smile.
"Sure. If you don't mind, Mr. Kamiyā, could you tell me your ID?"
"Huh...? Nakajima, didn't you say last time that you weren't using that app?" the sound director asked curiously while scratching the back of his head. He had originally intended to have Nakajima Momoka register a new account on the spot.
Nakajima Momoka's expression stiffened for a moment before she maintained her sweet smile.
"Well, it was because Mr. Ōishi mentioned it last time that I specially made an account. It's much more convenient for keeping in touch with everyone."
Seeing everyone so enthusiastic, Kamiyā Yuu instead felt a little embarrassed.
"Sorry, but I basically don't use those kinds of things."
He simply wasn't fond of chat applications. If he needed to contact someone, he preferred calling directly.
After speaking, Kamiyā Yuu took out his phone to check the time and apologized,
"Sorry, but I should be heading back to my company. We've been overwhelmed with work lately. Many issues on the animation production side require my personal attention."
"No problem. We completely understand, Mr. Kamiyā. You're welcome to visit again anytime."
The sound director laughed heartily. As someone in the industry himself, he could fully sympathize with how busy Kamiyā Yuu was.
"Wait... um..."
Nakajima Momoka hurriedly stopped him.
After hesitating for a moment, she forced out a smile.
"Mr. Kamiyā... could you tell me... what did you think of my performance just now?"
Kamiyā Yuu paused before smiling.
"It wasn't bad."
It truly wasn't bad.
It simply hadn't reached the minimum standard in his mind.
Given the circumstances, he couldn't be bothered to dwell on it any further.
...
After Kamiyā Yuu left, Nakajima Momoka's face alternated between pale and flushed. She turned around and looked at Tōgi Yūko's calm expression before pressing her lips together and saying hoarsely,
"I'll admit I lost this time. But remember this, Senior Yūko. It won't be long before I surpass you."
Tōgi Yūko frowned.
"I'm not interested. Your affairs have nothing to do with me."
Nakajima Momoka let out a light snort.
"But I'm interested. Until the day you sincerely take back those words, I'll keep making you my goal."
"Which words?"
Nakajima Momoka's expression froze.
She stared uncertainly at Tōgi Yūko, and upon noticing the faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips, she said with difficulty,
"I never expected that, Senior Yūko; the annoying parts of your personality aren't any less than mine."
"Likewise."
"Then tell me your ID. You use the app too, don't you?"
Nakajima Momoka helplessly waved the phone in her hand. The chat application's interface was already open.
With her arms folded, Tōgi Yūko replied indifferently,
"728391."