Anime rating game

Sangming Qianye handed over a handkerchief and silently followed.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the bullied child was carrying an injured gray mouse.

To be honest, this mouse is long and thin, and a bit ugly, unlike Jerry who is round and chubby and very cute.

This kid has a serious problem with his aesthetic sense; he would get hurt protecting such a clown mouse.

However, this kindness is not a bad thing, and it is worth protecting.

After Umaru finished bandaging the mouse and saw the child off, Chiya Kuwana finally spoke:

Don't you find it disgusting?

"what?"

"A mouse. Hmm... I definitely don't want to touch it with my hands."

"?? No way, I have a hamster at home, they look quite similar, and it seems okay."

"I think there's still a big difference between the two."

“I don’t see anything wrong with it.” Doma Umaru paused, then said with a smile, “Is Ms. Kuwana the kind of person who would be afraid of cockroaches?”

"Most girls would be scared, right?"

"I'm a little scared to do it directly. But if I wear gloves, I'll be fearless."

"...That makes sense."

Chapter 454 Going Bankrupt to Help Others

In early May, thanks to the Sanzenin Foundation's tireless promotion and the impact of the Sanzenin Festival two weeks prior, Hayate the Combat Butler's popularity and sales rankings remained firmly in second place.

In response, Musashino held a celebratory banquet and then began preparing a new promotional plan.

Of course, this time the promotion wasn't for Hayate the Combat Butler, but for Oregairu.

In the president's office on the third floor, after listening to Masamune's plan, Hachiman Hikigaya fell silent. After a long while, he shook his head speechlessly.

"Is this really a good idea? They haven't even had a few days to be happy, and now we're going to betray them."

"How can this be considered a betrayal? Pressure is a driving force. Moreover, a good opponent is enough to motivate both sides to improve."

Masamune changed the subject and continued:

"For us at Musashino, all four works are like our children; there's no question of which one we value more."

"Of the four anime currently airing this season, Holy Grail War is far ahead, while Umaru-chan is lazy and unambitious. Therefore, the only one that still has room for improvement is Oregairu."

“What do you mean by not being ambitious? I’m working pretty hard too,” Umaru Doma couldn’t help but interject. “I can’t go out doing promotions every day, can I? I’m a student, I have to attend classes.”

"In that case, shall we hold a small burial ceremony?"

"No. Fourth place is fine too. I'm not obsessed with rewards; it doesn't matter whether it's high or low."

Masamune smiled helplessly. Really, can this be considered hard work?

"Back to our previous topic, Hachiman, what's your opinion?"

“I’m not against publicity, but spending too much money on it would be putting the cart before the horse, wouldn’t it?” Hachiman Hikigaya hesitated for a moment, then said again, “Like that [Voice Actor vs. Live-Actor] singing contest held last week, it didn’t have much of an effect, did it?”

"That's just because not everyone arrived. According to the survey, Yukinoshita is very popular. Compared to the mischievous junior, the audience prefers the sharp-tongued, aloof yet gentle black-haired beauty."

"Is Ayaha is cute too!"

"That's true, but you have to admit there is a noticeable difference in their looks. It's not very obvious in the anime because they're both drawn by Mashiro, but it's quite noticeable in real life."

Hachiman Hikigaya was speechless. Even though Iroha Isshiki wasn't around, he didn't want to respond at all.

"So, you're planning to invite Yukinoshita and the others this time?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't participate."

"...Is it necessary? Do you want to never see those two again? They were friends in the same department before graduation."

"It's just to avoid suspicion." Hachiman Hikigaya sighed softly. "I don't really care, but I'm a little worried that Iroha will overthink it."

Upon seeing this, Masamune fell into deep thought.

Last week's performance was originally intended to be a secret invitation to Yukinoshita and Yuigahama, with the answer to be revealed on stage. I'm sure Hikigaya's expression at that time would be very interesting.

However, Hachiman discovered his intentions in advance and lied that he had a bad cold, thus forcing him to choose between the two options.

Left with no other choice, they had to give up inviting the two people.

Now, if I insist, he will definitely get a "serious illness" and won't be able to attend.

"Without a male lead or without a female lead, it's incomplete, Hachiman."

"We already have a female lead, Iroha."

"I'm not talking about reality, I'm talking about the anime. Since there are three storylines running at the same time, it's impossible for only Isshiki and you to appear in the promotional materials."

"Then let the voice actors take the stage."

"The voice actors have already worked very hard, and they are all familiar faces; everyone is already tired of seeing them."

"Given that, I had a strong feeling that there might be a car accident that day. So, I decided not to go out that day."

"You absolutely refuse to see those two people?"

“This is a critical time, and I need to avoid suspicion.” Hachiman Hikigaya sighed softly. “Long-distance relationships are inherently very fragile. If I’m not more resolute, all the pressure will fall on Iroha.”

"Since you insist, then... you can come up with a better publicity strategy."

"Well……"

Hachiman Hikigaya fell silent.

Since she doesn't want to perform with Yukinoshita and the others, it's reasonable for her to take charge of the publicity herself.

However, this matter is not simple.

There are only so many conventional promotional methods. Hayate the Combat Butler went from competing with Umaru-chan for third place to now firmly holding second place, entirely thanks to spending money.

If it weren't for the incredibly interesting concept of the Heroic Spirits, the exceptionally exciting fight scenes, and the popularity of the manga, the Holy Grail War might not have been able to defeat it.

As for their side, Hayase wouldn't be stingy with money, but she couldn't possibly throw money around like the Sanzenin family.

Therefore, there's no need to compare in terms of funding; we're completely outmatched.

As for the art style, they are both Musashino's works, with very little difference, which can be ignored.

The plots are not comparable, since they are different types of works.

In terms of character design, Hayate the Combat Butler has a distinct character, and Oregairu is not bad either; both have their merits.

Musically…

After pondering for a long time, Hachiman Hikigaya slowly spoke:

"How about organizing a community-based ministry event?"

Noticing that Masamune's gaze had become somewhat strange, Hachiman Hikigaya explained:

"You all know what our Service Club does. The Service Club of Soubu High School is limited to the school and its activities are to lend a helping hand to students in need."

"Nowadays, if you run an advertisement on TV and promise to help people in need, you will definitely gain a lot of new fans."

"Of course, too much is unnecessary and can easily cause other problems."

"Therefore, three to five candidates are sufficient."

"If you really can't find anyone, just pay a few shills."

"We can't help with overly complicated problems. After all, we're not a charity, nor are we a wishing lamp or Dragon Ball."

"But if it's a problem of not being able to afford medical treatment, not being able to afford university, or other problems that can be solved with a little money, I think it should be possible."

Noticing the group staring at him blankly, Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but ask:

What do you think of my proposal?

“I want to give it a try.” Mashiro tugged at Masamune’s sleeve.

clap clap...

Doma Umaru couldn't help but clap his hands, his face beaming with excitement, and said with a smile:

"As expected of Teacher Da, I also think this idea is good."

Under the watchful eyes of the three, Masamune fell silent.

Helping others is certainly no problem, but in these kinds of matters, the problem is never about scarcity but about inequality.

If someone only helps three to five people, when the news gets out, there will definitely be more criticism than praise, such as:

Why don't you help more people? You're clearly so rich.

Helping someone just to promote an animation? How hypocritical!

"It's not convenient for me to get involved in this matter. Otherwise, I'm sure people will criticize me, saying that I'm so rich, yet I only give out such a small amount to help others. I'm so stingy."

"Do it in your name. Just announce to the public: Hachiman has decided to donate all the royalties he earns from writing novels to support the activities of the Service Club."

"Funds... 200 million, unlimited spots, while supplies last."

"Of course, I'll cover the two hundred million; you won't have to pay a single penny. I'll just use your name."

"Am I such a noble person?" Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but laugh. "Besides, that's two hundred million. How come I didn't know I had made so much money?"

"After all, it's all of Hachiman Hikigaya's income, including royalties, appearance fees, and advertising revenue. The audience can't possibly calculate how much you have left."

"Is this acceptable? You're paying for it, but you're not getting any good reputation in return, and you might even get criticized."

"Well... I've spent all my money on animation, Shirobako is proof of that."

Upon hearing this, Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but laugh.

Speaking of which, everyone in Musashino in Shirobako was complaining about being broke. Could this have been expected?

"Sure, I have no problem with that. As long as you don't mind me taking your reputation, then let's do it this way."

"Thank you."