Tokyo: The Manga Begins with the Funeral of Frilian

Kamiya Yuma gazed thoughtfully at the neon signs outside the terrace, now darkened.

"The second thing."

"The second thing isn't so urgent. I'll tell you about it after I meet with the sponsors tomorrow."

Ryota Onodera patted him on the shoulder.

Then he turned around and walked back to the restaurant.

At that moment, Shiori Shirakawa pushed open the glass door to the terrace, holding a glass of champagne that Yuma Kamiya hadn't touched.

What did Onodera-senpai say to you?

She asked curiously.

"Frilian is getting an anime adaptation."

Shiori Shirakawa's eyes lit up instantly.

"Really."

"Um."

Yuma Kamiya nodded in response.

"Then why are you frowning?"

Yuma Kamiya took the glass of champagne and took a sip.

"Because a sponsor is coming to the studio tomorrow and wants to tell me how to film this animation."

Shiori Shirakawa remained silent.

She simply walked over to Yuuma Kamiya and looked at the somewhat dim night view of Ginza with him.

"When we were talking about the iron rice bowl and the golden rice bowl last time, you said something."

"What?"

"You said the trees outside fell down, but the trees on your paper won't."

Shiori Shirakawa turned to look at Yuma Kamiya.

"In that case, no matter what that person says tomorrow, your tree won't fall."

At 2 p.m. the next day, the doorbell rang precisely on time.

  

Shiori Shirakawa went to open the door.

A man of about fifty years old stood at the door, wearing a dark brown suit, a classic Hermès tie, and shoes that were polished to a high shine, almost reflecting light.

He was followed by a young female secretary carrying a briefcase.

"I am Matsumoto."

The man's gaze swept past Shirakawa Shiori and directly across the living room.

"Is Kamiya-sensei there?"

"Please come in."

Shiori Shirakawa stepped aside and led them to sit down at the low table.

Matsumoto plopped down in the main seat of the sofa, crossed his legs, pulled a business card from his suit pocket, and tossed it onto the table.

"My name is Koichi Matsumoto, and I am the head of the planning and development department at Yamato Toys."

He glanced around the living room, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Kamiya-sensei's studio is simpler than I imagined. I heard that the collected volumes have sold nearly ten million copies? That means the after-tax royalties must be at least three or four hundred million yen. How come he still lives in a place like Itabashi?"

Yuma Kamiya came out of the master bedroom, holding a dip pen in his hand.

He sat down opposite Matsumoto without touching the business card.

"What does Minister Matsumoto want with me?"

"That's really refreshing. I love dealing with straightforward people."

Matsumoto took a beautifully bound proposal from his secretary and spread it out on the table.

"Yamato Toys is willing to fully sponsor the production costs of the first season of 'The Burial of Frilian', 180 million yen, not a penny less. The production company will be Dongyang Animation, and we have already communicated with them about the broadcast schedule, which will start in April next year."

Yuma Kamiya did not read the proposal.

"What are the conditions?"

"That was really satisfying."

Matsumoto turned to the second page of the proposal and pointed to the several colored design sketches on it.

"Actually, it's quite simple. Just add new elements to the anime version that weren't in the original work. First, give Frilian a set of magical armor that can change form. You don't need too much; just three to five minutes of it in each episode will suffice."

"Second, add a female officer to the remnants of the Demon King's army, and set her up as a magical girl who can transform in three stages."

"Third, starting from episode ten, a new item called the 'Magic Amplification Ring' will be added, which can be made into a toy."

He pushed the proposal forward a little.

"These new elements will not affect the main storyline; they are just icing on the cake. We have done market research, and the three elements that boys aged seven to twelve like the most are mechs, transformations, and item collection. Adding these three elements will increase the ratings by at least five points. If the ratings go up, the merchandise will sell well; if the merchandise sells well, we won't have to worry about the production costs of the second season."

There was a two-second silence in the living room.

"Minister Matsumoto."

Yuma Kamiya's voice was calm.

Have you read the original work?

"After flipping through a few pages, the art style is not bad, but the pacing is too slow. Shonen manga viewers don't have the patience to watch an elf walk around reminiscing about the dead. Adding some battle scenes for them would be a good thing."

Matsumoto said dismissively.

Hoshino Rin stood up from the corner.

He starts talking and then launches into a string of words, like a machine gun.

"Transformable magical armor? Frillian's magic system is elemental, not mechanical. In the known world view, magic and machinery are not compatible. If mecha elements are forcibly added, the entire magic system would have to be overturned and rebuilt. A magical girl with three transformations would be even more unreasonable."

The Demon King's army remnants are portrayed as scattered, disorganized soldiers without a ruler, making it impossible for them to have any organized leadership roles. As for the magic amplification ring, Frilian's total magic power has accumulated naturally over a thousand years. Using a gadget to amplify it negates her core characteristic as an immortal being. This isn't peripheral design; it's destroying the established setting. It's not adding icing on the cake; it's slapping ink in the face to the readers.

"This is..."

Matsumoto looked at Kamiya Yuuma, his expression somewhat stiff.

"She's an assistant at the studio, responsible for background and undead legion-related work."

"Oh, so you're an assistant."

Matsumoto put his legs down and leaned back on the sofa.

"Little sister, I understand your passion for the original work, but you probably don't understand business. Manga is manga, anime is anime, and merchandise is merchandise. These three things are separate."

"Viewers don't have to pay to watch TV, but production companies do. Where does that money come from? It comes from merchandise. If an animation doesn't sell merchandise, there won't be a second season; without a second season, you original creators won't get the next copyright fee. This is an industry chain, not artistic creation."

"So every link in the industry chain is feeding off the original work."

Shiori Shirakawa picked up her teacup, poured a glass of warm water for Rin Hoshino, and said in a calm tone.

"In fact, the original work won't die if no one eats it; but if too many people eat it, the original work will turn into bones."

The smile on Matsumoto's face vanished completely.

"Mr. Kamiya, your assistants have a lot of complaints, but I'm here to talk to you today. Give me a straight answer: can you accept these new elements?"

Kamiya Yuma finally spoke.

"Adaptation rights are negotiable, production costs are negotiable, and broadcast schedules are negotiable, but Frilian will not wear mecha, the Demon King's army will not transform, and the Azure Moon Grass will not turn into a plastic ring."

He pushed the proposal back.

"My elf doesn't sell plastic waste."