Tokyo Soft Rice King.

Is it really that good-looking? It's just a little big! It's a size bigger than me... uh, two sizes... okay, maybe three sizes bigger...

Although Murasaki no Miyako felt that she wasn't small, compared to those huge breasts, she really looked rather small.

But! Bigger isn't always better! Shape is more important! Men who like big things are too superficial!

That being said, Murasaki no Miyako was still wondering whether she should use the money she saved to buy some milk...

The milk I drank yesterday was wonderful, very sweet, and I'd like to drink it again.

Even wise rulers have said they'd like to try it... This shouldn't be considered an unnecessary expense, right?

Murasaki no Miyako didn't realize that she had memorized every single word Kuroba Akira said.

Kuroba Akira had become the man she cared about most.

In short, the purpose of this separate chapter is to ask everyone to give more.

However, I feel that constantly pleading is an attempt to gain readers' sympathy rather than their approval.

Furthermore, people always add things at the end of chapters, so everyone is marking them instead of discussing the content of the book. I also hate it when they write things like "[Bonus Chapter]", "[Please Add to Favorites]", "[Please Follow]", "[Please Ticket]", or "[Please Subscribe]" in the chapter titles. It's really uncomfortable for people with OCD.

Therefore, in order to provide readers with a cleaner reading environment, I decided not to add annoying ramblings after the regular chapters, and that's how this separate chapter came about.

After all, I've now decided to become a full-time author. I don't have a proper income, so I still have to rely on everyone's donations to make a living. I can't pretend to be high and mighty.

And I heard from a friend that there seems to be some new event on the cat station, and everyone has more tickets left, so I came up with a wicked idea.

So, let's trade in the style of the main character!

That is, to increase the reward.

That being said, I haven't given extra chapters in a long time. The last time I gave extra chapters for donations was six years ago when I was serializing "Dangerous Woman". Back then, I was a college student and had plenty of energy to write.

This renewed effort is also a way to motivate myself to keep writing.

Seeing the data rise makes me feel better, which leads to more chapters, which in turn makes readers happier and gives me more credit... creating a positive feedback loop.

However, since this book was released relatively late, adding extra chapters now would disrupt the recommendation schedule. Also, I haven't decided on the specific numbers and amount of extra chapters yet, and the book's data is still rising and hasn't reached a stable period. So, I'll announce the rules for adding extra chapters when the book is released.

If the setting is too low, and you owe dozens or hundreds of chapters, you won't be able to make up for it by the end, which would be a betrayal of the readers' trust. But if the setting is too high, and you don't need to add any more chapters... that would be embarrassing, right?

I didn't offer extra chapters before, partly because work made it difficult to guarantee even regular updates, and partly because I hated the feeling of being in debt.

As a prisoner who has lived in the past and whose family has paid off debts, I absolutely hate the feeling of being in debt. So I try to pay off what I owe as soon as possible, and not being able to do so makes me anxious.

Therefore, it's best to keep the number of additional chapters within a reasonable range.

My day only has 24 hours, and with a typing speed of 1000 words per hour, I'm really not much of a pro. I can only update within my capabilities.

All the data that has been accumulated so far will be included in the bonus chapter count, starting from zero. So you can vote for it now, and the bonus chapter count will be calculated together later.

By the way, I, Prison Ghost, am a writer who doesn't use outlines or save drafts; I write fresh code every day.

I read everyone's complaints and comments, and I will try my best to fill in the logical inconsistencies and correct typos without changing the plot structure.

I always finish these things within an hour of updating, and my update time is rather unpredictable, so it doesn't have much impact on readers with normal sleep schedules.

I would also like to thank the readers who followed the updates even during the darkest times. You are helping me improve this book. If you don't mind, please refresh the page manually; most of the previous plot holes have already been fixed.

Oh right, I'll include the group number at the end.

It's a new reader group that was created after I joined the cat website, and there aren't many people yet.

If you want to chat with the author online, discuss the plot, explore life philosophies, engage in psychological analysis, get your questions answered, talk about anime and games, or share risqué images, you're welcome to join the group.

So, to all the readers above, love comes from Mr. Ghost.

2024.7.20

Chapter Thirty-Six: A Voice Actor's Voice is the Voice of Reputation

When I returned to the entrance of Kobayashi's yard, the morning sun had already risen fully, and I could feel the air being heated, making the perceived temperature higher.

Although it was only a five-kilometer jog, Akira Kuroba still broke out in a light sweat.

Murasaki then ran to the finish line shortly after Murasaki, and Kuroba Akira asked her how she felt about her first morning run.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay? Do you feel short of breath?"

Murasaki placed her hand on her lower abdomen, quickly adjusted her breathing, and replied calmly.

"Hoo... Hmm, I feel okay. My body feels light and I don't feel any soreness."

I did feel uncomfortable, but it wasn't from the lactic acid buildup caused by running itself, but from other interferences.

The main reason was that she wasn't wearing anything underneath, and the friction from her sports jacket was a bit painful. Also, because she could only zip it up, the inside of the jacket became like a sauna after she sweated, which was very stuffy.

Also, the shoes I'm wearing aren't suitable for running, so my feet hurt a bit. I want to go back and get them massaged.

However, Murasaki did not complain about all these unpleasant things. She did not want Kuroba Akira to think that she was a hothouse flower who could not even endure this little bit of hardship.

"He really has talent..."

Kuroba Akira once again marveled at the power of talent.

Although Kuroba Akira ran slower than usual, running five or six kilometers in one go is not easy for a beginner runner, especially since she was wearing unsuitable shoes.

The fact that Murasaki was able to keep up so easily is probably due to her S-rank talent, Light Body and Flexible Strokes.

Literally, it should refer to her body, which is excellent in terms of coordination, balance, flexibility, and agility.

Perhaps with just this talent, even at her current age, she could become a professional athlete without having pursued a career in sports.

For example, figure skaters, or gymnasts, etc...

Generally speaking, girls start practicing figure skating and gymnastics as early as four or five years old. Because young girls are very light, they can easily make jumping movements. Skilled athletes are already world champions at the age of Murasaki no Miyako.

That was truly a terrifying world where people used their talents as weapons to 'fight' each other.

In Kuroba Akira's eyes, those contestants were still immature lolis, yet they were already about to step into a terrifying competition.

But this is exactly what it means to become famous at a young age.

Therefore, if Murasaki were to dedicate herself to the sports industry now and eventually succeed, she would be labeled a "late bloomer," which would evoke more feelings of regret than the feeling that she chose the right path at the right age.

Moreover, being an athlete is too risky. Not only are they prone to injury, but their careers are also very short. After retirement, becoming a coach is the only reliable career option.

However, having talent doesn't mean you can teach others. Maradona was a superstar as a player, but his coaching ability was very average, or even terrible.

Besides, the money earned as a coach isn't enough, so that path is a no-go.

Having too many talents can also be a problem, making people hesitate about which direction to develop in.

After all, the real world is not a life simulator. If you choose the wrong path, you can't reload the save and start over. Changing careers temporarily will incur huge sunk costs as a price.

Although Murasaki no Miyako's talent greatly increased her margin for error in life, it didn't mean she could act recklessly.

What Kuroba Akira needs to do is eliminate those paths in life that would make her 'mediocre' and polish her from a rough stone into the biggest and most dazzling priceless treasure.

It can be said that Akira Kuroba has already taken on the responsibility of being Shion Murasomiya's life and the role of her life designer.

So his declaration, which sounded like a marriage proposal, wasn't just a gimmick he made casually.

In fact, becoming a professional voice actress was not Shion Murasomiya's ideal life path, according to Akira Kuroba.

Top-tier voice actors in Japan earn approximately 3000 to 7000 million yen annually, which translates to 150 million to 300 million RMB.

However, this is the amount that only top-tier male voice actors can earn. Because male voice actors are scarcer than female voice actors, they have a higher status and are more likely to receive more attention and promotional opportunities.

As for the large number of female voice actors, who face even greater competition and intense infighting, their salaries are quite unstable.

Because voice actors don't receive a fixed salary, their pay is basically calculated based on the jobs they get, but it's still possible to roughly estimate an average.

An average voice actor's annual salary is only about 2 million yen, which is less than 100,000 RMB. That's less than what an average office worker earns when they first join a company. Even veteran voice actors may not be able to break 10 million yen.

As for the new voice actors who have just joined the agency, their salaries are pitifully low, and they really live a life of hardship where they don't know where their next meal will come from... They are just toughened up by life.

Moreover, if they can't get a job, they may be fired by the agency, and they will live in anxiety and fear every day.

In Japan, voice actors' salaries are extremely polarized. The majority of the industry's top 10% of voice actors control the majority of the earnings, while the remaining 90% find it extremely difficult to make a living solely from voice acting.

Therefore, newly-minted voice actors cannot actually support themselves solely through voice acting work. Many choose to take on part-time jobs. You can even see voice actors working as cashiers in convenience stores or delivering food.

Those who are in a better position, like the voice actors from theater troupes that Kuroba Akira mentioned before, will run both jobs simultaneously in the early stages of their career transition, juggling theater troupe and voice acting work, until one of them becomes successful before gradually shifting their focus to that one.

After becoming more skilled in voice acting, most voice actors will start to work as singers in addition to voice acting, singing opening and ending themes for anime, character songs, and releasing CD albums to earn royalties.

Then, they participate in television programs, radio programs, and entertainment programs to increase their exposure.

Some female voice actresses even go so far as to take a semi-idol route, holding concerts, handshake events, or even shooting photo albums.

Therefore, in Japan, voice actors are not simply 'voice actors', but a comprehensive profession with diversified income.

To put it bluntly, it means they can't make a living in their own industry and have to go to other people's businesses to freeload.

Many factors influence a voice actor's income, such as voice type, acting skills, voice processing ability, character understanding, and delivery of lines, etc.

However, these technical factors are not the most critical.

In Japan, the most important thing for voice actors is... fame! Becoming famous is the key!

The voice of a voice actor isn't the voice of a real person, it's the voice of their reputation!

But this really depends on luck...

If you're lucky enough to voice a currently popular anime series or game, you'll have a famous representative role, and your popularity will increase significantly. After all, people may not remember the voice actor's name, but they will remember the name of their favorite character.

"Oh! So this is the person who voices XXX!" This is a common reaction for ordinary people when they first learn about a voice actor.

But if you only get minor roles in flops anime, you'll still be a low-level voice actor even if you work for ten or twenty years.

In conclusion, voice acting is not a profession where you can "make a lot of money quickly".

Moreover, it takes a long time to become famous in the industry.