Animation Producer in a Fantasy World

Do you know when the most annoying moment for an office worker is?

When the boss dumps all the work on you and goes off on his own?

Or when the direct junior who just joined turns out to be incompetent and gives you cancer?

Sorry, but none of those are the correct answer.

The correct answer, in my opinion, is:

“Oh, so you’re Ragna Tersian? Pleased to meet you. I’m Karleigh von Lohengramm.”

“…It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

It’s when the CEO of a large corporation, who you thought was busy playing golf, suddenly appears before you.

Just as a private who has just enlisted in the army instinctively feels fear upon seeing the division commander, I couldn’t help but stiffen at the sudden appearance of the princess.

‘No way, I thought she just said she’d come here out of courtesy, but she really came?’

A while ago, when I said it would be difficult for me to visit the imperial palace, the princess sent a reply saying she would come down to the Tersian Barony herself.

But I thought it was just WWE happening among the upper class, I didn’t expect it to be so close to the truth.

I slightly raised my head to look at the princess’s face.

Platinum blonde hair reaching down to her waist, and blue eyes that looked as if sapphires had been embedded in them.

Whenever I saw nobles raving about the princess’s beauty being like a goddess incarnate on earth, I used to think to myself, ‘That person really wants to get ahead in life.’

But now that I think about it, they might have been speaking from the bottom of their hearts.

Even I, whose standards had become quite high from seeing Serika’s face every day, couldn’t help but admire the princess’s beauty.

“First, I’d like to apologize for suddenly visiting the place where you’re resting. If it was unpleasant, I apologize.”

“…Not at all. Considering the reason why Your Highness came here, it’s rather my responsibility for refusing Your Highness’s invitation.”

“Thank you for understanding. Yes, I heard from my maid that you couldn’t respond to my invitation because you were conceiving your next work?”

“Um, about that…”

I wanted to say, ‘Actually, I haven’t made any plans related to the next work, I just lied because I found Your Highness’s invitation too bothersome.’

But if I say this, I might have my head chopped off in front of Gwanghwamun Square for insulting the royal family.

Ah, since this is a fantasy world, it would be the square in front of the imperial palace, not Gwanghwamun Square.

In the end, the words I could utter in this situation were more or less predetermined.

“…That’s right. It’s not a direct sequel to ‘The Disappearance of Elli and Hamel’, but I’m planning a completely different work.”

“Oh, a completely different type of work.”

The princess asked me with an expression full of curiosity.

“Well, could you perhaps tell me a little bit about what kind of work you’re conceiving?”
No, I haven’t conceived anything in the first place, how am I supposed to tell you?

“…I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t comply with that request.”

But I answered calmly, not at all flustered by the princess’s sudden question.

“Before being a noble loyal to the empire, I am an animation producer. It’s impossible to leak information about a work that hasn’t even entered full-scale production to someone else.”

In fact, I just blurted this out because I hadn’t thought of anything, conception or whatever.

Fortunately, the princess didn’t seem to notice that my statement was a blatant lie.

“…I see, now that I hear it, that makes a lot of sense. Is it because you had such stubbornness as an artist that you were able to create such a work…”

The princess muttered something incomprehensible to herself, then nodded as if she understood something.

“‘The Disappearance of Elli and Hamel’ that you made. I enjoyed it very much. In fact, I can say I’m an ardent fan of you and your work.”

“Is that so.”

Well, I kind of expected that.

Otherwise, why would a woman as great as the princess be interested in someone like me, who remains at the lowest level of the noble caste society?

“In that sense, there’s one question I really wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“What exactly is your reason for creating this thing called animation? And what is the purpose you want to achieve through animation?”

“…..”

Well, how should I answer this?

Should I answer that I made ‘Nymph and Goblin’ as a substitute because I didn’t want to use my precious magic on the kids of noble families, and I made ‘The Disappearance of Elli and Hamel’ because I wanted to make a hefty profit through merchandise sales?

But.

“Speak comfortably. I want to hear your sincere answer.”

Looking at the princess whose eyes were sparkling towards me, I felt the triangle in my heart somehow pricking my heart.

I thought the triangle in my heart had already become a circle from all the plagiarism while making anime, but fortunately, it seems some pointy parts were still left.

In the end, feeling a sense of conscience for the first time in a long while, I had to open my mouth.

“I want to make animation as a culture.”

“…You want to make anime as a culture?”

“That’s right. Originally, genres called art were created to make humans happy. Novels, plays, operas, it’s fair to say that their ultimate goal is all the same.”

“But novels, plays, and operas have one fatal flaw. Do you know what it is?”

“…The majority of people don’t find them very interesting.”

That’s right.

Illiterate people can’t understand novels, and plays and operas were fields that were extremely divisive even on Earth.

And in the fantasy world, besides these, there were extremely limited hobbies that could be properly enjoyed, so most people had no choice but to live boring lives without any entertainment.

“But animation is different.”

Unlike novels, animation can be understood even if you don’t know how to read.

And it was possible to enjoy it regardless of whether you have culture or common sense.

In other words, it means that through animation, it’s possible to provide entertainment that almost everyone, regardless of age or gender, can enjoy.

Well, people might find anime boring depending on their own tastes or personality, but that’s beyond my control.

“I want to establish the genre of animation as a culture. Not as something that only educated people or rich people can enjoy, but as a new culture that anyone can enjoy.”

By the way, this wasn’t a lie.

Because the more ‘animation’ becomes fully established as a culture in the empire, and the more people enjoy the works I create, the more prosperous my bank account will become.

Along with that, other people might also jump into this market, saying they want to make anime too.

‘If that happens, I’ll be able to watch anime made by others to my heart’s content while scratching my belly in the corner without lifting a finger.’

If things progress like that, I’ll be able to fully enjoy the unemployed slacker life.

And if I get bored, I can just turn on the fantasy world version of Netflix and watch anime.

It’s truly perfect.

Just as I was lost in such blissful imagination.

“…I see, so that’s how it was. As expected, you had a grand plan…!”

Grab.

The princess suddenly stood up from her seat and grabbed my hand without even turning on the blinker.

It happened so suddenly that I had no way to respond.

“Uh… Your Highness? Even though we’re different genders, this is a bit…”

“I agree with your thoughts as well. You’re right. Most of the art that currently exists in the empire is the exclusive property of the nobles. That’s why the art that commoners can enjoy is very limited.”

“Well… it would be better if you could speak after letting go of my hand…”

“That’s why I think the genre of animation you created could be the answer to break through this situation. Just looking at ‘The Disappearance of Elli and Hamel’ that you created, didn’t it captivate people from various classes, from nobles to commoners?”

Saying this, the princess not only didn’t let go of my hand but started gripping it even more strongly than before.

“In that sense, there’s one proposal I’d like to make to you.”

“…Pardon? A proposal?”

At that moment, I felt an inexplicable anxiety and déjà vu while listening to the princess’s words.

Haven’t I heard similar words from the duke in the past?

How should I put it, I had an ominous feeling that if I accept that proposal thoughtlessly, I might regret it for a long time.

“Well… I don’t know what kind of proposal it is, but I’ve been a bit busy lately…”

“Don’t worry. My proposal might actually be helping you, Ragna.”

“…Helping me? What do you mean-”

“Ragna, what do you think about letting all the imperial citizens watch animation for free through broadcasting, instead of revealing it in theaters for a fee like now?”

“Pardon?”

Provide animation for free to all imperial citizens through broadcasting?

So now… is the princess telling me to make a kind of TV animation?