Animation Producer in a Fantasy World

“Just wait a bit, Ragna. I’ll mobilize all my connections in the art world and bring the most suitable talent for the nymph’s voice!”

“Hey, Serika. There’s no need to go that far…”

“No. I’m doing this because I want to, so you don’t need to worry about it. And I’ll take care of the cost issue too, so there’s no need to worry!”

Saying that, Serika disappeared from the Tersian Barony with her younger sister.

“…..”

To be honest, everything felt just baffling.

‘Why is she suddenly rushing like that?’

Was the animation I made so interesting that she had to rush like that without hesitation?

Or is she happy because she found something to do when she was bored with nothing much to do these days?

I couldn’t understand what Serika was thinking, but there was one thing for certain.

‘Well, at least there’s no loss for me.’

That’s right.

Whatever Serika does behind the scenes, she said she’d take care of everything with her own money, so at least I won’t suffer any financial loss.

Also, after going home and cooling her head a bit, she might change her mind.

So I tried to lightly think of it as Serika enjoying a momentary deviation and delete my memory of her, but.

About two weeks later, Serika visited the Tersian Barony again.

And she brought a bunch of people I had never seen before.

“Ragna! Sorry I’m a bit late. I hurried as much as I could, but coming with other people made the schedule slip a bit.”

“…Who are these people?”

“Who else could they be? They’re the candidate voice actors for your work, ‘Nymph and Goblin’.”

“Don’t tell me you were serious about that…”

I made a somewhat bewildered expression, but Serika opened her mouth with her eyes sparkling.

“This person here is Viscountess Aeris from the Imperial Opera Company. And this person here is Musetta from the Russell Theater Company, which is the most famous in the empire these days, and this person is-”

So Serika introduced each of the gathered people to me, and every one of them was someone who could be called a big shot in their respective fields.

To what extent? Well, let’s say they were people whose names even I, who had zero interest in theater or opera, might have heard once or twice somewhere.

‘She’s completely crazy.’

Even though Serika was the daughter of a duke, to think it was possible to gather such big shots of the art world in one place.

While I was making a disgusted face, those people were quietly whispering among themselves.

“…Even if it’s a request from the Grinewald Duke’s daughter, is there really a work worth making us come all the way to this rural backwater?”

“Animation, huh. From what I’ve heard, it’s something kids would like, with pictures moving as if alive. In that sense, I’ll let you all have this role.”

“I’ll pass. Because my schedule is fully booked for next week. I’m too busy to take on such a role even if I wanted to.”

‘Oh boy, they’re talking nonsense.’

And I snorted as I heard them whispering.

Well, it’s not that I don’t understand why they’re reacting like that.

We don’t have to look far, just in 21st century Korea, weren’t there plenty of people who disparaged and looked down on works just because they were ‘animation’?

‘Ah… everywhere, it’s all just half-baked people…’

I want to make it clear that I’m not saying this because I have a past of being scratched by cost-effective comments like ‘You otaku’ when I brought up anime topics on internet communities.

Anyway, I guided them to the screening room feeling somewhat displeased.

Judging by the way they were talking, they seemed like people who would leave the barony on their own feet after watching the animation, whatever excuse they might make.

‘Yeah, just watch the anime and get out of here quickly.’

And exactly 40 minutes later.

“…..”

“…..”

“…..”

The people who watched “Nymph and Goblin” were somehow frozen.

To be more precise, it was like the reaction of humans who had witnessed something far beyond their understanding.

After a heavy silence flowed for a while.

“…Excuse me, Lord Ragna. And Lady Serika.”

Suddenly, a woman sitting in the front row carefully raised her hand and opened her mouth.

“Um… it might be a bit presumptuous… but could you allow us to share our impressions of the work among ourselves for a moment?”

“…Huh? Oh. Sure.”

So as Serika and I left the room, they immediately lowered their voices and started whispering quietly.

“…It’s amazing. To think that such a form of art existed in this world. It’s truly remarkable.”

“They said it was a new art genre created by Lord Tersian. He doesn’t look like it on the outside, but he’s really an amazing person. I feel truly pathetic for looking down on it as a picture book that only children would like.”

“The moving pictures aren’t realistic, but at the same time, because it’s not reality but pictures, it can contain limitless imagination within the screen. This art called animation will surely grow enormously in the future.”

“Then we were witnessing a historical moment when a new genre of art was being born?”

“Thinking about it that way, I really want the role of that little fairy, the nymph. I think my voice would suit it very well, could you yield that role to me here?”

“Hey, what are you trying to pull? You said earlier that your schedule was fully booked for next week!”

“T-that’s because I didn’t know it would be like this! If necessary, I’ll cancel all my schedules for next week even if I have to pay a penalty!”

“Theater actors are just too greedy! I think it’s time for me, a professional opera singer, to step in here.”

“Ha, why don’t you just shut your mouth, you hack singer who can’t even act?”

“What? Did you just say whatever you wanted because you have a big mouth? Don’t you know I’ve eaten with your senior, gone to the bathhouse, and done everything? Huh?”

“…..”

And I, standing outside the door, made a bewildered expression as I heard them bickering.

No, weren’t these people completely dismissing anime just a moment ago? Why are they suddenly changing their tune?

Meanwhile, Serika shrugged her shoulders like someone who had expected things to turn out like this from the start.

“Hmm… It seems their enthusiasm has been charged, so shall we start with a light audition first?”

“…Sure.”

Saying that, Serika muttered incomprehensible things like ‘It seems I’ve gained some comrades.’ or ‘Shall we hold an appreciation meeting together after the audition?’
By the way, why does Serika look so excited?
I couldn’t understand her inner thoughts at all.

So, I conducted an audition for two hours to determine who was most suitable for the nymph’s voice.

After that, I could draw one conclusion.

“I don’t like any of them.”

“…What?”

“I mean, I don’t like any of the people you brought.”

At my conclusion, Serika blinked her eyes as if she couldn’t understand at all.

“Why? Is it because they were rude to you earlier?”

“No, it’s not just that.”

I opened my mouth, shrugging my shoulders.

“Those people are first-class as theater actors or opera singers. But because of that, they’re not suitable as voice actors for animation, I’d say.”

“…? What do you mean?”

“I mean, the vocalization method these people use and the vocalization method used in animation are clearly different. If these people take on the role of voice actors, the audience watching the anime will feel some awkwardness.”

That’s right.

In the past, in Korea, whenever celebrities or famous actors did dubbing for animations, didn’t people give all sorts of harsh criticisms saying ‘the acting is awkward’?

This was closer to a problem that arose because they did the dubbing for the animation as they usually act, rather than the celebrity or actor’s acting being really awkward.

It wasn’t for nothing that Japan had separate agencies and academies for training voice actors.

“In this case, a rookie who has never acted before would be much better. Serika, why don’t you try reading this script?”

“Huh? M-me?”

“Yeah. Looking at how those people are doing, I think you’d do a better job as a voice actor.”

“R-really? If, if you say so. Ahem. I’ll give it a try.”

Serika responded to my suggestion with her face turning bright red.

She seems to be feeling some pressure about reading the script in front of me.

‘It’s not like it’s a real audition, so there’s no need to feel such pressure.’

Well, anyway, I ordered this to show that there’s not much difference between the acting of professional actors and the acting of a complete beginner like Serika.

“Ahem, ahem. Then I’ll start.”

So Serika started reading the script hesitantly with a somewhat shy attitude.

“…Hm?”

At the same time, my expression, as I was quietly listening to Serika’s acting, started to change little by little.

By the time Serika had read the entire script with a trembling voice.

I looked at her with a quite serious expression.

“Hey, Serika.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Have you ever thought about becoming a professional voice actor?”

“W-what? Me, as the nymph’s voice?”

No matter how I think about it, isn’t it too wasteful to let her voice go unused like this?

Should I try to debut her as a formal voice actor while we’re at it?