MAY 2005

May 6, 2005
Hello, it's OO.
I met with the artistic staff the other day to talk about the opening and closing theme music.
We definitely need footage to go with the theme music, so we talked about a production schedule for that.
I should have known, but it was the first time I realized that music production was all about deadlines as well.
People say, "We need a little more time to create a good product."
Why didn't I realize this before? All types of creative production can always use more time.
In anime production, we're constantly faced with the relentless pressure of deadlines. I found out today that everybody working on the current project faced the same pressures. I felt a certain solidarity with the staff, on this night under the crescent moon.

May 13, 2005
Hello, it's OO.
On a certain day each week, we meet to discuss the script. This is called "script reading."
Attending these often-heated meetings are people like the director, the scriptwriter, and the animation director, along with representatives from the other companies involved into this project, namely Mainichi Broadcasting (MBS), Aniplex and Hakuhodo.
There are only two women who participate regularly at these meetings (attended by a total of ten). We men are often wont to blurt out things that would raise eyebrows for most women, but these two have seen it all. They don't even bat an eyelash at some of the less polite things we say.
I can't help but admire them as they carry on with the business of the meeting.
Ms. Minami from Aniplex and Long Skirt, I hope you continue to stick it through with us as gracefully as you have. I might be one of the few, or rather, the only member of the script reading group who knows that you are of the opposite sex. Or so I thought this night under the crescent moon.

May 20, 2005
Hello, it's OO.
One of the lead characters of the series is Hagi.
He happens to play a stringed instrument: the cello. Can you imagine someone playing a cello? I doubt there are too many people out there who have heard a live performance of the cello before. I, for one, never have.
Since the cello will be a part of the story, I wanted to go and see a live performance. Then I found out there would be a cello performance at Yasuda Auditorium for the press conference of the series.
Perfect timing! I totally looked forward to that day.
On the day of the performance, Mr. Takeda, of MBS, was nice enough to invite me backstage to look at the instrument.
With a certain nervous excitement, I was introduced to Nobuo Furukawa, the cellist. He had an almost aristocratic grace about him in his posture and form. And the cello... It was not at all like the cheap cello we had at our studio. Of course, I took photos in continuous shooting mode.
I hesitantly asked if he could play a little, and he graciously agreed.
The sound of the cello was overwhelming. It was like an out-of-the-world experience for a guy like me who has never received any musical education.
And he looked so cool playing that instrument.
It's amazing how he was able to create such an inspiring sound from a wooden box. For me, it was an incredible introduction to the cello, an interesting and powerful instrument. I was brimming with my newfound awareness as I walked home this night under the crescent moon.

May 27, 2005
Hello, it's OO.
With the first stage of the storyboarding behind us, we finally started working on the picture for the first episode. The studio is all hustle and bustle, and we are starting to see the entire project take form.
To tell you the truth, when we had that press conference on May 9 at the Yasuda Auditorium at Tokyo University, we didn't even have one storyboard finished. Out of the entire crowd in the auditorium, I don't think anyone felt as awkward about it as I did.
Even though I still can't see the goal, as it's so far away, I can vouch that you can all look forward to the coming series since all of us are pouring everything we can into it.