Chapter 1200: If they don

Before continuing to film "Departures," Naoki Nagayama still had to go to the company.

As the guy who had been absent for so long, especially during the critical meetings at the end and beginning of the month, he was naturally trapped in his office by company affairs as soon as he returned.

"Naoki-san, these... these... all need your signature."

Riko Hayano placed the reports and documents that needed signing on Naoki Nagayama's desk.

"And then there are these proposals, which also need your review..."

Then she placed another thick stack of proposals...

"......" Naoki Nagayama was helpless; most of these reports only needed Otomo-san's signature. "Riko-chan... are you doing this on purpose?"

"Absolutely!"

Riko Hayano smiled brightly.

"Otomo-san specifically told me to put these on Naoki-san's desk the moment you returned!"

After saying all that in one breath, Riko Hayano was a bit out of breath, and then she went to get more documents.

"Chotto matte..."

Naoki Nagayama quickly stopped her.

"It takes a long time to sign all these... are there more?!"

"Hai, there are also the salary reports for the subsidiary companies..."

"Why doesn't Otomo-san sign them? Isn't he worried about delaying work?!

Isn't he worried about delaying the payment of wages?

The employees still need their wages to eat!!"

In reality, these financial reports were the final versions after layers of review. Wages only needed the signature of Otomo Yoshimura or Naoki Nagayama to be issued, and there was definitely a buffer left for the final step, so it wouldn't be delayed.

But today, Naoki Nagayama had come over, and Otomo Yoshimura, to express his dissatisfaction, had piled all this work onto his desk at once~

Riko Hayano's smile was reserved and composed:

"Otomo-san said not to worry; when the time comes, we'll just go to Naoki-san's house for a meal!"

"......"

To such an answer, Naoki Nagayama had no f*ck to say, and could only complain while signing fiercely:

"I went out to film a movie, didn't I?! I'm also working hard for the company!

How can you treat me like this just because I went home to see my incredibly beautiful wife and very cute daughter after I got back?!"

"....."

Riko Hayano, who was on the side, had the corners of her mouth twitch slightly; he actually used double adjectives to praise his wife and daughter...

"Also, Naoki-san... Hayao Miyazaki from the Anime Department has been looking for you for a long time; the production of 'My Neighbor Totoro' needs your opinions and suggestions..."

"'My Neighbor Totoro'..."

Naoki Nagayama paused, suddenly realizing that it should be the busiest production stage for "My Neighbor Totoro" now.

"Okay... I'll go find him now!"

Saying that, he was about to put down his pen and go downstairs~

"Chotto matte!"

Riko Hayano grabbed Naoki Nagayama's sleeve.

"Naoki-san... are you trying to escape already?! Do you think I don't exist?"

"Hahaha, Riko-chan, what are you joking about..."

Naoki Nagayama tried to pull his sleeve out of Riko Hayano's hand, a smile on his face.

"I just want to go take a look first... I'll come back later to continue signing and processing these documents!"

"Really?"

Riko Hayano raised her forehead slightly, her eyes actually carrying a bit of a condescending look, and her expression was very similar to someone else's.

"I don't believe it!"

"......."

How come I feel like I, the company boss, have no dignity at all?!

Naoki Nagayama widened his eyes, suddenly wanting to use his Conqueror's Haki to make the subordinate in front of him feel the dignity of the chairman... However, Riko Hayano didn't even look at him:

"Naoki-san... you'd better sign these salary-related reports first... otherwise, I'll really go to the Yamasakura Residence for a free meal~"

"...... Sigh......"

After a sigh, Naoki Nagayama returned behind his desk and began to act as a human stamp. A long time later, Riko Hayano got the reviewed documents and left satisfied~

As the chairman of Tree Friend, Naoki Nagayama could be said to be the type who says one thing and means another when setting up work, filming movies, or in the recording studio.

But in daily work, he wasn't that serious and could get along with employees as equals... This made Tree Friend's company culture fundamentally different from other companies in Japan, which also made Tree Friend's cohesion far exceed its peers~

Being able to surpass most companies in the entertainment industry in a short period of time, the efforts of the employees were also an important reason!

Naoki Nagayama, who was focused on daily affairs, had high work efficiency.

While looking at the thick proposal, he suddenly saw a debut plan for Rie Miyazawa...

"Hmm, has Rie-chan already reached the age for a debut?"

When he first signed this little girl, it was with a bit of sentiment to help Rie Miyazawa get rid of her blood-sucking mother and save the last beauty of the Showa era from fire and water.

Over the past few years, Rie Miyazawa had focused on her magazine modeling career and some film shoots; overall, her career was lukewarm... But if more resources were to be invested next...

"Should I continue to push her in the direction of an idol?"

Naoki Nagayama touched his chin. It was obvious in recent years that the idol industry was already in decline; since Yukiko Okada, there hadn't even been a seedling in the next generation capable of carrying the beam.

The cold winter for idols might be coming soon...

The idol story that had been told for nearly ten years might shatter along with the bubble...

"Tree Friend's idols now already have Shizuka Kudo as a face, and several other idols..."

Naoki Nagayama closed the proposal, having made a decision in his heart.

"For Rie Miyazawa, let's cultivate her in the direction of an actress!"

If she wasn't debuting as an idol, then she would have to enter an acting training class and participate in filming various movies and TV dramas... It just so happened that Naoki Nagayama had written a script for "Full House" a while ago...

It wasn't that he didn't want Akina to act in it, but Akina had grown up now, her aura was too strong, and she was full of the momentum of a mature woman and a big heroine; she really couldn't play a silly, cute little girl with baby fat...

"If the training goes well this year, let Rie-chan film this TV drama!"

After going downstairs, Naoki Nagayama, who hadn't been here for a long time, was surprised to find that the walls of the Anime Department were covered with many posters and photos of "Slam Dunk."

There were also peripherals and souvenirs hanging in different places, as well as some ribbons and the like, as if they were going to celebrate a festival.

Even a basketball hoop was installed on the wall at the end of the corridor...

"What's going on..."

While muttering, he happened to see Gosho Aoyama walking out of the office, holding a basketball and walking excitedly toward the hoop... He didn't even notice Naoki Nagayama's arrival.

"Ready... set... shoot!"

The basketball crossed a smooth arc and went into the hoop on the corridor wall, making Gosho Aoyama wave his fist excitedly~

He looked just like a sporty teenager when he was a student~

The basketball hit the ground with a thumping sound, making Yoshihiro Togashi walk out too:

"So noisy... Aoyama, you baka... you haven't stopped since you installed the hoop..."

Just as he was complaining, Yoshihiro Togashi saw Naoki Nagayama not far away...

"Naoki-san?!"

Gosho Aoyama also turned his head, and seeing Naoki Nagayama's arrival, he became a bit reserved:

"Naoki-san... you're back!"

"Hmm, I just got back today." Naoki Nagayama nodded, bent down to pick up the basketball and spun it, looked around the Anime Department, and asked with some curiosity, "What's going on here...?!"

"Ah!"

Gosho Aoyama walked over to explain.

"It's been almost a year since 'Slam Dunk' was released, and plus the manga and anime are very popular now, and we have many fans, so we planned an anniversary event!"

"Later, we will invite some fans to visit the company to understand the creative process of 'Slam Dunk'... and there will be media coming to interview..."

Gosho Aoyama explained it quickly; this was a promotional event for "Slam Dunk," and decorating the interior was also to make it look good on camera...

"I see~"

Naoki Nagayama spun the basketball with his index finger.

"Haha, very good idea... In the future, maybe we can sponsor a Tokyo high school basketball tournament, hold a 'Who is the Slam Dunk Master' voting event... combine online and offline to accelerate the expansion of the anime's influence..."

Naoki Nagayama, who possessed future memories, casually came up with some promotional ideas, which surprised Gosho Aoyama and Yoshihiro Togashi.

"Naoki-san is indeed amazing~"

The flattery Yoshihiro Togashi gave had no new ideas...

"Naoki-san, what brings you to the Anime Department?" Gosho Aoyama, the head of the Anime Department, was quick-witted. "Ah... you're here for 'My Neighbor Totoro', right!"

"Hmm, I heard Miyazaki-san has been looking for me for a long time..."

Naoki Nagayama laughed.

"I haven't been to the company for a while... so I came to see today."

"Haha, the storyboard for 'My Neighbor Totoro' has been completed... next is for all the artists to devote themselves to the intermediate drawing."

Gosho Aoyama led Naoki Nagayama toward Studio Ghibli.

"It's very troublesome to change it after coloring... it has to be redrawn, so Miyazaki was so anxious to find Naoki-san to confirm..."

Naoki Nagayama nodded:

"Actually, in this regard, I trust Miyazaki-kun very much... it's fine to produce it directly."

The Ghibli work area was not far from the Slam Dunk work group. After pushing open the door, he saw a work area that was more like a fairy tale.

Various images of Totoro, as well as some special character images, were posted on the wall... there were even fairy-tale-style castles and villages drawn...

Naoki Nagayama couldn't help but laugh when he saw such a scene:

"Ha, it's a completely different style from the 'Slam Dunk' side~"

"Naoki-san!"

Hayao Miyazaki, wearing big black-rimmed glasses, saw Naoki Nagayama at a glance, his tone also very excited.

"You're finally here!"

"Miyazaki-kun, your tone is too resentful!"

Naoki Nagayama laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Didn't I come over?"

"That's great!" Hayao Miyazaki said immediately, "Our storyboard has been drawn, and the main plot line is complete..."

Saying that, he walked to the cabinet next to the desk and took out the drawings in a cowhide envelope:

"Because I was worried that I couldn't meet Naoki-san's requirements, we didn't dare to produce it with full force; these past few days we could only draw some background materials..."

Amidst Hayao Miyazaki's aggrieved voice, Naoki Nagayama sat casually on an empty chair in the office and took out the storyboard of "My Neighbor Totoro" from the envelope to look at it carefully.

The storyboard in the early stage of the animated film was no different from the manga. Naoki Nagayama felt like he was reading the manga version of "My Neighbor Totoro," with some nostalgia and novelty.

Two daughters who came to the countryside alone with their father because their mother was sick...

The countryside full of natural beauty...

Met the cute Totoro...

It was like an animation reappearing, making the "My Neighbor Totoro" movie that Naoki Nagayama had once seen emerge in his mind again.

A world full of childlike fun and imagination, this was probably the world in the eyes of children~

"Miyazaki-kun."

After a while, Naoki Nagayama closed the last drawing and looked up at Hayao Miyazaki.

"Sure enough, I didn't misjudge you!!!"

This sentence, undoubtedly, was recognition!

"......"

After being stunned for a moment, a warm current rose in Hayao Miyazaki's heart. So this was the feeling of being trusted and recognized!

"Naoki-san... when drawing this 'My Neighbor Totoro', I felt a connection with this movie..."

"It seems that every scene jumped out of my mind... as if I had drawn it in a previous life... but I have always been worried that it would be different from Naoki-san's original idea..."

"Now that I can get Naoki-san's recognition... it's really great!"

Naoki Nagayama scratched his cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed... Originally, this "My Neighbor Totoro" was drawn by you!

I just returned your original work to you... and under the Tree Friend banner, Studio Ghibli would have no worries about bankruptcy!

"Miyazaki-kun... just produce it according to your ideas!"

Naoki Nagayama encouraged.

"Go all out next... if it can be released before the end of this year, I will give a big red envelope for the year-end bonus!"

"Hai! I will definitely go all out!"

Hayao Miyazaki only felt that his whole body was full of strength... He turned around and patted Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki, who had also stood out from the beginning.

"Studio Ghibli will also work together!"

"Then I will look forward to the day 'My Neighbor Totoro' is released!"

Naoki Nagayama nodded with a smile, and then, at the enthusiastic invitation of the three, he also conducted a further inspection of the current production process of "My Neighbor Totoro."

Studio Ghibli, which originally only had three people, now had more than ten people after recruiting artists before.

The atmosphere of everyone burying their heads in drawing was even a bit like a self-study room for the college entrance examination... only the sound of pencils rubbing against paper.

"These artists are all employees under Tree Friend."

Hayao Miyazaki explained.

"Currently, the common mode for various studios in the anime industry is commissioned creation, and the artists are all temporary... but Tree Friend's system does not allow outsourcing..."

"Ha, this is as it should be."

Thinking of the practice of squeezing manga artists in the Japanese anime industry in later generations, Naoki Nagayama was very dissatisfied, and now that Tree Friend had the ability, it was natural to give his own artists good guarantees...

Moreover, maybe it could also change the atmosphere of the industry...

"Anime movies also belong to the film industry... maybe some clauses can be added to Ito Shuichi-san's 'Rights Protection Proposal'..."

Naoki Nagayama thought of the proposal that Ito Shuichi Ido had been pushing since the beginning of the year, although most of it was aimed at film industry practitioners.

However, anime and movies were not far apart, and they were very likely to be more closely connected in the future!

"I couldn't manage it before, so forget it. Now that I can contribute, I will contribute~"

"Just consider it for the various anime characters I have seen before... Boa Hancock, Rangiku Matsumoto, Tsunade, Saeko Busujima, Fujiko Mine..."

Recalling the anime characters he had seen, Naoki Nagayama was very firm at this time!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1201 =====