Chapter 49. I Want to Interview Tsubaki Furuhara
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December 21, 1990.
Friday.
A reporter arrived at Pokeni's office with a photographer in tow.
Her name was Katayama Reiko, from Goraku Game Tsūshin.
This publication had only just been founded that April. Aimed at game enthusiasts, it released weekly issues featuring reviews and reports on both new and popular games, accompanied by text and images.
That said, Goraku Tsūshin practically reported on any and every game, with content being rather scattered.
There was no helping it—compared with Famitsu, Goraku Tsūshin was like an ant before an elephant, utterly insignificant.
Small companies survive by their own methods. Pokeni, for instance, avoided the sharp competition of big studios by creating unique galgames, managing not only to survive but to carve out its own path.
Goraku Tsūshin was much the same. Though it covered the same big titles as major magazines, most of its pages were dedicated to overlooked hidden gems that had received little to no attention.
To call them "treasure hunters" was no exaggeration.
But such games were very few, and usually niche, so Goraku Tsūshin's business situation remained difficult.
To survive, the magazine pushed hard. While Famitsu was biweekly, Goraku Tsūshin was weekly—larger in volume, rich in information, and faster to update, which became its main advantage.
This time, the reason they wanted to interview Pokeni was largely due to the explosive popularity of Onmyoji 2. The series had revitalized the entire galgame market, becoming a truly phenomenal product.
Thus, Katayama Reiko hoped to gain deeper insight into the creators behind the scenes, while also providing them with valuable publicity.
For both Pokeni and Goraku Tsūshin, it was mutually beneficial. Kiyoshi Yuuma had no reason to decline.
Up until now, no media outlet had conducted an in-depth interview with the Onmyoji team. Perhaps it was because, while Pokeni had produced two strong titles, it still wasn't quite on par with top-tier game studios.
After all, with most big magazines, it wasn't they who came to you—it was you who had to schedule an interview with them. The resulting publicity was crucial for boosting sales.
But Kiyoshi Yuuma had been too busy, and with sales already strong, he'd grown lax about it.
Sensing an opportunity, Goraku Tsūshin quickly seized the moment to arrange an interview with him.
…
Upon arriving at Pokeni, Katayama Reiko first introduced herself, then exchanged greetings with the main staff.
She was surprised by how young and handsome Kiyoshi Yuuma was—her heartbeat quickened as she spoke.
"President Kiyoshi, may I ask—how old are you this year?"
"26," he replied.
"Eh?" Katayama blinked, then nodded. "The president is truly young and accomplished."
"Oh, not at all," Kiyoshi waved it off.
In truth, Katayama had interviewed many company presidents, but she had never seen one as young as Kiyoshi Yuuma.
And especially with such a handsome face—it was enough to make her heart race for no reason.
Kiyoshi Yuuma gave her a tour of the office environment, during which the photographer staged some casual shots of employees at work.
That said, there really wasn't much to see. Pokeni's entire staff numbered just over twenty people. Their desks were arranged close together, the whole place visible at a glance.
Even the president's "private office" barely had room for a single desk.
Compared with other companies, Pokeni looked downright shabby.
But the employees' spirits were high. The great success of Onmyoji 2 was like winning a decisive battle.
Since they knew reporters would be visiting today, everyone had dressed up sharply.
Even the company's only two women, Mika Ishino and Ayase Akane, had put on carefully done makeup.
Anyone who knew would recognize this as a game company—but to outsiders, it might have looked more like some kind of nightclub.
…
After filming a few short clips of the game development process, some shots of the concept art, and photos of the staff at work, the group moved into a small conference room.
Here, Katayama Reiko would conduct an in-depth interview with Kiyoshi Yuuma.
Of course, besides him, there were also Onmyoji's two scriptwriters—
Mika Ishino and Urobuchi Gen.
For these two newcomers, it was their first time in front of a camera. Their nervousness was visible to the naked eye: sitting rigidly upright, palms sweating.
"This time, Onmyoji 2's sales have been nothing short of incredible. Many in the industry believe the Onmyoji series has opened up a new era for galgames. Aside from its stunning visuals and beloved character designs, the story itself is also deeply impressive."
Katayama turned her gaze to Mika Ishino. "I'd like to ask you, Ishino-san, how did you come up with such a story?"
"Me?"
Mika Ishino froze for a moment, then turned to look at Kiyoshi Yuuma.
This copywriter girl, when sober, was timid as a mouse, the quiet and delicate type. It was hard to imagine how different she became after drinking.
Kiyoshi met her eyes with an encouraging look—as if to say, go on ahead, I'll back you up from behind.
"In fact, it wasn't really me who came up with this story—it should be credited to the president." Mika Ishino answered earnestly. "At the very beginning, he provided the core of the story. I merely adjusted what was originally a Chinese historical-fantasy setting into the familiar Onmyoji world. The story core President Kiyoshi gave us was truly moving. I just happened to be the one who put it into words in the end."
She spoke truthfully.
Throughout the game's production, if there was anything that was really hers, it was only the Onmyoji setting and the flowery but soulless prose.
Because the soul came from Kiyoshi Yuuma.
She had the privilege of being the first reader or perhaps the very first player, even back when the game was nothing more than a proposal document.
Even now, recalling the moment she first read about Zhao Ling'er's sacrifice, she still felt the same stirring emotion.
Mika Ishino's answer left Katayama Reiko momentarily speechless.
She hadn't expected the scriptwriter to give so much credit to her president.
Pressing her lips into a smile, Katayama praised her: "Ishino-san really is… an incredibly humble person."
These days, it was rare to see subordinates who, instead of claiming the glory, attributed their success to their superior.
Mika Ishino glanced to the side, as if to say, I'm just telling the truth.
…
The interview lasted more than three hours. Mika Ishino and Urobuchi Gen both left a deep impression on Katayama.
Both scriptwriters were unusually young, especially Urobuchi Gen, who turned out to be only eighteen.
It was hard to imagine such a polished, tightly written work like Onmyoji 2 could have come from the hand of an eighteen-year-old boy.
This young man's future was limitless.
As evening drew near and the interview approached its end, Katayama finally said:
"Um… President, if it's possible, we'd also like to do an exclusive interview with the producer, Tsubaki Furuhara-san."
This, in fact, was Goraku Tsūshin's true purpose in coming.
The producer Tsubaki Furuhara was far too mysterious—up until now, no one even knew what he looked like.
Even at the player roundtable event, where he had originally been scheduled to appear, he failed to attend for various reasons. Players were extremely curious about his true identity.
If Goraku Tsūshin could succeed in interviewing him, it would undoubtedly be an exclusive scoop of immense value.
"Eh?!"