“Where you are going to be seated is based on your student number. Please look at the list handed at the entrance and sit at the place your number is written.”
The guidance for the film department was held in a lecture hall that looked like it could accomodate around 200 people.
“Everyone’s number is scattered all over.”
:Looks like it. Seems like we can’t sit together.”
“Umm, Kyouya is 32, Shinoaki’s at 23, I’m at 15…and Rokunoji is number 102. We’re separated alright.”
“Hey! I told you to call me by my first name!”
“Well you called me by my family name, so we’re even!”
“Come on, both of you……”
Fighting at the entrance is not good, so calm down for now.
“Fua~, there’s unreasonably a lot of people right. Are these all cla.s.smates?”
Certainly, there were more people than I thought. There were probably around 130 people.
“For the time being, there isn’t much time, so let’s go to our seats. After it’s over, want to have lunch together?”
“Okay. Let’s gather at the entrance. I wonder if we can use the cafeteria already.”
“It’s it okay? Also since we have the opportunity, I also want to look around inside the school.”
“Yea, that’s right~.”
After deciding on the plans after this, we dispersed to our respective seats to sit.
The scene inside the cla.s.sroom at first glimpse was the same as any normal college. It did not deviate too much, nor too little; most of the students do not embrace dreams or ambitions, I remember the exchange of gazes of not knowing (about their dream) of wherever I looked. .
However, even if the cla.s.sroom itself or the pamphlets distributed were similar, the students were different.
At first glance, the scene inside the cla.s.sroom is the same as any normal college. It didn’t deviate too much or too little. Most of the students don’t embrace dreams or ambitions. I remembered the exchanges of gazes of not knowing about their dreams wherever I looked.
Frankly speaking, if you look around, it seems to be full of people that look hard to deal with. ……It was as I expected, or rather, it seems like Nanako and the others were on the normal side.
“33, is it here?”
“Ah, yea…. yea!?”
After seeing the guy who came next to me, a strange voice came out unintentionally.
“Haa, it’s unbelievable, I finally came to Oogei!”
He looked like he was around 190 cm. He looked absurdly muscular, clear to see from how tight that T-shirt that had ‘Physical strength’ written on it was clinging to him. No matter how you look at it, rather than here at Oogei, he should be at an athletics college.
“You, what are you called?”
“M-me? Hashiba, Kyouya Hashiba.”
“Hashiba right? I am called Genkirou Hikawa, nice to meet you.”
“…… Genkirou?”
“Yeah. The ‘genki’ from ‘how are you doing!’ and ‘rou’ from failing college exams and retaking them’. Cool name, right? I’ll never get depressed or sick. Hahaha.”
It’s not just his looks. Along with Rokuonji and Shinoaki, aren’t there too many people with impactful names?
…As expected of Oogei. This is probably something only an arts college could pull. I guess there’s no mistaking that this environment can easily gather these kinds of people.
“Hashiba was it? Did you come here to wanting to learn film making?”
“Film? No…that’s not it.”
However when you think about it, this is the Department of Film, so it’s natural to normally think like that.”
“Oh. Well then, game? Or is it anime?”
“Yeah, I like games. I wanted to make a RPG one of these days.”
“Oh, I also like games. I played games like SF2 to the point of dying when I was a kid! Also, Super Real Pro Baseball.” [1]
It seems like he was a fighting and sports games addict. His image even fits his tastes.
“Well, I like moving my own body more though. Did you also do some sports at high school?”
“No, not really. I like watching. Like baseball.”
“Baseball! I also often appeared as a helper for my baseball club in high school. Last year sadly we didn’t get into Koushien…. The fall tournament was also disappointing; we had to meet the rumored Yuuki Naitou!” [2]
“Naitou is…. Ah! The towel prince.”
“Towel…… prince…… ?”
He looked like he didn’t understand me.
…c.r.a.p! I forgot that Koshien only got that nickname in the SUMMER of 2006 when he was caught wiping his sweat with his towel. Right now, that t.i.tle doesn’t exist!
“Ah? No sorry, I mistook him for another player. I’m looking forward to Naitou playing.”
“Oh! I’ve got no doubt he can go pro; he can probably go major! [3]
“Ha ha…. I, guess so.”
After this, he goes on to pitch against Hokkaido’s steadfast ace, AKA Mii-kun, at the summer Koushien. That guy certainly hits it big; serving as an ace at college baseball, even going pro to a lot of fanfare.
…But, far from leading the Yankees to double-digit wins in the Major League, Naito will have a hard struggle in the pros, huh….
“Alright! Let’s go watch professional baseball together sometime. Are you a Daigers fan? Buffalos? I’m a f.u.kuoka Fawkes, but Kazuki Saito will probably reign as an ace for now, so I’ve got expectations for this year.” [4]
…Wasn’t Kazuki Saitou seriously injured this year…?
“Y-yeah. It’s good that professional baseball is always a huge topic every year. Like Darvish Major challenge or Number 4 ace using twin wielding.”
“Twin…… wielding…?”
c.r.a.p! That also hasn’t happened yet!
“F-for argument’s sake, wouldn’t it be amazing for a player to play an active role as both a pitcher and a batter as well…?”
“Impossible impossible! It’s not possible for something like a manga to appear!”
“Ha ha…… I, guess so.”
How should I put it…. The future is…an amazing thing.
While chatting, students gradually a.s.sembled.
Whether it was entering Oogei, everyone’s mood was uplifted, and was somehow filled with a pleasant atmosphere.
Then, the chime representing 9 o’ clock resounded through the room.
“We will now start the Oonaka Art’s College Film Department’s 2006 Academic Year Orientation. First, from the department chair Sasai-sensei.”
The small old man, who was sitting besides the announcer, stood on the platform. It was a person even seen on the pamphlet. He should be a big-wig in the advertis.e.m.e.nt industry if I remember correctly.
“Welcome to the Film Department, Ehh, our department……”
The department chair indifferently explained about Oogei’s film department.
Originally, the department was established by a director of eastern techniques of a film company. Even now, movie production training is the main focus. The department chair also talked about how the first and second year student curriculum was nearly all group work.
Well, it was roughly the same as the contents written in the pamphlet.
“Film production… I wonder what we’ll be doing.”
Higawa was wracking his brains beside me.
I was also filled with questions.
“Then to continue, a.s.sociate Professor Kanou who is in charge of practical skills will explain.”
In place of Sasai-sensei, an awfully young female professor in a suit headed towards the platform.
The moment she stood in front of the mic, Kanou-sensei smiled sweetly, and said, “All the new students, congratulations on your acceptance~! I am Kanou who is in charge of everyone’s film production training. I look forward to our four years.”
She began her introductions as if her sentence endings had heart marks attached to them.
(What’s with this professor……)
It was a sweet voice like a young voice actor doing the introduction of a new anime.
Uum, I will now be conducting a surveyyy. Can you guys raise your hands to answer?”
Then, she suddenly started to conduct the survey.
It somehow started to change into a s.p.a.ce of freedom suddenly.
“Within all of you, those who wants to be a film director~.”
Quite a few hands were risen.
“Then, next, scriptwriters~.”
This also had some risen.
“How about anime writer?”
It was similar to the first question amount of hands risen.
Next was game designers, advertis.e.m.e.nt planners, CG artists, etc, various occupation names appeared.
While everyone was whispering, they were freely talking about their dream path.
Concrete examples regarding vague thoughts of their vision of their future like ‘I see, there was that kind of occupation‘ was pointed out. A tiny bit will grow into a serious dream.
(Aah, this kind of thing, this was the feeling of imagined Oogei to be……)
I personally also though nostalgically upon the work of creating a game again.
“Hmm, ok ok ok……”
While the professor was grinning and looking at that state (of the cla.s.sroom), but suddenly she suddenly opened her eyes widely.
“Okay, listen carefully!!”
She abruptly yelled in a threatening tone.
“Hiee!”
“Eh, w-what……?”
The students were frightened, and shortly grumbled.
The harmonious atmosphere instantly made a complete change and fell silent.
After the professor looked at the state of us with contempt, she quietly removed the mic from the stand, and held it in her hand.
“Okay, listen up ok? Last year, there were 135 film department graduates.”
It was almost the same at this year’s incoming students.
“Among them, around how many people do you think got into the occupation they wanted to enter when they enrolled?”
Everyone exchanged glances with each other.
“Alright, the blondie there!”
“Eh, ehh, me!?”
Nanako pointed at herself in resignation.
“Around…… 40 people.”
“Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!! Wronggggg!!!!!”
The wrong verdict was slightly overcome with emotions.
“40 people…… uh-huh, if there was that much, it would be a story in a dream though~ uh-huh.”
While displaying a forced sad expression, she nodded her head many times.
“The right answer is…… eight people. Anime production two people, scenario writer two people. Three people found a job at a major game company. As for directors…… only one person.
The a.s.sembly hall resounded in an instant.
It was clearly too little. I-is that so?
“Let’s talk about money”
The professor’s tone became even lower. Her expression also suddenly changed into a serious one.
“Humans will grow hungry, sleepy, and even need to go to the toilet. Beyond pursuing a social life, humans want clothes, and want a house in order to endure the wind and rain.”
She took off her coat, and left it on the mic stand.
“Clothes, food, shelter. Because those are necessary for humans, though are naturally profitable. However, how about…movies, animes, and games? Even without those, humans won’t be particularly troubled.
She sat on the stair that led up to the podium, then crossed her legs. Her skirt was short, so although it was out of the question, I was a bit nervous.
“Pleasure is something that only emerges after the various things prior are fulfilled. To put it bluntly, it’s low on the scale of priority. It’s useless. You people who purposely went to a college to make games are…beyond eccentric; you’re all just fools.” [5]
It became a bit noisy inside the hall.
“From now on, you’ve all decided to learn something stupid for the next four years. While it may be true you have learned, you might not achieve the qualifications; there is not any sort of a.s.surance with this. Just as I said at the beginning: there’s no guarantee you’ll find employment….”
Then the professor paused, and smiled broadly.
“So.”
“Even idiocy, if done to the extreme, will become a selling point. If you somehow become special, it’ll become something of value. Aim for that. Since you’re all idiots, become an idiot who no one can ever reach.”
“…If you reach that point, the line between stupidity and genius will blur, and you guys might become geniuses. How many of you will become geniuses…I’m looking forward to it from the bottom of my heart.”
“That’s all.”
The inside of the hall had still fallen silent. As if nothing happened, the male presenter went up to the platform, and became to talk businesslike.
“Next, I will explain how to take cla.s.ses. Please open the cla.s.s table and student handbook.”
Footnotes:
1. SF2: Street Fighter 2
Super Real Pro Baseball is a parody of a j.a.pan-only video game series: Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū series.
JP Wikipedia (mtl if you wanna know what’s written)
2. Koushien: For people who regularly watch/read baseball anime/manga or have basic knowledge, you should know that the finals for high school baseball is held at Koshien.
Referring to j.a.panese Major League Baseball.
4. If you haven’t realized, all the names are parodies (probably due to copyrights).
5. If you ever played the Sims, you’d be familiar with this concept. What’s she’s talking about is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, arranged as a pyramid. To cut a long discussion short, there’s six tiers of needs, with the physiologic needs (food, water, clothing) at the very bottom, and above it is the need for safety and security (a house of your own to feel safe). The theory states that in order to maintain a healthy mental well-being one subconsciously strives to fulfill the lowest needs first before moving up the tiers (hence a pyramid).
She’s stating it because games are theoretically as the tier closest to the top; self-esteem, so it’s more lucrative to focus on those things. #Esteem