Chapter 9. Of Course, to Steal People
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Every inch has its use, every foot has its strength. As for the small company Pokeni, their strength lies in original art. After all, the President himself comes from an illustration background, so in terms of visual control and character design, there's nothing to worry about.
Even before Kiyoshi Yuuma transmigrated, Pokeni's art team was already top-tier.
Next, their hardware engineers were also impressive.
Programming was just so-so, but in this era of Japan, it was good enough—they could make the game run smoothly and meet current planning needs. At least it wouldn't be embarrassingly bad.
But Pokeni's music had always been a shortcoming.
The original founder didn't really care much about game music, and since music usually gets added at a later stage in development, its importance tends to get overlooked. After all, a game can still be played without music. But if the visuals or programming are terrible, that's a game-breaking issue.
At the very beginning, the company actually hired a few people to handle music and formed a sound team. But later, they found out that outsourcing might be more cost-effective, so that department was shut down.
Now, Kiyoshi Yuuma had people contact several outsourcing studios—the maximum that Pokeni could afford at the moment. But after listening to the demos sent back, even after several replays, he still didn't feel anything.
"Demo" refers to samples. After a basic consultation but before a contract is signed, the music studio will, according to the client's requirements, have a composer make brief samples according to the needs of the client company and give them to the client. It is usually around ten seconds—to showcase their ability and see if it matches the client's needs.
It's like wanting to buy apples from a company in bulk—you'll want to taste a few first to see how they are.
Kiyoshi Yuuma had listened to samples from several studios, a total of over a dozen clips, yet he still felt something was lacking.
This just wasn't the Legend of Sword and Fairy—oops, Onmyoji—he had in mind.
To be honest, back in the day, the DOS version of the Legend of Sword and Fairy didn't have great graphics or performance, but the soundtrack was amazing. It laid the foundation for the musical style of future wuxia games, which can be said to be truly a pioneering work.
…
"Are there any other music outsourcing options?" Kiyoshi Yuuma took off the headphones and looked up.
Standing in front of him was a tall, slender young woman.
The company's HR—Ayase Akane.
She was 26 this year.
Honestly, most Japanese girls tend to be petite. Someone like Ayase Akane, standing at 170cm, was a rare sight.
Even among the sea of male employees, she could be described as a crane standing among chickens.
Fortunately, Kiyoshi Yuuma was reasonably tall himself—maybe a reincarnator effect. And now he was about 178cm tall.
Hearing the President's question, Ayase Akane frowned slightly and replied, "The others are not as good as these few."
She had already done her best. Since the end of the economic bubble, many music studios had shut down. The ones that were still around were already considered good. And here the President was still being picky.
But then again...
Ayase Akane herself didn't understand when exactly she, an HR, had started handling music and sound matters.
Then again, technically, she was just acting as a contact point. After all, HR folks usually handle resume screening and networking anyway, so she did know a lot of industry professionals.
"President, I actually thought it sounded pretty good. Listen to this drum beat—boom ba boom ba boom boom ba." Ayase Akane put on the headphones and started humming along.
Only when she noticed the President's icy stare did she silently take off the headphones.
"Sorry. I was wrong." The little HR stood obediently to the side. "Honestly, I'm tone-deaf. I have no aesthetic sense at all."
Kiyoshi Yuuma cast her a disdainful glance. This wasn't even a matter of musical taste.
Headphones are such personal items—like toothbrushes. How could you just wear someone else's?
What if you wore the wrong ones and caused a problem?
Kiyoshi Yuuma didn't say a word, silently closing his eyes and thinking.
There were plenty of music masters in Japan, but their prices were high. Many were also exclusive to specific companies and wouldn't work for others.
"Are you seriously thinking of going after someone like Hisaishi Joe?"
Ayase Akane muttered sarcastically.
I'm just a little HR. Why doesn't the President just hire some professionals instead?
"Eh?"
She had only been venting, trying to get the President to give up and just pick one of the samples already. She never expected this guy to suddenly open his eyes wide, which gave her a real fright.
The little HR girl took a step back. "President, don't scare me like that. I'm timid, and I was just talking nonsense earlier. I'll go contact more people right away to see if there are any other game composers."
"No, what you said is absolutely right." Kiyoshi Yuuma raised one hand, cutting her off.
He thought of someone.
"Nani?! President, you're seriously thinking of hiring Hisaishi Joe?!" Ayase Akane stared at him in horror.
"No, no." Kiyoshi Yuuma shook his head. "Akane-chan, help me look into someone named Shirakawa Atsushi."
Akane... chan?
Ayase Akane froze. She hadn't expected the President to call her something so intimate. Seeing his handsome face, her heart skipped a beat.
She replied dazedly, "Shirakawa Atsushi? Never heard of him."
There were many renowned composers in Japan, but Ayase Akane truly had no impression of that name.
…
Many people might not recognize the name Shirakawa Atsushi, but if you mention his other name, they'll know it instantly—
Tenmon.
If Miyazaki Hayao and Hisaishi Joe were a match made in heaven, then Tenmon is equivalent to Hisaishi Joe for Shinkai Makoto, the later leader of the animation film industry, wallpaper maniac, and train-obsessed pervert.
Many of Shinkai's works had their music composed by Tenmon—that is, by the young man named Shirakawa Atsushi.
For example, the compositions for "She and Her Cat," "5 Centimeters per Second," and "Children Who Chase Lost Voices."
Tenmon's compositions are known for their mastery of emotional and healing soundscapes. His elegant and serene melodies, built on piano and strings, have touched countless young hearts, deeply enhancing the emotional resonance of Shinkai's films.
If Kiyoshi Yuuma remembered correctly, this guy should currently be on the way to find a job now.
Ayase Akane left the President's office and came back with precise information in less than an hour.
"President, I got in touch with him, but he said that he's already considering an offer from another company."
Kuso!
"Ayase-san, we're going there right now," said Kiyoshi Yuuma, grabbing his coat.
"Going? Going where?" Akane blinked her big eyes, totally confused by what the President was saying.
And what's with that? He was calling her Akane-chan just now. Why'd he suddenly switch to Ayase-san?
"Don't just think it—move! Of course we're going to steal people!"