It can be said that the background music (BGM) of a movie is the most important tool for enhancing a scene.
In fact, Nanaya Kiryu's favorite music producer for Kara no Kyoukai is none other than Yuki Kajiura. Although she has a minor flaw, her songs often sound similar, to the point where you might confuse them after many listens,her strengths far outweigh her weaknesses. The music she composed for Type-Moon, whether for Kara no Kyoukai or later for Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Fate series, has left a lasting impact.
However, perhaps due to the influence of the butterfly effect, Nanaya was unable to find the music producer Yuki Kajiura. Although she truly rose to fame after Gundam Seed in 2002, she had already been active in the Japanese music industry beforehand. Yet in this world, her music seems to have vanished completely, and no matter how hard Nanaya searched, she found nothing.
With no results, Nanaya had no choice but to invite other music producers. But without exception, all of them looked down on Kara no Kyoukai, a project with no funding, no big-name stars, and no well-known director,and refused.
Of course, according to Subaru Ikeda, the main reason was simply that Nanaya wasn't paying enough.
Fortunately, there was still another way.
Through the fan-made games Shounan often played, Nanaya discovered another option: if professional music producers wouldn't help, he could look for fan creators. After all, in the year 2000, many future big names hadn't risen yet, so hiring them would be far cheaper than those "music-industry vampires," while still guaranteeing quality.
Nanaya's target was none other than Junya Ota, the creator of Touhou Kaikidan, a game Shounan had been secretly playing.
This man, affectionately known as "God" by fans, is a legendary figure in the Japanese and even global doujin scene. His Touhou Project series, alongside Higurashi and Tsukihime is regarded as one of Japan's "Three Great Doujin Games."
After 2007, when Tsukihime went commercial, Touhou Project became the flagship of the Japanese doujin community.
ZUN, the creator of Touhou Project, is revered for good reason. Not everyone can handle all aspects of game creation alone programming, art, music, and character design. Aside from his uniquely round-faced art style, which requires personal taste, the Touhou series is flawless in many ways.
Although Touhou declined somewhat after the rise of the tireless Shimakaze-chan around C84 in 2013, and was even dismissed as an "outdated Touhou" before Nanaya's rebirth, its former dominance is undeniable.
"No regrets in this life for entering Touhou; may I be reborn in Gensokyo in the next." This phrase represents the feelings of countless Touhou fans.
Junya Ota used his imagination to create a strange and wonderful paradise where humans and youkai coexist.
What impressed Nanaya most in the original Touhou games aside from ZUN's insistence on round-faced girls was the soundtrack. Nanaya still remembers enduring screens filled with bullets just to hear the BGM a little longer. The exhilarating music and the frantic pace of the bullet hell gameplay were a perfect match.
After settling on his ideal music producer, Nanaya immediately went to meet the man he once admired so deeply.
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"Mr. Ota, we hope you can accept our request."
Nanaya lowered his head slightly as he addressed the thin, bespectacled game creator in front of him.
"No need to be so serious just call me ZUN."
ZUN straightened his signature baseball cap, looking slightly embarrassed. "Even if Director Kiryu asks me to help, I don't think I'm qualified. I'm just a regular doujin game creator. Composing music for your movie might be too much for me."
"I've played your Touhou games, ZUN. Your talent for music is exceptional. I believe you're more than capable. And if Kara no Kyoukai succeeds, you'll also gain more recognition. More people will discover your games."
Nanaya didn't mention money he knew ZUN's family was well-off and money wasn't the man's priority. Doujin creators simply wanted more people to enjoy their work. If ZUN only cared about leisure, he would just stay home drinking beer every day.
ZUN was tempted, but he hesitated.
"Kiryu, isn't Kara no Kyoukai a TV movie? Can it really succeed?"
Nanaya froze. His lack of a successful track record was indeed his greatest weakness. But he had already come this far he wasn't going to back down now.
"I know I'm a newcomer, but I have confidence in the story. What my film lacks is a music producer like you. You're a creator too, ZUN you know how important music is. With your help, I'm certain the film will succeed."
"Hmm…"
ZUN rubbed his chin, unsure. He knew that as an unknown doujin creator, being asked to compose for a film was already rare.
Seeing him hesitate, Nanaya panicked and blurted out:
"If ZUN agrees to join, I'll give you unlimited beer!"
ZUN's eyes widened instantly.
"What brand?"
---
Lured in by the promise of endless alcohol, ZUN eventually joined the post-production team of Kara no Kyoukai.
With this powerful addition, Nanaya's post-production progress accelerated dramatically.
And, of course, the beer Nanaya provided was Asahi beer
However, this created a small problem.
ZUN brought his music equipment into the editing room so he could match music and scenes directly turning the entire room into an alcohol-filled chamber. This man, capable of drinking eight liters of beer without even pausing for breath, preferred to compose while chugging nonstop. Empty cans piled up far faster than discarded music sheets.
Thanks to Nanaya's "unlimited beer" promise, ZUN drank like it was a sacred duty.
Fortunately, unlike other men who make a mess when drunk, ZUN was the rare type who became more efficient the more he drank. Even with a can in hand at all times, his work never slowed.
Nanaya ignored the minor problems. As long as ZUN delivered, he would gladly bleed himself dry to keep the beer flowing much less drink black tea like the vampire in Scarlet Devil Mansion.
The only real issue was the dangerously alcohol-saturated air, which made Nanaya slightly dizzy during editing. He had to stay extremely alert to avoid making mistakes.
Others were far less tolerant. Most staff avoided the editing room entirely.
Ori only visited for five-minute progress reports. Subaru, though stationed nearby, stayed in the hallway. Even Ilya, who once begged to watch post-production, vanished after ZUN's arrival,the smell was simply too overwhelming for a child.
Only Shounan, the editing assistant, was forced to endure the alcoholic fog.
And then,there was one more person.
---
"We're out of alcohol again."
ZUN tossed his twelfth empty can onto a growing pile.
"Yes, Mr. Ota!"
Tamari Tsukasa quickly collected the cans and handed him a freshly opened ice-cold beer.
"Mm."
ZUN nodded and resumed working, sipping and composing simultaneously.
Ori, who rarely visited, asked, "Why is he here too?"
"This guy got fired from the company," Nanaya explained while staring at the monitor. "But I thought he was useful, so I hired him temporarily as our all-around assistant. Because Adachi broke the contract without authorization, if the actress can't be found, all responsibility falls on him."
"A scapegoat?"
Watching Tamari run around helping everyone, Ori felt a flash of sympathy.
Nanaya nodded. "More or less. They probably don't have high hopes for us, so they're being careless. But I don't believe they can't find that woman."
Most talent agencies have ties to organized crime otherwise it's impossible to control artists who love acting on their own.
"Senior…"
"It's fine."
Nanaya's eyes stayed glued to the monitor, but her voice carried unwavering determination.
"I will succeed. I swear."