Totoro Rhapsody

After leaving the Hardware Development Department, Nakayama Takuya returned to his office and checked his upcoming schedule.

He glanced at his watch; the time was just right.

The other passengers were already waiting downstairs.

The car drove smoothly into Suginami Ward, and the view outside the window gradually transitioned from cold commercial buildings to more vibrant neighborhoods.

Nakayama Takuya's destination was a place that was just beginning to emerge in the animation industry, but was destined to go down in history —Ghibli Studio.

Not long ago, he saw the promotional poster for the upcoming release of "My Totoro" in the newspaper. At that moment, a bold idea took root in his mind, so he asked his assistant to make an appointment with Ghibli Studio.

The studio's facade is inconspicuous; it's an ordinary two-story building that would be easily missed if it weren't for the simple wooden sign hanging at the entrance.

He was personally greeted at the door by Yoshita's chairman, Suzuki Toshio.

A middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses, who looked shrewd yet gentle.

"Welcome, Mr. Nakayama, Special Advisor."

Suzuki Toshio's smile was polite, with just the right amount of business acumen.

Nakayama Takuya shook hands with him and followed Suzuki Toshio's directions into the studio's reception room.

Takuya didn't waste any time on pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"Mr. Suzuki, I've taken the liberty of visiting today to discuss the licensing of the ' My Totoro ' game adaptation with you."

His gaze swept over the original animation drawings hanging on the studio wall, his tone filled with undisguised admiration.

"I really like your company's works."

Suzuki Toshio's eyes flickered.

He certainly knew what Sega did and understood what game adaptations meant.

But he knew even more clearly that the final decision on this matter was not in his own hands.

"Mr. Nakayama, thank you very much for valuing our work."

"However, this matter must be decided by Director Miyazaki himself."

"I'll go and invite him over."

Suzuki Toshio walked out of the meeting room and gave his assistant a brief instruction.

Not long after, a man wearing a simple apron and sporting his signature mustache walked in; it was none other than Miyazaki Hayao, who had just finished post-production on My Totoro.

Suzuki Toshio gave a brief overview of the situation.

Upon hearing the words "game adaptation," Miyazaki Hayao's already serious face immediately furrowed into a deep frown.

He gave Takuya almost no chance to explain before directly expressing his opposition.

"No."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was resolute.

"Turning My Totoro into a game?"

Miyazaki Hayao's tone carried an artist's instinctive resistance and disdain for capital.

"Let the kids fight monsters in my world? Level up? Or fight over some random treasure?"

"Forgive my bluntness, Mr. Nakayama, but this goes against everything that ' My Totoro ' wanted to convey."

"I cannot imagine it, and I absolutely cannot accept it."

The air in the reception room seemed to freeze because of his words.

Suzuki Toshio, standing to the side, gave a wry smile, as if he had expected this.

However, faced with Miyazaki Hayao's almost rebuking rejection, Nakayama Takuya showed no surprise or embarrassment.

He even smiled and nodded, as if he completely agreed with the other person's point of view.

"Director Miyazaki, I completely understand your concerns."

"In fact, I anticipated this reaction from you even before I arrived."

His candor eased Miyazaki Hayao's displeasure slightly, but it was replaced by deeper doubt.

"Therefore, from the very beginning, I never intended to make a game with combat or violence."

Miyazaki Hayao was stunned, and even Suzuki Toshio showed a surprised expression.

"Oh?"

Miyazaki Hayao raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly. "A game without fighting and killing? Can it even be called a game?"

His tone was full of doubt, but his absolute resistance seemed to have softened slightly.

Nakayama Takuya met his gaze and made a request.

"Director Miyazaki, in order to explain my ideas to you more accurately, would I have the honor of reading the script for ' My Totoro '?"

"That way, I can explain my idea to you in more detail."

Miyazaki Hayao silently scrutinized the young man before him.

He was young, but his eyes were calm and steady, without the impetuousness of a typical businessman.

Given that the core content of the script has not yet been made public, he did not believe that the other party could come up with any compelling solutions based on just one reading.

After hesitating for a moment, he still pulled out a document from a nearby file and handed it over.

Nakayama Takuya solemnly accepted the script and quietly began to read it.

The story of My Totoro is not complicated, and the script is not long.

He read extremely fast, and the movie scenes he had seen in his past life quickly corresponded with the words in front of him. The core of the story—the unique innocence of childhood, the harmonious coexistence with nature, and the warmth between family members—flowed through his heart once again.

The only sound in the entire meeting room was the soft rustling of papers turning.

Neither Miyazaki Hayao nor Suzuki Toshio spoke; they simply observed him quietly.

Finally, Nakayama Takuya closed the script and looked up.

His eyes were bright and full of confidence.

"What I want to make is a game that combines farm management with heartwarming daily life experiences."

He spoke slowly, his voice clear and composed.

"The protagonist of the game is not Satsuki and Mei, but a young man like them who moved from the bustling city to the countryside."

He inherited his grandfather's old house and abandoned fields, and with a touch of uncertainty about the future, he began a new life here.

Miyazaki Hayao's gaze became focused.

"The core gameplay involves cultivating wasteland, planting crops, and tending to livestock. Players must work the land themselves, experience the changing seasons, and feel the joy of harvest."

"He will receive help from his neighbors, integrate into this simple and honest town, and gradually fall in love with this peaceful and fulfilling life."

Miyazaki Hayao's brow twitched slightly, but he remained silent.

"So, where is Totoro?"

Suzuki Toshio was also listening intently, and remembering that it was a licensed game based on "My Totoro," he asked.

A mysterious smile appeared on Nakayama Takuya's lips.

"Totoro, and other forest spirits, will not appear as mission objectives."

They are a kind of "encounter".

"While working in the fields, players might stumble upon a peculiar acorn. If they're strolling through a forest after the rain, or sitting on a field's edge at dusk, carrying this acorn, there's a chance they might unexpectedly encounter Totoro or other forest spirits."

Players can even ride on a cat-shaped platform.

"But these encounters are more like serendipitous adventures. There are no missions, no rewards, only a wondrous experience."

His voice was very soft, as if he were describing a dream.

"Perhaps the elves will give him a bag of little things from the forest that are not very useful but are just pleasing to the eye."

"Perhaps the Catbus will take him on a short nighttime flight."

The next day, when the player woke up, it all felt like an unreal dream.

"But when he pushed open the door and saw the strange plant he had never seen before that had grown overnight in the courtyard, he realized that everything that had happened last night was real."

"This game has no end, no so-called 'beat'."

"Its sole purpose is to immerse players in a leisurely rural life, allowing them to experience the joy of farming and harvesting, feel the harmony between humanity and nature, and enjoy a series of kind and heartwarming stories."

As Nakayama Takuya described it, a vivid, healing, and imaginative game world slowly unfolded in the minds of Miyazaki Hayao and Suzuki Toshio.

The expression on Miyazaki Hayao's face changed from initial doubt to midway through his work, and finally to awe.

After Takuya finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the reception room.

Sudden.

"Smack!"

Miyazaki Hayao slapped his thigh, his eyes shining with excitement, the passion of a top creator ignited in that moment.

"Genius!"

He was generous with his praise, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"This is the kind of game that ' My Totoro ' should be! This is it!"

Suzuki Toshio, who was standing to the side, was completely stunned.

He worked with Miyazaki Hayao for many years and knew the man's stubbornness and pickiness.

He never imagined that someone could not only convince Miyazaki Hayao by "making games," but also make him feel excited and resonate with the story.

Despite the turmoil raging within him, Miyazaki Hayao, being Miyazaki Hayao, quickly regained his composure after a brief moment of excitement, driven by a creator's almost demanding rigor.

"The idea is great, but... can you really make it perfectly?"

He worried that this ineffable feeling and sentiment would be eroded by the constraints of technology and business during the actual development process, ultimately turning into a mediocre hybrid.

Nakayama Takuya seemed to have anticipated this question.

"Director Miyazaki, to allay your concerns, I'd like to include two special clauses in the contract."

He held up two fingers, his expression utterly sincere.

"First, all the scripts for the short stories in the game can be submitted to you for review. Of course, we also welcome your personal participation in the creation of some of them."

"Secondly, the final product of the game must be approved by you before its official release. Without your approval, the game will never be released."

This sincerity and respect in completely relinquishing the final decision-making power utterly shattered Miyazaki Hayao's last line of defense.

He gazed at Nakayama Takuya; the scrutiny and doubt had faded from his sharp eyes, leaving only pure admiration.

"Good."

I agree.

The cooperation was reached, and the atmosphere instantly became incredibly harmonious.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Nakayama Takuya said with a smile.

"Director Miyazaki, if you are satisfied with the quality of this game in the future, I have one small request."

"I hope you can introduce me to Joe Totoro, the composer of the soundtrack for ' My Hisaishi Joe '."

"I think only his music can perfectly capture the soul of this game."

Upon hearing this, Hayao Miyazaki Hayao laughed heartily in high spirits.

"No problem! Leave it to me!"

As Suzuki Toshio witnessed this dramatic scene, his opinion of Nakayama Takuya rose to an unprecedented level.

This young man not only understands business and technology, but he also understands the soul of art better than many creators.